After a lavish picnic lunch, the riding lesson started. Incontinentia sat on Tusky's neck, Tut on Jumbo-Ra and Ankhesenamen on Ouphe-tiri. Incon looked back at her students.
"Ready? Aaaand....LEFT!"
She nudged her knee gently behind Tusky's ear. He obediently turned left. So did Jumbo-Ra.
Ouphe-tiri turned right.
"Okay...let's try that again. LEFT!"
Tusky and Rumbo-Ra turned in unison to the left. The Queen's mount turned to the right.
"I'm sorry," Ankhesenamen blushed, "but I've got a problem with right and left."
"No problem, no problem," Incon assured her. "Let's try the Walk and Trot commands I showed you, okay?"
The King and Queen nodded enthusiastically. The Roman party looked on, sipping wine and commenting on the lesson.
"Ready?...WALK ON!"
Tusky started forward. After a few moments, Jumbo-Ra fell into step behind him.
"Very good, Your Majesty!" Civis called.
"This is fun!" Tut exclaimed, and looked behind him. "Ankhesenamen - use your feet, like she showed us! C'mon!"
Ankhesenamen looked down at her elephant's head uncertainly, and wiggled her feet. Ouphe-tiri obediently sat on her hind quarters. The Queen went sliding off her back and landed by her tail.
Jayhawk rushed over to her and helped her up. "Are you alright, My Lady?" he asked.
"Oh, my dress is all dusty, I'll have to go change now--" Suddenly she realised whose arms she was in. "Er...fine, fine, I'm just fine..."
"Ouphe-tiri - UP," Jayhawk commanded. The elephant stood again, but gave him an indignant little side-glance. She stroked the Queen with her trunk.
"She likes you," mouse told her. "That's a good sign. You've made friends right away."
"But I'll *never* get the hang of telling her where I want her to go!" Ankhesenamen wailed, as she picked out another outfit from the many her handmaidens had come running over with.
"Would you like me to help you learn the commands?" Jayhawk offered.
Ankhesenamen blushed, smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. "Oh, would you? That would be just *wonderful*."
Jayhawk went a slight shade of pink. Ouphe-tiri rolled her eyes and waited patiently.
Once on her elephant's neck with the angel seated behind her, she felt much more confident. "How do I make her walk?"
Jayhawk showed her the correct foot-command. Ouphe-tiri started forwarded.
"Wheeee!" Ankhesenamen giggled. "Now how do we make her run?"
"I think that's a little advanced for your first lesson, Your Highness," Jayhawk advised.
"Hey, Your Majesty!" ET Flavius called playfully. "Just kick her behind the ears!"
"Oh, okay--" Ankhesenamen promptly did just that.
"No, DON'T!" Jayhawk cried, too late, as the Queen gave her elephant the Go Like The Clappers command.
Ouphe-tiri trumpeted delightedly and started into a full gallop. Moments later they streamed past the sedately walking Tusky and Jumbo-Ra.
"That looks like FUN!" Tut cried, watching their retreating figures. "Let's do that next!"
"Oh, blimey, we're going to have to if we want to catch up with them," Incon sighed. She turned back to the party. "We'll be back in a minute!!" She looked at the King. "Hang on, Your Majesty. Just kick him like this..."
Gustavia watched all three elephants gallop into the distance. "Blimey - those grey fellas are going at quite a clip."
MRed slapped ET on the shoulder. "Did you *have* to tell her to do that?! Everyone knows what a kick behind the ears means to a trained elephant!"
"You know what this means," Lion Tamer looked round at the others.
"I sure do," ET grinned. "More wine, anyone...?"
Meanwhile, halfway across the plain...