"She seems to like being alone," Illius conveyed what he thought.
"Obviously!" Endora exclaimed.
Strider just watched Ivy eat silently with a look of delight on her face. How her tongue snuck out to lick the cheese off her lips and she closed her eyes, satisfied at the taste. How the lemonade slipped into her mouth as her lips kissed the glass.
"Control it brother, your little brother is already standing on guard," Illius chided his brother in a low voice while patting his thighs for having outrageous thoughts already.
Only then did Strider look down to see his little member standing in salute. He threw off Illius' hand before he stood to leave.
"Not so fast brother," Illius stopped him.
"We just got here," Endora threw a tantrum.
Having no choice, he sat back and calmed himself by drinking cold water and looking everywhere except at Ivy.
"She doesn't seem to wear makeup," Endora whispered to her brothers, her emerald eyes shining in glee.
"Not everyone is as ugly as you," Illius joked.
Like that, their banter continued as they ate, while Strider only interrupted when things got extreme. They only stopped when they saw Ivy get up and go towards the elevator.
The younger bro-sis duo hurried with their meal and left while Strider continued to sip on the remains of his wine.
He was also about to leave when his eyes caught site of Ivy riding a horse, she seemed to have changed her clothes to those suitable for horse-riding.
She wore black long pants with her leather boots from before and a white shirt with the top two buttons undone and a black open bow tie on her collar.
She did some amazing tricks on the horse and looked elegant as ever. All the riders and staff stopped to look at her and just her.
She didn't know the number of eyes watching her while she enjoyed herself and let her horse enjoy too. She was soon out of site as she had sped into the woods.
Not long after, another horse went into the woods and the rider was none other than Strider.
He followed Ivy's trails as his emerald eyes shone with danger and frost. He was worried something would happen to her.
In his frustration at Ivy, he didn't realize that the staff didn't mind her going to the woods.
*Strider's POV*
What the hell was the Brat thinking to run into the woods like that, does she not know how dangerous it is?!
I found her by a small, shallow river where her tall, black horse- a Friesian, was drinking water.
I quickly jumped of my horse which cause Ivy to look at me. She didn't seem surprised at all. I strode to her and grabbed her arm, turning her to me.
"Are you insane to run off into the woods like that?"
"It isn't prohibited, and I trust my skills just as you trust yours, isn't that why you risked coming here."
She pulled away from my hold.
"Get back, let's leave." I walk to her Friesian and was about to touch it when-
"Step back, Shadow doesn't like being touched by strangers. He likes only me and is mine."
Her tone was sharp and filled with possessiveness.
Over what? A damn animal?! And who names a horse 'shadow'? For god's sake, get this Brat's head checked.
I was overly annoyed as she rushed to me and slapped by hand in midair to touch the damn horsey. Her damn horsey! The brat's horse horsey!! That's just what they should be called.
"As if it's your child." I chided.
"What if it is? You'd never know." She climbed up while I was agitated by her manners and attitude.
"Yeah! You are a mare after all." I spat back.
"Look green eyes, I've already had one hell of a day in just a couple hours of today, so I recommend you keep to yourself and let me be. Why do you even care if I die?"
She seemed truly pissed at whatever happened and I don't know why I feel like I will find out what the matter is soon. I watched her get on the horse and walk back on it while I climbed mine and closely followed.
"Hurry up. I don't have all the time in the world," I scolded.
"I don't need your company, so you are free to leave. It's not like I called you."
"You have quite an attitude."
"As if you don't."
"at least I'm not a brat."
"Yeah! You aren't a brat," she seemed to be in thought as saying those words, "you're a big rascal with that height of yours."
She giggled and it was surprisingly sweet and not the usual high-pitched giggles most females give out, more like force out. Hers sounded genuine.
"Firstly, I'm not a rascal though I am big," I winked, "and secondly, you're the brat here. Little Brat. This name suits you perfectly." I annoyed her further.
"Say that again and you might not be as big as you claim, hell, you might even loose what you claim big," she hissed playfully, her voice lased with sarcasm but the threat in it was clear too.
"Little Brat," I whispered to myself.
"I heard that."
As such, our banter continued till, we reached the stable and the staff was looking at us shocked, as if they had seen a ghost or something.
I ignored them and went to pay for the horses immediately, after descending the horses.
"Sir, miss Ivy's horse wasn't on rent."
I quirked a brow at the response.
"She bought the horse immediately after it was born since its mother had died when giving birth. She pays us to take care of it and is not to be touched or viewed by visitors at all. Somehow, she can tell if someone had touched it." another worker answered.
"Oh, shut the trap. If she hears you calling it a horse, she'll kill you." Another voice sounded as a whisper to the second worker, but I heard it, nonetheless.
What would they call a horse if not horse? She is ridiculous.
Seems like she had taken it upon herself to take care of it. I could hear them talking about it from there about how she took care of 'horsey' as her own and even trained and played and fed it.
There were times she'd take it home too or sleep in stable ignoring everything else. How she got another stable made for 'horsey' and renovated the common one too.