Part 2
The first signs of autumn could be seen all around, one of them being the wind which was playing tricks with some colorful yet dead leafs, whirling them around in front of one of the open stable doors, close to where I sat on a bench waiting for Eileen. It was a nice day. Maybe a bit windy but much warmer than I had expected after having being subjected to what the Irish called
focíth fearthainne, an occasional rain shower,
during my exploration of the manor's garden with my friend, Monika.
Eileen had asked me to meet her at this bench. All my whining and arguing didn't help as she insisted that we would be riding today when visiting the
Aorí Tuaithe. As much as I had insisted on going with her, I still hoped there would be another way to reach the village that wouldn't involve a saddle, but even my last desperate attempt to persuade her that both of us would be way too heavy for one horse was only met with laughter and a little lesson about the warhorse's strong, solid build.
And so it was that I sat here waiting for my very first ride on a horse while Monika stayed behind with Lena. Lucky woman! I had to admit to being nervous as hell as I had a strong dislike of horses. My childhood awe about a knight in shining armor on an impressive and preferably white horse had changed through the years into a more than healthy respect when it came to horses of whatever color. I was not very tall and I remembered Eileen's horse was a particularly big brute with hooves that seemed to be the size of dinner plates.
A rather nice surprise earlier that day had been a pair of dark brown trousers and a green hooded cloak that Lena had given me, lecturing me that jeans and a simple jacket were absolutely not the right attire for riding in a country where rain could be expected every minute of the day no matter what the weather looked like. The material that made up both the trousers and the cloak was unknown to me, but Lena said the weaving of the fabric had a long tradition with her kin and was made specifically for the Irish weather, being rainproof and light to wear. Eileen had handed me black riding boots that completed the picture, making me feel a bit butch when I saw myself in the mirror wearing my riding garb.
It had taken me quite a struggle and some compliments from both Lena and Monika to feel feel comfortable in my new outfit, which fit my body more snugly than I liked. Despite my friends' compliments, the lecherous expression on Eileen's face and the passionate emotions I felt coming from her via our bond convinced me that she most definitely liked what she saw, and that convinced me more than any words she could have spoken.
Sitting on the bench, I still couldn't get over my snugly fitting attire and I couldn't suppress a chuckle at the thought of Jennifer, my former girlfriend, seeing me like that. I had changed since the days when I had been that woman's punching bag. Being with Eileen, desiring and feeling desirable, had given me a lot more confidence.
A soft whickering brought me out of my musings. Seeing no one around, I stood up and began to walk around the stable yard, trying to get rid of some of my nervous energy. Pacing a few steps but not wandering very far away from the bench, I finally heard more noises, closer this time. Turning around, I was stunned by what I saw and felt as if I had just stepped out of a time machine, back into Ireland's past.
Eileen was riding ahead of a group of six ancient-looking warriors, all rather stocky in build. The men's hair was as long as the women's and their faces were partially hidden by full but well trimmed beards that were even longer than their hair. They looked weather-beaten in a way that told me they enjoyed spending more time outdoors than indoors, and they seemed very capable of appreciating a good fight. Every one of them had a longsword in a scabbard hanging at their side, and the two women were holding a spear each, which didn't seem to affect their riding skills at all. Every warrior was dressed in breeches and a homespun tunic. Over the tunic they each wore a dark brown or black leather cuirass. They rode dun colored horses, and round shields were hanging on the side of the warrior's saddles.
God, the four guys were the personalization of untamed masculinity and for a moment I thought I could detect a wave of testosterone in the air. Monika would have turned into a puddle right on the spot if she could have seen them; strong muscular men always got her estrogen sky-rocketing.
The two female warriors in the group came close to my imagined vision of Amazons. Wild untamed grace and self-confidence didn't only come with the masculine ideal. I would be lying if I tried to pretend that the women didn't stir my hormones.
In front of this astonishing horde rode Eileen with her long flowing mane of black hair and deep blue piercing eyes, a true vision to behold. She had always been stunning to me but now, on her horse, riding in front of those warriors, dressed in her black trousers and boots,
geez… she emanated grace and raw power, a combination that made my knees go weak and my brain turn to mush.
Earlier today, when I had seen her coming down the stairs with her sword at her side, it gave me a hard time. In a flash of memory, I remembered all too clearly the evening she saved me from Madeleine, their bloody fight for dominance and for me. That particular scene still gave me nightmares. Seeing Eileen dressed like a warrior with her sword and her bullwhip wasn't easy at first, but after getting over my initial reaction, I was more than able to savor the sight of her. Thinking of riding double didn't seem like such a bad idea any more as it would give me a good excuse to feel her body under my hands. It was only the fact that I would be sitting on this really big horse while pressing myself against her that kept me nervous.
Eileen caught my eye. The cocky grin that appeared on her face showed me that she knew why I had been leering at her a few moments ago. I could feel my face growing hot again when she brought her horse to a halt a few steps in front of me and slid out of the saddle. The others didn't stop but continued passing by, only acknowledging my presence with a short nod before disappearing out of sight around the corner of the stable. For a moment I stared confused after them, not understanding why they didn't stop as well, but Eileen drew my attention back to her, leaving me no time to ponder about the warriors' curious behavior..
"We will meet up with them later on," she said. "Julia, I want you to meet Cinnia, the beauty of my stables and the best four-legged companion one could wish for." She softly patted the horse's throat before leaning closer and whispering in its ear, loud enough for me to overhear, "Cinnia, meet Julia, the new lady of the manor and of my heart and a beauty herself. I want you to treat her with the respect she deserves." That earned her a snort from the horse.
I carefully took a step closer to the animal, which was definitely a beauty - a mare with golden coat and a flaxen mane and tail, and big brown eyes that had a coolly assessing look as if to let me know that I was unworthy of mounting her. I could only concur and felt my nervousness increasing. However, Eileen didn't waver; she re-mounted and offered me her arm, expecting me to accept it and allow myself to be lifted up onto the saddle pad behind her.
I stared up at her. "You must be joking, Eileen! You don't really expect me to let me lift up like this and tear my arm out in the process, right?"
She lifted a dark and very elegant eyebrow. "Well, do you see a mounting block somewhere?"
A what? I glanced around, having no idea what a mounting block looked like. I searched for a big box or rock or something-or-other that I could use to could climb up behind Eileen, feeling totally out of my depth. What had I been thinking when I'd asked to accompany her? The problems had begun already, with me having no idea how to vault the horse that was giving me scornful looks.
"Kirwyn!" Eileen's shout startled me but soon after the echo died a boy came out of the stables, grinning all over his face. Definitely a little Mr. Sunshine, I thought, and another witness to my humiliation - just what I needed!
"Good morning, mistress!" he said happily before turning his attention to me. "Milady, may I be of assistance?"
Guessing that 'milady' would be me, I nodded, expecting him to show me this mounting block, but the only thing he did was to go over to the horse and stand there with clasped hands and an encouraging expression. Call me stupid, because that was exactly how I felt, staring at him and then up at Eileen, who frowned down at me and shook her head.
"Julia, you have two possibilities," she said. "Either you take my hand and I get you up behind me or you place your left foot in Kirwyn's hands and he vaults you up. What shall it be?"
I dropped my head and resigned with a sigh. Feeling slightly sick to my stomach, I placed my left foot in the boy's strong hands and faster than I was able to say 'whoosh,' I had to swing my leg over the horse's back and found myself sitting behind Eileen. I desperately grabbed her waist to avoid sliding off, while closing my eyes and trying to take deep even breaths.
I can do this, I can do this, was my new mantra.
Eileen dismissed the boy, who walked back into the stables whistling a jolly tune.
"Hey, are you okay back there?" she asked me.
I stifled a groan. No, I wasn't okay, but I didn't want to appear to be a total wimp. I said with more boldness than I felt, "Yeah, I guess so. Is it imperative to open my eyes during the ride?"
Her stomach muscles contracted when she laughed, an interesting feeling. "You will sure be able to see more with open eyes, lass," she said. "Now, leave your arms around my waist and don't let go. No need to be afraid, we will start this slowly and see how it goes. I won't let you fall. Trust me."
Trust me… trust was something I was not particularly good at, though trusting Eileen had already proven to be a different experience for me. The bond between us made the whole thing easier, since being able to sense the feelings behind her words helped me a lot. Nevertheless, trust remained a decision that needed to be made without waiting for a fuzzy feeling to accompany it, so I decided to face my fears once more and to 'simply' trust her.
I felt one of her warm callused hands covering my cold and sweaty ones. She turned her head and looked at me over her shoulder. In a very gentle tone she said, "Julia, did I mention how lovely you look today? The new cloak compliments your green eyes and these trousers… well, this sight sure makes my old heart beat faster. Thank you for giving me the pleasure of your company." She twisted around a bit further, giving me an awkward but gentle kiss on my lips before she turned around again.
I let my head fall against the back of her shoulder, feeling a bit like jelly. If she wanted to distract me, hell, it worked. Whispering a thank you, I reveled in her warmth. It was surprising how much a few words coming from her could do for my confidence and how much her touch alone anchored me. My fears seemed to ease in her presence, as if something deep inside of me had begun to realize that I was not alone anymore in this adventure called life, though a small doubt about the ability to stay happy remained. Trusting her didn't mean I would be trusting life any time soon. Life would have to prove itself to me in the future.
There was not much more time to revel in deep thoughts since all of my concentration and effort had to be put into feeling the horse's motions. Absolutely unaccustomed to riding, I tried my best to move with the horse as Eileen told me, trying to stay in the same rhythm with her instead of working against it. All of that was much easier in theory than in practice. I was sure that Eileen had been sitting on a horse since she was in diapers, but I didn't even dare think about how my body would feel after our little sight-seeing trip, since I was not used to exercise apart from that one self-defense course I had taken a long, long time ago.
Oh, gosh! Am I going to be sore later!
Continued in Chapter 3