{ forbidden fruit ~ GoT Open

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Anita laughed quietly.

"Alright. Can I teach you something about Arget, in particular?" She dismounted the gelding, letting him munch on grass. She held the reins, towards the bit, loosely in her hands.

"Arget has a sensitive being. She can feel any movement you make. Gripping the reins will confuse her. So, lighten up, straighten your back."

She touched her daughter's shoulder and then ran her fingertips lightly down her spine.

"Arget is also a very, very swift runner - do you see how big she is? She can run miles in a few minutes."

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Briar's expression morphed into determination as she squared her shoulders and sat up straight. It was difficult to keep a steady posture on a horse, but she would do it.

"Okay, so be gentle and still firm?" She questioned lightly.

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Anita nodded, getting back on Xavier. "And remember - just squeeze, lightly, with your knees and she'll get the message."

She kneed Xavier towards a small bush and gestured. "This is the starting point. We head to that tree right over there, and swing back around. Whoever gets to the bush first wins twenty-five gold."

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Briar led Arget over to the bush and made her wait, "Alright, sounds like a deal."

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Anita hummed.
"Start out slow - trotting. Then accelerate to a canter, and eventually, a gallop. Everything else will situate itself out." She smiled, clucking softly to Xavier before kneeing him into a trot, then a canter, hunching over his neck with her hands in his mane rather than the reins.

It accelerated to a gallop, and she was flying over the ground, hurtling towards the tree.

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She did as Anita told, urging Arget into a trot first and picking up speed. The horse was very sensitive to every movement, she realized.

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Arget made a low noise in her throat - a whicker, it was called. She raced after Anita, whinnying loudly, tossing her head and really stretching her muscles before spinning around the tree, Xavier hard on her heels.

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Briar's laughter spilled from her lips as she held on to the saddle. She'd never ridden a horse this fast before and it was thrilling, if not a bit scary.

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Arget stopped not an inch from the bush.

She glanced behind herself, watching as Xavier struggled to catch up, and pranced delicately to the bush, nibbling on it like she was the princess.

Anita was breathless.

"Here. And you see why I love Arget? Why I ride so often?" She laughed.

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"She's amazing!" Briar giggled, petting Arget's mane, "How is she so fast?"

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Anita rubbed Arget's forehead with her fingers.

Arget nudged into her arm, whickering again.

She had dismounted from Xavier, untacked him, let him rest and drink from a nearby pool.

"What makes Arget so fast are her legs and her lungs."

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Briar smiled and patted the horse's neck lightly, "Really? Are they strong?"

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Anita's answer was that of a horsewoman. "Come down here and check for yourself, Briar."

She went over to Arget's hoof, checking for stones. There weren't any. She set the hoof down, gently patting the mare on the withers.

"Part of being with me is knowing how to take care of a horse, mostly because I spend so much time on one - and if you're going to be my apprentice, you need to know how to do what I do." She nodded. "It sounds fair to me - but I'm the Queen, and the mentor, not the Princess and the apprentice. What do you think of being my official apprentice?"

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Briar dismounted carefully and smiled, "Really? A real apprentice?"

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Anita nodded.

"Yes, a real apprentice. As if I would offer to a weakling. Come here." She picked up Briar's hand and guided it to Arget's muzzle. The mare gently nuzzled the hand, licking at it like it had salt. It didn't.

"See? Arget approves. And that is all I need."

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Briar chuckled and looked up at Anita, "She likes me?"

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Anita nodded. "Well, of course. Here." She handed Briar a salt cube. "Let her have this, and see what happens."

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She held the salt cube out to Arget and smiled in anticipation.

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It was quite a sight.

This large, beautiful mare was bending her neck to meet the hand - she was nearly sixteen hands high, a record even for a Gypsy Vanner. Her large, pink tongue flicked out and against Briar's fingers, not the cube.

Soft blue eyes rolled to peer at the girl as her teeth flashed out, gently grabbing the cube, munching it away. She returned for more kisses to Briar's skin, up her wrist, across her arm, nuzzling into her hair.

"She loves you, Briar. As much as she loves me." Anita's voice was slow, careful, quiet.

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Briar smiled and closed her eyes, giggling happily, "I'm happy. I want her to like me." She opened her eyes and looked at Anita.