NOVEL WEB Chapter 249: I Can Ride You
Cassius glanced at Julie, his voice softening as he stepped closer to the horse. "You know, it's all fun and games laughing about Julie not riding right now, but I'm wondering something serious, Aisha."
"What happens if we're in a real pinch? Say we're in the middle of a battle, things go south, and we need to retreat fast. What's she gonna do if she can't ride a horse? Are you just gonna leave her behind to fend for herself?"
"...That'd be a pretty stupid way for the captain of the Holy Guard to go out, don't you think?" He said in a joking manner even though he was quite concerned.
"Oh, don't worry about that, Cassius." Aisha waved her hand dismissively, brushing her hair back. "Like I said before, Julie's a whole different beast when it comes to battle. If we're fighting or in danger, her body just takes over."
"She'd hop on a horse and ride like she was born in the saddle, no problem at all...It's only during these casual moments, when there's no threat or anything to stress about, that she's a complete klutz and can't do a thing right." She said in a confident manner, her fingers tapping her arm as she grinned.
"I see. That's a relief, then." Cassius nodded, his voice relieved. "I didn't want to lose my precious knight to something as dumb as not being able to ride a horse. Would've been a real tragedy." His words were teasing, his smile warm, but Julie's cheeks flushed, her heart fluttering at being called 'precious' even in jest.
Julie, stung by the teasing and Cassius's pitying tone, felt frustration bubbling up. She wanted to fire back, to stop her sisters from bullying her, but she was tongue, tied, her mind scrambling for a comeback.
But then her eyes caught something, Cassius standing there, no horse in sight, just like her. A spark of excitement hit her, and she pointed at him, her voice bursting with triumph.
"Hold on a second, Cassius! Where's your horse? Did you even bring one? Or did you walk all the way here? Don't tell me you're out here without one!" She said in a giddy manner, her usual composed demeanor cracking as she seized the chance to turn the tables.
Cassius paused, his voice careful as he rubbed his neck, his smile sheepish. "Well, you got me there, Julie. I'm kind of like you, actually. I don't know how to ride a horse either. I was planning on hitching a ride with one of you three, which is why I asked about the horses in the first place." He said, his tone light, admitting it without much fuss.
"Ha! You're literally the same as me! You can't ride a horse either!" Julie's eyes lit up, a haughty grin spreading across her face as she pointed at him, her voice loud and teasing. "And you were looking down on me this whole time, acting all high and mighty, when you're just as bad!" She laughed, her hands on her hips, her heart soaring at catching him out. "We're the exact same, Cassius! Two peas in a pod, both useless on horseback! How's that feel, huh?" She said playfully, her laughter ringing through the clearing, her usual older, sister composure gone as she reveled in the moment.
"Oh, please, Captain, don't get all proud right now." Aisha stepped forward, her voice dry as she fixed Julie with a deadpan stare, her arms crossing. "You should actually be ashamed for comparing yourself to him. It's not the same thing at all."
She said in a blunt tone, her fingers brushing her sleeve.
"See, we've spent our lives on battlefields, training for every kind of combat, running drills until we dropped. We're supposed to know this stuff...But Cassius? He's a high noble, born with a silver spoon, riding in carriages his whole life."
"He probably hasn't walked more than a mile total, living that luxurious Holyfield life. There's no reason for him to learn how to ride a horse, and it's not shameful if he doesn't...But you? The captain of the Holy Guard? Not knowing how to ride is a whole different level of embarrassing." Her words were sharp, her heart amused at cutting Julie down, though her eyes glinted with mischief.
"Wha—...I-I can't believe you're defending him now, Aisha!" Julie's face flushed, her voice faltering as she pointed at Aisha, her heart sinking with embarrassment. "You were against him earlier, going on about how annoying nobles are, and now you're taking his side? What's that about? Did he buy you off with all those gifts? The wands, the promise of that ring? Is that why you're suddenly his cheerleader?" Her tone was flustered, her finger jabbing the air, her attempt to deflect the shame backfiring as her voice cracked.
Aisha's cheeks pinked, her voice rising in protest as she waved her hands. "Not at all! Don't say ridiculous things to wiggle out of this, Captain! I'm not bought off, I'm just telling it like it is! You can't compare your failure to his situation, it's not the same, and you know it!" She said in a indignant manner, her heart flustered by the accusation, her fingers fidgeting with her hair.
"Wow, Julie's really letting loose today." Cassius watched the exchange, his voice breaking through with surprise as he glanced at Skadi, his smile amused. "Is your captain always this expressive, Skadi? I've never seen her so worked up before. She's usually all calm and collected, like a proper knight."
Skadi grinned, her voice bright as she nodded, her hands clasping in front of her. "Oh, yeah, Master, she's like this a lot when it's just us! Captain's super clumsy, not just with horses but with her personality too. She's all over the place, gets flustered easy when we tease her. She just hides it real good in front of folks she don't trust or ain't close to." She said in a playful manner, her tail flicking, her heart delighted by Julie's vulnerability.
Cassius's smile widened, his voice teasing as he turned to Julie. "Is that so? Does that mean you trust me a little, Julie? Enough to show me this side of you? I'm flattered, you know."
Julie straightened, her voice quick as she tried to clear her throat, her hands smoothing her armor. "Well, of course I trust you, Cassius, I mean, it'd be weird for a captain not to trust her master, but that's not the point!" She met his gaze, her tone firm but flustered. "Skadi's just running her mouth and I'm not always like this. It's only when these two gang up on me and tease me nonstop that I get a little...unsettled. Nobody else dares to say stuff like this to my face, you know!" Her finger pointed at Aisha and Skadi, her heart racing as she tried to regain her composure.
Aisha giggled, her voice light as she leaned toward Skadi, her hand waving dismissively. "Oh, sure, blame us, Captain! You're just mad we're telling the truth. You're a mess when we poke at you, and you love it deep down!"
Skadi nodded, her voice chiming in, her hands on her hips. "Yeah, Captain, you can't hide it! You get all red and loud when we tease you, but you never stop us. Bet you'd miss it if we didn't!" She said, her tail wagging, her heart warm with affection for Julie.
"You two are impossible!" Julie groaned, her voice exasperated as she threw her hands up, her gaze darting between them. "I'm your captain, your big sister, and you're treating me like some kid you can bully! Where's the respect? Where's the loyalty? I'm out here leading you, keeping you safe, and this is what I get?" She said dramatically, her body slumping against the horse.
Seeing this Cassius couldn't help but smile before raised his hands to stop the bullying that was going on.
"Enough, enough. Enough playing around, you two. We've got a mission to handle, and we can't keep delaying like this. We need to get moving before it's pitch dark out here!" He glanced at the trio, his tone softening. "Like I said earlier, I don't know how to ride a horse either, so I was planning on hitching a ride with one of you...I was thinking Julie or Skadi, but after hearing all this, Julie's obviously out of the equation."
He shot Julie a teasing look, his voice light to which she looked away, her voice a mumble as she fiddled with the saddlebag.
Cassius then turned to Skadi, his voice hopeful as he gestured toward her. "So, Skadi, what about it? Can I ride with you? You're my only option now, since Julie's off the list." He said in a warm tone, his smile encouraging, expecting her to agree.
But to his surprise Skadi's ears drooped, her voice soft and apologetic as she clasped her hands. "I'm sorry, Master, but I can't. I'm the one who's gotta ride with the Captain, keep her horse in line. And as much as I wanna help you out, and ride around with you, oh, it'd be so fun! We could eat snacks, play games, maybe even sing songs while we go, I had it all planned out in my head, I can't do it. I gotta stick with Captain." She said in a earnest manner, her heart heavy with regret, her body shifting awkwardly.
"Why's it gotta be you riding with Julie?" Cassius tilted his head, his voice curious. "Why can't Aisha take her? Doesn't seem like it'd matter who's holding the reins."
"It's 'cause the captain gets all flaily when she's off balance." Skadi sighed, her voice gentle but firm as she glanced at Julie. "She's got this habit of grabbin' onto whoever's riding with her, and if it's someone like Aisha, who's all petite and tiny, she'd yank her right off the horse, and they'd both end up in the mud...But me? I'm sturdy, so no matter how much she flails, we stay put." She said in a matter-of-fact tone, her hands spreading to emphasize her point.
Cassius shot Julie a sidelong glance, his voice teasing as he noticed her pretending to rummage through the saddlebag, clearly listening. "Flaily, huh? That's a new one, Julie." He sighed, his tone turning exasperated as he rubbed his neck. "What are we gonna do now? I was thinking maybe a triple ride, three of us on one horse, but that's impossible with everyone in armor and carrying gear. It'd be way too heavy, and the horse would hate us."
"...So, what's the plan? I'm out of ideas here." His hands spread wide, his heart genuinely stumped, his voice carrying a hint of frustration.
Then, out of nowhere, a shy voice cut through the air, barely above a whisper.
"I-I can do it. I can ride you...I-I mean, ride with you as my passenger."
The words hung there, startling everyone, and all eyes snapped to the source, Aisha, standing a few steps away, her hands fidgeting with her sleeve.