Bumpy Ride [Dimitri]

[Seven Xu]

Seven had to extend so far he stood on his toes to reach the top of the mare and brush clouds of dust from her back. Dimitri's familiar scent lingered around him even after he pulled away but fortunately for the half-blood it had a calming effect on him and he continued to coo to the horse in that same dream-state tone. One hand on the mare, his lips moved and compliments spilled out of his mouth as he rounded her backside and settled on her far side before moving along with the round brush, beginning the entire routine over again.

Seven imagined Dimitri behind him, guiding his hand with his own, chest pressed ever so lightly to his back. He began to wonder what Dimitri would look like in all his glory on such a horse, barreling towards a target, arms outstretched, weapon swinging. Seven smirked. "Even you pick up on it, but he does not." More dust billowed out of the painted mare's short, coarse coat and Seven wrinkled his nose with a cynical smile. "I suppose it is better that way. Why ruin a good thing, right? Right." He answered for the mare, who was watching Dimitri fetch her food and water with little interest for Seven's questions.

From hindquarters to shoulder and up her neck, the mare was given a thorough rubdown by someone who took cleanliness seriously. The soft brush dusted the mare off, revealing the shine underneath that would glisten, had the sun decided to peek out from beyond the overcast sky. Dimitri's voice caught Seven's attention, and he patted the mare's side gently. "I think she is clean, and more interested in food now than anything." He laughed.

[Dimitri]

"Well then I think it's time you learned to mount a horse."

Dimitri moved into the stall, a hand on the horse's body. He grabbed a riding blanket and threw it over the mare. "Until you are better at jumping up atop the horse, I recommend climbing up the stall side, swinging your leg over, and sliding on. I will join you once you do." Dimitri then climbed up the heavy wooden stall side, swung his leg out and over, and laid his leg over the mare. He slid down onto the horse, "Now you try."

Dimitri slid off the back of the horse like one would in an emergency. He walked around the side to Seven, a hand always on the horse. He looked at the odd man and smiled, "We will then get to some proper riding. She will take good care of us," he said as he playfully slapped her rump.

[Seven Xu]

Dimitri made it look so simple, but to Seven, the task was a daunting one. No saddle? Seven looked perplexed, but who was he to question Dimitri's methods? Besides, he trusted him, as much as one could trust someone they had just recently met. Climbing up the wooden partition, the boy wobbled momentarily before his bottom found the top of the stall wall and he perched there for a moment to steady himself. A hand went out to touch the mare's side gingerly, as if to ask her permission before he even made an attempt to mount her. She was so warm, and her large muscular body swayed a bit towards him before exhaling in a disinterested snort.

"Alright, uh. Here goes." Seven bit down on his lower lip, sizing up the distance between himself and the mare before his leg lifted up and over her back. A moment of hesitation and Seven retreated to the wall again. "S-sorry." It seemed so far, and Dimitri's legs were longer and far stronger than his. Gathering himself, Seven nodded and stretched out his leg again before pushed himself off of the stable wall with his other foot and slid onto the horse a bit ungracefully and not quite centered. He quickly shifted his weight to right himself and gripped the saddle blanket with his left hand, legs dangling with no stirrups to slip his feet into. "Thank you for being patient with me." Seven murmured, his other hand reaching down to pat the mare's neck with a triumphant grin plastered on his face.

[Dimitri]

"Well done. Still a bit nervous, she will take care of you."

He examined the man on the horse, checking his posture and position. "Scoot forward a bit, and lean forward to help maintain balance. When we move grip tight with your thighs and knees. Do not under any circumstances grip her mane."

Dimitri walked around the horse checking everything. Her hooves seemed fine, so he moved to her head. He placed his palms on her muzzle and looked into her eyes as he talked to her. "He's new and I'm teaching him the motions, so work with me please."

He looked up at the pale man, "Now to get her to walk forward, tap lightly with your heels against her sides. Just walk her out of the stall. I'm right here leading."

He walked backwards continuing to speak to the horse to keep her calm, waiting to see if she would follow the man's command. She was fairly calm so Dimitri figured she would.

[Seven Xu]

Seven wiggled forward on the horse's back and straightened his back, thigh muscles tightening around the mare. He felt like a child, and it was somewhat embarrassing to admit to himself that he probably looked like one too. And Seven could only imagine what Dimitri thought of him, some idiot from a far away city that didn't even know how to ride a horse.
There were no reins, no squire to grab onto, and the thought of making the horse move under these conditions made him sweat. Be calm. Seven closed his eyes and inhaled, then exhaled slowly before opening his eyes and focusing on the sound of Dimitri's calm, guiding voice.

Hands placed delicately on the saddle blanket at her withers, Seven's heels pushed against the mare's sides just behind her shoulders. As if on command, the mare jerked into movement and it took all of Seven's will power not to squeeze with all his might to cling to the horse with his knees. Fortunately for both himself and the mare, his body remained calm, thigh muscles firm, but not tense. "Ah," He chirped, knuckles white as he clenched the blanket. Perhaps an overreaction to the fear of falling and shattering brittle bones. "This is not so bad." Another smile, evident that these little victories meant a lot to the half-blood.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri watched as the man gripped properly, then was a tad startled as the horse lurched forward. The horse clipclopped out of the stall into the main thoroughfare. Dimitri stopped her, got close to her, hands on the side of her muzzle, "Good girl, good job." He looked back up and saw the triumphant grin, and smiled himself. "Now to turn her to the left, squeeze with both knees, then pull left. Same with the right. She will understand."

He then walked up next to the horse, slightly behind Seven. He then place a single hand in the horse, directly behind where Seven was seated. He then bounced on the balls of his feet. Once, twice. He then pressed off powerfully, his hand on the horse providing both lift and direction. Dimitri was able to swing a leg over the rump of the horse and landed directly behind, but a bit snugly, against Seven. He whispered into his ear, "Now turn her and lead her out into the field." Dimitri tightened his own grip on the mare waiting to see if Seven could manage.

[Seven Xu]

The overcast sky was giving way to cerulean blue as the sun burned away at the cloud cover. It was slowly warming up, and Seven had been able to drop his jacket off in the stall shortly before leaving. He could feel the mare breathing under his body, the slow inhale-exhale of her barrel and the warmth of her fur, her summer coat sleek and smooth. "It looks like it's turning into a nice day." Seven remarked, eyes following Dimitri as he turned around to the hindquarters of the mare and with his own upper body strength, hoisted himself on, landing flush against Seven's back.

Seven could have breathed a sigh of relief when Dimitri joined him on the horse, but he remained quiet, diligently listening to every word the squire had to say. At least now the fear of toppling off of the mare was gone, Dimitri was right behind him to keep him upright. As Dimitri leaned in to whisper in Seven's ear, the hair on Seven's neck stood on end and he closed his eyes, inhaling sharply. Squeeze with both knees, then pull left. Lead her out into the field. The instruction was somewhat ambiguous, but the half-blood tried his best when he pushed his knees against the mare's shoulders then shifted his weight towards her left side.

OOCSorry for the lack of progression, I wanted you to decide whether or not Seven made the horse move correctly.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri felt as the horse lazily left the barn into the yard. The man steered timidly but got the job done. Dimitri was careful to follow the man's motions, so as to not confuse the horse. He leaned his body forward, pressing his hard chest into Seven's back, leaning him forward. "As I whisper into your ear, you should whisper in hers."

Dimitri continued to grip the horse as he wrapped his own hands around Seven's waist. "Now let's get her to a trot. Two light taps. Grip firm but not too tight. She will bounce and toss so be prepared. Take her around the barn a few times both directions. Remember to steer with your knees. Also to absorb the shock, lift lightly off with your thighs. Ride each bounce and your thighs will absorb the shock."

Dimitri lifted up as he instructed Seven, his thighs and lower torso pressing into Seven's back. He placed his hands on the sides of the man's ribs, guiding him to raise up. He hoped the horse wouldn't mind being led by a stranger but if they didn't push her too hard, she would remain compliant.

[Seven Xu]

Seven oofed as he was pushed forward under Dimitri's strength and his fingers clutched the saddle blanket's edge. Then a pair of arms much thicker than his curled around his waist and he couldn't stop the raging blush that rushed to his cheeks and the odd feeling that washed over him. He nearly lost his grip on the mare's sides. Thank god my back is turned. Seven rolled his eyes through a smile that wouldn't quit. "I am going to ask you to go a little faster, now." Seven's calm voice drifted past the mare's ear. "Please be patient with me, I may bounce around a little, but I am pretty light so you probably won't even notice."

Dimitri was so comfortable getting right in to show Seven exactly how to move. While admittedly a bit distracting, as the boy didn't really know the touch of a woman -- or anyone for that matter, Dimitri was effective in his method of teaching. Seven was willing to do anything he physically could to impress the squire now, through burning, aching thighs he pushed the mare into a trot around the field. There was no time to turn around and ask Dimitri how he did, before the horse was bouncing down the grassy field and Seven had to focus all of his attention on not looking ridiculous as he rode along with the horse. Ride each bounce. Seven's hands kept him prone as he attempted to take the shock of the horse's movement away a little, flexing and lifting his body with his thighs. "This is quite a workout!" Seven remarked, sounding quite winded when he took the mare into her first turn.

[Dimitri]

Dimitri smiled as the strange man began picking up on the motions. He recalled his first time riding bareback, and winced at the reminiscent burnings that plagued his thighs all those years ago. Now he hardly noticed except when riding for long periods of time. Seven would likely be quite sore tomorrow. Dimitri gripped with his knees, his thighs absorbing every bouncing step, his hands guiding, not holding, onto his waist. It was like having his own squire for a day. He relished the idea. He felt closer to knighthood each and every day and soon he would be mentoring another. As the bouncing pair and their fourlegged companion voiced along, they didn't notice the hole in the field ahead of them. As the horse's hooves thundered through the burrow of a native creature below, the groundhog who called it home began to panic. It stopped eating a grub it had found and rushed out of it's hole, absolutely sure that it's home was about to collapse. That's when it saw the massive beast towering over it, the monstrous hooves coming down to crush it. The horse and groundhog caught each other's eye and both panicked. The horse whinnied loudly and reared up. Dimitri hadn't been expecting this at all, and there was no way either could have prevented this with a horse they barely knew. Dimitri slid quickly backwards landing on his ass hard, then his upper back slamming into the hard dirt. He quickly got his arms up to catch his companion if he fell atop him. The horse slammed down hard with a sickening crunch as it's hoof ended the life of the groundhog. The horse still startled, would begin back it's heavy hooves up to where Dimitri lay, preparing to bolt. If Dimitri's friend fell, he would catch him and attempt to roll away. The horse then took off like a bat out of a cave, galloping as fast as possible. It would be an incredibly scary ride. Dimitri would have to get up and cut the horse off as it followed the curve of the wall like many did when startled here. OOCIdk why but small furry critters always die in our threads...