Chapter 10: Lessons Learned
"So are you ready for your first lesson?" Elphaba asked, as she walked out Thomas' horse, Smokey, into the open next to Broomstick.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Glinda grumbled. She was beginning to have second thoughts about the whole thing.
"Okay, first thing's first. Mount Smokey there." Elphaba folded her arms across her chest as she waited.
The blonde woman frowned. "Mount him how?"
Elphaba let out an impatience sigh. "Like how I mount Broomstick. Put your foot in the stirrup and swing your body up." Glinda nodded her head and tried to do what E. Thropp was telling her, but her dress kept getting in the way. "Here... let me help you." Elphaba drew her knife and was ready to cut some of the dress off, but Glinda shot her hand down to stop her. The wild look in the Upland heiress' eyes halted the gunslinger in her tracks.
"You are dreadfully mad if you think you're going to cut my dress. It's one of my favorites, and I won't let you butcher it."
"Okay, I won't touch your dress, but it's going to be plum hard to get up into the saddle, especially with a dress that outlandish in your way."
'You can touch my dress, Elphie, when you're peeling it off of me,' Glinda whispered to herself. Her arousal for the gunslinger was returning as hard as ever. She shook the fantasy of Elphaba undressing her and went back to work trying to get into to the saddle.
After several failed attempts, the Upland heiress was beginning to show her frustration. "By Ozman, how do you accomplish this with ease every time? Dear me, I'll never get this done."
"Oh don't be such a croaker. I've had a lot more practice than you, my sweet, but don't get discouraged," Elphaba said, as she got up behind Glinda and helped her get her foot settled. The gunslinger also snaked an arm around the heiress' wasit, so a hand rested on her stomach. "On the count of three pulled yourself up using the horn of the saddle, okay?"
"Okay," Glinda whimpered in such a pleased tone. E. Thropp was pressing up against her slim frame, and the blonde wondered if the gunslinger could hear her purring with delight. Glinda had to use all her will-power to stop her hips from grinding back into Elphaba's own frame.
E. Thropp herself was feeling the power of desire. Her mouth was watering as result of having the heiress flushed against her, and she could barely keep her mind focus on the task at hand.
After a few seconds the emerald gunslinger found her voice again. "One, two, three!" Elphaba called out, and Glinda hoisted herself up. She faltered only slightly, but with E. Thropp's aid was able to find herself sitting in the saddle.
"Oh, happy day, I'm in the saddle! Look at me, Elphie, I really did it!" Glinda was nearly bouncing up and down from exhilaration.
Elphaba hurried over and placed a hand on Lady Glinda's thigh. "Don't get overly excited or you might spook Smokey."
"Sorry," the blonde answered sheepishly and quickly stopped moving. "Okay, what's the next step?"
"You got to know how to direct your horse to go certain ways. It's easy enough but I won't give you the gritty details. If you want your horse to move left you move the reins left. If you want to go right, move the reins to the right. It's ain't that hard. Now give Smokey a light kick in the sides and give it a try." Elphaba's voice was commanding and Glinda almost got distracted because of it.
She soon cleared her mind and answered, "I know how to direct a horse. Remember I do ride side saddle although, the horses I rode were never this large." Glinda faltered when Smokey suddenly began to go a little faster. The blonde began to panic, but Elphaba was right there to steady the stallion, and that put Glinda's mind at ease.
For the next two hours they continued to practice, and Glinda was really getting the hang of it. The gunslinger was especially glad to see the heiress come out of her shell a little and be more daring. After their lesson was done, loud clapping could be heard behind them.
The clapping came from Thomas who had been secretly watching. "Good work Lady Glinda! Might I say, you are graceful on top of a horse."
"Oh, Thomas, you flatter me," Glinda replied, as E. Thropp helped her down from the saddle. In turn Thomas blushed and rushed over to them, so he could put his horse back in the barn. He did this in record time, so he could join in on the conversation.
"Do you think I'm ready to ride alone?" the heiress asked as she turned to the gunslinger.
Elphaba flicked back her hat before answering, "You're not a poor rider, but I don't think you'll be ready for the cattle drive. It's a lot more confusing and can be stressful."
Thomas nodded his head. "E. Thropp's right, Lady Glinda, a cattle drive is no easy task. I mean, my parents won't even let me ride a horse. I'm in charge of driving the wagon, but they tell me that next year might be the year I can start. They're over protective of me because I'm their only pup."
"During the cattle drive you'll be with Thomas in the wagon. I don't want anything happening to you. Also now that I think about it more, Broomstick shouldn't have double the weight on her. I need her to be as quick as possible around the cattle." Thomas smiled widely at hearing this from Elphaba. He was excited that he wouldn't be alone in the wagon, and having that person be Glinda was an added bonus.
"Mercy me, I have worked up quite the sweat!" Glinda declared, as she fanned herself with her hand. "Goodness, I hope I don't smell as bad as I look."
"I can run a bath for you!" Thomas piped up.
The Upland heiress patted his shoulder and shook his head. "Oh Thomas, you are kind but I don't want to trouble you."
"It will be no trouble at all. Just give me a moment to set it all up," Thomas said no more as he practically sprinted off to prepare the bath.
"He sure likes to please," Glinda noted with a sigh.
"Please you that is," Elphaba corrected her.
...X...
In no time at all Thomas had prepared the bath. He stood outside the door of the washroom proud because he had done something for Lady Glinda. Elphaba shooed him away from the door to make sure he didn't sneak a peek at the nude Upland heiress. E. Thropp joined Glinda inside the washroom, so she could wash her face in a basin as the blonde took her bath.
"The water does my skin good," the heiress cooed as she turned her attention to the gunslinger. "Are you going to take a bath too, Elphie?"
"You know how I feel about water," the bounty-hunter answered plainly.
"You can't drown in a bathtub," Glinda replied, as she let her right leg come out of the water. She let it linger there for a bit longer than normal, so E. Thropp could get a good look at it. The blonde woman then pretended to attempt to wash her back.
"Oh, Elphie, can you do me a favor and wash my back? I just can't reach it," Glinda's voice was high-pitched but soft. Almost like she was afraid the gunslinger would refuse her.
Elphaba wiped her face, put on her hat, before she walked over to the tub and held out her hand. Glinda nearly squealed as she placed the cloth in E. Thropp's hand.
"I hope you know I'm not doing this because I'm your servant," Elphaba said, with a smile, as she started to wash the blonde's back.
"Oh Elphie, I know you're not a servant. Servants usually have uniforms," Glinda answered as she giggled and winked to show the gunslinger she was joking.
Elphaba cackled at the heiress' joke. "I have to admit, my sweet, I have really enjoyed your company. It's not often I have someone stay with me this long. It's nice to know someone is listening. Broomstick listens, but she can't really add much to the conversation since she's only an animal and not an Animal."
Glinda then turned around so she was face to face with the green woman. Elphaba's mouth instantly became dry when she truly noticed Glinda's bosom peeking up from the water level. "See something you like?" Glinda asked innocently enough. E. Thropp didn't even register the suggestive comment, for her mind was too busy reeling over the voluptuous Upland heiress sitting naked in the tub. "Elphie, has anyone told you that you have the most beautiful brown eyes? By Ozma, a girl could get lost in them."
Glinda soon realized that she had caused the green gunslinger to become speechless and thought she lost E. Thropp to her own whirling mind set. The Upland heiress soon noticed the passionate look the Elphaba was giving her.
Glinda was sure Elphaba wanted to kiss her, but she remained still in the hopes she did not throw E. Thropp's concentration off. She was sure the gunslinger was debating either to go in slowly for the kiss, or make their first one intense. However a shout from Thomas broke Elphaba from her trace, and the gunslinger stood up quickly.
She then handed the cloth back to Glinda before saying in her normal tone, "Don't stay in the tub too much longer. You shouldn't soak that beautiful skin too much." With those words Elphaba gave her a charming smile before exiting.
"Oh mercy! I was so close!" Glinda grumbled to herself as she threw the cloth into the tub in a frustrated manner. "Elphaba was just about to kiss me. I just know it! Blast it Thomas!" The Upland heiress shook her in extreme disappointment. She had learned a valuable lesson...next time if it looks like E. Thropp wants to kiss her, don't linger... just do it.