Chapter 81. Horse Back Riding
Rifiuto: Non Miniera
Thanks to -TARDISgal- for reviewing 80.
It was one of the rare days that the small group wasn't in the library or the dorm room, or the hotel suite. For once, they were outside, in the Shiz Green. Books lay scattered on the grass, coffee cups sat on the benches, pads and pens lay around the small group.
Elphaba set the pad down, and rubbed her eyes. She looked up, just as the Equestrian class passed by headed to the woods. Slowly, she got up, and hurried to the instructor, Professor Manson, a professor who had been at Shiz since Elphaba attended.
"Professor Manson!" The instructor looked up, to see Elphaba hurry to him.
"Ahh, Miss Elphaba...or is it Your Majesty?" He asked, getting off the horse and bowing. Elphaba curtsied in return.
"Um, Professor, would it be all right if I borrowed one of your horses for a quick ride?"
"Not at all, Your Majesty." He said. And he untied the sleek black stallion tied to the reigns of the other horse. Then, he laid them in her hand.
"His name's Majestic."
"Hello Majestic. He's beautiful." Elphaba said, patting the horse's nose.
"Ride him for as long as you like. You know where the stables are." Professor Manson said, mounting his horse again and joining the rest of the class. Elphab thanked him, and led the horse to where the others were sitting.
"Um, Elphie? What's with the Horse?" Glinda asked.
"It's not a Horse. It's a horse." Elphaba replied.
"Sorry."
"What are you going to do with it, Aunt Fabla?" Anakin asked.
"I'm going to go for a ride." She said, taking her cape and hat off and placing them on the bench next to her spell book. Then, she moved towards the horse. It whinied, and Elphaba patted its nose, talking to it softly. Then, she grabbed hold of the saddle, and rose to sit upon it, when it became spooked by the movement, and threw her. The young queen landed with an OOF! on her royal rump the grass.
"Elphie!"
"Fae!"
Elphaba blew her hair out of her eyes as her husband and best friend hurried to help her up.
"Are you okay, Elphie?"
"You all right, Fae?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm fine." She reassured them, pulling away and going back to the horse. Slowly, she rose until she was sitting sidesaddle. She urged the horse to go forward, and instead, he reared back. Elphaba held tight to his neck, and once he was back on all fours, she whispered soothingly to him, before, with a whinny, he was off, racing into the woods around Shiz.
Her long skirts pressed against her legs, and her hair whipped out behind her. She buried her face in his neck, as he led her further into the woods. For two hours, she rode, free of cares, worries, chores, orders. By the time she got back to the Shiz Green, the group had put everything away, and sat talking, sipping coffee and relaxing. Fiyero looked up, to see his wife bring the horse to a trot.
"How was it?" He asked, getting up to help her down. She reached out and took his hand.
"Wonderful. You want to come?"
"Sure." And lithely, he rose until he was sitting behind her, his arms securely around her waist.
"We'll be right back." Fiyero told them.
"Or not." Elphaba added. She guided the horse until he was facing towards the woods, and then she turned to her husband.
"Hold tight, Yero. It's quite a ride. If you can't fly on a broom, you can fly on a horse. It feels like he's got wings." She said, urging the horse to race off into the woods again.