Though Thor felt the growing tension like the spark of electricity before a storm, it was difficult to keep his mind on the growing threat to Asgard and all the nine realms while showing Jane around his home. If he was honest, he was showing off a little, allowing her to see the rich splendor of his world with a half-formed hope inside him... selfishly, he wanted to keep Jane Foster by his side and he would bolster any chance he could to urge her to stay with him. Maybe he was just trying to weigh the odds in his favour of an insane brother and parents who ruled over all Asgard.
"This is the fastest way to show you the grounds." Thor strode into the stables, inhaling the pleasant scent of hay and horses fondly. Jane, taking two steps for every one of his, stared wide-eyed at the glowing wood and wrought iron of the box stalls, each three times the size of her hotel room back home.
An enormous iron-grey stallion, so dark he was almost black but for a slate-grey face, hung his head over the stall door and whinnied softly at Thor, who patted the huge steed. Jane did a double-take when she noticed the stallion had eight legs, six in front and two behind. She swung her wide-eyed gaze to the next stall but the chestnut inside appeared normal.
Sif was several stalls down, removing the saddle from her black mare. She hoisted the tack easily onto her hip and scowled at Thor and Jane as she strode by them. "Maybe you'd better saddle up Fandrall's old mare for her." Jane raised an eyebrow, sensing the insult without needing to know the background, and looked after Sif as she stalked off down the stable aisle. She cast Thor a questioning look.
"She's being ridiculous." Thor waved a hand dismissively. Fandrall's mare was the horse he had first learned to ride on, and though she was aged and not ridden any longer due to her tendency to go no faster than a very slow walk, he still doted upon the old equine. Thor didn't have time to worry about Sif's attitude. He was already anticipating showing Jane the gardens and the land beyond the palace. Two of the stable boys had groomed and tacked Thor's light grey stallion, one of Sleipnir's grown sons, and a bay gelding with three white socks and a blaze down his nose for Jane.
Thor wanted to laugh at Jane's expression - she looked a tad overwhelmed, still staring around at the stables as if she couldn't believe it. "Don't worry, your mount is a gentle one. Very easy to ride, and he won't stray far from mine." Jane raised an eyebrow at that, then she held out a flat palm to her horse. The bay pricked his ears, sniffed at her fingers, then bobbed his head and whickered softly. "Oh, he's so pretty." Jane scratched his cheek with affection, instantly won over.
Thor smiled at that then turned to collect his reins and nod his thanks to the stable boy. "Now, mounting is quite simple, all you do is-" He turned his head in time to see Jane take the reins in one hand, brace the other against the horse's withers, slide one foot into the stirrup and swing with obvious practice up into the saddle. It was Thor's turn to stare. Partly because he was surprised and partly because, well, Jane looked damned attractive sitting so confidently astride a horse.
"I took lessons as a kid." Jane explained with the tiniest touch of smugness in her grin, patting her horse's shoulder. "So, you ready?" With an impish grin, she nudged with her ankles and her horse went trotting right past Thor, still on the ground and scrambling to catch up. His stallion shook his pale mane impatiently and snorted. Thor quietened him with a pat and settled into the saddle quickly to catch up.
Jane Foster never ceased to amaze him.