Dinner at the But'n'Ben Pt 2

Posted on Sat Jan 25th, 2025 @ 6:15pm by Lieutenant Commander Kevin Kilbane & Lieutenant Commander Shoniara T'ghann-Dex. Doctor

2,771 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: The 'Eagle continues.
Location: Holodeck, USS Blackeagle
Timeline: Current.

Shon was sipping more soup and laughed suddenly a small piece of fish landing on the table. Looking mortified but now laughing she collected the 'scrap' with her serviette and looked aside at Harris. "I can easily control sixteen hands," she said her head down and her Vulcan ears reddening.

"God stop, I can't take anymore!" Kevin shouted, roaring with laughter.

Harris, unaware that that he had become a part of the joking rushed forward, "What's wrong M'lord, should I send for the physician?"

"No...no...I'm...fine...Harris..." Kevin managed to say, regaining some control at his outburst of laughter, "just give us a minute please" he added.

"Very good your Grace" Harris replied, turning and leaving the room, but giving Kevin a backwards glance as he reached the door. Once Harris was outside, Kevin looked at Shon, "Oh, you are naughty...poor Harris, he had no idea!"

"You began it" she said smiling wishing she could kiss him.

"Actually, you did, I saw the smirk on your face when you asked "would this be astride or side saddle, and raised your eyebrows. I just piled on" he laughed.

"Oh" she said realising she had been caught. I seem to be loosing my composure around you Kevin Kilbane," she said.

"You need to be able to relax when you can" Kevin replied, "but I won't deny I like it when we 'dance' with double entendres, life would be so boring otherwise. So tell me Shon, what is the biggest mount you've ever ridden?"

"Horse wise? nineteen point two hands percheron stallion named Odin, he was mine until I got married. Otherwise I don't know because I intend to do a lot more riding and, who knows what heights I might rise to."

"That's a lot of hands to handle" Kevin replied, "but I'll tell you what, how about we take out a couple of Garron horses for a trek instead of going jumping? They're about fifteen hands each, very strong so can go for mile after mile. It's going to be the deer season soon, we need to thin the rangale, what do you say?"

Shon shrugged, "can we not.....gallop a little?" she asked. "and what is a rangle"

"Oh yes, we can gallop, that's not a problem at all, and a rangle is just another word for a herd" Kevin replied. He took her hand in his, "I think we'll have a wonderful time Shon, we can even have a picnic whilst we're out, I may even persuade Mrs Jessop to bake some of her renowned current scones, they literally melt in your mouth, and if she's made some of her strawberry jam, well, that would just be the bee's knees."

Shon looked at him eager to know why bees having knees would be wonderful but she just said, "well let's go now then, maybe I can get out of this."

"We need to change then. Computer, move programme on twelve hours to morning, adjust main characters outer clothing to riding clothes circa seventeen hundred and changed scene to the castle library" Kevin said. The programme around them shimmered and they found themselves once again in the library."

Harris entered and said "The Garrons have been saddled and the picnic has been prepared your Grace."

"Thank you Harris" Kevin said, "have the guns been prepared as well?"

"Prepared and extra cases boxed as well" Harris replied.

"Good, well, it looks like we're all set then Shon, shall we go?" he asked.

Shon looked down at the rough tweed type pantaloons and the semi skirt that covered her behind and adjusted the starched white shirt. Her long black boots showed a shapely muscular calf and a sweet little hat was perched on top of her head. A jacket in the same material as her skirt finished the ensemble off. They walked out to the stables where several horses looked out over loose box doors. Taking her moment she pulled the hat off which sent her hair tumbling down her back. The sky was blue with a little breeze which smelled of Heather, whilst soft clouds scudded above.

"Hold it there for a second" Kevin said to Shon. He marvelled at her stunning beauty as the sunshine caught her long black hair, making it shine like he'd not seen before.

"Stunning, absolutely stunning" he said as he walked across to her. Taking her hand, he leaned in close, and smiling said "You do realise that the starched tight fitting white shirt and those riding boots are a little bit of a turn on..."

She bobbed a curtsey, "you're not so bad yourself," she said smiling. "I hate hats!" she exclaimed and stood hard on the one at her feet grinding it into the mud. "Now that was satisfying. "Are you saying you are physically attracted to me?" she asked smiling.

"Well, perhaps just a smidgen of a hint of the mere possibility that I may be attracted to you" he smiled back, "I do hope that's ok with you, I'd hate to think that that all that thinking and considering has gone to waste" he then laughed, "Can I ask you the same question...not are you attracted to yourself obviously, but are you attracted to me?"

She stood in front of him and took his hand, her lips were close to his when she whispered, 'From the first time I saw you on Romulus, yes Kevin, much more than a physical attraction, but I find you so physically.........ohh yes." she whispered as she kissed his lips."

The touch of her hand on his, the softness of her lips as she kissed him, the scent she was wearing, all of this was like a sensory overload to him, but he couldn't help himself as his free hand went behind her head and gently pulled it towards his. He kissed her back gently, his tongue gently finding hers and they danced, he didn't want the moment to end.

A gentle but firm cough however brought him back and he looked round to see Harris looking everywhere but at them both.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you both, "M'lord, M'lady, but Jedard is awaiting you both in the top field when you're reading to go, he believes he knows the best place to take you both for your ride out and shooting" he said.

Kevin looked at Shon and smiled, "Well, we can't keep him waiting now can we?"

Shon pulled apart embarrassed, Harris always seemed to catch her doing, saying something she shouldn't."

"M'lady do you want me to rescue your head covering?" He looked down to the hardly recognisable item.

Shon grimaced at Kevin. "I think it is too far gone Harris, but you could dispose of it, thank you."

Harris inclined his head and Shon was sure that for a few seconds a smile appeared.

"Let's ride!" Shon exclaimed picking the horse that looked more feisty. Gathering the reins she placed her foot in the stirrup and swung herself up. Gathering her reins she asked, "Which way?"

Kevin climbed up into his saddle and pointed, "Through the main gate, up the track about a hundred yards and then cut into the field on the left. Up the hill and then once at the apple trees bear right and across the fields."

He gathered his reigns, gave Shon a cheeky smile, slapped his Garron on it's hind quarters and galloped off, "Come on slow coach, you're already lagging behind!" he laughed.

Shon's horse was remarkably responsive and wanted to catch up with its friend. Straight into a gallop she felt the pull on the reins and let her mare have it's head. She rode low down in the saddle her thighs gripping as though she had just ridden yesterday. Her hair streaming behind he she could not help laughing as she caught up to him. "Race you!" she yelled into the wind.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Kevin laughed as Shon and her Garron flashed past him and his own. He bent forward and whispered into it's ear, "I have a lot of nice apples for you if we catch them."

It was almost like his Garron understood, as his pace quickened and and Kevin had to bare down and hold tight to his reins. Gaining ground, Kevin called out to Shon, "We're coming, we're coming!!"


Shon kicked her mare on and realised she did not know her name. "A bowl of strawberries for you girl if you go faster." The mare strained her head and lengthened her stride up the hill and Shon laughed as the wind tore at her jacket. She put her head lower so the mare would have less resistance as they neared the apple trees. she had not felt this alive for many years.

"Oh, they think they can beat us" Kevin said to his steed, "let's show them what you're made of."

He dug his heels into his flank and his Garron reacted instantly, now going flat out into a gallop that had Kevin clinging on for dear life. He hadn't been this scared on a horse for a very long time and he wasn't sure if he was able to hang on much longer at the rate they were going. They caught up with Shon and her mare, they were neck and neck now heading towards the apple tree.

Shon glanced at him, that was definitely the wrong move as her right thigh lost it's grip and she was off in an instant, watching from the ground as he mare streaked out ahead now Shon's weight was not on her. She stood, brushing the detritus from the field off her and shrugged.

Kevin watched as Shon fell from her Garron and he instantly pulled up his own. He jumped off and ran back to where she stood, dusting herself down, "Are you okay, is anything broken?" he asked, holding her tenderly.

Shon laughed, "Only my own pride, after all I was winning. I promised my mare a bowl of strawberries if we won, but, still she can have them. She moved closer to him until there was no air between them. "I know how to fall." she whispered.

"As do I...in love that is" Kevin replied, glad that Shon was unhurt apart from her pride. He leaned in and kissed her deeply, his heart was pounding, he'd never felt like this about anyone and he knew he'd do anything she asked him to.

Shon began to feel tears welling up inside her, something that had not happened for many years. Her arms folded around his neck and she felt his lean hard body against hers. "I love you too Lieutenant Commander Kevin Kilbane ,or shall I call you the Lord of Sanquhar?" she nuzzled his neck, "I can feel your heart pounding." she whispered.

"How about you just call me Kevin, so long as I can continue to call you Shon?" he replied.

"Now, how about we go and get your run away Garron and we meet up with Jedard and continue this wonderful day" he smiled.

"Sounds good to me but where is she"? Shon asked holding his hand.

Kevin looked up the hill, then laughed, "Both of them are up there, at the apple tree, they're eating fallers." Hand in hand, he led them up to the apple tree and watched as both the Garrons nudged the apples on the ground, turning them over and eating a few.

"I didn't think they'd be so picky" he said. He led Shon over to the tree and gently manoeuvred her so she had her back to the trunk and he looked deep into her eyes. "You know, a man could get lost in those eyes of yours forever." he placed his hand on the side of her head, cupping it then running his fingers through her hair, "and that hair, that cascading beautiful long black hair, it's so soft. You know, I ache for you Shon, I honestly do."

He looked down and then back up, a grin on his face, "I don't know if it's the tight starched shirt, giving you an almighty bosom, the calf hugging riding boots that accentuate your strong calves and legs, a mixture of both...or I'm just a randy guy in general."

She laughed happily, "You know you have me there is no need for you to ache for me, if you're a 'randy guy' then you are MY randy guy. So, what shall we do now?"

"Well, as much as I'd like to see what it's like canoodling up against a tree, as I've never done that, we really ought to gather the Garrons and make our way to the top field and meet Jedard as he'll be wondering where we are" Kevin replied, "but, I'm so glad you said I'm your randy guy, hold onto that thought, when we get back from this hunt, and as crude as I can make it sound, there may be some more ridi...no, I'm not going to say that as I'll start laughing again think about poor Harris not knowing which way to look!"

Shon sighed, she had not planned to be ravished out in the open she had preferred a huge bed covered in velvet and silks. she stood and followed him to where the horses were enjoying their apples. she picked up the mares reins, "I mean to ask you what is her name?" she said as she re mounted.

Kevin stopped, and looked at Shon, "Can I ask what the sigh was for back there?"

"You can always ask me anything and I will tell you the truth. You keep arousing me, I get hot and bothered then we do not follow through." she smiled, "that's all Kevin."

"I was trying to be a gentleman" Kevin replied, "and do you not think you keep arousing me with subtle word play and such like, and her name is 'Traisg'" he added, pointing to the mare. He took the reigns of his own Garron and trudged off alone.

Shon remounted and patted the mare. "Hello Trasig," she said as the mare's ears turned to hear her name. "Can you give me any lessons about men?" she said as she gathered her reins and trotted after Kevin.

Making it to the right of the rise, Kevin looked across the fields and sure enough, there in the distance, a lone figure could be seen. Kevin surmised it was Jedard, so he remounted his own Garron. Taking the reigns, he spurred his mount and they began the trek across the fields. A little while later, they arrived where Jedard was and Kevin dismounted.

"Good day your Grace, M'lady" Jedard said, removing his cap and bowing, "it's a fine one indeed for a hunt and a picnic. Harris had the picnic sent to me early this morning, I have it on my own horse. I thought we would trail the high ground, be above the deer so we can track where they are and you can tell me how you want to proceed. Once we're done, I've a lovely spot down by the Nith where you can have your picnic in peace, I'll take the kills back then come back for the picnic things once you're both finished."

"Thank you Jedard, you're a good man" Kevin replied. He remounted his Garron, waited on Jedard mounting his Clydesdale and then made for the high ground.

Shon hung back, she did not really want to partake in the killing of an animal although she did, of course eat meat and fish. She remembered her grandfather telling her if she was to eat meat she should honour the animal by looking it in the eye and killing it. So she did, but always hated it. Her back and head had begun to ache from the fall and she was becoming nauseated. She kicked Trasig on in order to catch up to them. “What are we killing and how?” She asked.

"Deer, they're over populated this time of year and they need to be thinned out" Kevin replied.

"We're using the flintlock rifles from the shooting lodge M'lady" Jedard added.

"I have not done this for a long time." she said wishing just to go straight to the picnic part, but, she smiled and nudged Traisg on. The sky was quite blue but there were ugly clouds collecting over the mountains to the west. "Will they give us any trouble Mr Jedard?" as she pointed to them.

TBC.

 

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