05-18-2011, 01:57 PM
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It wasn't especially cold but the early spring air wasn't warm either. She stood in indecision and this inaction led to a small shivering, which made her angrily rub her upper arms. The horse had lifted its head again. Hopefully it wasn't just a pause in the mutilation of her beloved coat. She stared it in the eye and the animal looked expressionlessly back. It didn't seem to be taking any notice of her at all but she could see the whites of its eyes, which didn't seem a good sign. She was relieved when Denver came back, she wasn't sure if he'd decided to leave her to it. She gave the dried fruit a look of doubtful contempt, but took it from him and watched both the horse's ears immediately swivel forwards. Apparently it was interested. She held the apple out, and with lightning speed the animal grabbed for it. She leaped backwards reflexively, cursing, and remembering the method of feeding donkeys she'd once been shown. This time she held the apple out flat, grimacing as the horse took it. Apple juice tanged the air as it crunched and she quickly vaulted onto the top of the stable door, resting both knees securely on it and then hanging her front end downwards until her outstretched arms seized the coat and she hauled it up, using her elbows, and when she was again upright, still resting on the door, she slid down to the ground again. The horse made a lunge at her but she ducked it in the same movement as cushioning her landing. Then she overbalanced and lay on her back for a moment, looking up at the horse's head which stuck out of the stall. It couldn't reach her here, but she was still aware of the currents of fear coursing through her, even though the horse was supposed to be the prey animal, and she the hunter. It seemed she and Denver were both novices in a world of Knights and Kings, unused to such courtly activities as horsemanship. They were so very different from each other, but perhaps they could find common ground in that. Still prone, not wanting to stand up and risk the horse attacking her from above, she looked around to see where he'd gone to. |