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[lastgunslinger]

It's been a quiet couple of days.

Roland is hanging over the paddock fence. There are a couple of apples in a bag at his feet.

One is sliced, and he's feeding it to Kiseki. Joe's horse -- or so he thinks of the gelding.

The other hand is busy running over the St. Christopher's medal at his neck.

The bounty hunter always understood, even if he didn't approve.

Sometimes Roland hates himself.

Comments

[lastgunslinger]

Roland reaches down for another apple, eventually. When Kiseki reaches his neck forward, Roland says lightly, "Can't have them all, you know."

He takes a bite out of it himself.

"Next one's for you. This one's mine."

[river_meimei]

"Eat all day. Grass, hay, fruits and sweets... He's greedy." Reflective, almost warm. She leans her head against the fencepost and looks at Kiseki's legs. "Just his nature. Little soul."

[lastgunslinger]

Roland's quiet for a moment.

"Can fight your nature. Can't win."

[river_meimei]

River shrugs, not looking especially interested in the question.

[lastgunslinger]

Roland looks away, and eats his apple.

[river_meimei]

Silence. It's not awkward.

Kiseki stamps idly, swishing his tail at a fly. Attempts to nose after the apple thwarted, he tries futilely to earn Roland's pity by nibbling on the fence.

After a while, River tilts her head back to the afternoon sun, closing her eyes. She puts her fingers to her mouth, and whistles loud and shrill.

[lastgunslinger]

Roland is a pitiless kind of man. This is why he lifts a hand to Kiseki's forelock and begins to scratch.

And when River whistles, he looks down at her, wondering.

[river_meimei]

River opens her eyes, and smiles at him, a little, squinting when the sun glitters into her eyes.

The sound of hoofbeats, approaching at an unhurried trot.

[lastgunslinger]

Roland returns her small smile -- Good, he thinks -- and then turns at the sound of hooves.

Boukephalos.

Roland looks in the direction of Crowley's grave.

The smile hasn't quite left yet.

[river_meimei]

River reaches out through the fence, and Boukephalos bends his thick-muscled neck to lip at her hand.

[lastgunslinger]

Roland watches this.

After a moment: "Would you go for a ride, River?"

People keep feeding Kiseki. Kiseki's getting fat. Kiseki needs the exercise.

[river_meimei]

River looks up at him in startled pleasure. It's the most animation she's shown in a while.

[lastgunslinger]

"Well?"

Smile's not so small. Not so hidden.

[river_meimei]

She ducks agilely under the lowest rail, and stands up inside the paddock.

That would be a yes.

One foot on the bottom rail, and hands on the top, and then she's climbing it; in a moment, she's high enough to use it as an improvised mounting block. Boukephalos seems to know what's expected of him, despite the lack of saddle or bridle; he stands calmly near her, resting his chin against her hip.

Standing on the fence, she looks at Roland expectantly.

[lastgunslinger]

Roland grins.

Yes. He grins.

"You show off. Give me a moment."

He, too, hops the fence and leads Kiseki toward the stable.

A few moments later, he leads Kiseki out, saddled.

And he mounts. "All right."

[river_meimei]

River rests one hand on Boukephalos's withers, the other balancing her on the fence, and lifts one leg over his back with a dancer's grace. She settles into place lightly.

"There's a gate," she informs Roland.

No jumping the fence bareback on a warhorse. Today.

[lastgunslinger]

"There is." And he rides up to it. "You going to get it, or are you going to make me do it?"

[river_meimei]

She eyes him consideringly.

Because River can be a brat sometimes.

And then she giggles silently, kneeing Boukephalos a sidestep closer, and leans over the fence to unlatch it. The gate is well-made and well-balanced; it swings open with a light pull, as Boukephalos backs clear.

[lastgunslinger]

"Good to know." And Roland rides through, letting Kiseki pace outside, waiting for her to close it.

It's a beautiful afternoon.

[river_meimei]

"Your turn next time."

She pulls the gate shut, giving it an extra tug to make certain after the latch clicks. Boukephalos pivots, and steps forward delicately to keep pace with Kiseki; it's hard to say whether she's giving him commands, or if he's moving of his own choice.

[lastgunslinger]

"Fair enough."

A sidelong smile at River; and then he nudges Kiseki into a trot along the lake shore -- and then, after a suitable time, an easy canter.

[river_meimei]

River keeps pace, sitting easily on Boukephalos's bare back, knee-length skirt spread about her. Her hair lifts in the wind, and she turns her face to it.

[lastgunslinger]

Roland feels Kiseki wanting to let go, to go faster -- and so Roland allows it.

The last time he rode Kiseki he was trying to forget what he'd just done to River.

Now...

Now it's better.

And so Roland smiles, and raises his head; and if he sits easier, breathes easier, than he has these last few days...we can credit that to the good weather, of course.

[river_meimei]

Kiseki's a good horse.

Boukephalos is a better one, by far. A prince's warsteed and a demon's atonement-gift.

He matches Kiseki's speed, graceful long strides across the turf, and pushes it just a little faster, and faster, until River sits a little deeper into his back to slow him down for the other horse's sake.

Not because she's insecure at the gallop. Never in life. Her face is alight, and she laughs silently into the wind, here in this long moment of golden afternoon sunlight.

[lastgunslinger]

It's been a while since Roland has ridden a horse for the sheer pleasure of doing so.

He lets Kiseki hang back for a moment, watching River

(in this haze of green and gold)

and smiling.

And then --

-- and he knows he'll lose --

-- Roland leans forward and urges Kiseki on, more, faster.

It's a race he'll lose...but maybe it'll make River smile.

And that's enough.