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There is, as is not uncommon in Milliways, a horse and rider outdoors, though currently the term rider is a bit of a stretch; Fin is walking beside the horse, combing his fingers through its dark mane and apparently having quite a pleasant conversation. It's only upon a slightly closer inspection that it's revealed the horse has no bridle or saddle, or indeed anything else to suggest it was tamed at all--strictly speaking it hasn't been, nor will it likely be.

Feel free to bother them.

[tiny tag: Finvarra]

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Sunshine grins at the feeling of the horse nosing her palm, and moves her hand to stroke along his nose.

"I've never ridden a horse before. Not a lot of horses in New Arcadia."

"It isn't difficult," he says, stroking the stallion's nose and neck. "He shan't throw you."

"Are you sure?" She says, glancing at him.

Then the horse gets a glance, too. "You won't throw me? There may be some apples that didn't make it into pies, today."

Sunshine doesn't stop giving people food just because they're not humanoid.

Fin pushes up to sit astride the horse, bareback and comfortable. "I am sure," he says, offering out a hand to her. "Come up."

"All right." Sunshine isn't sure of what is expected of her, but takes his hand.

Fin pulls her up to sit in front of him, one arm banding around her waist so she won't fall off. "I warn you he does like to play tricks sometimes," he says. "But you should be alright."

Sunshine startles slightly, and her first seconds on the horse are tense, possibly accompanied by unconsciously holding onto Fin's arm. She's not been up off the ground like this before - being carried in the arms of a starving vampire doesn't count.

"I certainly hope so."

Fin pets the stallion's neck lightly, urging him into a walk. "Nothing more than a trot at first. He loves to gallop, but not until you're steadier on horseback, aye?"

He can tell she's tense, and pulls her closer into the cradle of his body, like a chair to a fainting woman, even if this woman is nothing close.

"That's probably the best plan," she says, and, as the seconds pass, begins to relax a bit. There's a certain rhythm to the movements of the horse, the muscles under her, and it's natural to settle into it rather than sitting unmoving.

Her hold on Fin's arm relaxes, and one hand sneaks forward to wind a lock of the horse's mane through her fingers.

"If you want to direct him, all you need do is say so," Fin says, content to let her set their course. "His name is Oíche. Darkness."

"That's a good name, Oíche," Sunshine says, testing the name on her tongue.

"How would I direct him?" She is curious and interested, but wary of giving the horse the wrong signals.

Sending the wrong signals can get one in trouble.

"Nudge him with the direction you want him to go. Use your knees," he directs.

The first wary nudge Sunshine gives with her left knee causes no reaction.

Possibly because she is nervous of nudging too hard, and thus doesn't nudge hard enough to really count as a nudge.

The second nudge is more certain.

The stallion heads left, walking at first, as if he's unsure of how long his extra passenger will stay on.

Sunshine considers this a win.

And tries another nudge with her left knee, seeking to turn less towards the lake and more to parallel the shore.

"And... to go faster?"

"Use both. How hard you nudge depends on how fast you want to go."

Oh lovely.

Hmmm.

Sunshine still has her fingers tangled in the horse's mane, feeling the strength of the creature beneath her. It was somehow more intimidating than it would be to face one of Mel's titanic, ultra-powered Odin motorcycles, the kind so large that one's toes barely touch the ground on either side.

She squeezed with her knees.

The stallion breaks into a trot, and Fin moves with it as easily as if he were part of the horse's body.

Sunshine doesn't move so easily, but is learning. There's a certain way to move, to keep your balance and not fight the movement of the horse beneath her.

Though it is rather more bouncy than she expected.

"Tell me things get smoother when we go faster," she says, voice jolted at each bounce.

"It would be easier if you relaxed," he says, a half-laugh on his tongue. "You'll settle into the rhythm soon."

It's less bouncing at this point than simply learning not to fight the sensation of your hips moving before your head knows they're going to. "I suppose for a human it might be easier were you riding with a saddle."

Sunshine sticks her tongue out at him, over her shoulder. "I'm not used to not having my feet on the ground, is all."

She does relax, by increments, as they go along. It's a matter of getting used to the movements, and learning not to fight them.

"Ah, do not worry, lass. The ground will still be there when you get down," he chuckles, kissing her cheek when she sticks her tongue out at him.

"You never know, with this place," she smiles.

"Can we try faster?"

"Of course," he grins. "Hold tight."

Fin leans forward into her and spurs the stallion into a gallop, his arms still solid around her waist as they fly over the grounds, into the woods where it's shady but less populated.

Sunshine can't help the startled sound of surprise as they suddenly seem to leap forward, rushing with the sound of hooves upon the autumn-covered forest floor.

She can't help but grin, even though there's still that thread of apprehension, of not being in control. The dappled leaf-shadows glimmer and flash in her Dark Sight as they pass.