(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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[withoutasea]

"Ride," says Jenny, her hand on her own horse's reins as she studied the horse that was undoubtedly Queen Elizabeth's, even as Lorica was undoubtedly Arthur's though it was Jenny now who rode. "And be told what to do, more often than not. Some horses, like some women, Mr. Kennedy, are hard won and rarely ruled."

[usethecompany]

"Easier said than done, ma'am," Archie replied, and though his tone was in every way respectful his smile was unavoidably playful. "You might ask a fish to ride, or a horse to swim the ocean and have more success."

[withoutasea]

A wicked smile touches Jenny's mouth and she nudges Lorica closer, the reins draped across her knee, her hands up in her hair.

"And I have seen horses swim in the ocean," she says. "Creatures learn to swim in the womb, Sir."

[usethecompany]

"I know one who assuredly did not," Archie answered dryly, thinking of William's wild protestations before he and Horatio forcibly introduced him to the ocean.

"But perhaps I drew an improper metaphor," he allowed easily. "I am a sailor. I'd be happy never to enter within so much as a league of a horse ever again. My ability to ride one is... severely limited."

[theonionknight]

Davos knew Archie, of course. They served together aboard the Treader and due to being two of the more experienced members of the crew even shared the same cabin while aboard and not on duty. Still, he could not say he knew him well.

Which explained, mayhap, why he never knew that the other man had a horse, or indeed could ride one.

"Good day," he greeted him politely when they met and he couldn't help but raise a puzzled eyebrow at the man's animals.

[usethecompany]

Noting the man's expression before returning the greeting, Archie chuckled silently, shoulders shaking mildly, before he replied. "Good day, Mr. Davos," he returned. "Is something amiss?" he asked, as though a stallion in the company of a sailor was the most regular of occurrences.

[theonionknight]

"Surprise, that is all," Davos replied politely. "Forgive me, I did not know you rode."

[usethecompany]

While he would have been pleased to continue the farce longer, there was only so far Archie could go without outright lying to the man, and he wouldn't do so. "I... don't," he admitted. "If it weren't for this place I would have been quite happy to have never seen an animal for quite some time."

[inariver]

"Let her be as she is wont to be," Ophelia replies casually from atop her own horse. Whether or not the horse truly belonged to her is a matter of taste and Ophelia is not one to pick at it.

"I do not think that is a hard question to answer."

[usethecompany]

"I rather meant more practically, miss," Archie replied politely, casting his gaze up at the easily recognizable but not too familiar face. "And he is wont to be riding into battle bearing a queen." This was explained with a touch of sadness, but Archie's general demeanor made such melancholy difficult to hold fast. "That is not a desire so easily fulfilled."

[inariver]

"Aye, especially given that there be no battles to be riding into."

Ophelia laughs brightly at that, though her own horse paws the ground in almost irritation. Making a tutting noise, she sets about ignoring one problem for another. "Thou are not a keeper of horses, art thou?"

[usethecompany]

"Nor do we possess a great surplus of queens," he added with a faint smile.

He shook his head in answer to the question, casting a despairing, helpless look towards the horse, who twitched an ear and stared impassively back at him. "I'm a sailor, miss. Once upon a time, when I was very young, my father kept a few horses, but it's been ages and I was far too small to have anything more to do with them besides feed them carrots."

[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?"

[stoicsidekick]

If Archie had sincerely hoped to make it home before he was forced to formulate an explanation for his new pet, he would be sorely disappointed. William was already on the beach when man and beast came trodding across the sand. Before he could speak, the half-grown pup came bounding up and leaped cheerfully. "Belay that, Styles," he said dryly, a command that had already become commonplace, and that the dog responded to much more readily than his namesake ever had. "Archie, what are you doing with a horse?"

[usethecompany]

Oh, he had hoped, perhaps prayed for a handful of seconds, that he would be better prepared for this moment when it came. But even the dog, which much to Archie chagrin was much better at taking orders than himself or its namesake, could not distract William from the dissonance in the picture he must have made.

"I..." He stopped, reins in hand, only a few feet from William, then lifted his shoulders and shook his head helplessly. "It's mine. Now."

And he waited with equal parts dread and amusement for the reaction.

[stoicsidekick]

"Yours?" William blinked, and blinked again. As far as he knew, Archie knew just as much about horses as he did. What he was doing with one was beyond his imagining.

"And where did you find yourself a horse?" He crossed his arms over his chest and looked expectant.

[usethecompany]

If Archie's father had been any sort of a disciplinarian, he imagined he would have a stance and expression very similar to William's at the moment. As it was, despite knowing very well that he had not acted faultlessly, Archie continued to struggle to keep much of his amusement from his face.

"In the care of Miss Jane Bennet at New Pemberley," he answered, imagining himself much like a naughty schoolboy.