The Hobbit | The Lost Bender {Book 1}

4 | Hide the past

{Rigmor POV}

I was tightly gripping the reins of the white stallion Gandalf had brought me. One way or the other, he thought it would be a good idea to give us both a horse.
A gift, he had told us with a large smile. 

After we proceeded to join him on this adventure, he had gone outside and returned with three fairly large animals, all saddled up. It was convenient, he had said, for we had to travel a long way. I had never ridden a horse before, so after a bit of practice I was a beginner. '

The dirt was a bit damp, making the hooves of the ponies sink into the loose soil with every step. My back started to ache quickly after we departed, and I wasn't even sure where we would go or how long the travel would be. 

"Where are we going?" Myrna asked, urging her horse next to Gandalf's brown steed. 

"I am not telling you anything just yet. Wait and see, dear." 

He tried to suppress a grin but failed horribly. 

"What's so funny?" Myrna quizzed.

"Nothing. Just the look on Rigmor's face." 

Myrna turned to face me and burst out laughing.
"Are you a bit nervous, Rig?"
I rolled my eyes and my jaw tightened. 

"I am just... Yes, a bit." I admitted, almost falling off the stallion's back as he started to trot after his friends. 

"Just try to go with his movements." Myrna said, making strange standing-sitting maneuvers with each step her light brown mare took. 

"What are you doing?"
"Doing the posting-rising trot!"
"The what?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. 

"Posting-rising. Every time one of the front legs of your horse is forwards, you stand. The other step, you sit." 

I frowned.
"How can you tell what step you need to do it? Left leg or right leg?"
"Whatever feels best. Makes it more comfortable for both you and your steed." 

She leaned forward and patted the neck of the panting animal. I tried as she said, and after a couple of attempts, I managed to get a bit more relaxed on Aqua's back. That's the funny thing, Gandalf got me a white horse named Aqua, even though it's a stallion it sounded pretty girlish.

Myrna had a chestnut horse with the name Terra. I wondered if he chose the names on purpose. It went all pretty smooth until Gandalf decided it would be a good time to go over into a gallop. Myrna, however, seemed to have no problem with the sudden increase of speed. 

"If we want to reach the place before sundown, we better hurry up!"
The grey wizard shouted as we darted through the forest. 

I held onto the mammal for dear life and my eyes widened every time I threatened to fall down. I swallowed thickly, tried to not run into any branches which were hanging low over the path and followed the tail of my precursor.

"I am tired..." Myrna complained, her long blonde hair full of leaves and knots.
"You really should consider wearing a ponytail or a braid like me or something."
I said, pointing at my slightly messy hair. At least I didn't have any foliage hanging in it. 

Myrna rolled her eyes and lazily let her horse trot towards the top of the hill we were climbing. "Where are we, Gandalf?" she asked, looking over her shoulder. 

"Almost there." I heard his voice behind me. The old man was traveling too long for his own good. He really should rest according to his ageing. But then, his lifespan was longer than ours.

"Are you going to tell us where we are going now?"
I asked as he pulled his steed next to mine. 

"Alright, I think you have every right to know now and I am convinced you don't know the way back to Rhosgobel."