Lorelei stared at the girls riding their horses with a slight twinge of envy.  It looked a bit like fun, or diverting from the tedious doldrums of the school.  She wanted her bike but that was long gone.  She wasn't stupid, no matter what her sister thought, Lorelei knew what had happened.  She wondered if she needed a horse to join the riding club.  That'd be an annoying message to Kari, she'd probably ask for one anyway.  She frowned.  A horse would be a pale imitation of her old bike.  You couldn't control a horse.  You could tell it to go places and it would, but it's not like a high octane thrill ride.  She scratched at the back of her neck.  She was starting to get the feeling that she might be mildly allergic to something on the school grounds, probably the horses knowing her luck.  She wouldn't be able to ride anything.  Lorelei leaned against the wooden beams and sighed.  This wasn't helping.

She'd been feeling cooped up in her little dorm room so she'd stepped out into the spring air.  As it turned out, the air was very windy and she'd had to tie up her hair into a bun when even her normal ponytail whipped around like an angry snake and smacked her in the face one too many times.  On the plus side, she'd decided not to wear the uniform and was spared the embarrassment of having her skirt blown every which way.  Instead she wore a pair of worn jeans and a green windbreaker.  She scratched at her neck again.  Maybe, she thought to herself, if I stand here looking interested enough, somebody with a horse will come over and invite me into this whole event, horse or not.  That's how it had worked back home.  She clenched her teeth and forced thoughts of home out of her mind.  Home was gone, Kari had seen to that. 

The sky was clear, the breeze smelling of new growth. Exactly what Zephyra needed today. She lifted her chin and let the sun's warm rays wash over her pale skin. A soft sigh parted her lips as she made her way toward the stables, booted feet taking careful steps. She was just about to skirt around the corral when a stand alone figure caught her attention. So, instead of continuing on she moved over to her side and rested her forearms on the fence.

"Do you enjoy watching or waiting for an invitation?"

The redhead had been to more than her fair share of horse shows to see the signs of longing and anticipation on an admirer's features. Her crimson gaze swiveled from the girl to the few girls that were riding about the large ring.

"You know they have horses that belong to the school you could ride, if you were so inclined."

Lore turned her gaze to the new arrival. Her eyes narrowed at the tall redhead, what an impertinent thing to say. "I am watching." she said curtly and looked away. "I am not lucky to ride a horse before." Her accent had thinned out quite a bit but she still hadn't managed to wrestle full control over the language. "There is not a reason to ride a horse. They are difficult and they are what is maybe making myself sick right now." She looked out on the fields at the horses and riders. It wasn't really fair at all, she thought and sighed.

She really did want to ride a horse, not that she'd admit it. Despite their status as a pale imitation of a real motorbike, she wanted to feel that rush again. High speed with the wind blowing her hair, out in the open with nothing in her way. Though the school was hardly a true wide open plain. A prison was more accurate but any fleeting moment of freedom would have to be grasped and held on to like a valuable treasure.

Zeph linked her fingers together and lifted a slender leg to rest her foot against the bottom rung of the fencing. She smiled lightly at her indignant reply and turned her head so her braid fell over her shoulder. "I see. You seemed as if you were watching with a purpose and I've been around shows enough to recognise the longing in your eyes."

Her crimson gaze turned back to the riders as one cleared one of the hurtles and she silently applauded them in her mind before speaking again.

"Horses are no more difficult than a dog or cat. They are intelligent animals that require a certain amount of respect, I will give you that. But they are far more gentle at heart than what most people credit them with. What they don't understand is a horse is not something you own, it isn't a possession to be used. They are a partner and friend." Her hands unclasped to grip the fence and she leaned back, her Gaelic lit causing her words to sound dreamy as she once again looked to the sky.

"There is a reason horses were the best way of transportation before cars and were used in warfare. Not only their strength and speed, but their willingness to protect their rider with their own life. I mean, out of all the animals on the planet, why were horses picked to carry humans?"

She shrugged and finally detached herself from the fence and turned from the girl. Her head twisted so she was speaking over her shoulder.

"If you would like to join me, I'm heading for the stables. I was thinking of riding myself today, but I can give you a few pointers if that will make you more comfortable. You'll never know if you are allergic unless you get close, though. So what have you got to lose, Miss?"

The Gael slid her hands into her pockets and started around the corral without waiting for a response.

Lore listened as the girl talked. She was incredibly passionate about horses, that was obvious, and even if Lore didn't exactly understand everything she said, the meaning could be understood easily. Horses were special, they were pets that you could ride. Sadly otters would never grow to that size. "Because they were big enough? People ride..." she stopped, here was a word she couldn't remember. "Big grey like horse with long nose and ears." It was the best she could do. "Also ride donkeys back home. People ride the animal around big enough to riding."

That made more sense. It seemed like in all the animal training stuff she had read, people domesticated the animals that were useful. Horses were useful but they weren't native to her home certainly. People rode them because they were already being ridden when they were brought over on the boats. It wasn't as if horses were some divine thing to ride, and they went wild super quick when they escaped. That was the most exciting part.

And then the girl started walking away. The offer was there, Lore could follow her, could see the horses. And possibly ride them too. It was what she had been hoping for. "I guess I don't have anything to do better today." She said and stuck her hands in her pockets. "And I can find out if I'm allergic."