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Description
Oh my godddd
This picture is love-hate for me xD I started out loving it, then I hated it, now there are parts I love and parts I hate :')

This is one of Firelight's 3 indoor schools/arenas and is one of the largest at 20x60m with room for temporary bleachers They call it the 'longhouse' because it looks a tiny bit like a viking longhouse xD

Rouina belongs to amour-interdit and is Fru's twin sister, I am sorta borrowing her/loaning her. For those of you who are recent followers of mine, Fru passed away 3 years ago at the AUSe Olympics after a terrible fall, with Lee on her back. Lee was bonded to Fru, and she was the other half to Ru's soul, so there was much grief. Lee has been paraplegic since, with relatively good mobility in his upper half, a pretty good sense of balance, but little-to-no feeling in his legs. He can stand for like five minutes with a frame or braces but it hurts like shit. He's gotten pretty used to being in a wheelchair by now.

The story below covers Lee and Ru's story from the accident. I think it'll give you a little more insight into our 'vet on wheels'

Warning for strong language in the story.

Story
    Australia, 3 Years Ago…
    “Mr Matthews, I wish I could give you better news. You have damage to your thoracic nerves, around the T8 and T9 vertebrae,” the kind Australian doctor said quietly as she sat beside his bed, clipboard in hand. Lee felt numb, but then he had for days, as numb as his lower half. “There’s a small possibility you’ll regain some feeling in your legs, but the chances of you walking again are slim to none.”

    “I know,” he murmured, staring straight ahead at the wall opposite him.

    “We’ve forwarded all the information we have to your doctors in England, they’ll set you up to continue with your physiotherapy.” The doctor carried on talking but Lee wasn’t listening. He wouldn’t walk again. He certainly wouldn’t ride again, not that he cared. He felt like if he never saw a horse again then it would be too soon. His body and mind were raw with pain, the sensation of having Fru ripped away from him still lingering.

    Aisha seemed to be listening, anyway, sitting next to the doctor with her head canted to one side as she nodded now and then to show she was still paying attention. Lee wasn’t sure why she was still even there. Everyone else had left for England, taking the horses and Fru’s ashes with them. He wanted to say he was glad for the company, but really he felt nothing.

    His horse, the last thing he had connecting him to his best friend, and a creature that had been bonded to his soul, was gone and he would never walk again. The grief and loss was thick and heavy on his mind and, in a sudden, terrifying moment, he realised he wished he had died in the accident too.


    England, 1 month later…
    “Lee, it’s Ru,” Aisha said as she stood at his door, leaning on the frame with her arms folded. “We need you out there.”

    “Why?” he mumbled, sitting in the stupid wheelchair he was confined to by the window. He stared blankly out into the dark night, the rain pouring down the window as it came down in cold sheets.

    “You’re a vet, aren’t you?”

    “Mike’s a better vet.”

    Aisha sighed and walked into the room, easily pushing his wheelchair around so they were facing each other. “Lee, please, she’s hurt. We just had to trailer her in from the field; Mike wants a second opinion.”

    “Then call another vet,” he growled, wheeling himself back from her and glaring up at her.

    “I’m calling you. Please, just take a look at her.”

    He had no wish to face Ru, Fru’s twin sister, and see the grief he knew would be there. He had no wish to see something that was so close in soul and appearance to the horse he had lost, the only real difference being in her swirls and her greying coat. He had no wish to go anywhere near this, but Aisha’s pleading eyes had him letting out a heavy sigh.

    “Fine,” he muttered, starting to awkwardly push himself towards the door. The wheelchair was hard to get used to, and it made his hands and arms ache. He tried to keep some pride and dignity about him, but he had to say he was a little relieved when he felt Aisha start to push him along.

    They put coats on and headed out into the pouring rain, heading out past the car park and through the foaling paddocks to the clinic. A small group of staff were gathered around one of the large stalls, Aithne with one hand tangled in her hair and the other on her hip as she talked to Mike, the new vet, and Somesmera’s owner beside her.

    Lee let Aisha push him right up to the open door, where everyone parted to make room for him, and he felt his heart tighten at the sight of the grey mare, sedated and laid in the clean shavings. Her body had burns on it, patterned like forks of lightning, and he could see the blood seeping from her eyes. Aisha had told him on the way that Mike thought she had used herself as a lightning rod and not grounded herself, not channeling electricity as Eclectics were capable.

    He could feel the waves of grief and pain and misery coming from the horse. Rouina’s soul was so like Fru’s, connected on a level humans had never been able to understand, it was almost as if he was sitting right beside his old friend. It was almost like they were connected.

    “Put her down,” he said quietly as he stared at her soaked sides and injured body. No one else could feel the psychological damage, however. No one else could understand just how injured this horse was.

    “I don’t think that’s necessary,” Mike said, a frown on his face as he stood beside Lee. “She will be blind, but lots of horses have lived with blindness.”

    “This animal is suffering more than you can imagine,” Lee snapped, turning his sharp gaze up to the other vet. “You need to put her down.”

    Without another word, he turned and started to head out of the barn, not wanting to spend another moment there. He could feel that his cheeks were wet, but it hardly mattered when he got back out into the pouring rain.


3 months later…
    Lee wasn’t sure when he had last left the house of his own accord, for something other than his physiotherapy sessions. For some reason, on that cold November morning, he found himself over in the clinic stables, looking in at Rouina as she stood listlessly in one corner of her stall. The scars where her eyes used to be were healing well, and all that was visible on her body from the lightning strike were faint marks that was barely visible beneath her coat, but she was clearly not eating.

    It took her a moment to notice he was there, her blank face turning towards him as if she could see exactly where he was. He remained where he was, on the other side of the galvanised mesh door, as she slowly shuffled towards him, not stopping until her nose bumped against the metal. Looking upon her now, with her ribs showing through her coat and her hips prominent beneath her skin, her face gaunt, hollow, and lifeless, Lee felt a certain pang of anger that she was still alive to suffer.

    “That’s the first time she’s moved in days,” a voice said behind him. He didn’t have to turn to know it was Aisha, the constant little pep-talker on his shoulder. Always trying to get him to do things, to have faith in a better life, to look forward to a future that he didn’t have any more.

    “Why is she still alive?” he asked quietly. He could still feel the acute pain from Ru, her soul reaching out for him. He pushed her away, like he had from the start. He didn’t want to bond with something so close to Fru.

    “Other than her eyes, she wasn’t too badly injured,” Aisha answered, stepping up beside him. “Really, there’s no reason she shouldn’t have recovered, other than grief.”

    “Exactly,” Lee muttered. “You can’t repair this.”

    “No, we can’t. You can, though.”

    Lee finally looked at her, his face like thunder as he scowled up at her. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m no help to her.”

    “She thinks you are,” Aisha said, gesturing at the mare who was pressing the side of her face to the door in an effort to get closer to him. “She hasn’t bothered with any of us since the accident. She doesn’t want to know. You’re her only hope.”

    “Then put her down. I can’t help her,” Lee growled.

    “Yes, you can!”

    “Shut up, Aisha!” he snapped, the woman not even recoiling in the face of his now-familiar flash of rage. “I can’t even help myself, let alone a fucking horse. I’m para-fucking-plegic, I need help taking a shit, I’m no use to anyone.”

    “Oh my God you’re so full of bullshit,” Aisha said, pointing a finger at him. “You don’t want to help yourself. You’re more intent on wallowing in your own self-pity and letting your life waste away, ignoring everyone around you.”

    “So now I’m selfish?”

    “Yes! You are selfish.” Aisha’s voice was raised, her arms folding across her chest as she stood before him with a temper to match his own. “You are not the only one suffering,” she added with a gesture towards Ru.

    “Then maybe we’re both better off dead,” he said before he turned himself and headed off, glad that the woman didn’t bother following him. He ignored the pitiful whinny from Ru and Aisha’s soothing words to the mare, taking himself back to the house and back to his room.

    Leaving it had been a bad idea.


    The Next Day…
    Lee looked up as Aisha entered his room, immediately on guard. They hadn’t spoken since the previous day, Chase taking care of him for the night instead. The woman’s defeated body language and tired expression had him moving over to her, however, his mouth opening for an apology just before she spoke first.

    “Please, Lee, you have to do something,” she said quietly. “She’s trying to hurt herself again.”

    “You know what I’d do,” he muttered.

    “The rest of us aren’t so quick to give up on something that still has a chance,” she answered, not saying another word before she left. He sighed and watched her go, soon following after her despite himself.

    The sight in the stable wasn’t a good one. Ru was heaving heavily, her sides damp with sweat, as Mike smoothed a hand along her neck. She was clearly sedated, standing with her legs wide and her head low, and Mike had a haggard look about him.

    “I’m starting to think you might be right,” the vet said, pushing a hand through his hair. “She’s going to kill herself at this rate. She just tried to break her horn against the floor.”

    “She lost the other half of her soul, what did you expect?” Lee said quietly. At the sound of his voice, the mare sleepily lifted her head and tried to move towards him, stumbling over her feet as she turned. Mike supported her, helping her to shuffle over to the open door where Lee was sitting in his wheelchair.

    Ru walked right up to him and eventually pressed her nose to his shoulder, a long, heavy sigh escaping her as if she had just found relief for the greatest pain. Lee let out a sigh of his own as he lifted a hand to run over her cheek, feeling the weight of her head resting against his shoulder.

    “I’ll keep an eye on her,” he muttered, “you go get some rest.”

    Mike nodded gratefully at that before he left the stall, Aisha following after him. A heavy silence fell over Lee and Ru, the only sound being the mare’s laboured breathing. He couldn’t help himself from turning his head to rest it against hers, both hands coming up to run over her face and neck.

    He could feel her mind pushing against his, desperately clawing for some sort of connection. For the first time in months, he allowed his mind to open, immediately feeling her guilt and grief and relief wash over him. A shuddering breath shook through him and he clung a little tighter to her as he pressed his face to the side of hers.

    “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, fingers clutching against soft fur. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”

    He let his walls drop further, welcoming her into his own mind, and he felt her relax even further. More than that, he felt the beginnings of a new bond start to form. As much as it scared him, as much as it seemed to be the last thing he wanted, he had to admit it felt like something he needed. He could feel his own mind and heart ease as a familiar presence settled itself within him.

    She was so like Fru that it was almost upsetting, but at the same time it was such a welcome relief to the months of silent grief he had been feeling.

    They stayed still and quiet for a long time until Ru’s sedation wore off and, if Lee had been able to feel his bottom half, he was sure he would have had a numb butt. His eyes wandered to the bucket nearby with a couple of handfuls of feed in it, untouched by the mare, and he slowly reached for it. It had been long enough from her sedation that it was safe for her to eat, and Lee carefully rested the bucket in his lap before gently pushing her nose down so she could smell it.

    “How about a few bites, yeah? You’ll feel better,” he mumbled. Ru only seemed to hesitate for a moment before she lowered her head the rest of the way and started to slowly eat the food. Lee felt relief sweep through him, a small laugh bubbling up as he patted her neck softly. “Good girl.”

    Maybe hope wasn’t lost yet.


Today…
    “I want to ride her,” Lee said as he looked at the grey mare, her ears perked curiously towards him as she stood patiently at the other end of her lead rope in the airy light of the Longhouse arena.

    “Ride her?” Aisha asked, a little in disbelief, from where she was sitting on one of the plastic jump wings. He turned his head to look at her, a small grin spreading onto his face.

    “Yeah, I think it’s time.”

    “Are you sure?” His wife stood up and walked over to him, coming up behind him to rest both hands on his shoulders. “She’s not like Choccy. She can’t see, and no one’s schooled her in three years.”

    “Yes, I’m sure. I’ll be her eyes,” Lee tilted his head back and grinned broader.

    “You can do that?” Aisha raised an eyebrow at him. Lee had to admit, it was difficult. Eclectic horses were no Ryvos; it was sometimes hard to portray things accurately to her. They had been practicing, however

    “Yeah, we’ve had some practice. I think it’ll be easier on her back, actually. I’ll have a similar perspective.”

    “Well, alright then. I’ll go grab her tack.”

    Aisha soon returned to him with her saddle and bridle, which had only been used to lunge her gently in the three years since the accident, and she had already attached his stirrups. Lee tacked her up himself, Aisha only needing to place the saddle on her back for him, and soon she was ready and waiting for him.

    “Alright, to your ramp!” Aisha said taking hold of Lee’s wheelchair and pushing him towards the specially designed disabled ramp just outside the sand arena. Ru followed after them, never more than five feet away from Lee when she was out of her stable or paddock.

    The mare was patient with him as she stood beside the ramp and allowed him to position his wheelchair so he could easily manoeuvre himself out of it and onto her back. It was something that was well-practiced now, since he had been riding Choccy for over a year, and with a little help from Aisha he was soon seated comfortably on the mare.

    Ru didn’t even budge while he got positioned, standing quiet and square as he communicated with her over the bond what he was doing and what was coming next. When he was settled, he patted her neck gently and then asked her to walk on, Ru immediately stepping forwards and turning easily to head back into the arena.

    “I think just a walk today,” he said, “I’ll bring her back into work slowly.”

    “Sounds good,” Aisha laughed, wandering after him. “You look good up there.”

    “You think?” He grinned down at her and the honest smile she returned to him told him it was true. It felt like a place he belonged.

REF: DAZ 3D
BG: My own Google Sketchup Model
Sand texture: Rough Sand Texture Seamless

Description
Oh my godddd
This picture is love-hate for me xD I started out loving it, then I hated it, now there are parts I love and parts I hate :')

This is one of Firelight's 3 indoor schools/arenas and is one of the largest at 20x60m with room for temporary bleachers They call it the 'longhouse' because it looks a tiny bit like a viking longhouse xD

Rouina belongs to amour-interdit and is Fru's twin sister, I am sorta borrowing her/loaning her. For those of you who are recent followers of mine, Fru passed away 3 years ago at the AUSe Olympics after a terrible fall, with Lee on her back. Lee was bonded to Fru, and she was the other half to Ru's soul, so there was much grief. Lee has been paraplegic since, with relatively good mobility in his upper half, a pretty good sense of balance, but little-to-no feeling in his legs. He can stand for like five minutes with a frame or braces but it hurts like shit. He's gotten pretty used to being in a wheelchair by now.

The story below covers Lee and Ru's story from the accident. I think it'll give you a little more insight into our 'vet on wheels'

Warning for strong language in the story.

Story
    Australia, 3 Years Ago…
    “Mr Matthews, I wish I could give you better news. You have damage to your thoracic nerves, around the T8 and T9 vertebrae,” the kind Australian doctor said quietly as she sat beside his bed, clipboard in hand. Lee felt numb, but then he had for days, as numb as his lower half. “There’s a small possibility you’ll regain some feeling in your legs, but the chances of you walking again are slim to none.”

    “I know,” he murmured, staring straight ahead at the wall opposite him.

    “We’ve forwarded all the information we have to your doctors in England, they’ll set you up to continue with your physiotherapy.” The doctor carried on talking but Lee wasn’t listening. He wouldn’t walk again. He certainly wouldn’t ride again, not that he cared. He felt like if he never saw a horse again then it would be too soon. His body and mind were raw with pain, the sensation of having Fru ripped away from him still lingering.

    Aisha seemed to be listening, anyway, sitting next to the doctor with her head canted to one side as she nodded now and then to show she was still paying attention. Lee wasn’t sure why she was still even there. Everyone else had left for England, taking the horses and Fru’s ashes with them. He wanted to say he was glad for the company, but really he felt nothing.

    His horse, the last thing he had connecting him to his best friend, and a creature that had been bonded to his soul, was gone and he would never walk again. The grief and loss was thick and heavy on his mind and, in a sudden, terrifying moment, he realised he wished he had died in the accident too.


    England, 1 month later…
    “Lee, it’s Ru,” Aisha said as she stood at his door, leaning on the frame with her arms folded. “We need you out there.”

    “Why?” he mumbled, sitting in the stupid wheelchair he was confined to by the window. He stared blankly out into the dark night, the rain pouring down the window as it came down in cold sheets.

    “You’re a vet, aren’t you?”

    “Mike’s a better vet.”

    Aisha sighed and walked into the room, easily pushing his wheelchair around so they were facing each other. “Lee, please, she’s hurt. We just had to trailer her in from the field; Mike wants a second opinion.”

    “Then call another vet,” he growled, wheeling himself back from her and glaring up at her.

    “I’m calling you. Please, just take a look at her.”

    He had no wish to face Ru, Fru’s twin sister, and see the grief he knew would be there. He had no wish to see something that was so close in soul and appearance to the horse he had lost, the only real difference being in her swirls and her greying coat. He had no wish to go anywhere near this, but Aisha’s pleading eyes had him letting out a heavy sigh.

    “Fine,” he muttered, starting to awkwardly push himself towards the door. The wheelchair was hard to get used to, and it made his hands and arms ache. He tried to keep some pride and dignity about him, but he had to say he was a little relieved when he felt Aisha start to push him along.

    They put coats on and headed out into the pouring rain, heading out past the car park and through the foaling paddocks to the clinic. A small group of staff were gathered around one of the large stalls, Aithne with one hand tangled in her hair and the other on her hip as she talked to Mike, the new vet, and Somesmera’s owner beside her.

    Lee let Aisha push him right up to the open door, where everyone parted to make room for him, and he felt his heart tighten at the sight of the grey mare, sedated and laid in the clean shavings. Her body had burns on it, patterned like forks of lightning, and he could see the blood seeping from her eyes. Aisha had told him on the way that Mike thought she had used herself as a lightning rod and not grounded herself, not channeling electricity as Eclectics were capable.

    He could feel the waves of grief and pain and misery coming from the horse. Rouina’s soul was so like Fru’s, connected on a level humans had never been able to understand, it was almost as if he was sitting right beside his old friend. It was almost like they were connected.

    “Put her down,” he said quietly as he stared at her soaked sides and injured body. No one else could feel the psychological damage, however. No one else could understand just how injured this horse was.

    “I don’t think that’s necessary,” Mike said, a frown on his face as he stood beside Lee. “She will be blind, but lots of horses have lived with blindness.”

    “This animal is suffering more than you can imagine,” Lee snapped, turning his sharp gaze up to the other vet. “You need to put her down.”

    Without another word, he turned and started to head out of the barn, not wanting to spend another moment there. He could feel that his cheeks were wet, but it hardly mattered when he got back out into the pouring rain.


3 months later…
    Lee wasn’t sure when he had last left the house of his own accord, for something other than his physiotherapy sessions. For some reason, on that cold November morning, he found himself over in the clinic stables, looking in at Rouina as she stood listlessly in one corner of her stall. The scars where her eyes used to be were healing well, and all that was visible on her body from the lightning strike were faint marks that was barely visible beneath her coat, but she was clearly not eating.

    It took her a moment to notice he was there, her blank face turning towards him as if she could see exactly where he was. He remained where he was, on the other side of the galvanised mesh door, as she slowly shuffled towards him, not stopping until her nose bumped against the metal. Looking upon her now, with her ribs showing through her coat and her hips prominent beneath her skin, her face gaunt, hollow, and lifeless, Lee felt a certain pang of anger that she was still alive to suffer.

    “That’s the first time she’s moved in days,” a voice said behind him. He didn’t have to turn to know it was Aisha, the constant little pep-talker on his shoulder. Always trying to get him to do things, to have faith in a better life, to look forward to a future that he didn’t have any more.

    “Why is she still alive?” he asked quietly. He could still feel the acute pain from Ru, her soul reaching out for him. He pushed her away, like he had from the start. He didn’t want to bond with something so close to Fru.

    “Other than her eyes, she wasn’t too badly injured,” Aisha answered, stepping up beside him. “Really, there’s no reason she shouldn’t have recovered, other than grief.”

    “Exactly,” Lee muttered. “You can’t repair this.”

    “No, we can’t. You can, though.”

    Lee finally looked at her, his face like thunder as he scowled up at her. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’m no help to her.”

    “She thinks you are,” Aisha said, gesturing at the mare who was pressing the side of her face to the door in an effort to get closer to him. “She hasn’t bothered with any of us since the accident. She doesn’t want to know. You’re her only hope.”

    “Then put her down. I can’t help her,” Lee growled.

    “Yes, you can!”

    “Shut up, Aisha!” he snapped, the woman not even recoiling in the face of his now-familiar flash of rage. “I can’t even help myself, let alone a fucking horse. I’m para-fucking-plegic, I need help taking a shit, I’m no use to anyone.”

    “Oh my God you’re so full of bullshit,” Aisha said, pointing a finger at him. “You don’t want to help yourself. You’re more intent on wallowing in your own self-pity and letting your life waste away, ignoring everyone around you.”

    “So now I’m selfish?”

    “Yes! You are selfish.” Aisha’s voice was raised, her arms folding across her chest as she stood before him with a temper to match his own. “You are not the only one suffering,” she added with a gesture towards Ru.

    “Then maybe we’re both better off dead,” he said before he turned himself and headed off, glad that the woman didn’t bother following him. He ignored the pitiful whinny from Ru and Aisha’s soothing words to the mare, taking himself back to the house and back to his room.

    Leaving it had been a bad idea.


    The Next Day…
    Lee looked up as Aisha entered his room, immediately on guard. They hadn’t spoken since the previous day, Chase taking care of him for the night instead. The woman’s defeated body language and tired expression had him moving over to her, however, his mouth opening for an apology just before she spoke first.

    “Please, Lee, you have to do something,” she said quietly. “She’s trying to hurt herself again.”

    “You know what I’d do,” he muttered.

    “The rest of us aren’t so quick to give up on something that still has a chance,” she answered, not saying another word before she left. He sighed and watched her go, soon following after her despite himself.

    The sight in the stable wasn’t a good one. Ru was heaving heavily, her sides damp with sweat, as Mike smoothed a hand along her neck. She was clearly sedated, standing with her legs wide and her head low, and Mike had a haggard look about him.

    “I’m starting to think you might be right,” the vet said, pushing a hand through his hair. “She’s going to kill herself at this rate. She just tried to break her horn against the floor.”

    “She lost the other half of her soul, what did you expect?” Lee said quietly. At the sound of his voice, the mare sleepily lifted her head and tried to move towards him, stumbling over her feet as she turned. Mike supported her, helping her to shuffle over to the open door where Lee was sitting in his wheelchair.

    Ru walked right up to him and eventually pressed her nose to his shoulder, a long, heavy sigh escaping her as if she had just found relief for the greatest pain. Lee let out a sigh of his own as he lifted a hand to run over her cheek, feeling the weight of her head resting against his shoulder.

    “I’ll keep an eye on her,” he muttered, “you go get some rest.”

    Mike nodded gratefully at that before he left the stall, Aisha following after him. A heavy silence fell over Lee and Ru, the only sound being the mare’s laboured breathing. He couldn’t help himself from turning his head to rest it against hers, both hands coming up to run over her face and neck.

    He could feel her mind pushing against his, desperately clawing for some sort of connection. For the first time in months, he allowed his mind to open, immediately feeling her guilt and grief and relief wash over him. A shuddering breath shook through him and he clung a little tighter to her as he pressed his face to the side of hers.

    “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, fingers clutching against soft fur. “I’m sorry I couldn’t help you.”

    He let his walls drop further, welcoming her into his own mind, and he felt her relax even further. More than that, he felt the beginnings of a new bond start to form. As much as it scared him, as much as it seemed to be the last thing he wanted, he had to admit it felt like something he needed. He could feel his own mind and heart ease as a familiar presence settled itself within him.

    She was so like Fru that it was almost upsetting, but at the same time it was such a welcome relief to the months of silent grief he had been feeling.

    They stayed still and quiet for a long time until Ru’s sedation wore off and, if Lee had been able to feel his bottom half, he was sure he would have had a numb butt. His eyes wandered to the bucket nearby with a couple of handfuls of feed in it, untouched by the mare, and he slowly reached for it. It had been long enough from her sedation that it was safe for her to eat, and Lee carefully rested the bucket in his lap before gently pushing her nose down so she could smell it.

    “How about a few bites, yeah? You’ll feel better,” he mumbled. Ru only seemed to hesitate for a moment before she lowered her head the rest of the way and started to slowly eat the food. Lee felt relief sweep through him, a small laugh bubbling up as he patted her neck softly. “Good girl.”

    Maybe hope wasn’t lost yet.


Today…
    “I want to ride her,” Lee said as he looked at the grey mare, her ears perked curiously towards him as she stood patiently at the other end of her lead rope in the airy light of the Longhouse arena.

    “Ride her?” Aisha asked, a little in disbelief, from where she was sitting on one of the plastic jump wings. He turned his head to look at her, a small grin spreading onto his face.

    “Yeah, I think it’s time.”

    “Are you sure?” His wife stood up and walked over to him, coming up behind him to rest both hands on his shoulders. “She’s not like Choccy. She can’t see, and no one’s schooled her in three years.”

    “Yes, I’m sure. I’ll be her eyes,” Lee tilted his head back and grinned broader.

    “You can do that?” Aisha raised an eyebrow at him. Lee had to admit, it was difficult. Eclectic horses were no Ryvos; it was sometimes hard to portray things accurately to her. They had been practicing, however

    “Yeah, we’ve had some practice. I think it’ll be easier on her back, actually. I’ll have a similar perspective.”

    “Well, alright then. I’ll go grab her tack.”

    Aisha soon returned to him with her saddle and bridle, which had only been used to lunge her gently in the three years since the accident, and she had already attached his stirrups. Lee tacked her up himself, Aisha only needing to place the saddle on her back for him, and soon she was ready and waiting for him.

    “Alright, to your ramp!” Aisha said taking hold of Lee’s wheelchair and pushing him towards the specially designed disabled ramp just outside the sand arena. Ru followed after them, never more than five feet away from Lee when she was out of her stable or paddock.

    The mare was patient with him as she stood beside the ramp and allowed him to position his wheelchair so he could easily manoeuvre himself out of it and onto her back. It was something that was well-practiced now, since he had been riding Choccy for over a year, and with a little help from Aisha he was soon seated comfortably on the mare.

    Ru didn’t even budge while he got positioned, standing quiet and square as he communicated with her over the bond what he was doing and what was coming next. When he was settled, he patted her neck gently and then asked her to walk on, Ru immediately stepping forwards and turning easily to head back into the arena.

    “I think just a walk today,” he said, “I’ll bring her back into work slowly.”

    “Sounds good,” Aisha laughed, wandering after him. “You look good up there.”

    “You think?” He grinned down at her and the honest smile she returned to him told him it was true. It felt like a place he belonged.

REF: DAZ 3D
BG: My own Google Sketchup Model
Sand texture: Rough Sand Texture Seamless