Welcome to Gaia! ::

KD was in the woods, again, of course. She didn’t have her bow with her today but that was mostly because this was an impromptu trip. Arias was still at work and there wasn’t anything going on in town that she cared about particularly. That meant that when all else failed she traveled to the one place she felt most at home, the very place she was now.

Specifically she was sitting on the edge of a stream, minding her own business listening to it talk to her. Beneath the burble of the water she could almost detect a melody, some underlying song that seemed to tie the whole of the forest together that some talented musician might someday hear and put into a better song than she was capable of creating.

What she wouldn’t have given for her bathing suit.

Now that spring was upon them the air was turning warmer and for Caydence it meant another season of spending her time wading through water and working on her archery, basically being as free as she possible could. While it was possible, anyway, because the way her grades looked college, or even art school, wasn’t really in her future. That meant one more year of high school and then the daunting prospect of the real world.

Whose gross idea was it to make people age, anyway?

William was home right now, school was out for a 4 day weekend and he’d decided to come home for the mini break. He’d spent the morning working on the Satchlyn farm and part of the very early afternoon helping his dad. Now he was free, snuck off into the woods and headed for the stream he often swam in. It was a decently warm day and he was really thankful for April’s longer warmer days. Even if they were only two days in. He smiled at the sight of the stream and didn’t hesitate to take his hoodie and shirt off, followed by his jeans and socks. He then sped up and ran into the water before diving in and coming back up.

“Cold, arg that’s cold. Cold cold,” he shouted then muttered, but made no move to get out of the water. He was going to enjoy his first swim of the season. He would warm up in a little bit anyway. He dove back under the water and came up grinning.

“Spring and summer,” he murmured before floating on his back.

Caydence heard the sounds not far from where she was and got up the investigate, puzzling at the sounds. She had thought she was alone but being a civilian did not offer the same perks as being in costume. She couldn’t feel people, for one, and had only the sound of people to go by.

She stood there watching him for a minute, deducing that he had to come from one of the houses or farms around here because not a lot of people like her ventured from the big city often, she didn’t think.

Maybe she was wrong.

“Don’t mind me,” she teased, leaning against a tree. Probably not the best way to announce her presence but she found the whole thing to be pretty amusing. “Come here often?”

She made no effort to hide that she was checking him out and no bones about grinning like a cat to show that she approved of what she was watching.

“How cold is it, anyway?” She joked, looking at his boxers as she asked it, lest he mistake her meaning.

William had not been expecting company and jumped slightly at the voice which of course meant the tall boy flailed at bit and sank before coming back up. He looked at the other slightly irritated, “I live around here and you’re currently on private property.” After a second he sighed and stood up, “sorry don’t take well to being startled, but yes I live about a half mile, west.”

His face flushed when he realized she was watching him and grinning, then he flushed further at her question. “It’s not that cold,” he said with a slightly indignant tone, before coming a little closer, pulling an arm back and attempt to splash a wave of water at the girl, though it likely would hit her.

“You’re not from around here, are you,” he asked looking at her curiously. He knew pretty much everyone in these parts, but he’d been going to school in the city for a few months so things could have changed. He layed back in the water, even though he was momentarily embarrassed at being checked out, he wasn’t going to let that stop him from enjoying his swim.

“Doesn’t look all that private to me right now.”

She smirked and came closer, sitting on a rock nearer to the water’s edge. She wasn’t wearing anything that it bothered her to get dirty or wet.

“You’re a farm boy.”

Not that she knew a lot of them. And not that she thought that was a particularly bad thing. In fact KD was all for farms and the growing of food and being natural. She was immediately reminded of the Princess Bride and fancied that he looked a little like the hero, Westley. Buttercup had called him farm boy, had she not? And here she had a pretty good one swimming half naked right in front of her.

Made sense.

When he splashed water at her she smiled, kicking come of it back.

“If you wanted me to come in you could have just asked, Westley.”

She kicked off her shoes and pulled off her shirt and pants, laying them carefully on the rock she had occupied to try and keep them out of the water. It wasn’t like she was all that shy and underwear nearly covered everything a bikini did, more so depending.

“I’m not from around here,” she confirmed. “My names Caydence but everyone calls me KD.”

William looked around when she said it didn’t look very private and gave a laugh, “I only see me and you, so I would say its pretty private, or maybe secluded is a better word, but whatever. We’re currently on someones property, but don’t worry she won’t mind. I was being a butt when I said that anyway.”

He wasn’t expecting her to kick water back at him, but he just laughed and moved out of the way ducking under briefly and coming back up. She called him Westley, “the name’s William actually,” he started but stopped when he realized she was coming it. He moved back a bit because she was probably going to get him back for the splash.

“Nice to meet you KD, most people call me Willie. You’d probably do best jumping straight in, shock yourself, get over the cold and all that. Water won’t warm up for a few months yet, but that’s not going to stop me swimming when its warm enough.”

He gave a laugh and waited expectantly.

“I’ll stick to Westly.”

It made sense if you thought like she did. At the end of the day it was a compliment, a nod at one of her favorite movies. He was attractive enough. Now all he needed was an all black suit and a mask. He could even go to conventions like that, if cosplay was his sort of thing.

She followed his advice and jumped in, yelping underwater as she was suddenly surrounded by water that was colder than she’d been bargaining for. She gasped as she came to the surface, looking wet and shocked, her freckles standing out more on her paled face. She pulled a good few strokes to the side first one way and then the other and warmed her body to the water.

“I’m guessing you do this a lot.”

Lucky him. She had to rely on her father listing a house with a swimming pool before she had access to swimming unfettered for the time being. Her father sold a lot of houses in the area so in the summer they were in pretty steady supply, thankfully.

“What else do you do for fun?”

She was always willing to make a new friend, at the very least.

William looked confused when she said that she would stick to Westly because that absolutely wasn’t his name at all, even if it did sort of rhyme with Willie. He frowned, “I would prefer Willie far more, if you would.” He felt for whatever reason she would ignore him, but he hoped not.

When she jumped in he almost laughed at her reaction to the cold water, but knowing how cold it was her refrained instead choosing to go back to swimming himself, he stopped further out in the stream. It never really go too deep where he couldn't stand, so even out close to the middle he didn’t need to tread water.

“Yes, more and more as it get warmer, but only after the days work is done. Can’t laze about if there is work to be done. I live on a farm after all, there is almost always something to be done. I’m lucky though because I have 7 older brothers, so we get things done pretty quickly.”

He lay back floating once more looking up through the treetops into the dappled sunlight. “Other than this, I like to ride on out bike course, we have a bunch of motorbikes, 3 and 4 wheelers. Our dad and my older brother build a course long ago before I was even born. I like to fix things … or as my dad says break things so i can take them apart and put them back together. I really don’t break them though.”

He chuckled light, “I also like to explore haunted places, though I've yet to find anything haunted.” Though he had met a monster in the city, but it just turned out to be a youma.

“What about you? Other that trespassing,” he said but it was in a laughing tone because he was fully joking.

“But...but the Princess Bride…”

She frowned when he did not accept her nickname and was actually determined to do it anyway. Once KD made up her mind on something she gave thought to or considered clever it was pretty much just what she did. There was no changing her mind most of the time. No that she had bad intentions with her little nickname. He’d get used to it or not.

“Haunted houses?”

That sounded like her idea of a good time but then again she didn’t believe in ghosts and had an adventurous spirit. She imagined she could have a good time in a haunted house pranking everyone else. She smiled at him and rose to the surface to float alongside him. The warmth of the air offered a little chill now against her wet skin but it wasn’t a bad thing.

“You might be surprised at some of my hobbies. I like adventures, too.”

William didn’t know what the princess bride was, he just sort of look at her for a moment and nodded as if to say, I have no idea what you are talking about, but okay. He nodded when she questioned haunted house, “Havent found anything haunted to explore in the city yet, but I might check out some graveyards at someone point. I wonder if their is an asylum anywhere about the city?”

He gave a sort of half smiled, one of intrigue when she said she like adventures too. It looked liked he may have made a new friend to do some investigating with at some point. He had to say even though she called him Westly he liked this new girl.

“Adventures are fun. There is an abandoned plantation further out. Its about maybe 10 miles, so you have to drive, but its spooky and fun and there are lots of places to poke into. I’ve been before, a few times, still haven’t any ghost, but its fun either way.”

He floated lazy, seemingly without a care in the world, “what are those hobbies KD?”

“There’s an old hospital at the edge of the city.”

She offered, somewhat helpfully she thought. She passed by it a couple times and often liked the look of it, abandoned as it was. KD was a good person to bring to horror movies because she didn’t spook easily. People that fell for that lacked imagination, in her opinion. They couldn't invent their own monsters so they had to rely on other people’s…

“Anyway, I like to paint, art. I like to shoot, too. I’m pretty handy with a bow.”

And though she enjoyed roleplaying she was not going to mention that simply because it seemed too nerdy to bring up to a boy she just met.

“Do you spend your Halloweens at cemeteries?”

It was cute, and kind of creepy to think about. Sort of just right in her wheel house.

William was instantly intrigued by the idea of a hospital at the edge of the city, he went from floating to standing beside KD looking at her somewhat excitedly. “That sounds amazing. You have to tell me where it is or better yet show me. I bet it would be really fun to look around it. Yep, I think I’m liking the city even more now, even if there aren’t nice streams to float in.”

He listened standing in the water watching KD float next to him, “painting is nice. I can’t paint at all, but to all that can I am impressed. You shoot a bow though? Do you go to the shooting range? Or have you ever been hunting? Or, even have you ever tried a rifle?”

He laughed when she asked if he spent his halloween at cemeteries and nodded, “but of course. Halloween night in a cemetery, is to hard to pass up and its rather hilarious to freak my friends out. What about you? What do you do on halloween night?”

“Um, sure.”

Was he asking her on a date or just asking her to accompany him because she happened to know somewhere he wanted to go. KD was terrible about things like that and hadn’t gotten any better despite her best friend being a guy. He really needed to sit her down one day and explain to her boys and how they worked cause, honestly, she was clueless.

“Just pick a date.”

She came off her back and stood on the bottom of the creek, looking at him and feeling a little ball of excitement happen in the bottom of her stomach. He really was cute…

“Hunting? Like, shoot animals? GOD NO!”

Perish the thought!

Caydence couldn’t even imagine hunting for sport. Maybe if she were starving or more hippy. But that was decidedly not the case. She couldn’t imagine hurting animals she was used to seeing up close like deer. Miss Goddard’s put her close to nature every summer and she just could not imagine hurting them.

She moved on to Halloween quickly.

“Normally I go paint something or dress up with friends. Sometimes we go to haunted houses and stuff.”

William was excited and his mind was racing because KD he decided was awesome and he wanted to go to the hospital as soon as possible because he really liked adventures especially of the somewhat spooky variety. He continued to grin a somewhat lopsided grin and he ran his hand through his hand.

“Um, well personally I wouldn’t mind Monday. Its a long weekend so no school on Monday, but if you’d rather another time, that cool with me too. Anytime is fine really.”

He gave laugh at her expression towards hunting and shrugged after a moment. He didn’t hunt either, but he’d seen animals slaughtered that we’re later served up to him. “Farm raised,” he said nonchalantly, “I’d be lying if I said I’d not had hunted or even fresh food.” He used air quotes for fresh. “Don’t really hunt though, especially not for sport. Don’t think killing things should qualify as sport.”
He lay back again floating once more, “ya know this may sound weird, but um I don’t think I have ever been to a haunted house, not that I can remember. But I've certainly ran about the corn fields on Halloween enough as a kid. That is fun, especially if you get a little lost.”

He stood again after a moment feeling a little cold, “you like animals yes?”

“Monday is ok.”

Caydence swallowed hard not to blush. She didn’t have school on Monday so it really worked out well. And her parents like to refer to their parenting style as hands off so it wasn’t like she needed to clear her plans with them. They believed she should start making her own decisions and also made her live with the consequences of those choices, too.

“Fishing is one thing. I can fish.”

She did it sometimes at camp, for the purposes of giving what she caught the mess hall for fish bakes.

“I love animals.”

But she’d never had a pet when she was younger. Her flighty nature did not allow her to remember to care for pets as attentively as she would need to. They had tried gold fish every so many years but it always ended up the same way...not very good.

She tried to think about running through corn fields as a child but honestly couldn’t imagine it. She liked dressing up more than anything else, being creative with her costumes. That was always what called to her.

“I’m surprised you haven’t looked through abandoned laboratories or anything for Halloween.” She gave him a sly look. “Is it true what they say about farm kids rolling around in haystacks?”

William grinned when KD agreed to Monday, he could feel the excitement building in him and knew he would be a little impatient for monday to come, but it couldn't be helped. He’d drive home on Sunday night and would probably be up at the crack of dawn waiting for the time to head out. He was an early bird, born and raised, even when he’d spent most of the night up. “Great, any particular time good for you?”

William nodded, “Fishing is fun, takes a ton of patience though. I like it well enough. We fish in the stream sometimes, but there are much fish up this far.” He moved to get out of the water and motioned for her to follow. He walked up on the bank and shook the water from his hair before grabbing his shirt and putting it on although he was still dripping wet.

He really wanted not to put his jeans on with soaked undies, but didn’t think shrugging out of them would be a good moment at the time and would feel crazy immature telling KD not to look. “Ever seen a horse up close, or petted a cow or chased a chicken, not that I do that anymore. It was fun when I was much littler.”

He gave a laugh at her question and grinned, “yes its very much so true. I like to drop my friend in the hay in her barn all the time, It gets everywhere though. And if Shake and Park jump in, it really becomes a mess … but there are abandoned laboratories. Where? I’m so out of the loop. Geez where have you been all my life!”

“You don’t want to go in the dark?”

She laughed and dunked under water, coming up to splash him. She wasn’t much of an early bird. KD hated mornings and usually assumed that if someone wanted her to know what morning was they would have made it later in the day. Even school hours did not often agree with her to the point where she had to start scheduling classes that were easier in the morning so she did not sleep through them and let her grades suffer more than they often did.

“Sunset is usually the tradition, isn’t it? Or do you prefer midnight?”

Her parents were rather liberal but midnight might be pushing it even for them on a school night with a boy they hadn’t met before. Arias they approved of. He was like the brother she had always begged for as a kid.

She got out of the water as he motioned, dripping into the dirt. She shivered in a freak breeze. When he responded to her question about haystacks she started laughing. That wasn’t really what she had asked but that was ok. It was probably a bad joke, anyway. She often made bad jokes without knowing it.

KD was not quick enough to suppress the blush when he complimented her.

“I’ve been here. You just had to find me.”

“In the dark is the very best time to go. It won’t be a spooky in the day,” he said quickly. He dodged the splash she sent his way. Of course it would come when he was least expecting it, so it managed to get him somewhat. He slipped him pants on and frowned at the feel, but shrugged it off. “I would love midnight, but I don't think with school the next day that would be the best idea. So sunset might be better. It will get dark quickly and it will be plenty spooky! Now if we we’re going on Sunday, I would be yes midnight definitely!”

He gave a sheepish grin running his hands through his hair, “there is always next time though right. But right now, right now I want to show you something. Up for a little adventure?”

He made to move off but her comment about just needing to find him made him stop and make a expression the was just like oh and smiled. “Glad to finally find you then. Sorry it took so long, I have a terrible sense of direction I guess.”

He turned and motioned for her to follow.

“I don’t think my mom and dad would like me to go out that late, Westley.”

She agreed with his assessment and with her problems with focus she needed all the help she could get in that department anyway. KD shook off as best she could, trying to wipe the excess water off her body. When she pulled on her clothes her shorts took it well, though her shirt looked a little sodden. Hopefully the sun would take care of that soon enough.

She wrung out her long hair and coiled it on her head, tying it in a messy bun to get it out of her eyes and off her neck. Her freckles seemed to stand out a bit more in the spring, just before she had a chance to tan for the summer.

“Where are we going?”

She was always up for an adventure. KD believed that artists were unable to express themselves if they could not experience all that life had to offer. She liked to experience everything and had done things in the name of her art that most of her friends would not have tried.

This just seemed like another thing to add to the list.

“Is there a haunted barn around here or something?”

There was always a haunted barn in horror movies.

“I live in an apartment with a friend for school, so my parents don’t really have a say and what I do. While I’m home though, I think my mom would have a cow if I was out that late knowing I had to be up at dawn the next day.” He continued to walk a little faster, just a little now he knew KD was following.

He laughed when she asked where they were going and shook his head, “you are going to ruin the surprise. It’s not to far you will see in a minute or five. It’s not that close but it close.”

He grinned and continued on, shaking his head when she asked about a haunted barn. “Yeah there is one, but it’s not around here. Nope its about a 10 minute drive in the opposite direction. I can show you sometime if you like. They say a father and mother strung their kids up in the barn many years ago and the kids still haunt the barn to this day. I’ve never seen them though.”

He came out of the woods, onto what was very obviously a farm. A barn, some fields with sheep, other’s empty. Three dogs came charging barking, very excited. Willie just got dog to get them and was literally run over with slobbery dog kisses. The slightly smaller of the three circling around and sniffing KD curiously.

“Guys, guys, alright,” she said laughing playfully fighting his way up from underneath the border collies. He looked to KD. “We’re going just in there.” He pointed to a stable past the barn.

“Awww!”

KD’s heart melted a little as the dogs came racing toward her. Most of the time she did not have a lot of dogs in her life except the ones her friends owned. It was nice to see how other people lived. She didn’t see a lot of farms or really know what farm life was like. In the Little House in the Prairie books all the farmers generally seemed to know and help one another. That was probably still true, right?

Honestly, she just didn’t know.

“Really? That’s awful!”

Her soft hearted nature made her stare at him in horror when he explained the story behind the haunted barn and hoped to God it wasn’t true. Stuff like that really freaked her out. Not that there might be ghosts but the idea that someone actually killed their kids.

The world seemed to have a lot of evil in it, natural and supernatural.

“What’s in there?”

William got up as the three dogs back off, standing and wagging their tails excitedly. William gave a command and watched as they ran off into the sheep pen with the need. “They are such good dogs. I have one of their puppies. I named him Oliver Twist. Those three are Shakespear, Bakers Park and Ceasar.”

He moved off towards the stable but stopped momentarily and grinned at KD. “You’re going to meet Odyssey!”

He grabbed her hand and pulled her along past the fields, or rather fenced in yards. They were very large though. Willie walked quickly to the stables and opened the door and sitting in stable were a few horses. He passed most of them to walk into the third stable. In it stood a beautiful black, grey and white dappled horse.

“KD meet Odyssey! Want to go for a ride?”

“Awww!”

KD took a minute to stoop down and pet each of the dogs, jealous of the people that got to be around these amazing creatures every day. She was eager to love on each of the dogs in turn, talking sweetly to them and calling them by name once he told her what they were. There were ears and bellies to scritch, heads to pat and haunches to pet. She covered it all, looking thrilled to be doing so.

“They’re amazing,” she told him honestly.

When he said they were meeting Odyssey, she didn’t quite follow until they were at the stable. KD was very familiar with horses and the procedure of caring for them and riding them. She did it every year at Miss Goddard’s. With the horse dwarfing her she could only look up at it, raising her hand for him to take interest if he wanted to.

“Could we? Is he yours?”

She looked at Willie with large, shining eyes.

Willie grinned and nodded, “yes we can ride her. She isnt’t mine, we don’t have horses. We’re on the Satchlyn farm, I work here in the summer and some weekends. I’ve got seven brother and while our farm is big, seven is plenty, so I help the Satchlyn’s. They won’t mind.”

He watched as the horse took into interest in KD and he opened the door and walked in so he could get Odyssey ready to ride. “Have you ever ridden a horse before? It’s not terribly hard, but can get a little uncomfortable?”

He grabbed the saddle and Odys seemed to take interest in Willie already know what was going on. Willie laughed and grinned at KD, “she wants to go out. She always does. Such a good horse. I really ought to convince my parents to get some.”

“I’ve ridden some.”

She smiled and pet Odyssey on the nose, stroking the horse and letting her hand get chuffed so she could learn her scent. She kept her balance pretty well in the saddle. She wasn’t going to brag about it, though, and played it off. She didn’t want him to think she was bragging, that wasn’t the kind of girl she was.

“I’d like that very much.”

She followed the both of them outside into the sunlight and looked around. So this wasn’t his farm. She looked around and imagined his didn’t look very different.

“Six brothers? Oh my God. I don’t even have one.”

Her parents had opted never to have other children after she was born, a socially conscious decision she was later told. She wasn’t sure if she believed that not having a brother or sister was for the planet’s own good but it had certainly had its drawbacks when she was younger. It would have been nice to have a playmate and sympathizer.

Still, she had made due on her own.

William nodded and went about getting the saddle ready, talking to Odys as he worked, the horse remained patiently still while he worked. Soon he had the reins in hand and was leading them outside onto the small fenced in pasture that was attached to the stables. Nothing too big, usually the horses just gazed in the area, but sometimes they rode a bit in the pasture. Willie personally would prefer to go riding through the woods, but wasn’t sure KD was up for that.

“Alright, Odys is the calmest and sweetest horse in the stable, so you should be good to ride alone if you like, but I could also ride with you? It’s up to you.”

He held out the reins for her to take, he could easily go grab another horse, though Odys was everyones favorite. Such an easy horse.

KD was not stupid and would not pass up an opportunity to have him hold her under a perfectly legitimate premise. She blushed and shook her head. It wasn’t exactly a lie. She had never been on this horse before and was not used to its training or mannerisms. The assurance was one thing but it was safer to ride with someone that knew her, right?

“I’d feel better if you rode with me.”

Of course she knew she could put her foot in the stirrup and haul herself into the saddle but he really didn’t need to know that yet. Maybe at some other point if his parents actually bought a horse or two but not now.

She was hoping this was the start of a long friendship.

Willie nodded and smiled, transferring the reins to his opposite hand and holding the other out for her to take. “Alright, I can help you up and then I can get on too. We can ride around the pasture for a bit, then if you're feeling up to it ride in the woods for a bit. It’s a lot more exciting. I promise I won’t go too fast or anything. Odys might not like that anyway, ya know with two people on.”

William didn’t really think KD could have ulterior motives, but he didn’t really mind. This was a great afternoon and he was happy to have come across KD. He was horsebacking riding and going to check out an abandoned hospital with her. All in all, he really could have been more pleased. Not to mention, his silly self could make her blush and that was kind of amusing. Not that he had paid that too much attention.


He was glad he was drying, now, because he couldn’t imagine it would be the most comfortable ride if they were still both totally covered in river water. He was still damp of course, but he silently thanked the warmer day because his hindsight was kind of terrible.

KD gave herself away a little bit by refusing his offer of help and seating herself on the horse without much help. Her slight frame wasn’t much to haul onto a horse so the boost of having the stirrup worked just fine. Once she was settled she let him get on the horse himself, choosing if he wanted to be in front of her or behind. Behind was a bit more practical if he thought she didn’t know how to handle the animal but that was for him to decide.

“I don’t mind going fast.”

It was true, she often ran the horses at Miss Goddards. Some of the other girls thought she was mad and though it was a “finishing” summer camp, she was almost certain she would never be a lady in the way the head counselor thought she should be.

“If she wants to run, let her.”

William gave her a look of suspicion when she got up on the horse, but grinned after a minute and got up behind her, putting his arms around to hold the reins while still giving her room to do the same. He gave the command for Odys to move and settled as she started across the pasture.

“When we get out of the pasture she might want to and I’ll let her. But she’s not use to two people on, so we’ll see.”

She stirred her towards the pasture gate even though he had said they would stay in the pasture for a bit. KD seemed comfortable enough and Willie preferred the woods. He also like the idea of not getting caught by Mrs. Satchlyn, not that he wasn’t allowed to do what he was doing. He’d just rather she not gossip to his mother.

“I love horseback riding and well most things that involve animals. If I didn’t like technology so much I would probably be a vet. I have helped my dad with births before, baby calves are so wobbly!”

Odys continued forward without really needing much guidance and they were at the gate before they knew it. Odys had clearly done the before because she lined up with the gate so Willie could unlatch it without getting off and once it was open she took off running straight for the woods.

Willie laugh, “guess she doesn’t mind two people at all.”

KD leaned back against him and settled in, putting her hands over his on the reins. She wasn’t nervous on Odys’ back, quite the contrary. She was more nervous about him having his arms around her. She didn’t know anyone out here and wouldn’t worry about things like gossip. There was really nothing to gossip about, just the beginning of a friendship.

“I want to be an artist.”

It was all she’d ever wanted to do with her life, to create art that people could love and own. It was her greatest ambition and the only thing that her myriad shifts of focus could not dull. Everyone knew it. It was what she was meant to do.

She was patient as the horse plodded toward the gate and as he opened it. She wasn’t prepared for the burst of speed and let out a pleased squeal as the horse took off, laughing as they ran. She gripped his arms a little tighter, looking thrilled as they picked up speed. The woods looked inviting and from the way the animal was moving she was pretty sure Odys had taken this route one or two times before in her life.

The laughing didn’t stop as they streaked ahead.

Willie smiled, “you will have to show me some of your art some time. I bet its lovely. I would like to be an engineer. My parents seem happy with that. I love farm life, but I think I could be a great engineer.”

He leaned forward laughing along with KD as Odys took off. He needed to keep a good hold of the reins as he didn’t want to fall off or loose completely control. He urged her to go a little faster after a few moments and grinned at KD. “Glad to see you are enjoying the ride. Hang on tight okay, we going to go a little faster.”

The horse galloped along and for the most part Willie just let her go. At some point she ended up circling around and was headed back towards the farm, slowing to a trot the closer she got. By the time they were out of the woods she was sort of just meandering back to the pasture.

“That was fun. A really exciting afternoon.”

“Sure, sometime I’ll show you.”

KD just leaned back and enjoyed the ride, smiling all the way. As they galloped it wasn’t really feasible to talk so she just sat back and enjoyed the ride. By the time Odys was ready to get back to her pasture KD noticed the sun was sinking lower. She needed to get across town to get home. It would be easy to power up and sprint there.

“Yeah, it was a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

Before she could think otherwise she leaned up and kissed his cheek, jogging away from him quickly after that. She paused on the horizon.

“See you tomorrow, Westley!”