The Stables [afternoon]

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"Hi Pips hi!"

The horse, who was used to Mat being, well, normal, swished his tail and shied away.

"Awww, don't be like that," Mat said with a little frown, searching for a stool so he could put the saddle and bridle on.

After a bit of time, he led Pips out of the stables.

Being an enterprising five year old, Mat'd scrawled out a sign in blue crayon:

"PONIE RYDS! 1 KYSSSS EECH. (GYRLS ONLEE)"

Because kissing boys was icky, okay? But until he got customers, he was happy to ride his horse.

Pips might have a slightly different opinion.

Comments

[wantstocheer.livejournal.com]

Claire was BORED so she was out looking for ADVENTURES.

A horsey was definitely an adventure.

"You gots a horsey!" she said to Mat.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"His name's Pips," Mat said, patting his neck. "Hi!"

[wantstocheer.livejournal.com]

"HI PIPS!" Claire shouted. She had to shout because the horsey's ears were real far away.

"And hi! What's your name? I'm Claire!"

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"I'm Mat and shhhhhhhhh," he said. "You'll scare Pips."

Pips was a trained warhorse. You weren't going to scare Pips.

[wantstocheer.livejournal.com]

"Horseys don't get scared," Claire said with a wee little glare. "He's a nice horsey!"

She reached out her tiny hand to pet the horsey.

[trigons_child]

Raven went down to the stables because Mat had promised to be nice. She paused to stare at the sign. "What language is that?" she asked. Other than Creative Spelling.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"What do you mean what language?" Mat said. "There's just the one. And the Old Tongue, but that's just in tales."

[trigons_child]

"There are many languages," Raven said. "I do not know them all, however."

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"How many do you know?" Mat wondered.

[trigons_child]

"Twelve," Raven said, "including magical ones. But I have many more to learn." She studied the sign again, trying to figure it out. "Does that say kisses?"

[glacial_queen]

Karla, dress still sodden from her shower, was out wandering around. She still hadn't found her Mommy or her Daddy, but if there was a 'mergency, then it might be lots of days until one of them had enough free time to see her. So she was determined to keep herself entertained like a big girl.

Ponies were entertaining. Very entertaining. And horses were even better, since the grooms at home said she was still too little for a real horse unless someone else held the bridle. "Oh, he's handsome!" she cried. "But he's not a pony! He's a horse!"

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"I couldn't spell horse," Mat admitted.

He couldn't spell pony either.

[glacial_queen]

"You can't spell lotsa words," Karla said critically, looking at the sign. Diplomacy lessons were still in her future--not that they'd do much good anyway.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

Mat made a horrible face at her. "I was just being creative!"

[glacial_queen]

Karla made an awful one back. No male was going to out-face her. "Suuuuure you were," she said. "I just bet."

That out of the way, "Can I ride him?"

Because insults and favors went together like candy!

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Do I gotta kiss you?" Aravis wondered. "I have my own horse."

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"No," Mat said slowly, "but it'd be polite to."

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"It'd be polite to kiss my hand because I'm a lady," Aravis pointed out.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"A real lady?" Mat replied. "Like in the stories?"

[notqueenyet.livejournal.com]

"Yes," Aravis said, straightening her posture. "I'm a Tarneena." Someday she'd get that word. "I'm a lady. My father is a lord."

[findingelena.livejournal.com]

Elena was exploring. This island was strange. Lots of sky, and sunshine. It was so bright out.

She stopped by the stables, fascinated by the sign. "Is that a real pony?" she asked.

She'd heard of ponies, but that was from books. They were a lot bigger in person.

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"Well, it's a horse, but I couldn't spell that," Mat admitted. "His name's Pips!"

[findingelena.livejournal.com]

Elena had not entirely believed horses were real, so she was going to wander in and look over the horse to make sure the boy wasn't teasing her.

"Hi, Pips," she said, staring at it uncertainly. "He's ... tall."

He looked like he could probably eat her. Did horses eat people?

[bloody-luck.livejournal.com]

"Yes!" Mat said. "His legs go all the way down to the ground."

Five year old logic was special.

[findingelena.livejournal.com]

Elena inspected his legs and determined that the boy was right.

"They would have to," she insisted. "Otherwise he'd fly, and he doesn't have wings."

Which was both accurate and dumber than paint.

"Is he mean?" Elena asked, lowering her voice so the scary horse-thing couldn't overhear and attack her. "Does he ever bite people?"

Those were big teeth. They weren't all that pointy, but they were certainly big.