Five year old Eugenides looked up at the shaggy mountain pony towering over him and took a step back.

"I don't want to," he said.

Stenides crouched down beside him with a sigh.

"I thought you wanted to be a soldier when you grew up like father. Soldiers need to be able to ride."

"I changed my mind. I don't want to be like dad anymore. I'll be like mom instead." His lower lip stuck out in a stubborn pout.

"You don't think thieves need to ride? They need to blend in anywhere they want, from the lowest of the low, to the highest nobility. And if you're impersonating a duke, you need to be able to ride. Grandfather in his younger days has done more traveling, far farther than anyone else on this mountain. How do you think he got there? By horse."

Stenides looked at his youngest brother. Eugenides' eyes were filled with unshed tears. He sighed again.

"Why don't you want to learn how to ride? All our cousins your age are. If you don't lean, you know they will make fun of you." Even more than they already do, he thought.

"Our cousins are stupid," Eugenides muttered not quite under his breath.

"I'm not disagreeing with that. Just try not to say that to their faces any more. Now quit delaying."

Eugenides again muttered something, but this time Stenides couldn't catch it.

"What was that?"

"I said, I'm going to fall off the horse and die."

"How about this: I will ride behind you during this lesson. You will hold the reins but if you start to fall, I will catch you."

His brother bit his lip and nodded. Stenides ruffled his hair, mounted, and held out his hand to his brother. As Eugenides settled stiffly into the saddle, Stenides whispered softly in his ear, "Don't worry, I've got you. I won't let you fall."

Gen looked at the horses in the deserted stable and bit his lip. His whole plan for saving his favorite cousin hinged on him getting to Sounis quickly. Their envoy made it sound like they already had the stone and time was running out. Unfortunately, that meant a horse.

He inched nervously down the row of stalls, looking in each box. Ideally, if forced to ride, he would choose the oldest horse with the most plodding pace. One who was unwilling and unable to go faster than a walk. Unfortunately,if he did that, it would be almost faster to walk.

That meant he had to get a younger, faster horse. He looked at the tossing heads, rolling eyes, and crashing hooves. Hooves that could easily trample him flat.

He chose one almost at random, tacked it, and led it out of the stables. He winced at eached loud "clop" of hoof on cobblestone. He hoped no one would pay it any mind in the general confusion of the distraction he set. As he slipped through a side gate known only to the Thieves of Eddis, he glanced back at the courtyard. The (smallish) fire that he set was still burning merrily, but it looked to be under control.

His horse shied as he tried to mount it. After some maneuvering, he was finally able to scrabble aboard. Already his backside ached. Helen had better appreciate the sacrifice that he was making.

Because of Gen's complaining they had stopped for a brief lunch and lavatory stop. Gen's legs felt like wet noodles. He had lost muscle while wasting away in the prison. He was getting better, but he needed more time. That and food.

"Time to go," said Pol, giving his shoulder a shove in the direction of the horses.

Gen tried to back away, but Pol's hand firmly gripped his neck. It had only been a short time, but the entire party knew about his dislike of the animals. Ambiades was sneering at the scene, but honestly, that was nothing new. Sophos was hovering like a demented hummingbird. Only the magus wasn't paying any attention. Instead he was already mounted and studying his maps.

Pol dragged the reluctant boy to the horse and tossed him gracelessly into the saddle.

They were starting to reach the foothills and with every swell, Gen had to lean forward on the ascent and backwards on the descent, making his already precarious seat even worse. His already tired muscles ached. If they kept on horseback in the mountains, Gen could imagine himself sliding off the back of his horse. Only his professional pride kept him on his monstrous beast. Well, that and plotting the magus' downfall.

Eugenides watched as the Queen of Attolia mounted her horse and was led away without a backwards glance. The climb up the cliff had been exhausting, not to the days leading up to this moment.

He still didn't know whether this was the correct course for not only him, but the two countries. His nerves felt like twin weasels trying to wrestle in his stomach. He looked away from the disappearing queen when he felt the presence of someone standing at his shoulder.

"Are you sure about this?" asked his father. "It's not too late."

"Did you bring a cart?" Eugenides changed the subject. His father glared at him with a gimlet eye.

"Didn't you take riding lessons in preparation of this entire fool's errand? Your choices are to either ride yourself or get tossed behind my saddlebags and ride that way. Either way, you are getting on a horse."

Eugenides eyed the bay in front of him, contemplating his decision.

"Eugenides," sighed the minister of war wearily, "Get on the godsdamned horse."

His father cupped his hands for a makeshift mounting block for his youngest and most stubborn son. This time it was Eugenides who was watched as he rode away, his seat still the despair of all his riding instructors, not the least, his own father.

Ornon rolled his eyes at the pitiful excuse for a king. He threw up his hands and turned to Attolia.

"He's your husband, you deal with him." With that he stalked out of the room, muttering under his breath.

"Eugenides…" she trailed off.

"No!" Attolis crossed his arms defiantly. "There has to be some perks to this job of king. How about I outlaw them. There! Done. I'm king and I have just declared that kings shall not ride any horses on penalty of banishment."

"You can't banish yourself." How had this become her life? Oh yes, she decided to marry a goatsfoot thief… One she happened to love with all of her heart.

Attolis looked one second away from stomping his foot. "I don't see why I have to ride. Couldn't I just ride in a carriage with you?"

"As a new king, the people need to see you. And riding a horse is a greater show of strength than riding in a carriage with the women.

"Fine. But you'll owe me."

"I'll owe you what," she said suspiciously.

"I want to talk about reducing the guard again, and this time you have to listen to what I say before dismissing it out of hand.

"Agreed."

Attolis had given in to his youngest granddaughter's begging. Eugia was five years old and was obsessed with horses. Attolis didn't know where she got that from because she certainly did not get it from him. However, she was his unofficial favorite and for her he was willing to get on the giant brute.

Over the years, as his riding skills slowly progressed, his hatred of horses slowly, very slowly diminished as well. They would never be his favorite means of transportation, but now he only really threw a fuss when required to ride out of expectation.

Eugia sat in front of him in the saddle "holding the reins." In reality, Attolis sat with his arms bracketing the young girl, surreptitiously holding the lengths of leather underneath her hands.

He listened with half an ear as Eugia prattled on about her lessons, dolls, and her cousin Helen who was by turns either her best friend or worse enemy depending on the day. They were riding in the Queen's Garden.

He lost concentration when he saw Attolia standing on a balcony. She was overlooking the garden and he could detect a faint smile as she watched them. She was still incredibly beautiful. Her long gray hair was held back from her face with a ribbon studded with rubies. Gnarled hands clasped an elegantly carved walking stick that could double as a club in a moment's notice.

He nudged Eugia and they both waved. That meant that neither saw the snake that slithered out in front of the horse, spooking it.

In the split second that Attolis felt the horse start to rear, he threw his young granddaughter into the safety of one of numerous looking ponds. Unfortunately, that meant that he himself didn't have enough time to get to safety.

Attolia watched in horror as her husband was hurled through the air. Time seemed to slow down and the air in her lungs seemed to thicken.

She would never remember her rush down to the garden. By the time she reached her beloved side, Eugia had managed to climb out of the pool, leaving trails of water and broken lilies in her wake.

"Grandpa!" shrieked Eugia.

Eugenides' eyes slowly opened to look at the girl. "Don't cry, my dear. I got you. I didn't let you fall."

With that, Gen's eyes closed, never to reopen.

A/N:Please let me know how I did. (Sorry if I made anyone cry)