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there's no emote to describe how much I'm screaming

As usual, the story may (does) contain strong language and themes of a sexual nature.

Previously: Chapter Five
Next Interlude Images: Firelight's Brightest | Fond Memories
Next Chapter: Chapter Seven

Read all of Fire Inside here

References: DAZ 3D
All Characters & Story © mapal

Chapter Six
It was eleven-thirty when Mark woke to the sound of his alarm. Less than four hours of sleep didn’t feel like enough to work for the rest of the day, but he didn’t have a choice. The house was quiet. He had about half an hour to get showered before the lunch rush, after which Aithne would expect him to be pulling his weight on the yard.

   He rolled over in bed and immediately remembered his activities from the day before. The stinging sensation was dull but noticeable and he was aching. He ran a hand roughly over his face and sighed, deciding to lay for just a few minutes until he felt like he could walk properly. Just as he buried further into his duvet, there was a soft knock at his door.

   “C’min,” he mumbled. It was Aithne, pulling her tank top on over a sports bra as she shouldered the door open. Mark watched her from his duvet cocoon. Her hair was damp and there was moisture on her collarbone. It looked like she had just quickly washed up in the bathroom. That meant it was really hot outside. He instinctively curled up tighter.

   “How’re you feeling?” she asked.

   “Shitty.”

   “You can stay in bed if you want, but we’re just grabbing some sandwiches then we’re doing a gymkhana.”

   Mark frowned at that. “What?”

   “Let’s just call it team bonding. It was a few of the girls’ idea.”

   “What horses are you using?” Mark was sitting up out of curiosity now. They didn’t exactly have any gymkhana ponies.

   “Well, I’m using Taffy.” Mark snorted at that. “Shut up. Aisha’s on Parry, Ryan’s on Usa because Vera said no, Adam’s got the advantage on Fancy. I don’t know, whatever horse you want. Lee’s doing it too.”

   “Oh now this I have to see,” Mark grumbled as he pushed the duvet off his legs. “Give me ten minutes.”

   Aithne grinned and stepped out of the room, disappearing down the hall towards the kitchen. It only took Mark a few minutes to shower and get dressed before making his way there too. Everyone was there, all crammed into the kitchen-cum-dining room with coffees and food in hand. Most people were eating salad sandwiches they had put together from the stacks of buttered bread and bowls of lettuce and cucumber on the table, along with several packets of ham and roast chicken.

   Mark noticed Ryan leaning against the wall near the kitchen eating an apple and made a beeline towards him.

   “Good afternoon,” Ryan murmured before taking another bite of his apple, arms folded across his broad chest. Mark huffed a little and briefly leaned past Aisha to grab a yoghurt and a spoon from the table. His stomach didn’t feel up to eating a lot, but the emptiness was uncomfortable.

   “I didn’t think you’d actually get up for this,” Ryan said as Mark joined him.

“I figured I had to see you make a fool of yourself on a dressage horse,” Mark said with a small grin, pulling off the lid of his yoghurt and licking the excess from it. Ryan watched with idle curiosity.

   “And you think that hulk of a cross country horse is gonna do you any favours?”

   “Who said I was riding Cosmic?” Mark raised an eyebrow. He was trainer to a few eventing and cross country horses, he had some tricks up his sleeve. Ryan narrowed his eyes.

   “I feel like I’m at a disadvantage.”

   “Just a bit.”

   “It’s alright, we’ll all lose to Adam anyway,” Aisha piped up from the table where she was compiling a monster sandwich. “He’s been training Fancy in barrel racing for shits and giggles.”

   “I’m pretty sure Aiden’s gonna wipe the floor with us all,” Connie grumbled. She was sat beside the boy in question and he had the widest grin on his face. “This kid has no fear.”

   “I dunno,” Mark said, looking at Aiden, “Who’re you riding?”

   “Macht,” Aiden responded.

   There was a series of defeated groans around the table and Mark grinned as he leaned against the wall next to Ryan. Aisha leaned her head back to look at him, raising one eyebrow. “What?” Mark said with a frown.

   “You get laid at that party or something?”

   “What?” he repeated, but already the flush was starting to creep up the back of his neck. At this point, it wasn’t a good idea to tell them he hadn’t gone to a party. As Aisha tapped her own collarbone, he immediately remembered the mark that Ryan had put there. Mark cleared his throat and adjusted his shirt a little. “So what if I did?”

   “Good on you,” Aisha said with a small laugh.

   “What?” Lee joined the conversation, diverting his attention from his roast chicken and salad sandwich at last.

   “Mark got laid.”

   “Really?” Now it was Chase joining in, and Mark could only look down sullenly at his yoghurt and hope the blush wasn’t too noticeable.

   “Guys, child,” Ambriel spoke up from the other side of Aiden.

   “I’m not listening,” Aiden said innocently.

   Mark dared a glance at Ryan to see the smirk on his face. The dressage rider raised an eyebrow at him as he bit into the apple, and Mark felt his heart rate pick up. This was not how he thought the afternoon was going to go.

   “Oh my God,” Aisha said quietly. She was looking back at them again as everyone else chattered and, despite Mark trying to hide his panic, he flushed even deeper. “You two-”

   Aisha was, thankfully, cut off by Aithne appearing in the room and letting off a loud whistle. All the staff let out a collective groan and a few rubbed their ears. “Do you have to do that?” Lee grumbled, a frown on his face.

   “Yes, yes I do,” Aithne answered. “Alright guys, finish up your lunches then go grab your horses. If you want to blame anyone for today, blame Aisha and Izzy and that damn show jumping competitive attitude.” She grabbed an apple and headed for the door to the lounge. “Adam, can you grab Taffy for me? I’m gonna go set the course up. C’mon, Izzy.”

   “I’ll get Greek for you,” Aisha said to the young woman with the partially shaved head as she edged out of the room to follow Aithne. Mark was thankful of everyone’s attention being elsewhere, but it didn’t last for long. As everyone finished up their food and started to file out of the house towards the stables, Aisha caught up with him and fell into step beside him.

   “Of all the people to bang,” she said quietly under her breath, “and you take the weird old man.”

   “He’s not that bad,” Mark grumbled.

   “So you have!” her voice rose and he glared at her. She quickly quietened down again and leaned in a bit closer. “What’s he like?”

   All he could do was stare at her. How could he even answer such a lewd question? He wasn’t exactly a blushing virgin, but no one had explicitly asked about his love live before. His train of thought was interrupted by a pair of hands on his shoulders from behind and someone pressing a brief and quite rough kiss to his cheek.

   “Hey, what the fuck?” he protested, turning his head to see Ryan passing him with a smirk still on his face.

   “Oh my God, what have you done to him?” Aisha whispered. Mark rubbed his cheek and glared as Ryan walked ahead of them, his pace quicker and lighter despite him being shorter than both of them.

   “I think it’s more a question of what he’s done to me.”

   Mark ignored Aisha’s nagging all the way to the stallion barn. She finally left his side to go be annoying elsewhere as he went to grab Shakil’s head collar. Cosmic didn’t stand a chance in a gymkhana. He was too big and clumsy and just wanted to go fast. Shakil was nimble and full of energy. He was currently under Mark’s care to continue his cross country training. He was an enjoyable ride even if he was a hothead.

   He was preferable to Mark’s second choice, Ashari, regardless. He figured the mare would put him on the floor in five seconds if she realised what was going on. Shakil was out in one of the stallion paddocks, far away from the mares. It was a short walk and soon Mark was watching the black stallion bolt away from him towards the other end of the paddock, tail high like a banner. It set Devil off in the next paddock and soon the air was filled with the sound of thundering hooves.

   “Great choice, Mark,” Aisha called from behind him. She was stood with Greek and Paranoia in hand, the two large show jumpers watching the hot headed Arabians bolt up and down. “I’m sure he’ll be real co-operative when you catch him.”

   “Yeah, yeah, you’ll see,” he grumbled as he started walking towards Shakil and fishing some horse cookies from his pocket. “Come on, Shaky! I got cookies!” The pocket rocket slid to a halt and perked his ears towards Mark, nostrils flaring. He walked over tentatively, each delicate hoof touching the ground lightly. Shakil was a straight Egyptian Arabian out of Willowglen’s Shezan and Firelight’s own Desert Queen; he was an absolute pain in the ass.

   The stallion stretched his long neck out in an attempt to eat the cookies and not be caught at the same time, and Mark caught him by surprise by flicking the lead rope around his neck quickly. Escape was futile as he dug his heels into the dirt and stopped Shakil from flying off again, the rope holding him steady. “Gotcha,” he grumbled as he quickly slipped the delicate leather head collar over Shakil’s nose and fastened it into place.

   There was a parade of horses being led to the yard, Adam passing with Fancy and Taffy in tow as Mark let himself out of the gate. Behind him, further up the track into the paddocks, Ryan was wrestling with a very excited Usa while a much calmer Choccy strolled at his side. Connie and Solar were behind him with Ambriel and Penelope next to her.

   As Mark turned to follow Adam to the yard, Chase and Michelle were with Andromeda and Ship up ahead. The competition was formidable. So far, Shakil was the lightest and fastest, but Fancy had training at turning tight corners. Mark spotted little Aiden leading Macht onto the yard up ahead and felt like none of them stood a chance. The kid was fearless. He had no doubts going up against Firelight’s top horses.

   There was a lot of hustle and bustle as everyone groomed and tacked up quickly. They had all made their way to the guest barn where they could tie their horses up inside the U-shape, around the fountain. There were fourteen horses in total all tied up next to each other, the stallions on one side and the mares and geldings on the other to stop any bickering. All of Firelight’s stallions were taught how to behave from a young age, but that didn’t stop them being hot-headed dicks.

   David appeared to have chosen Phuckyes as his ride, the light coloured stallion stood at the end calmly as he was groomed. Probably a good choice. Mike, on the other hand, had chosen one of his own horses. The imposing figure of Imminent Collision stood beside Shakil, proud and gleaming in the sunlight. Maybe not a great choice for gymkhana, but he was an impressive horse. His bright blue markings were shimmering and Mark had to admit he felt a little envious. All of Mike’s horses were gorgeous, and now he had the pleasure of working with all of Somesmera’s Peafowl Friesians too.

   Soon, everyone was starting to mount up and ride over to the jumping ring. There was a steady flow of people riding past the fountain and along the avenue. Lee had mounted Choccy and was waiting for Aisha, the mare standing and waiting calmly. Mark was just running down his stirrups when Ryan rode over on Usa, the bulky mare bubbling with excitement.

   “Hurry up, buttercup,” Ryan said as he circled his horse to stop her dancing on the spot.

   “Ryan, it’s gymkhana, there’s no hurry.”

   “But there is. I wanna wipe the floor with you.”

   Mark looked up with an eyebrow raised as he ran down the left stirrup and then cinched the girth tighter by one hole. “Those are bold words,” he muttered, easily placing his foot in the stirrup and pulling himself up onto Shakil’s back using his arms.

   “I’m a bold person.” Ryan seemed unperturbed, lining Usa up to walk beside Shakil as they made their way to the ring. There was a clatter of hooves behind them and Mark glanced over his shoulder to see Aisha circling Parry after having just jumped on, feet out of the stirrups as the stallion snorted and pranced in excitement.

   “I gathered,” Mark said with a sigh, settling into Shakil’s saddle and letting the stallion jog gently beneath him. “What’s with you today?”

   “What do you mean?”

   “Earlier, the public display of affection.”

   “It was a joke.”

   Mark would be lying if he said his heart didn’t sink a little at that. A joke. Of course.

   “You’re so easy to fluster,” Ryan continued.

   “Yeah, I guess I am,” he grumbled.

   They rode the rest of the way in silence. Most of the others were already in the jumping ring, riding around to stretch their horses’ legs as Aithne and Izzy finished setting up the obstacles. It looked like they had started earlier with the amount of preparation that had gone into it. They had marked off either end of the arena for change over points using flat circle cones and split the arena lengthways into three.

   Three lines of poles were set up in the lanes for weaving, small flags were stuck into traffic cones at the top of each lane, and camping mugs were sitting on buckets in front of the cones at the other end of the lane. “Not bad,” Mark muttered as he halted to take it in.

   “It’s like being in Pony Club again,” Aisha said as she rode past. “How thrilling.”

   “Is that sarcasm?”

   “Not at all! I used to love Pony Club, not sure about doing it on something seventeen hands tall though.”

   Eventually everyone was ready and they decided on their first game. They would race in twos at first, rather like a drag race on horseback. Everyone was fair and paired horses of similar height together. That left Mark to go up against Aiden. Macht was shorter and sturdier, but Mark didn’t like the determined glint in the kid’s eye.

   They had to canter to one end of the ring, turn in the marked area at the top, and then canter back. They weren’t allowed to gallop but they could turn however they wanted. It turned out that Aiden knew how to turn Macht on a dime and even though Mark reached the top first with Shakil’s slightly longer gait, the ten-year-old soon caught him in the turn. “That’s not fair,” Mark called as they started the swift canter back.

   “What, that I’m better than you?” Aiden called.

   Mark won by the skin of his teeth and got to watch Ryan win against Mike in the next match. Izzy won against Aisha, Connie won against Aithne purely thanks to Solar’s excitement and Taffy’s disinterest, Adam wiped the floor with Chase, David claimed a narrow victory against Michelle, and Ambriel won by a hair against Lee.

   They passed their afternoon doing ridiculous games in teams and as solo players against each other. The team flag relay saw Izzy fall off Greek in spectacular style as the stallion leapt three feet into the air in an excited buck. David took a tumble off Phuckyes in the weave when the horse decided he could turn even sharper than he had been asked to and sent his rider sideways.

   Mark’s true entertainment, however, came in the mug race as he ran against Ryan. They were closing in on the last few yards, neck and neck, when Mark spotted Usa leap sideways like she had been shocked. He managed to hook his mug onto the pole and turn as Ambriel bolted off on Penelope to get the next mug just in time to see Ryan hit the dirt hard.

   All the staff erupted into laughter and Ambriel even paused in her run, as the other team hadn’t been tagged in yet, to join in with the mocking. Ryan lay sprawled in the sand as Usa trotted the rest of the way to her team, Aithne catching her easily from Taffy’s back despite her fits of laughter.

   “Hey, get up old man!” Ambriel called. Ryan lifted a hand to give her the finger and then slowly started to pull himself up. He finished the last few metres himself and slammed the cup onto the top of the pole so Aiden could begin his run. Ambriel’s eyes widened briefly as the young boy charged up the ring on Macht and she was soon kicking Penny forwards to grab the next mug.

   All in all, it was an hilarious afternoon. A group of them even had a small race around the arena as the others caught their breath and cooled off. Mark took the win by a nose against David, Aisha, Izzy, and Ambriel, Shakil’s nimbleness being a distinct advantage.

   It was all fun and games until Choccy got spooked in one of their last tag team races. Lee had been riding confidently all afternoon, even winning a few runs, but now they all watched in mild horror as the mare unseated him and danced sideways. He hit the ground and Choccy immediately stopped, sides trembling as she didn’t hesitate to check on him. Aisha was cantering over on Parry, dismounting from a trot as she hurried to check on him.

   There was a collective sigh of relief as Lee pushed himself up to sit, and then a ripple of laughter as he grinned and gave them a thumbs up. Mark watched, leaning on Shakil’s neck, as Aisha helped him to stand, taking his weight as they went to Choccy’s side. Lee leaned on the mare and she didn’t move as Aisha hooked her hands under one of his legs and then shoved him back up onto her back with relative, practiced ease.

   A few people clapped as Lee rejoined the race, turning Choccy and putting her into a canter to catch up with Izzy. The rest of the quick races finished without event. They wrapped up and took the horses to their stables for a drink and a rest before the ones who were living out were returned to their paddocks.

   Everyone was tired, but happy, and Mark found himself wandering out to Cosmic’s paddock with his spirits lifted. The large stallion met him at the gate, hanging his head over to check his pockets for treats. He grinned and rubbed Cosmic’s nose, offering him the carrot he had brought out for him. He munched it happily and perked his ears to something further down the track towards the yard.

   Mark turned his gaze to see the gleaming white figure of Verathaia marching up the track. She wasn’t wearing any tack and her hair was loose and free, like an image from a fairy tale if she weren’t a demon death horse. Ryan was sat on her back, riding with ease despite the lack of tack.

   “How’s your pride?” Mark asked when the pair stopped near him. Ryan snorted but grinned nonetheless.

   “Bruised, like my tailbone. It doesn’t matter, I’ve been thrown more times than I’d like to admit.” He paused before he spoke again. “I was going to ride up to the river, let her have a paddle. You wanna come?”

   Mark hesitated and looked to Cosmic. Things were confusing. On one hand it seemed like Ryan wanted to keep it casual, on the other there was something rather romantic about going for a swim on horseback in a river at sunset. Against his better judgement, Mark found himself agreeing to it. “Yeah, let me get his tack.”

   “No need,” Ryan said before he could move. He lifted the hand that had been out of sight to show a bridle hanging from his fingers. “I figured you wouldn’t say no.”

   “I’m not that predictable,” Mark said with a scowl as he reached for the bridle.

   “No, but I wasn’t gonna let you say no.”

   Mark didn’t answer that as he slipped Cosmic’s bridle on and then opened up the paddock gate. He used the fence to give him a little extra height to vault up onto the stallion’s high, broad back. He rarely rode without a saddle so it was strange to feel the soft, warm fur beneath him, to be able to wrap his legs firmly around Cosmic. He also felt a little unstable, but he would have to do without a saddle if he was going to go into the river.

   Without another word, they started to ride up the track towards the west side of the estate. A shallow river ran through a wooded area, the water crystal clear and free of rubbish after passing through a filter at the edge of the estate. The woods were peaceful and quiet, a cool canopy of leaves above them, filtering the sunlight into golden-green rays. When the horses stepped into the quick-moving water, it came just above their knees.

   Vera lowered her head to drink from the water and Ryan let her, leaning back with his hands on her rump. Cosmic was a little less elegant, lifting one hoof high before slamming it back down into the water like a toddler playing in a bath. Mark watched from his back with a grin as the stallion investigated and played with the water, snuffling it and splashing it. Mark had never let him do this. He wasn’t shy of water with him being a cross country horse, but they never took a swim in the river.

   “You should do this more,” Ryan said, his voice startling Mark a little. “It suits you.”

   “What?” Mark said a bit weakly, he let Cosmic’s reins go loose and allowed him to keep investigating this fun new toy.

   “Looking happy, relaxed. You always look so stressed.”

   “That’s because I am stressed,” he muttered. Cosmic had stopped his splashing and was standing calmly, letting the water run up against his legs.

   “Is it me? I don’t mean to stress you out.”

Mark’s mind wandered to the drugs that were stashed beneath his mattress. He wasn’t sure if they were a problem or an answer to a problem. The last twenty-four hours had been incredibly stressful, and he couldn’t say that Ryan was the cause of it, even if he did bring uncertainty with him. “No, it’s not you,” he answered after a few long moments. He wanted to say that when he was around Ryan was about the only time he didn’t feel stressed.

   He had been clean for years, but ever since he had quit he had felt a constant, niggling nervousness and tension. He was always stressed because he no longer had a way to cope. Training cross country horses, pushing them to succeed at competitions, was a stressful job. As much as he loved the animals, it wasn’t easy.

   “Mark.” His attention was drawn back to reality by Ryan’s voice. He looked over and saw him leaning on Vera’s neck, watching him.

   “What?”

   “I said what has you so stressed? What has you on a far-away planet, too?”

   Mark supposed that before things had gotten a bit more complicated, Ryan was a friend. He was still a friend. If he couldn’t talk to his friends, then he didn’t have much hope. “When I was shooting up in some den somewhere at the age of seventeen, I never thought that one day I’d be the head cross country trainer at one of the biggest training facilities in the UK,” he said quietly, “I’d have probably laughed in your face if you’d have told me this was where I’d end up.”

   He sighed and adjusted on Cosmic’s back. It was comfy and warm, the stallion wide and sturdy. Mark vowed to ride bareback more often. “It’s a lot of pressure. To compete, to win. I have some of the top horses in my care. Cosmic is a top horse. I mean I found him on the side of the road, who’d have thought he’d end up here. We just repurchased one of his foals, it’s crazy.”

   Ryan was listening carefully but silently. Vera was watching the water break over her horn as she rested the tip beneath the surface. “Responsibility is hard,” Ryan offered. Mark nodded in agreement.

   “Yeah, it is. I just don’t have the same coping mechanisms I used to have.”

   “You mean drugs.”

   Mark stilled for a moment and then nodded again. “I’ve been off them for years, totally clean, don’t even smoke any more, but I feel… I’ve always felt so anxious. It’s been so long and I still feel like I’m in withdrawal.”

   Ryan sighed and Vera lifted her head, without him even giving a command, she waded over to stand beside Cosmic. His leg brushed against Mark’s. “You need to find your joy somewhere else,” Ryan said lowly, “in horses, in whatever. You ride for a reason, don’t lose that, don’t let it stress you out.”

   Mark felt like he was gravitating towards Ryan, his body swaying a bit closer as they sat side by side. He didn’t fight it, instead leaning further in, as Ryan pulled him closer for a soft kiss. It was strangely soothing. Mark had been trying not to read too much into Ryan’s actions, but he found it hard to ignore the tender way he was being kissed, the gentle hand against the back of his head to keep him place, and the perfect setting of it all.

   The water trickled quietly in the background, the trees whispered overhead in a breeze, and some birds sang softly nearby. Mark was pretty sure he couldn’t conjure something like this in a fantasy even if he tried. Just like that, all his attempts to keep himself distanced had failed. He had known at some point he would give in and start to have emotions over the situation, he just hadn’t expected it so soon. He hadn’t expected Ryan to be the instigator.

   “That was a bad move,” Mark breathed when they parted. Ryan huffed a laugh and wrapped his arm around Mark in a one-armed hug.

   “I’m basically the king of bad moves,” he muttered.

Description

there's no emote to describe how much I'm screaming

As usual, the story may (does) contain strong language and themes of a sexual nature.

Previously: Chapter Five
Next Interlude Images: Firelight's Brightest | Fond Memories
Next Chapter: Chapter Seven

Read all of Fire Inside here

References: DAZ 3D
All Characters & Story © mapal

Chapter Six
It was eleven-thirty when Mark woke to the sound of his alarm. Less than four hours of sleep didn’t feel like enough to work for the rest of the day, but he didn’t have a choice. The house was quiet. He had about half an hour to get showered before the lunch rush, after which Aithne would expect him to be pulling his weight on the yard.

   He rolled over in bed and immediately remembered his activities from the day before. The stinging sensation was dull but noticeable and he was aching. He ran a hand roughly over his face and sighed, deciding to lay for just a few minutes until he felt like he could walk properly. Just as he buried further into his duvet, there was a soft knock at his door.

   “C’min,” he mumbled. It was Aithne, pulling her tank top on over a sports bra as she shouldered the door open. Mark watched her from his duvet cocoon. Her hair was damp and there was moisture on her collarbone. It looked like she had just quickly washed up in the bathroom. That meant it was really hot outside. He instinctively curled up tighter.

   “How’re you feeling?” she asked.

   “Shitty.”

   “You can stay in bed if you want, but we’re just grabbing some sandwiches then we’re doing a gymkhana.”

   Mark frowned at that. “What?”

   “Let’s just call it team bonding. It was a few of the girls’ idea.”

   “What horses are you using?” Mark was sitting up out of curiosity now. They didn’t exactly have any gymkhana ponies.

   “Well, I’m using Taffy.” Mark snorted at that. “Shut up. Aisha’s on Parry, Ryan’s on Usa because Vera said no, Adam’s got the advantage on Fancy. I don’t know, whatever horse you want. Lee’s doing it too.”

   “Oh now this I have to see,” Mark grumbled as he pushed the duvet off his legs. “Give me ten minutes.”

   Aithne grinned and stepped out of the room, disappearing down the hall towards the kitchen. It only took Mark a few minutes to shower and get dressed before making his way there too. Everyone was there, all crammed into the kitchen-cum-dining room with coffees and food in hand. Most people were eating salad sandwiches they had put together from the stacks of buttered bread and bowls of lettuce and cucumber on the table, along with several packets of ham and roast chicken.

   Mark noticed Ryan leaning against the wall near the kitchen eating an apple and made a beeline towards him.

   “Good afternoon,” Ryan murmured before taking another bite of his apple, arms folded across his broad chest. Mark huffed a little and briefly leaned past Aisha to grab a yoghurt and a spoon from the table. His stomach didn’t feel up to eating a lot, but the emptiness was uncomfortable.

   “I didn’t think you’d actually get up for this,” Ryan said as Mark joined him.

“I figured I had to see you make a fool of yourself on a dressage horse,” Mark said with a small grin, pulling off the lid of his yoghurt and licking the excess from it. Ryan watched with idle curiosity.

   “And you think that hulk of a cross country horse is gonna do you any favours?”

   “Who said I was riding Cosmic?” Mark raised an eyebrow. He was trainer to a few eventing and cross country horses, he had some tricks up his sleeve. Ryan narrowed his eyes.

   “I feel like I’m at a disadvantage.”

   “Just a bit.”

   “It’s alright, we’ll all lose to Adam anyway,” Aisha piped up from the table where she was compiling a monster sandwich. “He’s been training Fancy in barrel racing for shits and giggles.”

   “I’m pretty sure Aiden’s gonna wipe the floor with us all,” Connie grumbled. She was sat beside the boy in question and he had the widest grin on his face. “This kid has no fear.”

   “I dunno,” Mark said, looking at Aiden, “Who’re you riding?”

   “Macht,” Aiden responded.

   There was a series of defeated groans around the table and Mark grinned as he leaned against the wall next to Ryan. Aisha leaned her head back to look at him, raising one eyebrow. “What?” Mark said with a frown.

   “You get laid at that party or something?”

   “What?” he repeated, but already the flush was starting to creep up the back of his neck. At this point, it wasn’t a good idea to tell them he hadn’t gone to a party. As Aisha tapped her own collarbone, he immediately remembered the mark that Ryan had put there. Mark cleared his throat and adjusted his shirt a little. “So what if I did?”

   “Good on you,” Aisha said with a small laugh.

   “What?” Lee joined the conversation, diverting his attention from his roast chicken and salad sandwich at last.

   “Mark got laid.”

   “Really?” Now it was Chase joining in, and Mark could only look down sullenly at his yoghurt and hope the blush wasn’t too noticeable.

   “Guys, child,” Ambriel spoke up from the other side of Aiden.

   “I’m not listening,” Aiden said innocently.

   Mark dared a glance at Ryan to see the smirk on his face. The dressage rider raised an eyebrow at him as he bit into the apple, and Mark felt his heart rate pick up. This was not how he thought the afternoon was going to go.

   “Oh my God,” Aisha said quietly. She was looking back at them again as everyone else chattered and, despite Mark trying to hide his panic, he flushed even deeper. “You two-”

   Aisha was, thankfully, cut off by Aithne appearing in the room and letting off a loud whistle. All the staff let out a collective groan and a few rubbed their ears. “Do you have to do that?” Lee grumbled, a frown on his face.

   “Yes, yes I do,” Aithne answered. “Alright guys, finish up your lunches then go grab your horses. If you want to blame anyone for today, blame Aisha and Izzy and that damn show jumping competitive attitude.” She grabbed an apple and headed for the door to the lounge. “Adam, can you grab Taffy for me? I’m gonna go set the course up. C’mon, Izzy.”

   “I’ll get Greek for you,” Aisha said to the young woman with the partially shaved head as she edged out of the room to follow Aithne. Mark was thankful of everyone’s attention being elsewhere, but it didn’t last for long. As everyone finished up their food and started to file out of the house towards the stables, Aisha caught up with him and fell into step beside him.

   “Of all the people to bang,” she said quietly under her breath, “and you take the weird old man.”

   “He’s not that bad,” Mark grumbled.

   “So you have!” her voice rose and he glared at her. She quickly quietened down again and leaned in a bit closer. “What’s he like?”

   All he could do was stare at her. How could he even answer such a lewd question? He wasn’t exactly a blushing virgin, but no one had explicitly asked about his love live before. His train of thought was interrupted by a pair of hands on his shoulders from behind and someone pressing a brief and quite rough kiss to his cheek.

   “Hey, what the fuck?” he protested, turning his head to see Ryan passing him with a smirk still on his face.

   “Oh my God, what have you done to him?” Aisha whispered. Mark rubbed his cheek and glared as Ryan walked ahead of them, his pace quicker and lighter despite him being shorter than both of them.

   “I think it’s more a question of what he’s done to me.”

   Mark ignored Aisha’s nagging all the way to the stallion barn. She finally left his side to go be annoying elsewhere as he went to grab Shakil’s head collar. Cosmic didn’t stand a chance in a gymkhana. He was too big and clumsy and just wanted to go fast. Shakil was nimble and full of energy. He was currently under Mark’s care to continue his cross country training. He was an enjoyable ride even if he was a hothead.

   He was preferable to Mark’s second choice, Ashari, regardless. He figured the mare would put him on the floor in five seconds if she realised what was going on. Shakil was out in one of the stallion paddocks, far away from the mares. It was a short walk and soon Mark was watching the black stallion bolt away from him towards the other end of the paddock, tail high like a banner. It set Devil off in the next paddock and soon the air was filled with the sound of thundering hooves.

   “Great choice, Mark,” Aisha called from behind him. She was stood with Greek and Paranoia in hand, the two large show jumpers watching the hot headed Arabians bolt up and down. “I’m sure he’ll be real co-operative when you catch him.”

   “Yeah, yeah, you’ll see,” he grumbled as he started walking towards Shakil and fishing some horse cookies from his pocket. “Come on, Shaky! I got cookies!” The pocket rocket slid to a halt and perked his ears towards Mark, nostrils flaring. He walked over tentatively, each delicate hoof touching the ground lightly. Shakil was a straight Egyptian Arabian out of Willowglen’s Shezan and Firelight’s own Desert Queen; he was an absolute pain in the ass.

   The stallion stretched his long neck out in an attempt to eat the cookies and not be caught at the same time, and Mark caught him by surprise by flicking the lead rope around his neck quickly. Escape was futile as he dug his heels into the dirt and stopped Shakil from flying off again, the rope holding him steady. “Gotcha,” he grumbled as he quickly slipped the delicate leather head collar over Shakil’s nose and fastened it into place.

   There was a parade of horses being led to the yard, Adam passing with Fancy and Taffy in tow as Mark let himself out of the gate. Behind him, further up the track into the paddocks, Ryan was wrestling with a very excited Usa while a much calmer Choccy strolled at his side. Connie and Solar were behind him with Ambriel and Penelope next to her.

   As Mark turned to follow Adam to the yard, Chase and Michelle were with Andromeda and Ship up ahead. The competition was formidable. So far, Shakil was the lightest and fastest, but Fancy had training at turning tight corners. Mark spotted little Aiden leading Macht onto the yard up ahead and felt like none of them stood a chance. The kid was fearless. He had no doubts going up against Firelight’s top horses.

   There was a lot of hustle and bustle as everyone groomed and tacked up quickly. They had all made their way to the guest barn where they could tie their horses up inside the U-shape, around the fountain. There were fourteen horses in total all tied up next to each other, the stallions on one side and the mares and geldings on the other to stop any bickering. All of Firelight’s stallions were taught how to behave from a young age, but that didn’t stop them being hot-headed dicks.

   David appeared to have chosen Phuckyes as his ride, the light coloured stallion stood at the end calmly as he was groomed. Probably a good choice. Mike, on the other hand, had chosen one of his own horses. The imposing figure of Imminent Collision stood beside Shakil, proud and gleaming in the sunlight. Maybe not a great choice for gymkhana, but he was an impressive horse. His bright blue markings were shimmering and Mark had to admit he felt a little envious. All of Mike’s horses were gorgeous, and now he had the pleasure of working with all of Somesmera’s Peafowl Friesians too.

   Soon, everyone was starting to mount up and ride over to the jumping ring. There was a steady flow of people riding past the fountain and along the avenue. Lee had mounted Choccy and was waiting for Aisha, the mare standing and waiting calmly. Mark was just running down his stirrups when Ryan rode over on Usa, the bulky mare bubbling with excitement.

   “Hurry up, buttercup,” Ryan said as he circled his horse to stop her dancing on the spot.

   “Ryan, it’s gymkhana, there’s no hurry.”

   “But there is. I wanna wipe the floor with you.”

   Mark looked up with an eyebrow raised as he ran down the left stirrup and then cinched the girth tighter by one hole. “Those are bold words,” he muttered, easily placing his foot in the stirrup and pulling himself up onto Shakil’s back using his arms.

   “I’m a bold person.” Ryan seemed unperturbed, lining Usa up to walk beside Shakil as they made their way to the ring. There was a clatter of hooves behind them and Mark glanced over his shoulder to see Aisha circling Parry after having just jumped on, feet out of the stirrups as the stallion snorted and pranced in excitement.

   “I gathered,” Mark said with a sigh, settling into Shakil’s saddle and letting the stallion jog gently beneath him. “What’s with you today?”

   “What do you mean?”

   “Earlier, the public display of affection.”

   “It was a joke.”

   Mark would be lying if he said his heart didn’t sink a little at that. A joke. Of course.

   “You’re so easy to fluster,” Ryan continued.

   “Yeah, I guess I am,” he grumbled.

   They rode the rest of the way in silence. Most of the others were already in the jumping ring, riding around to stretch their horses’ legs as Aithne and Izzy finished setting up the obstacles. It looked like they had started earlier with the amount of preparation that had gone into it. They had marked off either end of the arena for change over points using flat circle cones and split the arena lengthways into three.

   Three lines of poles were set up in the lanes for weaving, small flags were stuck into traffic cones at the top of each lane, and camping mugs were sitting on buckets in front of the cones at the other end of the lane. “Not bad,” Mark muttered as he halted to take it in.

   “It’s like being in Pony Club again,” Aisha said as she rode past. “How thrilling.”

   “Is that sarcasm?”

   “Not at all! I used to love Pony Club, not sure about doing it on something seventeen hands tall though.”

   Eventually everyone was ready and they decided on their first game. They would race in twos at first, rather like a drag race on horseback. Everyone was fair and paired horses of similar height together. That left Mark to go up against Aiden. Macht was shorter and sturdier, but Mark didn’t like the determined glint in the kid’s eye.

   They had to canter to one end of the ring, turn in the marked area at the top, and then canter back. They weren’t allowed to gallop but they could turn however they wanted. It turned out that Aiden knew how to turn Macht on a dime and even though Mark reached the top first with Shakil’s slightly longer gait, the ten-year-old soon caught him in the turn. “That’s not fair,” Mark called as they started the swift canter back.

   “What, that I’m better than you?” Aiden called.

   Mark won by the skin of his teeth and got to watch Ryan win against Mike in the next match. Izzy won against Aisha, Connie won against Aithne purely thanks to Solar’s excitement and Taffy’s disinterest, Adam wiped the floor with Chase, David claimed a narrow victory against Michelle, and Ambriel won by a hair against Lee.

   They passed their afternoon doing ridiculous games in teams and as solo players against each other. The team flag relay saw Izzy fall off Greek in spectacular style as the stallion leapt three feet into the air in an excited buck. David took a tumble off Phuckyes in the weave when the horse decided he could turn even sharper than he had been asked to and sent his rider sideways.

   Mark’s true entertainment, however, came in the mug race as he ran against Ryan. They were closing in on the last few yards, neck and neck, when Mark spotted Usa leap sideways like she had been shocked. He managed to hook his mug onto the pole and turn as Ambriel bolted off on Penelope to get the next mug just in time to see Ryan hit the dirt hard.

   All the staff erupted into laughter and Ambriel even paused in her run, as the other team hadn’t been tagged in yet, to join in with the mocking. Ryan lay sprawled in the sand as Usa trotted the rest of the way to her team, Aithne catching her easily from Taffy’s back despite her fits of laughter.

   “Hey, get up old man!” Ambriel called. Ryan lifted a hand to give her the finger and then slowly started to pull himself up. He finished the last few metres himself and slammed the cup onto the top of the pole so Aiden could begin his run. Ambriel’s eyes widened briefly as the young boy charged up the ring on Macht and she was soon kicking Penny forwards to grab the next mug.

   All in all, it was an hilarious afternoon. A group of them even had a small race around the arena as the others caught their breath and cooled off. Mark took the win by a nose against David, Aisha, Izzy, and Ambriel, Shakil’s nimbleness being a distinct advantage.

   It was all fun and games until Choccy got spooked in one of their last tag team races. Lee had been riding confidently all afternoon, even winning a few runs, but now they all watched in mild horror as the mare unseated him and danced sideways. He hit the ground and Choccy immediately stopped, sides trembling as she didn’t hesitate to check on him. Aisha was cantering over on Parry, dismounting from a trot as she hurried to check on him.

   There was a collective sigh of relief as Lee pushed himself up to sit, and then a ripple of laughter as he grinned and gave them a thumbs up. Mark watched, leaning on Shakil’s neck, as Aisha helped him to stand, taking his weight as they went to Choccy’s side. Lee leaned on the mare and she didn’t move as Aisha hooked her hands under one of his legs and then shoved him back up onto her back with relative, practiced ease.

   A few people clapped as Lee rejoined the race, turning Choccy and putting her into a canter to catch up with Izzy. The rest of the quick races finished without event. They wrapped up and took the horses to their stables for a drink and a rest before the ones who were living out were returned to their paddocks.

   Everyone was tired, but happy, and Mark found himself wandering out to Cosmic’s paddock with his spirits lifted. The large stallion met him at the gate, hanging his head over to check his pockets for treats. He grinned and rubbed Cosmic’s nose, offering him the carrot he had brought out for him. He munched it happily and perked his ears to something further down the track towards the yard.

   Mark turned his gaze to see the gleaming white figure of Verathaia marching up the track. She wasn’t wearing any tack and her hair was loose and free, like an image from a fairy tale if she weren’t a demon death horse. Ryan was sat on her back, riding with ease despite the lack of tack.

   “How’s your pride?” Mark asked when the pair stopped near him. Ryan snorted but grinned nonetheless.

   “Bruised, like my tailbone. It doesn’t matter, I’ve been thrown more times than I’d like to admit.” He paused before he spoke again. “I was going to ride up to the river, let her have a paddle. You wanna come?”

   Mark hesitated and looked to Cosmic. Things were confusing. On one hand it seemed like Ryan wanted to keep it casual, on the other there was something rather romantic about going for a swim on horseback in a river at sunset. Against his better judgement, Mark found himself agreeing to it. “Yeah, let me get his tack.”

   “No need,” Ryan said before he could move. He lifted the hand that had been out of sight to show a bridle hanging from his fingers. “I figured you wouldn’t say no.”

   “I’m not that predictable,” Mark said with a scowl as he reached for the bridle.

   “No, but I wasn’t gonna let you say no.”

   Mark didn’t answer that as he slipped Cosmic’s bridle on and then opened up the paddock gate. He used the fence to give him a little extra height to vault up onto the stallion’s high, broad back. He rarely rode without a saddle so it was strange to feel the soft, warm fur beneath him, to be able to wrap his legs firmly around Cosmic. He also felt a little unstable, but he would have to do without a saddle if he was going to go into the river.

   Without another word, they started to ride up the track towards the west side of the estate. A shallow river ran through a wooded area, the water crystal clear and free of rubbish after passing through a filter at the edge of the estate. The woods were peaceful and quiet, a cool canopy of leaves above them, filtering the sunlight into golden-green rays. When the horses stepped into the quick-moving water, it came just above their knees.

   Vera lowered her head to drink from the water and Ryan let her, leaning back with his hands on her rump. Cosmic was a little less elegant, lifting one hoof high before slamming it back down into the water like a toddler playing in a bath. Mark watched from his back with a grin as the stallion investigated and played with the water, snuffling it and splashing it. Mark had never let him do this. He wasn’t shy of water with him being a cross country horse, but they never took a swim in the river.

   “You should do this more,” Ryan said, his voice startling Mark a little. “It suits you.”

   “What?” Mark said a bit weakly, he let Cosmic’s reins go loose and allowed him to keep investigating this fun new toy.

   “Looking happy, relaxed. You always look so stressed.”

   “That’s because I am stressed,” he muttered. Cosmic had stopped his splashing and was standing calmly, letting the water run up against his legs.

   “Is it me? I don’t mean to stress you out.”

Mark’s mind wandered to the drugs that were stashed beneath his mattress. He wasn’t sure if they were a problem or an answer to a problem. The last twenty-four hours had been incredibly stressful, and he couldn’t say that Ryan was the cause of it, even if he did bring uncertainty with him. “No, it’s not you,” he answered after a few long moments. He wanted to say that when he was around Ryan was about the only time he didn’t feel stressed.

   He had been clean for years, but ever since he had quit he had felt a constant, niggling nervousness and tension. He was always stressed because he no longer had a way to cope. Training cross country horses, pushing them to succeed at competitions, was a stressful job. As much as he loved the animals, it wasn’t easy.

   “Mark.” His attention was drawn back to reality by Ryan’s voice. He looked over and saw him leaning on Vera’s neck, watching him.

   “What?”

   “I said what has you so stressed? What has you on a far-away planet, too?”

   Mark supposed that before things had gotten a bit more complicated, Ryan was a friend. He was still a friend. If he couldn’t talk to his friends, then he didn’t have much hope. “When I was shooting up in some den somewhere at the age of seventeen, I never thought that one day I’d be the head cross country trainer at one of the biggest training facilities in the UK,” he said quietly, “I’d have probably laughed in your face if you’d have told me this was where I’d end up.”

   He sighed and adjusted on Cosmic’s back. It was comfy and warm, the stallion wide and sturdy. Mark vowed to ride bareback more often. “It’s a lot of pressure. To compete, to win. I have some of the top horses in my care. Cosmic is a top horse. I mean I found him on the side of the road, who’d have thought he’d end up here. We just repurchased one of his foals, it’s crazy.”

   Ryan was listening carefully but silently. Vera was watching the water break over her horn as she rested the tip beneath the surface. “Responsibility is hard,” Ryan offered. Mark nodded in agreement.

   “Yeah, it is. I just don’t have the same coping mechanisms I used to have.”

   “You mean drugs.”

   Mark stilled for a moment and then nodded again. “I’ve been off them for years, totally clean, don’t even smoke any more, but I feel… I’ve always felt so anxious. It’s been so long and I still feel like I’m in withdrawal.”

   Ryan sighed and Vera lifted her head, without him even giving a command, she waded over to stand beside Cosmic. His leg brushed against Mark’s. “You need to find your joy somewhere else,” Ryan said lowly, “in horses, in whatever. You ride for a reason, don’t lose that, don’t let it stress you out.”

   Mark felt like he was gravitating towards Ryan, his body swaying a bit closer as they sat side by side. He didn’t fight it, instead leaning further in, as Ryan pulled him closer for a soft kiss. It was strangely soothing. Mark had been trying not to read too much into Ryan’s actions, but he found it hard to ignore the tender way he was being kissed, the gentle hand against the back of his head to keep him place, and the perfect setting of it all.

   The water trickled quietly in the background, the trees whispered overhead in a breeze, and some birds sang softly nearby. Mark was pretty sure he couldn’t conjure something like this in a fantasy even if he tried. Just like that, all his attempts to keep himself distanced had failed. He had known at some point he would give in and start to have emotions over the situation, he just hadn’t expected it so soon. He hadn’t expected Ryan to be the instigator.

   “That was a bad move,” Mark breathed when they parted. Ryan huffed a laugh and wrapped his arm around Mark in a one-armed hug.

   “I’m basically the king of bad moves,” he muttered.