As Eden left the shelter of the air-conditioned dorm building, the full wave of late-summer heat hit her in the face. It was hot. Hotter than it had been for the past several days. She sent a quick thank you to the Eden of the past who had decided on such a breathable shirt, otherwise she’d probably end up becoming a puddle of sweat by the end of the day. Despite the humidity, a soft breeze was blowing in the air, the smell of wheat and wildflowers carried along with it. She checked the time, just a few minutes past 9:50, meaning she had just enough time to walk to her lecture hall without having to rush.

Luckily for her, the lecture hall for her Behavioral Ecology class was just a few buildings down from their dorm, less than halfway across the campus. Unluckily, however, was the fact that it was on the opposite end of campus from the barn, meaning she’d have to doubleback across half the property. As usual there were an array of students enjoying the fresh air and weather, astutely taking advantage of the shade provided from the large trees that adorned the grass fields. Eden walked along the vintage cobble walkways leisurely, taking a moment to prepare herself mentally for the two-hour lecture she was about to endure. Thankfully it was the only class she had that day, and as soon as it was over she was high-tailing it for the barn.

The lecture hall was one of the smaller buildings on campus, though also one of the oldest. All of the large brick-work was original and the university tried to keep it as maintained as possible. Even the wooden floors, though now a bit warped and stained, were a testament to the antiquity of the building. After reaffirming the hall number and being sure she was on the right room, Eden settled into one of the wooden desks, somewhat near the middle in the second row, just as she liked. There were already a few other students in the hall waiting, though Eden was pretty sure that it wouldn’t fill up much more. Her biology classes never surpassed more than 40 students at the max. By the time the professor walked in, there were about 20 students in total, a few Eden recognized from other classes last year. She waved to one guy who she had talked to more frequently, but for the most part the students were all spread out.

The class passed by mostly uneventfully, though her arm was sore by the end of it from taking nearly two hours worth of hand-written notes. The professor assigned some class reading to prepare for the next class, and despite the fact that they had a week to complete it, Eden was already writing herself a little note on the edge of her notebook as a reminder. As soon as they were dismissed, Eden hurried out of the hall in as much of an blasé manner as she could muster, her strides far wider than they would be normally. She made her way across campus as quickly as she could, managing to shorten what would normally be a twenty minute walk into fifteen, though some of her hair was sticking to the back of her neck with perspiration.

As she walked into the large stables Eden immediately caught glance of Lucia Fer, one of the members of the eventing team. The twenty-one year old was roughly her same height, though she had long, caramel brown hair with eyes to match. She was just barely starting to groom her palomino mare, predictably named Amber. The mare was a 15.3 appendix cross, with an easy-as-can-be personality. She was great for getting people introduced into jumping. “Do you always have to be so punctual?” The blond teased, greeting the other rider with a small hug. It wasn’t the way they normally greeted each other, but given the fact that they hadn’t seen each other for months made them both a bit… sentimental perhaps. Eden gave out a small sigh of relief once she noticed that neither Thompson or Jessica had arrived yet.

“I’m just gonna change in the tack room real quick.” Eden called out, already making her way towards the large storage room. Of course there were actual bathrooms where the riders could go to change, but everyone inevitably used the tackroom due to the commodity, and at this point, it was a bit of a running joke to see how long you could last without running into someone changing. Fortunately for her, the tack room was empty. She swung her backpack off her shoulders, unzipping it open only to stare at it in confusion for a second, her eyebrows furrowing as an unfamiliar water bottle seemed to stare back up at her. Temporary confusion ran through her mind as she pulled out the metal, rather pretty water bottle out of her bag. Though it did seem oddly familiar. That’s when it hit her. She’d seen the water bottle last night, it had been on Priscilla’s night table. It was Priscilla’s bottle.

Fucking shit. She thought silently, bringing a hand to her face. Of course she would accidentally steal one of her roommate’s belongings on the second day of living together. She hesitated for a minute, holding the lilac bottle in her hands, turning it slightly to the sides to see the stickers. As a collector herself she definitely appreciated the little drawings and designs that accented the bottle, a small smile creeping on her face. She considered leaving it near Clemetine’s stall, or even in the tack room near her tack, though the doubt of not knowing if Priscilla would even go to the barn later convinced her not to. She slipped the metallic bottle back into her bookbag, promptly deciding it was probably just best to take it back to their dorm room once she went back.

The blond quickly went back to her task at hand, managing to change into her breeches and a new shirt before anyone came barging in, and slipping on her tall boots which she always kept at the barn for convenience sake. She grabbed all of Kingsley’s tack, somehow slipping his grooming tote into the mix to avoid taking two trips. The big bay was already nickering up a storm as she approached his stall, his pink nose just poking through the bars. “Hello my baby boy.” Eden cooed, planting a soft kiss right on his muzzle before slowly piece by piece unraveling herself from the mix of leather and plastic items. She glanced over at the stall beside him, wanting to meet Clementine properly for the first time. Priscilla wasn’t lying, she thought amusingly, That’s a damn big butt. The mare just happened to be facing away from the stall door, but despite that it was clear the Quarter Horse was exceptionally eye-catching. Her grullo coat shimmered with an almost metallic sheen.

She turned back towards her own horse's stall, deciding it was easier to just tack him up there rather than pull him out into the crossties. The bay’s short coat rarely retained much dirt on it, so Eden was able to make relatively quick work of the groom. After just twenty or so minutes, Kings was freshly groomed and all tacked up. Eden snagged her helmet which she had hung on the outside of his stall door and took out her gloves, which were always stored inside the helmet or else she’d lose them, and pulled the stall door open fully, swinging King’s reins over his head to lead him out.

Once they made their way into the aisle, Eden noticed Thompson had arrived and was already standing next to Lucia, both of their horses already tacked as well. The blond waved a greeting, knowing Thompson’s dapple gray thoroughbred mare, Calypso, wasn’t the biggest fan of having other horses in her space. Just as she was about to ask, Jessica came barreling through the barn doors, apologizing profusely instead of a conventional hello. “I know I’m sorry I’m late it'll just take me a second to get Leo I promise!” The older rider rambled quickly, disappearing directly into the tack room.

(i mainly skipped past the class part lol, and i loved the long read!! i like seeing what scilla is like away from eden hehe)

Classes seemed to fly by faster than they ever did. It wasn't long before she found herself sat across from Kadie in a small coffee shop booth, right next to the window. It was cool, and smelled of caramel, fresh baked pastries, and of course, coffee. Their hands were stretched out across the table and laced together. From an outside perspective, they definitely looked like a lesbian couple. Flirty little giggles, the hand holding, the way they passed the food and drinks on the table between them. It really was a no-shame sort of relationship, considering the fact that Kadie had no qualms about discussing her hookup from last night in very vivid detail. Hell, the two had even kissed when they met each other here.

Not a full on kiss, but rather a small peck. Priscilla had never kissed a girl before in any other manner but that. Kadie suddenly reached out and grabbed Priscilla's other hand, a few soft giggles escaping her as she leaned over the table. "Okay, you cannot tell ANYONE this. Swear?" Kadie spoke in a half-serious tone, fighting back her little giggles. "Yeah, yeah. Who do I ever tell?" Priscilla responded back with a little grin, leaning forwards in the same manner that Kadie did. The workers knew the pair well by now, knowing their names and orders. Its not like they ever care what they said or how they acted. What Kadie whispered next caused her eyes to go wide, and her mouth to become slightly agape. "A.. girl?" Priscilla blinked a few times in surprise, her grip tightening on Kadie's hands.

"A girl. I know, I know. I've always denied being gay.. but I don't think it's something for me to deny anymore." Kadie spoke in a much softer tone than she usually used. Oh. Priscilla had never had anyone come out to her before. Kadie seemed nervous in comparison to her carefree demeanor. "Aw, Kadie. It's okay. You know I could never judge you, especially not for something like that. You're still my bestest friend in the whole world." Priscilla leaned over the table, breaking one hand free to gently rest on Kadie's cheek. She gave the other a soft kiss, the small table between them being rather easy to just lean over.

Kadie still seemed oddly nervous, her now free hand toying with a napkin on the table. Tearing it into small shreds. Maybe it was Priscilla's turn to admit something she'd never told anyone before. "You know.. I've always.. felt the same. I guess. I don't know, sometimes I think I like women like that and then sometimes I don't. Men just.. don't.. I'm not interested in them anymore." Priscilla shrugged, though her words seemed to stir something within Kadie. "You? Priscilla Yendell thinks she's gay?" Priscilla immediately shook her head, eyes widening. "No. Yes. No? Let's leave it at no."

The two both quickly moved on from the topic, returning to their normal selves. It didn't make a change in the slightest, although it opened up more interesting topics and things to talk about. They'd been talking about something random when Kadie suddenly perked up, a wide smile on her face. "Okay. Can we pleaseee go riding today? Don't even try to use the settling in excuse." Kadie spoke in a very eager tone, clearly wanting nothing more than to get out on the trails. Riding alone was an option, but riding with friends made things infinitely better. Priscilla rolled her eyes with a small huff. "Ugh. Fine." Although she seemed to be annoyed, the wide smile on her face said otherwise. It didn't take that long for them to hurry out of the coffee shop after cleaning up the table, stacking their plates neatly.

The walk from the coffee shop to the barn wasn't too bad, especially on a day like this. It wasnt excruciatingly hot with the breeze that was blowing through campus, and since the pathway they walked was shaded by trees. Hands loosely locked, shoulders almost pressed into one another. Priscilla could taste the caramel from her iced coffee on her tongue, a sweet and welcomed taste. The ruffling of leaves and the chirping of birds could be heard, as well as the lazy buzz of some nearby insect. It was peaceful and calming. Priscilla reached her free hand down to adjust her belt buckle, adding a soft clinking of her nails against the gold metal into the current mix of sounds.

"Actually.. can we stop at my dorm first? I'm not dressed for a ride." Kadie broke the soft silence between them, gesturing down to herself. Priscilla tilted her head to look up at Kadie, blinking a few times. Kadie was wearing shorts, sandals, and some random t-shirt. "Sure. Oh! I never had the chance to ask. Who's your roommate?" Priscilla asked with a sudden tilt of her head as they turned down a different pathway, no longer shaded. "I don't really know her. Some girl named McKenna," Kadie shrugged, turning to look down at the much smaller girl, "who's yours?"

"Do you remember that girl I'd always go out of my way to avoid last year? Eden?" Priscilla began, earning a nod from Kadie. "Yeah. What'd you say you were? Childhood rivals or some corny shit like that?" Kadie chuckled softly. "Yeah, whatever. She's my roommate." Kadie gave a snort of laughter upon hearing that, shaking her head. "You always get into the worst damn situations. How's it been so far? You get into a cat fight?" Kadie chuckled, shaking her head softly as Priscilla shot her a small glare. "No. She's really sweet, actually. I feel bad for being so mean to her." Kadie's laughter immediately stopped, and she just stared down at the smaller girl. "She's not taking my place." The small moment of silence was filled with the soft chirps of birds and the breeze in the leaves. "She won't."

They soon reached Kadie's dorm, which was on the second floor of the dorm building. It had a different layout than Priscilla's, but was the same size. Priscilla took a seat on Kadie's bed, one leg crossed over the other. The heel of her boot tapped against her calf as she glanced to the floor, giving Kadie some privacy as she changed. As if privacy was really something that existed in their friendship. She took this moment to take in both sides of the dorm, a stark contrast from one another. McKenna's side was a little messy already, and seemed like it had been decorated at random. Kadie's side was neater, and had a strict color palette of green and cream. Even the posters on the wall, some random educational posters, were the same colors.

Priscilla heard the sound of pants hitting the floor, but she didn't look over. Her hands folded neatly on her thighs, pinky finger reaching out to run along the fabric of her jeans. She was certainly dressed for a ride. All she was missing was the cowboy hat. Then there was the sound of a zipper, and a soft groan of annoyance. That prompted Priscilla to look over, seeing Kadie struggle to put on a pair of boots. It earned a soft chuckle from the smaller girl. "Sit down and put them on." Priscilla spoke softly, swinging her feet gently. And then she looked away again, studying the decorations on the other side of the room. She felt the bed dip slightly and a presence beside her. Kadie managed to slip her boots on now with ease. Priscilla looked over to her again, noting the outfit change. The same t-shirt, with jeans and now the boots.

Kadie reached over and placed a hand gently on top of Priscilla's head, ruffling her dark hair slightly. "Always looking out for me, Scilla." Kadie giggled softly, withdrawing her hand as Priscilla groaned and began to smooth her hair down with both hands. "We should go to a bar after our ride. You need to get laid or something." Kadie spoke in almost a teasing tone. "No, I don't. Come on, you know i've only been with those two boyfriends of mine. Hookups.. aren't.. really my thing." Priscilla shrugged, earning a smartass look from Kadie. "Oh, yeah? You hooked up with Jason a fair amount of times before you two started dating." Kadie had a smartass tone that matched her expression.

"Exactly. Look what happens." Two two stared at each for a moment, and Kadie crossed her arms. "Okay? A relationship would do you good." Priscilla glanced away, not really wanting to admit her problems. Even though the two were just friends, Priscilla was weirdly possessive of Kadie. She hated anyone else talking to the taller girl. And in a relationship? It immediately got a thousand times worse. Kadie seemed to move on from the topic, instead taking Priscilla's hand. "Where's your ring? I've never seen you without it." Her brows furrowed as she spoke, staring intently down at her hand. "Oh, uh.. I let Eden borrow it." Kadie stared at her with wide eyes, as if she knew something Priscilla didn't. "You.. what? You.. wouldn't even let me try it on when I asked." Priscilla just shrugged, not wanting to respond.

(sometimes she's a little too silly for her own good. hmm... should we have them run into each other in the barn or on the trail? or keep them away the whole day?)

Priscilla gazed over to Kadie, giving a soft sigh. "I don't know. She was anxious and looked like she needed something to play with." Priscilla finally spoke in a soft little tone, barely above a whisper. Kadie's eyes softened a little as her grip tightened on her hand. "Right. You ready to go?" Priscilla nodded in response, hopping off of the bed. Their hands remained entwined, as if they were both afraid to let go of each other. They set out to the hallway again, soon exiting the dorm building. It had gotten a little cooler with the coming of late afternoon. Wispy white clouds lazily drifted across the cerulean blue sky, stretching across them like the foamy white waves in the ocean. The air smelled sweetly of nearby flowers.

In the distance, she could hear bees buzzing and it made her tense up a little, giving a sideways glance. Bees. She didn't bother them unless they bothered her, which they seemed to make a habit. Kadie's hand in hers was warm and a little sweaty but it comforted her. Maybe with Kadie around, the bees would leave her alone. The two walked in close proximity and started off towards the barn. She expected it to be full, or to see most horses gone. Everyone was eager to get out and ride after the first day of classes. Her and Kadie had discovered 'secret' trails where nobody ever went because they were overgrown, but they led to an open part of the river. It was good for the horses to get in and cool down a little, and just made for good times. They soon reached the barn, choosing to head in to the tack room the back way just to avoid any people. Once inside, they went to their respective areas.

Priscilla stared down at her absolutely huge saddles with a loud groan. Settled on a saddle stand was her reining saddle, the heaviest of them all at a whopping 60 lbs. It was a beautiful black with silver plated trim, engraved all over with florals and various designs. The horn was silver plated, as was everything else. It doubled as a show and trail saddle.. although it was just excruciatingly heavy for a small woman such as herself. Her bridle was a gorgeous black and teal baroque hackamore, with the fanciest design, having a criss-cross design for the brow band instead of the usual straight across. Priscilla looped her bridle over her shoulder, then moved to grab her saddle pad. A pretty black with a teal western print, of course.

Priscilla always opted for black or white tack, since brown didn't look too stunning on a horse of Clementine's color. If done right, it definitely could. Priscilla reached down and flipped the stirrups onto the saddle horn before she grabbed the horn and the cantle, lifting it with a grunt. Lifting a knee up, she settled the saddle partially down to grab her saddle pad and throw it on top of the whole mess. It was a miracle she didn't just double over right there on the spot. With short little shuffles she began to exit the tack room, kneeing the door open. All of the cross ties were being used, as expected. Priscilla quickly made her way to Clementine's stall, where of course, the mare had her rear facing the stall door. Priscilla fumbled with the latch for a second with one hand, feeling the saddle slipping just as she managed to get it open.

Priscilla dropped the tack into the corner of the stall with a heavy sigh, placing her hands on her knees for a moment of recovery. First things first, she had to groom Clementine. The horse didn't need much maintenance so she wouldn't bother to bring the whole grooming trunk. She went back to the tack room, using her shirt as a pouch to carry her grooming supplies. A curry, a brush, a hairbrush, hoofpick, and a few other things. Grooming didn't take long at all, since Clementine was a fairly neat horse. Another trip back to the tack room and then back to the stall, and she was finally ready. Around the corner in a different aisle she could hear the clomp of hooves and voices.

One of them sounded familiar.. but she couldn't exactly place who's it was in the moment. Priscilla reached down and grabbed her saddle pad, gently rubbing across Clementine's side with it before she swung it up, adjusting it and moving side to side to ensure it was even. Next.. was the saddle. Since Clementine was a big horse, and the saddle was so heavy, it was often a challenge for Priscilla to do anything. With a hand on the horn and the other on the cantle, she took a deep breath in and lifted the saddle. "Looks heavy." Priscilla glanced over to see Kadie leaning on the stall, gazing in. Her little gelding was right next to her. Maple, a little appaloosa. 14.2 hh, a pretty sorrel with a few flecks of white spots. He didn't look much like an appaloosa, really.

It was sort of funny how Kadie, who was 5'8, had such a small horse. And Priscilla at 5'2 had a beast of a horse. Priscilla rolled her eyes as she lifted the saddle, turning and hoisting it up into the air. Even with how heavy it was and how tall Clementine was, she never slammed the saddle down. She placed it down as gently as she could, giving a huff of relief. Making sure everything was even again, she went back to the side and bent down a little. She reached under the mare and grabbed the girth, pulling it up and tying it into a Texas T. The bridle went on easily, since there was no bit involved. Bitless was what both horse and rider preferred in this case. Priscilla gently took hold of the reins and pushed open the stall door, leading the large horse out into the aisle.

Clementine towered over Maple, and her muscles put him to shame. With the way she was standing, she could see around the corner. And it was only then that she realized who the voice had belonged to. "Eden?" Priscilla called out gently, although they weren't very far away. Clemerine next to her gently leaned her head down and nudged her shoulder, giving a small snort and blowing warm air down her arm. The mare was eager to get out, leaning her head back to nudge at the impressive saddle now.

(dw about the ring! hehe it can just be a little keepsake for eden)

Priscilla glanced up to Kadie, who's hand was comfortably settled on her hip and her arm coiled around her waist. The gentle motion of her fingers brushing against her hip sent a small jolt through her, and it only worsened as Kadie glanced back down at her. Priscilla had one hand firmly grabbing the reins of Clementine's bridle, knowing what will happen if she let go. The horse was an absolute menace. And it definitely didn't help that she wasn't overly fond of anyone who wasn't Priscilla. Clementine's hoof scraped against the flooring as she began to paw, leaving small silver lines in the floor. She wasn't shod, but the force she was using was what did it. While Priscilla had trained Clementine herself, there were clearly a lot of things she messed up on.

Ground manners, for example, were still a work in progress. With a horse as hot as Clementine it definitely took a fair amount of effort. They weren't nearly as bad as they used to be, though. Clementine would buck and rear and bite on the ground, assaulting anyone she could get her teeth or hooves on. And of course, Priscilla was always her victim. Priscilla reached one hand up, giving a gentle bop to the mare's nose. It earned an offended snort, the mare turning her head to stare at her rider with those big brown eyes. How could something so pretty be so rude? Maybe the prettier things in life were the ruder things in life. It certainly seemed that way.

Priscilla watched as Eden handed off her gelding's reins to one of the other people standing by her, and in a few quick strides the taller girl was standing before her. As Eden introduced herself to Kadie, she gave a little nod. "Kadie. Nice to meet you, too." She spoke in that subtly alluring voice of hers, one that made Priscilla both jealous and giddy at the same time. Priscilla turned her head to look up at Kadie, noticing the way her jaw seemed clenched a little. And that was when she felt the not-so-subtle tightening of the arm around her waist, pulling her closer into the taller woman. The hand on her hip traveled downwards a little, resting more on the top of her thigh. Priscilla furrowed her brows for a moment, then looked back to Eden.

It wasn't jealousy, right? Kadie wasn't a jealous woman. Instinct, maybe. "Ugh. I hate them already. I've already got Catalina trying to buy Clem for some absurd price again." Priscilla rolled her eyes, speaking as if this was information that Eden knew. She'd almost forgotten their history. Her hand went up to the large mare next to her, giving her a few pats on the neck. She was soft to the touch, having a metallic sheen to her that almost made her shimmer in the sunlight coming in through the windows of the barn. "Lucky I like you, you dumb bastard." She murmured in a slightly annoyed tone, speaking to the mare rather than to anyone else. "Yeah, that's the plan. Gonna hopefully head to the river for a little swim. Anyways, how's your classes go?" Priscilla gave a little smile, feeling Kadie's hand drift a little further down. What the hell was she doing?

Priscilla gently pulled away from her, one hand moving down to Kadie's to gently remove it. Tentatively, the hand left her thigh. She had taken note of the awkward tension hanging in the air, and Kadie was not helping that. She hadn't exactly acted like that before. It was normally Priscilla who did that. Her gaze shifted down to Eden's hands as she noticed the little movements. She had definitely not forgotten about her ring. Every time she went to play with it she was startled when she didn't feel it, and it made her remember over and over again that she'd let Eden borrow it. As if Eden had read her mind, she gazed at her with a soft look as she spoke and then offered the ring up. Priscilla gently reached out to take it from her, fingertips brushing ever so softly.

Priscilla slipped it back onto her own finger, making sure it was nice and snug. "Nah, it's okay. Everyone's a little out of wack right now." She chuckled softly, taking a glance back to Kadie. The taller woman had a sweet look on her face, her moment of whatever that was seemingly have passed. Priscilla turned her head to Kadie again, giving her a little smile. "Hey, would you mind grabbing a few treats for the horses? Clem is getting a little antsy." She spoke in a soft tone, reaching her free hand out for Kadie to pass Maple's reins over. Kadie reluctantly did so before she turned on her heel and left back towards the tack room. Now holding both reins in either hand, she could only hope Clementine didn't choose now to act up.

Leaning forwards ever so slightly, she glanced back to tack room and then to Eden. "I'm sorry. She doesn't normally act like that. Guess it's just an off day for everyone." Priscilla shrugged, offering a genuine little smile of apology. And it was in that moment when she felt the sudden jolt of the mare next to her, followed by the clashing of hooves and angered whinnies. Both horses tugged hard as an attempt to get away, and she quickly turned her body in an awkward way to look at what was happening. Maple had reached over and delivered a bite to Clementine's rear, and the two looked like they were about to get into a squabble. One Priscilla didn't want to be in the middle of.

Clementine shifted and attempted to move forwards, as did Maple. The two didn't quite get along. Maple did everything he could to piss off the mare.. and it always worked. Clementine's front hooves lifted off of the ground and Priscilla immediately moved more to her side, pulling back on the reins to force the mare's head to turn back towards the saddle. She attempted to move her head back, but Priscilla swiftly moved her hand up to the chin strap of the bridle for better control. Maple had already calmed down, pleased with himself for catching the mare off guard. "See? Off day for everyone, even the horses. They normally don't do this until we're on them." Priscilla let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head gently. It clearly wasn't a new experience.

Kadie returned shortly after with treats in one hand, raising a brow as she saw the way Clementine's head was turned to the side and how Maple looked like he was about to preform a very heinous activity. Who even knew what the two would get up to when out on the trail? Priscilla certainly hoped it wouldn't cost her half her ribcage again. Kadie seemed much more relaxed, the tension hanging in the air fading softly away. It only took her a second to see the very obvious bite mark and ruffled hair to understand what happened. She immediately reached out to take the reins from Priscilla, taking hold of her own horse again. "I don't understand his problem. What, he's mad a lady is bigger than him?" Kadie snickered, staring at her own horse with a half amused look.

Priscilla kept a firm hold on the chin strap, but let Clementine have her head back again. This was certainly going to be a very interesting ride if the two were already acting up.

(eden is literally my spirit animal i feel for her)

Priscilla was trying her very best to focus on Eden, but it proved to be difficult thanks to the horse next to her. Clementine had lowered her head and was nipping at the buttons of her flannel, trying her damndest to unbutton it. She loved zippers and buttons and somehow always succeeded in getting them undone. Priscilla was quick to swat gently at her head, not wanting to take even the smallest risk of the horse managing to open her flannel up. She should've took this into account before she decided not to wear a shirt underneath. But then again, a trail ride wasn't exactly planned today. The saliva from the mare was visible on her shoulders and her chest, and it definitely wasn't going away anytime soon. Despite having her head pushed away, Clementine remained strong.

The mare continued to nip at the buttons, her teeth closing around one of them. Priscilla let go of the chin strap and placed two hands around the mare's muzzle, gently pushing her head back and away. Clementine moved her head so one palm was against her nose. Her breath was warm and moist on Priscilla's palm. "If I did that, she'd never speak to me again." She let out a snort of laughter, shaking her head. Clementine did not take kindly to people, but particularly people like Catalina. It was almost like she could sense stuck up people. And it wasn't that Catalina wasn't a bad rider, she was actually one of the best, but Clementine could turn into a bucking bronc in the blink of an eye.

It was sort of funny how the mare had such a sweet name but she was the devil in disguise. Most people looked down upon having a horse like that, but as long as you knew how to ride it, it could be fun. That's if you could also look past the serious injuries. Just like Priscilla's big incident. It had been early spring, and the trails were a little muddy. Very muddy, actually. Her and Kadie were out as usual when Kadie had the smartest idea to race. And of course Priscilla agreed to it. Clementine ended up slipping in the mud, and Priscilla's foot had been caught in the stirrup. She unfortunately couldn't get away and was crushed under her own horse. The worst part was Clementine couldn't get up, not from injury, but because she was stuck in the mud.

It had only been 3 minutes that Priscilla was crushed under the mare, but that was more than enough. She was small, and the mare was big and muscular. One half of her ribcage and a few other bones were snapped into little pieces after that. Such an extreme injury that she was gone for awhile and didn't ride for quite a while, slightly due to the fact she was afraid of her own horse. If one would closely examine that half of her ribcage, they would notice the outline of the bones being all wonky compared to the other side. They're uneven, they don't seem to match up to one another. If you were to run your fingers along them or press into them, you could even feel where the breaks had been.

It was gross. "I wish I could say the same about mine," she spoke softly with a little sigh, "but every class felt like an eternity." It truly wasn't a lie. Once they actually got into doing work it wouldn't be as bad. Once the horses were settled and a fair distance away from each other, she relaxed her tense shoulders and let her hands fall from Clementine's face. Maple was still side-eyeing her, though. If looks could kill, then the pretty mare would've dropped dead right then and there. It was certainly a good thing they weren't the same gender. If they were, she couldn't imagine what would happen if they were turned out together. Vet bills would certainly skyrocket and she'd be broke all over again.

"He could never. It'd hurt his ego even more." Kadie chuckled softly, relaxing her own tense muscles. Kadie's sudden odd behavior would definitely be brought up on the trail. She didn't want Eden to get the wrong idea or even think they were anything other than friends. For some odd reason she just couldn't place, she didn't want Eden to think she was involved with anyone at all. Not even slightly. As she slowly focused her attention back on Eden, she noticed the way she was staring at her, seemingly lost in a little trance. Priscilla immediately reached her hand up to her hair and begin to smooth it down, running her fingers through it. Did she look bad? Did she have something on her face?

Words couldn't describe how relieved she was when Eden looked away, looking back at her group. "I think they miss you." Her voice was a little softer than usual, her gaze slowly shifting from Eden's pretty face and then back to her group of friends. "I suppose I won't keep you from them any longer. Little selfish, huh?" Her voice ended with a soft little giggle that was completely unintentional, slipping out without any thought to it. With a small click of her tongue she lowered her hands back to Clementine's reins and held them in her hand, taking a few steps to the side. The aisles were thankfully fairly wide, so it wasn't hard to get past both Kadie and Eden. The mounting area was directly next to them, so it's not like she was rude and completely walking away.

Priscilla knew Clementine was going to have another fit real soon if Priscilla didn't get on. So, she just led her into the mounting area and positioned her by the mounting block. She had a horrible feeling that Clementine might embarrass her right there in front of everyone when she tried to get on. Priscilla swung the reins over the head of the mare, looping them around the saddle horn. She walked to the side and stepped up onto the block, leaning over the mare first. Her hands went to her neck, giving her reassuring little pats and rubs as she eased her weight there. One leg lifted up, and in a swift motion she swung that leg over and settled herself gingerly into the saddle. The leather creaked as she adjusted herself, slipping both feet into the stirrups.

"Good girl. Thanks for not trying to kill me." Priscilla murmured to the mare, leaning forwards in the saddle to pat her neck. On top of the mare, she felt a lot more safer and comfortable than on the ground. Under saddle Clementine had good manners, with few flaws to them. The mare turned her head back, gently nipping at the toe of Priscilla's boot. Her gaze settled down on Kadie and Eden, a soft smile gracing her features.

(sorry for any spelling or grammar mistakes. my english is definitely not good after a certain time at night :') )

"See you back at the dorm later." Priscilla echoed softly, turning her attention to Eden as she returned to her group. Kadie walked Maple over to the mounting block, taking no time at all to swing up onto him. She wasn't as gentle as Priscilla was, but that didn't necessarily mean she was rough with the horse. Once both women were mounted, Priscilla took the lead. With a gentle nudge of her heels, she raised the reins slightly and urged the mare forwards. Clementine was a very sensitive and responsive mare, kicking often wasn't necessary. Maple followed after her, their hooves clicking on the concrete flooring in harmony. They left the barn, the warm sunlight immediately casting a bright golden glow over them. Priscilla raised a hand to shade her eyes, squinting.

The pretty light shimmered in her eyes, reflecting like ripples of clear blue water in the sunlight. Her eyes were a personal favorite feature of hers and she had decided that long ago. She could sit in front of the mirror for hours on end just picking out and identifying the varying shades of blue. They weren't quite an ice blue, but they weren't a dark blue. The perfect blend of dark and light coming together to create a pretty baby blue with a soft ring of electric blue around her pupil. Her head turned to Kadie, who's gelding was already trying to take off to the trails. Priscilla's hips rolled in time with Clementine's smooth walk, her strides long and dignified. It hadn't been long before the pair reached the opening to the trails, which divided up all different ways. instead of taking one of the already made trails, they veered down to the side where there were none.

The path was a little worn down from them using it last year, but overgrown from the summer. Clemetine took careful and calculated steps, Priscilla keeping her wrists turned inwards for a softer hand and to allow the mare to take the lead. One hand held the reins, the other was settled on the saddle horn. The woods were lush and full of life, filled with the sound of birds chirping and twigs snapping and leaves crunching. It was a beautiful day with a gentle breeze in the air that carried sweet and earthy scents. In the woods, sunlight filtered through gaps in the tree canopy and spilled onto the forest floor. "Why'd you act like that?" Priscilla asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Clementine's ears flicked back as if listening to her rider. "What?" Kadie looked over, raising a brow as her hands tightened slightly on the reins. "Don't play dumb." Kadie just stared at her with furrowed brows, although not in a mean way.

"I don't know. I just don't want you to replace me with her." Kadie shrugged, glancing away with an unreadable expression on her face. Priscilla remained staring at her, expression and voice softening. "Kadie.. that's.. not.." Priscilla trailed off, looping the reins around the saddle horn and placing both hands down onto her thighs, "that's not what's happening. And it won't happen." Kadie looked back over to her, gazing into her eyes. Kadie's pretty hazel eyes were all lit up in the sun, her mousy brown hair streaked with lighter shades of brown. "I love you. Okay? You're not a replaceable person." Priscilla reassured her, using soft words and a gentle tone. Kadie seemed to loosen up a little but there was still that look of worry on her pretty face. "She's just my roommate." That was a lie.

Not just a roommate, but someone she'd spent half her life with. And something she hated to admit was that she actually was developing a genuine liking for Eden. It hasn't even been that long, but when you're having a genuine conversation with someone and not going for their throat, fonder feelings tend to develop. Kadie slowly sighed softly, letting herself relax fully. "Right. Sorry. It's just.. the way she was looking at you." Priscilla raised a brow, her hands rubbing gently across her thighs. "The way she was looking at me? I didn't notice anything weird about it." Kadie just shrugged at her, shaking her head softly as if to say that she knew Priscilla was lying. She half was and half wasn't. It was only in the moment where Eden seemed to be in a little trance that she had noticed, no other occasion. The two continued on, the mood lightening rather quickly between them.

They soon came across that small section of the river they'd grown to love so much. The water was a clear color, shimmering in the sunlight as it bubbled gently. It wasn't particularly deep, but deep enough for the horses to have a good time. Normally they'd have gone bareback but it wasn't a good idea with the horses being so excited to be back on these trails. "Hey." Kadie spoke up with a mischievous grin as they stopped their horses on the bank, looking over to Priscilla. "Strip down." Kadie's grin grew wider, earning a shocked look from Priscilla. "Are you crazy? There's going to be people everywhere. I don't want them to catch me in my bra and a pair of panties." Priscilla rapidly shook her head, trying to shut the idea down before Kadie settled her mind on it.

But Kadie had already decided that's what she wanted. "Come on. Just like old times." Kadie urged, pulling Maple right alongside Clementine so the two were nearly face to face. "No means no." Priscilla shook her head again, firmly this time. "Old times was when the buzz of the trails settled down. Not when they were at the highest." She added, fixing Kadie with almost a glare. "Don't make me pull you off of that horse." Kadie grew a little serious, but it was clear she was fighting back giggles. "That's if you can catch me." Priscilla let loose her own giggles as she nudged Clementine a few times, urging her into a canter as she headed straight for the river. The mare wasted no time splashing into the water, kicking it up everywhere and wading in with no problem.

Maple was quick to follow, and the two horses waded further into the water. They stirred up the mud on the bottom, clouding some patches of the clear water. The air was filled with their giggles and the splashing of water, the horses heading further to where it was deeper. All the stress and tension seemed to melt away completely, giving way to a much calmer and happier atmosphere.

(thank god, english is just too hard to remember sometimes)