The Mischievous of Them All {OUAT/Henry Mills} [1]

The Doctor (Sadly, not the one you're thinking about)

David decided that Henry should not how to ride and take care of a horse. So, here we are just arriving at the stables. I come here a lot, so I already know which one is my horse. We get out of the truck and start walking towards the stables.

"Alright!" David said. He turned around and noticed Henry yawning as we enter the stables, "Come on. What's with the yawn? This isn't school. It should be fun."

"I couldn't sleep." Henry replied.

David stopped us and bent down to our heights, "Hey. I know. I miss 'em, too. Now, just think how happy Emma and Snow will be when they come home to find that you've become a proper knight. Say hello to your steed."

Henry looked at the second stall, which contained my horse and asked, "Is he mine?"

"No, actually. That ones mine." I responded, walking over to my horse and petting her. I named her Artemis because I love Greek mythology and she is my favorite goddess.

"This one's yours." David said as a white horse came toward them.

"Really? So... How do I get on him?" Henry asked, petting the horse.

"Oh, you're not riding today." David answered.

"I'm not?" Henry asked, confused.

"No. There's much to learn before you hop in the saddle." David explained.

"Like what?" Henry questioned.

"Well, every morning, you'll have to muck out his stall. Then, you'll brush him and feed him. After school, you'll do it again. Every day, twice a day." David informed.

"That's not riding, that's babysitting." Henry said.

"You have to know how to take care of a horse, it builds trust. Take it from me, I know from experience." I said, shuttering. That was not a good time.

"Like Aria said. It builds an essential bond. The trust between knight and steed." David explained.

"Okay. But, when will I ride him?" Henry asked.

"When the horse tells you. I'm going to go check in on the dwarves – see how the mining's coming. I'll pick you two up later." David said, then he walked out of the stables.

Henry turned to his horse, "So... Anything you want to tell me?"

"Well, you might want to start with a name first, Henry." I said to him. Henry turned to look at me, seeing that I was brushing my horse.

"What should I name him?" Henry asked.

"I don't know. It usually just comes to you, sometimes it takes awhile." I replied.

"What did you name yours?" Henry questioned.

I stepped out of the stall and closed the gate, "I named her Artemis after the Greek goddess." Then, we went back to our horses, occasionally talking to each other.

———–

It was awhile later and Henry was brushing his horse and talking to him, "Gramps says that you'll tell me when I'm ready to ride you. So... Anytime. Like, soon?" I laughed a little. Suddenly, all the horses got spooked. Henry's horse pushed Henry to the ground and ran off. I walked into the stall where Henry is and I helped him up. Then, someone entered the stall.

"You... You got to stop. You're... You're scaring the horses." Henry looked at his hands to see they are red, "A-Are... Are you hurt? Can we help you?" Henry extended his hand out to the man, "Let us help you." Suddenly, the man reached out and grabbed Henry by his neck, lifting him up in the air.

"Let him go" I said, one of my hands holding a fireball.

Then, Regina rushed to our stall, David right behind her, "Daniel! Let him go!" I stopped using my magic as the man, Daniel, dropped Henry and David got us out of the stall.

"Are you okay?" David asked us, urgently grabbing our shoulders.

"Yeah." Henry replied while I nodded.

"Go." David said. We turned around and started to run out of the stall, "Go!"

–[End]–