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Darkseeker
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The leggy gelding gave a spirited toss of his head, his ears pricked forward with enthusiasm as the pair approached the rest of the eventing team. Eden stretched her heels deep into the stirrups, adjusting herself into a more secure contact with her saddle. She almost always preferred to use her cross-country saddle when hitting the trails. The only semi-deep seat allowed her to keep a very light position, meaning she had much more maneuverability to calibrate herself to King’s movements rather than a standard show jumping saddle which was much more constraining. Not to mention there were a few felled logs on some of the trails, and the team never missed an opportunity to practice their cross-country skills. Eden’s honeyed eyes instinctively squinted as they passed through the stable’s large entryway, the sunlight quickly flooding her vision as her eyes adjusted to the scenery. The air was just warm enough to be pleasant but not overbearing, a cool breeze occasionally stirring through the atmosphere. Eden could tell the horses enjoyed the weather just as much as they did, Jessica was having a hard time restraining Leo from breaking into a trot, and even Amber, who was normally never blinked an eye at anything, was letting out cheeky whinnies to the other horses in the distance, peacefully grazing in their pastures. The sound of the four horses’s hoofbeats against the concrete flooring was almost methodical, the noise seeming to reverberate off the solid stone. Thankfully they soon crossed over onto the gravel, and the noise softened somewhat, their hooves now crunching against the small stones. Eden kept her reins relatively short for the time being, not entirely trusting that Kings wouldn’t take off without a moment’s notice towards the shaded woods. As they began to pass under the first few trees and transition from gravel to dirt, Eden just barely caught a glance of a metallic quarter horse’s hindquarters disappearing into the greenery. Her head cocked ever so slightly to the side; the blond prided herself in knowing nearly every trail on the university’s property, and she wasn’t aware of any in the direction that Priscilla and Kadie were heading. A wave of soft longing to follow them echoed inside her, pulling her towards the unknown trail, to find out where they were going. As swiftly as the urge appeared she pushed it out of her mind, giving a small shake of her head as if to literally get it out of her head. The team naturally settled into their usual single-file order, with Eden at the head, as Kings would go into hysterics if he wasn’t near the front, followed by Thompson and Calypso, Lucia and Amber in the middle and Jess rounding out the group with Leo. Under the canopy of the trees it was at least a few degrees cooler, the sound of birdsong and leaves rustling in the wind filling the air. A few rays of light filtered through the greenery to make an impressive array of shadows and sunlight against the earthy backdrop. Eden had forgotten how much she missed this. Despite the rather…eventful return to university, being back felt like everything was going back to normality, as if she were back where she belonged. After the horses had had a few minutes to settle and get their initial jitters out, Eden softened her hold on the reins, her dark bay eagerly taking the opportunity to really stretch out his neck and lowering his head closer towards his chest. She wasn't surprised to hear the sound of trotting come up from behind her, a flash of gray peeking from the corner of her eye as Thompson and Calypso made their way to walk side-by-side with Eden and Kingsley. Eden didn’t even have to look at him to know what expression he would have. “What, Tommie?” The blond asked expectantly, turning her head to face her teammate. “Just your roommate?” He flashed back at her, one of his golden eyebrows raising up dubiously. She should’ve known it wouldn’t have slipped by him. The boy had a way of reading her that even Eden couldn’t figure out. As if he knew what she was feeling before she did. The eventer faltered for a moment, unsure of how to even explain her situation with Priscilla to him. How do you explain a decade’s worth of sabotaging and rivalry turned newfound friendship and a slight yet very repressed infatuation without sounding insane? All Eden could manage was a sigh. “I’ve known her since I was a kid, but we kinda hated each other for a long time. It’s hard to explain, there’s just a lot of history and it’s weird but we talked for the first time in years yesterday…and actually we got along really well? I’m not even really sure how I feel about it yet.” The blond rambled out, the words flowing with increasing tempo the more she kept going. “...O-kay. It just seems like you guys were getting along just fine back there. If I didn’t know any better, I would've thought you guys were flirting.” The green-eyed rider delicately replied, switching his gaze from the trail back to Eden intermittently. |
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The two horses were wading deeper into the water, soaking both rider and horse and tack. Priscilla leaned down, looping her reins around the saddle horn as she dipped her fingers into the water, splashing up an absurd amount of water onto Kadie. "Bastard!" Kadie playfully shouted in a giggly tone, immediately steering Maple towards where Clementine was making her escape. The silvery mare was trotting through the water, splashing it literally everywhere as she escaped Maple. Their giggles filled the air, mixing with the birdsong and the insects. They would never change, she thought. Things would always be good between them. They'd always have that love one had for their best friend and they'd always share moments like this. Nothing could break them apart ever, she decided. Even well into their 40s they'd still be acting as young 20 year olds. Kadie was slightly older than Priscilla, only 25. She hadn't went to the university immediately after graduation like most people did. She was a woman from across the country, her hometown in California in some random town out near San Francisco. The two could've not been more different when they had first met. Just as Maple was coming alongside Clemetine, Kadie's hand trailing in the water as she prepared to splash, Priscilla gently pulled the reins to the left and spun Clementine around. Her boots and jeans were soaking wet but she didn't care. She was having fun. They continued their chase for a little while until both of them were absolutely drenched head to toe in river water. Their tack would need a thorough clean and dry after this, but in the moment the tack was far from the main focus. After their fun, they both called a truce and brought their horses back into the bank, dismounting and putting trust into them by ground tying. They sat in the grass just before the bank and watched as their horses grazed. They smelled like river water and moss. A shower would most definitely be due as soon as she got back to the dorm. "So, you and Weston? What's going on with that?" Kadie turned her head to Priscilla, raising a brow curiously. "Still the same old thing. No matter how many times I tell him I'm not interested he just.. doesn't go away. He's like an annoying little puppy." Priscilla rolled her eyes and huffed, resting her hands on her knees to feel the wet fabric of her jeans. It was gross to feel every little bit of fabric clinging to her legs. She'd certainly be putting up a fight to get those off later. "..and you're sure nothing is going on with that Eden? You two seemed awfully-" Kadie sounded a little snarky before Priscilla cut her off, immediately going to defend herself and Eden. "Look, Kadie. Nothing is going on. I don't even think she's gay and I'm not even gay. You have to remember we hated each other up until yesterday." Priscilla was starting to get a little annoyed now, and it was evident in her voice. Usually a calm and patient woman, yet now she was getting frustrated with Kadie. "I just don't like it." Kadie shrugged, earning the most annoyed look from Priscilla. She'd never really been this defensive over something. "You don't even know her, man. Not like I do." That earned a glare from Kadie, who gritted her teeth and clenched her jaw. "What's that supposed to mean?" Priscilla rolled her eyes and turned her head to look over to the horses, choosing to ignore Kadie. "I asked you a question. What's that supposed to mean, Priscilla?" Kadie's hand clapped down onto her shoulder, not roughly but not gently either. "Will you just stop? I don't know what the fuck you think is going on, but it's nothing. I am not fucking her, I'm not dating her, not nothin'." Priscilla was growing more and more annoyed, that accent becoming thicker and thicker until her words were almost incomprehensible. Kadie's hand on her shoulder tightened. "The fuck has you acting like this? What, you got a crush on me or something?" Priscilla fully turned her head and glare at Kadie was she spoke in they heavy accent. Kadie shook her head, and after a moment, let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry. I just.. I-I don't know what it is. Guess I'm just a little jealous to see you talking to.. well, someone like her. I know she's basically your dream partner personified." Kadie stammered out, looking away. This made Priscilla's brows furrow. "She's not. But why would it matter if she was, anyways? You're the one always pushing me to get back into a relationship." Well, this really killed the mood. She hated the way Kadie was acting right now. Was this how she really was all along? "Sorry, Scilla. I didn't mean any of it." Kadie frowned, meeting Priscilla's intensely annoyed gaze. The two were still soaking wet, sitting in the warm sun with grass blades sticking to the back of their jeans. "It's okay. Just please do not bring this stupid shit up again. I don't think she really likes me, anyways." Priscilla shrugged, voice and expression softening. It wasn't exactly a lie she was telling. She wasn't sure if Eden actually had some sort of liking for her or if she just tolerated her so it wasn't awkward. Either way, she was thankful they weren't fighting and going at each other with tooth and claw. She didn't know what she'd do if her tack was somehow sabotaged, or if anything else was. All Priscilla knew was that she didn't want Kadie to dislike Eden and she didn't want Eden to dislike either of them. It was an odd feeling, really. To care so much about the opinion of someone she was meant to still dislike. Things changed so fast in one day. Too fast. It wasn't normal and she had a gross gut feeling that it wouldn't last for very long. But then again, maybe she was just anxious and Kadie had annoyed her into the point where she couldn't even think straight. Kadie slowly stood up, and then reached down to extend a hand to Priscilla. Priscilla reached up and took the hand, allowing Kadie to effortlessly pull her up. "Cmon. Let's get back to the trail." Kadie smiled softly as she led them back over to the horses. Priscilla could ground mount, but it took too much time and effort. So, Kadie stood next to Clementine, holding the reins much to the mare's dismay. Kadie quickly released the reins and then cupped both hands by the mare's side. Prisiclla lifted one leg and placed her foot into Kadie's cupped palms, gave a few little hops and then put her full weight down into that one foot. She wasn't a heavy woman, and Kadie wasn't a weak woman. This was an easy task. Priscilla gently grabbed the saddle horn and swung her leg over, gingerly settling her weight down into the saddle as she slipped her feet into the stirrups comfortably. Kadie then brushed her palms onto her jeans and mounted her own horse with no issues of any sort. He was small and she was tall. Priscilla glanced over at her, giving a little nudge to Clementine. They were soon out onto one of the normal trails again, which was thankfully fairly deserted. There were fresh and older hoof prints in the dirt but for now it seemed as though they wouldn't be running into anyone yet. Her mind was still on their little spat. Maybe we can break apart, Priscilla thought with a slight wince at the mere thought of such a thing. |
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The blond’s head almost snapped with the speed in which she turned to look over at Thompson, a furrowed look up her brows. The corners of her lip just pointed down into the beginnings of a frown. Flirting? Where did he even get that idea? Eden opened her mouth as if to reply then promptly closed it, hesitating for a second before opening again, “Not possible. I don’t think we can even be counted as friends yet, we’ve just had a handful of nice conversations.” Eden stated, a hint of defensiveness in her reply. Thompson didn’t even know what Priscilla was like, and truthfully even Eden didn’t quite know her well enough to know all her quirks and traits. Maybe by tomorrow they’d be back to their old ways, and have to go all year pretending as if the other didn’t live four feet away from them- or exist at all. Though she wouldn’t admit it, there was something gravitating the brown-eyed woman towards her roommate. A certain curiosity almost luring her to his woman she thought she hated. Were they always just one open-minded conversation away from being on good terms? Acquaintances? Friends? As much as one part of Eden wanted to believe it true, to count her blessings that they could actually be around each other without wanting to go at each other’s throats, there was an ambivalent voice in her head, a certain guard she carried with her anytime she was around Priscilla. Eden reached her hand down where Kingsley’s neck met his withers, absentmindedly playing with his short mane. She tousled his dark mane through her fingers, running the hair strands between them. The sport horse gave a short snort, ears swiveling back towards his rider. Eden chalked it up to her just personifying her horse, but the gelding always seemed to pick on her feelings, or any small shift in mood. It was like he was checking up on her. The blond held back a small smile, just lowering her hand to give him a soft pat on the neck. “You just seemed kinda nervous around her. You couldn’t keep your hands still.” Thompson warily replied, keep the other eventer in the corner of his eye. “I can never keep my hands still Tommie.” Came the curt response, her frown now more prominent. Eden always hated how easily she showed her feelings, how she wore her heart out on her sleeve. Something about the fact that someone else could pick up on her emotions before she did sent her into defensive disposition, like she had to reinforce the fortress she built around herself. An awkward silence fitted around them, the sound of hooves crunching against twigs and the wind breezing between the leaves occupying the now empty space. The blond shut her eyes for just a moment. This certainly wasn’t how she wanted to spend her first ride back, especially with Tommie. She had missed the eventer all summer, more than she thought she would’ve. The rides back home weren’t the same with his snarky jokes and occasionally actual good advice. The last thing she wanted to do now was get into an argument- especially about Priscilla. Eden forced herself to shake off any sentiments, giving the green-eyed boy a soft smile. “Just don’t worry about it, okay? I’ll be fine.” She gently began taking up the reins, not wanting to catch Kingsley in the mouth abruptly, “Race you to the trees.” She challenged, giving Thompson a playful wink before urging her horse into a trot, quickly transitioning to a canter after a few steps. The bay, ever eager to run, easily maintained the faster pace, his ears pricked forward with interest and mane falling in rhythm with his hoofbeats. Eden just barely caught a surprised yell from behind her, followed by laughing and another three-beat canter coming up from behind her. The dappled thoroughbred quickly caught up with the bay, her ears pinned as she powered forward to get a nose ahead. Eden tossed a glance behind her to make sure Jess and Lucia were alright, but the pair were already racing towards them. ‘The trees’ was an area that the team had discovered on one of their first trail rides all together, it was just a small clearing that had 2 or 3 fallen trees, but it quickly became their go-to trail spot. Occasionally they would even take food and make a sort of picnic out of it, letting the horses graze under the warm sun. It didn’t take long for them to near the glade, and Thompson and Calypso were just pulling ahead of Eden and Kings. She gave him a small squeeze and click of her tongue, encouraging him even more, but as the smallest of the logs came into view, the dappled gray took off, easily clearing the jump and entering the open clearing. The pair quickly followed after, Eden giving a few half halts to slow Kingsley down, a giggle bubbling out of her chest. Jess and Leo were the third to jump the log, though Lucia and Amber came just a fraction of a second after. Thompson gave the rest of the team a mischievous smile. “That makes what- 3 wins in a row?” A smug tone to his voice, though the other three couldn’t help a laugh, Eden in particular flipping her middle finger at him in annoyance. “Next time we’ll do Calypso and Leo next to each other and I’ll put an end to your reign.” Jess teasingly challenged, her chestnut gelding energetically pawing the ground. “Deal, but don’t get mad when Cal leaves you guys in the dust.” The male rider replied, twiddling his fingers at the brunette. |
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The pair went quietly on the trail, not a word spoken between them. But it wasn't quite an uncomfortable silence. Priscilla gently rolled her hips with the movement of Clementine, her hands loose and gentle on the leather reins. There was nobody else around for now. The peaceful silence was interrupted by Kadie's soft voice, a hint of curiosity in her tone. "Do you think we're together in every lifetime?" Kadie turned to look at Priscilla with slightly furrowed brows. "What?" Priscilla tilted her head in confusion, gazing over at Kadie with confusion in her pretty blue eyes. "Like.. I don't know. Do you think we're together even in afterlife and into the next lifetime?" Kadie paused for a moment, then added onto it. "Oh. Do you.. think there's an afterlife?" Both questions were so sudden and so random. Priscilla just stared at her for a moment as she contemplated her answers. "I.. suppose we are, maybe." She turned her head to the front again, thinking long and hard. "Hm. I guess I do." "What do you think it's like?" Priscilla shrugged softly, looking away as the questions continued. "I dunno. I guess it's whatever you want it to be. Like, if you want it to be pearly gates and fluffy white clouds, then that's what it is. Or, if you want to be reincarnated." Priscilla spoke in an almost soft tone, brows furrowed in patient thought. "What do you want it to be?" Kadie asked, earning a blank look and a soft inhale from Priscilla. "I want to be reunited with those gone before me. Like.. my childhood dog. My cat Stevie. My aunt Becky. I don't care much for the clouds or the chance of starting over.. I just want to see them again. Tell them how I was scared but I've overcome a lot. Like how a few days before my aunt passed, I told her I was really scared to give my first ever public speech." Priscilla trailed off, glancing to the side as if she was recalling the memory in vivid detail. "She took both my hands in hers and told me to look at her. You know, she looked a lot like me. Anyway, she told me to imagine everyone in just their socks." She shook her head softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. It took her so long to get over the grief that had consumed her very being. "So I did. And it worked. And I gave that speech. She passed away right before the speech and I didn't know. I guess, maybe, she chose to watch over me." Priscilla was looking away as she rambled on, not much caring for Kadie's silence. It was nice to just talk and let someone listen. "And my childhood dog. Her name was Delilah. Delilah never much cared for anyone, but she'd sit and she'd listen. Sometimes I think she was actually listening, man. She'd lift her paw and put it on your hand and stare you dead in the eyes. Almost as if she was saying 'hey, I get it.' It was weird." Prisiclla chuckled softly, their horses carrying on down the empty trail. She turned her head back to Kadie, shrugging. "Anyways. What do you want it to be like? The afterlife, I mean." Her head tilted slightly to the side, as if mimicking a curious puppy. Kadie sighed softly, looping her reins around her saddle horn as she leaned back in the saddle. "Heaven, I guess. The pearly gates and the doorman who keeps sinners out. You're religious.. do you not want to go to heaven?" Kadie asked softly, knowing this was a sensitive topic. Priscilla just sighed softly, unsure of how to respond. She was silent for a good while. "I'm not really religious anymore. That's behind me. I don't know Kadie.. why don't we just focus on the now? We ain't dying anytime soon." "You don't know that." "...yes I do." "How?" "Just trust me on this one." "Whatever, Scilla. I'll trust you." The silence that passed between them now was something full of a mutual understanding. They rode quietly for awhile before they suddenly heard heavy hooves coming up behind them, causing both girls to turn their heads over their shoulders. And of course, it was no other than Catalina Summers. Damn! Can't I ever get away from her? Priscilla wanted to scream out, to say it to someone. But she didn't. Catalina moved her big horse right between them, some fancy imported warmblood. A young grey, signaled by the fact it was still heavily dappled. "Oh. It's you two. Have you seen my boyfriend by any chance? I lost him." Catalina spoke in an annoyed tone, giving Kadie's horse a once over and a sneer. Boyfriend? Since when? "..who?" Priscilla asked, sounding a little lost and confused. Catalina rolled her eyes as if it was some very important thing that everyone needed to know. "Uh, Charles Jensen. Who else?" Catalina had a snarky, sassy tone. "And.. uh.. when did this.. happen?" Priscilla stammered out, watching as Kadie bit her bottom lip to fight back her soft giggles. "Since 12:01 pm. Okay, anyways, have you seen him or not?" Her voice seemed to soften up a little bit, now directly speaking to Priscilla. "No." Priscilla shrugged, keeping her gaze focused head now. A heavy awkward silence hung between them until Catalina broke it again. "Whatever. I'm staying with you until we find him." Priscilla then turned her head, staring up at Catalina. Damn, she was gorgeous. Damn, her horse was huge. "Okay." Priscilla huffed softly, meeting Catalina's gaze. Something in the girl's eyes softened, almost like she had some sort of messed up strange spot for Priscilla. It was a very obvious shift in her demeanor and in the way her gaze became less harsh. Maybe being roommates did something. Maybe Priscilla spilled her guts to Catalina when she was drunk and forgot all about it. Who knew. The three continued on with quiet chatter until they reached a fork in the trails, turning onto one of the most popular ones. Here is where they'd find literally anyone, and hopefully Catalina's supposed boyfriend. "So, Priscilla, you wanna do a horse swap? Just until we reach the end of this trail." Catalina turned down and gazed at Priscilla, and her gaze suggested that she wasn't going to take 'no' for an answer. Riding the fancy horse that costed more than her entire life did seem extremely tempting and fun. "Sure." She gave a soft grumble, but really, she was curious how this was going to turn out. They were now in the main trail, and Catalina was about to be humiliated. Catalina helped Priscilla into the horse, as well as gave her a brief little explanation about english saddles and how to be comfortable in them. And now, the fun would begin. Catalina mounted the grullo mare, and her ears immediately flicked back. "Just to be clear, I'm not responsible for any injuries or anything else." Priscilla snickered, shaking her head. The horse beneath her was big, powerful, and calm. 17.2 hh and built with mostly legs. They got back onto the trail.. and all hell broke loose. Clementine let out the most agitated whinny one has ever heard, and immediately began her bucking and rearing. Anything she could do to throw Catalina from her. Priscilla watched in amusement as the horse tore down the trail, while Kadie watched in horror. |
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Eden couldn’t help but laugh at the banter between all of them, a wide smile blooming across her face. These moments were probably one of the things she missed most when she went back home, besides her very valued independence and perhaps the occasional party. Before her freshman year she expected to have a harder time transitioning and getting used to college life, but much to her surprise she felt right at home after just a few weeks. She loved being in charge of her own schedule and responsible for herself, though she struggled being away from her family for long. Particularly her siblings, Eden and her brothers had always had a deep relationship, they would do everything together, even the most mundane tasks like going to the store or running errands together. Eden knew that not all siblings relationships were like the ones she had, and never took Andrew or Peter for granted. The blond was brought back from her reminiscing by a sudden shift underneath her, her dark bay impatiently pawing at the ground and digging up the dirt with his hooves. Eden adjusted her seat in the saddle, accommodating her legs more underneath her and sinking her heels down to secure a close contact with her calves. She looked up to see Lucia already grinning at her, and the pair didn’t even have to say a word as they scanned the other logs close to them, silently agreeing on the slightly larger log that had a more straight approach from where they were. Kingsley easily picked up a canter with a light squeeze of Eden’s legs, his large ears swiveling back towards his rider. She pulled him into a large circle first, adjusting her reins and giving Lucia time to pair her mare parallel with them before both riders straightened out their horses, giving them a direct line to the fallen oak tree. Eden collected her gelding slightly, knowing his stride was wider than Amber’s. Both horses eagerly pricked their heads up, eyes locked on the jump approaching them before clearing the makeshift obstacle, knees tucked neatly towards their chests. The blond looked back at her teammate with a toothy grin, she never got tired of the feeling of adrenaline. “Excellent choreography girls.” Jess said playfully, giving them a few claps of her hand, Lucia half-bowing in her saddle sarcastically. “So tell me. Anything interesting happen over the summer?” The tall eventer raised one eyebrow expectedly at the other three. “You’re the one with the new boyfriend. What’s up with that?” Eden asked, tossing a wink at the end. It was odd to see Jess blush; nothing ever seemed to make her flustered. “Yeah yeah I know. Trust me it surprised me too.” The brunette had always vehemently cherished her independence, saying she couldn’t see her herself in a serious relationship anytime soon. “It just kinda…happened I guess? We met at a bar back home and he goes to college like 20 minutes from here. His name is Calin.” Thompson rolled his green eyes, hunching over and making a gagging sound. “Enough, you’re making me sick.” He exaggerated, his voice still light and playful. “More importantly, who do you think you’ll get for the partner program?” The question caught Eden a bit off guard, she hadn’t given almost any thought to it. She wasn’t concerned about Kingsley, the gelding was easy going enough that most people could put up with his antics, if anything people struggle with restraining him, since he had such a large and powerful stride. “I really open to anything as long I don’t get Catalina again.” Lucia added, her voice dropping a bit at the end. “If I have to go through that again I’m gonna end myself.” “But just think of her new imported warmblood you’d get to ride! Or any of her several-thousand show jumpers. That’s gotta count for something.” Jess protested, reclining back into her saddle, Leo taking advantage and sneaking a few mouthfuls of grass. “In all honesty? I’d rather stay closer to the ground.” The blond admitted, lowering her hand to give her palomino a few pats. After a rather rough fall she had last year Lucia was having a hard time jumping the same heights she used to. “I hope I get one of the western disciplines. Like team roping! How fun would that be?” Thompson exclaimed, his eyes already lighting up with excitement. Eden just nodded simply in agreement. She was sort of in the same boat as Lucia, open to any sort of discipline. She hadn’t ridden western since she switched over to english over 3 years ago. But honestly almost anything sounded interesting, even vaulting or polo. She just liked the opportunity to try new disciplines and ride new horses, plus it did bring the whole equine program closer together, which was sort of the point of the exchange. “You guys wanna keep going?” The blond suggested, nodding with her head back to the shaded trails. Her bay seemed to pick up on the comment immediately, already walking towards the trail without any sort of nudge from her. She kept the reins loose, one hand half closed around the leather and resting the other on her thigh. The dark horse gave a shake of his head, his large ears flopping. |
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Priscilla glanced over to Kadie, shrugging slightly as the huge horse beneath her grew antsy. She could handle the hotblooded quarter horse, but a bit warmblood she's never rode? She was in for a real challenge. The huge dappled horse, growing nervous from the bucking horse down the trail, made some moves of his own. With his front hooves planted firmly on the ground, his hind end went up in the air. He took off down after Catalina and Clementine, both horses a bucking and snorting mess. Catalina looked scared for her life, but was managing to stay on. Priscilla was slowly losing her grip, unable to keep herself seated in the small saddle. Maybe if it was a western saddle, she would've been able to sit this one out. The world was a blur of green and blue and brown as the huge horse made a final buck that sent Priscilla over his head, hands still gripping the reins and her foot still in the stirrup. It wasn't her first fall, no, but it was her first one from this height. Priscilla landed with a hard thud and immediately began to tug at her foot, trying to break free from the stirrup. Her boot was twisted in the stirrup, the heel stuck. From above her, she heard a sudden shriek. Catalina. With one final tug, her foot was free. But before she could even get up or recover, she felt something heavy land on top of her. Her entire life flashed before her eyes as she recalled when Clementine fell on her, how heavy the horse was and the feeling of all the air leaving her lungs at once. But this thing was not nearly as heavy. Still stunned and dazed, she blinked a few times to see Catalina on top of her, arms wrapped around her shoulders. They wore the same dazed expression, both cleared stunned and confused. The sights and the sounds all blended together and she couldn't tell what was really happening. The two sat there for a solid minute before a panicked voice finally reached her ears. "Priscilla? Oh, god. Please. Please answer me." Kadie's voice, scared and full of emotion. Priscilla slowly wrapped her arms around Catalina, holding her as she sat both of them up. "I'm okay." Priscilla spoke softly in a shaky little tone, slowly regaining her bearings as she looked up at Kadie. Her vision was hazy, flickering in and out. She was okay from what she could tell. Just a little scraped up with a foggy mind. She must've hit her head a little too hard. Next to Kadie was her little gelding, who miraculously stayed calm and didn't freak out like the other two horses. Her head turned to the much taller woman in her arms, who gazed back at her with a slight scowl. Catalina was okay, too. "Let go of me." Catalina hissed, writhing in her arms. Priscilla immediately let go, watching as the girl scrambled up to her feet. Priscilla remained on the ground, blinking a few times as she finally managed to pull herself back together. Surprisingly enough, though, Catalina reached a hand down with a heavy sigh. "Come on. Get up." Priscilla took the hand, warm and soft in her own. The strong hand pulled her to her feet and steadied her immediately. There was some blood in the dirt and on her clothes, and she didn't know if it was hers or Catalina's. "You're bleeding." Came Catalina's voice again. But this time, it wasn't snarky or mean. It was.. gentle? Priscilla raised her gaze to Catalina, a soft chuckle escaping her lips. "So are you." Catalina had a small cut above her eyebrow, dripping steadily down the side of her face. The two shared a soft moment of laughter, although it was mostly just laughing out of relief. Neither of them were too hurt, just a little banged up. Priscilla raised a hand to her face, wiping away some of the blood that dripped from her nose and went into her mouth. She turned to Kadie, hand still under her nose to catch the blood. "Did you see where our horses went?" Kadie shrugged and shook her head. In the dirt, there were hoof prints going down the path both ways. "Okay. Uh.. Kadie, why don't you go down that way? You can cover more ground with Maple." Priscilla pointed down one way, which was shaded heavily with small cracks of sunlight. She didn't know if that was the way they had came or not. Kadie nodded, taking a short minute to get back onto her little gelding and go down the way Priscilla pointed. Now alone with Catalina, she turned back to her and offered a soft smile. In a way, she thought it was funny to see someone so high and mighty shrink down to this state. Bloody, covered in dirt, and with a bruised ego. It was a miracle that both of them were okay. They'd both be horribly sore in the morning, and embarrassed, but they were okay. "So." Catalina cleared her throat, looking away. "I'm.. sorry." Priscilla's brows raised. "Say that again." Priscilla grinned, not quite believing what she just heard. "No. Just.. just.. nevermind. Let's go look for the horses." Catalina grumbled, beginning to head forwards. Priscilla moved up beside her, wincing slightly. Her hands were bleeding, there was a small gash on her arm, and she felt more blood somewhere on her face. Catalina definitely looked worse, though. While the dappled warmblood was huge, Clementine was a mean little thing. She bucked like a rank bronco. "Are you sure you're okay? You look awful." Priscilla commented softly, reaching a hand out to Catalina's arm. It was already bruising. Catalina immediately wrenched her arm away with a nasty scowl. "Yes, I'm fine. And for the record, you look worse than me." Priscilla rolled her eyes. While Priscilla was now covered in blood and cuts, Catalina had a few bumps and already formed bruises. "Come on. Be nice." Priscilla murmured with a huff, glaring over at the taller girl. The two continued on, following the hoof prints that looked fresh and old at the same time. In the distance as they rounded a bend, they spotted a few riders. If they caught up, they could ask if they had seen the two horses. They couldn't have gone that far, could they? Priscilla reached a hand up to her cheek, wincing as she fingered the gash there. Perfect. The last thing she needed was some stupid injuries to take care of. What a way to start off the year. |
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Fall 
Day 
