The Devil's Cursed Witch

“A-Are we riding horses?” Ember threw her stuttering question at Erlos.

The elf merely blinked, quite puzzled by her behaviour. “Yes, Miss. Riding animals is a normal way to go around other cities. These beautiful animal friends were nearby and were called to help, and they agreed.”

In Agartha, normal animals were given the freedom to roam, especially for elves who treat them like companions.

“Are you scared, Miss?” Erlos asked. “Do not worry. It is not much different from you riding Lusca.”

‘It is different!’ Ember felt how much she missed Lusca now. That fluffy soft stag was like a baby compared to the wild horses in front of them.

Ember forced a chuckle. “I never rode a horse before. I don’t know how to ride it…” Her voice was low and hesitant.

“It’s fine, Miss. It’s not difficult. They are friends. Once you sit on one, you will know. Moreover, these horses are all well-behaved,” Erlos replied. He then rubbed the snout of the horse nearest to him. “Isn’t that right, little one?”

She almost choked. ‘That red mare isn’t little though?’

Erlos continued, “Well, you see, Miss, in front of Sire, not just these horses but even their ancestors will do their absolute best to behave. They would not dare let you fall so you really have nothing to worry about.”

Ember didn’t know what to say about this remark but a dignified voice interrupted their conversation.

“Are you done, Erlos?”

Erlos stopped right away and Draven, who was petting his horse, turned to look at Ember. “You will be fine. I am there to look for you.”

Ember blinked a few times as if to say his words didn’t register in her mind.

“Relax. You will enjoy the ride,” Draven simply said as he walked towards her with the intention of helping her sit on the horse.

But first, he looked at Erlos. “Get on your horse.”

The smart Erlos knew he was being ordered to show Ember how to climb the horse saddle.

“Miss, this is how you do it.” Erlos held the saddle then put his one foot in the stirrup, and the next moment, he lifted his other leg and he was seated properly on the back of the red mare. He held the reins firmly and said, “See, it’s easy.”

‘Can a human like me even move that smoothly?!’

At this moment, Ember was questioning her coordination. Erlos being Erlos, he made the move of riding a horse not only picturesque but also effortless.

However, Draven was already offering her his hand and she accepted it as she knew there was no other choice. He then led her to an elegant pure white stallion, second only in size to the largest black one. She gulped as he held the stirrup of the white horse, while holding her hand in the other.

“Put your foot here and climb up. Do not overthink it.”

Ember felt glad that her servants didn’t make her wear a long frilly dress. Only now did she learn it was intentional. The red dress she wore was a casual dress with its skirt just below the knees, and underneath it, she was wearing riding tights and long leather boots.

‘Here goes nothing!’

Ember followed Draven’s instructions with her lips pressed together, trying not to make a sound as she didn’t want to be a bother to him or the white stallion. She grabbed onto his hand a little too firmly as she put her right foot in the stirrup first, just as Erlos did.

Just as she was about to make herself climb up, a pair of strong hands held her at the waist and easily moved her up to sit on the saddle on the horse’s back. It all happened in just a blink of an eye, and even before Ember could understand what had happened, she was properly seated on the saddle.

Draven let go of her and fixed her skirt around her legs. Though he had removed her hands, Ember could still feel the warmth of his palms on her waist. As she calmed her heart, she looked at the man who held the reins of her horse and offered them to her.

“Hold it tightly.”

Ember had seen what Erlos did so she held the reins with both hands. She then saw Draven petting the white stallion and talking to it. “Walk slowly. She is riding your kind for the first time.”

He then looked at Ember. “Don’t be scared.”

Ember stiffly nodded, half of her concentration on keeping her balance. From time to time, she would peek at Draven, up until she saw him swiftly ride the largest black horse. As she compared to both horses, both looked like a perfect pair of black and white.

By then, her two servants were also already on their horses. Erlos led the way in front while Draven and Ember rode next to each other and two female elves at the rear of the group of five.

“We’re leaving for Nimer, the city of the White Tigers!” she could hear Erlos announce.

As the horses started moving, Ember held on to the reins tightly, her entire body stiff as she was anxious of falling down. She was a good several feet off the ground. If she was to fall from this height…

She cried inside., ‘Lusca, I really miss you. You were never this scary to sit on.’

The horse’s body wagged left and right with each step and she felt like she would fall as soon as she lost concentration.

After several more minutes, another problem came up.

‘I think my muscles are getting numb.’

Though the saddle was cushioning her bottom, she found it difficult to remain seated. She knew soon enough, her back and butt were going to ache.

Draven noticed her growing discomfort through the corner of his eyes.  “Don’t be stiff. Relax and match yourself with the horse’s moving rhythm and you won’t find it difficult.”

Ember nodded quietly but inside she frowned.

‘Is he looking down on me just because he knows how to ride a horse? It’s my first time! My first time!’ she inwardly complained. ‘If I can learn things simply by listening once, I wouldn’t be in this trouble in the first place. Things like this need to be learned. Supernaturals can’t understand the difficulties of humans.’

Still, she tried to relax and do as she was told.

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Dear readers, this is 4th chapter today. As I upload the moment I write and don’t stock them to release like a mass release they will always come like this one by one.