I'm back after a couple of days of hardcore real-life stuff. I hope you enjoy! This is a bit of exposition, really.
Robin stayed away for three years.
Sometimes, the days seemed endless and Robin could almost feel the cold walls of his childhood home surrounding him. He missed them.
The first two weeks were the worst – on several occasions, Robin had been perilously close to turning and returning home. At times like these Ivy's soft eyes were the only things making him keep his promise. How could he begin to explain to her that their adventure had been so quickly stunted?
As the days went on it became easier for him to resist the pain in his side that kept trying to drag him home. He'd made it this long. Why turn now?
After a few months of stealing and trapping and trading, Robin realised Ivy needed more than the plants he found for her. She needed safety and shelter.
They visited a few villages before finding someone who would accept their terms. Robin wanted a stable for Ivy to shelter in for no cost other than the work he could do for the stable owners. A man with silver and copper hair eventually agreed, so long as Robin agreed to teach his fourteen year old daughter to ride.
"I'm too old, you see." The man had claimed. Sceptical but willing, Robin agreed. Lessons started immediately and Robin soon realised how lucky he was to have been taught when he was small.
"No – like this." He repositioned her hold on the reins for the tenth time and they'd only been there for a day.
"It feels uncomfortable," she whined. Robin rolled his eyes and gritted his teeth.
"You get used to it." She moved her wrists and relaxed her arms slightly. "Thank you. Now, sit up straight. She can feel you and she doesn't want you wobbling all over the place."
The girl – Grace – laughed slightly at this.
"Okay?" She asked, sitting stiffly.
"Relax."
"But when I relax I don't sit straight."
"I mean don't be tense – pretend you're part of her. Look at how she holds her head on top of her neck – you've got to act like that. It's not uncomfortable and tense, but it's not lazy."
"Okay," she muttered, staring at her horse's ears and trying to get into a comfy position.
"Ready?" Robin asked, smiling. Ivy was standing patiently behind him, watching the whole thing. He reached out for her, finding her reins straight away. She whinnied.
"Are you joking?" Grace asked, eyes wide and fearful. Robin ignored her and climbed onto Ivy's back, patting her neck.
"If I hold her, she'll follow Ivy and me. So just stay in that position. Your feet might bounce around a bit but you'll find her rhythm soon." Ignoring how pale Grace had become, Robin eased Ivy into a slow stroll. The beautiful chestnut was used to Robin by now and realised how important it was that she behaved herself – not that she would ever misbehave.
Grace's horse was more heavy-footed than Ivy and struggled to keep up with her larger strides. This made it difficult for Grace to relax and Robin found himself having to steady her once or twice as they wandered around the stable yard.
"You're going to have to trust her." Robin said, calling Ivy to a stop. He stared at Grace for a moment.
"I'm not used to her."
"I had never seen Ivy when I first saddled her," Robin explained. "But we had to get on because we had to leave quickly. You don't need time to build a friendship with a horse – just the right attitude."
"Why did you have to leave?" Grace asked, timidly reaching her hand forward to pat her horse's neck like she'd seen Robin do. He sighed.
"Trouble with the family. Now, watch me." Robin eased Ivy forward again, his knees gently nudging her ribs. They walked in a large circle around the stable yard, slowly and methodically.
"How do you make her turn?"
"I ask her to." Robin teased, winking and returning to Grace's side. "You just make her look in the direction you want her to walk in."
Grace was silent and looked terrified.
"We're going for a walk. Squeeze her very gently and keep her reins relaxed – she should follow us." Without waiting for Grace to panic, Robin and Ivy walked forward again. They'd reached the stable gate by the time Grace had managed to coax her horse into movement so they waited there, both with their heads turned to watch the young girl's progress.
"Try talking to her," Robin suggested, hoping to relax Grace. She was staring at the horse's ears again and moved her lips minutely.
"Come on, then." Robin grinned and led Grace away from her house, into the woodland.
"Why are we going here?" She asked, panicking again. Robin rolled his eyes again.
"Horses prefer to be in quiet places. We're going into the village, and I didn't want to put them through any unnecessary noise." They walked for a few minutes, listening to the horses' hooves crunching on twigs.
"What's her name?" Robin asked eventually, trying to relax Grace.
"Maria."
Robin jumped so violently that he nearly fell off Ivy, making the usually calm horse whinny and complain loudly.