Nika at 14:59, 16 June 2009

2009-06-16T14:59:11Z

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WHO: Nika, Christian

For the past several days, Nika has taken Christian only as far as the
paddock to ride. She's been teaching him the basics of horseback riding
and letting him get to know the horses -- each one's a little different
in temperament, just like people. Today, though, as she brings two
horses out of the stable, she grins slightly. "Gonna go a bit farther
today. Nala says the west fence line needs to be checked, we're pretty
sure there's a hole. So you can ride with me and we'll see what all
you've learned today. Watch out for snakes," she tells him as she hands
him the reins to a bay and then swings up on a mahogany-colored gelding.

Christian takes a moment to admire the bay and then nods. "Okay. Try not
to kill me, please." He says to the horse. Then he swings up, managing
to get up and into the saddle smoothly enough. "Snakes are bad. Holes
are bad. Got it."

Nika laughs at him and turns the horse to head out onto the flat
grasslands of her family's property. On her horse is a set of saddlebags
along with a pommel scabbard for her rifle, which nestles comfortably
near her knee, and a rope. "You're a crack-up," she tells Christian.
"You're not doing too bad. Assuming your client's not an idiot and wants
to do something stupid like run the horses in the dark, you'll be fine."
As they ride, Nika looks out over the landscape, taking in the horizon,
the cloud patterns, and the state of the hay as they ride past it.

Apropos of nothing, really, she comments quietly as she rides, "My
father worked this land his whole life. Nala's had some tough times lately."

"I don't think she wants to race." Christian says, thinking of the
client for a moment, and what he's learned about her. He looks up at the
sky, then focuses on not falling off the horse. He rides in
companionable silence until Nika speaks again. "You think if you had
been here, she wouldn't be selling off the herd and land in order to pay
off debts."

A glance is slanted at Christian, and Nika pushes the cowboy hat on her
head back a bit. She's taken to wearing her hair in a long braid down
her back since they arrived instead of tying it up under itself as she
does on the ship, and the bottom of the braid swings around nearly
brushing the saddle as she looks at him. "I don't know," she replies
honestly, blue eyes turning back to the fence they're approaching. As
they near it, she turns her horse at right angles to the fence and
starts to follow it, checking the strands visually as they go. "Probably
not. Not like anything *I* could have done while I was here would have
brought in the kind of money she needs."

"I'm glad you realize that. A lot of people let guilt blind reason."
Christian says as he urges his horse to turn. To her credit, she does
after balking only once. "Have you considered selling her your share of
the ranch?"

"Nope." There's a tone of finality to Nika's voice. "She wouldn't have
the money to buy me out even if I was interested. And what the hell kind
of message does that give her? 'Here, take it, I ain't comin back!',
that's what."

"Are you?" Christian asks. "Do you think there will magically be a day
when you no longer want to fly and can settle down on land?"

She laughs quietly. "I don't know," Nika admits honestly. Usually after
about two weeks here, I start hankering for a run. But... it's home."

Christian smiles at that. "A safe place where you know you belong. I
understand." He glances at the ground, looking for snakes, "It sounds
like we might have to come back here for a wedding, eventually."

"Yeah. Not sure how I feel about that one," Nika admits as they ride.
She pulls to a stop near the fence, leaning down off the horse to test
the top strand. Seemingly satisfied with it, she resumes their course up
the fence line. "Larry's a good guy. I jumped to some conclusions when
we got here, but... I really should have known better. Daddy trusted the
Johanssens."

"You had a bad experience and weren't told complete truths. Your
sister's own view was colored by her problems.." Christian pulls on the
reigns gently, "Stop, please." The horse takes two steps extra before
coming to a halt. When it is time to start again, the steed only delays
a few seconds before follow behind Nika and her geldling. "Does she know
about Arden?"

Pulling her horse to a stop and turning in her saddle to face him, Nika
tilts her head. "Yeah... she cornered me in the kitchen to ask about
him." She hesitates, her body language giving off her own uncertainty
about that whole thing too. "I asked him to keep it off the ship for
now," she says, scanning restlessly while the horse dances a little
beneath her. "Not sure how it's gonna work out."

Christian pulls to a stop. He looks at Nika, his eyes meeting her's.
"Your business. His, too. Not mine. I'll just say this and let it go. He
needs to know your heart belongs to someone else up front. A sexual
relationship between friends depends on honesty. Without it, the
feelings develop into something... troublesome."

Nika smiles at that. "I was up front to start with -- that I wasn't
looking for permanent. Ain't about heart belonging to someone else.
Just.... not sure what he really wants. He says he wants to have a good
time, and that it's ... I dunno, friends with benefits." She grins at
Christian and starts them riding again, seeming more comfortable talking
while they move. Up ahead, a spot in the fence draws her attention and
she heads for it. "He said it wouldn't get sticky." She's not sure she
believes that.

Christian follows along, working on controlling his horse while keeping
his hat on his head. "Managing relationships is a skill, like any other.
It requires practice to master." He doesn't say anything else, but the
unspoken is clear enough. Arden doesn't have a lot of practice.

Stopping her horse at a hole in the fence, Nika climbs down and pulls
out a skein of wire from her saddlebag with her gloved hands. She looks
up at Christian and asks, "You trying to tell me it's a bad idea, or
telling me to be careful with him?" She moves to stretch the wire to
repair the hole while he talks.

Christian unhooks his foot from one stirrup, pulls his leg up and over
and then lowers himself to the ground. "How many presents has he given
you and how expensive were they?"

Nika hesitates, glancing at him. "Two... and one of 'em definitely not
cheap." She reaches into the saddlebag with one hand to pull out wire
cutters, and then goes back to tying off the span of wire she want on
the one side.

Christian watches as Nika repairs the wire in the fence. "Friends give
gifts on holidays, on birthdays... lovers give gifts to court someone."

Her hands don't stop their work, though there's a definite hesitation.
"You think he's trying to get serious?" she asks him quietly as she
starts stringing the wire.

"I think..." Christian pauses to put his thoughts in order. "I think he
comes from a culture without much of a concept of love or romance so his
understanding of how to act in a situation like this is limited. He
might need to learn how to separate sex and romance."

Nika pulls hard, stringing the piece of wire tightly between the posts
and struggling to get it tied off. It's been a couple years since she
did this kind of thing, and the strain in her arms and face are clear,
but she wrestles it to where she wants it and ties it off, clipping the
end efficiently. "I don't want to lead him on." She glances at him. "I
don't know why you think it's a matter of being all 'in love' with
someone else or something. It's a matter of practicalities. .. if it
goes south with us, it impacts the ship, and that bothers me."

"I don't think that. I just..." Christian considers and shakes his head.
"I think this is something the two of you will have to manage. I've said
my piece. I worry about both of you."

With a grimace, Nika brings the wire and cutters back to her saddlebag
and packs them up. "If you see things hitting the fan, I'd be much
obliged if you actually had a conversation with him, Christian. I don't
want to hurt him," she says, finally looking at him. "I won't lie to
him, and I won't expect him to just know stuff. But I'm uncomfortable
enough with the idea that we're talking about a guy who ain't got much
experience, you know? I don't want him to think it's somethin' it
ain't," she tells him, her distress at the idea showing only in the
improper grammar and the drawl that accompanies it.

Christian nods. "I suppose I should talk to him." He says, "For now,
perhaps you should just tell him, gently, that you don't need gifts.
Just his company?"

Relief shows in the blue eyes before she turns her attention to the
saddle. "If that'll help, I will," she tells him as she climbs back up.
"Let's keep moving. We got few enough cattle at this point that losin'
'em to the neighbors' herds is a bigger deal than usual. Especially when
they're calvin'."

Christian mounts up again, a little more smoothly this time. "I don't
know if it will." He's honest. "But I think moving away from the
trappings of a suitor courting a lady might help fix things better in
his mind. And your's."

Nika kicks her mount into motion, her agitation communicating itself to
the horse and reflecting the somewhat faster pace that they set this
time. "I'm not worried about my mind," she tells him. Although maybe
it's a lie, she's forced to reflect. Still, saying it out loud is as
good as convincing yourself.

Christian just gives Nika the look. The "you aren't fooling me. I hope
you aren't fooling yourself" look. After that, though, he focuses. The
faster pace means he has to keep all his attention on the ride.

Nika ignores the look, glancing occasionally to be sure Christian's
doing okay with the slightly faster pace. "And don't gimme that look,
you. I never said I knew what the hell I'm doing." She grins a bit as
they ride on.

Riding the Fence - Revision history

Nika at 14:59, 16 June 2009