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(for this rp Venn is being played as a fawn still)


The girl bit her lip as she looked ahead and up the road, sitting awkwardly astride the fat pony that slowly meandered, head stretched low, lipping at the grass as he passed it. She gave an unhelpful flap of the reins, followed by an equally unhelpful kick behind the girth. The only response she got was the flick of his ear before he resumed his slow meander. Elise sighed. And to think, she had been scared of learning to ride. The fact that she was, at 15, only learning was fairly embarassing, but there was nothing she could do about that. Until a few years ago even a walk outside made her short of breath, and the doctor had said she was far too frail, a fall from a horse would do a lot of damage. So it was only now, that she was a little stronger she was attempting it. She had many concerns when her brother suggested it. What if the horse took off, or bucked, or the trot was too bouncy? But Jaquen assured her that he would find her a safe one to learn on.

And so it was that she was by her grandmother's in the countryside, on the back of a fat grey welsh called Podge. The name suited him. She had been allowed to ride alone down the paths, as Jaquen had work to do and her grandmother was too old. Somehow they had managed to get a decent ways along the path, though that was more from Venn's efforts than her own. The small fawn was being a good sport about all of this, and Elise knew he was thrilled just to be in the countryside with the fresh air and green grasses. Every once and a while, when she started to struggle too much with trying to get Podge to move, he would give the pony a helpful n** in the rump, which would send him forward at a slightly faster walk for a time. There was a good chance she may see other riders here, as her grandmother had told her there was a lot of horse enthusiasts around here, as in people who rode simply for the pleasure, not just work. The thought of meeting someone else who would witness her feelbe attempts made her sigh, tempted to slouch in the saddle, just as her brother had told her not to do. At this point, having a runaway horse was starting to sound more and more appealing.

A couple more kicks behind the girth and she thought she might be getting somewhere. She would be getting there at a snail's pace but Elise was trying to look at the bright side of things, at least some movement was better than none at all. She murmured some more encouragement to the pony and to her great shock, he actually lifted his head and perked his ears. Not a lot, not as she has seen other horses do but the fact that his head was no long trailing on the ground could be nothing if not positive. She was almost excited at this point, was this actually working? She was getting Podge to a semblance of a walking gait?

But unfortunately the girl was performing no miracles, for what had gotten the pony's interest was not her kicks or her clucking noises but the presence of others on the road ahead. The pony and Venn had heard the noise before she did, and it was only after she followed their gaze that she something come down the path and then come to a sudden stop. At first she thought it was a horse, for what else could it be? But as soon as she stopped she realized she had been completely off. It was a buck, the largest she had ever seen and in some ways it reminded her of Venn. Except that it did not seem to be very happy. It was not long after that a horse and rider came galloping down the path, only to stop right beside the deer. But now she could see this was not just any horse and rider. For one, she had never seen a more beautiful animal in her life: it's coat was soft and shiny and it's mane like silk. Everything from the strong curve of it's neck to the the long slim legs suggested it was a fine example of a creature. The man astride it was equally impressive, a finely chiseled face with perfectly detailed clothing and shining brown riding boots. Immediately she knew his class ranked far above hers and she nearly blushed in embarrassment right there. Her and Podge were quite the opposite of the pair in front of them.

It may not help either that his guardian stood so strong and imposing, and she was far more wary of the guardian than the man, who had called out in a friendly voice. Her own guardian on the other hand, seemed blissfully ignorant of the fact he was getting the equivalent of a death stare from the tall buck. He wiggled his ears with interest, and in the gamely, awkward way of a young animal, did a long limbed canter over to Axe, hopping and dancing in front of the other guardian in an excited fashion. From the wagging of his stubby tail, it could only be inferred he was inviting Axe to play. Whatever gave him the idea the guardian would want to play was beyond Elise.

If her cheeks were not red before they certainly were now and she groaned inwardly at the antics of the small brown fawn. "Beg pardon sir," She said hastily, seeming to address both the man and the buck as her eyes flickered between them. "He is not yet good with manners..."