The day was warm with a slight breeze blowing, something Elena was acutely aware of because “I can't wear this! I really, really can't!” She spun around several times, taking in her very long, very bare legs. Their father would never approve of such an act of immodesty, in fact, he would likely have forbade it had he known it was occurring. Fortunately for Elena, her father knew nothing of this little adventure. Daniil had made sure of that. Thank the Gods too, because Elena was sure he would have had a fit -their mother too.

She could hear Daniil shifting impatiently on the other side of the privacy screen. "I'm coming out, but it's under protest," she sighed, turning this way and that. Elena felt quite exposed in fact, but Daniil had insisted that this was the most practical choice of clothing for their purposes. Elena refused to think about it. For right now, she was pretending to herself that she hadn't given in to Daniil's enthusiasm, that they weren't actually going to do what they'd talked about. No way were they going horseback riding. It didn't bear thinking about, but here they were. It was a good thing her chiton was brown because there was a good chance Elena wasn't getting through this without losing control of her bowels. Daniil had said that being able to ride a horse was important, even more so because it was so frowned upon for women to do so. In that respect Elena had agreed, and no sooner had that left her lips but Daniil had suggested teaching her how.

"What do you think, sister?" She stepped out, feeling the air move about her legs. How did Daniil manage to wear clothes such as this every day without feeling completely exposed? It was a good thing their parents were both out, and that the only witnesses to Elena's immodesty were the servant or two fluttering about through the house. It was strange not feeling the brush of cloth against her legs, but as she walked out into the center of the room Elena also had a sense of freedom. It was an unfamiliar feeling for the courtier, one she would have to ponder later on. For now there were other matters to attend to.

"As much as I'm not looking forward to my part in this, I'm very excited to see you ride," she stated, linking her arm through Daniil's. The pair were the closest among the Marikas brood, bonded by their father's rejection and the fact that their opposite dispositions had complimented each other since childhood. Where Daniil raged like a summer storm, hot-tempered, full of lightning, and unforgettable, Elena was like the ocean on a calm day, gently rolling on the surface but turbulent in the deep. Their father did not know how to deal with either of them -particularly Daniil, for the two bickered frequently and had little patience for each other. Elena knew that Daniil would have patience for her however because the sisters were extremely loyal to each other, and Daniil knew how she felt about horses.

Daniil had witnessed more than one instance where Elena had been nearly trampled as a child, so frozen with fear was she. Despite being creatures made by the Gods themselves, Elena found herself completely terrified by them. And here she was, walking arm-in-arm with her sister toward the family stable. She smiled gratefully at her sister, happy that the two of them had the entire afternoon to spend together, even if it meant facing up to her fears.