Chapter 24: Horse Hooves and Hushed Whispers, Part 1

I love the images and I love Bjornson. Can't wait to see what happens..

This is amazing 💗💗💗

Doing great work with both images and narration

Fairbairn chuckled. “You're not a burden, Sergeant. Just hold on tight and we’ll be fine.” She mounted Starfire and then she helped Bjornsson up. With some effort Isolde’s and Edward’s help, Gunner settled in to the saddle.

He gave a thumbs up. “Alright, Sergeant, you can hold on to my waist and we'll be off,” said Fairbairn. Bjornsson did as instructed, and Fairbairn gave him a reassuring smile.

Edward quickly mounted Thunder. “Since it will take Starfire some time to get up to speed, I will let you set the pace.”

“Fair enough,” Fairbairn said. She nudged her heels and Starfire started to move. Fairbairn guided Starfire out of the stable and through the village in a walk. Once they cleared the village, Isolde urged Starfire to go on faster. Edward followed suit, and together, the three set off for the Stargate.

“Agreed,” said Edward. “Now let's find a horse that can support the weight of you two.” After careful consideration Edward chose a dark Shire mare for the two to ride. He motioned for the Scott and then Norwegian to come. “This is Starfire,” said Edward. “Let me get the right saddle for her.” He returned to the tack room and returned with the right saddle. He handed it to Isolde who saddled the horse with some assistance from a nervous Bjornson.

When they were ready to go, Gunnar turned to Fairbairn. “Thank you,” he said softly. “I'll try not to be much of too much of a burden.”

Fairbairn ran her fingers through Thunder's mane; the horse gave a soft whinny. “Hello. Are you ready to go for a ride?” she asked the horse. Thunder nodded whinnied again. Bjornson stood by, his towering frame made the horses look small in comparison. Noticing his unease, Fairbairn offered him a reassuring smile. “Bjornson, have you ever ridden a horse before?”

The Norwegian shook his head. No, ma'am. These creatures were not a part of my training. If I may be honest, Squadron Leader, I'm scared of them.”

Edward overheard their conversation. “No worries, Gunner. These creatures are very gentle and sturdy. But given your size, it's best to ride with someone else.” “Bjornson, you can ride with me,” said Fairbairn. It'll be safer and more efficient for us to travel this way.