7th of Summer, 511 AV
"Rova! I have a new idea for us to try!" Elizaveta exclaimed to her pet rat, Rova. Rova made some squeaking noises to acknowledge her. "How would you like to try the idea of being my mount? You're definitely big enough!" And Rova certainly was large for being a rat. He was 10 inches long, excluding his tail, and that was more that twice Eliza's size! She wrapped her arms around him. "What do you say, Rova?"
Now, Rova loved trying new things as much as Eliza, so he sqeaked as if to say, 'I'd love to!'. Elizaveta giggled. "What I would do without you, Rova, I don't know!! So, I wonder how the larger races ride horses. I think I have to climb on your back. Hold still!" With that, Elizaveta attempted to climb onto his back. 'This is a lot harder than it looks,' thought Elizaveta, 'I hope I don't fall!' Of course, she managed to jinx herself into falling off right when she thought that. Eliza giggled, "You're fur is too silky, Rova! It's making it hard to climb onto your back. Maybe I'll get it this time!" Being as optimistic and determined as she was, Elizaveta knew she was going to learn how to ride Rova.
She climbed onto his back again, determined to stay on. Due to his slippery-ness, though, she fell over again. Elizaveta tried again, and this time she managed to stay on his back. "Rova, I didn't slip this time!!" exclaimed Elizaveta, clearly even happier than her usual happy self. Soon her extreme happiness faded to her usual bubbly self when she realized she didn't know what to do next. It must have been quite a sight, watching Eliza try to ride on the back of this rat.
She attempted to do what she saw the larger races riding horses did: she lightly kicked Rova's side with her heel. Rova, not understanding what this meant, turned his head to the side and sqeuaked with curiosity. "Oh! Rova, I think you're supposed to start walking -- err, I mean, scurrying, when I do that." She lightly kicked Rova's side again, and he started walking slowly. "We're doing well, Rova! I wonder how I should steer you. Maybe I could use your ears?" Rova squeaked a few times to tell her that it was ok, and she gently grabbed his right ear. "If I pull on this ear, go right, OK?" He squeaked in acknowledgment. She gently grabbed his left ear. "If I pull this ear, go left," He again squeaked in acknowledgment. "And if I pull on both, stop. Ok?" He squeaked.
She lightly kicked him again, and he started going faster. Of course, Eliza fell off again, but that didn't stop her. Sensing that Eliza fell off, he stopped and poked her with his nose. She climbed onto his back again, this time sure of what she was doing. She seated herself on his back, and lightly kicked his side with her heel. He started moving, but slowly, so she kicked him again. When he was going at a good pace, she started using his ears to steer. She was finally getting it! This time she didn't fall off, and when she made a good distance (5 feet) she pulled on both of his ears and he stopped. She slid off of Rova's back and hugged him. "We did it! Another thing that we have accomplished on the list, right Rova?" To this, he squeaked.
