8.
~ "You really don't have to do this." Ariadne said. "I mean, I don't want to be a bother." She watched Arthur expertly saddle the gray on a stunning green pasture by the stabels.
"It's no bother." He said with a laugh. "I haven't had company in a while."
He walked around the gray and ensured the saddle was secure.
"Now, the thing to remember is that a horse is a big animal with a mind of it's own." He said seriously.
"Yeah?" She said feeling herself tremble slightly as the gray stood waiting for her.
"But your the one in charge. You have to show him who's boss." Arthur said. "Once your in the saddle, I want you to sit up strait and don't let him know your scared."
"I am scared." Ariadne said looking at the suddenly too large beast that he expected her to ride.
"Well, don't let him know that." Arthur laughed. "I'll be with you the whole time." He said nodding to the bay he had already saddled. "Perseus is a ladies horse, you'll be fine."
He held out his hand for her to climb on the great animal.
"Okay." She said looking worriedly at Arthur.
"It's alright. Come on." Arthur said with an amused smile.
She listened to his careful and simple instructions as he almost lifted her up on the saddle. The feeling of being very high up on the horse's back didn't help her relax.
"Now just sit there." Arthur said worriedly as he easily mounted the bay.
"What if he takes off running?" Ariadne asked.
"Pull the rains back and tell him 'whoa'." Arthur said with a laugh as he expertly guided his own mount. He looked so at ease. His long legs casually astride the brown horse as he gracefully cantered next to her.
"So, how to I make it... I mean him... go?" She asked nervously.
Arthur chuckled.
"Just click your heals together." He said.
She looked at him apprehensively. He shook his head and smiled. She had never seen him look so amused and happy.
"Keep your body relaxed and go with his movements." He amended.
She nodded and barely touched the gray with her heels when Perseus began a light canter.
"Oh no!" Ariadne shouted as the horse bounced her rudely in the saddle.
"Your doing fine!" Arthur shouted as he rode up next to her. His face still wearing that amused smerk.
"It's not funny!" Ariadne shouted back at him feeling she was about to fall off.
"Whoa!" Arthur commanded Perseus as he reached over and took hold of the gray. Her mount slowed down and seemed put out that his fun was halted.
"Stand!" He commanded the horse, and Perseus stood perfectly still.
"Thank God!" Ariadne wanted to cry feeling so embarrassed that the horse had run away with her.
"You did very well." Arthur said. That same grin back on his face.
"It's not funny!" She snapped at him.
He threw his hands up.
"Alright." He said. "We can walk from here." He told her pointing to a trial going into the forest.
"Walk?" She asked hopefully.
"Yes. Just walk." Arthur promised. Biting his lip to keep from smiling.
"It's not funny." She said again as the gray walked lazily in pace with Arthur's bay.
"Alright." Arthur said. "But you did do very well." He added.
~ They entered a lush green forest with mature trees and wild flowers coloring the floor.
"So pretty." Ariadne said as the gray ambulated along the trial. His slow and steady pace suiting her much better then his frantic canter. "Do you go on this trail a lot?" She asked him as the bay kept pace with her.
"All the time." Arthur said. "We have a lot of grounds here and it's easier to get around on horse back."
"That and the boat." Ariadne reminded him.
"I don't like the ocean." Arthur said stiffly. His easy stride on the horse suddenly becoming uncomfortable. "Grace will probably make me take you to the beach before you go." He said with a laugh.
"How long have you been riding?" She asked wanting to change the subject.
"Since I was a little boy. All the Blunt's had to learn to ride." He said.
"Except Eames." Ariadne reminded him.
"He can ride. He just doesn't like to." Arthur told her.
Ariadne spotted another faint trail branching off. She saw the same curling metal gates that were around the castle. These gates were much shorter and didn't seem to encompass anything but land.
"What's that?" She asked nodding to the gates.
"Oh." Arthur said not bothering to look. "The family cemetery." He told her.
"You have your own cemetery?" She asked.
"All the Blunt family is buried there." He said logically.
"Will Grace be buried there?" She asked. A cold feeling coming over her. The thought of the sweet, feisty old lady being in the cold, forgotten ground.
The idea upset her.
"Yes." Arthur said. "It's where I hope to be buried one day." He added.
"Little young to be thinking about that." She told him.
He said nothing. His face cold and troubled looking.
"There's something I want you to see." He said kicking the bay into a slightly faster pace.
~ Ariadne was proud of herself for keeping up with him. She had stayed on Perseus and he had trotted carefully over the trail. Dutifully following Arthur on the bay. Mindful that he carried a rider who was scared of him.
"Where are we going?" Ariadne shouted as Perseus splashed happily into a shallow stream.
"You'll see." Arthur called back over his shoulder.
~ Ariadne caught her breath at the sight of the waterfall.
"No one knows this place is here." Arthur said. "It's always the most beautiful after a storm."
The waterfall was cascading down a black, rocky cliff into a small but deep looking lake. It's water clear and clean.
"Oh my!" She exclaimed.
"Worth the ride?" He asked.
"Yes." She laughed from atop Perseus.
"Do you want to go swimming?" He asked. In this place, he didn't seem like the cold, brooding man she had met only yesterday. He was suddenly a young man. Filled with life and the carelessness of youth.
"I don't have a swimsuit." She laughed. Hoping he was only kidding.
"It's alright." He said nimbly dismounting from the bay and letting the animal roam and drink it's fill of the water. "We can still go swimming." He said pulling off his shoes.
Ariadne swallowed hard as she slowly and carefully slid off the gray. Perseus standing patiently as she tried to gracefully climb off him, and failing miserably.
Arthur was laughing at her.
"Not funny!" She called out in a sing song voice.
"It's a little funny." He called back as she caught him stripping off his shirt.
Perseus hid her from view as she stepped out of her shoes and her too big pants. She had her bra and underwear on and figured with the T-shirt, she should be covered enough. She heard a splash and peeped over the gray to see Arthur had already plunged into the water. He gave off a loud hoot as he came up for air. A reaction to what must have been very cold water.
She looked over to the bay still on the shore. Noticing that Arthur's clothes were carefully hung on a tree branch. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized his shirt and pants were both on the tree branches.
'What's he wearing?' She thought as she felt her heart beat faster. She took a deep breath as she stepped away from the gray. Arthur had already swam out into the lake and was waving her towards him.
"Come in!" He called. She nodded and was glad the T- shirt reached past her bottom.
"Just jump in!" He shouted. "Don't think!"
"Okay!" She said nervously. That same trepidation she had when she first got on the gray coming over her.
She took a deep breath and jumped.
The water was piercingly, painfully cold. She swam upwards, breaking the surface at last and as soon as she reached air, she let out a scream.
"Cold?" He was laughing.
"Yes, It's cold!" She shouted. Her teeth chattering. Her body prickling her with the cold that took her breath away.
"Keep moving." He laughed. "You'll get used to it."
She groaned and kicked her legs and arms treading water and trying to keep warm as her teeth chattered. She suddenly hated Arthur. He was enjoying her misery too much.
"Here." He said swimming closer to her. His body reaching hers as his hands moved over her arms. She tried to keep her feet on the bottom of the lake, but the black rocks were too slippery.
Finally, Arthur gave up and just pulled her to him. His arms wrapping around her as he was able to stand on the lake's dark and mysterious bottom. His body heat helped warm her and she wondered why she was so cold and he wasn't.
"Better?" He said after awhile. Her skin starting to get used to the chilly water with him so close. She wished she could enjoy the feeling of his nearly naked body holding hers, but the water was not warm enough.
"Yes." She said and was when glad he didn't pull away.
"I forget sometimes that this water is so cold." He said rubbing a warm hand over her bare arms.
She only nodded and was sad to feel him let her go.
"Let's swim to the falls." He said treading away from her.
"Alright." She said breathing hard as the cold was not so bad anymore.