I am just cranking these out! I actually have up to chapter seven ready, but I'll wait a while to put those up.

Anyway, Flustered!Ernst is my favorite Ernst, so you might be seeing lots of him.

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I can barely lift the saddle from its place in the stables.

"Oh no," I groan. I wonder how I'm going to possibly going to throw this over a horse's back.

I set the saddle down, examining the horse at different angles and weighing my options. I could find something to stand on? Yes, that might work. And old crate, perhaps. I check the knot that secures the horse to the wall, flinching when she sniffs my hand.

I take a look around until I find the perfect wooden box. I walk over, and breathe a happy sigh when I pick it up ad find that it's not heavy at all. It is a bit awkward to carry, however, and I struggle just a bit.

"Need some help with that?"

I spin around, dropping the crate. "M-Melchior?" There I go, stuttering again. Why? It's just Melchior... He smiles. Oh no, I'm looking right at him. I drop my gaze before the dreaded flush starts.

"Your mother told me you'd be in here. I hope you didn't forget about our trip!"

"No, I… I just had to finish some things." I pick up the crate again and start carrying it to the horses. Melchior offers to help again, but I refuse. "But if you'd like," I say, "you can ride Dusty." I pointed to our grey horse, too nervous to get any closer to her.

"Oh, she's beautiful," he breathes, letting her sniff his hand before patting her on the neck. "And this one is?" he asks of the second horse.

"Rosie. She's the better behaved of the two." I'm not as afraid anymore. Standing on the crate, I ask Melchior to hand me the saddle. He glances from me, to the saddle, to the horse, and begins to chuckle.

"I'll do it," he says.

I begin to protest, but he stops me with a hand on my arm.

"It will go faster," he reassures me. Amusement is still lingering in his face.

I curse the uncontrollable blush. What is wrong with me?

I get off the crate and stand to the side, watching Melchior work. He seems to know what he was doing.

"You have horses?" I ask, feeling awkward as usual.

"No," he answers. "Well, I used to. Mama said we couldn't keep him, but I suppose some of the knowledge to care for one has stayed with me."

I smile. It had. He was finished with Rosie and was looking for Dusty's saddle. I try to lift it, grunting. Melchior is biting back a smile. I glare at him in response.

"Let's see you do it, then."

The smile breaks through. He knows I'm not really angry. He grabs the saddle off the ground, and though he struggles a bit to hoist it onto Dusty's back, he manages to do it with much more grace than I ever could.

He's finished with the saddles. I mount Rosie and he mounts Dusty. I click my tongue nervously, kicking my heels. I can see Melchior watching me out of the corner of his eye, almost concerned for me, or so he seems.

We exit the barn and turn down a trail, long forgotten and only just visible. Not much room for more than a trot. I planned this. Anything faster than a walk has me bouncing all over the horse or falling off. I have no wish to humiliate myself in front of someone like Melchior. He rides with ease, of course, perfectly balanced in the saddle. He pulls ahead of me, glancing back. I grin at him and he returns my smile.

He faces the front again. "You don't ride often, do you?"

I'm glad he can't see my face. "No," I answer. "I try not to ride, in fact. I don't like the horses much."

Melchior nods. "It shows. They're not bad once you learn to trust them."

I only mumble, "I prefer dogs."

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Also, just throwing this out there, but does it bother anyone else that lists Ernst as Ernst B. when it should be Ernst R.?