String of Fate

Chapter Eighty Three

"Doesn't she know that you don't like them?" Abigail wondered, struggling to keep pace with me as I ambled across the field. I slowed my pace a little so we were soon walking side by side again. She looked at me, waiting for an answer but I just shrugged. Hitching the hay net a little higher on her shoulder, she continued walking alongside me. "It's kind of mean that she's making you come here for work experience then."

"I think she's partially hoping for a discount on the full livery of her horse." I commented.

"I highly doubt that will happen with the owner. He's a bit of a tight wad. I mean, the main barn needs the roof to be fixed but he refuses to pay for that." Abi explained, kicking the head off a dandelion that she passed. "Luckily, it hasn't rained yet, but that could happen any time around here. I need to get up there and try to do something about it before it does start raining."

"Do you have any idea what you're going to do about it?" I asked, glancing ahead to the field we were heading to and seeing the horses make their way to the fence.

"I'm hoping that I can cover it with a tarp or something and that will keep them dry." She said, picking up her pace a little as she saw the horses. I easily kept pace with her.

"I can help out with that later, if you want? I don't mind going onto the roof to cover it." I offered, thinking that it would be an excuse to not clean up after a horse.

"We'll sort something out. Don't you worry." She told me, starting to attach the hay nets to the bars of the fence. I watched her hands as she tied the knot, but I wasn't able to catch how she tied one before throwing it up and over, almost hitting a horse in the head. She turned to me, seeing that I was confused. "Here, let me show you how to do it."

The two horses nearest to us started fighting over the hay net and I jumped back out of surprise but Abigail stepped forward, reaching her arms out and trying to calm them. She didn't seem to be making much progress until I heard her start singing. I looked at her, confused as to why she thought singing would help, but then the horses began to calm. She managed to separate the two and they began to share the hay net that they had been fighting over. She turned to me, raising an eyebrow. "Singing calms them. You should try it if something happens."

"It's fine. I don't sing." I pointed out.

"Alright, it'll be your funeral." She joked, laughing as she saw the reaction on my face. I just shook my head and started attempting to tie the hay net up. She quickly had to help me.

After my mother had picked me up, complaining that I was covered in mud, I loaded up my laptop rather than going on my Xbox and did some research on horses. I didn't know why but maybe it could help. Especially with the grumpy horse that did not like me. It didn't take me long to find a lot of information about the creatures.

Before I knew it, my mother was warning me to go to bed otherwise I would be too tired for work experience. I didn't think that it would make much of a difference but I still got an early night anyway.

The next morning, I found Abi in the stable with the horse that didn't like men. I only needed to follow the sound of her singing. I poked my head around the doorframe and saw her brushing him, one hand patting his neck as he stood there for her. When he saw me, he stepped back, away from Abu, causing her to look up and see me. "Morning. Is he going out today?"

"He is indeed. The field is nice and dry but it's a little cold so I'm going to put his rug on him." She replied, setting the brush to one side and pulling the rug from over the wall. "Good boy, Pegs."

"What did you call him?" I asked, wondering what his name actually was since that was something that I had yet to learn.

"Pegs. It's short for Pegasus." Abi explained, draping the rug over his back and starting to fasten it under his stomach. I looked a little confused. This beast was called Pegasus? Aby saw me looking confused and smiled. "The owner's granddaughter named him. It was either Pegasus or Sparkles, so, you can see why he's got that name. It's kind of ironic that he hates men and you hate horses."