Slow and Steady

[Maeve McKenna]

"We're going to go out on the trails today." Maeve told Narcissus, as she got the gelding ready for a ride. Sure, she was still rather new to riding, compare to a lot of the people here, but she finally felt that she was ready to go and venture out on her own. However, she was also a realist, and decided that her first solo trail ride, would be a simple one; out to the meadow she had heard other students talking about.

Once they were both ready, and she had spoken to Ms Robinson about where she was going and that she didn't intend to be gone for more than a couple of hours, she led the gelding out of the barn and when the girth was tightened and the stirrups pulled down, she swung into the saddle and squeezed the Grade Horse forward.

She took it slow as they rode down the path toward the Green Hill trails, allowing the gelding to look at everything and soothing him every time he seemed to spook at something. As they reached the trails, she did begin to wonder if she had asked another, more advanced, rider to come with them.

[Ben Ayers]

Ben finished tacking up Rowen, thinking about what his mom had said earlier. He had been planning on doing some jumping, but at her request, had agreed to head out onto the trails instead. He smiled at Rowen's new bridle, which he'd only just finished a few days ago, bright jewel-green against the bay's dark face. He wore a matching saddle pad, although Ben hadn't made that one.

Once they were ready, Ben mounted and pointed the gelding in the direction of the trails, keeping his reins loose and letting Rowen set the pace of their walk. As they approached the trailhead, he spotted a rider up ahead on a bay horse, most likely his quarry. He tightened his grip on the reins just a touch, reminding Rowen that he was still there, and then called out, "Behind you!"

[Maeve McKenna]

As they followed the path that she was sure lead to the meadow trail, Maeve became more and more unsure of where she was going, and Narcissus jogged to the side as he seemed to pick up on his rider's confidence slipping, and this quickly brought her back to attention; this was a horse who needed her to be confident all the time.

Her mind had begun to wander again, mostly hoping that her dragon hadn't taken it too personally when she had asked him to remain in her room, not thinking that the sensitive gelding would appreciate the spectral being on the trails with them, and she jumped into the air when she heard a voice behind them, laughing when her mouth barely twitched an ear. She used her leg to get the Grade Horse to move to the side, to allow the owner of the voice to pass them if he chose.