Angels and Blood - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Horse and Hair

“Never let it be said that I gave bad advice,” said the samurai.

The big horse didn't even seem to notice the extra weight as they made their way along the path. Riven sighed, admittedly glad to watch the scenery pass her without effort.

“You seem like a rider,” he spoke again.

She rubbed her heels lightly over the animal's warm flanks.

“Yeah. I used to ride.” Then, after a moment. “Where'd you get a Demacian charger?”

“Should I tell you that?”

She huffed a laugh.

“Thaaaat you got him off the black market in Zaun or Bilgewater?”

“Ah, that I earned him off the black market in Bilgewater. It's not easy to get a horse like this.”

“Uhuh. Well. Where there's a will there's a way in Bilgewater.”

He nudged a shoulder up, turning his eyes to the sky.

“If you can stay alive long enough, yeah.”

She was just about to speak again, but then he turned his head and she had to shove away his considerable mass of hair instead, complaining, “God, you're gonna knock me off.”

“Hahah-ow! Be careful with that!”

Though both seemed entirely comfortable with silence, somehow they kept talking for another hour or so.

“Owow, hey-ow-hey!”

The man swatted back at Riven, who had begun trying to pick out his hair tie with bent determination, but she didn't really know how to get the thing out.

“You've gotta take it down, Ronin,” she said flatly. “It's like wrestling a bear.”

“Okay, fine!” He succeeded in swatting her away and growled, “Just let me do it properly.”

He pulled the tie out with one swift move and all that mass plopped down to brush the saddle. This was much easier.

'Like a damn waterfall,' she thought with some strange mix of admiration and incredulity.

---

When there came a fork, Ronin fished out his rumpled map even though Riven insisted that continuing down the main path would take them the shortest way.

“The man who made this map,” explained Samurai, “told me there was a worthwhile detour around here. Yeeeeah, see?” he pointed up along the ridge that climbed up high over their path. “Looks nice. There's gotta be a view.”

“Looks longer,” Riven squinted up at it.

“Yyyup.” He eyed the map again. “Quite a bit. But it will be good.”

“That sounds logical.”

He ignored her sarcasm.

“This guy told me it's fine for horses.” He shielded his eyes from the sun. “So once we get up there we can go faster along the cliff.”

“Faster along a cliff huh?”

“Yeah.” He raised an eyebrow at the doubt in her voice. “Don't you wanna feel the wind? Or... would that scare you?”

Riven shifted in the saddle.

“You wish.”

She wouldn't tell him how long it had been since she'd ridden. And by that time Samurai had already spurred his horse up the steeper path anyway. Riven frowned and merely shifted her weight forward as much as she could to help the big animal, who did not seem even seem mildly daunted. He was a young and eager stallion, a testament to the careful breeding of Demacian bloodlines. When at last they scrambled to the peak of the ridge, the charger lashed his tail and struck out almost immediately. Riven gasped, gripping the man's sides for her life and drowning in the mass of Ronin's hair. In a blink he lashed one arm back to grab hers, steadying her. He reined to temper the animal's enthusiasm back down to a trot.

“Sorry! He always knows when I'm going to let him run.”

“I see that!” She gasped, clawing hair out of her face. “You know, I still don't mind walking.”

Samurai pulled his horse to a dancing stop, turning in his saddle and laughing at the sight of her disgruntled and pawing the strands off herself. Ronin gathered his hair in his hands, deftly spun it into a quick, loose braid, and then tossed it back over his shoulder.

“Suffocating,” she grumbled.

“We're going again. You ready?”

Riven merely let out an “Mmmmh,” and grabbed his shoulders a bare moment before the animal lurched into motion again. With effort, she was silent. In light of the current situation the warrioress was tempted to recant her assessment of no awkward arm-wrapping. But her former years of equestrian mastery had not left her, and she allowed her body to move with the animal, squeezing with her knees and aligning her spine. Yes, that felt familiar. The steed thundered down the narrow path. Heart pounding, she removed one of her hands from his shoulder. The horse's gait was ridiculously fast, but smooth. The wind lashed by, roaring in her ears, her hair blowing back from her face. Riven breathed in, lifted her eyes to the world around them, and then stopped breathing. There was nothing but the path before them and on each side a vast expanse. They were atop a narrow ridge. Mountains rolled out for miles and miles and miles. Subconsciously her fingers tightened on his shoulder. There were clouds below them. They were at the top of the world, sailing through the sky.

Riven clung with her knees, resolutely held herself upright rather than clinging to the other rider, and watched in roaring silence. It was the chill of the wind which finally caused them to slow. And then they were standing still, the horse's sides lathered and heaving as they quietly watched the clouds roll by. Riven hugged herself, heart racing in a giddy, exhilarated way, and watched as clean mountain wind swept by them from the side. The seconds ebbed by and they simply watched. Then Ronin squeezed his heels a little and they were moving again.