Valerie tightened her death grip on Floyd’s mane. She would have to pull her hair back if she wanted to see anything. But she didn’t. She was flying blind – literally – on the back of an erratic cyberquine who, although he was a bit smoother this time, was clearly not used to ferrying humans on his back.
Everything made her heart beat faster. Her chest was tight. She felt weak everywhere except her limbs, which clung to him enough to cause discomfort, but she couldn’t help it. Was there enough air up here for her?
She hardly felt or heard anything but the wind rushing past her ears. Alone with her thoughts, she realized she was flying under the ocean, and it must have been an awesome sight. Even if she couldn’t see any wildlife, it would have been incredible. Maybe she could risk a peek.
Valerie tilted her head back, and felt her hair start to fly out behind her. She took a few shuddering breaths in an attempt to brace herself. And tried to open her eyes as wide as they would go. She was just in time to see a whale, grey or blue or anything else, she had no idea, float out of the water enough to blow out to breathe. Once they had made it out of the blast radius, Valerie opened her eyes again. It had been worth it.
There were no more direct hits, but Valerie smiled every time she saw a whale come down to breathe. She supposed it made sense. Most of the oxygen was probably on this side, if the ocean really had taken the place of the atmosphere. Even with the evidence right in front of her, it was a struggle to believe it.
She felt Moira squeeze her tighter. Her shout registered barely more than a whisper.
“I KNOW!”
Somehow, with Valerie’s greatest fears shoved right in front of her, it felt like they were kids again. Just them, racing through the woods on horseback. Valerie dared to let go of Floyd’s mane to try and touch the water.
And that was when Floyd dropped his head.
Valerie’s heart leapt back into her throat as she scrambled to reclaim her death grip on this absent minded equine. Just like that moment when you pause at the top of a roller coaster, and then the surge of adrenaline. She didn’t remember to close her eyes as the ground grew closer. She just locked into place and hoped nothing else would be asked of her.
The landing wasn’t much better this time. Moira landed on top of Valerie, who was fine with being an airbag for her friend. She was on the ground now. So much better. Grass! She never knew how much she liked it. She might as well be a horse if she liked it this much.
“This isn’t an aquarium.” Floyd walked to one side of the house and looked behind it. Thankfully, they were out in the kind of neighborhood that had miles long roads and three neighbors. “This guy must commute. I haven’t really done anything tourist-y here.”
“Have you ever heard of shock absorbers?” Valerie coughed. Floyd looked back at her with that mildly irritating look of wonder at what really should have been obvious.
“Brandy?” Floyd was guessing. Again. “That’s what you use for shock, right?”
“Not so much.” Moira helped her up. “Val, I think you’ll have to explain.”
They looked over at the front of the house. One of them would have to go knock on the door. Floyd went over and sniffed the frame.
“I should just about fit.” He gave an excited nicker and looked back at them. “Well, go on.”
Valerie stepped forward, then turned back to Moira.
“I think he means you.”
“Whatever.” Moira’s steps were heavy. She rapped the door with her practiced hand. The door inched open, then was pulled wide.
“VetPro96?” The man stepped a little closer. Moira moved to the side to bring attention to her entourage.
“And company.” She gestured toward them. “This is Valerie, and that’s Floyd.”
“You…came on horseback?” The man blinked behind his glasses, and remembered his manners. He shook her hand. “I’m Orson Weeks, and I understand you want information on WAC?”
“He calls it ‘whack’, too!” Valerie pumped her fist, and she spun in one celebratory circle. She crab-walked over to Floyd and patted his shoulder.
“And Floyd would like to come in, too, please.”
Orson ducked his head to see Floyd’s face from under the porch.
“He seems a bit big…” It was all Orson could say in response to such an unusual request. “Is he… housetrained?”
“Sort of.” Valerie reached up to tug on a bit of his forelock. “Head down.”
Floyd let out a slow breath and pulled his ears back. He was not flattered by this discussion. Valerie looked back at Orson.
“Where would you like him to poop?”
“Um…” He surveyed the area for a suitable spot. “Other side of that tree?”
Valerie pretended to whisper a command to Floyd, and he walked off to do his business.
Any excess weight he could expel could only help him to fit through the door. Valerie remembered his stats from the auction. 19 Hands, 2,400 Pounds. He looked lean enough to get in, but at the end of the day, big is big.
Valerie held the door open for him. He bent his knees to duck under the header and moved forward. After he got his flank inside, he was quite proud of himself. He stood tall. And bumped his head on the ceiling.
Floyd seemed determined to get his way, but the fact remained, this was a small hallway. He couldn’t make the turn into any of the rooms. Valerie could tell he was getting frustrated.
“Whatever you do, do NOT stomp your foot on these floors. He’d never forgive that.”
Floyd huffed and bent his head, resigning himself to the conversation.
“You’re sure?” He started to inch his way backward.
“Well, at the very least, his landlord would take it out of his deposit.”
Valerie did her best to give him the room he needed to back out.
“But I just made a deposit behind his tree.”
“Not that kind of – NO!” Valerie covered her forehead and stared at the ceiling. “You have much to learn about humans.”
