Riding On ~~:~~ A Free Rein Fanfiction || Completed

Chapter 17

After his rapid departure, Ann smiled and began to get Soleil ready for the day.

She did, however, take a bit more time grooming him down, just enjoying the bonding between mount and rider, and then, when she deemed them both ready, tacked him up and exited the stable into the yard.

Becky, Jade, and Zoe stood across the yard, their horses hitched as they spoke. It appeared they were going to ride, and when Ann and Jade's eyes met she offered a small wave and smile. Jade beamed back waving eagerly, then the other girls followed suit and began to converse more hushed, and the blonde left to one of the paddocks.

Zoe watched Ann leave then looked to Jade, Becky also facing her with the same curious glance.

"She's actually really nice," she defended, "Just quiet."

"But with what she did.." Becky said feeling tied between the two and watched as Zoe sighed softly.

She hadn't talked to Pin in quite a while, and she was regretful of it, and now she wasn't able to find him at all, and the castle had been shut down, now she presumed, was because of the upcoming competition.

"I really don't think she did it intentionally to hurt you," Jade said, "Not that I'm picking sides," she waved her hands rapidly in front of her face and Zoe smiled.

"It's ok, I agree. I just wish I could read her more, I just don't think she'll talk to me." 

The three girls slipped into an unwarranted silence.

"Well, maybe a ride will help us get some ideas." Becky said, "Oh, maybe we could go searching for Private Grenadiers lost treasure," Becky gasped and the two others rolled their eyes with a soft laugh. There she was, at it again.

"I think I'm perfectly fine with a quiet, uneventful ride," Zoe said, climbing up on top Raven, the other girls following suit, and then they departed.

Soleil stood within the paddock, gazing out across whatever lied beyond the fence as his rider began to get things ready.

She huffed minutes after and dusted her hands off, taking a gander at the jumping course she'd made complete with several trot poles, verticals, and cross-rails of varying amounts. She approached Soleil and he assisted in her mounting, and after seating herself she breathed in deeply.

Soleil walked a lap for a few times, then she pushed him into a trot, then after a canter. He seemed sufficiently warmed up and she began to direct them onto the course.

"Ankles parallel.." she whispered to remind herself, her eyes wandering to the trot poles. Soleil began to waver and crossed over two trot poles before he moved off course and Ann shook her head.

"Sorry Soleil," she patted his neck and shook her head.

"Concentrate," she said rounding them back to the start.

"Look ahead."

They began again, Ann's posture straight, her eyes forward towards the next jump. After the trot poles, it was a vertical, another round of trot poles, a cross-rail, then another vertical. It ended with a cross-rail right into a trio of trot poles and after completing it ann laughed happily and patted the drafts neck who pawed at the ground and whinnied loudly.

"Come on Soleil, let's do it again," she urged him on, and they pushed through the course, going faster with each time as she recalled information from the book she had read a few days prior about jumping.

She let out a soft cheer, congratulating herself and her wonderful mount whose breath was heavy. She could do this, Marcus was right, no, he was beyond right. This felt so natural, so true to herself. For the small amount of time that they were airborne, she was flying, the wind capturing her baby hairs and tickling her neck, and she didn't think she could survive without that feeling being present in her life.