Horsing around (Iris/invite)

[Zodiac]

"Don't say I didn't warn you." the gypsy's thoughts brushed Iris' as they traded reigns. Zodiac still had to levitate a bit to get on Chopin's back. She took a second to adjust to the subtle differences of Iris' saddle while she reached out and patted the neck of the horse reassuringly. "Is okay, big guy. Your mama's just checking something out of me."

One moment Iris and Dimitri was there, the next there was a cloud of dust. "I warned you!" she shouted after the rapidly moving blob of darkness as she encouraged Chopin to give chase. Despite the situation, she marveled how easy the horse handled as he began to close the gap between them. "That's it, baby boy. Let's catch up to mama." Chopin poured on the speed as if understanding her thoughts. Zodiac began to debate what she could do once she got close enough to matter. Stopping runaway horses was not something in her skill sets. The girl just hung on tight and let the animal do his thing as her jumped the downed trees. Dimitri was heading to a pond of some sort. "If I ran like he does, I'd be thirsty by now too."

Her jaw dropped as the black mountain came to a sudden stop and send Iris flying *** over tin cup out and into the dark water. "So that's what I looked like? Lovely!"

Chopin stopped smoothly under the girl's urging. Zodiac dismounted as the horse took advantage of the pond and began to drink. She approached Dimitri who was enjoying a drink and standing there without a care in the world. took off her hat and swatted the animal with it while giving the horse a glare that would freeze any vampire dead in its tracks.

"BAD HORSE!" she shouted in English and Romany as she waked out across the surface of the pond to where her childe was trying to compose and organize herself.

"I did warn you, love. Think I am talking out my *** now? That's not 'vitamins' at work there. Just pure ego in that big lump." Zodiac grabbed the girl and pulled her upright and then up out of the water. "Focus love," she encouraged her. She knew her child could water walk as well as she could, so she held the dripping woman till she got her bearings.

"I think we could make money out of this," she laughed as they made their way back to where the two horses waited. She kept a grip on Iris to be sure she was okay. "We make a para-sail harness for the rider and put them on Dimitri. Let him pick up speed and do his sudden stop, the rider is suddenly airborne and can do a small air tour of the city. Three hundred bucks a pop easy, or more!"

She hugged her child despite the cold and wet when they got back on solid ground. "I am sorry you got an unscheduled bath, love, but now you know first hand what I went thought earlier. At least you got the soft landing for your troubles."

"Now what are we going to do with you?" The gypsy looked at Dimitri as he stood there without a care in the world.

[Iris von Drol]

Iris felt the cool water seep through the thick velvet material that was wrapped around her body in abundant layers. The fabric was like a sponge soaking up more of the unexpected and clinging to her body as it did. The chill found her cool skin and soon she was inspired to make her attempt to stand. Her fingers curled their pale lengths to pull up her skirting as if she was not bobbing in the water and instead was on the edge of the pond in which she now was immersed in. A rather disappointed sigh surfaced from her pale lips as she went with her sires gentle guidance to take to the surface of the water rather than sinking deeper for her otherwise futile half efforts.

Yes. Now the ability to claim the water as a foundation oddly solid enough to step on came to Iris as if she were slipping onto a slick surface. Her button up leather boots took to the surface of the water now beneath them and with the benefit of having a wraiths training she was doing what Jesus was said to do. The first couple of steps were slow and uncalculated. She needed more practice. Then again it was not as if she was colder than her own blood was and soaked nearly to her bones thanks to Dimitiri’s catapulting techniques.

Iris’ brilliant big blue eyes pinned on the horse responsible for her current state of drenched attire. Despite the thoughts that swirled through her head she extended the respect her sire deserved. She held her tongue as Zodiac fretted over what happened. The petite mystic went as far as to give an admonishing swat of her hat to the beast prior to salvaging the young telepath from the impromptu wade in the dark pond. That hopefully was enough to give the spirited and willful beast the message that there was some expectations during their outings.

Cool, wet and creamy white fingers of the youthful woman’s hand went back to reach to the nape of her neck. Quickly the disappointed equestrian took hold of the long golden hair and gave it a slow twist downward releasing the unwanted water from the strands within her grip. A gentle shake of the waist length veil sent water shooting into the night air.

“It is fine.” Another shake of her hand had more excess pond water flying about the air around her. “He is demonstrating areas in which improvement may still be possibly reached.”

The telepath’s hands spread open like white flesh fans and the silken mane that she took care to brush each dawn before retiring to rest slipped through her fingers falling heavily back to her velvet bodice of her victorian riding dress.

“However, if you do not mind…” Iris was already taking the steps to gain possession of Chopin’s reigns. A slow reach outward and once again he was within her reach and rewarded gently with the caress of her bare damp hand at the side of his neck. “I do think I will take a seat in Chopin’s saddle. I think there is continued bonding to take place between you and Dimitri. I can learn far more from observing than I can from treading water.”

Iris chuckled as she spoke. Zodiac had her hands full with the impressive beast. If asked she would agree that the two were meant for eachother. Neither seemed eager to bend or conform to others expectation. Free and equal spirits both were. A squishing sound accompanied the petite woman and she pushed up in the stirrup and swung her leg over to get settled on Chopin. Her chin lifted and all was as it should be. A little damp but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with another sprint through the darkness ahead.

“Ready to ride?” Her hand tugged the reigns gently getting the Friesian beneath her to turn. “We can discuss the business venture that may replace those popular hayrides and haunted houses the public desire to indulge in this time of the year.”

[Zodiac]

She watched Iris climb back onto Chopin. She couldn't blame her for that. At least the childe saw first hand the issue the gypsy was having. Zodiac turned and approached Dimitri again, fixing him in her eyes that said anything but she was happy with him. The horse snorted and backed up a step, as if he understood he was in serious trouble,

"If I had know the night would be like this, I'd have worn armor." she thought as she levitated up so her foot could gain purchase in the stirrup. But then the image of her sinking to the bottom of the pond from the dead weight of it all filled her head. Zodiac swung herself onto the saddle and encouraged the black beast to approach Iris and Chopin.

"Sorry about the free bath. But now you see what happened to me earlier." her thoughts sighed. "But yes, we can ride some more. I am sure he will give us both more of his idea of fun as we go along."

She turned the animal in the direction of the road that ran through the various farms in this section outside of the city as she considered. Dimitri wanted to run so badly, so be it.

"Yahh!" she shouted into the horse's thoughts as her heels kicked his sides. Dimitri sprung into life and dashed for the fence line. When he was in mid jump, the mystic pulled the reigns to encourage him to head out down the dirt road. "Let's see how big of a gas tank this boy has got." she called out to Iris. "Sooner or later he has to run down, so maybe then he will be more willing to listen."

The road provided less obstacles to duck and avoid as they darted along. Anytime Dimitri tried to turn back toward the fences, Zodiac pulled him back to follow the road. "We will have an understanding, old soul," her thoughts growled. "If gypsy you are, so be it, but you will consider me Regina." She encouraged him to go faster as well. "Show me what you got, big guy!" Basically she was a flea clinging to the back of the beast, but the landscape rushing past was worth the risks of it all. Every time the horse began to slow, the heels of her boots encouraged him back to full speed. It was risky at best. If Dimitri did a sudden stop as he did before, nothing but rocks and dirt would greet the girl if she went flying again, which could mean a cracked skull or worse. It would not kill her, of course, but it would make the rest of the ride somewhat awkward at best. "You ain't done yet! No rest for the wicked!" She had a plan, if she was fast enough.

[Mordechai]

The Sangue killer sat at the massive mahogany desk in his office, an ancient claymore resting in his lap. One massive hand was wrapped around the sharkskin wrapped hilt as the other lovingly caressed the double edges of the blade with an extra fine Japanese waterstone. The blade was already sharp enough to sever the three inch hemp rope hanging in his training room, but a little more never hurt. The gentle honing removed almost no metal, it just polished the microscopic scratches and nicks left by the slight coarser stones used to remove the minor nicks left when he cleaved the skulls of the titan mooncalves that wandered deep with in the catacombs.

The motions relied on autonomous muscle memory, as his eyes were locked to the screen of his computer. The sword has been honed nightly, for the last thirty-six months, ever since he had found left on the body of some unlucky explorer rotting in the southern catacombs. The blade had become an integral part of his EDC, every day carry. For some reason he had begun to grow since the fateful night he had been found by his sire. By the time he had found the blade, his frame had increased to the point that he could easily carry the four foot ******** sword in a spine sheath, the hilt hidden by his long tresses. The sound of metal objects being slammed together screeched from the speakers of the killers comp as he set the stone up on his desk, and lifted a small bottle of mineral oil and an accompanying rag.

Another screeching crash erupted from the speakers as his hand unerringly wiped a thin microscopic layer of protective oil onto the surface of the blade. Mordechai reached for the jeweled sheath as a small grin creased his lips at the next crashing impact, this one accompanied by the sounds of cheers and jeers from a crowd. Setting the sword aside, one hand caressed the tooled sheath as he leaned forward towards the screen. He had been born in the wrong century. His eye followed the charging destriers on screen as he grasped the ancient sword. The ear splitting crash of steel tipped lances shattering on iron bossed shields filled the room. Jousting. What a knight he would have made. jousting was a sport of skill and size, governed by the laws of physics. The one with the most skill, speed and mass, won. Standing the killer stretched out to his full seven foot one inch height as he cocked his head. He had the skills, and at seven one, three hundred and ten pounds, the giant also had the mass. On a one and a quarter ton stallion, he would be unbeatable.

Settling back into the oversized black leather captain's chair, Mordechai leaned back his head closing his heterochromic eyes and mentally opened a link to an entrance node to the webz. Percherons, Clydesdales, Friesians, Belgians, and Shires. Slowly he scrolled the sites and sights, memorizing pictures and data alike, assimilated the accumulated knowledge of self proclaimed experts. Slowly the killer narrowed the list and increased the requirements, until he was left staring at page after page of Shire stallions. He would need a place to board it. A place with experienced hands and room for a horse that size to exercise, run, and be trained. He knew that is little sireling, the mystic ritualist Zodiac had a place. He could talk to her, but she wasn't there full time, and he knew nothing of her employees. She had sired one, he had met her once, one that was stuck in times past, always dressed like she was going to meet the Queen. Iris was her name. She ran a carriage business that seemed to be doing well, he had often thought of taking a ride through the city with his kennedy on one of her rigs. Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone. It would be nice to be out again with kennedy… and when he brought home a Shire, he would need stabling, and a hand with training. The killer pondered a bit, wondering if Zo’s childe knew anything about jousting. It didn't matter, they could all learn together. Reaching out to his friend, he gently caressed her mind, humming the words to that old Santana tune. She would know it was him.

Turning back to his desk his fingers flew over the keyboards, although he usually did his computer surfing in his mind, sometimes it was good to have hardcopy info, and backed- up storage. “Shires for sale”

[Zodiac]

Now the pair were in synch. A steady motion of two as one as the black horse continued to run in the darkness. Zodiac's body had caught the rhythm of Dimitri's motions and now the ride was smooth as glass. It was a picture perfect moment if one did not count the fact the horse still refused to acknowledge her attempts to stop him.

How many miles was it now and how long till they ran out of farmland to play this game in? She had to get him settled down before a fence hop put him in the line of traffic. Fences and logs were nothing, but cars, buses and semi's were another matter.

She chatted with Iris, who was holding pace with her but none of her childer's ideas seemed to be helping. She didn't want to hurt the animal-physically or mentally. Seems the only thing he had responded to was her screaming in his thoughts and she knew from experience how badly that could hurt. Add to that at least she, in comparison, was a bit trained and able to understand what was happening, but not the horse.

"All I need would be a brain dead horse," she fumed as she pulled back on the reigns yet again. "I swear!" her thoughts found Iris'. "I had the same problem with the mini bus once. Full tilt down a hill and the brakes decided to go on strike."

Just when the gypsy thought the entire night could not get any stranger, the sounds of the opening bars of 'Black Magic Woman' begin to echo in her thoughts.

"You have got to be kidding me," She was stuck in the middle of a Equine Sleighride and now Mordie wanted to discuss something. She would have dismissed the mental summons normally, but Mordechai was not one who spoke to your thoughts to say 'Hey, what's going on' and follow it with mindless chit chat. Something was happening he assumed she could assist him with or would be beneficial to her own dealings.

"This is the Gypsy's answering service. Please hold the line." she sent to the big man as she made another attempt to get Dimitri under some kind of control, but the horse was still not responding.

"To hell with this," One hand still kept a death grip on the reigns while the other locked around the saddle horn. One by one, she carefully pulled her feet from the stirrups and contorted to get them both under her on top of the saddle. When she was certain, she let go of the saddle and jumped up and off Dimitri's back. The horse continued his charge into the darkness while the girl rode out her momentum while floating slowly to the ground thanks to her ability to levitate. She turned her head to look at Iris, who had stopped Chopin who was watching Dimitri run off into the night.

"I wonder how long it will take him to realize he lost me somewhere along the way." she jerked her thumb in the direction her horse was running. "Got a 'call' I need to answer." Zodiac explained as she dusted herself off with her hat and then leaned against a fence while focusing herself. "Hello, 'brother', and how may we assist each other this fine evening?"

Modding of Iris discussed and agreed upon by both players before posting.

[Iris von Drol]

Iris felt the wrap of sturdy but well used reigns in her damp cold hands. Each set of fingers were incredibly pale and nearly glowed with the moonlight bathing them from above as they clamped down tighter. Chopin flew in a repetition of warm muscles moving in waves beneath her. Her legs were tight in their hold and her feet secure in the stirrups. Ribbons of golden waist length hair whipped in the wake of night air behind her. Each natural loose wave cut through the grey clouds that snorted from Chopin’s flared nostrils. Each twitched as he expended an increase of his limited energy.

As wonderful as it was to ride Chopin he was naturally vulnerable to limits. He could not go on forever. It appeared to the young telepath that neither could her gypsy born Sire riding next to her. Iris’ shimmering eyes danced with the woman's body as it rose up on Dimitri’s back. Just what the woman was attempting was a mystery as the pounding of the hooves continued beneath both of them. Was she channeling some ancient power or throwing caution to the wind? Either way she felt inclined to voice her concerns and was about to do just that when Zodiac rose to her full height after letting go of the saddle horn. Chopin thankfully was paying attention to what was ahead.

The lift slightly upward then forward had Iris holding on even tighter as she felt her and Chopin gliding through the air. With the absence of that constant sound of hooves hitting ground she waited holding her form slightly leaning forward and hips tilted ready for the impact of the horse beneath her to meet the ground. That is when the horse running beside her shot ahead bursting forward like a bullet fading into the darkness ahead. Zodiac had jumped off! She looked over her shoulder and gasped.

Without a second thought, Iris leaned to the right doubling back with Chopin stopping abruptly at where Zodiac was standing near a fence. Her thumb went up pointing back to the now departed Dimitri which quickly sent Iris’ attention to the distance where he likely was. She shook her head in frustration. This was one of those moments she really wished things went smoothly. Dimitri was a gift to the woman who was responsible for her existence. It was not to be a source for irritation in Zodiac’s otherwise busy schedule. The mystic swatted her hat in the effort of ridding her attire of whatever the night air and a previous tumble had left behind.

Iris scrunched her eyes shut and wrinkled her nose. If the night had not left her cold, wet and her hair is total disarray then it had her eyeing her sire leaning against a fence being called upon from her guess. While Zodiac was otherwise busy, Iris took the reins in her hands and tugged to lead Chopin back around facing the direction the runaway horse bolted off in.

“I will be back with Dimitri.” Iris squeezed her legs against the horse, she nudged her heels at prodding him to dash off without restraint. “Yah!”

Now Iris had to perform the next to impossible. She said she would bring him back. Her wish was for a big juicy red apple. Her eyes tried to fix every blur of the woods they raced through hoping she would get lucky along the way and spot a round brilliant red fruit in a tree. Wishful thinking, yes. If the night had one horse on the run then it now was able to claim another in fast pursuit. Iris only hoped that Dimitri was not heading for more water. She was slowly shrinking beneath the heavy riding dress that wrapped her up tight as a sausage as it dried out.

[Mordechai]

Mordechai paused for a moment at his sirelings response, a telepathic answering service? It was less then a second then the corner of his lip tugged upwards as he realized the mystic's brand of humor. Obviously something else had her attention and she would get back to him when she wasn't as engrossed in whatever it was she was doing at that moment. The giant killer's research had shown he should be looking for a five year old, that had already been saddle broke and had some other training started. Whether it was for work or cartage, didn't matter to the male, just that it had responded well to training. Ideally he would go younger, and do all the young stallion's training himself, so that the horse became familiar and dependent up on him, but the equine growth rates meant that the Shire's skeletal growth would, even at five, be only around ninety percent complete. Mordechai did not want to wait years before being able to ride, and with his three hundred ten pound mass did not want to cripple what he hoped would become his partner in jousting.

Large nimble fingers flew over the keyboard reducing the results by increasing the parameters. "Saddle broke." "Cartage." "Five year old." "Trained." All were entered into the search criteria. Soon the search was whittled it self down to five farms that held a young stallion that met his requirements. Four of them were scattered across the western states below the border. One was in southern Ontario. As he sift through the information from the site, he found a picture of a five year old stallion, saddle broke and cart trained. Two generations removed from the world class Shire known as Goliath. In the picture it already showed great conformation, and size, the writing said it was calculated to top out at eighteen, to eighteen point two hands, and over twenty - three hundred pounds. Indeed this was the horse for him. A few key clicks later and an offer of fifteen thousand dollars had been submitted.

"Hello, 'brother', and how may we assist each other this fine evening?"

The laconic killer seldom minced words, and this time was no different, sending his comp to sleep, he leaned back in the massive leather captain's chair, and slowly rotated as his eyes closed, and his mind reached out to the gypsy mystic he called friend, and jokingly sister. "I am buying a horse. I wish to joust. I will required boarding space for it." Stopping the revolving chair he continued. "The Victorian that you turned, I believe she runs carriages. Has she remained on speaking terms, or....?"

[Zodiac]

"Be careful," she called out after Iris as she went chasing the black monster. She had no doubt the girl could catch Dimitri, but stopping him was another matter.

The hat returned to her head as she waited for Mordie to answer her. Leaning against the fence dressed as she was, she imagined she looked a bad parody of a cow girl. On the opposite side of the fence she saw a cow standing in the darkness. "Wanna swap sheep jokes?" she sent a thought to the dull mind that barely noticed the mental intrusion.

"I am buying a horse. I wish to joust. I will required boarding space for it. The Victorian that you turned, I believe she runs carriages. Has she remained on speaking terms, or....?"

"Whaaaa?"

Jousting? She had to have 'heard' him wrong. Jousting. That was that crap they did on 'Game of Thrones' with armor and giant pointy spears that usually got people killed. He couldn't be serious. The gypsy pictured 'Sir Mordechai of House Sangue' in her mind standing in armor with a two handed Claymore in hand looking like the Black Knight in the Monty Python movie. 'None shall pass' and giggled. Where was he going to find anyone willing to play such a game with him? Iris and herself together didn't even come close to matching his physical mass alone, let alone his strength. There was easier ways to go for a visit to the Shadow Realm, like go play hide and seek with the semi trucks on the freeway at rush hour or something. No way he said jousting. Nooooo.

She broke her train of insane rambling as she realized he was waiting for some kind of answer.

"Yes, Iris and I are very close still. In fact she is with me right now. Sorta. We are out riding our own horses. Again, sorta. Yes she still does the carriage business, now does she stable horses for others I cannot say for sure, but if not I am sure she knows who would. Give me a few and I will find out."

Zodiac did not even comment on the 'jousting' part of the message. Visions of herself hanging off the tip of a lance like a broken piñata danced in her head now. She looked down the road Iris had taken and focused her mind to find her. "Ummm, Iris? A friend of mine wants to know if you stable horses? He is looking to buy one and needs a place to keep it." she paused before she dropped the bomb. "He also wants to learn and practice the manly art of jousting. Won't that be fun?"

[Iris von Drol]

Iris was pushing Chopin to move faster to close the gap between them and the spirited Dimitri. the horse that belonged to her sire and had a penchant for cutting through the open fields of darkness like a midnight train. He effectively plowed through half her farm and the gardens when she first caught sight of him. Over the course of the last few hours he had taken to tossing Zodiac and her. Dimitri ignored their attempts to deal with him and now this latest escapade of his had her racing Chopin to catch up to him like the friesian beneath her was in the lead at the Kentucky Derby and the finish line was in sight. Iris could appreciate that her sire’s horse had energy and he was nearly fearless. Both were strengths that could serve him and his rider well. It was channeling it through training that would be the key. All she had to do was salvage what was left of the midnight ride by securing the reins in her bare cool hands and lead him back where he belonged.

The sounds of the pounding hooves of both horses in full gallop sounded less distant as the space between Chopin and Dimitri closed. The leather of the riderless horse slid back and forth and intermittently popped in the air. Iris tightened her legs even more and urged Chopin to extend what he had left to give to reach Dimitri’s side. A few yards became a blur and that is when the young woman reached out and took hold of the unclaimed reigns. She knew it was hardly going to be as simple as her fingers curling around the reins. Chopin was strong in his own effort as he kept a side by side pace with Dimitri. That is when the horse that would listen between the two soon found the minimal weight he carried in his saddle reduced significantly.

Iris leaned to her left and gripped the horn on Dimitri's saddle with all the strength she had. A grunt sounded from her petite body as she managed to succeed in getting between the two massive beasts and into Dimitri’s saddle. Chopin continued his dutiful run at their side never slowing or breaking the tight position even if he likely was exhausted. Iris doubled Dimitri back to travel the direction they had come from before he came up with anymore wild ideas. This time she found him far more receptive as she held the reins. Perhaps Zodiac had given him the workout he needed. Time and training would tell. For the moment the night was fading and all that could done to change the horse who carried her at break neck speed would be saved for when all were rested and their patience was not quite as compromised.

Slowing the pace as the fence that Zodiac leaned on was coming to view gave Iris an unexpected inquiry from her sire. She was communicating with a friend who wanted to board a horse. She shook her head to hopefully stir the golden hair from her thick lashes. It failed. Just as she was going to answer she was given reason to pause with Zodiac mentioning the friend wished to take up jousting. Iris leaned back a bit with the trot that finally slowed into a relieving walk. Her fingers pulled the stray strands of hair back and wondered who would be possessed with such an idea as jousting. Chopin snorted with a quick rumbling nicker. He was happy to be back where the chaos had started. Iris was in full agreement as she reached over and patted him with confirmation.

"Of course boarding is possible for your friend's horse." Iris' voice sounded as though she did the running instead of the horses that finally were coming slowly to a stop before the fence resting mystic. "The jousting I am certainly curious about." She slipped off Dimitri and landed with a soft thud of her leather boots into the soft ground beneath her. "It is not exactly as simple as jumping or barrel racing."

Iris handed the reins back to her sire and wiped the moisture from the night air from her forehead and cheeks. A slow sigh escaped her lips as she wiped her palms to the material that clung to her hips. She was having a hard time picturing Dimitri behaving long enough to run a straight line much less carrying Zo or her friend with a jousting pole or lance. It sounded dangerous.

"Tell me you are not entertaining the idea of attempting to take up such a dangerous sport." Her concern was evident for the woman she spoke to in the tone of her own voice.

[Zodiac]

Zodiac watched her childer come riding back on top of the large black nuisance and smiled. If anyone could have brought him to heel, it was Iris. "Thank you, love" she replied as she took the reigns from her. All three of them looked exhausted, but she felt especially bad for Iris. The normally prim and proper Victorian wannabee looked positively frazzled now. "My poor darling. Next time I will call before I decide to take the Midnight Train there out for a run again."

She felt better when Iris said boarding a horse would indeed be possible on her property, but the next line out of her mouth...

"Tell me you are not entertaining the idea of attempting to take up such a dangerous sport."

...left her blinking in confusion.

"What? Who? ME? Girl have you been snorting those horse vitamins?" an actual squeak of sound escaped the mystic's lips in the process. "Maybe if it was me and you on those mini horses.. Shetlands, with rubber lances with oversized boxing gloves tied to the ends of them. No,no,no, this is Mordechai's bright idea, not mine. If vampire's were like a human family, he'd be your 'uncle'. He and I have the same sire. HE is the one who wants to joust and if he is doing that I would expect nothing less than full contact with razor sharp lances at breakneck speeds. Mordie doesn't do anything half way- trust me."

She still wondered who the big guy would actually play this game with, but one thing at a time. Iris said it would be possible to stable the horse at her place. Once more she reached out to his thoughts. "Iris said she'd be willing to discuss boarding your horse for you." her mental voice said and then gave the big man the girl's cell phone number. "She's telepathic too, but always nicer to ask first." she clarified.

"Okay," she turned her attention back to her childe. "Gave him your phone number to talk to you about the details of boarding the horse. Hell, I didn't even know he had a horse myself." Once more she levitated up so she could mount Dimitri. "No worries, dear. Momma Zo has no intentions of playing 'Game of Thrones' with 'Uncle Mordie'. I know most consider me crazy, but that's crazy even for me."

She turned in the saddle and opened the saddle bag and pulled out two apples. She handed one to Iris for Chopin and leaned down against Dimitri's neck to get his attention. "Hey, big boy! Here." Dimitri turned his head and took the apple from her hand. Zodiac patted his neck as he began to chew up the sweet bit of fruit. "Now what are my odds of getting him back home without a repeat performance of the evening so far?"