The Gig: Thursday [2-12-09]

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen was here early to make sure she got all of her chores taken care of before Triela got there to ride. She felt completely in her element here and the horses always seemed to respond to her emotions and buoy her up.

The Gig was open!

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[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela arrived shortly after lunch. She had spent the morning productively and figured that whatever Helen's daily duties she would have had a chance to complete them by lunch.

So, there she was, dressed in a nice suit and a pair of calf-length leather boots. She looked slightly out of her element.

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

The horses told Helen someone was approaching, so she headed out to the main area, smiling shyly when she saw Triela. "Hello," she said. "I wasn't sure you'd come."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"I said I would," Triela said simply. As if that should have been enough.

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen nodded. It was enough of an answer. "So... would you like to come to the stables and meet the horses?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Is that where you usually start?" Triela asked stiffly.

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

"Start?" Helen asked curiously.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Do first? Like I said, animals aren't really my field of expertise."

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

"Oh. Yes," Helen said. "First you'll come to the stables so you can get used to them and they to you. Don't worry. The horses here are very understanding."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Okay," Triela nodded and straightened. "Lead the way."

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen led the way into the stable, letting the horses know as they approached that Triela was a bit new to all this. They politely came to the front of their stalls to see her, calmly watching.

"They are quite friendly."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela stood at Helen's shoulder and looked around slowly. "They seem very well-behaved," she concurred, unsure of what she should be doing.

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen went over to the first horse, who obligingly poked her head over the stall, and beckoned Triela over.

"She loves having her face and ears stroked," Helen told her and demonstrated. "They're big, but they won't hurt you. Especially not if I tell them too be careful around you."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela reached out a gloved hand to follow Helen's example. "I'm not worried about them hurting me."

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

"Well, good then," Helen said. She was carefully chunking up a couple of apples. "Would you like to give her a treat?"

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"If you think I should," Triela said diffidently. She was curious, but not enraptured by the horses.

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

Helen shrugged. "You don't have to, but it's a nice gesture and they remember it." She took one of the apple pieces and held it out to the mare - hand and fingers flat so they wouldn't accidentally get nibbled.

"Just don't curl your fingers up."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Do they take that as a threat?" Triela asked curiously.

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

"No, but they might mistake your fingers for part of the food," Helen explained. "Their mouths are much bigger than our hands."

She giggled as the mare nudged her shoulder teasingly. "I didn't mean it in a bad way," she told the horse.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela cocked her head. "Did she say something?"

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

"Sort of," Helen said. "It's kind of hard to explain. It's sort of an image or feeling. Not words like we speak. She sort of said maybe my mouth was too tiny."

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Your mouth looks to be average size to me," Triela said in all seriousness.

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

"Not if I was a horse," Helen said with a grin.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"But you're not." Obviously.

Triela's lip may have twitched ever so slightly in amusement.

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

"What gave me away?" Helen asked with as serious a face as she could manage.

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

"Your mouth is too small."