The Path to Ivory

Ch. 11 - Wild Ride

My heart pounded in my chest as I thought about riding a horse for the first time. I usually sat in the carriages driven by the steeds, protected from the sun, looking out the windows while we would travel to the neighboring kingdoms. The horses brought some fear into me, they were so big and emotionless, you never knew what they were thinking... but Truffle looked so trustworthy. I look at the horse in front of me and see if he can convince me, since I already wanted to anyways. His dark eyes seem to stare right through me at first, but once he finished the sugar cube he seemed to have this excited air to him.

Truffle pushed his nose into me and I had to hold onto him as not to fall, laughing while this happened. I didn't know animals could be so cuddly, or if that was what this is, even. I didn't want the time to end with this sweet horse so soon, so I nodded, looking up at Chocolat.

"A-alright! I'll do it!" I said, I knew my face was a bit paler now that I was thinking of being on a horse, especially one so tall. Chocolat himself was roughly double my height, so to have a horse that matched and fit him well, I'm sure you could imagine how big he was compared to me.

I feel like this is my first time looking at the Cowboy for a while now, since I stared at Truffle for most of this interaction. I wonder why he left so suddenly while I got the sugar cube... It couldn't be that he was mad at me, since when I answered him just now he looked ecstatic. I'm not sure why, though, it's just a horse ride.

Before he speaks to me about anything, I circle around Truffle after giving him another pet down his nose, standing on the edge of the saddle. I had no idea in the least on how to climb the steed, eyes scanning to look for anything. "Uh..." My confusion forms in a single noise.

"Oh, lemme help you up, sugar!" Chocolat said, and I smiled, standing back so he could leap down. Sugar was a much better nickname than anything the kingdom called me, it didn't demean me and make me feel small, if anything, it made me feel sweet. There was one he called me earlier, though... darlin'? Which I've never heard before, so I couldn't define it, but it did make me feel a bit warm.

While lost in my own thoughts, the sound of Chocolat's boots hitting the ground and his belt shuffling as he jumped down brought me back out, and I had realized that I didn't back up as much as I thought. He was right next to me, now, and I looked up at him with a surprised expression. He was just looking right back down, directly into my eyes. I didn't know what this feeling was, almost like he had power over me, that sent shivers down my spine. I raised my hand to excuse myself and attempted another little step back, but I was unsuccessful. Chocolat put his hand on my back and pulled me closer to Truffle, we were right next to eachother.

"Why hello there." He said, and my surprise turned into a slight smile and an exhale that was akin to a single laugh. The chills never left me.

This moment lasted a while, or... at least I think it did. In my mind it didn't end, even when he was instructing me of what to do next. Something about putting my opposite foot in the foot-hold-thing, then throwing the other leg over. The directions got twisted in my mind, and my hands didn't know where to go. I grabbed the side of his saddle and put my closest foot in the hook thing, then put my other foot in it as well. So now I just stood awkwardly on the side of Truffle, who looked back at me confused.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know-" I had to stop, stunned into silence. I felt hands on my legs, guiding me exactly where I needed to go, and all time slowed down, I could swear. I looked down to see Chocolat helping me properly, guiding my leg out and prompting me to drape it over the saddle to properly sit down. I did so, and had to grab onto Truffle's neck as to not fall, and I heard the deep laugh of the cowboy helping me.

"See? That wasn't so bad, now just wait one moment, sugar." He said, and I nodded. I wasn't going anywhere.

Chocolat put his hand on the side of the saddle, his foot in the foot hold, and lifted himself with ease up and onto the saddle with me. I could feel his body pressed right against mine since we didn't have much room, and as he adjusted to get comfortable, his hands reached under my chest. I couldn't speak, I held my breath, I had no idea what he was doing. I felt light headed.