SWNOVELS Chapter 7
"Done, everything is sorted out for your unicorn ride." Paxton said as he came out of the office with a beaming smile.
"Aren't you going to join me?" I asked him with my head slightly cocked to the side in question.
"No, I'm not," He said with a nervous laugh. "Let's just say that me and unicorns are not the best of friends, actually me and any horse-like creature actually." He explained.
"And why is that?" I asked with a frown. "Is it a whole elf thing?" I continued wondering why elves and unicorns would be a bad mix.
"No, it's not necessarily an elf thing, but many elves do struggle with it," He vaguely spoke, making me look at him with a confused expression as I tried to understand what the problem was. I heard Paxton sigh before he explained, "When I was younger, I fell off of a unicorn and it almost trampled over me. Ever since then, I've had a slight fear for the entire horse family." He briefly explained not looking me in the eyes, so I did the only thing that I could do and kneeled in front of him, I gently tilted his head upwards so that his eyes would meet mine.
"I understand, and having fear towards certain things is nothing to feel ashamed of. I would have really loved it if we could've ridden together, but I respect your wishes, and I want to thank you for giving me this opportunity, as well as the one to fly." I said, and then I peaked his cheek without even thinking. I watched as Paxton's face turned into a pinkish, reddish colour as the blush crippled up his face. I couldn't help but to giggle at his adorableness as I stood back up at full height just as a man with wings flew out from the office and made his way towards us.
"Mr Woods, the unicorn is ready," The man said with a very happy smile, that made me want to smile and I think that Paxton noticed because he frowned as his head looked in between me and the man. "Please follow me." He said as he led the way through a gate that led to a field full of different coloured unicorns. Everything just looked like it had been pulled out of a storybook. The unicorns looked majestic just like every other course and took graceful strides as they walked and galloped across the field.
"Mr Rivers, would it be possible for you to prepare a horse for me as well?" I heard Paxton ask the man that I now knew as Mr Rivers. I couldn't help but to look at Paxton in surprise. Just a second ago, he had just confessed to his fear of horses, yet here he was requesting to ride one. His voice as confident as ever.
"Of course, Sir, it would be a pleasure, especially because it is all thanks to you and your team that I have managed to find my soulmate." Mr Rivers said with a beaming smile of gratitude as he went back to the office.
"Someone is facing their fears today," I said with a small shimmer of uncontrollable pride and watched as Paxton nervously nodded.
"I honestly don't know why I even asked him to ready me horse." He said, running a hand through his hair just as I watched him turn into his human form.
"You're riding in your human form." I stated and watched him nod in reply, but not a single word escaped his lips as he continued to rake his fingers through his hair. I couldn't help myself but to give him a hug, "It's okay, you'll be fine. We'll be riding right next to each other, so I'll be able to protect you if anything happens." I told him with a soft and gentle voice as I moved my hands up and down his back in a soothing manner and listened to him slightly chuckle at the part about me protecting him, making me also feel happy about being able to make him feel better. I continued running my hands up and down his back for a couple of seconds more before I felt his arms wrap around me, caging me in his warmth. I have to admit I really enjoyed being in his embrace, and that thought frightened me, but for some reason, I couldn't let myself pull away just yet. "So how did you help him to find his soulmate?" I asked Paxton, referring to Mr Rivers.
"The fantasy app." He spoke, making me gasp a little as I moved away from his warm breath, which was tickling my neck.
"What?" Paxton asked with confusion, surprise, and a little bit of fear dancing in his warm eyes.
"It's nothing. It's just that you were tickling my neck, is all," I said, shying away as I moved from one foot to another, suddenly feeling nervous myself for some reason. I looked at Paxton, his mouth wide open in an O shape as he realised what I was talking about. "Anyway, why aren't you going to be riding in your elf form?" I asked him in an attempt to change the topic, and luckily, it worked.
"I guess that I feel more comfortable riding in human form. It is the form that I mostly ride in. Besides, when I fell, I was actually in elf form. I began riding in human form, but for some reason, I changed into my elf form in the middle of the ride. That's when the unicorn began thrashing and stomping, I don't know why, but the next thing that I knew I was on the ground and was almost trampled on but the fairy in charge placed a barrier around me and protected me right in the knick of time." He explained and released a sigh as he raked his fingers through his hair. I felt like going to him and hugging him again, but I resisted. This was not the right place or the time for me to make romantic connections. I was luckily saved from my thoughts by the arrival of Mr Rivers, who came back with the same beaming smile as before.
"Your unicorns are ready if you will both follow me this way," He said, leading us into the field. We walked about two unicorns before we stopped in front of two other unicorns who were standing with a fairy man and a fairy woman. "Mr. Woods and Miss Jordans, your unicorns are ready," He said, gesturing to the two unicorns that stood next to a male and the female fairy. "Seeing as how this is the first time that you are riding unicorns, you will be riding with Petunia and Indigo." Mr Rivers explained with gestures to the two trainers.
"I actually have experience in the riding field, Mr. Rivers," Paxton said out of nowhere with a slightly hard voice, making me wonder what it was that was upsetting him. "Would it be alright for me to take a round or two around the field just to remind myself about everything?" He asked Mr. Rivers who nodded and gestured for him to go ahead, I watched as Paxton nodded in acknowledgment before he went to the white unicorn and stood in front of it. The unicorn seemed to sniff him and then it lightly touched him with its horn. It was at that moment that light emitted from Paxton's clothes just before they changed into comfortable-looking riding clothes. I watched him gracefully climb onto the unicorn. He took a deep breath before he started the unicorn on a slow walk, and then on a gallop and then a run, he was honestly like a professional, you would think that this was his element, you would think that this was what he did in his daily life. After a couple of minutes of riding, he was back by my side while he was still on the horse
"That was interesting to watch. You're really good at this." I complimented him as he climbed off of his unicorn. I watched as he gently caressed it from its hears and down to its snout. Peace and adoration on his features as he admired the unicorn.
"Thank you, I got a little carried away over there," He said with a little chuckle. "I wanted to ask if you would like to ride with me?" He asked, his attention completely on me. His eyes holding a great deal of seriousness and hope. I just couldn't let him down, not when I could see so much hope in his eyes, so I did the only thing that I could think of doing and nodded my head. I watched as a beaming smile lit up his face. "Alright, come on then." He said, offering me his hand, which I gladly took. I was unexpectedly pulled into Paxton's arms, making me yelp in surprise as he chuckled at his little stunt.
"Okay, so how am I going to climb on the unicorn?" I asked Paxton as I pulled away from his arms.
"Well..." He said before he gripped my waist and hoisted me up onto the horse before he climbed up right behind me. "Alright, are you ready?" He asked me as his breath fanned over my left check since he had brought his face over my left shoulder. My tongue felt tied at our very close proximity, so again, I just nodded as excitement filled up my body. We rode in silence for over five minutes until I decided to open my mouth again.
"So what changed your mind into wanting to ride with me?" I asked him and felt him slightly tense up from behind me, but he relaxed just as quickly.
"I'll tell you later, for now, let's just enjoy the ride." He said in such a sweet voice that I couldn't help but nod my head and let myself enjoy the unicorn ride. Wow, did it sound weird to say it this way, even if it was a unicorn ride.