His arms encircled her, and Ro's body reached a level of stiffness she never thought could be achieved. She even held her breath. Iver paused. Then his fingers dug into the beast's hair, grabbing fistfuls of it.
"Ease yourself." His warm breath brushed her hair as he spoke. "You're more likely to be flung off that way."
Ro's hands trembled. She clasped them together and squeezed her eyes shut, not knowing what to do with her hands at first.
Iver shifted behind her, and she heard him address someone, "Get her off. Iri terrifies her."
Ro's eyes snapped open, and she tilted her neck to look up at him. She wouldn't be able to go to the city.
"No!" she let out and then turned her attention to a male attendant standing beside the bear.
Iver let out an irritated sigh. "Or would you rather walk? It would be a very long one."
Ro shook her head and looked down at the fur in front of her. "Please, don't—don't mind me. I can do this…"
She tried to relax. She really did. But her body wouldn't obey her will.
She took in a deep breath and slowly extended her arms, her fingers brushing the tip of the fur. The bear brushed a paw across the ground and snorted, causing Ro to go still. From her peripheral vision, she noticed Iver's hand shift, releasing his grip from the bear's back and reaching for hers.
She immediately dug her fingers into the beast's fur. Her pulse quickened.
It was soft.
Very soft.
She subtly ran her hands over that surface, keeping a cautious glance directed at the bear's head. Her body relaxed, but her heart still beat fast. A sordid combination of shock and relief.
The vicious beast had soft fur. Far softer than the one she had on.
"Hold tight." Iver snorted, and without further warning, the bear kicked off the ground and bound for the trees.
Ro's heart lurched to her chest as she crouched down, holding fistfuls of the animal's hair in a death grip.
'No. no. no. no. no!'
She felt the powerful surge of muscle beneath fur as the creature bounded forward. As a cold wind brushed past her ears, she was made aware of the other presence surrounding her. He had leaned forward slightly during the ride, his legs pressed tightly against the bear's sides… and hers.
Whatever fear she had about being accidentally thrown off the creature vanished. A strange sensation bubbled in her chest. Whether it was admiration or embarrassment, she could not place it.
Of all things, to feel protected by someone who terrifies her.
Regardless, she kept her head down. Maybe she shouldn't have pressed harder for those riding lessons when she was a child. She might have learned how to brace herself and see amidst the rushing wind.
'I do not even think our horses were ever this fast.'
__________
"Easy there," Iver said in a hushed, soothing tone that took Ro too long to realise it was meant for the bear and not her.
The wind had died down, and she found the creature moving at an exceedingly slow pace.
Ro slowly raised her head, her hands still clutching the fur.
Trees and bushes surrounded them, sparser than the dense forestry they had initially gone into. Her back bumped into Iver's chest, and Ro stifled the immediate panic that flared within her.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice slightly higher.
"I'm… fine."
"You can let go of Iri now."
"What?" Ro snatched her hands back to herself. "I'm so sorry. I did not know I was hurting—"
He chuckled. "She can barely feel that. You're not hurting her."
Ro cradled her hands. Quiet.
The previous night flashed in her mind. "I sincerely apologise again for what happened last night. I—"
"It's enough. I have heard you. Besides that, come to my study later this evening. You left something behind."
Ro's jaw clenched.
'There is no escaping what happened last night.'
"We're here," he added.
The bear crept out of the last burst of trees to the outskirts of the city. Small stone buildings were sprawled out in no particular order. There were workshops, guard posts, and more bears pacing around, some larger, some smaller, and others dragging carts of objects and substances Ro could not discern.
Another strange thing to witness was how every single person stopped what they were doing to greet them.
Iri kicked up her pace and led them deeper into the city. Ro grabbed hold of her fur and blinked, trying to take in everything around her. Larger settlements appeared, more aligned, more refined, and more crowded. Fewer people seemed to recognise Iver, which surprised Ro. Upon closer inspection, she noticed she would barely have been able to sense his presence if not for their proximity. And at the very least, a lot would have looked their way with her attire and appearance.
No one looked like her. Their features were stronger, regal. Though she found more Lispans who sported leaner frames.
There had been a few exceptions. A few highly observant adults, some susceptible children who stopped playing to stare in awe, and one or two who dared to come close to offer a greeting to Iver.
They noticed her first.
"I apologise, I'm bringing you undue attention," Ro murmured, staring at the sprawling city streets.
"It is fine. Do not worry about it."
Iver barely talked for most of the ride, but he commented on a few places and regions. It would be impossible for him to take her around the whole city due to its immense vastness, and Ro understood. She had not been to many cities back in Erzi, but even their capital did not seem as large as this. Though her nation had a very large landmass that was nearly the same size as Lispa's, from what she could remember studying.
Fewer structures belched smoke, riders and strange beasts rumbled past, and odd tiny creatures scurried, some chased by children.
Ro took in her surroundings as much as she could, marvelling at the unfolding city to the extent she failed to see how she, too, had become an object of study.