Hey everyone, I am back after a long time, sorry for that. I injured my right (dominant) hand and had to adjust to my left. All of my free-time activities (drawing, piano, sport, gaming) suffered and in combination with class tests my muse got a heavy blow. Please give me this and maybe the next chap to find back into writing, I'm allowed to take my brace (small one, nothing serious) off by the end of next week. Thanks to everyone who stayed with me.

"Are you already awake Johanna?"

A somewhat ruff and male voice startled her out of her sleep, by its volume he had to be standing in her living room. As silent as possible she rose out of the bed, wrapped up in her sheet and tip-toed to her room-door, holding her ear to it.

"Who is there?"

"Thor my lady. Sif got a task and was unable to come."

"Give me a moment please."

Hurriedly she pulled her clothes for the day on and went into her living room. Looking kind of at loss with himself, Thor stood in all his glory beside her front door, with keys in his hand. He reminded her of a golden retriever, even his hair color was matching.

"Good morning Thor."

"Good morning Lady Johanna."

The two just kept looking at each other. Johanna was at loss about what to do, the contact with Thor in the last two weeks had been nearly non-existend and their friendship was still on shaky ground.

"Can I-." "I want to-."

Both of them spoke up and shut up at the same time, intensifying the awkwardness even further instead of breaking it. It was like a scene straight out of a movie.

"You start-." "Start you-."

They shut up again at the same time. Unsure they looked each other in the face and shared a quite embarrassed facial expression. In the end Johanna and Thor started laughing and broke the intense thickness around them.

It was Thor who started the conversation.

"I finally got a free day, but the others didn't. So, I wanted to ask you if you want to do something. I'll give you permission to leave the site today."

"Really?! I mean it is cool, but wouldn't that be even more special treatment? I even see Heimdall daily, even though it is mostly a few words here and there – still more than anyone else."

Then Johanna realized how it probably sound to Thor and panicked slightly.

"I-, I don't mean that in a bad way, I would love to do something with you-."

"I get it, I get it. You feel uncomfortable with the attention you've gained, that's fine. But I want you to accompany me, not as a Midgardian – as a friend."

Johanna smiled softly and gave her ok, she had very few people she could call friends and probably none she could call best friends that weren't related to her in any kind of way. It was a nice feeling to call someone a friend.

With that the two were on their way. After a stop at the kitchen to grab a bit of food on the hand and a bit for later they stopped at the stables. It was a different part than she normally was in, the average horses were leaner and taller even though there was no real system to order which horse stood were. New ones were put in free boxes and weren't moved then, to avoid searching.

Thor's horse was a white mare with an ocher mane and tail. The dark eyes radiated intelligence and a few scars spoke tales of her history. She seemed happy to see him and buried her head in his side. In turn, Thor laughed and petted her lovingly. Vinur was the recordholder in terms of time as a war-horse, the others had either fell in battle or were too injured to go back in action (there was actually a nice green field for them to enjoy the rest of their lives peacefully).

Johanna had to smile herself at the display of happiness, it was calm and serene. Eventually Thor lead her a few boxes further to a brown horse with a bit lighter mane color. On the sign at the box stood Grimmur.

"He is a relatively new one here, so there is no assigned rider to him. Grimmur will carry you today. You can get him ready on your own, right?"

"I… I should."

"You call when you need help."

At Johanna's nodding, he went back to his horse. Just like with the other horses Johanna encountered so far, all gears necessary hung in front of it. It was a bit of a challenge to get the halter on because the horse always backed away, but there was not much room in the box itself, so he couldn't back up any further. She leads him outside the box to have enough space for a bit of scrubbing before having to nearly toss the saddle upon the back. To her frustration, she wasn't able to close belt which ran around the belly.

Thor, who was already finished with saddling up Vinur, came to her help. Her mistake was to place the saddle too far to the back. One had to place it atop of the beginning of the neck, then a few gentle hits against it moved it down into the right position. For a fitting stirrup Johanna laid her hand on the saddle and used her arm (under the guidance of Thor) as measurement for its lenght.

Side by side, they led the horses out of the stables into the sunshine. The weather was beautiful today.

"Have you ever ridden a horse?"

"Sat on one as a child, does that count?"

"It is better than nothing, hold that for a moment please."

He gave her the reigns of Vinur and went back inside. With a rope he came back, which he then attached to the halter of Grimmur. Thor wanted to help her up, but she refused, she wanted to try it on her own. The mounting was neither graceful nor elegant, but she managed on her own and was spared the embarrassment of falling.

"Put your heel down and straighten your back, hold the reign between your small and ring finger and secure it with your thumb."

She tried to adjust, just as instructed.

"No, not with the thumb first, it's the other way around. Look at my hands."

"It feels strange."

"That may be, but you have a better control that way."

She adjusted her grip again and Thor seemed happy.

"To start, you have to gently press your heels together." Johanna did that and Grimmur walked forward. Quickly Thor followed and they left the city over nearly unused routes out into the forest. Birds sang beautiful tunes and they followed a nice trail.

"To go faster, you press the heels a bit stronger together."

"Like-."

Johanna did press into the horse's flanks accordingly but Grimmur took it as an invitation to go into a gallop. Thor, who wasn't prepared lost his grip on the rope and the brown horse shot forward. With a jelp she clung to the saddle with Thor taking the chase right behind her.

The ride itself was surprisingly smooth, even if it was over the uneven floor of the forest. As she further realized, that Grimmur wouldn't make any sudden turns or was even trying to throw her off, Johanna opened the eyes, she didn't even realized closing.

The speed was exhilarating, her heart beating fast and the wind tore at her hair. It was pure freedom! She relaxed her rigid posture and got the reigns back in her hands. A big, big smile creeped upon her face and she cheered loudly her happiness into the world. Thor caught up with her but didn't stop the wild running horse as he saw the pure bliss on the girl's face. He had to laugh too and advised her to lean down – what she did – and the two started kind of a race.

Grimmur started to sweat and his breathing got heavier. Eventually he slowed down to a trot, shaking his mane.

"Are you alright Johanna?"

"I'm peachy."

She was glowing, no, radiating happy waves and started to laugh anew as she saw Thor's clueless face.

"It's an expression Thor. I was never better."

"You look like it. If I am not wrong, we aren't far from a small lake. Let's take a rest there." Thor wasn't wrong and they came upon a beautiful clearing with a lake that shimmered like a diamond in the sun. Trusting in the horses, Thor detached the halters and hung them onto the saddles.

While the two friends made themselves comfortable under a lone willow tree to eat lunch, the horses refreshed at the water and joined them in the shade.

"That was one way to learn riding. To stop a horse, you sit down firmly and pull the reigns back."

"Ok, I will remember that for the next time."

She paused for a moment before she continued.

"I think I know now why one of my old classmates was so crazy about horses, they are amazing creatures. She would always complain about homework and how she would have no time to do it since she had riding lessons. Oh, how badly she reacted as the teacher recommended to quit if it took up so much time."

Thor was laying beside her with the hands over his head. His body lazy and face relaxed. Johanna didn't wait for an answer, but she got one. "Riding is always something special to me…It's not only the feeling. Riding is something Father taught me personally…Mother always taught Loki magic if she had free time so there wasn't much time left for me and Odin as king has even less. He always complimented me if I leaned something new, but riding, that he taught me personally."

In sunny weather, in the shade of an old willow beside a lake two friends laid in harmony. Telling tidbits of their lives, getting to know each other better until the sun painted the sky in a shade of soft red and orange.

Contend and happy, with hurting buttocks Johanna arrived in her room. A view into the mirror revealed a messy head but a large grin and sparkling eyes. She soaked a bit in her tub and ended the day face-first in her pillow.

AN: I did learn how to ride a horse. It's one of the things I regret ever stopping but school came into the way. My dear Lilly Fee (fairy Lilly), I never liked our name (because of the story character with the same name; never suited you) but there was no horse faster than you who shared my love for a good gallop. Dear Wendelin, there was no horse who had a more comfortable trot than you. Dear Biene (Bee), I sat on no horse as long as on you, how often had I to saddle you up for others, even as I grew too tall for you, just because you're so dam stubborn? Miss you three.