I hope you don't mind if I don't take this off right now, [ he says as he checks the straps of the saddle spanning that huge barrel chest, falling back into his habit of talking to his horse like Sleipnir isn't the size of a house and has eight legs but is instead a perfectly ordinary stallion who can't understand him and doesn't care what he does with himself. ] I'm not sure I can get it back on by myself and I'm a little too small to ride you bareback, especially at your usual cruising speed.

[ He keeps up a steady stream of mostly ignorable chatter as he rubs Sleipnir down, carefully checking the huge stallion for anything concerning but finding nothing to worry about, and finally sits himself down on the rocks beside the waterfall to reach out and scoop up some water for himself, too.

Leaning back against the rock behind him, he alternates watching Sleipnir much on the grasses that grow nearby and looking out across the scenery. ] I'm really very fond of him, you know. Your mother. He...is very important to me. [ He plucks a blade of grass for himself, fiddling with the spike on top before picking one seed out at a time and flicking it away. ] I hope he knows that.