Raven and Rue // Lindensea 1

Chapter 2: The Russian Rider

Then the bareback rider came on, and nothing else mattered. The rider was a girl of about sixteen, on a fine white Arab. Her black hair was cut short like a boy, and she wore a bright green kirtle halfway down her thighs, with a scarlet blouse underneath it, and a red sequin hairband keeping her curls in place.

"Welcome The Amazing Sasha!" the ring master called in his rich, rippling voice. "Come from the far steppes of Russia to give us a display of bareback riding."

Sasha rode around the ring twice, many of the crowd already impressed that she rode without saddle or bridle, although Pip didn't think this particularly difficult. The second time she rode crouching over the horse's shoulders, and then suddenly she gave a little jump and she was riding the horse standing up, her bare feet steady on the horse's back.

Everyone clapped, and then gasped, as she took the horse over a series of small jumps, finally breaking through a big hoop filled with coloured paper to land safely again on the horse. Nobody could believe it when the ringmaster lit the hoop until it blazed into a ring of fire, and several voices called out that the act had to be stopped, it was too dangerous. 

Sasha gave a brilliant smile through painted red lips, and jumped through the fiery hoop, then cheekily pretended to inspect her feet for burns, until the crowd laughed at their own fears.

Sasha got down on her shoulders, and swung herself up until she was doing a handstand on the horse's back as it continued cantering around the ring, her arms supporting her slender body, her short skirt falling down to display her strong thighs. It now became clear that the scarlet blouse was part of a one-piece costume, because the girl's nether regions were covered in red satin as well. Pip had never seen anyone wear so little clothing, and barely knew where to look.

There were shrieks and wolf-whistles as the rider did a back-flip, and landed on the horse on her feet. For her victory lap, she rode the horse with one slim leg stretched out behind like a dancer, her arms above her head in a graceful pose. As she rode past Pip she gave him a grin, then tossed him her sequin headdress, letting her curls bob free.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only ... The Amazing Sasha!" yelled the ring master, as Sasha rode triumphantly out of the ring. 

The crowd went wild, shouting, whistling, and stamping their feet in appreciation. Pip was too stunned to do anything except stare after her, gently stroking the red hairband.

In the carriage home, Pip was so quiet that his mother softly touched his hair, and said, "You must be all tired out, darling. This is very late to be up, you know."

"Stuff and nonsense," snorted Pip's father. "He's just had his first smile from a pretty girl, and his head's in a dream." He patted Pip's shoulder as if to say they were men together, and Pip could count on him to understand.

"She was an odd-looking girl," said Pip's mother thoughtfully. "A figure all flat and straight like a boy, strong like a boy too. More like a pretty boy than a pretty girl, even with her face heavily painted."

"Her hindquarters weren't like a boy's," said Pip's father with satisfaction. "Besides, pretty girl, pretty boy ... what does it matter, eh Pip? Whatever takes your fancy."

Pip didn't answer. He was thinking about the bareback rider, until his head nodded and he fell asleep. Pip's mother smiled, and gently moved him so that his head was on her breast, her arm holding him safely in place, and he slept the rest of the way home.

The next day, Pip got out his pencils and paints, and drew a picture of Sasha riding the Arabian horse, using his paints to colour her costume exactly right. He wanted to recall every detail of what she was wearing. He diffidently showed his mother the picture.