Without a saddle it was gravely uncomfortable and Yuli’anyh worried she would slip off either side. Grasping the makeshift reins around the desert stallion’s neck in a white knuckled, death grip, the young twin sucked in a steadying breath as she prepared herself for horse travel. Kicking her heels into the Namib’s sides, she spurred him on into a gentle trot.
Casting her emerald gaze to the scorching skies above, Yuli’anyh searched for signs of birds. Directing Ahiro, carefully, if not rigidly, in the general way of the game trail, after a few Breaks, alas, the cry of a vulture pierced from above. Almost giddy, as her hunt was finally heading somewhere promising, the young twin clenched her thighs tight and gripped a handful of Ahiro’s jet black mane in her fist. “C’mon boy” With a few clicks of her tongue, she nudged her heels once more into Ahiro’s sides, urging him into a canter.
Instantly Ahiro obliged, eager to feel the wind brush against his sweaty skin. Immediately Yuli’anyh almost regretted her command. The rush of speed threw the young twin off balance, the jingling and bouncing rhythm of Ahiro’s gait unknown to her. Her rear end begun slipping one way, her shoulders and head another, it was discombobulating and sickening.
Just as she was about to pull on the reins to slow her desert stallion, more comfortable in the trot, the hunting pair broke around the small cluster of date trees. Reacting too late, Yuli’anyh spotted the herd of Gazelle surrounding a small pond. Instantly spooked by the thunder of the stallion’s hooves rippling through the desert savannah, they bolted!
Gasping in desperation as she saw the Trial’s efforts vamoosing across the prairie, she knew she must give chase. If she lost them now, there was no hope to catch up with them before dark. “Aye-ya!”
Gripping on with her thighs, clenching her muscles as tightly as possible, Yuli’anyh launched forwards and spurred Ahiro into a full gallop. Gleefully obeying (for once) Ahiro charged after the escaping herd of Gazelle!
Thrown from side to side, up and down, Yuli’anyh’s rear behind smacked and slapped Ahiro’s back. With no saddle, the young twin instinctively threw her body weight forwards, leaning over the desert stallion’s shoulders. Finding that this shifted the weight of her centre of gravity, the ride improved, but not by much. She found herself fighting to remain upright, Ahiro’s natural pace all over the place.
As he breezed by the tall tufts of long grass, his nostrils flared, he relished in the chase as he saw it a race between he and the herd; the desert stallion be damned if he would lose to some prancing Gazelle. As the wind tore at Yuli’anyh’s loose blouse and whipped her long snowy hair in sharp flaps behind her, she felt herself slipping!
Grasping onto the reins in a fearful grip, she instinctively hauled on the rough cord. Ahiro whinnied in protest. “Ahiro!” Yuli’anyh yelped through gritted teeth as she once again pulled back her rope reins, her balance upon Ahiro’s slender form almost lost. Nickering in annoyance, the beast relented, giving in to her order as he felt his rider slipping and flopping upon his back.
Slowing to a trot, Yuli’anyh ‘phewed’ in relief as she shuffled herself, centring her behind so she was once again upright and secure. Taking a moment to regain some composure, Yuli’anyh kept the fleeing Gazelle within sight.
Determination bubbled deep within, setting her jaw square. Neither Yuli’anyh, nor Ahiro wished to let the herd escape. Almost as if of the same mind, Ahiro flooded into a fast canter – all of his own accord. Surprised, it took Yuli’anyh a moment to grasp on tight as Ahiro took his rider, sprinting across the desert plains.
After the gallop, the young twin was more prepared for Ahiro’s rhythmic gait at a canter. Instead of fighting the bumps and slips, that jostled her every which way, Yuli’anyh instead attempted to move as one with her desert stallion. Allowing the Namib to direct himself, as he chased after the escaping herd, the young twin concentrated on letting her body follow Ahiro’s natural cadence.
As she followed the directions the stallion’s body gave her, Yuli’anyh soon found her ride much more pleasurable. Relaxing her thighs and shoulders, she bobbed with the beats of the canter. It wasn’t before long that Yuli’anyh begun to notice an odd timing to the movements of his muscular body.
One, two, three. One, two, three. The sound of thunder, bolting through the soil rippled through Yuli’anyh in a thrum of 3. One, two, three. Each leg of the stallion stamping into the ground. Allowing herself to almost completely give over to Ahiro’s natural flow, her confidence grew.
Though, the distance between the hunter and her prey grew wider with each passing trill. An inexperienced rider, Yuli’anyh was not yet ready to take on Ahiro’s galloping speed. Though as she watched her prey escape right in front of her, it appeared that if she was ever going to be able to persistently hunt her game effectively in an open race across the land, she would need to improve her riding.
At a canter Yuli’anyh would not catch up to the bounding herd, but determination and perhaps her pride, would not allow her to accept defeat. She may not catch them now, but the vamoosing Gazelle wouldn’t be able to keep up their fast gait for long. Soon they would tire, slow. Soon they would fall into a false sense of security. If Yuli’anyh and Ahiro continued to track the herd’s trail at a constant canter, they would catch up to the weaker prey of the herd.
Nodding to herself as a plan slotted into place, Yuli’anyh directed Ahiro after the fleeing animals. She would not leave empty handed this Trial.
