“I am on to you and your mischief,” she sternly told the horse.
Draugr swished his tail lazily, as if to say,I doubt it.
She walked him around the paddock several times without issue. After the third trip around, Draugr tugged on the lead rope and started to trot without any urging. She turned on the spot, holding the lead rope and watching the horse trot around her in a wide circle.
Feeling elated by his progress, she swapped out his harness for a bridle, and Draugr blinked at her warily, but let her do it.
Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth gripped the reins and saddle horn in one hand, positioned her foot in the stirrup, and heaved herself over the horse.
She gripped the reins tightly, as Draugr’s muscles bunched underneath the saddle. To her satisfaction, he walked around the paddock twice without mishap.
She eyed the castle windows. While she didn’t love the idea of riding astride in plain view of the castle, she also didn’t want to be flung off because she was foolish enough to try to ride a half-wild stallion sidesaddle. But there were no figures in the windows, and the sky had just begun to lighten.
All was quiet, and there was no one to bear witness.
She walked Draugr around the paddock five times without issue, then asked him to trot by gently kneeing his sides as a silent order. Today felt like a good day to try to ride for real.
Draugr’s trot was so jolting that she was almost thrown from her seat. She slowed him back to a walk and tried to trot several more times. She didn’t fall off, which was a feat in itself, but bounced around in her saddle like a novice, and was forced to hold onto the saddlehorn for dear life, her knuckles turning white.
Her legs began to ache from the effort of gripping his sides.
She tried to guide him left, but Draugr ignored her and moved right.
“Let’s try that again,” she muttered.
She tugged on the reins, trying to guide Draugr left, and he fought the reins, nodding his head vigorously and looking ill at ease.
“Could you just behave fortwo seconds?” Elizabeth hissed. Draugr’s ears flicked forward and back before he finally heeded her and stepped grudgingly to the left. “Was thatreallyso hard?”
They trotted several times until Elizabeth was feeling reasonably pleased with their progress. After growing accustomed to his jolting stride, she gently dug her heels in a little, the signal for most horses to speed up to a canter, and he reared, his hooves flailing in the air.
She leaned forward and grabbed onto his mane, questioning her sanity for trying to tame a wild stallion.
Draugr righted himself, looking far too pleased to have nearly stopped her heart, and she sighed.
The moment Elizabeth’s shoulders dropped in relief, Draugr’s hindquarters shot skyward.
Her stomach lurched as she sailed through the air, the paddock spinning below her.
She hit the ground hard, her shoulder taking most of the impact as she tried to roll to break her fall. This brought her perilously close to his hooves, and she had to scamper out of the way in an undignified fashion.
Determined to succeed, she patted his neck and murmured soft praises until he calmed again. Mounting up again, she was surprised he walked with no problem; however, as soon as she dug her heels into his sides to urge him to go faster, he got an attitude, gave an agitated whinny, and reared, sending her tumbling into the mud.
His meaning could not be clearer—he was done for the day.
Sitting in the mud, she glared up at the big horse.
Draugr snorted, and his tail swished, his ears happily perked forward now that he had been relieved of a rider.
How the horsemaster thought he might someday bear a rider was beyond her.
“We were doing so well, you and I,” she said a little sadly and approached the stallion. She stroked his nose and led him back to the stable.
Elizabeth took stock of her dress and grimaced. The once cream linen was now smeared with dirt. Perfect. She rolled her eyes.
Her mood turned foul as she forewent her morning exercise in favour of staying in.
She scrubbed at the dirt underneath her fingernails with more force than necessary, her jaw clenched. The morning had been a disaster, and now she was trapped inside again, like some useless ornament. She paced her chambers twice before the walls felt too close. The corridors beckoned, and she went for a brisk stroll to expend her restless energy.
