[Piper]

Horse-riding was the strangest thing in the world.

First, she was wearing jeans, which was weird enough in itself. She couldn't remember the last time she'd ever worn jeans, but the stabler had insisted that she couldn't ride a horse in a skirt. The leer in the young-looking man's eyes as he studied her skirt, the hem of which came above her knees, had creeped her out enough to pre-empt any stubbornness on her part, although she liked to think she'd have recognised the wisdom of his words before insisting right back that her skirt was just fine, thank you very much.

When the stabler pointed out a conveniently located clothes store across the street, she'd headed right for it and marched up to the nearest assistant with a bravery borne out of excitement, and had even managed to explain her needs with a minimal amount of stammering. The assistant, unaware of what a triumph that had been for Piper, walked her over to a selection of jeans she said were best suited to horse-riding, since they had no inner seams. To Piper, who loved to wear pretty colours and had never once worn anything that didn't feature some form of embroidery or print, or stockings with anything less than colourful stripes, the jeans were boring and plain. But she supposed in the long run that was a good thing; it was probably going to be a muddy trip.

In a hurry, she'd tried on the first pair of worn-looking stonewash bootcuts she found in her size, Piper dashed off to the dressing room and discovered that while they fit well enough around, they were some three or four inches too long. Even the shorter jeans she tried on next were still too long in the hem but when she put her boots back on, her candy-striped stockings hidden beneath her new jeans, she discovered that if she turned the hem up a bit, they fit fine.

They cost more alone than she'd intended to pay for the entire day out but she didn't really care. Despite the trip to Paris with Wolf weeks ago, she had slowly begun to feel as if she were trapped. She loved her life, she really did, but there was just something... making her feel caged. Seeing the way Wolf and his friends were always so free; it was recklessness, sure, and the kind of recklessness she wanted no part of, but at the same time they were free. Completely free to do whatever they wanted, and only limited by their imaginations and what they considered fun. Piper had always envied them that, not least because Wolf never really seemed interested in the safe kinds of fun she wanted to try. Even when he did agree to go exploring with her on various trips, something always seemed to happen and he lost the mood.

Cal's return was a god-send in that respect. Realising that he'd been travelling, without knowing the details, had re-energized Piper's desire to explore Elysia, especially in light of the conversation they'd had in the cafe that day with Sabrina about not knowing much about their Elysian heritage. So when that Sunday came around and Wolf decided to hang out with his mates, Piper immediately pulled out her cellphone and called Cal.

It was probably odd that she thought of him before Dora, but then, Dora was probably busy with Aidely stuff and had more than likely already been everywhere. At any rate, she hadn't really been available in the last few months so it simply didn't occur to Piper to call her. She would have called Sabrina too, but they hadn't exchanged phone numbers and Piper wasn't feeling brave enough to invite a relative stranger - even one she got on with so well - along to a town that was, in essence, out in the boondocks.

Now, a packed lunch and iced water tucked away in the saddlebags, Piper bobbed from side to side in the saddle, clinging on for dear life and grinning like the village idiot. She had no idea where they were, but the stabler had said to just follow the path and they'd arrive eventually. She'd worried they'd get lost but the path was well-trodden and the horse, a docile mare, seemed to know where it was going.

Well, actually it was an Australian pony. Piper had been too nervous of the horses, however gentle they'd seemed, because they were just so big, and the stabler had taken one look at her backing away from a curious gelding and declared that it was ponydom for her. She was actually quite happy with that decision and had gladly left the horse stalls to check out the ponies instead. This one, Hershey, was apparently a brown bay that reminded Piper very much of chocolate (which was probably the reason for the name) and, according to the stabler, trained to carry children and smaller adults like her.

The scenery along the way had been breathtaking in places. They'd travelled up the beach a ways from the portal, the sound of the ocean filling her with a kind of tranquility she hadn't felt in such a long time she'd almost asked to stop and spend the day on the beach instead. Still, they'd left the beach behind and followed the worn path, which was probably more of an unpaved road than a hiking path. The terrain got greener and wetter the further they travelled until finally the lake was in sight, and Piper was astounded that anyone would call something a lake when the water barely visible beneath the reeds and grasses.

And still, despite the periodic swarm of tiny blackflies and the occasional buzz of larger insects, Piper continued to grin like an idiot.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

Evie, I'm hoping I haven't godmodded drastically! I've tried to take them as close to Danurai as I can so that we can safely post within the Danurai area (taking Cal's level into account ^__^) but so that you have chance to actually post. I think this was in danger of becoming a short story. ¬_¬ Anyway, if you want me to edit anything, let me know.

[Calanthiel]

Cal had learnt to ride as a child, of course. He wasn't some kind of spectacular horseman, but he felt comfortable around horses; they'd been a pretty standard form of longer-distance transport for his family growing up, even if they hadn't been able to afford to keep their own stable or anything. He had enough of an advantage over Piper in riding experience (he'd had to grin when he saw that she'd shown up in a skirt!), that the stableman had allowed him his pick, and he'd spent the time while Piper was arranging more appropriate clothing stroking velvet noses and picking himself out a good mount. He couldn't stand plodding horses that had to be convinced every few minutes that yes, they really should be walking forwards and something about public stables where anyone could hire a horse seemed to convince half of the residents that they should really see just how far they could push each new rider, rather than behave like they knew they should. In the end he settled on an energetic, but not too highly strung young chestnut mare by the name of Melody, and had enough time to take her for a quick walk around to settle her down and convince her that yes, he really did know how to ride before Piper was up and ready on her pony.

He hadn't been sure he really felt like travelling anywhere, but Piper had assured him it would be a relatively short trip to reach Danurai, and, despite (or even because of!) all the travelling he'd been doing there was a delightful novelty about travelling somewhere by a method other than his own two feet and being in a landscape rich with water rather than dust. The beach was lovely, but when they got close to the lake, the richness and intensity of the dense, wet, green landscape felt decadent, almost sinful. Nothing could be further removed from the desert he'd been travelling through so recently, and he was very glad he'd agreed to the trip. He felt as though the landscape were refreshing and restoring some part of his soul that had been as parched by the desert as his skin had been.

Melody, however, was rather less thrilled about the change in scenary than he was, reacting to the clouds of midges with intense annoyance and a madly flicking tail. It didn't look like Piper's more settled pony was bothered, but Cal reined Melody over so that they could ride side by side, and broke the compainable silence they'd been riding in for a while.

"Still enjoying the ride?" he asked softly, his smile in his voice.

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

OOC: Silly. There was godmodding in there? I thought it was just the bare essentials required to get us started! I'm more worried about possible GMing of Piper on my part, or possible factual errors in my post - now that I look at the map, the ride from the portal to Danurai looks like it'd take half a week! Let me know if I need to change anything, dearest. ♥

[Piper]

Piper was watching the landscape bounce by, that silly grin still on her face as she clung to the saddlehorn with both hands. Hearing Cal's voice, she blinked several times and turned her head to look at him, her goofy grin softening into one of warmth. "Still enjoying the ride?"

She couldn't imagine a day out beginning with this kind of tranquility and trance-like wonder if it was Wolf sitting across from her, and immediately blushed with guilt and shame, as if she'd broken some silent law by admitting, even silently to herself, that she enjoyed spending time with someone other than him. The fact was, as much as she loved Wolf, he could be a real brat, and Piper always had a hard time acknowledging that. She felt like she was betraying him every second she didn't think he was perfect, which she knew logically was just silly... but she'd grown up with Nancy for a mom so she couldn't expect relationships - or her outlook on them - to be anything but silly.

It was alarmingly freeing to admit, however silently, that no, she didn't think Wolf was perfect. And it was so wonderful to have met up with Cal again, and feel like he was someone she could spend time with, with no strings attached and no need to keep parts of herself shielded.

"I'm having so much fun!" she crowed, flinging her arms in the air with the express intention of waving them about with glee. Instead, she dropped them back with a squeak as she slid sideways in the saddle, barely managing to regain her sitting. Her knuckles white with the pressure she was exerting on the saddlehorn, Piper bit her bottom lip, afraid she'd snap the thing in half. Only when she was back upright and relatively sound did she release some of the pressure, and then she grinned wryly at Cal. Hershey never missed a beat and, pouting down at the pony, Piper twisted her mouth self-deprecatingly. "Be nice if you'd stop when your rider fell, thanks."

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Loranth]

¤ PB ¤ Dafont ¤ Sparkling Tea ¤ Aethereality ¤ Evangeline Lily ¤

After visiting Lake Cora the first time and meeting both Sabrina and Inimicus, Loranth had always wanted to go back. Unfortunately, her new position at the Hospital had really demanded most, if not all of her time and the little slivers of free time it left her were mostly spent on sleeping or trying to make some sense of the things she was learning everyday there.

At any rate Lora was well overdue for a mental health break, and she decided to take a few days off to get out a bit, not just for one day but a couple.

A trip to Danurai was definitely called for, and Lora knew just the mare that would be the perfect way of getting there.

The owner of the stable must've recognized her from her last visit - the acknowledgement in his greeting was obvious. She asked after Amira and was surprised that she was actually in the stable. Lora figured she would've been a popular choice for people wanting to ride out to Lake Cora, and it was such a lovely day out. Perhaps it was just plain good luck - that didn't really happen to Lora often.

He smiled as he prepared the mare, leaving Lora to reacquaint herself with the horse while he brushed her down and saddled her. Lora had come prepared this time and produced a few carrots from her bag. She held two behind her back as Amira looked at her with expecting eyes. The third Lora offered to the mare upon her upturned palm.

She almost giggled as the horse's whiskered muzzle brushed her hand, but restrained herself, lest the noise startle the mare while the stable owner was preparing her. The stall was quite small with all three of them in it and Lora didn't want to cause any problems. Amira munched away quite happily on the first carrot, her jaw working her present back and forth. This prompted Lora to stow the remaining two back in her bag to save for later.

---

Later was upon them as they neared the lake. Amira threw her head back with a slight whinny of annoyance. The horse definitely had seen this scenery more than a few times - she practically guided herself there.

She pranced slightly as Loranth reigned her in, and pulled against the reigns as if to say, "Excuse me, I'm not done yet, thanks!" Lora held them tightly in place and tried to get her to quiet down, but then she saw two figures up ahead on mounts and figured that must be why the mare was so eager to continue forward.

Lora had really planned on being alone during this trip, but perhaps a small amount of company would do her some good. Her workmates were just that at present - workmates, not friends yet. Loranth didn't really have any friends in Elysia yet. Acquaintances yes, but friends, no.

She gave Amira a bit of leeway and let the mare continue forwards at a brisk trot, hoping to catch the people up ahead of them.

OOC: Mind if Loranth joins you guys?

[Calanthiel]

Cal quickly nudged Melody closer to Hershey as Piper started to lose her seat, sudden adrenaline running through him as he readied himself in a frantic instant to try and steady her if she really started to fall, knowing he'd probably be too slow. He didn't relax until her hands started to lose the death grip she'd had on the pommel of her saddle. When that happened, and she seemed steady again he sighed out loud in relief, fluttering his wings briefly to dispel the tension of the moment, and allowing Melody (who snorted at the sensation of his feathers tickling across her flanks) to step lightly back from her close position besides Hershey.

He almost felt a little silly for his reaction - they were going too slowly for Piper to really get hurt from a fall unless Hershey panicked (deeply unlikely - the pony didn't seem to have even registered Piper's troubles), but he really couldn't help but feel protective of Piper, and he couldn't help the instinct to try to help her. He was just glad she didn't seem to have really noticed his reaction - she might have been insulted by the implicit presumption that she couldn't take care of herself.

"Be nice if you'd stop when your rider fell, thanks."

The wry grin she turned towards him with seemed to prove the day hadn't lost it's charm for her, so he chuckled at her words, grinning back at her.

"I think she may have taken this route a few times before Probably wouldn't stop until she'd done the round trip and got back to her stable!" Silly, unflappable, pony. He was glad for her total lack of fuss, though... He was just about to comment more approvingly on Hershey when he heard muffled hoofbeats behind them and turned to look back at another rider, still relatively distant, but approaching quickly at a trot. "And there I was thinking we were the only people alive in the world today!" He smiled wryly at Piper and gestured with a wave back towards the approaching rider, "I guess we're not?"

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

OOC: Sorry for the enormous delay Gwennie! Totally my bad, and of course Lora is welcome.

[Piper]

OOC: Gwennie, yay. Welcome, welcome!

IC:

It was probably a good thing that Piper was too busy clinging to the saddlehorn to notice Cal's protective lunge forward. If she had noticed, she would have been so charmed by it that she'd have shoved another couple of feet onto his pedestal and he already had a ring of clouds around his neck.

"I think she may have taken this route a few times before. Probably wouldn't stop until she'd done the round trip and got back to her stable!"

Piper gasped, still grinning as she shook her head at him. "She'd better stop at Danurai, at least, or this will be a short trip." The idea of skipping straight through the town because Hershey - a pony the stabler had assured Piper was well-trained and quite docile - wouldn't obey her rider was quite frightening, if she was honest, but Piper was determined to not let anything ruin the day. Despite her tendency to fret, she managed to shove the concerns aside, especially when Cal pointed out that they weren't alone.

She should have heard the hoofbeats before Cal did. Actually, she probably had. She should really start paying attention, but she told herself that nearly every day and still managed to miss a lot of what was going on around her.

Uncertain and more than a bit nervous - just her luck they'd be attacked by bandits or some such - Piper started to twist in the saddle to see who was coming up behind them. She squeaked with alarm as she started to slide off the pony's back again. "Erf!" Stuck facing forwards, not daring to so much as twist her head, Piper clung to the saddlehorn once again, starting to regret the whole horseriding idea. Let's go sightseeing, she thought to herself, self-mockingly. Yes, let's go out to one of the furthest points on the map, the hardest village to get to, and let's go on horse back. Brilliant idea, Piper. Very smart. Let's not forget that you can't ride.

"Is it... Can you see who it is? I mean, they're not armed, are they?" It probably sounded like a very odd line of questioning and very mistrusting, but Piper'd been hurt too many times to not be suspicious, especially when they were in the middle of nowhere. At least she'd thought to bring her sword this time. Although, that probably wouldn't help matters; it just made her feel better knowing she had something sharp to poke her attackers with.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

Cal's gaze snapped back towards Piper in alarm as she squeaked. This time she seemed to regain her balance much more quickly, but he still watched her warily, wondering if they should dismount and take a break. Though the this marsh hardly seems the place for it... Wonder how far from Danurai we are?

"Is it... Can you see who it is? I mean, they're not armed, are they?"

Cal blinked at Piper in surprise. A possible attacker was really not something that would have occurred to him! He didn't think it at all likely that someone would attack them. Sure, you got bandits here and there, but he really didn't think two kids on hired rides made very likely targets. They just didn't look rich enough. He didn't want to treat her worry dismissively, though - If Piper was worried about attackers, well, heavens knew she had good reason to react that way, any likelihood of bandits or not.

He reigned Melody to a stop, then stood in his stirrups to turn for a decent look behind him. "No, not armed. No weapons at all that I can see. Just one girl on horseback, and I don't see or hear any other riders." He turned, sat gracefully back down and smiled at Piper reassuringly. "I don't think we're in any danger, really."

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Loranth]

¤ PB ¤ Dafont ¤ Sparkling Tea ¤ Aethereality ¤ Evangeline Lily ¤

Lora was surprised she hadn't seen many other travellers today, the weather was quite exquisite. Not too hot and not too chilly - autumn was setting in at a steady pace over Lake Cora.

As she and Amira neared the only two people seen thus far on their journey, she could just make out that one seemed to be riding a pony instead of a horse. Lora suspected the rider of the pony was female, probably a short one? The only reason she could think anyone would ride a pony is because they were short or on the younger side of the spectrum. So maybe that rider was a young person or a short person. Lora tended to let her mind ramble at times...

The other rider was definitely on a horse but from this distance she couldn't tell the gender. But race was an easy one to pick out - definitely an Anyelos. Loranth could see his or her wings from this distance. They weren't a brilliant white color so she could cross out the Apalos faction. Lora sighed a bit inwardly at that. She still hadn't met any Apalos yet in Elysia, not even in the hospital. She suspected they must have their own healing facilities, but of course she wasn't sure. Just a suspicion. Or perhaps they were secretive.

At any rate she was glad to see she wasn't the only one on the road on such a lovely day. She desperately needed to socialize - between sleep and work she hadn't really gotten out much at all lately. It was making her feel a bit cut off from the real world.

Hopefully the pair ahead would prove to be friendly faces - if not, Lora wasn't sure what she'd do, but Amira would probably be able to help her in that department. Lora smiled and patted Amira's neck, letting her have a bit more of the lead so she could gallop if she wanted to.

[Piper]

Piper stared at Cal with wide eyes, torn between fear he'd slide out of the stirrups and awe that he was confident enough on horseback to stand up. Still clinging to her own horse, Piper couldn't imagine having the guts to do that and couldn't decide if he was a skilled rider or just insane.

She'd actually kept going when he stopped, but she'd tugged a bit too hard on Hershey's reigns so the pony had backed up a bit in an effort to ease the pressure, which put them about even again. At a halt, Piper would have been willing to let go of the saddle, but the pony kept shying sideways, her tail flicking. So much for being the perfect mount for a beginner. When they got back to Espur, Piper decided grumpily, she was going to bite that lying stabler. Hard.

"No, not armed. No weapons at all that I can see. Just one girl on horseback, and I don't see or hear any other riders." Piper's relief was tangible. She really had started to expect a knife in the back, but Cal's reassurance eased her paranoia entirely. Sighing her relief, Piper eased up on the reigns and sat back in the saddle, only now realising her whole body had tensed. It was no wonder the poor pony had been chafing at the bit, and Piper immediately felt a wave of guilt. Maybe she wouldn't bite the stable guy after all...

With Hershey stilled beneath her, Piper managed to twist slightly in the saddle and see the horse and rider behind them. She could just make out long dark hair before she had to turn back, and smiled self-consciously at Cal. "I'm sorry, that was a bit silly, wasn't it?"

Now she'd relaxed a bit, she could hear the clop clop of hooves, and worse, feel the stiffness in her thighs. She winced a bit, glancing ahead at the lake as she wondered how far they still had to travel. Maybe she should have taken some horseriding classes before asking Cal to go to Danurai with her, and picked another destination for this trip. Still, she'd had fun so far and maybe they were about to meet another friend.

"Let's wait?" It came out as a question because she was always afraid of sounding bossy. "Maybe they know the way and can tell us how far it is..."

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

"I'm sorry, that was a bit silly, wasn't it?"

Cal shook his head, still smiling. It probably had been a little silly, though if the road to Danurai had been especially dangerous recently he wouldn't have had a clue. It wasn't as though banditry on Elysian roads made the Australian newspapers, after all. Either way, there was no need to make Piper feel any sillier than she was making herself feel with no assistance. "Better to be careful, really." He smiled sunnily at Piper, still at peace with his day, despite a niggling worry that she might topple off her pony and to the ground at a moments notice.

"Let's wait? Maybe they know the way and can tell us how far it is..."

Cal looked curiously at Piper for a moment after she spoke, trying to gauge how uncomfortable she was in the saddle right now. She'd been fine all day until just now, but confidence, once shaken, could be hard to recover, and she seemed worried about how much longer the ride would be. His day lost just a little of it's gleam, and the niggle turned into a doubt. Maybe a little break would help her forget her near-spill... He looked back over his shoulder at the approaching rider again; now they'd stopped, she'd catch up to them very soon indeed. Still, though... "Good idea, we can wait." He hesitated a moment, still considering, then continued, "Do you want to get down and stretch your legs for a minute?" He didn't like to think of her fretting over her balance all the time, and just making herself and her pony miserable as a result. Maybe a short break would help - he hoped so, anyway.

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

Piper's relief was palpable. The idea of getting out of this darned saddle was so enticing just then, she could have leapt across to Cal's horse and hugged him if she weren't such a coward. As it was, she flashed him a brilliant, grateful smile and exhaled slowly. "Well, here's as good a place as any for lunch, right?" She shook her head, still smiling, knowing he'd see through her attempt to retain some dignity but playing the game anyway.

Besides, insect swarms aside, this place had a nice view. They had to eat sometime, and she really did want to know how far they had left to go. Knowing all that, it didn't seem quite so wimpish to take a break.

"Um." She'd hit a snag, she decided, with an inward sigh of consternation. The stablehand had helped her board the pony, and it was one thing to get up, but quite another to get down, especially when her thighs were aching.

Clinging tightly to the saddlehorn again, she learned forward, trying to stretch her leg up behind her so she could dismount. The ground seemed much further away than it had before, but at least she could comfort herself with the knowledge that if she took a tumble and got pounded by hooves, it couldn't be worse than being stabbed or beaten. Right?

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

The relief on Piper's face was a charming reward for his suggestion. He smiled and agreed when she suggested that they have lunch, though, truthfully, he would have preferred to stop somewhere with a great deal less flies. It didn't matter, Piper clearly needed a break. Truth be told, he was feeling a little stiff and sore, anyway. It had been a few years since he'd spent so long in the saddle.

Cal would have dismounted and moved to help Piper down even if she hadn't got stuck so immediately. It was just the way he'd been brought up - gentlemen (and he'd most definitely been raised to be a gentleman) helped the ladies of their acquaintance down or up into saddles. They also opened doors, held out chairs, assisted them in and out of carriages, and walked on the traffic side going down the street - at least, they did if they were ever given half a chance. Cal had, really, got quite thoroughly used to the fact that the manners he'd been raised on had fallen entirely out of fashion - at least inasmuch as he was used to getting odd glances and the ocasional glare in return for his reflexes! Right now, though, he was pretty sure his assistance wouldn't be construed as interference.

He dismounted swiftly and neatly to the same side as Piper had halted on, taking the few quick steps to her side before reaching out to hold Hershey's reins with one hand, and offering the other to balance her as she dismounted. "Can I help?" he asked with a gentle smile.

ooc: Er... So, if Lora isn't coming along, how are we going to handle this?

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

OOC: Erm, bit tricky, this. I guess we should just not mention her again? Let's just go from Piper needing a break? ^^ And ew for having to write this post twice.

Piper sighed her relief and shot a half-smile at Cal, her fangs flashing in her nervousness. She felt so silly, needing help to dismount when this whole thing had been her idea. What had she been thinking? Why hadn't she started small, like a trip to... well, anywhere that didn't involve horses, really.

Clutching Cal's hand, probably a bit tighter than was healthy for him, she kicked her feet out of the stirrups and very carefully - and very jerkily - leaned forward. She could swear the saddlehorn cracked under her grip and she made a conscious effort not to crush Cal's hand. She was going to kiss the ground once she was off the pony, she decided, but first...

Piper squeaked as she slid a little, then gave a yelp as her foot hit the ground. Suddenly, she was on terra firma and couldn't quite figure out how she'd gotten there. Not that the how mattered.

Releasing Cal's hand reluctantly, she tipped her head up to grin at him, embarrassed and relieved. "I'm sorry, I guess I should have taken horse-riding lessons before we came out here." Flicking a braid over her shoulder, she reached out to pat Hershey's neck, still looking up at Cal. "Thanks for stopping. Do you want to walk a little bit, work out the kinks and maybe get away from these flies before we stop for lunch?" The more she thought about eating, the hungrier she felt, so she took comfort in thinking they would have stopped soon even if she wasn't a moron.

Well, at least it didn't look as if she'd broken the saddle?

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

For someone so tiny, Piper had an astonishingly strong grip. She held his hand a bit more tightly than was really comfortable as he helped her down. It concerned him in a way, leaving him wondering if she was more nervous than she was letting on – and if those nerves were really just connected to the trip, or if something else was going on with her…
"I'm sorry, I guess I should have taken horse-riding lessons before we came out here" …or it was just her discomfort with the horses still. Well, he could probably give her a few tips at least - now that she’d admitted that she didn’t have much riding experience he had a bit more of an opening. He didn’t want to presume, but he also didn’t want her falling off and injuring herself. "Thanks for stopping. Do you want to walk a little bit, work out the kinks and maybe get away from these flies before we stop for lunch?"
Cal looked about the area where they’d stopped a bit more carefully and found himself in rather rueful agreement with Piper – they’d need to walk on a bit further. This spot didn’t even have easy access to the lake water for the horses! "Good idea" he nodded his agreement and smiled down into her eyes as he spoke, "It’d be good if we could find somewhere with a little grazing and clean water for the horses while we’re stopped, too. They’d probably like some lunch of their own." He put words to action as he spoke, bringing Hershey’s reins over her head to lead her by, and giving her a gentle pat on the nose as he did so. Then he turned back to find Melody looking off with a distinctly speculative look in her eye, obviously considering the possibility of seeking out lunch all by herself. "Oh no you don’t, miss!" Still holding Hershey’s reins, he stepped across and drew Melody’s reins over her head as well, before she could put thought into action. With both their mounts in hand, he held up the reins to let Piper get out from between the two horses, and waved her through with a smile "So you haven’t done much riding before?"

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

Oh, goodie, he didn't mind walking a bit. He was such a gentleman. It was strange in a way, almost archaic, but Piper found it sweet and readily - if not eagerly - accepted the behaviour. If she was completely honest with herself, she didn't like having to make decisions for herself or having to fend for herself, so it was nice knowing someone was there to help her out if she got stuck. Of course, she'd learned the hard way that she couldn't rely on others so she'd need to watch herself here. She couldn't get too accustomed to having Cal around or she'd end up taking advantage...

"It’d be good if we could find somewhere with a little grazing and clean water for the horses while we’re stopped, too. They’d probably like some lunch of their own." Blushing slightly in embarrassment that she hadn't even considered the horses' welfare, she nodded in return and glanced around in search of the access he was talking about. At the same time, she stamping her feet gently, trying to loosen her legs up a bit as she rested a hand against Hershey's flank. Luckily, the horse stayed put.

"Oh no you don’t, miss!" Glancing at Cal in surprise, she found him rearranging Melody's reins and grinned. "Trying to escape?" she chuckled as Cal held the reins up for her to duck under.

Well, actually - and this caused another blush, though this time not of embarrassment - she wouldn't have to duck much because he was so much taller than her. He was so lean that she could forget about his height except, like now, he did something that reminded her and that made her feel way smaller than she actually was.

Smiling wryly, she passed under the reins and shook her head in response to his question. "This would be the first time. No, I think my dad took us for a day out once when I was a kid, and the stablehand walked me up and down a bit, but yeah, I didn't really think this through too well." Stepping to one side, out of the way, she glanced around as she moved, spotting a sun-warmed grassy bump up ahead that seemed to overhang the lake a ways. She couldn't tell if it was just the right height for the horses to get to the water, but maybe there was access on the other side. She and Cal could picnic there while the horses grazed.

"Hey, that looks good?" she offered inquisitively, making a beeline for it. At least it was a good day for this, despite the season. In fact, the weather seemed more like early autumn at the moment, but they probably shouldn't hang around too long. For one thing, they still had no idea how far it was to Danurai, and for another, she didn't fancy being out here if the weather turned.

Okay, yes, she was definitely putting way more thought into planning their next trip than just hopping on a horse and shooting out the door.

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality

[Calanthiel]

"This would be the first time."
Cal winced at that particular bit of news. He couldn't help himself. This was a lovely ride, yes, but not exactly one for a complete novice... Poor Piper, she was going to be sore at the end of the day. "No, I think my dad took us for a day out once when I was a kid, and the stablehand walked me up and down a bit, but yeah, I didn't really think this through too well."

Well, she hadn't, but he was hardly going to agree with her aloud! He shook his head and smiled sideways, giving the reins a gentle tug to get the horses moving down the path behind him as he started to stroll along.

"Hey, that looks good?" He looked in the direction Piper was moving towards, and then followed her, continuing to lead the horses at the same leisurely place. "Sure, let's check it out" he paused as his thoughts returned to what Piper had been saying about her riding experience...
"You've been doing really well with the ride today, you know. Sure, you could have started smaller, but you've made it all this way without too much trouble" he smiled gently at her, and then continued a little more tentatively "but I can maybe give you a few tips to help you when we continue on?" He didn't want to offend, but he probably could help her, if she didn't mind.

The grassed area they were heading for looked more promising every moment they moved closer to it - it looked like there was even a nice sturdy tree in the right position to be able to tether the horses in reach of the water. He quickened his pace a little, gently clucking to the horses to move them along as well. He really was quite hungry, now that he was expecting lunch!

Credits: Original Character Art by Evie; Brushes: 1, 2; Font. Inspiration.
The good code is Emma's, the mistakes my own work.

[Piper]

Piper's blushing only grew fiercer as Cal praised her efforts and offered some advice. He should have been chastising her, she realised, for putting them in potential danger. After all, what if she hadn't done so well? What if she'd fallen along the way or had to stop in a spot that was more dangerous?

Even though she knew she deserved to be told off, she was grateful he didn't, and could only smile faintly at the praise that she really didn't deserve. "I'm sorry, I... I think I was so desperate to get out of town and... and do something." Her shoulders slumped. "I don't know." She hadn't felt desperate at the time, only that she'd love to do something, travel, explore, but looking back, she could only think she had been. She was normally the cautious one, thinking up all kinds of excuses not to do something - not the one begging friends to go on a trek with them and leaping in to something without putting any serious thought into it or the consequences.

She couldn't say she regretted it, though. She was sore, and would probably suffer much more by the time they'd finished, but she'd been having a great deal of fun up to now and the fact that Cal didn't seem all that mad or upset suggested she'd have even more. And somehow, being out here, she felt... free. She couldn't regret that.

"Tips - " she said as she tested the sturdiness of the grassy clump, glancing down at the lake water in surprise. It was clearer than she would have expected, but the reeds stretched as far as she could see. Could this even be called a lake? "Would be awesome." Turning back, she patted Hershey's nose and offered, with a smile, "If you tie them up, I'll get lunch."

Piper's Boutique ¤ Dafont ¤ Aethereality