Ivy Gates || PJM || Ivy Book One || ✔

17.

After half an hour of riding, we reached the edge of some sort of forest. The General slowed the pony and we went just inside the treeline, before he halted us completely and dismounted. He reached up and helped me off, and I stumbled, trying to keep upright despite the numbness in my legs.

Once I was steady, the General let go of me and moved to tend to the ponies, who were breathing a little heavily after the run.

"We had to get out of the open," The General explained quietly to me, "We don't need to ride as hard for now,"

He attached the reigns of the ponies to a nearby tree, leaving them long enough so they could graze, before turning to me.

"You need to take your dress off," He said, and my eyes widened. I took an involuntary step away from him and he lifted his hands a little, "I'm not going to touch you, Bee," He snapped, "You can't ride properly in it. You have the leggings and jumper underneath for a reason,"

I hesitated for a moment, before nodding and stepping away from him. Just as I ducked behind a tree, he called out to me.

"Don't go too far. I'll just turn my back,"

I quickly shrugged out of my coat and placed it on a low branch, before undoing my dress and stepping out of it. I folded it neatly and placed it on the tree, before pulling my coat back on. It was extremely cold and I was already shivering by the time it was back around my shoulders.

---

JIMIN

I realised with a shock once 1216 had gone behind the tree to remove her dress that I was starting to call her by her name. I had also enjoyed the feel of her arms around me as we rode from the safety of the city, and almost regretted having to stop to rest the ponies.

When she stepped out from behind the tree with her dress in her arm, I was momentarily stunned. I know I had seen her in less this morning, but I was half asleep, and I wanted to quickly get out of the room before I saw too much; I didn't want to get into trouble.

However now, I could see the shape of her legs under the material of the leggings, and the swell of her backside that was partially hidden under the jumper and the heavy winter coat. I had never seen something so appealing before; even though her skin was covered by the leggings, I wanted to feel the curve of her body in my hands.

I cleared my throat, getting rid of that thought as fast as I could. 1216 was only mine temporarily, and I would not allow myself to have any feelings towards her; hate, lust or love. None of them were acceptable.

Things had ended very badly last time I had any of those feelings towards a woman.

"I'm ready, Sir," She said quietly placing the folded dress in the pack that was attached to the spare pony.

I watched as she patted the ponys head and then moved to the side to wait.

"You can sit," I told her, tearing my eyes away from her, "Rest a bit, before we move to the safe house,"

I heard the rustle of her sitting down and let out a small sigh. The safe house was just one room in a little cabin with one bed. I wasn't sure how this was going to work, when she was starting to affect me so much.

---

BEE

We rested for a little while, before the General told me it was time to move on. We couldn't stay in one place too long, in case we attracted attention, and we had to reach the safe house by night. 

The Generals hands were a lot more gentle that Taehyungs when he lifted me into the saddle, instructing me to sit astride the pony this time, instead of side saddle. I guess that was the reason he asked me to remove my dress.

He climbed up behind me, sitting behind the saddle, close enough that the front of his body was pressed into my back, and gripped the reigns around  me.

"Hold on," He said quietly, and I moved my hands to hold onto the small pommel, "We'll be cantering, so it's not as fast, but you can't fall off. Use your legs to hold on, as well,"

He spurred the pony gently into a walk, and then a trot, and then to some speed that was between a trot and a gallop. I could already feel myself bouncing around and sliding back and forth, and then the General surprised me completely. He let go of the reigns with one hand, and wrapped his arm around me, holding me still.

"It's obvious you've never ridden," He muttered as the ponies hooves churned up the mud and snow on the dirt path, "I'll hold you up, but only until you learn how to balance,"

"Thank you, Sir," I said, genuinely grateful. I was concerned about falling off, but the General had acted without me saying anything. He had been so thoughtful and generous today in more ways than one that my opinion of him was slowly changing.

He was still cold looking and powerful, but I got the feeling that he wasn't as scary as everyone made him out to be.

However there was no denying that something bad had happened in the past between him and his last woman; he did execute her himself after all.

---

AN: Boring and unedited, soz, I'm a failure... But it's going to get exciting, I promise!