Riding with Korra

[not_his_pa]

His brother's at school and his mother's in town doing some errands when William opens a door to Milliways in the barn.

He props it open with a rock before going to look for Korra.

Comments

[gottadealwithit]

Korra is in the stables, where she's been brushing Naga down after their morning's run and hunt. By the time William finds her, she's at a faucet, washing polar-bear dog off her face and hands.

She looks over when he comes in, and swirls the water from her hand in an arc into the leather pouch on her belt.

"Everything set?"

[not_his_pa]

He watches the water and then nods, "Yes, I've got a door to our barn and no one's around."

[gottadealwithit]

"Great!"

She watches his gaze down to the pouch on, misunderstands the meaning, and explains:

"I don't intend to do any waterbending, but better to be prepared, right? Earthbending uses the ground and firebending creates fire, but sometimes there's no water to hand.

"Do I need to change clothes?"

[not_his_pa]

"Oh right, just haven't seen it done. No, you should be fine as long as you're comfortable riding in that,"

It looks like she should be.

[gottadealwithit]

Korra's grin says that yes, she will be, and she walks out to join him.

"I'm excited," she tells him. "I've never ridden a horse."

[not_his_pa]

"Do you have horses on your world?"

He walks through the door from the stables to his family barn, which is smaller, its also hotter in Arizona. There are two horses saddled up and he gestures to one of them for her.

[gottadealwithit]

"No," she says. "We have ostrich-horses and horse-bats, but no plain horses.

"Oh, I've ridden Pinky Pie, does that count?"

While she's talking she's turning slowly around, looking up and around at the barn. It is hotter here, and she's glad she's not wearing a coat today.

Then she approaches the horse indicated. "Hey, you," she says to it, and scratches its nose. "What's your name?"

[not_his_pa]

William blinks as he thinks of Pinkie Pie and then Korra on top of her, he's not even sure what those other creatures would look like,

"Its somethin'. This is Tumbleweed."

[gottadealwithit]

"Hi, Tumbleweed."

Korra continues to rub her nose to get to know her, and then moves backwards, patting her flank. She's not used to the kind of tack that Tumbleweed's wearing, and stops to investigate that as well.

This results on her fingering the bridle and giving William a questioning look.

[not_his_pa]

"Somethin' wrong?" He's waiting in case she needs help mounting.

[gottadealwithit]

Eventually Korra shakes her head. "No."

It's just tighter than she usually uses.

She pats Tumbleweed again, and with her hand on her withers, leaps up from a standing start, landing lightly on the saddle. She then leans down and pats her mount again.

[not_his_pa]

"Good,"

Once she's settled, William mounts Les and heads out of the barn door into the day.

[gottadealwithit]

Korra watches how he uses the tack he has and follows suit, picking the reins up lightly and nudging Tumbleweed to go forward.

"Com'on, girl."

Tumbleweed doesn't respond at first, and Korra frowns. Animals on her world usually respond easily.

[not_his_pa]

When she doesn't immediately follow, William looks behind him at her, "Have to be firmer."

Tumbleweed's a cowboy's horse without the gentlest training and used to a stronger hand. She's also Mark's horse so it won't take much more.

[gottadealwithit]

"Thanks," Korra says. She leans forward, takes a shorter rein and nudges Tumbleweed harder.

"Com'on Tumbleweed, let's go."

This time, Tumbleweed walks forward to meet William and his horse, and Korra smiles.

"Atta girl."

[not_his_pa]

When she meets him, William closes the barn door and then starts forward,

"We'll ride out to the stream on the land and then come back."

That way he can check the cattle as well as riding.

[gottadealwithit]

"Alright."

She's getting the hang of this animal, now. Korra is able to slow her down, but more importantly, she responds better when asked to pick up the pace, so Korra turns her in a loose circle while waiting for William, then falls in beside him.

"Is it always do hot here?"

[not_his_pa]

"Sometimes it rains a lot and it gets cold at night,"

Its not a mix of weather and he heads out, starting at a walk and he'll slowly pick up the pace depending on how comfortable she looks.

[gottadealwithit]

Korra is perfectly comfortable, as it happens. She walks beside him, relaxed with her hands down on Tumbleweed's back.

"Not as cold as the South Pole, I bet."

[not_his_pa]

"I'd think few places are,"

He picks up the pace to a trot until they start to run across some of the cattle who turn and stare at them, then go back to eating.

[gottadealwithit]

Trotting isn't a comfortable position to be sitting in! Korra ends up standing up slightly in her stirrups to protect her butt. It also helps her turn around and look at the cattle in return.

"Are those cows?"

[not_his_pa]

Its not and he moves to a canter which is a little nicer,

"Yes, we raise them for beef."

[gottadealwithit]

Korra grins, and is pleased to find that Tumbleweed only need a little urging to join him.

"Thought so. They look like pig-cows, only without the pig."

She leans forward over Tumbleweed's neck, her pony tails bouncing against her shoulders.

[not_his_pa]

"How big are pig-cows?"

As they keep riding, there are more cattle since the ground's a bit greener.

[gottadealwithit]

"Smaller than these," she admits. "Maybe two thirds the size?"

[not_his_pa]

"Huh, so closer to the size of pigs. Which end's which?"

[gottadealwithit]

"The head's where they're piggier."

[not_his_pa]

He almost says that sounds weird but he probably doesn't need to say it.

As they come to a flatter stretch of ground, he says, "Want to go for a gallop?"

[gottadealwithit]

Korra grins at him.

"Do I ever? C'mon, Tumbleweed."

She leans forward, shakes her reins out and gives Tumbleweed her head, urging her on with her feet.

Tumbleweed doesn't need much more encouragement.

[not_his_pa]

As she heads off, he presses his heels to Les and with a whoop heads off, he knows the safest places to gallop here.

[gottadealwithit]

Korra doesn't know the area, but she trusts Tumbleweed, and initial communication problems aside, she's really good with animals.

They gallop onwards, and after one turn towards William to check they're keeping up, Korra just folds herself over Tumbleweed's neck, grinning into the wind.

[not_his_pa]

He's keeping up with her as a few cows moo at them as they go by. Times like this are why he loves riding.

[gottadealwithit]

Korra stops paying attention to both William and the cows for a while, as her world becomes the horse beneath her and the air around her.

She grins into the wind, and lets Tumbleweed run flat out, going where she likes.

Only after a long sprint does the horse choose to slow down.

[not_his_pa]

William gallops not far from, keeping an eye out for any dangers but also just enjoying the ride.