One pony is not enough.

[Vertex 23]

One pony is not enough.

 

Moiraine tiptoed along the deserted hallway, feeling like the portraits on the walls were alive and watching her every move with suspicion. She held her breath as she reached the master bedroom doors and carefully turned the handle. The door opened silently and she cast a final guilty glance down the hallway before vanishing inside.

 

 

She knew what she was looking for and headed straight for the desk. In the top drawer, she found the signet ring and had to fight down an urge to take it and run before she was discovered. But she had planned this and knew her best option was to remain and forge the document while she had access to all the writing equipment.

 

 

It pained her to wipe her sweaty hands down her new summer dress but she needed a good grip on the quill to draw the letters properly.

 

 

Steps sounded outside the door and she nearly blotted the paper but the door did not open and she kept writing, asking Savage, the tallest and heaviest warhorse in the stable, to be saddled and left in the courtyard. It was an odd request but nobody would dare question a document with a proper stamp.

 

 

Once done, she rolled her forged document up and stuck it inside her dress, then put the ring and writing equipment back, making sure no one could tell anything had been touched. She listened at the door to make sure no one was outside before carefully opening it and sneaking back in to the hallway.

 

 

Next part of her plan led her down to the kitchen and she regretted not having put her request in writing as well. She smoothed down her dress and moved the rolled up document around to the back so it wouldn't show and pushed the kitchen door open, making it slam against the wall.

 

 

“I wish the gate guards to be honored,” Moiraine decreed to the kitchen staff, holding her head high. “They shall have all the pie they can eat and you will bake it now.”

 

 

The matron gave her a long look and Moiraine felt obliged to add, “please.” She knew very well that she had no power but the servants usually did as she asked, if it was with in reason.

 

 

“Very well,” the matron finally said. “Why, if I may inquire, are the gate guards to be honored?”

 

 

“For keeping us all safe,” Moiraine said, doing her best to make the statement an accusation, as if the matron should know this, while secretly glad she had anticipated the question in her plan.

 

 

Her next stop was the stables and again, her stealth was required. Moiraine was not a messenger but it was not unknown for notes to be pinned on the stable door. Outside was a hot summer day and the courtyard was deserted, as she had hoped. But her heart was still pounding in her ears as she ran over to the stables and pinned the document to the door. Inside she could hear the horses move, and perhaps also the stable boys at work. Near panic, she pounded twice on the door and then ran away before the door was opened.

 

 

From behind a rain barrel, Moiraine watched the stable master open the stable door, look around confused before he spotted the document. He read it silently, glanced around the courtyard again, then ordered the stable boys to saddle Savage.

 

 

Moiraine couldn't believe her plan was working as she made it back to her chambers and changed in to her riding gear. Then she waited by the window, watching the gate guards. They were the final challenge in her plan and disciplined to endure hours in the summer sun, but Moiraine had noticed their one flaw. They were not quite so disciplined when young women were about, and kitchen maids carrying pie proved a great distraction.

 

 

When the stable doors opened, and Savage was led out, saddled and ready, the stable boys escaped and joined the guards and maids at the gate, begging for pieces of pie. It worked better than Moiraine had ever dreamed and Savage was left unattended outside the stable.

 

 

Moiraine made her way back down to the courtyard and made sure no one was paying attention before sneaking up to Savage. Up close, Savage was much larger than she had imagined and she had to remind herself that this was her only chance. Mustering her courage, she approached the great animal, who in turn ignored her.

 

 

“I'm Moiraine,” Moiraine whispered as she untied him. Still, the warhorse ignored her and she moved to his side to mount him. Or climb him, as he was much too tall for her to get a foot in the stirrup. Thankfully, Savage stayed still as Moiraine struggled in to the saddle. Once seated, she nudged him in the sides with her feet to make him move, like she did with her pony but Savage remained still.

 

 

“Go, stupid beast,” she hissed at the animal, glancing nervously at the crowd of guards, maids, and stable boys. Sitting high up on Savage, they would notice her at any moment and take action and all would be lost.

 

 

“Move!” she commanded and dug her silver spurs into his flanks.

 

 

With a sudden leap Savage tore the reigns out of her hands and began to run towards the gate. Moiraine shrieked and clung to the saddle horn for dear life. Normally the guards could block the gate with halberds but all they had in their hands was pie, which they had to throw away as they dove for cover.

 

 

In her plan, Moiraine laughed and rode off while the guards stared stupidly after her. Proving to everyone that she was much too old for a pony.

 

 

Savage's hooves thundered against the drawbridge as he kept running, faster and faster. People screamed as they leaped aside, barely escaping being crushed to death, and Moiraine screamed in pure terror.

 

 

The animal continued straight ahead, following the main street to the city square, accompanied by more people yelling. A gathering of mounted at the far end of the market quickly blocked the exit but Savage kept running.

 

 

“Stop, stop, STOP!” Moiraine screamed but Savage refused and charged the mounted men.

 

 

At the final moment, Savage did stop and Moiraine was thrown off, flying helplessly thought the air at the leader of the mounted men.

 

 

“Moiraine,” the leader screamed and managed to catch her ankle before she crashed down on the cobbled ground and broke her neck.

 

 

With a steel grip he pulled her up in to his saddle and Moiraine found herself face to face with a very angry man.

 

 

“Daddy,” Moiraine sniffed, looking her father in the eyes, “this is your fault for not giving me a proper horse!”

 

 

For a moment, Moiraine thought she had finally crossed the line, but then her father burst out laughing. “Maybe for your tenth birthday, sweetheart,” he said as wiped away her tears.

 

 

The End!

 

 

So yeah, Moiraine at almost ten It would have been more fancy if she had actually been ten because of MW being ten but Marie informed me that she got a big horsie when she turned ten so this takes place just before that.

 

I meant the story to be a bit shorter and have a twist in the end that reveals that it is young Moiraine stealing a horse rather than her doing some adult sneaky escape life-or-death stuff but I fear it comes through rather early that it is not adult Moiraine but still, it was fun to write and all. And I'm hoping the father daughter warm love comes through in the end and sorta makes people forget the long boring start and middle.

 

And finally, yes, I did chose the title in hopes of making any eventual readers think it was a truly dirty story

[Marie 73]

Awww, Vertex, you so awesome.

[Vertex 23]

Thank you!

[Sam 19]

there should be more young moiraine fic

[Kaitlin 22]

I concur.

 

This was a great mw b-day present.

[WheelWeaves 0]

I love this...very well characterized and nice use of detail

[Vertex 23]

Thank you both And welcome to MW, BlueRook!

[anonymous 0]

This is pretty awesome. I love young Moiraine!

 

And welcome!