She had seen him galloping, going to watch from the edge of the paddock. There were things she could not help him with, that she saw more and more. A darkness in his eyes he did not seem to want to dislodge. It did not change her affection for him at all, nor their friendship. "he seems worn," she called out, ducking through the fence, "but no more than you."
It was a slight brightness, her voice. At the very least, it made him turn from the horse, waving at her in recognition. Teyla was a placid presence in his life, something he'd never recognized as a necessity until now, but it still remained hard to accept so much.
"He needed it," he called, leading the black over. "Nearly as much as me."
"It is sometimes something we all need," She paused before she reached him, not wanting to intrude further if she was unwelcome at that moment. "We all find peace in our own ways."
"If there's peace to find," he muttered, reaching out to her when she was close enough. He was dirty, sweaty, but he knew by now that that much she generally didn't mind.
"How are you?" he asked her, which maybe a few months ago he wouldn't have had the presence of mind to do.
"Beautiful animal," she said, leaning against a fencepost, her arms crossed casually over it, her gun hanging safely at her hip. It had been a long time since she'd ridden, and horses, just like dogs, were wary of her kind.
The comment caught him off guard and he glanced up self consciously, having thought he was alone. He left his hand spread on the animal's neck, feeling its heavy pulse slow under his fingers.
"Mmm," he murmured, looking back at the black. "The Dalrei breed beautiful horses." He shifted around, glancing at the woman and the gun at her hip. "It's their life."
"So, you're assuming I wasn't talking about you," she said with an arched brow. She'd caught him off balance, there was no way she wasn't going to run with it.
If the first comment caught him off guard, the follow up was enough to stall him into silence. He cut the woman a harsh look, annoyed at his own embarrassment and the ease with which she'd pulled it out of him.
"I assumed you didn't think I was an animal," he muttered, loosening the black's tack with clumsy hands.
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"He needed it," he called, leading the black over. "Nearly as much as me."
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"How are you?" he asked her, which maybe a few months ago he wouldn't have had the presence of mind to do.
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Or, what used to be her kind.
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"Mmm," he murmured, looking back at the black. "The Dalrei breed beautiful horses." He shifted around, glancing at the woman and the gun at her hip. "It's their life."
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"I assumed you didn't think I was an animal," he muttered, loosening the black's tack with clumsy hands.
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