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.
She dismounted letting Soleil wander off and began to set up a new course for them.
Upon completion, she took a look at her work, wiping away a few beads of sweat that began to drop down the side of her face and her neck and bit her lip in thought.
She hadn't practiced the oxer with Marcus but set one up, unsure if she'd do it or drop it to a vertical. Soleil came up behind her and nudged her, he never was one to stand around for long and she looked at him.
"What do we do? Wai for Marcus? Try it?"
Soleil snorted and pawed at the ground then kneeled, and she smiled, mounting him. He knew her better than she knew herself.
The looped around to the front of the practice course the pair waiting, then began.
A vertical was first and it was cleared with no issue, Ann leaning towards Soleils strong neck as he jumped over, then opening her hands for his neck as he landed. Afterward, a cross-rail and Ann began breathing raggedly, she was nervous.
The pair crossed the trio of trot poles with no issue, and flew over the next cross-rail, and Ann's breath grew heavier. Soleil noticed her tension, tugging more at the reins as usual, and swatter her leg with his tail, breaking her from her trance.
She nodded, clenching the reins tight without pulling them and they came upon the oxer.
Marcus walked with Susie, discussing her lesson and how much she had improved in the previous weeks and how he was downtrodden about how she had rejected his offer to compete in favor of her political position.
Together, they walked up the path to the shed and he could hear jumping from one of the practice paddocks.
"Hold on," he spoke to Susie and passed the shed, curious about who was practicing. Once the sight of the paddock came into view and he registered what was happening, he bolted, running to the fence line, and Susie ran after her.
Ann was almost to the oxer jump, but she wasn't ready, she hadn't tried it and trying it alone was dangerous.
Susie appeared by his side and Marcus began to yell as she was but two strides from the jump.
"Wait, you're not--" his words were cut short when he watched the blonde girl and buckskin draft sail most marvelously over the oxer, her body moving fluidly with her mouth as they glided onto the air and landed on the earth, then her melodic laugh came to his ears and he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding in.
He leaned over, staring at the ground before the fence and inhaled deeply as Ann rounded, noticing the pair, and approached them at the fence.
She felt guilty, like she'd been caught red-handed, which to be honest, she had.
When the Buckskin stood before him, Marcus looked up, looking into the rider's eyes, and he held back how proud of her he was.
"You shouldn't have attempted a jump you've never performed during a lesson." he began to lecture, noticing how her eyes fell to look at the loamy soil. "That was incredibly dangerous, what if you'd fallen off? What if Soleil had gotten hurt?"
Silence.
He sighed.
"But how did it look..?" she asked, her face flushed with embarrassment.
He felt his eye twitch. Here he was, lecturing her about safety and etiquette and she questioned how her equitation was? She was becoming a horse girl more and more as days went by.
His right hand covered his face and he sighed audibly.
"It was great, perfect." he spit out like it was soured vinegar. Anns face remained on Marcus' hidden one, shocked and unsure if he was truthful, and then her eyes drifted to Susie, who nodded and spoke, "It really was good," affirming Marcus' notion.
The blonde riders' face lit up like a holiday light festival and she couldn't contain her joy.
Marcus chuckled softly, and he looked to Susie, making small conversation about her next lesson and she strode away. He turned back to Ann and pinched her thigh gently and she let out a shocked gasp.
"Don't do that to me again, you really did scare me." He stated hawkishly, then continued, "Now, run it again, a few more times, then you're free to go." he stated, dismissing her.
He looked at his watch, noting how much time he had before Jade's lesson, and watched her go through the course.
How had she picked it up so fast? He wondered in brooding silence. It hadn't even been that long but her posture was great, and well, the bond between the pair was undeniable. A few minutes had passed and the trio of girls came down the trail, stopping by Marcus and they watched Ann as she practiced.
"Oh my Bob..." Becky gasped in pure shock.
"She's really good," Zoe said.
"Her posture is great," Jade pouted, "Maybe she'd teach me some," she whispered to Zoe.
Marcus remained silent, watching her, not even realizing the girls had come up to him until Becky called out his name and he visibly jumped.
"Oh, girls," he said, resting his hand on his rapidly beating heart.
"She looks really good. Do you think she'll do alright competing?" Zoe asked him, the other two looking expectantly at him.
"I'm hoping she can grow in time, I know she can, but does she know it..?" he spoke and the trio looked at each other, unsure of what to make of his answer.
He looked to Jade, "Almost ready for your lesson?" and she nodded excitedly. Marcus nodded, "I'll meet you there in five," and the trio departed.
Ann rounded the last jump and cantered up to Marcus who smiled gently, shaking his head.
"I don't know how, but it was great. What happens if you become too good and don't need me anymore?" He jested. She reached out to touch his head, and ran his fingers through his hair.
"I'll still need you even if I'm the number one Show Jumper in the world," she said and he removed her hand, fixing his hair, smiling at the giggle she let out when he did so, then kissed her hand gently.
"I need to go to Jade's lesson, I'll see you later?" he questioned, knowing the only thing she'd say is yes.
She nodded, her cheeks pink, and she flashed a grin, showing off her white teeth.
Ann watched him leave, her heart surging, beating rapidly within her, and she felt her feelings for him bubbling to the surface like a volcano erupting, and then it dawned on her... She loved him.