Bara no Scarlet
Chapter 26
Riding
By the time both girls had reached the barn, Anshii had completely related the story of the curry and upperclassman Saionji. They were laughing as hard and as carefree as they could, and Anshii almost didn't notice that they were there.
She opened the barn door, entered, and pulled it closed after Ayomi, turning to see the girl pause to scratch one of the many barn cats that inhabited Ohtori's barn.
The horses were indeed ready for Anshii and Ayomi, two of Ohtori's finest white Persian stallions. Anshii herself had cared for them two years ago, and she knew both horses and temperaments. The stablehands had chosen well, and she nodded in approval when she saw Okinojo and Urajime saddled up and waiting for the girls.
Anshii led the now slightly timid Ayomi towards one of the horses, being careful not to startle Ayomi. "Ayomi, this is Urajime. He's very large, but gentle. Here, put your hand out, like so." She held Ayomi's hand out, palm up, and watched as Urajime took a single step forward to sniff, then lipped at the outstretched hand. Ayomi squeaked a little at the warm dampness, and gave Anshii a look that indicated she wasn't entirely positive about this. When the horse whuffed a bit, Ayomi pulled her hand back.
Anshii laughed softly. "Urajime said that he likes you. He's a gentle horse, and is used to people that haven't ridden before. We shouldn't have any trouble with him."
A large horse head knocked her forwards a bit, and as Ayomi watched with wide eyes, Anshii turned and hugged the other horse's head to her. "And Okinojo is a big softy with a jealous streak a kilometer wide. I didn't greet him first, and now he's peeved at me," she explained to Ayomi, scratching at the horse's forehead. "I'm sorry, 'Nojo." She gave Okinojo another thump on his neck, and then let him go so that she could help Ayomi up onto Urajime's saddle. Once Ayomi was in the saddle, she mounted Okinojo and showed Ayomi how to hold the reins. "Now, Urajime is one of the horses that we use here at the school to help younger first-time riders get over their fears of horses, so he reacts to how you sit in the saddle. He's not going to just take off out from under you, so you can relax a bit. He'll walk, and maybe trot for you, but he won't take you any faster than that, and he certainly won't take you over a jump. I'm going to start walking Okinojo up the hill towards that trail up there, and when I get a little ahead of you, give the reins a light flick and Urajime will follow." To Ayomi's surprise, Anshii was precisely right, and when she hesitantly flicked the reins, Urajime started slowly walking after Anshii and Okinojo. For the first several feet, she thought she might fall off, but by the time they got to the head of the trail, she'd figured out it was a balance thing, and was doing better.
An hour or so later, they were out in the trails that were a little ways away from the barn, and Ayomi was intoxicated with the area and the feeling of freedom. She turned in the saddle to look at Anshii. "Anshii. I want to try going faster. Can I?"
Anshii tilted her head. "Well. let's see what Urajime thinks. Try giving him a little kick with your heels. lightly, and see if he picks up the pace a bit."
Ayomi prompted Urajime, who, at first only trotted a little faster, but at her insistence, broke into a canter. Thrilled, Ayomi laughed and leaned back a little bit to look up and see how fast the trees above were moving.
There was a sudden flash of red off to the side, and as Anshii watched in horror, Urajime spooked. Ayomi shrieked as Urajime suddenly shifted direction away from the trees where he had seen the red flash, off of the trail, and into the woods. Okinojo moved to follow, but someone moved to catch up with Urajime and Ayomi first.
Akio.
Anshii's eyes narrowed as she followed, and her heart leapt into her teeth when she saw the two horses to the side, riderless. She dismounted, leaving Okinojo to meander up to Urajime and the other horse, running to see Akio holding Ayomi in his arms.
"Really, I'm okay. you can let me up." Ayomi was protesting the ministrations of the Chairman.
Anshii stopped just a few paces away and folded her arms. "Are you quite finished, Akio?" Her voice had the slightest tinge of irritation to it, and she looked at him with anger in her eyes.
Akio turned his head to look to his sister. "You ought to be more careful; she could have been hurt. You're lucky that I came by when I did."
Ayomi's eyes widened, and she suddenly jumped up and moved quickly towards Anshii. "Really, I'm fine, thank you for your assistance." She passed Anshii and moved towards Urajime, clutching at the side of the saddle.
Anshii glared at Akio, not missing the fact that he was wearing his standard red shirt and dark purple tie. "Yes, brother, thank you for your. assistance." And with that, she turned on her heel and helped Ayomi back onto Urajime before remounting Okinojo and turning them both towards the barn, sharply aware of how close Akio had manipulated things.
By the time both girls had reached the barn, Anshii had completely related the story of the curry and upperclassman Saionji. They were laughing as hard and as carefree as they could, and Anshii almost didn't notice that they were there.
She opened the barn door, entered, and pulled it closed after Ayomi, turning to see the girl pause to scratch one of the many barn cats that inhabited Ohtori's barn.
The horses were indeed ready for Anshii and Ayomi, two of Ohtori's finest white Persian stallions. Anshii herself had cared for them two years ago, and she knew both horses and temperaments. The stablehands had chosen well, and she nodded in approval when she saw Okinojo and Urajime saddled up and waiting for the girls.
Anshii led the now slightly timid Ayomi towards one of the horses, being careful not to startle Ayomi. "Ayomi, this is Urajime. He's very large, but gentle. Here, put your hand out, like so." She held Ayomi's hand out, palm up, and watched as Urajime took a single step forward to sniff, then lipped at the outstretched hand. Ayomi squeaked a little at the warm dampness, and gave Anshii a look that indicated she wasn't entirely positive about this. When the horse whuffed a bit, Ayomi pulled her hand back.
Anshii laughed softly. "Urajime said that he likes you. He's a gentle horse, and is used to people that haven't ridden before. We shouldn't have any trouble with him."
A large horse head knocked her forwards a bit, and as Ayomi watched with wide eyes, Anshii turned and hugged the other horse's head to her. "And Okinojo is a big softy with a jealous streak a kilometer wide. I didn't greet him first, and now he's peeved at me," she explained to Ayomi, scratching at the horse's forehead. "I'm sorry, 'Nojo." She gave Okinojo another thump on his neck, and then let him go so that she could help Ayomi up onto Urajime's saddle. Once Ayomi was in the saddle, she mounted Okinojo and showed Ayomi how to hold the reins. "Now, Urajime is one of the horses that we use here at the school to help younger first-time riders get over their fears of horses, so he reacts to how you sit in the saddle. He's not going to just take off out from under you, so you can relax a bit. He'll walk, and maybe trot for you, but he won't take you any faster than that, and he certainly won't take you over a jump. I'm going to start walking Okinojo up the hill towards that trail up there, and when I get a little ahead of you, give the reins a light flick and Urajime will follow." To Ayomi's surprise, Anshii was precisely right, and when she hesitantly flicked the reins, Urajime started slowly walking after Anshii and Okinojo. For the first several feet, she thought she might fall off, but by the time they got to the head of the trail, she'd figured out it was a balance thing, and was doing better.
An hour or so later, they were out in the trails that were a little ways away from the barn, and Ayomi was intoxicated with the area and the feeling of freedom. She turned in the saddle to look at Anshii. "Anshii. I want to try going faster. Can I?"
Anshii tilted her head. "Well. let's see what Urajime thinks. Try giving him a little kick with your heels. lightly, and see if he picks up the pace a bit."
Ayomi prompted Urajime, who, at first only trotted a little faster, but at her insistence, broke into a canter. Thrilled, Ayomi laughed and leaned back a little bit to look up and see how fast the trees above were moving.
There was a sudden flash of red off to the side, and as Anshii watched in horror, Urajime spooked. Ayomi shrieked as Urajime suddenly shifted direction away from the trees where he had seen the red flash, off of the trail, and into the woods. Okinojo moved to follow, but someone moved to catch up with Urajime and Ayomi first.
Akio.
Anshii's eyes narrowed as she followed, and her heart leapt into her teeth when she saw the two horses to the side, riderless. She dismounted, leaving Okinojo to meander up to Urajime and the other horse, running to see Akio holding Ayomi in his arms.
"Really, I'm okay. you can let me up." Ayomi was protesting the ministrations of the Chairman.
Anshii stopped just a few paces away and folded her arms. "Are you quite finished, Akio?" Her voice had the slightest tinge of irritation to it, and she looked at him with anger in her eyes.
Akio turned his head to look to his sister. "You ought to be more careful; she could have been hurt. You're lucky that I came by when I did."
Ayomi's eyes widened, and she suddenly jumped up and moved quickly towards Anshii. "Really, I'm fine, thank you for your assistance." She passed Anshii and moved towards Urajime, clutching at the side of the saddle.
Anshii glared at Akio, not missing the fact that he was wearing his standard red shirt and dark purple tie. "Yes, brother, thank you for your. assistance." And with that, she turned on her heel and helped Ayomi back onto Urajime before remounting Okinojo and turning them both towards the barn, sharply aware of how close Akio had manipulated things.