The Run ©2014 Sydney Wray

Chapter 43

I couldn't control my laughter, as I watched Nathaniel try to attempt mounting one of our new horses, Sugar.

Lavender laughed with me, turning her head and shielding her humorous grin from Nathaniel's vision.

"It's harder than it looks." He yelled, frustrated, holding his foot in place on the stirrup from the ground. He pointed to Mariella cantering in the practice sand ring, "I mean, that's not normal."

"Here," I finally said, taking pity while I handed Black Jack's reins to Lavender and crossing to Nathaniel's side.

I instructed him to take his foot out of the tangled stirrup, so I could untangle it.

"There," I patted, loosening it to make it drop lower. After readjusting the other side, I instructed to place the left foot on the stirrup. He did, with his tongue pinched cleanly in the corner of his mouth out of concentration.

"Now, hop twice and lift yourself over the saddle." I said, standing in front of Sugar's body to keep him from possibly moving. Because of Nathaniel's awkward new movement of mounting, he might accidentally urge Sugar forward, which would be bad for everyone.

Finally, Nathaniel sat in the saddle. Lavender clapped, and cheered, "Finally!"

He shook his head. "Now, uh, move..?" His command came out like a question, and I tried to control my growing smile.

I stood on my tiptoes, rearranging Nathaniel's fingers correctly on the reins, and looked up at him from the brim of my helmet. "To make him move, urge him gently forward with a squeeze of your legs. To signal him left, pull the reins left, and the same with the right."

But he only stared at me, a soft smile. "Your sexy when you teach."

I chuckled, my cheeks growing warm, and cautiously stepped away. "Ready?"

He nodded, so I collected Black Jack's reins and mounted. I motioned for everyone to follow me signal file, which are the necessary rules for trail riding. I loved taking one of the horses out into the woods. David was adding on a new part of property, not like it needed it.

Once we reached passed the white gate, I stayed behind so I could lock it once more. Some new addition horses were grazing, and I didn't want them to wander off. Lavender was in front, moving up and down from Red's gait. I clicked to Black Jack, and his ear twitched and swiveled obediently toward me. I tapped his sides, and he immediately responded with a clean trot to the head of the line.

"Show off." Lavender muttered as I passed.

I laughed, and glanced back. "Do you want me to teach you?"

"Do you want me to die?" She asked from behind me.

"Aw, come on! It's fun."

Lavender sighed dramatically. "Fine."

I nodded. "Okay, I'll bring you guys to the wider field."

It was quite as I led them to the left, pass the low trickle of water. A combortable, peaceful silence fell over the us. The only sounds that filled the air were the combined noises of the horses hooves, and occasional snorting. Ten minutes later, we reached the field.

"Wow." Lavender breathed from behind me.

I grinned proudly. "Pretty, huh?"

The field, which was currently beginning to green again from the vast winter and frigid cold temperatures, stretched across a beautiful four acres with slight rolling hills.

We ended up in a horizontal line, descending down the slight hill. I suggested everyone to slightly lean back so we wouldn't add extra pressure to our horses back. We reached the bottom, and Lavender grinned excitedly.