It was a sunny spring day at Pine Creek Stables, in Washington, and people were just beginning to arrive for their lessons and their work. Max, the stable owner, was getting things prepared for a few new boarders who were coming in today. He was also preparing for the new stable hand he was getting, who was only here on probation. He wasn't all to convinced about the idea of letting someone work here under probation, but his mom had managed to convince him it was a good idea, so he went along with it.
The first of the new boarders to arrive was Drake, who's driving skills were questionable, to say the least. He pulled in to the long drive that lead to the stable, nearly running over a sign on the side of the road as he did so. He wasn't accustomed to driving a pickup truck, let alone a pickup truck with a trailer. He didn't really have a choice, though, seeing as he didn't have the money to hire a driver, and didn't have any family or friends to do it for him. So, he just had to make do.
Eventually he reached the end of the drive and pulled up, parking rather crappily, but not too horribly. He could hear Shadowplay kicking the walls of the trailer, and he figured he'd better get him out before he kicked the trailer to pieces. Hopping out of his car, he went to the back of the trailer, lowering the ramp and being careful not to get kicked in the face. He then proceeded around the front of the trailer to back Shadowplay out, even though the horse didn't need much coaxing before he backed out at full speed, then reared up to his full height. Drake just barely managed to hold on to the lead rope as it was yanked through his hand. He gritted his teeth and held on as Shadowplay reared up again, striking out with his hooves, though be careful not to hit Drake.
This was the first time Shadowplay had been put in a trailer, and the first time he had been unwillingly moved from on location to another, and he did not like it one bit. The strange sights and sounds, the people. Why had Drake brought him to this place, so different and unfamiliar? He pulled back hard on the rope, nearly causing Drake to faceplant. He just wanted to get away from this place, back to the forest.
Max saw that the new boarder's horse was quite spirited, to say the least, and decided that maybe the boarder could use some help. He started over toward Drake, but Drake threw his hand up toward Max and said,"No, you'll only make it worse." Max stopped short and just watched, frowning.
Drake grabbed ahold on Shadowplay's halter, giving him very little room to move his head and rear up. "Shhh, shh, it's OK," He said softly, using all his strength to hold his ground against the startled horse. At the sound of his voice, Shadowplay's ears flicked forward and he stopped struggling. "Shh. I know it's strange, and different," Drake continued, rubbing Shadowplay's cheek,"But it won't be so scary after a while, and I think it will be good for both of us. You'll just have to trust me," He said gently,"You do trust me, don't you, boy?"
Shadowplay nickered quietly, then pressed his head against Drake's chest. "No one's going to hurt you," Drake said, leaning his head against Shadowplay's large head. Max watched all this in awe. He had just seen a horse go from crazy to completely calm in a matter of seconds, just from the sound of his owner's voice. He could immediately tell that the two had a special connection. After sitting like that for a bit, Drake pulled back from Shadowplay, turning to Max. "Sorry about that. He's shy around other people," He said, in explanation for why he'd said that Max would just make it worse.
Max smiled reassuringly,"No problem," He said,"If you want, you can put him in the pasture to cool off while we take care of business.
Drake smiled and nodded,"Probably a good idea," He said, letting Max lead the way. Once Shadowplay was in the pasture, he followed Max to take care of paperwork and whatnot.
(Makayla)
Makayla was the second new boarder-slash-student to arrive. She was quite literally nauseous with excitement, but it was something that she was used to, so she just dealt with it. Her horse was already at the stable. When they had bought it, the horse had already been named, and they decided it was best not to change the name, even though, in her opinion, the name was a little....lame. A bronze colored horse named Bronze. Very creative. She had heard worse, though. Like Bicycle Man. If her horse had been named Bicycle Man, she would have changed it's name, no matter how much the horse was used to it. Ok, maybe not, but she would definitely try to give it a decent nickname.
As their red van pulled up outside the stable, she closed her eyes and took three deep breaths. It was completely pointless, really, but it was worth a try. Grabbing her container of Calms, she decided it was high time that she nagged her dad into getting her an appointment to do something about her anxiety. Then again, being in social situations like this might be a cure in itself, once she got used to it. She guessed she would just find out.
Hopping out of the car, she made sure she had her helmet. She was just wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a pair of knee-hight black buckled boots, which were the closest thing she had to riding boots, at least for now. She didn't really have money for real riding equipment, but with her new part-time job here, she hoped to be able to afford both the lessons and some new equipment by herself. Her dad got out of the car and said,"Do you want me to go in with you?"
Makayla wrung her hands together slightly, then said,"I need to learn to do things on my own at some point in my life," Jokingly, though her answer was clear. She gave him a big hug, and he said,"I'll pick you up on the way home from work. You need your own car," The last part was said jokingly, but she just smiled nervously,"I think I can handle staying with horses all day. I probably won't want to leave. Now shoo," She said, taking a deep breath. Her dad smiled and got in the car, driving off.
She suddenly felt extremely alone. She hardly ever did anything on her own, sadly enough. Even if her parents weren't there, her brother was normally by her side. But now there was no one. Trying to swallow her shyness and nervousness, she headed inside.
(Slater)
Slater had been at the stable for a while now, feeding the horses, and mucking out the stalls. He was a teacher, but he was also a full-time stable hand, and he wouldn't choose and other job in the world. As he walked around a empty pasture, scooping manure into a wheelbarrow and keeping an eye out for poisonous plants, his mind was elsewhere. Where it was, who knew. Slater was notorious for being easily distracted, even though it didn't affect his job performance in the slightest.
(Jake)
Jake was just sort of driving down the road for now.
