(Untitled)

[davor_dandalrei]

Dave was a survivor, that before all other things. Before, in Fionavar, he’d lived through the war. He was there on Maidaladan, when Kevin went away. He was on the banks of the Aiden when his babies were killed. For so much, he was there, and for so much of it he had been fighting. It was a part of him, undeniable. All things leave their mark

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[apinkrose]

Cecily had been exploring the island, which was something she had not done in some time. She loved every inch of the place, but did not even realized that she hadn't even seen parts of it.

So she was quite surprised when she saw the paddocks, and the rather attractive young man with a horse. "My! What a beautiful creature."

[apinkrose]

"I come from the country of England, in the year 1890."

There was a brief pause before Cecily changed subjects very quickly. "May I ride it?"

[davor_dandalrei]

The abrupt change of topic registers, but he didn't press her. Instead, he stepped back, smoothing the black's hair down on it's neck.

"Have you ridden before?" he asked finally. "He's a good horse, but the saddle's in the barn. Don't want you getting hurt."

[apinkrose]

"I would not be considered an accomplished woman at all if I have never ridden a horse," Cecily responded with a laugh. "I would say that I am quite experienced."

[davor_dandalrei]

"Of course," Dave said, an ironic twist to his mouth. "Then...sure. Toronto's an old softie, even after so much." He went as if to kneel down. "You need a leg up, Cecily?"

[apinkrose]

As though she were back at her estate, she treated him as though he were a gentlemen going for a ride with her, "Why, thank you, sir." She made her way onto the horse, swinging her leg over the other side of the horse, although she rarely rode like that at home. Without a saddle, she could not even dream of riding in the more feminine fashion.

[davor_dandalrei]

"Pretty good at that," he commented once she was well set up. He touched the black's neck gently, but the horse seemed unsurprised by the rider, unafraid. The world had already thrown so much at the animal, an afternoon ride with a socialite could hardly stun it now.

"Careful," he warned again, but she seemed well in control. "They're bred for speed, and this one hits the gallop hard."

[apinkrose]

Cecily smirked and gently nudged the horse forward, keeping it at a walk at first, "Perhaps I will keep it at a nice trot until I am quite sure I am alright." She meant it sweetly, although it came out as though she were only being sarcastic, a tone she had only recently learned here on the island.

[davor_dandalrei]

Dave flushed from the tone in her voice and stepped back, his two hands up.

"Go easy on her," he told the black, newly christened Toronto, and gave Cecily a long, careful look. "Same for you," he added moodily, crossing his arms over his chest.

[apinkrose]

Cecily gave Toronto a small kick in the side to go into a brisk trot. She took the form she had learned when she was younger, lifting her body up and bringing in down in time with the horse.

"How do I look?" She asked, shooting a look back at Dave. Although she did care for Jim, she did enjoy a bit of flattery, and so when she asked how she looked, she tried to imply that she meant it in more than one way. She did enjoy the men's responses. If only she had her diary to write it down in.

[davor_dandalrei]

The bluntness of the question startled him. He had gone to lean back against the paddock fence to watch them, relaxed, appreciating the way she could ride. The women of the Dalrei could ride, surely, but he hadn't seen any of them take to one of the war horses as Cecily did to the black.

He was flustered when he replied and it was apparent in his voice. "Like you know what you're doing," he called, which he thought was sufficient enough.

[apinkrose]

She smiled and trotted over to him, stopping the horse as gently as she could and leaned over to pat it on the neck. "Toronto is very sweet," she noted, "He is not difficult to ride at all."

She leaned in towards Dave and tried to make herself a bit less vague. "But I did not mean on the horse."

[davor_dandalrei]

The blush and the awkwardness only worsened with that. Dave glanced up at her after examining a point beyond her left shoulder for a long, drawn out moment. He could so easily remember Cienwin, and later Teyla. Warriors and comfort, hand in hand. There had been at least some shared expirience, there.

"Like a young girl," Dave said finally, "Who was lucky enough to never see war."

[apinkrose]

That was not the reaction Cecily had been expecting at all, and it was the first time in her life where she made her intentions almost entirely clear and she had been treated like a little child.

"I am eighteen, going on nineteen, if I may point out," Cecily replied, holding her head high in defiance.

[davor_dandalrei]

"Maybe not quite so young then," sad Dave, in a rare show of indulgence. He still not had pushed away from the paddock fence. "But a girl. Can you canter?" he asked her, awkwardly changing the subject. "He's got a great canter, if you can manage it..."

[apinkrose]

Cecily backed Toronto up a little before nudging it enough to get it to trot. She glanced over at Dave, raising her eyebrow as though she were going to prove a point, and then gave the horse a swift kick to go into a canter. When she was younger, her biggest difficulty with horses was getting them to take the right lead into a canter, but she went smoothly from one speed to another. Her hair whipped all around her and she smiled gaily for it had been some time since she had ridden. Leaning over to cling to the neck so she wouldn't fall off, Cecily felt as free as ever.