"I'd like to think so." Saneyuki muttered, turning to flash Moriko a disarming smile. "Oh, I am no invincible by no means. The Gilded King has taught me to respect the nature and the many beasts that live here." his voice rang with deep reverence.

"How do you feel? Do you think you're ready to sit on Pippi's back here?" The mention of the Gilded King took some of the wind out of Moriko's sails, reminding her of the complications around that. She didn't fully understand the concerns of the shugenja and, for the moment, she simply pushed the thoughts aside.

"I mean, I guess I can try." Saneyuki gulped, tilting his head the side. "She does seem pretty calm." he smiled shyly, trying to be braver than he perhaps was. "So, how do I get up there?"

Her good cheer returned easily, "I grant you, it's not the easiest thing." Moriko showed Saneyuki the stirrup hanging from the saddle buckled to the otori's back, it was roughly level with the girl's hips. "Watch me, first. Put your left hand on the pommel, this, here," she gripped the pommel, "your right hand goes here," she lay her other hand flat on the cantle.

Releasing the pommel, she angled her body towards the priest. "This is the tricky part, you gotta get your foot all the way up here without toppling over." It was a good thing Moriko had plenty of practice, her height put her at a disadvantage. "So, foot here, push off with your other foot, don't pull yourself up by the saddle, swing your leg up and over." She smoothly mounted, dropping lightly into the seat.

"Hai." Saneyuki almost reached for the pommel himself, letting his hand drop as he understood what Moriko had meant, instead following her movements with his gaze. "Mhmhm."

"So, grab and grab." the young man took hold of two imaginary knobs in the air. "Then step.." he took an imaginary step, steadying himself on the floor. "And then swing?"

She reversed the process, dropping lightly to her feet. “Watch,” she put her hands in position and boosted herself up. Her arms were locked at the elbow, supporting herself like a gymnast on a pommel horse. “First worry about getting yourself to here,” Moriko smiled down from her perch before taking her toes from the stirrup and returning to the ground once more. “Remember, don’t pull, push up from the ground.”

"Don't pull, push. Hai." Saneyuki nodded. "I think I can do it." There was a brief pause. "Unless Pippi runs away from me." It did sound like he considered that a real possibility. "You'll catch me if I fall?"

“Certainly,” Moriko answered, smiling. “Don’t worry, she can’t get far,” and the girl grabbed the reins that tied Pippi to the rail.

"Well, I shall try then." The young man reached for the pommel, rolling his palm over it before wrapping his fingers around the knob. Next he grabbed the saddle with his other hand and stepped on the stirrup with is left leg. Saneyuki glanced at Moriko before pushing himself up and gingerly swinging his leg over the saddle, the hakama crumpled between his legs. "Whoa... easy now." He clung to the pommel like a drowning man, his knuckles white.

“Good, uh, let go of the cant—the back part of the saddle, or you’ll sit on your own hand.” Moriko stroked Pippi’s neck, but the otori remained unaffected by what was happening.

"Uh...right." Unsure what to do with the free hand, Saneyuki flung his other hand to the pommel as well, clinging to it even as he tried to find the stirrup on the other side of the bird, wiggling in the saddle.

Moriko moved around the otori, patting the bird on the rump as she did so, “coming around behind you, Pippi, that’s a girl.” On the other side, she grabbed the stirrup and held it for Saneyuki. “How do you feel?” she beamed up at him, loose strands of hair framing her face and neck where they had escaped from her ponytail.

"I feel pretty tall here." Saneyuki leaned to the side a little, only to shuffle back. "Whoa...Uh... what next?" he turned his head to follow Moriko, trying to keep track her. He knew she was close, but the bird under him was big and intimidating. "Uh.. nervous. I am definitely nervous."

“Don’t worry, you’re doing great. Keep both hands on the pommel there, it will help keep your balance. Relax your legs, and keep your back straight.” Moriko turned to Hana, stroking the otori’s feathers and murmuring to the bird. She swung herself into the saddle, reaching forward and untethering her mount. Now closer to Saneyuki’s level, she brought Hana right up close. “Hold onto her feathers here,” Moriko pointed to a spot on Pippi’s neck.

"Yeah." Saneyuki made a brave face, or tried to. "Relax, right." he exhaled, calming his mind just as he had learned at the temple, even if having a fierce beast between his legs. "Here?" With Moriko pointing the right spot there was no way he would grab something he shouldn't have.

“That’s right,” the precise spot wasn’t important, “don’t worry, you’d have to tug pretty hard to hurt her. But I’m serious about relaxing your legs. Don’t use your legs to hold on,” her voice took on a stern tone, “every rider that’s fallen off an otori on one of their first rides was squeezing their thighs, and the otori thought they were being told to run.”

"Right, legs." Saneyuki leaned forward a little to reduce the tension on his legs. "Like this?" He wasn't entirely sure she could see what he was doing differently, the pleated hakama covering much of his legs. "Right, we would not want her to run." the young man shook his head. "I don't think that'd be very fun or dignified."

Moriko couldn’t see the muscles of Saneyuki’s thighs and calves—though she found herself thinking about what they might look like, a blush colouring her cheeks—but she could see how Pippi reacted. The difference was likely imperceptible to most people, but the young Phoenix had always had a knack for reading an animal’s mood, an instinct for what creatures felt. Pippi had been giving off an air of tolerance as the squeeze from her inexperienced rider conflicted with being tied to a fence, but now the otori blinked slowly, passive and bored.

“Good,” Moriko untied Pippi, holding Pippi’s reins in one hand and Hana’s in the other. “Now try not to tense up,” it was unlikely Pippi would break into a sudden run while the girl had control of the bird’s head, but it was better for Saneyuki to learn the correct posture now. With control that might be unnoticeable to the inexperienced, Moriko turned the pair of birds away from the fence and started a slow walk along the edge of the paddock.

"Right, no tensing." Sanyuki murmured, smiling awkwardly as he was blissfully unaware of Moriko's blush. "Relax, relax... he murmured to himself, trying carefully to nudge his legs away from the bird's flanks even as he clung to its neck feathers. "Uh...I am riding." he noted, sounding a little bit excited. "Well, not riding, but not falling."

Laughing happily, "no, you're riding," she praised. Leading the otori for him allowed Saneyuki to focus on his posture, his balance, without also needing to worry about where Pippi was going as well. "You're doing great," Moriko nudged the pair of birds into a steady walk, her body swaying with the movement of her mount.