by sarah turner
I don't know why I bolted like that, it didn't seem right, it couldn't have been right, I felt soooo stupid right now for just bolting like that, I wasn't the type who ran away from silly little things like that. luckily for me Keano knew where he was going so I was able to let the reins hang loose whilst I zoned out, I replayed the whole day so far, replaying what happened to try and find out what I had missed ... being reunited with him... joking with him... him helping me... nothing made sense, I was so angry with myself for not noticing anything, by the time I paid attention to where I was and what I was doing, Keano was already slowing to a stop, I gazed around at the Grazing Fields around me hesitant to dismount just yet whilst I was debating whether to dismount and looking around I could feel myself slowly relaxing more and more. I hadn't noticed that I had been keeping myself so tense whilst riding.
I could hear the regular beat of another horse cantering down the track behind me and I naturally tensed back up again, I twisted around in the saddle to see Blue coming down the track riding Red and as no surprise with no saddle or bridle. Typical. She was closing in fast but she managed to slow Red down, I could see that her face was plastered with worry as to my sudden take off, sometimes she knew me too well, yes she felt like a sister to me now but thankfully she doesn't know everything about me. She pulled Red up beside me.
"What happened back there Kyra?" her voice was ragged from riding but was still audible through all the short sharp breaths.
"What areee you on about?” I tried to play innocent as-if nothing interesting had happened
"Hmmm let me thinkkkk, your sudden take off with no explanation what so ever?" I knew what she meant but I wasn't going to let on to anything
"Ahhhhh that sudden take off... well I thought that you might have guessed that I was testing Keano’s reaction to a quick mount and takeoff." I smiled at her as-if to finish my point, but I knew I looked shifty but as I tried to hide it, it made it more obvious so she left the subject for a while, Blue relaxed and laid back on Red whilst I started to pace around her on the back of Keano, I heard a small giggle from the direction of where Blue was I looked over at her with a confused gaze
"What you giggling at Blue?"
"Your riding technique" I looked at her with the expression of you must be joking
"What are you on about, what's wrong with my riding technique?"
"You need to sit up and straighter more than you already are, it will improve your balance for you and your horse and also improve your control"
"Right... and this is coming from someone who rides with no saddle or bridle and is giving me advice on posture when she is currently LAYED on her horse..." she took the point and was hesitant on her response
"Yeeeaaahhh... but...YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!" I didn't respond to it as I couldn't be asked to, I dismounted Keano and continued to walk aimlessly into the field to our left, I let go of Keano's reins and plonked myself under the tree, I watched as Blue slide off Red and came to join me. We watched as the horses watched us then with a grunt started chomping on the grass. Typical boys, food on the brain.
After a few minutes of just lazying around and teasing Blue about this and that, she challenged me to a race through the woods and into the next clearing, I wasn't in the mood to race her so I let her pull ahead bit by bit with her competitive side I don’t think she really noticed that I had dropped back, as I saw the woods closing in I thought about going around them but before I had a chance to decide, Keano had made it for me. Straight through. Yes it was a short trip but with all the ducks and dives I had to do with all the fricking trees it made it seem longer than it was.
I reached the clearing a little after Blue to see her already sprawled out on the grass with Red stood beside her I slowed Keano to a trot as we approached her,
"Took ya time Kyra" she smirked whilst covering her eyes from the sun to look up at me, I rolled my eyes at her sarcasticness but I knew she was only playing around, I dismounted Keano and went to join her letting Keano join Red as I did so. I watched Keano and Red trying to eat, they were succeeding at making a bare patch on the grass beneath them.
I could hear Blue mumbling something but couldn't make out what she said
"What ya say chick?" I asked whilst looking over to where she lay,
"I said you can talk to me you know" I refused to say anything and closed her eyes so she continued
"After all I have known you for almost three years, would have thought you could have trusted me by now that's all" I rolled my eyes at her as alert. if to say not that excuse again, I went to respond to her second attempt but paused, I noticed that Keano and red both had stopped eating and was intently staring at something with theirs ears both flat against their heads and looked very alert. Alert. I nudged Blue who gave me a glare supposedly to say f*** off I was sleeping.
"Whats wrong with them" I nodded towards the horses, she propped herself up with her elbows and peered against the sun in the direction I had nodded in
"I dunno what the looking at?" I glance over to where the horses where so intently staring to see someone stood next to a horse, I pointed them out to blue who was now looking in the same direction as me, I watched as her facial expression turned from a frown into one of confusion
"Who the hell..."
"How am I meant to know" I laughed at her sudden outburst and I continued to get up.
"Where you going now?" I heard her question me from where she lay, I turned, smile and with a wink spoke
"Well chick, curiosity has got the best of me..." with that I walked towards Keano
"Not again Kyra!" I could hear the humour in her voice as she followed. I sat atop Keano waiting for Blue to mount Red and join me. She saw the look in my eye and smiled
"You wanna race don’t ya" her smile grew as my grin widened, we set off racing but with Blues Mustang breed they easily pulled ahead, as we got closer to the stranger the only features I could make out were those of its steed, it looked like it was around 16 hands high and was of a deep midnight black colour with a rich white mane and by the looks his tail was the same but I couldn't tell from the distance I was at.
I saw Blue reach the stranger and also saw Reds reaction to him, it wasn't a good one. I saw Blue scramble for Reds mane as his head went down I thought he was going to start bucking but instead did the opposite and reared up on his hind legs, Luckily Blue had managed to grab his mane in time and was able to stay atop of Red and keep him in control. Not alot of things spooked red and I couldn't work out what I could have been but the thing I did know for sure was that Blue would be very pissed by now. I pulled Keano up in front of the stranger and could see more of his steed’s features, his mane and tail were indeed rich white in colour but his eyes amazed me, they were the eyes of an albino horse.
I could see out of the corner of my eye the stranger watching me admire his horse, so I turned my attention back to him, what greeted my eyes astounded me. He had jet black hair which was slicked back like in the olden days but his dress sense said otherwise he wore a tight white vest which fitted snugly on his chest, he wore a black blazer type jacket to accompany his vest. He wore Texan riding style jeans which were held in place by a silver buckle belt with the initials Z and C entwined together, I presume they were of his initials. I could hear Red pawing the ground which brought my attention to his black patterned western style boots with spurs on the back of them. I made a mental note not to point them out to Blue as she would be pissed but the looks of it she already was. I brought my attention back to his face as he continued to watch me, I noticed that his eyes were of a stone white which looked strange but stood out nicely against his dark appearance.
I managed to draw my attention away from him and direct it to Blue who I could see was silently fuming in her saddle
"BLUE!" I spoke in a stern but assuring voice only to be greeted by three sets of eyes one set of annoyed ones from Blue herself, a set of questioning deep blue ones from the stranger and finally a set of albino eyes wh
ich were accompanied by his ears which were pricked up in my direction as if listening to me. I was looking at blue when he spoke
"Kyra, I'm looking for the stables from where you have come from" I froze in my saddle and even Blue gaze met my confused one. I turned to look at him
"What did you just say?" I looked at him with a questioning look although his eyes didn't give anything away
"I said I’m looking for the stables from where you came from" I was skeptical with what he said but went along with it
"My bad... thought you said something else" he looked at me with a confused look but I swear as I turned to look at Blue he looked smug.
"You ready?" I asked Blue and in response I saw her nod, turn Red and set off back to the yard, I also turned Keano around in the direction of which we were about to head and turned around in the saddle to see the stranger already waiting for me to lead the way, I turned back around to see Blue already halfway up the track, I eased Keano into a trot and easily caught up with Blue again, I glanced around to see the stranger confidently behind us.
"You ok chick?" I asked Blue as I could see she was still mad
"Yep. I’m fine." I was taken back by the sudden snap in response
"Ok... what ya think of the new guy?"
"He's a jerk"
"Blue! Don’t be harsh! You don't even know him! She sighed but remained stubborn
"He made Red rear with me on him! Red never rears! so at the moment that’s all I need to know!" with that she took off leaving me to lead the stranger back to the yard but I couldn't help but feel like he was watching me , it made me feel some what uneasy and I knew for sure I didn't like it. Not. One. Bit.