(Untitled)

[radical_cowgirl]

Edward knew horses. At least she knew them from the books she'd read. Horses were for riding far and far away and right now that's what Edward wanted to do. Ride far. Go exploring. Stop being stuck at Faye-Faye's or the Compound where there were people that keep looking after her and worrying about her breaking her other arm. And she wanted to GO.

Comments

[provincialbelle]

Belle had been trying to help out with some of the farming chores that morning when she'd come across Edward in a precarious situation. Unable to strike the horror and shock from her face, she must have looked a picture of comedy to anyone who found her. With a bucket of milk in both hands, she stood there and gaped. "Uhm..." was all she managed to get out. "Edward? What are you doing?"

[radical_cowgirl]

"Ed needs to get across the island, so Ed needs the cow to take her."

She pushed the cow-thing again. It really didn't seem to want to move, so she wrapped her arm around its neck and tried to pull. Still nothing.

What moved cows, anyway?

[provincialbelle]

Belle came closer and offered Ed a fond smile. "Do you want me to try and help? I know I'm not exactly the most talented, but there were cows in the village I lived and sometimes," she said, crouching down in order to yank a handful of grass from the ground, holding it out in her palm to the cow, "Sometimes, they just need a little persuading."

[radical_cowgirl]

Snuffing at the grass, the bull took the grass easily enough, but he stomped his foot in Ed's direction.

Not that she recognized the threat, Edward had practically zero experience with animals other than Ein. She just thought it was a another movement. A bored tic, after all, the cow-thing had just been standing there. It must be bored.

"How does Edward persuade it? Push harder?"

[provincialbelle]

"Be nicer," Belle said thoughtfully as she came closer and held out both hands for the cow to sniff at her, giving him a chance to get used to the idea of people in its space. "Give him a little pat and tell him what you want him to do. Maybe that will help?"

[radical_cowgirl]

Edward considered this, she didn't think the cow-thing was that smart, but she didn't know everything. Giving it a rather abrupt slap, she shouted towards its ear, "I WANT TO RIDE YOU!"

The bull gave a start and took a step away, head swinging back to look at Edward who had to jump back to keep from getting hit by the broad horns.

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"

[provincialbelle]

Belle winced and could only imagine what the bull was thinking right about then. She practically lunged forward before it started to stampede and trampled her to death. "Edward!" she shouted, a bit panicky. "Not like that! Calmer! Calmer," she insisted, using both hands to indicate that a hush should be brought over the whole conversation.

[radical_cowgirl]

Edward's voice dropped precipitously, until she was barely whispering. "Cow, I want to ride you."

Looking over at Belle, she shrugged as if to ask, 'like this?' She didn't know what she was doing and was happy enough take advice. If she could understand it. She really didn't know what talking to the cow would do since it didn't seem to understand, but she was willing to try.

[provincialbelle]

Belle let out a breath, relieved that she wasn't about to be trampled, in the very least. She wandered behind the cow and gave him a rub of his flank before a light pat, sending the cow moving a sedate four steps, but it was progress. "He won't want to go with you if you're just shouting," she pointed out. "Would you want to?"

[radical_cowgirl]

She shrugged. She got yelled at a lot. Faye, Spike, Jet back home, they all yelled at her sooner or later, it was normal.

Wasn't it?

Walking with the cow, Ed looked at the horns, wondering if she could use those to pull herself up instead of making the cow move to the fence.

[provincialbelle]

Belle laughed at Edward slightly, still rubbing the cow's flank as she coaxed them along. "Why do you want this animal to move, as badly as you do?" she asked curiously. "It's just a cow."

[radical_cowgirl]

"Edward needs it by the fence so Ed can climb on and ride."

It made perfect sense in her head, not that her head made all that much sense to other people. She wanted to see the other side of the island today, and the cow was the most expedient way she figured.

Was she wrong?

[provincialbelle]

"Well, I can't fault that logic," Belle admitted, trying to coax along the cow (which she was greatly suspecting was actually a bull) and giving Ed a small smile. "So? Is this as good as some of your space travels?"

[radical_cowgirl]

"Edward can't say, Edward hasn't had the adventure yet."

That would come once she got on the cow and rode it to the other side of the island. She would see what was there (although she'd been there plenty of times before) and perhaps slay a viscous beast (although she wasn't allowed to play with Faye's or Spike's guns) and then she could answer Belle's question.

[provincialbelle]

"But you were in space!" Belle protested, unable to believe that being there wasn't an adventure in itself. "Me, I was just in a tiny town where nothing happened but the daily chores. That was boring, but you were amidst the stars!"

[radical_cowgirl]

"Space is just to get from place to place." Edward really didn't understand the fascination some of the people here had with space. It was big and boring and empty. It burned up fuel and ate up cash.

"Did Belle-person have a family?" That was the fascinating thing to Edward. So many people had so many families, back home, on the island, in all different kinds.