Chapter Text
"Annabeth, meet Red." Annabeth turned around and saw Percy leading a chestnut pegasus down to the round pen. "You'll be riding her today."
"Her name's Red? That's.. awful simple." Red tossed her head at this and pinned her ears, letting out a high whinny.
"Hey, chill it." Percy bopped her on the nose. She nickered and pulled her head up, refusing to move.
Percy sighed. "Technically it's Kókkinos. But that's hard to pronounce, so I call her Red. Also, she wants you to apologize."
"Apologize? To a Pegasus?"
"You insulted her. Say sorry."
"She knows what I'm saying?"
"She knows what you're saying at all times. Apologize."
"Sorry, Red." Annabeth grumbled. Red pawed the dirt and let out a satisfied neigh. Percy lead her into the round pen and clicked his tongue. When she didn't respond, he yelled "C'mon, don't be lazy on me!" and started swinging the lead rope. She walked on.
"So what are you doing, exactly?"
"Lunging her. The Pegasi - especially her, the spicy mare she is - need to be lunged in the round pen before anyone rides them. Gets the energy out. Trot on, Red. No lazy walking today."
"And what do you want to show me?"
"I plan on getting to a trot. If you're good at posting, we might try a canter."
"Cool!"
Percy eased Red into a canter, and after a minute or two, asked her to go the other direction.
"So do Pegasi have breeds like normal horses, or are they just.. you know, Pegasi?"
"I.. don't actually know the answer to that."
"Huh. Also, do you know if they like being tacked up?"
"Some do, some don't," he said, before asking red to slow down to a trot. He continued. "Red here doesn't; she puffs when you try to put her girth on, and there's no way we'll ever get her to wear a breastplate. Some of them are completely chill with it, though." Percy let her slow to a walk and stop, then opened the gate and lead her to the cross ties. "Speaking of tack, would you mind grabbing a, uh... Western saddle, Western pad and a bridle with a slow twist bit, maybe? Nah, go bitless, actually."
"Western's the one with the horn, right?"
"Yep!"
Annabeth walked into the tack room and was immediately overwhelmed. She grabbed a saddle that looked big enough and its pad with it, then nabbed a bitless bridle from the wall. She mumbled to herself, set the tack on the floor and reorganized the bridle racks. Satisfied, she picked up her tack and walked back out.
"That took ages. Red's all groomed already. You did it right, though."
"Thanks! I fixed up your tack room a bit, too. Sorry, but don't put them up that way again."
Percy laughed and put the pad on Red's back, pulling it forward to her withers.
"Come here for a second." he said, picking up the saddle. He eyed her up and down for a moment, then nodded and hoisted the saddle onto the pad.
"And what was that for?" chuckled Annabeth, scratching Red on the nose. Red sneezed on her and whinnied innocently.
"Trying to see if the seat's big enough. I'm not checking you out." He pulled the girth from the other side and fastened it, doing the four-finger check. He nodded to himself and grabbed the bridle. Annabeth scratched Red beneath her wing, and she pricked her ears.
"You found her sweet spot! She loves being scratched there. They've all got that one place." Percy enthused
"Oh, really? What's his?" She pointed to a dark bay gelding who had a tight grip on his stall door.
"That's Spook. His is- Spook, stop cribbing!" The gelding pulled his mouth off the door and snorted. Percy sighed. "His sweet spot is right under his cheek." Percy fastened the throat latch on the bridle and pulled the reins over her head. He held out the reins to Annabeth.
"Do you wanna lead her out?"
"Yeah, sure, I guess."
She took the reins and Percy looked back over. He jumped and quickly fixed the way she was holding them before they could go anywhere.
"You gotta hold them like this. Don't wrap them around your hand or if she takes off you're dead. C'mon."
He walked in front of her, introducing every Pegasus they passed by. Red shied away from a squirrel. Finally, they reached a small arena and he opened the gate. Annabeth led her in, walking her to the mounting block.
"So mounting a Pegasus is a little awkward. What you're gonna do is ask her for 'up.'"
"Uh. Red, up?" Red rustled her wings and raised them into a high position. "Wow. You've got her trained well."
"I didn't train her, but thanks! Anyway, put your right foot in this stirrup and grab the horn," he said, guiding her hand up to the top of the saddle. "And throw your other leg over. Don't let go of the reins!"
She threw her leg over the saddle and landed in the seat, putting her foot into the other stirrup. Percy walked in front. He made a face and walked to her left side.
"Move your leg, please."
"Here?" She pushed her leg back.
"No. Up here." he sighed, grabbing her shin and placing it on Red's shoulder.
"Sorry."
"You're fine. Easy mistake!" he replied, pulling the stirrup up another hole. Annabeth nestled her foot back into it and Percy stepped back. "Better. You're holding the reins right, too. Are you sure you haven't ridden before?"
"Thanks, but I'm sure." she laughed.
"Alright. You ready to get started?"
"Ready as I'll ever be, I guess."
"Great! Down, Red." Red nestled her wings back by the sides of her body.
"So when we get moving you're gonna want to pull back on one rein to steer her," Percy walked beside her. "If you want to go left, you pull on the left rein. You want to go right, you pull on the right rein. If you pull on both she'll stop. Got it?"
"Got it."
"Alright! Get her into a walk and let's go!"
Annabeth clicked her tongue, easing Red into a slow walk. Percy groaned. "No lazy walk, Red, come on!"
She sped up.
"Keep your heels down and look where you're going, not at her ears!" he called, running to the middle of the arena. Annabeth straightened and pushed her heels down as best she could.
"Good. Keep yourself there and open your hips."
"What kind of riding lesson is this? Am I learning to ride you or the horse?"
"Sorry. That does sound weird." Percy mumbled. His face turned redder than a strawberry. "I mean stick your butt out-"
"That's really not any better!" she laughed. Percy groaned and covered his face, flustered.
"I- I mean- Screw it, you don't need to learn it yet."
Annabeth started cackling, pulling Red to a stop.
After a full 30 seconds, Percy shouted, "Are you done laughing at me yet?" She gasped for air and nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah, I'm sorry. It's just, oh my gods, that sounds really inappropriate."
"When I was learning to ride I overheard someone else getting a lesson. Her instructor literally said 'butt out, boobs out' because she needed better posture. I could've done worse," He smiled. "You ready for a trot?"
"Yep!"
"Alright, then. Click her into it."
Annabeth clicked her tongue and squeezed, easing Red into a slow, lazy trot.
"A trot's a two-beat gait, so it's bouncier. You seem like you're doing fine with a sitting. Keep your heels down, three more laps round and we'll teach you a posting trot."
She completed three laps, though Red got lazy and tried to stop. Percy walked over and Annabeth pulled her to a complete stop.
"So to post a trot, you gotta have rhythm," he said, attaching Red to a lunge line. "When Red goes up, you kind of stand in the saddle." He walked to her side. "Don't file for assault, please. You're going to-" he put his hand on her back and pushed her upward. "-push yourself like that when she goes up and sit back in the saddle when she goes down." He backed up and told Red to trot. "Get used to it for a second. Go when you're ready."
She sat for a moment, then started trying to post.
"Like this?" she asked, doing everything wrong.
"Uh, not exactly. Sit for three beats- there you go! Heels down!"
Annabeth broke into a smile, holding the reins in her left hand. Percy grinned watching her, forgetting it was her first lesson.
"You're a natural at this, Annabeth!"
"Thanks! Can I stop now? I'm getting tired." she pulled back on the reins. Percy unclipped the lead rope. "Alright. Take your feet out of the stirrups and hop off."
She fell to the ground on dismount and, instead of getting back up, just started cracking up in the sand. Percy lead Red away, trying to hide a chuckle. He switched her to a halter, tied her up and walked back out, grabbing Annabeth's hand and helping her up.
"I take it you liked your lesson?"
"Yeah, I loved it, but gods that is tiring."
"Pfft. Try trick riding."
"Ah, no. I'm never doing that. Sorry."
"You might like it. Can you undo her girth?"
Annabeth took the pad and saddle off, grabbing the bridle and taking it all to the tack room. She put them back up, being careful not to ruin the organization. As she walked out, Percy handed her a lead rope.
"Come on, let's take her home. Then I'll stop bothering you."
They walked into the barn and Red ruffled her feathers as Percy opened the stall. She waltzed right in and he took off the halter, shutting the stall door.
"Alright. You're free to go, my hostage." he laughed. Annabeth smiled.
"You mind if I come back? This was actually pretty fun."
"Hey, I'm paid in board. The more you come back the longer I keep Blackjack here. Feel free."
"Sounds like I'll be returning next week." She started to walk out and paused. "Oh, here's a piece of advice that might help you get more students: Please learn how not to make everything sound sexual."
"Will do!" He threw up finger guns. Annabeth snorted, walking out and shutting the barn doors.