You go riding on the horses, yeah

“It’s okay Nick,” Vivian said, coming up beside him as he cautiously approached the large horse with a dark coat of fur. “There’s nothing to be afraid of!”

What a dumb thing to say. Nick wasn’t afraid of a horse! Why would she think he was afraid of a horse?

Sure, he wasn’t used to them, and he didn’t know if he was entirely comfortable with riding one, but that didn’t mean he was afraid!

I wanted to learn more about Vivian, and get some new experiences, he reminded himself. And this is a big part of that.

He took a deep breath and approached the saddled beast cautiously.

“Don’t look so nervous,” Vivian said, her voice giddy in spite of her attempts to soothe him. “It’s not like riding a bicycle. Licorice will know if you’re too uncomfortable, and he’ll respond to that.”

Licorice, what kind of name was Licorice? …Well, the kind of name Dakota would come up with, obviously, but that didn’t make it not stupid.

Nick took a deep breath and tried to breathe out his nerves. It didn’t go as well as he would have liked. He approached the horse carefully, his hands trembling with worry. The horse exhaled as well, turning his head and sending a burst of hot air out of his nostrils.

It looked Nick in the eye, and he could tell that the animal was studying him just as much as he was studying it.

“Easy… easy…” He reached out cautiously to the horse and placed his hand on the beast’s firm side, right under the saddle. When he saw that Licorice allowed that, he relaxed.

“Now remember what I said, mount with confidence!” Vivian encouraged. “Just like you’re trying to mount one of the women in your harem!”

Nick nearly fell over. “Thank for that!” He groaned, rolling his eyes. Why did Vivian have to go in such a weird direction!?

The heiress giggled playfully at Nick’s embarrassment and exasperation. “Do you remember what I showed you? About getting on?”

Nope. He was drawing a blank. Vivian figured that was probably the case.

“Let me help you,” she said, and he felt a set of slender fingers on his waist. “Lead with your foot, and slide it into the stirrup, like that.”

It was easy enough, because Nick could balance on his other leg. It was a little awkward, standing with one foot in the stirrup as he leaned back on Vivian for support, but he managed it.

Almost. The hardest part was yet to come.

“See that little knob up there, at the top of the saddle? That’s the pommel. Grab onto that for leverage, and then just hoist yourself over like you’re trying to sneak over a fence without your butler finding out!” Vivian encouraged him.

“Is that a common thing in your life?” Nick asked sarcastically.

Vivian replied with a cheeky smile. “Everyone has trouble with this at first, don’t worry,” she said, tightening her grip on his waist. “That’s why I’m here. I won’t let you fall!”

Part of him thought she might, if it led to a saucy situation, like him falling on top of her. But he also believed that she wanted him to enjoy horseback riding, and to that end, she wouldn’t let anything bad happen.

So he trusted her and lifted his foot off the ground, trying to get it over the saddle. Unfortunately, the second he did, the **** of gravity started bearing down on him, and he could already feel himself start to slip before he could even get halfway up.

“Ah!” Nick clung to the pommel for dear life as he tried to get his leg over the horse’s back, and tried not to panic. He didn’t even register at first that he wasn’t falling thanks to Vivian’s tight grip on him.

“It’s okay,” she said gently, holding him up. “I’ve got you. There’s nothing to worry about, Nick. Just stretch a bit more.”

He felt her pushing against him, and for a moment he was reminded of his first time on the carousel. When he’d had trouble getting onto the horse, so his mother- his real mother, not Amelia- had held him tight and helped him on.

It was such a bizarre memory to be recalling now that he didn’t even realize that he was already sitting in the saddle with his other leg dangling down next to the stirrup.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Vivian cheered, applauding him. “You did it, congratulations!”

“I… huh!?” Nick looked around, and realized that he was no longer standing on solid ground. He was sitting high up, seeing the world through a completely different vantage point. Vivian had been a little taller than him thanks to her riding boots, but now he towered over her. Only… it wasn’t him.

He was on the back of a horse. All by himself.

That realization nearly made him fall off the horse.

Nick scrambled to keep his grip, kicking frantically at the loose stirrup. Vivian laughed at his panic and came around the back, helping him slide his other foot into place.

“There we go. Don’t freak out, you’re about 90% of the way there already now that you’re sitting properly,” she assured him.

Nick blinked. “I-I am?” He stammered.

Vivian nodded. “And doesn’t it feel amazing? Go on, sit up straight, close your eyes, and just… feel it,” she said with a breathy sigh, closing her own eyes.

Nick followed her suggestion, holding onto the pommel and closing his eyes.

And suddenly he realized just what Vivian was trying to show him.

Sitting on the back of a horse, it was a completely different experience than anything he’d ever done before. This wasn’t like in Dream Alley where it was his imagination doing the work. Back there, he’d been so flustered by Vivian’s actions he hadn’t really taken the opportunity to sit back and experience things for himself.

Now he had that chance… and it was unique.

It was hard to describe, the sensation of feeling the ground beneath your feet when you knew you weren’t actually standing on anything. Vivian was right, it wasn’t at all like driving a car or riding a bicycle. Licorice was a living, breathing animal, and he was feeling the ground through his body. Like the horse was an extension of him.

He opened his eyes with a silent gasp.

“Pretty amazing, right?”

Nick jerked his head around to see that he was now eye to eye with Vivian Carrington. While he had been lost in the feeling of sitting atop a horse, she’d gotten astride Toffee, the brown beauty she’d been admiring earlier, and come up beside him.

She looked amazing. Sitting on the horse with his reins in her hands, head held high and back straight, she looked like some fancy lady from an old painting, or a heroic conqueror. Nick couldn’t find the words to describe her, but she seemed like she was exactly where she was meant to be.

“Whoa…” The word left his lips before he could even fully register how great she looked. And suddenly the horse beneath him jerked.

He let out a gasp at the sudden movement and nearly fell over. Vivian’s hand snapped out and grabbed him by the shirt, yanking him into place.

“Very poor choice of words,” she giggled. “But it could have been worse. Telling a horse that is a signal to slow down! At least you weren’t urging Licorice here to speed up, or that could have gotten really messy.”

Nick blushed. “I, uh… yeah. That was a big mistake on my part.”

Vivian laughed and shook her head. “It’s fine. You’ll learn. Now that you’ve got the very basics down of ‘sitting on a horse without falling off’ shall we try riding next?”

Nick froze a little at the proposition. “You sure this isn’t enough?” He was only half-kidding when he said that, but it made Vivian laugh again. She shook her head.

“It’ll be fine,” she said gently. “Licorice here isn’t going to throw you off. I’ve worked with horses all my life, and these are very well-trained.”

“Makes sense,” Nick nodded. “I can’t imagine Dakota would have horses here that wouldn’t listen to anyone.”

Vivian nodded back to him. “Now, let me show you proper riding posture. Eyes on me, Nick,” she instructed, her voice turning stern. He heard a bit of Amelia in her strict accented tone, which made him a little uncomfortable. But he followed directions and kept his eyes on her as she took the reins and her horse started to trot.

“Keep your heels down and your hips tight to maintain your balance,” Vivian said to him as her horse walked forward. “Be careful though, if you squeeze onto his sides with everything you’ve got you’re gonna give him quite a fright! And you don’t need to clutch the reins too tightly, either. A nice, slack grip is just fine! Enough to give a little tug, like this.”

She gently tugged on the left side, and her horse turned. He made a perfect u-turn and she walked back, still moving slowly and precisely.

“You want to start slow and gentle,” she said as she came up beside him again. “That way you can really get a feel for it. If you break into a gallop…”

“Trust me, I’m not doing that,” Nick interrupted, shaking his head. Just the thought of that terrified him. “I can do this. Just… tell me how to start?”

His horse was still standing in place. He could feel the expectation coming up from the noble animal, and could tell he was waiting for Nick to give him an order.

“Squeeze your legs,” Vivian advised. “That’s how you’ll tell him that it’s time to move. Like this.” She turned her horse around again, coming up abreast of Nick, and squeezed her legs together. Her horse started walking again.

Nick took a deep breath, and tried to do the same. When he felt Licorice start to amble forward he let out a gasp, and for a second he thought he was going to fall off! But he kept his balance and continued to ride, following Vivian and Toffee down the path.

“What do you think?” Vivian called over her shoulder as they left the barn, heading down the gentle trail towards the pathway leading away from the hotel. “Is it as hard as you imagined?”

“No, it’s not!” Nick said, still marveling at the incredible fact that he was riding a horse! He may not have been in complete control, but he was actually up on the back of a horse and guiding it down the trail all on his own!

It was an exhilarating feeling.

They turned down the dirt road, and headed towards a wide path leading into the flatlands of the island. The nature walks were in this direction. Nick had spent so much time in the hotel recently he’d almost forgotten about the island paradise outside it.

Vivian slowed her horse down, and soon they were walking side by side. She looked at him with a twinkle in her eye, letting the reins rest amiably in her lap. They were in no rush, and it was clear from her body language that she was in complete control.

“I’m glad you’re having fun,” Vivian noted with a sweet expression. “I was kind of worried, actually. I was afraid you’d be so nervous and worked-up about riding on a horse that you’d freak out and spook poor Licorice here!”

Nick blushed. “Like I said, I’m not afraid of horses,” he replied, feeling a compelling need to defend his masculinity. “I was just nervous that’s all, because I’ve never done something like this before!”

“Well, like I said, there’s nothing wrong with being afraid,” Vivian assured him. “I think most people who’ve never been around a horse before would be a little afraid to just start riding one without any training. But I’m glad to see you’re a brave sort, Nick.”

“Thanks,” he said, feeling a little proud at the praise she levied on him.

“Me, I’ve never been afraid of riding on horseback,” Vivian said, shaking her head. She leaned over and patted her horse’s chocolate-brown mane. “They’ve been with me all my life, you know? Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been an equestrian.”

She paused and turned to him. “In case you didn’t know, an equestrian is a-”

“Yes, I know what an equestrian is,” Nick cut her off. “Just because I didn’t grow up in your rich lifestyle doesn’t mean I don’t know words.”

Vivian chuckled. “Fair. It’s just not something many people encounter, you know? But yeah, ever since I was little, I’ve been riding. I even competed in a few events, you know?”

Nick blinked. “What, like horse racing and stuff?”

Vivian shook her head. She actually looked a little disgusted. “Of course not!” She clicked her tongue. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, racing horses is fine and all, but there’s so much more to equestrian competitions than just speed! You’ve got reining, vaulting, and one of my favorites, show jumping! I used to compete in the juniors division of the World Equestrian Games!”

“Wait, really? What, is that like the Olympics or something?” Nick asked curiously.

Vivian nodded. “Similar. My event was show jumping. That’s when you run through an obstacle course and try to jump over fences. They’re set up with these special railings at different heights, and you have to maneuver through all of them in order, and clear each one. And if you knock off a rail because you can’t clear a jump, it’s a massive demerit! But it’s so much fun, working in synchronicity with a horse, just the two of you together…”

She sighed wistfully and stared off into the distance.

Nick was stunned. He knew Vivian liked horses, but this was still a completely new side to the woman. Something he’d never seen out of her before.

“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” Vivian turned to him and raised her eyebrow.

“No, it’s just… you’re so…”

“What? I’m so what?” She leaned in close, about as close as she could get without pushing their horses together. The sly expression on her face told Nick that she probably wouldn’t react too badly to anything he said, but she still found herself drawing a blank.

Nick turned red and looked away. “Nothing, it’s nothing,” he mumbled. He’d thought that this was the first time she really looked this sincere, that’s what he couldn’t tell her.

Or maybe he could?

He sighed. “…Most of the time, you’re a pretty playful person, you know?”

“I try to be, yeah,” Vivian nodded. “You don’t have a problem with that, do you?”

Nick shook his head. “Not at all! It’s just… when you’re always so teasing and playful, it can be hard to tell when you’re being serious and sincere, you know?”

Vivian stared at him curiously. “I suppose you have a point, she begrudgingly admitted, much to Nick’s relief. He really didn’t want to make her upset, given he had no idea what she’d be like if that happened. They’d been having a nice day, and he didn’t want to ruin it…

“I really like how much you talk about horses,” Nick said. “It’s really pretty cool.”

Vivian almost blushed. Or maybe it was the light. It was hard to tell with her hat, but the dopey grin on her face spoke volumes.

“Appreciate the sentiment,” she chirped. “And if I may say so… you really aren’t so bad at this yourself. Is this really the first time you’ve handled a horse before?” She asked curiously.

Now it was Nick’s turn to blush. Because while yes, this was his first real experience on a back of a horse, at the same time, it wasn’t.

“…That… that doesn’t count,” he said adamantly, shaking his head.

Well, that just inflamed Vivian even more.

“What is it?” She pressed him. “What doesn’t count?”

“Oh, it’s just, uh… well, last round, before you got here, um… there was another party, right? And all the girls in the harem were transformed into animal girls… you know, part person, part animal? Does that make sense?”

Vivian blinked. “…Okay, like Dawn?”

“Right. So anyway, um…”

“Let me stop you right there.” She held up her hand, smiling in amusement. “One of the girls ended up turning into a horse woman, like a centaur, right?”

“…Yeah. It was Dani,” Nick admitted.

Vivian burst out laughing. “Oh, that’s just darling!” She howled. “I’d have loved to see that! And she gave you a ride and everything?!”

“It-it was just being friendly, the party wanted the girls to act like their animals, so… so she didn’t really have a choice…”

“No wonder you can ride a horse as gentle as Licorice, then, if you’re used to that bucking bronco,” Vivian said, amused.

“Well, you’re not wrong there,” Nick said, shaking his head. “She did throw me off on accident.”

Vivian winced. “Must have stung. Don’t worry, I promise, Licorice isn’t going to throw you, are you, Licorice?” She cooed.

The horse grunted in response. Nick hoped he was agreeing with her.

“You’re so good, I bet you’ve never been thrown, huh?” Nick mused, admiring her form. She really was a master at this.

Vivian gave him a tight smile. “Everybody falls sometimes, Nick. Even someone like me. That’s where the old saying comes from, you know? To get back up on that horse.”

Seeing her so resplendent atop her perch, Nick had a hard time imagining what she was talking about. The idea that Vivian actually could have been thrown off of a horse, it just seemed so hard to believe! But he didn’t push the topic.

“…I guess it’s all part of the learning experience then,” Nick said, turning and looking down at Licorice. The horse was so careful and controlled, the idea of it throwing him seemed too hard to believe.

Vivian nodded. She flashed him a sly smile and her horse started to pick up his pace, passing Nick and Licorice.

“Like I said, Nick, I’m a bit of an expert,” she called over her shoulder, looking slyly back at him. “I think you’ll find that when it comes to riding, I’m rather hard to beat!”

Her words dripped with innuendo and Nick blushed. But he obliged her little playful spin all the same and followed after her, laughing. The day was just getting started.