"Oh, good," Marius' shoulders visibly sink with his breath of relief. He trusts Courfeyrac at his word; if he possesses a cousin with an estate out in the countryside and several horses, of course his best friend must be something of an expert himself at riding the creatures. Marius feels that nothing terrible of consequence can occur with Courfeyrac's knowledge between them. "So at least one of us knows what we're doing then."

"It is," he affirms with a nod. "Grandfather had friends with estates and horses, but I never went near them when I could help it." He manages something of a smile, though it lends itself more to bitterness than anything else.

"Hopefully," he adds with a sheepish smile. "I won't fall out of my saddle."