[Open] A Star In Hand Lit His Way

[rinwell]

WHO: Rinwell and various.
WHAT: Catch-all log for December!
WHEN: All December.
WHERE: Cadens (Free Cities) and Horizon
WARNINGS: TBD - will update as and when applicable!

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[OOC: plot with me in PMs, or on plurk at farlichu! Discord on request! ]

Comments

[wiedzminka]

[ Ciri keeps an eye on her without providing further instruction or correction, waiting for Rinwell to figure it out. And she does. Ciri grins over her shoulder, a mischievous flash of teeth, and then -- as they approach one of the slowly rising hills off the main road -- she nudges her heels into Nixie's flanks. The mare takes off, lurching straight into a gallop up the hill.

Ciri only reins her in a little bit, making sure she doesn't leave Rinwell completely behind, as she shouts over her shoulder: ]

Keep up!

[ Nothing better to work off frustration than going real fast. She's sure Rinwell can handle it. ]

[rinwell]

[ Keep up?? Rinwell's eyes widen as Ciri is suddenly bounding ahead, and Poppy's ears prick immediately forward, wuffling faintly as her head comes up. She may be much more laid back than the witcher's fiery grey, but even this mare enjoys a good run.

Rinwell can't help but feel a little nervous - but excited, too. Jaskier had ridden their ride at a canter when she'd gone practicing magic, and that..that had been so much faster than she expected. ]

C'mon, girl! [she squeezes against her sides hard, and-- welp, OFF goes Poppy! Not quite a rocket, but much faster than she was expecting!] O-oh!!

[ She doesn't fall forward onto the mare's neck from the sudden change in pace, but there's definitely a hand grasping in her mane, holding on tight as her mount moves after Ciri. It's so quick! ]

[wiedzminka]

[ Ciri laughs, watching Rinwell's eyes go wide as she fumbles. ]

Don't pull on her mane or the reins! Keep a steady grip. If you yank back, she might stop too fast, and you won't like that.

[ She's going to have to teach Rinwell how to fall off a horse, come to think of it. It's an important skill. Even if the girl might not enjoy the lesson. ]

Keep your body low and move with her.

[ Nixie wants to keep running ahead, but Ciri makes her turn, circling back around to ride back and behind Rinwell in a loop, coming up on her other side. She grins, windswept. ]

Fun, right?

[rinwell]

[ There's no immediate verbal answer to Ciri's coaching, Rinwell's face scrunched somewhere between intense concentration and very evident hints of joy blossoming as she starts to get a real feel for speed. She will absolutely not like a hard stop, but Rinwell is not considering that right now - not when she's almost flying.

That's what this rush feels like, not unlike the updraft that her tornadoes sometimes carry her along on, but with the added sense of movement and weight below her.

(Could this have been something everyone knew back home, once upon a time?)

'Fun, right?' ]

Yes..! [breathlessly enthusiastic, as she keeps low as instructed; if one hand remains with a grip on mane length, well, babby is still learning.] R-really fun!

[wiedzminka]

Good! That's what I like to hear.

[ Ciri laughs too as they crest the hill, and she tugs on her horse's reins a little, urging Nixie to slow. She doesn't instruct Rinwell, watching to see what she does. ]

You get good at this, and I'll start challenging you to a proper race. We can bet on it. Winner doesn't have to wash dishes.

[rinwell]

[ Ciri slows and Rinwell does not, though Poppy is certainly aware she's no longer being raced alongside with. (Poppy might be lazy at times, but even a pony enjoys a good canter from time to time.)

It's only as they clear the hill crest and are starting the downward slope that Rinwell realises she's leaving her friend behind, and sits up and back, trying to use her weight as she was taught rather than haul back on the reins to slow her mount.

It works, sort of. ]

Woahhh, woahhh, w-woooah!!

[ The last 'woah' is a lot less steady as the mare obeys but also veers a bit sideways with the command, and the sudden drop to trot has that bouncy gait returning. Hopefully Ciri won't laugh too long as Rinwell finds herself falling forward on the mare's neck, unable to adapt to posting in time, and is left clinging to Poppy's mane for dear life before mare helpfully stops. ]

[wiedzminka]

[ No such luck. Of course Ciri laughs, loud and unabashed, but not unkind. When Poppy finally stops, Ciri guides her mare beside her still giggling, giving Rinwell a wide grin. ]

Almost had it. Solid try, but you won't beat me yet.

[ She nods over to the next hill, the desert covered in rolling mounds like like it, covered in large rocks and green-gray shrubs. The sand is too hard packed to be slippery, though; the horses are able to run just fine.

Ciri smirks, squeezing her heels against Nixie's flanks. ]

C'mon. Let's go again.