The Truth About Lies (An Inheritance Cycle Fanfiction)

Brooding Nobles and Wild Horses

"No!" I screamed, holding my hand out to grab their attention. The arena went silent, all except the whinnies of the horse. "I'll take him!" The man stared at me slack-jawed.

"My lady!" he called to me from across the arena. "That beast cannot be ridden. You would surely be thrown from his back and injured!" I smirked at the man.

"What know you of my riding skills? You discredit me because I am a woman?" I demanded, earning a few chuckles from the crowd. "I can assure you, sir: I will ride that horse!" The stallion suddenly reared into the air, pulling free from one of his handlers. The nobleman laughed to his companions beneath the shade of the canopy.

"Very well, my lady," he said, making an elegant bow where he swept his arm far out to the side. "If you can tame the beast and ride him, I will give you the horse, for he belongs to me at the moment. You ride him, and he is yours." The nobles and horse traders under the blue canopy laughed raucously amongst themselves, but the rest of the coliseum was silent.

"I accept your offer," I said, surprising myself with the nobility that shone through my tone. Isabelle tugged at my sleeve nervously.

"Tabby," she whispered, trying not to draw attention to herself, "what are you doing? That animal could kill you! Not only is he a Methras, but he's huge!" I had no idea what a Methras was, but she was certainly right about one thing: the horse was one of the biggest destriers I'd ever seen. But something drew me to the beast, and I wasn't about to let neither her- nor anybody else-stop me from riding that horse.

"Don't worry, Isabelle," I said, smirking playfully. "I know what I'm doing." Her gaze told me that she wasn't convinced, but I ignored her. Quickly, I hopped over the low wall and fell the short distance into the arena. I made my way confidently to where the handlers were trying to control the horse, aware that every eye in the coliseum was fastened on me. I paid them no mind and focused completely on the black stallion.

As I drew closer to the horse, I held out my hand in a gesture of friendship. Even an animal could tell who was friend and who was foe. He continued to jerk his head up and down and rear into the sky. I could tell he was only scared of the environment he'd been thrust into.

"Shh," I cooed soothingly. The horse fixed his intense, brown gaze on me. Little nervous whinnies still escaped from his throat, but he had stopped fidgeting at least. "It's all right." Slowly and hesitantly, I placed my hand on the tip of his nose. He jerked his head up, retreating from the unfamiliar feel of my hand. But I persisted, putting my hand on his soft nose again. This time, he allowed me to keep it there. I moved in closer and patted the side of his face, moving my hand into his silky mane and scratching his neck. It was remarkable how much he'd calmed down. "There you go," I said softly. It didn't really matter what I was saying, he just needed to hear my voice and know that I was a friend.

Cautiously, I opened my consciousness to him to let him know that it was safe. I wasn't going to hurt him. The contact of his mind was so strange, but I could tell he was calm now. I sent him mental images to let him know that I was going to ride him now, and he let out a little nicker and then slightly angled himself so I could climb up to his back. Grabbing hold of his mane, I used all the strength in my arms to swing up onto his bare back. Without a saddle, it was extremely difficult. But I made it, and a hushed whisper of shock rippled through the gathered crowd. The man that had offered me the horse was staring wide-eyed at me.

I goaded the horse forward with a light kick to his haunches, hanging on tightly to his mane and squeezing my thighs so I wouldn't fall off. The horse went into a trot but I coaxed him further, eventually working him into a canter, and then finally into a full on gallop around the arena. The crowds cheered as we passed by, the horse's mane and tail blowing in the wind. When we'd done a full lap, I stopped in front of the area where the blue canopy was and where the owner of the horse was still standing in shock. I stared him down boldly with a slightly smug expression on my face.