#fayemae

“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” grumbles Faye, though it’s a little too late for any real protest considering she’s already slipping the bridle and saddle pads onto her pegasus.

“It’s a brilliant idea!” Mae whispers furiously, busy cooing and petting the pegasus’ neck. “First of all, I came up with it. Also, just think of the possibilities! Fleeing from pesky Revenants by gracefully swinging into the saddle behind you, or my eagle eyes scoping out the landscape expertly, or, oooo! Ooooo! Me raining down fireballs from above, untouchable by all!”

Her voice had slowly grown louder, culminating in what’s essentially a shout, so Faye interrupts by jabbing a finger at her lips and hissing out a “Shhhh!”

“Untouchable by all except for, you know, those little wing-crippling things called arrows.” she replies wryly, voice quiet, pulling back her finger sharply when Mae retaliates by trying to bite it. She flicks her on the forehead and turns turns back to her work, adjusting the saddle straps around her mount’s stomach.

Mae huffs and crosses her arms with a scowl.

“You don’t have to crush my dreams like that,” she complains. “I’m just thinking up some creative tactics! Maybe Celica gets bored ordering us around by herself all the time.”

“Oh, I’m sure she’d love having spend her time correcting whatever inane scheme you come up with.” Faye says snidely, but there’s a smile twitching at her lips.

Mae rolls her eyes and returns the grin. “You have to admit, it’d at least give her a good chuckle. She’s been way too wound up lately.”

And so have you, Faye doesn’t add. Everyone likes Celica, of course, and so everyone else worries about her, but Mae’s undoubtedly closest to her. Faye meeting her first doesn’t amount to much when she only knew her for a year. Half the reason she agreed to take Mae up on her pegasus was just to give her a break. Time for relaxation is a bit limited when you’re on a quest to confront a Goddess.

She tugs at all the appropriate straps one last time, distinctly aware of how displeased Palla will be if she wakes up and finds that all her hours of careful teaching resulted in the two of them falling from the sky and breaking every bone in their bodies. She pats her pegasus on the cheek and turns to Mae.

“Alright, we’re good to go. You get on first.”

She realizes maybe she should’ve asked Mae if she even knows how to mount a horse first just as Mae sticks one foot in the stirrup and enthusiastically boosts herself up, swinging her other leg over onto the other side of the saddle. There’s just one problem...

Mae’s sitting backwards. Her face flushes.

“I did that on purpose!”

“Of course you did,” Faye replies, rolling her eyes. Mae starts shifting awkwardly in an attempt to right herself, and Faye steps forward to steady her, placing her hands on Mae’s waist until she’s situated. She moves her hands to Mae’s arms, tugging until she has the reins in her grasp. “Now hold these steady while I get on.”

Mae gives her a thumbs up.

She settles in behind Mae, resting more on the saddle’s back than in the seat. It’s uncomfortable, but flying usually requires a lot of two point position anyways, so she can just keep herself off the seat entirely. The familiar ache that always strikes right after a flight is already creeping into her thighs, but it’ll be worth it, and they won’t be up in the air for long.

She picks up the reins, sliding her arms around Mae, her chest resting against Mae’s back. Their fingers intertwine as she picks up the reins, hands on top of Mae’s.

“Just let me handle the steering, but hold on tight.”

“Yeah, yeah, this is your all your show now.” Mae says, and Faye can’t help but notice her fingers trembling slightly. She squeezes them a little tighter as she slots her feet into the stirrups.

“We’re going up,” she warns, and off they go.

Mae squeaks unceremoniously as they take off, and Faye swears she can feel the quick, uneven beat of Mae’s heart through her back. They rise higher and higher until Faye decides that’s good enough, and she pulls back on the reins, signaling a switch to gliding. Mae is uncharacteristically silent, so Faye leans forward, chin on Mae’s shoulder, and glances at her face.

Her eyes are screwed shut. Faye rolls her eyes and digs her chin sharply into Mae’s flesh.

“Hey! I was just waiting for you to tell me we were good, that’s all.” Mae’s eyes snaps open, and then widen as she takes in their surroundings. “Oh! We sure are, uh, up high.”

The grass is a dusty green beneath them, color obscured without the light of the sun, with clusters of trees scattered about. From up here, you can hardly tell that the continent’s at war.