Shorter Than Me

3 Levi

I watch her through my window. I realize this might be considered creepy, but it's not. She talks to the tall one for a few minutes next to the horse. Then he lifts her up and sets her on it. He walks away and she rides away.

I don't want her to be a burden on others every time she wants to ride a horse. She needs to be independent. Being short is usually looked down upon- in more ways than one- so if she depends on someone else, it hurts her image, no matter how skilled she is. I realized this quickly and found a way to surpass everything I was dependent on. Everything but the maneuver gear, but it has become part of me.

***

She looks at me expectantly, standing at the side of her horse. To her surprise, I mount my horse without helping her.

"You're going to learn to mount without the help of someone else. You don't want to be a burden on anyone every time you have to mount a horse."

She looks surprised for a second, but then quickly turns her face to the horse. "Sir, how would I go about doing it?"

"Figure it out. Find your own way."

She lifts her left leg into the stirrup, but her knee is now practically in her face. It's such an awkward position that no one could lift themselves up from it. She struggles to get her foot back out and almost falls. She grabs the pommel with her left hand and the back of the saddle with her right. She jumps and pushes herself up until her arms are straight. She fumbles with her left foot to get it in the stirrup, then balances on her left foot and left arm. She lifts her right leg over the horse's back and settles herself there. She turns to look at me rather triumphantly and I break the eye contact immediately, turning my horse to start riding away.

We ride through the forest without words. We ride for a very, very long time.

"Sir?"

She is about to continue but I say, "Stop talking."

She obeys.

We ride for at least another fifteen minutes. I know I've thought over what to do next with her for a while, but I haven't been able to decide on any one thing.

So we just ride.

"Sir," she tries again, and I let her. "Are we going anywhere specific?"

"No," I respond bluntly.

"Oh." It's barely audible, almost a breath.

I wait another ten minutes.

In a split second of decision, I activate the maneuver gear and take off. I start away as fast as I can. I take a quick glance back and see her trying as hard as she can to catch up. She's using her gas, as am I.

But I can go much, much faster than her and soon, I can't see her anymore. I ascend upward and circle back to watch her from a distance. She tries to follow me but she now has no idea where I went. She keeps following in the same direction, though I could have changed directions and now she's going away from me.

After a few more minutes, she starts calling out to me.

"Captain!" I realize her cries are getting progressively more frantic. "Captain! Where are you?" She continues repeating these words for another five minutes. She's looking around, trying to decide where I am.

Then she just hangs there, one leg bent slightly for balance, arms at her sides. She looks around every few seconds, just in case I'm there. She starts slowly in one direction- one I believe is random. She glances around over and over.

Though I'm completely concealed behind a tree, she turns her eyes to look at me and I see the fear written all over her face.

She is afraid of being left alone.