#bergen_county

A laugh. "Kinda."

"When I grow up, I want my own horse, I think."

"Most girls do." Assuredly.

Eyebrow.

"They do!" He insists.

"Well, horses are pretty great. When I'm riding, it just feels... right, you know? Don't worry bout nuthin'."

"Uhhh..... Yeah."

"Don't you have anything like that?"

He grins, looks at her. "Yeah."

"Yeah? Basketball?"

"That too." Like the cat that got the canary.

"Okay..." Less than certain, but a smile.

His expression eases. "Just teasing, Sam. Sorry." Another cocky grin. "Not-sorry."

"You are so not!"

"And maybe you don't need to be."

"No?"

"Nope. Don't have to be sorry."

He watches her eyes. "Maybe I'll try horseback riding sometime."

She grins. "You should! I wish I could get you to the farm - I'm not sure if the bridge is safe, but oh - Gerd! Gerd could help? I do lessons there with Stormwake... I bet you could ride Blueberry... I can ask!"

"The Farm? What's that?"

"Where Sally Mae's from."

"It's another Lodge. Oh, and Teaneck in just a few weeks, for Pennons..."

"Yeah? She grew up with a lot of other trolls and kinain, she said. That makes sense. And yeah, Teaneck sounds cool."

"You know, if you can."

"Well, I'll need permission to take you to the Farm... I don't know their folks as well as the ones here, y'know?"

"...Maybe I could get Sally Mae to help."

"Doesn't have to be a big deal, Sam. I mean, if it's a hassle, don't sweat it." He shrugs. "I get it."

"Well, Stormwake is particular and I don't know if Star is ready to be ridden yet..."

"...I call her Star, I mean. I don't know her real name."

"Maybe that'll be her name, then."

"Maybe!"

Adam is watching her, seeing her; not so much the lights anymore.

"Connor's bio-dad was here, and he's a real dick. He didn't want Star because she's not "perfect." Same thing with the kid... like... how can you not like Connor?"

"So we have her now, and I'm gonna show her she can trust me." Determined.

"Conner's confusing but he seems ok. Sweet." Adam agrees.

"Pooka are confusing." Agrees.

"Not their fault, really. They have to lie, so they ding all the time."

"Kinda makes you crazy?"

"Kinda."

"I mean, I sure wasn't expecting to be a knight, let alone a Gwydion one..."

A pause. "Hey, can I ask something? If it's weird just say so."

"Shoot."

"Can I touch your horns?" Sheepish.

"Sure?"

Fascinated, he reaches up to gently touch, then stroke, each horn, taking his time to explore.

Dagmar finds herself blushing, and has gone quite still. "Oh, that's a weird feeling."

"Bad?" His touch pauses, lessens.

"No. Just... weird? Not bad, it's nice. Kinda."

"Ok. Tell me if you want to stop." His touch comes back, stronger,

Then, slowly eases off to touch her hair.... and done. "Thanks." Softly. "They're cool."