SECOND DRAFT: Hard Bank Left

27

"Yes, but can I at least get some crutches? Or a cane? I am not going to be carried around by women all day, especially if you need me to bring the ship back."

They didn't actually need Graham to bring back the ship. Celeste could have managed without him, but apparently in order to keep herself safe she had told Tawni that she was their mechanic and therefore couldn't fly. Just his luck: hobbled and now he'd have to walk back several miles to where the WindSong remained docked. It was hard enough sitting.

"We're getting you a horse."

Graham's eyes widened. "It's been a long time since I've ridden a horse."

Tawni raised an eyebrow. "But you have ridden a horse?"

"Yes. I have ridden a horse."

"Good. I am sending Fes with you to bring them back."

"Understood. Can we get started, please. I would rather get this taken care of as soon as possible."

Tawni shrugged and went to fetch the horses.

"What's taking Krys so long?"

Graham glanced over his shoulder at Celeste. She was leaning against the vardo, but the door, tapping her fingers against her upper arms in an exceedingly nervous manner.

"What does it matter? She's not coming with us."

"I still don't understand that. She's your pilot, why isn't she going with us?"

Graham rolled his eyes. "You're acting like a lovestruck teenager. Stop it."

Celeste crossed her arms, thrusted her shoulders forward and scowled at Graham. It was his gesture, his way of protesting when caught. From what the Graham in her head had told him, Celeste was designed as an individual with her own personality using Krys as a model for female behavior. Given this, he found it a little disgusting to see himself reflected in her.

"No. No, you stop that too. Don't give me that face."

Celeste's scowl deepened. Graham rolled his eyes again. The two of them waited for Tawni in silence, leaning against the wall of the vardo, arms crossed, Graham leaning heavily to the left. When Tawni returned with the horses, Graham thanked her as she left. Fes waited patiently atop her own black mare, eying the both of them with mild amusement.

Graham gestured at his leg, not so much looking at Celeste as looking past her. "Can I get some help?"

She nodded, effortlessly lifting him atop the large chestnut in front of him. Celeste approached the second horse, which withdrew as soon as she got close enough.

Graham shifted in the saddle, letting his leg rest loosely against the chestnut's ribcage. "She knows you're not human."

"We didn't account for that, did we? As fleshy as I look, I'm just a dressed up machine."

"You're a what?!"

The two of them looked over at Fes, both having completely forgotten that she was there.

"Did I hear you right? Because, I was pretty sure that I hear you say that the pink-haired girl is a machine."

"Metaphorically," Celeste covered.

Celeste raised her eyebrows. "Uh-huh."

Unsure of what to say or how to react or how to recover, the corner of Graham's mouth twitched. He breathed in and made a decision, "Celeste, ride with me. I won't have much control over this beast anyway."