18th late afternoon/ early evening.

Timothy adjusted the first stirrup to a length that was comfortable to place a leg in, and held it for Sildete to place her foot in. It was awkward if a little.

"There you go, Sildete." He spoke softly. "How does it feel?" It was a silly question to ask, and not knowing his background he'd only learnt that she knew sidesaddle a lot more than any of the usual.

SHe tried to wriggle gently, shifting her skirts so the hem was hanging over her knees. No need to upset Herrero with any semblence at modesty. When she was settled to her satisfaction she answered the question.
"It feels....different, of course. But I think better. I will be happier riding like this, now, than with those silly side- saddles."

"So you do prefer them then?" He was surprised for he'd thought that the way the ladies rode was something that was best suited for them. It was certainly for the sort of clothing they wore.

"Would you like to hold the reins?" He asked, keeping a hold of them close to the nose of the horse. He was turning him about, the animal dutifully following though a bit distracted by his strange load.

"I prefer this, yes. You feel more, well, more like you are with the horse, than you are just sitting on the horse. It is good."
And good for showing off stockings, too, or legs.

"If I may, I would like to hold them, yes. It will make me feel very grand." She held back a laugh, turned it into a smile. There was nothing to suggest her mount would get upset with a laugh, but he might.

"You do feel the horse.. "He was about to say more , but then he had never ridden - obviously - a side saddle and so he grinned only, letting his thought be unheard. Instead he lifted the reins over the horse's head and held them to Sildete to take. He was close enough anyway, if Herrero chose to do something that wasn't quite planned.

" Just use your legs to have him go then. Not too fast, mind. "He said with a smile, proud that she was here.

"You have ridden side- saddle?" she raised an eyebrow at him, smiling.
Gently she took the reins, holding them loosely. They weren't exactly moving quickly. It was nice, she decided. Not as exciting as galloping round the place, but...friendly.
She had to try a couple of times to make him go a little faster, hold him back when she urged him too much. But she got there, or close enough, moving along a shade faster than they had been.
"It's different." was he only excuse, "where are we going?"

"Side...?" He began before realisation struck him. Right! It did sound that way, and he hurried to correct it. "No Miss. Never, certainly not. " He shook his head as if to put emphasis on what he just said and avoid any, even the slightest doubt of arising. "I have seen it used, and I supposed only, but have not tried it to be a proper judge as yourself."

He had to hurry his pace whenever the horse moved faster than it ought to have, but the girl looked to have gotten him reined in well enough, and any worry that Herrero would try to bolt with her and cause a spectacle, was at last silenced.

"We're going over there." He nodded in the direction, where the horses, unsaddled, cleaned and fed , were waiting in lines , for the night. "It's where he will be left under guard till we are to move ahead."

"I was expecting a good story about it." she shook her head in mock- dismay, before squaring her shoulders dramatically and raising herself slightly, "I see it."

beaming she half-stood again. "It's something you can't do in a silly side-saddle." she added, by way of explanation.
There were horses a plenty, and she was interested to note how each one, although outwardly appearing the same, to an eye far away, would be clearly differentiated, closer up. No problems like that with this horse. He'd be special wherever you looked at him from.
"And when will you moving ahead? Am I allowed to ask that?"

"Soon, Miss." It wouldn't be hard to see a large body of men on horses, once they were sent on the move, still till the order was given he didn't think it too well to place an exact time for her. Not that she would probably learn it from all the other camp followers who may have had ties and husbands amongst the Hussars.

"I hope Herrero is an agreeable ride." He smiled, noticing as some men looked their way. Many, no it would be all that looked and weren't either already tied or otherwise distracted, looked curiously to the girl on the horse. Men, as they were, were fond of a pretty face, and she certainly didn't disappoint.

"Almost there." He smiled, his hands at his sides, for he trusted the pair to keep a steady pace. Herrero indeed proved to be a well rounded horse, something of the sort would not have been possible on Bella, who would probably have tried to throw the girl off, or just been quite a handful.

"Not too soon, I hope. It is nice to talk to someone so kind." she held back a smile. He wouldn't be looking up at her anyway- he'd have a sore neck if he did that all day.

There were plenty of men about, not all of them peering at their horses. She smiled at a few of them and resolutely refused to touch her skirts- higher than they would normally see in a month of sundays, in public.

Timothy was surprised at her words, and heartily flattered that she was enjoying his company and he had not done something awful yet, that would change her mind.

He looked at her, but came to see the skirts and quickly turned away, thinking it indecent to stare at her legs. "..Have you.. decided that you will go longer with us miss?.. What is your trade, if I may ask?" Many of the women specilized in something. They sold, or mended, or sewn anew, some had a mixed profession of the mentioned while others went for some other kind of job that benefited them and the army.

"I think I will stay, for a while longer at least." There was a sort of security here, a certain sameness and a set of rules that were easy to work out, had known consequences.
"I do a few things- I normally go and talk to you men every afternoon or evening, when we are not marching. There's usually a drink in that, if not a meal. And I mend things."

She considered expanding on that last sentance, but it was the truth, and she sewed as well, frequently. "I get by quite nicely." she grinned,looking down at him briefly.

"Glad to hear it." He smiled at Sildete and glanced at the horse. "Better keep where it's safe at night, Miss." For there were men that would have taken it easy to go after a woman. Men who thought that the darkness concealed them. There were rumours of something of the sort happening just recently, though he wasn't exactly sure how much of it was truth and how much a lie. Neither have the accounts all been the same.

"There, we're here." He hoped she didn't feel like it had all been over too soon.

"Oh, I do." she felt a laugh coming, bottled it up. She didn't want him to think she was laughing at him, although of course she was, in a way. BUt only because she was normally at work already, then. Or she'd be off, doing something away from all those men. They got stifling sometimes, she found.

"THere?" she repeated, stupidly. Looked up. they were most certainly there. Slowly she stopped Herrero and looked around herself again. It looked like dismounting could become even more of an issue than mounting, if you could call her slithering mounting.
"Will you give me a hand?"

"Certainly Miss." He answered, and then quickly he added: "Sildete." Having a habit that was not willing to die as easily. He moved to the horse's side, trusting Herrero to remain still, as he offered help to the girl. The horse indeed stood in one place, and only flicked his tail here and there fighting invisible flies and some that were real. His ears tilted back to listen to what they were doing, but otherwise seemed quite relaxed and patient.

"If you lean forward, .." He began, for he knew an easier way. It did not take the shaky way of stepping on a hand, but when the girl would have moved her leg over, to have her gently by the waist, when lowering her down. He moved so that she would understand in what way she was to move, and then waited and would help the moment she so needed, bracing himself for the weight of her clothes ;P.

She realised what he was thinking of and wished, for a moment, she had learned the fancy jumping motion which prevented the man from realising he was hoding an arm or two full of fully- clothed woman. But no doubt this would be easier, and Herrero stood so well she had no trouble manevouring.

SLowly she leant forward, bringing her right leg over to join her left, moving her hands so she wasn't leaning all her weight on the patient horses left side. "You will catch me?" It came out with less of a laugh than she intended, but a horse across the middle did prevent a belly-full of air. "I'm sure you will, Timothy." she added, just in case he hadn't caught her half-laugh.

He smiled and was ready for the girl to help her off. Thinking back nothing of the sort would've been possible with Bella. That horse would probably have started kicking at the least appropriate moment and the girl would be sent flying. She would certainly not stand as 'lordly' as that horse. He may have been a strange spotted thing, but he was growing on him now.

"There." He murmured as he carefully held her by the sides, taking a step back to lower her to the floor decently. Even now Herrero was watching, but seeming too lazy or patient to move. As long as she did not jab his side by accident, else they'd both be sent tumbling backwards then.

Two feet firmly on the ground, helped by two hands round her waist. Slowly she reached out a hand to pat the patiently- standing horse.
"THankyou." she returned, in an equally low tone. It was quite companiable, standing so close, looking at the same thing.

Thanks given, she turned away from Herrero, catching sight again of their next stop. "Will you show me what you will do now, please? I...would like to learn."

"I'll have the horse unsaddled.." He said as first, for it was an obvious set of events to follow one another. And had him tied where the rest of them were. Which he had done, once he released the girl and took his reins. He did exchange them for the sort, that had no mouth piece to hinder the horse, should he wish to eat again. The other set he'd for the moment hung over the wooden fence that stood not too far. He'd showed how the first was done, and smiled at the lass.

[ooc- really sorry about extended absence. But i'm back now...]
"I see. You do this to make him comfortable, but to keep him ready, also. It is not like letting him into a big field, but it is better than not letting him any freedom."
She smiled at the sure way the man's hands had worked, the way he obviously cared for what he was doing.
"And will you clean him?...I'm sorry. It is not clean it is... I do not know the word." She was sure clean was a word with a similar meaning, but it was not used near hroses, she knew that.
She tried a questioning smile, hoping to convey her wish to learn.

(Welcome back and hope all is well!! )

"Clean n' brush..m' groom you mean?" He didn't mind the use of the word and chose to use it in favour of the girl as well. "I'll have his coat brushed ,yes. Jus' be sure that there's no dirt on him though .." He shrugged. Some horses tried to roll or get dirty somehow even if on a loose rope. Of course other times they were let in a pen or so, a group of them horses with someone to guard them. Then it was dust and much more, quite possible to find on a horse who looked as right and proud as day for it. "he might well need another scrubbin' down in the morning."

He patted the horse's side gently. "Or whense they'll call on us." He looked to the girl with a look of embarrassement clear enough on his face. "So.. , how do you find it with us?"

[thanks. All's well at the moment, at least.]

"Brushed." She thought the word over a while, recognising it and determining to use only that in relation to horses ever again.
You couldn't expect a horse to stand tamely all night, just because he'd been brushed, that much she knew. It made sense, then, to say he'd be brushing him again in the morning.

"Following you? This I like very much. There are always people about to talk to, and many very interesting people at that. Also there is usually something to find to eat, and to keep myself busy with."
He looked a little embarrassed and she wondered why, "Do you think this is no place for a woman?" She asked it softly, inquiring as opposed to stating, interested in his answer.

"It is argued by some, that it might not be a place for a woman. It's a dangerous place to walk with the army. Not always nor, I believe, as much as long as we are winning, but there's still the French and they may come and harm you." Though of course, so they could if she were in one of the cities or towns or villages where the lot was. Even their own, not only the enemy's.

"I do not know. In part I'd have agreed on that. It's dangerous yes, and a hard going , following us, marching with us, no?" He looked at her questionably. "But in part.. " He did not continue, not just yet.

he was cautious, she'd give him that. He said both sides of the arguement, maybe unsure of where she stood in her own thought, although her being there said some of her view.

"Dangerous, because you are closer to the battle, but if there would be a battle lost" she broke off to touch wood, "Then I would sooner hear about it myself and have a better chance of leaving, than to be surprised at home, unaware of what was happening."
She considered, "The marching, it is just as hard as having to stay at home and work in a field or to spend the whole time trying to raise a family." Not that she had any experience of such things, "Although it is not easy, either. There are few enough breaks to spend a whole day to do some washing, or to catch up on what may have fallen behind."

"We are closer to a battle yes, and though our battles are fought so that you, the camp followers stay behind, what of any sort of scenario that we've not foreseen?" And yet, was he not glad for this? "The British women would have been safer were they to remain at home, which.. I reckon , cannot be said for yourself." She was right after all. She couldn't exactly be safe at home. "..Well there's another reason why a lass's place is by her man. It has the man see and be reminded of what he is fighting for. Were she so far away, her image might fade and so her memory and ..." He guessed that to believe all men fought for King and country was idealistic. Most men fought because they had to. What reasons they added to it was a thing for each individual alone to know!

"But.. what shall you do, once the war is over, miss?..you've left with us, but it might not be as profitable.. perhaps to be able to return home as easily?"