Chapter 68: Horse Riding Goes South
{Third Person}
A Few Days Later...
A car slowed as it left the paved road and rolled onto rougher ground, the tyres crunching softly over gravel before finally coming to a stop.
Amara looked out the window and paused. The place was nothing like the structured riding grounds she knew. There were no fences, marked paths or instructors waiting with stiff posture and rules ready to be recited.
This place was just an open stretch of land, wide and alive, the wind bending the grass in uneven waves.
Horses stood scattered across the field, some grazing, some restless, some already saddled—but loosely, as if even that had been done without much care for order. And then there were Elowen’s friends.
They were already there, exactly as Elowen had said during the car ride—lounging, laughing, some perched on their horses, others leaning casually against them as though balance came as naturally as breathing.
Elowen pushed the door open and stepped out first, already smiling. "We are here!"
Amara followed, stepping out more carefully. She adjusted the strap of the small leather bag hanging across her shoulder—the one she had packed before leaving.
Inside it were her change of clothes. She had assumed she would need them after the riding was over. Now, looking around, she was certain of it.
Heads turned at Elowen’s voice. Smiles broke out almost instantly. And then, as expected, their attention shifted to Amara.
Kael was the first to straighten. His gaze found Amara without hesitation, and unlike the others, he didn’t try to hide it. There was open curiosity there, and something warmer than before.
"You made it," he said, stepping forward slightly.
Before Amara could respond, someone else let out a low whistle.
"Well... look at this."
Amara didn’t need to guess what they were looking at: her outfit. A fitted riding jacket, proper trousers, and boots designed for grip and control. Even her gloves were tucked neatly into her bag, ready to be worn.
She was prepared, structured and completely out of place.
"Is that..." one of them started, clearly amused. "An entire outfit just to ride a horse?"
Another laughed. "Humans really do the most."
"Even I was shocked when I went to pick her up," Elowen revealed between soft chuckles.
She had stared at Amara with her mouth open, astonished by her attire. Assuming it was normal for the Humans, she quickly regained her composure and did not question it.
Amara glanced at her, then at the others, then back at the field. "I assumed we would need it," she said calmly.
That only made them laugh more with genuine amusement.
Kael, however, didn’t laugh. His eyes moved over her once more before he said, quieter, "It suits you."
Amara didn’t know what to do with that, so she ignored it. Then, she shifted the bag slightly on her shoulder. "Is there somewhere I can change?"
Elowen pointed toward a small wooden shed off to the side. "Over there."
Amara nodded and headed in that direction without another word. When she returned a few minutes later, the difference was immediate.
She had changed into something simpler—soft trousers, a light shirt, boots still practical but less formal. Her hair, which had been neatly styled before, was now slightly looser, better suited for movement.
This time, when she walked toward them, the attention felt easier and less sharp.
Elowen grinned. "Now you look like one of us."
Amara raised a brow slightly. "I will take that as a compliment."
"You should."
Kael’s gaze lingered for a second longer than necessary before he looked away.
Elowen clapped her hands once. "Alright! Since everyone is here, what are we doing?"
"A race," one of them said immediately, already swinging onto his horse.
That was all it took. There were no rules, no countdown. Just action.
They mounted almost at once, their ease on the horses almost unsettling in its lack of formality.
Amara approached one of the horses—a dark mare with sharp eyes and restless energy. She didn’t rush. She let the horse look at her first, let it settle, then reached out and stroked its neck lightly before mounting in one smooth motion.
That caught a few of them off guard.
"...Okay," someone muttered.
Elowen leaned forward on her saddle, grinning. "First to the far ridge and back."
No one argued or bothered to count. They all moved, and the field exploded into motion.
Hooves thundered against the ground as they surged forward, their riding wild, driven by instinct and speed. They leaned low, urging their horses faster, taking control through force and familiarity.
Amara didn’t follow that chaos. She let them go first just for a breath before moving.
Her horse responded immediately, but unlike the others, there was structure in her control. Her hands were steady on the reins, her posture aligned, her movements deliberate.
She didn’t chase speed blindly like them; she managed it.
The wind grew stronger as they advanced. The gap widened, then steadied, then slowly began to close.
The turning point occurred at the ridge. The others veered wide, their horses sharply reacting to the sudden change, but Amara didn’t.
She leaned slightly, guiding her horse into a tighter, cleaner turn. And when they straightened, she was already ahead.
The final stretch was too fast for correction. And before any of them could recover, Amara crossed first.
The field fell into stunned silence that lasted for only five seconds before the noise erupted.
"No way—"
"She actually beat us—"
Elowen laughed loudly, clapping. "I knew it! All that training wasn’t for nothing."
Kael slowed beside her, shaking his head slightly, but there was a clear smile on his face now. "That wasn’t luck."
Amara exhaled slowly, calming her horse with a light touch, her breathing still steady. "It rarely is," she said.
That earned her a few respectful looks. But the moment didn’t last.
A sudden sharp movement—someone shifting too quickly and a horse snapping its head, a burst of noise happened too quickly, and Amara’s horse jerked violently beneath her, then reared.
Gasps broke out instantly. "Amara!"
The horse bolted fast and uncontrolled. The calm from seconds ago shattered.
Elowen’s face drained of colour. "Stop it—someone stop it!"
Several of them moved at once, kicking their horses forward to try to intercept.
Kael’s expression turned sharp as he rode hard after her. "Cut her off—!"
