(Untitled)

[usethecompany]

Archie had a horse following him.

Not just any horse, oh no, but the illustrious Virgin Queen's own war stallion, its snowy white flanks rippling with power as it plodded along beside the path, following Archie like the obedient creature it was. It was not a beast at which one laughed, but Archie Kennedy, former lieutenant in His Majesty's Royal

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[the_cop]

Ray was walking up the path, slowly on account of Edward and all, his hand clutching Ray's. Normally Ray would've had to pick Edward up to keep him from tackling the damn dog, but he didn't move, blue eyes wide and staring at the large animal across from them.

"Please tell me you are horse sitting and that thing didn't just follow you home," Ray said.

[usethecompany]

Knowing full well he would -- damnation, what was the phrase -- 'get shit' for his foolishness, Archie ducked his head before answering, hoping to think up some innocent excuse.

"I could be watching the horse," he replied. "But I.. could be watching the horse for a very, very long time."

[the_cop]

Ray whistled low. "Will's gonna be pi-iiissed," he said in a sing-song voice.

"Piiiss!" Edward repeated.

"Edward!" Ray looked shifty. "Okay how 'bout I don't tell Will about the horse, if you don't tell Horatio that I just swore in front of Edward. ...Again."

This was, apparently, kind of an on-going problem. It was so much easier when the little guy could only say 'dada'!

[usethecompany]

Archie choked back a laugh at Edward's exemplary recitation, looking far more amused than he knew Horatio would be with that development.

"No deal," Archie retorted with a scowl, though his smiled showed without a doubt that the expression was not malicious. "I can't very well hide a horse from William. How am I to survive my suffering if not by mocking yours?"

[the_cop]

"Archie! You're supposed to have my back. I'd hide this horse for you," Ray said.

"Horse!" Edward said. "Horse!"

Ray shook his head. "Edward, you are going to be the downfall of all of us." He looked back up at Archie. "So, how'd you land My Friend Flicka here?"

[usethecompany]

"Oh really? Where? In Edward's play pen?" he asked with wide, mocking eyes. The sentiment greatly appreciated, Archie doubted the reality of the assurance.

He sighed, gently, with loss, and glanced at the horse in question. "The Queen Elizabeth is disappeared," he explained. "I went to call on her, and instead took the beat off Ms. Redman's already full hands."

[the_cop]

"Shaddup. Uh, in the barn, of course," Ray said. Which, technically, Archie should have done in the first place.

Another disappearance. He knew Horatio was fond of Elizabeth, and sighed. It never got any easier around here.

"Archie...do you even know what to feed a horse?" he asked, deciding to focus on that instead.

[usethecompany]

"All the way out there?" If he lived in the vicinity of the Compound, surely that would have been an option. But they did not, and Archie hardly thought it right to keep a possession of his, horse or no, so far from his place of residence.

But Ray posed a more important question, one Archie thought himself ready to answer, but when he opened his mouth he found that wasn't quite the case. "Well... hay of course," he replied. But did they have hay? He had never given the barn much more than a passing glance if it could be helped. "And.. grasses. And apples and carrots. What I know now doesn't matter," he amended quickly. "What I don't know, I'll learn. I've only just gotten him and people have been caring for horses for ages. This is not an insurmountable difficulty."