HOME | DD

Description

The black mare and her rider paused at the edge of the alleyway, both breathing heavily as they watched the police cruiser roll by. Only once the pair was certain that the car was gone did they begin to move out. Cautiously, the black mare moved forwards, looking about at the star-filled sky, broken up here and there by the large, imposing silhouettes of buildings. She wasn't used to being in the city, and she was heavily on edge. With a snort, the mare moved forward at her rider's muttered commands. She could tell that he was on edge, and it was setting her off as well. She hadn't been out on the Street tracks before, and she was rather uncertain of her abilities. It didn't help that she could feel the nervousness rolling off Henley in waves; the pair seemed ill-suited to be out tonight.

But, white-knuckled, the man muttered to himself about pushing through, and clucked to the mare. His mind told him to tap her with his heels, but of course his mangled body refused to respond, so he had to depend on a whispered voice command to get the mare to move into a trot. Her unshod hooves rang out on the ground, and Henley made a mental note that she'd need some sound-dampening shoes in the future if they wanted to avoid a run in with the police. After all, with seeing the cruiser out not thirty minutes before, he should have been more careful tonight. But he hadn't thought of it, so they were stuck with what he had cobbled together for the mare.

"Okay," Henley breathed, patting Jinx's neck as he moved the mare towards the 'starting' line he'd mentally set up. Clucking to the mare, he tapped her neck with the reins, urging her into a slow gallop. Being feisty, the mare broke out headlong, and had to be reined in, which she fought all the way. Perhaps, thought Henley, as his hands burned from the friction of the nylon reins in his hands, he had made the wrong decision taking Jinx from the DFS ring to the streets. He should have stuck with Star, though if he had to be belted into the saddle, he'd prefer it not be on a mare so skitterish as she. But Jinx was proving herself to be just as much of a nuisance as the flaxen mare had been.

Maybe he was just bad at choosing horses. Henley wasn't paying full attention to his surroundings, as he was lamenting his choice of mounts, and he missed the stray cat that skittered across his path. Jinx, however, did not. With a terrified squeal, the mare reared up, and Henley felt himself sliding back in the seat. He knew he wouldn't fall, strapped to her saddle as he was, but that also meant that he couldn't free himself quickly if he needed to duck and roll of the horse. Thinking fast, he grabbed at the mare's black mane, holding on tight as she snorted, her fear turning to anger. Oh. Hell. No. He could tell what she was going to do before she did it, but was powerless to stop it. With an angry squeal, the mare pinned her ears, and began chasing the damn cat! It was all Henley could do to hold on as the mare wove her way through alleys, chasing the terrified creature. It only took a couple of strides before the cat figured out that, despite the fact that Jinx was a million times its size, she did not have claws...and it did. With a hiss, the creature turned and swiped at the horse's delicate muzzle. Flesh tore, and blood spattered the ground as Jinx reared up for a second time that night, flashing her hooves out into the night sky as she attempted to stomp down on the alley cat. Luckily for horse and moreso cat, the creature hissed once more, and vanished into a pile of old wooden crates. With her foe defeated - in her mind at least - Jinx turned her attention to her wounds. She shook her head repeatedly, as if trying to stop the stinging in her muzzle.

"Easy, easy," Henley said, gently pulling on her reins. Jinx fought for a moment, before submitting to his hand, and turning around, heading towards home.

"We'll get you looked at when we get back to the barn," Henley said, trying to keep a tremor out of his voice as he walked the mare back towards their home. He was...petrified...by how badly this ride had gone, and he'd only been out for less than half an hour! How was he ever going to get the mare prepared for a racing career? The very thought made him groan inwardly as he rocked rhythmically in the saddle. He had been so sure that Jinx was the answer to his racing career's problems, but it seemed almost hopeless now. If she was going to get scared by every little thing, and charge after every alley cat, how would he ever make it on the track?

Sighing, Henley clucked to the mare, moving her into a slow trot as he turned her towards home. Thoughts were racing in his head as he lead the mare through the winding backstreets, careful to make sure that there were no wayward animals in her path. Jinx seemed happy enough to trot along, the pain in her muzzle almost completely forgotten as she moved towards home. The black mare had a bad habit of getting a bit barnsour, and Henley was trying to break her of that, as well as get her race ready. But if she was going to spook at every little thing, he had no idea how she was going to be ready to ride. After all, there was fire, wild dogs, snakes, and other horrors to be had on the race track. If Jinx couldn't even handle herself around a little old kitty, how could she possibly be expected to keep it through a full race? Not to mention, the Pack would be looking out for Henley, as he used to be an Enforcer for their ranks. And he knew people who were current Enforcers. It was all too much, and he slumped in the saddle, looking defeated. In his book, tonight had been a complete and utter failure.

WC: 1066

Description

The black mare and her rider paused at the edge of the alleyway, both breathing heavily as they watched the police cruiser roll by. Only once the pair was certain that the car was gone did they begin to move out. Cautiously, the black mare moved forwards, looking about at the star-filled sky, broken up here and there by the large, imposing silhouettes of buildings. She wasn't used to being in the city, and she was heavily on edge. With a snort, the mare moved forward at her rider's muttered commands. She could tell that he was on edge, and it was setting her off as well. She hadn't been out on the Street tracks before, and she was rather uncertain of her abilities. It didn't help that she could feel the nervousness rolling off Henley in waves; the pair seemed ill-suited to be out tonight.

But, white-knuckled, the man muttered to himself about pushing through, and clucked to the mare. His mind told him to tap her with his heels, but of course his mangled body refused to respond, so he had to depend on a whispered voice command to get the mare to move into a trot. Her unshod hooves rang out on the ground, and Henley made a mental note that she'd need some sound-dampening shoes in the future if they wanted to avoid a run in with the police. After all, with seeing the cruiser out not thirty minutes before, he should have been more careful tonight. But he hadn't thought of it, so they were stuck with what he had cobbled together for the mare.

"Okay," Henley breathed, patting Jinx's neck as he moved the mare towards the 'starting' line he'd mentally set up. Clucking to the mare, he tapped her neck with the reins, urging her into a slow gallop. Being feisty, the mare broke out headlong, and had to be reined in, which she fought all the way. Perhaps, thought Henley, as his hands burned from the friction of the nylon reins in his hands, he had made the wrong decision taking Jinx from the DFS ring to the streets. He should have stuck with Star, though if he had to be belted into the saddle, he'd prefer it not be on a mare so skitterish as she. But Jinx was proving herself to be just as much of a nuisance as the flaxen mare had been.

Maybe he was just bad at choosing horses. Henley wasn't paying full attention to his surroundings, as he was lamenting his choice of mounts, and he missed the stray cat that skittered across his path. Jinx, however, did not. With a terrified squeal, the mare reared up, and Henley felt himself sliding back in the seat. He knew he wouldn't fall, strapped to her saddle as he was, but that also meant that he couldn't free himself quickly if he needed to duck and roll of the horse. Thinking fast, he grabbed at the mare's black mane, holding on tight as she snorted, her fear turning to anger. Oh. Hell. No. He could tell what she was going to do before she did it, but was powerless to stop it. With an angry squeal, the mare pinned her ears, and began chasing the damn cat! It was all Henley could do to hold on as the mare wove her way through alleys, chasing the terrified creature. It only took a couple of strides before the cat figured out that, despite the fact that Jinx was a million times its size, she did not have claws...and it did. With a hiss, the creature turned and swiped at the horse's delicate muzzle. Flesh tore, and blood spattered the ground as Jinx reared up for a second time that night, flashing her hooves out into the night sky as she attempted to stomp down on the alley cat. Luckily for horse and moreso cat, the creature hissed once more, and vanished into a pile of old wooden crates. With her foe defeated - in her mind at least - Jinx turned her attention to her wounds. She shook her head repeatedly, as if trying to stop the stinging in her muzzle.

"Easy, easy," Henley said, gently pulling on her reins. Jinx fought for a moment, before submitting to his hand, and turning around, heading towards home.

"We'll get you looked at when we get back to the barn," Henley said, trying to keep a tremor out of his voice as he walked the mare back towards their home. He was...petrified...by how badly this ride had gone, and he'd only been out for less than half an hour! How was he ever going to get the mare prepared for a racing career? The very thought made him groan inwardly as he rocked rhythmically in the saddle. He had been so sure that Jinx was the answer to his racing career's problems, but it seemed almost hopeless now. If she was going to get scared by every little thing, and charge after every alley cat, how would he ever make it on the track?

Sighing, Henley clucked to the mare, moving her into a slow trot as he turned her towards home. Thoughts were racing in his head as he lead the mare through the winding backstreets, careful to make sure that there were no wayward animals in her path. Jinx seemed happy enough to trot along, the pain in her muzzle almost completely forgotten as she moved towards home. The black mare had a bad habit of getting a bit barnsour, and Henley was trying to break her of that, as well as get her race ready. But if she was going to spook at every little thing, he had no idea how she was going to be ready to ride. After all, there was fire, wild dogs, snakes, and other horrors to be had on the race track. If Jinx couldn't even handle herself around a little old kitty, how could she possibly be expected to keep it through a full race? Not to mention, the Pack would be looking out for Henley, as he used to be an Enforcer for their ranks. And he knew people who were current Enforcers. It was all too much, and he slumped in the saddle, looking defeated. In his book, tonight had been a complete and utter failure.

WC: 1066