Acting Ladylike | On Hold

✩ F I F T E E N ✩

"For the last time, stop! My dress isn't a chew toy!" I struggle to pull my sleeve away from the horse as it snorts at me.

"I think I know which one I want to take."

I glare at Mr. Ashworth, hoping the venom in my expression somehow reaches his veins and gets him poisoned.

A smirk crosses his lips for a second, amused at the effect his words have on my mood, before he looks away from me, back towards the psychotic animal.

I'm really starting to think I should just stay here and let this imbecile leave by himself.

I let out a few curses before giving a final, determined tug away from the animal's mouth, wincing when my hand passes over something wet. Great. Horse saliva.

Mr. Ashworth easily disregards my foul words and skillfully mounts the beast that just mercilessly attacked me before stroking its mane.

While he's occupied with admiring the horse, I let my mind wander back to the old woman's plan for us, grimacing to myself.

Apparently the woman's daughter lives in outskirts of Lily Creek and maintains a barn, where we're supposedly going to drop off the horses. After giving us some vague directions, she told she'd pick up her animals in a couple days.

It's not the greatest plan, but it's the best we have.

"This is old Dusty, here," the woman informs us, tearing me away from my thoughts.

I have to resist the urge to snort.

"What a...lovely name," I comment, my lips twitching.

"Yep. Named him myself about twelve years ago. Dusty's been around for what feels like forever."

"Wow."

Dusty lets a gust of wind at me out through his nostrils, blowing strands of my hair up into the air before they messily fall back down into my face.

Great.

"Have ya ever ridden before?"

I contemplate lying, but then figure I might as well tell the truth before I end up falling off the horse and getting trampled underneath its feet.

"Nope."

"Well that's just dandy." The snide voice from uptop the horse comments.

"Again with your unnecessary commentary!" I flop my arms to my side. Mr. Ashworth shrugs once more before grabbing the reins and steering Dusty towards us.

"How do you expect to ride a horse if you've never ridden one before?"

"I'll learn."

"I'm sure that'll go well."

"If you can do it, I doubt it's that hard."

"Seeing as you're temporarily disabled, I'd like to state otherwise."

My hands clench at my sides as I prepare to tell him otherwise, but the old woman interrupts before I can completely explode.

"I think I have a cart in the shed we can attach to the horse and you can sit in."

"A cart?" My tone is more incredulous than intended.

I watch as the woman hobbles over to a small wooden building and opens the doors. She comes back out with a little cart with some rope things attached to the sides.

Mr. Ashworth drops from the horse to help her drag over and attach the cart to the saddle thing.

They expect me to sit in that thing?