The Horseman

On a Red Horse

If the front yard was average, the same could not be said about Ben's backyard. The in-ground pool was heated and colorfully lit, fed by a small waterfall from a rock garden pond. A separate pond sported lively, fat koi with lotus pads floating above them, surrounded by an array of wetland plants and, further back, a few Japanese maple trees turned a deep red for the winter. The sitting area, with a small fire pit, consisted of tasteful wicker seating and furniture. It was sheltered by a trellis Shannon bet would be vine-covered for most of the year.

"Wow!" she exclaimed as she surveyed the landscape. "Ben, this is beautiful."

"Thank you. Landscaping is a little bit of a hobby for me. I have plans for the front this year."

"You did all this yourself?" Shannon asked, surveying everything she could see. "That's impressive!" When he didn't answer right away, she turned to find him staring at her with a smoldering look. Her heart skipped a beat, and her stomach somersaulted.

He blinked, and the moment was gone as his bright grin spread. His eyes twinkled when he asked, "So, you want to ditch your detail?"

"I wish! They're really good. So, unless you have some magic to work, they'll follow us wherever we go."

"No, not everywhere," he teased, still holding out.

She smiled and put a hand on a hip. "Are you going to tell me what that grin is about or what?"

He whistled, and a red horse, mane and tail flowing, trotted from behind the trees. Shannon gaped as she watched it approach, coat shining in the light of the decorative strands of bulbs, and couldn't help but take a step away when it stopped in front of them to toss its head. Its back was high as Ben was tall, and muscles rippled as it pranced over to him. She was enthralled.

He reached out a hand to stroke its muzzle. "His name is Victory, Vic for short."

Vic nickered and bumped his head on Ben's hip. From some unseen pouch, he produced a small apple which Vic immediately munched.

"Do you ride?" Ban asked her.

"Not since the merry-go-round at the state fair." Shannon was still dumbstruck by the size and beauty of the horse.

Ben chuckled. "Well, Vic is special. You can't fall off... you can only dismount when you want."

"Wait... we're going to ride him?" Shannon asked, eyes wide.

"We are." He winked. "That is, if you truly want to ditch the detail and have a nice, uninterrupted meal. Otherwise, we can just hop in the car and head to Applebees or something."

She roared with laughter. "No, you said you'd cook!"

He echoed her amusement. "You're right. Can't cook at Applebees!" He stepped closer to her. "But I can in the kitchen of my true home."

"True home?" She looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Huh. I've never thought about it before. Where does War, or any of the Horsemen, live?"

"The Four Corners of the Earth," he stated. "We each have a home in a "Corner," a place where the Outer Realms are connected to this plane. Mine is in the Southwest, out in the desert near Sedona, Arizona."

"We're going to Arizona? Tonight?"

"If you want to, yes. It's still late afternoon there... and it's warmer than here."

She chuckled. "You had me at warm."

"Good! It's settled then. Smoked salmon on the grill."

She turned back to Vic. "How in the world do you even mount him? He's huge!"