Two Horsepower (Open)

[Lahja Morgan]

[Backdated to Saturday 5th July]

The two black Friesian horses looked stunning in their wedding finery, their leather harnesses offset with white ribbons and bows, white ribbons braided into their flowing manes and tails and large white feathered plumes atop their heads. The Taximan carriage was polished and decked out to perfection, and Lahja couldn't help but be proud as she drove it around the outskirts of town, heading back to the farm. The cool summer evening air was pleasant again her face, and Lahja had long since discarded her black formal jacket onto the passenger seats and unfastened the bun that had held her hair, the long dark waves falling in loose curls down the back of her white blouse.

Psyren and Wiley walked at a slow, relaxed pace, their heads low as they mouthed softly at their bits, contentedly making their way back home. It had been a long, warm day and they were no doubt looking forward to getting back to their stalls just as much as Lahja was looking forward to a long bath followed by takeout in front of whatever silly movie happened to be on television. As much as she loved working weddings, big ones like the one they had attended today were always tiring for humans and horses alike, but the paycheque had been more than worth it. Thankfully it had been a local one, meaning she had been able to trot the horses there instead of having to load them and the carriage into horseboxes, meaning she at least had a chance to unwind like this on the way home.

The sun was just beginning to creep over the horizon, casting long shadows across the road, and Lahja turned on the little lamps on the sides of the carriage. It wasn’t quite dark enough for them to be necessary yet, but it was always better to be safe than sorry. They were still around a mile away from the farm, on the quiet lanes around the outskirts of Pilot Ridge, when they came across a car by the side of the road with its hood up, the owner clearly a little distressed by what they saw going on inside their vehicle. Halting the horses on the grass by the roadside a little distance away, Lahja called over to the person with the clearly rather poorly car. “Is everything okay over there? Do you need a hand with something?”

[Henri Rosario]

A simple drive, that's all Henri had wanted. Driving the backroads seemed a good idea at the time as well. His truck would have been better suited for it, but he figured it would be a smoother ride, and a lot quieter. As mentioned, this had been the plan. The reality was this; as he drove down the mostly deserted roads, music blaring of course, the car started to make odd noises. Which he promptly ignored as nothing major. Rounding a corner onto a nice and open stretch of round, the car made a loud pop. Followed by hissing and steam coming from under the hood.

The car sputtered and started to stall, with a little common sense, Henri pulled over to the side of the road. "Shiiiit." He said as the car finally grumbled to a full stop. This was not the best place to have a breakdown. Grabbing his phone, he hoped to maybe at least call a cab or something. "Fuck this town!" Screaming he threw the phone down because he had no bars here, at all. Slamming his car door, he clambered out the car and made his way to the hood. After a bit of a struggle, he managed to pry the hood open only to be met with steam. This made his curly dark hair droop a little.

Henri knew just enough about cars to know that the engine was not supposed to do that. With a heavy sigh he started hitting this and that, trying to make something work. Of course he didn't hear the hooves or wagon wheels. No way he saw the lights either. The voice however, made him jump and of course made him bang his head a little. Pulling himself free of the car, he walked away and looked a bit surprised to see the carriage. Even more so the lady on said carriage. "Um, I'm pretty sure my car is well. To put it nicely, fucked." Henri was not the most eloquent speaker, but it was just his way. "I'd love a hand, but I'm pretty sure it wouldn't help." 

He looks back at the car then back to the woman. "If you don't mind, maybe you could call for help. I kinda didn't get any bars out here either." Henri made this suggestion so he didn't sound creepy asking for a ride.