epidemiology | CLOSED | He doesn't even break the branches where he's gone.

Entry tags:

CLOSED | He doesn't even break the branches where he's gone.

CHARACTERS: Emma Swan, Graham Humbert, Brother
DATE: Now-ish.
WARNINGS: None for now, I'll update this if necessary.
SUMMARY: It's hard being a lone wolf.

If she's honest, Emma has been out of her element here since her arrival. Stuck in a world she doesn't belong in, with an organization she doesn't believe in, there's probably no changing her take on all of this. She sees what's possible and questions what isn't; why do they have the energy to bring them to some worlds, but not others? How is their understanding of opening and closing portals so different than hers? Why doesn't everyone here have an expected timeframe for getting home, instead of a new mission to prepare for?

She's already read through the overview of their next assignment, and all she knows for certain is that her creature is probably screwed. There were moments during the last mission where it was hard enough for them to keep themselves alive. It's hard to imagine protecting something she doesn't know how to interact with, searching for food and necessities to keep an infant anything alive, let alone something fragile enough to be called a squidge. This could be a problem and it's not one she wants on her conscience, so Emma opts to try to prepare for this instead of grumbling about it.

Giving up her preferred method of coping requires something more involved than reading a few documents and hoping for the best. Instead of waiting for something to happen, she settles on visiting the stables to get some interaction with a horse, or a unicorn, or something she can learn from. She sticks to what looks familiar enough, a grey horse that's smaller than the rest of them and gentle enough to get her past her instinct to bolt. One-sided conversation comes easier than anything else, and they're long past introductions by the time she hears footsteps coming from behind her. It's an open stable, she wasn't expecting to be alone the entire time, but she calls out with a quick "hey" to get an idea of who's going to see her make a fool out of herself.

All of this had a purpose originally, but she doubts anyone would believe it.

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The "hey" doesn't get an answer, at least not immediately. In fact the silence paired with the footsteps might give who is approaching away. Emma doesn't have to wonder too long, though. At the sound of her voice Brother pads over to greet her, ears alert and cheerful, if she's learned enough about the tilt of his ears to know it.

None of the animals in the stable — some mundane and recognizeable, some fantastic and only identifiable if one had read up in the library — seem particularly surprised or unnerved by the presence of the wolf. They had been, once, when he'd first arrived in Oska. After the wolf started to visit so frequently, though, they'd gradually grown used to his presence. In fact, the wolf has been in the stables longer than Emma has, but with her presence he's finally decided to come say hello.

Brother sits at her feet and looks at the savior with a slightly quirked head. He seems curious about her presence, and expectant of affection all at once. Petting him probably isn't going to make her any more confident about the mission to come, but hopefully that won't stop her.

Now that Graham knows how to talk to animals, Emma isn't sure whether it's better or worse to be caught by Brother instead. It'll probably get back to his human as soon as they see each other again, and the two of them are nearly inseparable - although Brother does have his own people here, as Graham told her when they came back to Oska. He's a social wolf; even the other animals tolerate him in here when she might expect the instinct would be to not.

If affection is what he wants, affection is what he'll get. She crouches down to say hello, a gentler "hey" first while she gives him a scratch behind the ears and strokes along his back. With Brother, she already knows what he wants. He's easy to get along with and happy for whatever attention he gets. Everything she's heard about the squidges is less encouraging, but she doesn't want to get stuck in that cycle of concern just yet. Odds are it's not just the mission that's getting to her, and she'd rather not face everything that is right now.

The wolf is a friendly distraction; one who never answers in words when she asks how he is or tells him it's good to see him, but she knows from how readily he accepts affection that he likes it. He's one of a kind, probably in more ways than one around here.

Hard to say if it's better or worse. The wolf can tell his brother what he saw, but if Brother doesn't understand what she's up to there is not much of a story to tell. Though, the lack of story could be trouble, on occasion. If the wolf is intent on giving up her secrets, it's very hard to tell. At the moment he just seems pleased for the attention.

As Emma leans closer the wolf sniffs at her ear, as if he can sense something is the matter and just can't guess what yet. He probably did; the wolf was a lot better at picking up emotions than his less furry brother. He probably can tell that Emma isn't quite feeling herself, and that probably explains his presence, too. He's quick to give comfort, even if the only one he has to offer is closeness.

As Emma pulls back, the wolf's ears swivel up, like he's hearing something even though there's nothing apparently out of place in the stable. The explanation will be clear enough, when the second whistle is audible, even if the Huntsman whistling isn't in eyesight yet. Is the wolf ignoring the fact he's being called? Apparently. While he is easy to get along with, he also doesn't do anything he doesn't want to do. Apparently he has better things to do than go off to the brother that is calling him. The wolf lifts onto hind legs with his front paws on the stall door to peer into the stall of the horse Emma had been doting on. What was the blonde lady doing with a horse?

If Graham is frustrated by being ignored, it isn't obvious on his face when he finally makes it to the stable. Though chances are good it's not too easy to be annoyed without a heart. It's not hard to spot the wolf he was looking for, nor the savior he wasn't, as he draws closer. "One of these days it's going to be important," he chastises the wolf gently, though Brother doesn't seem too bothered by the reprimand, falling back onto all fours and going to see his human now that he's close enough to be bothered with. "Hello," he greets Emma, eyebrows lifted in unspoken curiosity. Apparently the Huntsman can't guess why Emma is in the stable with horses, either.

The whistle gives away who's coming, but if Brother doesn't care, Emma won't send him off. It's almost enough to question whether or not it's fair to him, to treat a wild wolf like little more than an oversized dog. He's a beautiful animal, but not the threat she associates with most wildlife. Maybe that's Graham's doing. It's not too far-fetched to think that he's taken on some wolf-like qualities, while his wolf seems a little more human. He's welcome with her for as long as he wants, even as she laughs at him examining the horse like even he is questioning what she's doing out here.

At least it snaps her back to reality, causing her to wonder what she was doing out here too. Every creature is different, and that's going to include one of these squidges. She can't expect that hanging out with a horse or talking to a unicorn is going to be the thing that prepares her for this. Letting go of old baggage might help, but for as far as she's come, she's still susceptible to the same old fears she's been fighting for as long as she can remember. This isn't something she's looking forward to, but with ALASTAIR, she doesn't have a choice.

She leans back against the door as Graham approaches, like it's perfectly normal for her to be in here with all the animals. If he doesn't try to hard, that poker face is plenty convincing. If he does, well, her shoulders just rise and fall in a shrug. Nothing to see here, she was just being dramatic. And maybe the horse was pretty cool about it, so she doesn't expect him to tattling to Graham.

That this is even a possibility is still enough to make her head spin, but she pushes forward.

"Hi." Its an honest greeting, simultaneously wavering in embarrassment and welcoming him in the warmth of her tone. Like she just might like his company, since they both happen to be hanging around the stables for no good reason. She's going to assume that Graham knows how to ride a horse, but until she sees him on one, that doesn't explain much. "Why would he come to you when he knows you're going to come to him?"

He does try, at least a little. Problem being that even trying his utmost, he can't always comprehend particularly convoluted emotion. Not that Emma was giving away much. At the most he can tell she's not interested in telling him what exactly she's doing in the stables, and he supposes she's not obligated either. The curiosity is passing at most, and he pauses to rub fingers behind his brother's ear in greeting.

Why? "Like I said, it could have been an emergency." Brother made a sound that was midway between a grumble and a groan, abandoning them without much warning whatsoever. Graham made no move to stop him; he'd just wanted to know where he was. Old fears were hard to break. Even if he was heartless, he didn't like not knowing that the wolf was safe.

Still, there wasn't much likely to bother him in here, except for some of the bigger creatures, and his brother was smart enough to stay away from those. "I've found him in here a lot of late," the huntsman confessed to the savior, moving next to her casual recline to greet the horse that was huffing at her hair like it might be straw for the nibbling. He distracted the girl with affection, Emma could thank him for that. "I think he enjoys the companionship of other animals, even though there are none quite like him."

There's something sad about that, and he knows it... that the wolf was alone, the only one like himself. Graham called them family, yet he knew full well that being human, there were just some things he could not offer to the wolf.

It could have been an emergency, but it wasn't. She thinks his wolf has better instincts than that, but she won't argue with him about it. They are talking about the animal who showed up when he needed help in Storybrooke. If Graham needs him, he'll be there. If he's in danger, Graham will probably be there. It's a lot to expect out of a human and wolf relationship, but Graham isn't an average human, and Brother isn't a typical wolf. It'd surprise her if there was ever a time when one of them needed the other and they weren't there.

At least she thinks to turn when he greets the horse behind her. It's things like this that remind her exactly why she's nervous about the next mission. She'd be better at having to fight her way out of another world, even if she doesn't want another mission that hinges on their ability to get violent. This seems a little more peaceful, assuming they can get their creature to its destination.

"No other wolves?" Even Emma isn't expecting the way her chest clenches when Graham explains why brother spends his time hanging around the stables. It's just too easy to relate to, that need to find a family, to feel a part of something. It wasn't long ago that she might have argued that animals don't care as much about things like that, but she knows his wolf now. If Graham says he cares, he cares.

Honestly, Emma is right. Even heartless, even unable to relate all his emotions properly, the wolf has never failed to find his side when he really needed him to be there. It's just not easy for Graham to let old demons die. Now that his brother is the only family he has left, the huntsman does not like to go long periods without any idea where he is. He can't hold him back and yet it is hard to not know where he is, or if he's safe. The wolf seems to be more than fine on his own, though.

"No. A few dogs, but no wolves." Graham can't really expect there to be wolves around, either. Sooner or later they may visit a world that has wolves, it's not impossible. Though that might prove complicated. If it came to that, could he really be so selfish as to try and keep his brother at his side, even if he could be happier with his own kind? Graham has yet to find out, and doesn't want to.

He doesn't quite notice the look on Emma's face at the mention, instead focusing on her presence in the stable and her company. He pats the velvet of the mare's nose as he glances back at Emma. "Were you meaning to go riding?" He hadn't known Emma knew how to ride, though that could have come in the time he'd been gone. He knew her father was quite adept at husbandry, perhaps it wasn't that surprising after all that with memories Prince Charming had enticed his daughter to ride.

Dogs probably aren't the same as wolves to an animal looking for companionship. Maybe it shouldn't bother her the way it does, but they're already living in the best possible situation for Brother. He's alone back home, without the human companion he loves, and with few wolves in Storybrooke's forest. There has to be a better solution for him than hanging around with dogs to try to fit in. She doesn't want to see him separated from Graham, it just doesn't feel right to expect them to accept the hand they've been dealt when everyone else is still fighting for happily ever after.

Changing the topic when he does is simpler than pushing forward. Her eyebrows raise to their limit with the question, and she shakes her head to answer without words. Riding? "No, I don't know how to ride." And she knows a little about the disaster that was David teaching Henry how to ride. Emma was working on the bonding part of it before Graham showed up, but now it feels a little dramatic to come out here looking for an answer that soothes her nerves.

These missions are only going to put them out of their element. This place hasn't stuck to any one pattern since she got here, and she doubts the next mission will be any different. "I was just, I don't know, hanging out." Like the wolf he's so fond of, except with less of an excuse because there actually are people like her around. "Seems like a nice horse." And a very clueless woman who the poor animal has been tolerating for a while.

It was sad, that his brother did not have the companionship of other wolves. It wasn't that Graham did not want that for him, he'd always wanted that for him. When the wolves in the Enchanted Forest suffered from being slowly culled to extinction by humans terrified by their presence, he'd been willing to agree to kill an innocent girl to try and preserve them. He's learned since that he's not willing to go to such extremes, yet that doesn't cancel out how much he wishes the wolf could have more of his own kind. In the end, Graham knows full well he is more human than wolf, and that there are things he can't give his oldest companion. How he could fix that, though, he doesn't have an answer to, at least not at the moment.

A change of conversation always goes over easily with the huntsman. He tends toward quiet, and if one topic seems easier than another he'll certainly stick to that one if he can. It might be a bit strange to stand around in a stable with no particular reason for it, but at least he doesn't seem to hold it against her. Maybe it isn't that strange to a man that would prefer to spend his time with animals than humans.

He does laugh a little at the unsure compliment in the mare's direction. "She is, I agree." He scratches at her dappled nose, considering Emma for a moment before he asks, "Would you like to know?" He could show her, if she wanted to. Knowing how to ride a horse might not be needed in the next mission, as far as he knows the next planet they land on will not have any horses, but it might serve her in the next.

It's strange being anywhere in Oska, not just the stables. She's stared through mirrors that gave her a fleeting glimpse of Storybrooke and spent a few hours getting a sense of where to find what she needs in the library. None of it feels right, but in the end, she knows it's not going to. This isn't her home, or her cause, and it doesn't involve many of the people she feels responsible for. Emma will do what good she can while she can, but that doesn't mean she won't spend her entire time here searching for a way home. Giving up on being with her family is out of the question, especially after she's waited so long to find them.

That makes it a little easier sometimes, to connect to a huntsman and his wolf. She knows why Graham is protective of Brother; he's fighting to hold on to the people he cares about, the same way she is. The battle might lead them to different places in the end, but they're here for the moment, stuck in something where there's no point in fighting today. She hasn't thought about learning how to ride, but she pauses at the offer. Riding a horse is probably no worse than getting on the back of August's bike (and Graham was always more reliable than August).

"I..." She has to look to the horse, for some kind of permission that she's not going to find in an animal that she can't personally communicate with. In the end her eyes fall on Graham's, equally embarrassed and curious. It's hard not to feel like she's failing at fairytale school when she can't even ride a horse. "I guess I've always considered myself more of a yellow beetle kind of girl, but it might be useful, if you're offering." If she doesn't say yes now it'll probably be a requirement later, and she'll wish she'd taken him up on the lesson when she had a chance.

If she'd told him about the stranger and his motorcycle, he might have told her it was safer. That probably wasn't going to make her feel better about riding a horse, it was just the truth. A machine was always more predictable than an animal could ever be. And he said that with the awareness that a vehicle could break down quite unexpectedly on occasion. Animals had their own thoughts and their own needs and their own wants, and even the best trained animal could be presented with a situation that unsettled them. It was just knowing how to react when they did.

"I'm offering." He'd have offered it to anyone that seemed inclined to learn, as he did any skill he had to teach, but it couldn't be surprising that he offered it so easily to Emma. He didn't need a heart to know he liked spending time with her, and he'd told her not so very long ago that he wanted to make the most of the time they had together. Teaching her a valuable skill seemed a very good use of it.

"You'll need a saddle, first." He nodded toward the wall mounted with various pieces of gear, all different sizes and makes to suit the animals in the stable. He could have gotten it for her, but he suspected Emma might like to get it herself. For his part, he opened the stall to move inside it, scrubbing fingers at the long muscular neck and whispering something, hard to hear over the ambient noise in the stable. There's something comforting about it, even in tone, whether the words are clear or not. He glances up when Emma returns, nodding toward the floor to hint Emma should put the saddle down for a moment. It was important to greet the horse before she tried to saddle it — face to face, instead of with a wall between them.

"She says it's been a long time since someone took her out." The horse whickered, as if she could understand the relayed sentiment and still agreed with it. "She'd like to say hello. You had it right before, she's quite friendly." Meaning, she didn't have to be frightened to get close, even though there was nothing between her and the animal more than twice her size.

Emma will need a saddle so she gets one, without any expectation that he'll do any of this on her behalf. Graham is gentlemanly enough without acting like he needs to take care of her, so when he suggests she find one, Emma turns to get it. It's probably best that she misses whatever it is he whispers to the horse. She can accept his ability to talk to animals if he's good with her magic, but it's the kind of thing that feels a little too personal for her to be trying to find her own take on it. He should get to keep his superpower to himself if he wants to.

And as soon as the saddle is out, he's telling her to put it down. She nods, setting it on the floor while Graham shares what the horse has to say about all of this. Knowing that the animal at least wants to go out is helpful, so she takes a step closer, pausing for a moment at the suggestion she should say hello. What are you supposed to say to a horse before you ride it? Maybe sticking around in the stables was a better idea than pushing her luck. "

"Okay, hi," she starts, but there's something about it that feels a little more nervous than she'd like - too forced to feel friendly. Looking back to Graham for a moment reminds her that she's among friends, and she takes a breath and a pause, and decides to keep trying. "I'm Emma. I guess you know my friend Graham, and his brother - he's around here somewhere." She's talked to the animals a little, but not formally. It was more complaining about the mission than trying to engage with the horse. This time, she learns to be a little more honest, and takes another step closer.

"I've never been on a horse before, so can you go easy on me? It might be kind of cool to tell my son about this someday." She reaches up, mimicking Graham's touch by sliding her hand along the horse's neck. Out here she knows to be gentle, it's everywhere else she can't quite pull it off. "Henry's eleven; I think you'd like him."

Honestly, most things he says aren't actually utilizing the power ALASTAIR granted him. Graham has always talked to animals, even before he could understand them. It doesn't really surprise him that they have a better knowledge of what they're hearing than most would expect, it's easy to tell; especially with animals with higher intelligence. The low mumblings to the horse didn't require a superpower, and the words almost didn't matter. It's just the kindness and the communication that counts.

It might seem reductive, but he figures it'll be easier to have it on hand. And slapping a saddle on a horse without getting close enough to really greet it would be a little hasty. She needs to be comfortable and so does the horse, and the best way to do that is to get to know each other more. As Emma draws forward and begins talking, the horse watches her with solemn eyes and ears perked forward, clearly listening. It's not quite what he meant when he said hello, though he doesn't stop her. He doesn't have a heart to clamor at the mention of telling Henry, but the passing smile on his face is bittersweet. He hopes Henry does get to hear it, one day. The boy had loved animals; Graham imagines he and Emma could bond a great deal over taking care of an animal together.

He hopes he doesn't have to translate the gentle rumble and the huff of air the horse gives in answer. She'll be gentle. "Hello to a horse doesn't have to be with words," he tells Emma gently, reaching for her spare hand and drawing it near a velvet nose so the horse can get a sense of her smell. Smell was important with most animals. After the mare had gotten a easy huff in greeting, he moved to the horse's flank and nodded for Emma to follow, running a hand along her back.

"Touch says just as much for an animal." A confident touch was important, but so was a kind one. "Though she does want to make a good story for Henry." Touch was important, but there was something to be said in having a horse whisperer with you. He just wanted her to be able to do this without him to read between the lines. He wasn't always going to be there. She'd asked for him to think about it, he still didn't see how what she wanted was possible. As much as a part of him yearned to see Storybrooke again.

Henry has some experience with a horse, judging from the stories she heard when she came back from the Enchanted Forest. David had encouraged him to take care of a horse before he could ride it, and what Graham is suggesting isn't all that different. She tenses for a fraction of a second when he brings her hand close to the horse's mouth, but then it's near a nose that takes in her scent and that puts her a little more at ease. Animals weren't always friendly when she was living on the streets. Sometimes it takes her a little time to warm up, but between having a friend with her and a patient horse to teach her Emma is starting to come around to the idea of being a little more friendly.

Her touch is an echo of his, it follows the same pattern and appreciation that Graham offers. What comes naturally to him is something that has to be taught to her, but she's quick enough to catch on. She wants this to work out, not just for a story for Henry but so that the horse gets out of the stables every once in a while. "Taught by you, going riding with her, I think Henry would be impressed." Not everyone gets a chance to learn from the huntsman who also doubles as a horse whisperer. There's a lot that's uncertain about the future, but while they're here...

It's not that she can't stand on her own, Emma has had a lifetime of that. All she knows is proving her independence, showing that she's capable, trying to be worthy. She doesn't lean easily or when she doesn't have to, yet Graham's always made it easy for her to swallow her pride and admit she wants to learn something. As much as she doesn't want to think about a day when he won't be there, she's already experienced those. If this can't be anything else, it's still a memory she wants, and a skill it'd be nice to have.

"How's she doing?" Because the little hints of interest are great for someone with experience, but maybe Emma needs to hear that she has the animal's permission. There probably won't be a lot of times in life when she'll be able to have that without learning from what not to do.

A bite from a horse is probably a good thing to be afraid of, in the right circumstance. Still, this one isn't alarmed or uncomfortable, the chances of biting are nominal. And getting a smell of a person is an important part of greeting for a horse, like it is many animals. Besides, their velvet noses are pretty endearing, once you're used to them. They also tended to get into business they didn't quite belong in, much like the hair huffing that had been going on earlier.

He doesn't say it out loud, but a part of him wonders. Why would his presence would make the memory more exciting for Henry? A part of him isn't sure that Emma will remember anything she experienced while in ALASTAIR, but he's not willing to mention it. While he thinks she might be better off forgetting, he doesn't see the point in telling her, poisoning all the time they get with the possibility it won't mean anything to her once she gets back to Storybrooke.

Graham seems content at the careful strokes, and pulls his hands back to let Emma familiarize herself without him. As for how the horse is doing, she's doing just fine. She's even stealing a snack from her feeder as they move and talk beside her. "How do you think?" It's not a contrary or biting inquiry, he really means it. He wants her to look for the signs, the calm posture and easy behavior, the trust deep enough that the horse isn't afraid to eat in their presence. She needs to be able to see that for herself, and he doesn't think she needs to be informed as much as she thinks she does.

Still, after he's left her to consider how the horse is feeling, he does answer. "She's doing just fine." As was Emma herself, though he hoped with time she could relax a little more. Her edginess could have translated to a more spirited horse. "You ready for the blanket and saddle?" Emma needs to be just as comfortable with the idea as the horse was. If she wanted to wait and spend more time acclimating to being near a horse, she was welcome to.

The question reminds Emma that he wants her to judge, and with a nudge towards making her own assessment comes the kind of looking over she used to reserve for sheriffing. The horse is relaxed, even if she isn't, willing to snack and do what she wants without worrying about the two humans keeping her company. She stands close to them when she feels like it without any sign of aggression. It doesn't mean she won't get spooked, but it's enough to make Emma go back to her initial description of a nice horse.

The confirmation helps, although by the time he offers it, she doesn't need it as much. She's still a little nervous (maybe a little too obviously on edge), when the horse returns from her feeder to move beside Emma. Whatever she's expecting, it's not the way the horse brings her head closer to her own, nuzzling into her shoulder while Emma stills and finally relaxes against the show of affection. It's not deserved, but it puts a new rider at ease, and once the horse steps back like nothing happened, Emma glances to her and then her resident animal expert.

"I think I'm ready now." It's a soft confirmation that suggests a little more sincerity than she was capable of a few minutes ago. With a blanket and a saddle waiting and a horse who knows what to expect, there's no reason to delay the lesson any further. She smiles, reaching over to get what she needs, wondering how much Graham is going to walk her through the process. "Do I put it on or brush her first?" What Emma lacks in horseback riding experience, she makes up for in movie and television observations. She's seen some version of the process, but never participated in it.

If the Huntsman has started to understand anything, it was that deserving affection was a bit of a misnomer. It was never offered because someone deserved it, it was offered out of something far less complicated. The horse wasn't thinking that Emma had earned a headbutt of love, she'd simply given it because she was happy and liked the attention of her company. Animals were straight forward about showing their fondness. Sometimes he wishes humans were just a fraction as obvious; if they were, he might not be so far behind without his heart.

At her question, he pauses to consider. He doesn't see anything in her coat that might irritate underneath the saddle. "If she weren't in a stable, she might pick up a few things in her coat that you'd need to brush off before she's saddled. As it is, I think she'll be all right." The horse couldn't move very much in her pen, and it seemed ALASTAIR took good care of its animals... if only they could assert the same kind of consideration to its employees.

He moves to the other side of the horse, to help from the other side when Emma moves to place on the saddle. For a beginner, her instincts aren't bad. He holds the belt for Emma to reach under the mare's belly, waiting for Emma to figure how to fix the simple clasp before fetching the last pieces of the puzzle; a halter and a rein lead with. It was easy enough to get the mare reined, and after a bit more doting — Emma was quickly proving gifted at that part — she was more than ready.

Now it was down to getting on the horse, and she had two options. "I could ride behind you, or lead you to start." Each had their advantages, but it was up to Emma and how confident she felt in the end.

Her instincts take a backseat to caution when she's dealing with animals, but between the two of them, it almost equals out. Emma might have more experience when it comes to dealing with people, while Graham has spent most of his life in the wild. It doesn't seem fair to count twenty-eight years spent frozen in time thanks to the curse, when everyone stayed in line because there was no option to step out of it. They'd been a good team in Storybrooke, and with his memories that seems to hold here, too.

Having options on how to start this off helps a little; if he thought one was more necessary than the other, he wouldn't waste his time trying to ask. Emma doesn't mind letting him lead her, but if this is some kind of trust exercise, having a person she trusts and a friendly animal is probably enough for her. If she's going to trust a horse, it's going to be this one.

"Let's start with you riding behind me." The hardest part is probably getting on the horse, right? Once she's up there, she's hoping some of ALISTAIR's training kicks in with her new friend. "I think I'll be okay." She says it and she means it this time, hopefully that's an improvement on how they started out. It's hard not to notice that the horse has taken a liking to Graham, too, and is looking for a little attention from him this time. "Even the animals think you're dreamy."

"I know you would." He wouldn't offer both options if he didn't think she couldn't handle both. It's easier to show over explain if he's on the horse with her, yet he has no doubt Emma could have managed to learn on her own. She is incredibly capable, and he wouldn't be so far away that something could happen. With a lead it would have been fine, yet he can't deny a part of him is pleased by the agreement to ride together. It might even be obvious, in the quirk of a smile on his face, though that is easily covered by a horse huffing at his face.

He's giving the girl some well deserved attention when Emma's teasing distracts him. He looks... embarrassed. Who even knew he had it in him? He knows what she means, and hardly knows what to say. It seems too bold to ask her who exactly finds him to be dreamy — which is, by the way, nothing he's ever heard before. He knows people find him attractive, and yet dreamy seems to be a completely different adjective. "I'm not a dwarf," he answers, a pace late, clearly a detraction from the compliment but he's not quite sure how to respond to it, either.

He'd like to ask if she finds him "dreamy", but he he remains too embarrassed to ask. If only she'd said as much from a few feet away, he'd never have known.

Once the horse is out of her stall, he stays her near the wall. "Hold onto the horn and put your left in the stirrup and then swing up." He'll help her up if he needs to, but honestly despite the height it's not as hard as it looks.

Dreamy is more far-reaching than attractive, that's exactly why she specified. He's easy on the eyes and he seems to know it, but Graham has plenty of other qualities that check off the boxes for her word of choice. She hadn't said it to embarrass him, yet the blush that comes with his belated response only makes him more charming - like he doesn't know how he might be seen by the people around him. Storybrooke isn't the only place where he has admirers, he seems to pick them up wherever they go.

If asked if she finds him dreamy, he might have had a blushing savior on his hands. Since he didn't, and he clearly wants to move on from the topic, she nods and reaches up for the horn, sliding her boot into the stirrup position herself before she lifts up onto the horse. The movement might not be the smoothest, but it gets the desired result so that she can find the other stirrup with her right foot.

As awkward as it was, she's finally on the horse (so that has to count for something) and calm enough to manage her. The idea of him joining her to ride together makes her feel a little more in control, so she holds the reigns while she waits for the next instruction. "Don't keep a girl waiting, Graham."

Doesn't need to be effortless, anyway. Considering she didn't fall, he'd call it a success. If she had, he'd have been there to catch her, yet he's not surprised that she managed it on her own. For all her uncertainties with the horse — valid ones, really. A horse was a massive animal and very capable of causing harm. It was important to be careful — she was more natural at it than perhaps Emma even realized.

Once she has the reins in hand, she really doesn't need to goad him into joining her. He makes a point of looking unimpressed by her impatience, though Emma Swan and impatience is not a new combination. He follows after her with the practice of someone that has done it far more frequently. He hasn't actually been on a horse since the Enchanted Forest, but apparently the lack of thirty years hasn't slowed him down terribly.

He keeps one hand on the horn, just for something to hold onto. It keeps them close, though they were bound to be close, considering proximity of the saddle. He'd hold onto Emma if he didn't want her to have the freedom to move around as she steered the horse. "Press your feet against her flank to tell her you're ready to go." It was as simple as that, almost deceptively so.

The thing about Graham in any situation like this is that while none of it is as easy as he makes it look, to him, it is. She can't even manage to joke about how easy it is for him to move up behind her, this is just a better glimpse into who he is than any of their time spent sitting at a desk in Storybrooke. He likes being around animals; even massive, dangerous ones - and once she's up on the horse, it's not as intimidating as it was a few moments ago.

"Are you good?" There's not a lot of space to be found when you're sharing a horse, but Emma doesn't mind being close to him. Sometimes it feels like she makes excuses to be around him, which is a little funny considering she used to accuse him of the same. He could hold on to her if he needed to, but the horn gives him something to grasp in all of this, and with that, she does as instructed, keeping herself steady when the horse begins to move.

"You're a good teacher," she adds after a moment, intentionally keeping all of her attention on the horse. It's a more sincere compliment than he might realize, but considering everything he's taught her here and the fact that Emma Swan is holding the reins and riding a horse, it's deserved.

Is he good? The room on the saddle might be slight, but he's worked with less before. He's doing something he truly enjoys with someone he likes to spend time with. He'd likely say he's doing more than just good right now. "Fine," he promises, managing a smile that unfortunately the savior in front of him is likely to miss. Smiles tend to be rare out of him. This one comes quite easily, though.

As for being a good teacher... He hasn't really considered it much. He's certainly got the patience needed, though the lack of connection to praise properly might discourage some if he tried to teach them. Nobody has ever told him he's a good teacher, though he hasn't taught many people, either.

"Might be I had a good student," he tells her instead. He'll take that compliment, but she should give herself a little credit. It was pretty impressive how fast she'd taken to it, and how easily she'd connected with the mare. It was plenty of progress in one lesson. Plenty of progress, and there was a chance she could learn a little more before the day was done. The day was still young, and the mare was more than ready for a little adventure.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

CLOSED | He doesn't even break the branches where he's gone.

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