#bergen_county

Lady Ohmsford , the American Cream Draft horse, is the first to take a sniff of Dagmar's hand, gently, but also checking for carrots and then seeming almost embarrassed that she did. Shae's Truth moves with a lazily playful gait once he sees they are welcomed. He appraises them with intelligent eyes. Great Jax is a warrior, and he doesn't KNOW them. Oh he approaches, but he is clearly watching to make sure Dagmar and Dee are up to NO funny biz . If they could speak, Dagmar swears their words would be 'Welcome, friend' , 'Hey, who's this?' and 'And what are YOU up to?' respectively.

Dagmar smells of Star, of course. Of Star and leather and steel and weapons-oil and sweat.

One hand digs around her pouch, and it comes up with a sugar cube. "No apples on me."

They like the scent of her it seems, or at least tolerate, but then the cube comes out! Lady Ohmsford gives BIG eyes, almost puppy eyes. She's not pushy, but she's not above guilt tripping for a sugar cube. Shea's Truth almost bounces in place, tempted to work around and snitch the cube . Great Jax makes a sniff of the cube from where he is, and pushes on up a bit.

"Be nice. I have three." The Lady gets the first.

Dee chuckles "Well, they clearly have very different personalities." Wistfully she eyes Shae's Truth. She loves Moondance and he's a nimble one , but she has a weakness for nimble steeds.

She hands a cube to Dee and nods a little at the warmblood.

Dee smiles and takes it "Thanks" And lure Shae over. Shae's truth catches it in his teeth, throws it into the air, then takes it into his mouth, showing off

"Oh you showboat!" Dee grins

Lady Ohmsford got her first, but delicately, why she doesn't even leave any drool on Dagmar's hand

She also makes equine sounds and gestures of gratitude

Lady O gets scritches! "Jax reminds me of Stormwake."

Jax gets his, taking it fast and guardedly, but then warming up

"Oh yeah, he's a war horse and on guard. Very trollish" She nods

"If I were truly a martial knight - like the Branch, or a Rover, always fighting..."

Jax is not denied a gentle stroke on his nose. He might be a warrior, but he is also a horsie.

"Truly martial? Hey, I ALMOST Knocked you off... not martial enough?" Faux offended, but then she smiles. "But I get your point. He'd kill himself to make sure his rider lived in a fight"

Lady Ohmsford loves the skritches!

"I mean - I fight. I'm a knight and a Gwydion and a troll. But that's not...."

And Great Jax actually lowers his head to allow the gentle stroke, apparently deciding these two are no threat to his herd soon to be parted

"I mean, I'm good at it. Oh, Star would so make cow-eyes at this one."

"Don't worry, Dagmar, we're knights, eventually we get the dust kicked off, the glass broken, and we have to fight. And NEITHER of us is a wimp. I pity the idiot that forces you to take the kid gloves off" Dee considers Dagmar a friend and is not shy about her praise for her friends, even if she sometimes teases them. "We are frickin goddesses of mounted combat"

Indulgently, Lady Ohmsford will let the stallions take the front. It's not just demureness though, or subordinance, more like she has nothing to prove

"You should've seen me the first time I was on a horse."

The satyress pats Shae's Truth to go oer to Dagmar. The springy stallion goes up ready for HIS pets and strokes, thank you please.

Dagmar is generous and can provide plenty of attention and praise for such fine equines.

"Well, yes, you first struck me as a yeeter not a rider, but by then you'd at least hit demi goddess"

Snort. "Demi-goddess." Eye-roll.

Dee pets on Lady Ohmsford too, "Oh geez, you're too sweet for this world you big pale petunia" Hazard of Silverwolf, you start slipping flowers in your vocab

"Anyways, Blueberry was a draft-cross. Big gentle giant of a horse."

"Good starting horse" She says of Blueberry "Your teacher?"

"She is a very good horse." She nods. "Chief is the one who really taught me how to ride - that was before we got Star, so Stormwake was the only horse at the lodge."

"I've seen your Chief joust on Stormwake, they're a natural force together, like a hurricane" With respect "Star is speed, Stormwake is raw power." She eyes the three horses before them again appraising what THEY bring to any stable

"I've fought on Stormwake. He deems me acceptable."

If I had won, I wonder which one Baron Aiden would have wanted? She thinks. She knows which one she favors but she also knows that Moondance is already an agile dancer of a horse, and might be seen as...redundant.

"Course he does, you're a warrior"

"Right. But his restrictions have caused problems in the past."

"AH, his 'code of honor' is problematic.. aka he can be a snob" Dee says with out malice towards Stormwake "Some would say that's a perk, prevents horse thieves etc, but I get you. If only there were some way we could find out if any of these horses has that same problem," She then looks to the Stablemaster "Good Stablemaster, do these horses get picky on who rides them in anyway?" Then she winks at Dagmar

The Stablemaster smiles, "Oh lord, not so much. Lady Ohmsford will let anyone ride her if they be not cruel. Now Shae's Truth is always happy to go out for a slow walk or a playful romp, but if you do the latter, best be a GOOD rider or he might lose you while trying a high leap at a fast pace. He's not a beginer horse in that regard. Jax is... well, odd" he admits "Fellow will let others get on him, but when a childling does it, he freezes up abit until told by an adult it is okay. "

She's back to petting Lady O.

"That is responsible enough - Friesians are a long fall for a kid."

"Aye, he's got no problem stomping Thallian, as is proper, but I think he's afraid the little childlings are breakable which I suppose many are" The stable master says

"Okay, I'm starting to like Great Jax too," Dee admits, "You're not just a pretty boy guardian are you? You're a bit of a softie" She grins at the fancy big horse

Great Jax will not dignify that accusation with a response!

"You think your Baron is seeking new horseflesh?"

Lady Ohmsford rewards the petting she's getting with a light 'boop' on Dagmar's face with her own muzzle

"Always" Dee says, then admits "But I'm not sure it's in the budget ,and ther'es the whole ailil gwyd rivalry"

A flash of a lopsided smile. "Good girl."

"So, denying a Gwyd..."

"I mean, your count might charge too much" She explains "Because my liege is Ailil"