The Journey Home

For those not in the know, this is for the

(1) Mandatory: Reference
(2) Mandatory:Introductory Image
(3) Optional:Resistance
(4) Optional:To The Lorries
(5) Mandatory:Groundwork/First Steps
(6) Optional:Learning To Lead
(7) Mandatory: Mishap/The Fall
(8) Optional: The Journey Home  <-----
(9) Optional: Quarantine
(10) Optional: Travel Buddies
(11) Optional: Grooming Session
(12) Optional: A Step Too Far
(13) Optional: First Saddle
(14) Mandatory: Backing
(15) Optional: Hacking
(16) Optional: Trust

Edit: We won!



--------------

'...and now it turns out it’s a bloody mustang!'
 
'Kiwistang' David interjected. 'Technically. It's a New Zealand breed - Mustangs are American'
 
The man waved a hand irritably and gestured at the roan stallion being led cautiously towards the loading area of the plane.
 
'Whatever, mate, I couldn't care less if it were a ruddy Shetland pony as long as I know I can fly safely with it on board.'
 
Arranging the transportation home had been relatively easy up until now. David had been recommended a dedicated equine airline, used primarily for exporting racehorses and eventers in and out of the country. The passenger jet had been refitted to accommodate several large horses, each with their own separate padded box and plenty of room to manoeuvre, though not enough that it would give them any opportunity to escape. A rogue horse at 30,000 feet was a situation no one could ever really prepare for and something that the pilot of this particular plane seemed to be very worried about, despite his many years flying a variety of equines worldwide.
 
'Look, don't worry about it' said David. 'We got the vet to give him a rather large sedative for the journey. It's not usually recommended for such a long journey but given the circumstances he thought it was appropriate.'
 
That was true. Although Toa trusted Nikolai enough in a pen, there was just no telling how he'd react to bring in such a confined space for an extended period of time. It had taken long enough for the on-site vet to give him the sedative and David hoped it wouldn't start to wear off until the flight was well under way.

Niko cried, and rushed to their side, holding his hands out for the horse to sniff before gently placing them on his neck and smoothing out the stippled hair with quiet and deliberate strokes.

‘I will take him from here, it’s all right’

‘Actually, sir, it’s not. Company policy dictates that only the flight crew can handle the horses on the-‘

He was interrupted mid-speech by the pilot who nodded towards the Russian and smiled.

‘Under the circumstances, Gemma, I think he’s the man for the job. The horse knows him after all, not well, mind, but better than he knows us, which makes him the closest thing to bedrock you’ll find on a plane. That said, if he does anything stupid...’

He gave him a stern glare, one eyebrow raised. Nikolai nodded and smiled back, taking the leadrope from the reluctant groom and signalling for Toa to walk forward, which he did, matching his stride in moments. They stepped over the threshold, pausing for a moment while Toa acclimatised himself to the change in light; from the full intensity of the New Zealand sun, to the orange-yellow tungsten of the plane’s artificial lighting. The inside smelled pleasant, of crushed hay and horsehair, although the sharp tang of engine oil and metal was never too far away.

He led Toa halfway down the plane to a roomy padded stall next to a bay thoroughbred gelding who eyed them with interest. A fresh bucket of water and a full haynet greeted them inside and Toa tucked in greedily as his leadrope was tied to the side of the stall. He hadn’t any experience of being tethered yet, which was a slight worry, but as the stall was too small for him to really move around too much, Niko hoped he wouldn’t notice and that they would be able to get him used to it properly once they got him home. He was impressed at how calm he’d been in the horsebox to the airport, though a combination of a quiet engine with a careful driver, and the addition of some cotton wool stuffed into his ears to muffle the noise probably helped. It was a temporary fix, Nikolai knew, but as long as he was quiet and unstressed, and they could get him home in one piece, then they would have plenty of time to think about how best to deal with his fears.

Once assured that Toa was happy with his current situation, Nikolai bid David farewell. He’d be getting the next passenger plane home, while Niko stayed with Toa for the journey and subsequent extra week of quarantine once they were back in the UK.

‘Are you sure you’ve got enough with you to tide you over? I can send you down some supplies once I get back’

‘Oh no, thank you, but that won’t be necessary. I have everything I need in here’ he said, patting the ancient green rucksack that looked as though it’d been a constant companion through most of his life from the patches alone. ‘Just promise me that you will make sure everything is ready for him coming back’

‘No problem, pal, I’ll see you in a week’s time!’

While Toa dozed, the full effects of the sedative finally kicking in just after takeoff, his companion pulled up a tack box and one of his favourite novels and settled down for the long journey ahead. It wasn’t going to be easy, not by a long shot, but he had made significant progress thus far, so it looked very hopeful.

------------------

Lines drawn traditionally and coloured in Photoshop.