Star Stable: The Lost Legend

Chapter Seven: Being a Mentor

Erika was riding Nemain in a calm, but steady walk through towards Moorland Stables and let the morning sunlight warm her as she continued riding her mare with narrowed eyes against the bright sunlight. They were coming from Fort Pinta and headed towards the mentioned stables. 
It has been a few days since the Red String Trail Ride. Erika has been constantly training on how to control her powerful magic, which relates to the Moon Circle and Wild Whispering with Avalon and Rhiannon. The druids were a little confused about her rare Blue Flame, but they help her control it. But Erika and Nemain will always return to Moorland Stables after they're done with their training.
Erika stopped Nemain in front of Tan, who was leading Hieronymo from the blacksmith stall and decided to check on the second-in-command of the Bobcat Girls.
"Hi there Erika," said Tan with a warm smile. "It's been a while since we've last spoke."
"Sure has," Erika agreed with a nod. "What should we talk about?"
"Jenna wants the rookies to learn a thing or two from Loretta and Beatriz," Tan started to explain to Erika when something strange had happened.
"SCREEECCCHHHH!" The two girls jumped in place at the terrifying sound, while the horses neighed and reared slightly nervously at the sudden demonic screech.
"Whoa!" Erika held onto her horse and started patting Nemain's shivering neck as she spoke into a soothing voice. "Easy girl. Easy." Erika looked at Tan in slight alarm. "What was that a monster?"
"No, it's worse." Tan sighed wearily and looked wary, but concerned for her friend. "It's Loretta."
"That was... startling," Erika said carefully before looking at Tan.
"Whenever she makes that sound, that means she's in a completely bad mood," Tan said warily. "I don't want to be anywhere near her whenever she's in a fit."
Erika didn't say anything, but Tan knew by her wary expression on her face that she was in no hurry in crossing paths with a beyond angry Loretta. Erika had seen Loretta in a sour fit before and she's in no hurry to see it again like last time.
"TAN!" Erika looked at Tan with a sympathetic expression. Tan had became pale with fear and gave a weak smile to Erika, in which she nodded with sympathetic smile.
"Be careful Tan," said Erika, a little teasingly. "It sounds like she's about to blow."
Tan gave a nervous laugh and had mounted a nervous Hieronymo before she rode towards the Club Paddock. Erika rode Nemain in a careful trot to follow behind Tan and Hieronymo and made sure to stay out of anyone's line of sight by staying in the shadows. She saw the annoyed Bobcat Girls and the smug Bulldogz Club astride on their horses by the paddock.
"Saddle up, Bobcats!" Loretta ordered. "Let's show these layabouts what we can do!"
All of the Bobcat Girls looked determined and glared at the smug, but mischievous Bulldogz Club.
"You could put all that hot air of yours to good use Loretta," said Ginny with a smirk. "And float the clouds with it!"
"Oh boy." Erika rolled her eyes to the sky. "Here we go again."
She spun Nemain around from the competition between riding clubs again. She's usually stuck as the judge, but she manages to dodge it with every chance she gets whenever it gets too heated. She watched as the Bobcat Girls did some dressage moves elegantly and the Bulldogz jumped over the jumps gracefully.
"Erika." She looked over her shoulder to see sheepish Jeena with six rookie riders on their horses. "Maybe you can be a example for these new riders, while they compete."
"Fine by me," said Erika, sounding slightly relieved.
Jenna led them to an empty paddock and stood in front of it like the riding instructor she is, while Erika stayed mounted on Nemain and carry an air of calm elegance around them, much like the warrior she is.
"There are four gaits that horses and ponies all have," Jenna told the rookies. "Walk. Trot. Canter. And gallop." She cleared her throat, Erika took that as a cue for her and her mare to go into the paddock. "As a demonstration, Erika and Nemain would show you the four basic gaits."
Erika had rode Nemain in a calm and gentle walk around the paddock, she felt Jenna's eyes watching them proudly and the rookies looked at them with wide, awestruck eyes.
After a bit, Nemain trotted for a bit until she finally broke into a smooth, flowing canter. It wasn't long till Nemain had broke into a strong, graceful gallop. Erika felt the wind rushing through her. She was intensely aware of Nemain's movements underneath her. They were flying together, as though they're one in the same.
"Lets give them a round of applause," said Jenna as she started clapping for Erika and Nemain.
The rookies had started cheering and clapping excitedly for the partners, while the horses whinnied and nickered eagerly. Erika let Nemain slowed down to a stop in front of the future riders and their horses. Erika smiled softly at the sight of Nemain's proud look in her bright amber eyes.
"Now, it's your turn mates," Erika said with a smile.
All of the rookies were in awe at the sight of the fearless girl and her loyal mare. She sat tall and proud, hands resting on the reins. Her posture radiated secretive calmness, but there was an intense tension coiled around her shoulders only visible to the highly perceptive of experienced riders. Her eyes are a fiery bright blue that contained a calm glint, but glowed with wary curiosity and powerful determination. Nemain was standing steady and regally in the sunlight, her black coat almost seems like it was shining in the color of deep sapphire blue in the morning light.
Erika watched as the other riders mounted their horses and started riding their horses in a walk in the practice paddock.
"When I grow up," said a young, brown-haired girl named Rachel on a dapple buckskin Connemara named Flamesky. "I want to be just like you."
Erika gave a closed-eyed smile to the spunky girl and said, "When you grow up, you'll grow up to become yourself." She winked at the smiling girl and watched as she rode off into the paddock.
She watched as the riders rode their horses around in the paddock, but she frowned at the uneasy rhythm that she was hearing from the riders and the restlessness from their horses. Erika glanced at Jenna, who also felt her companion's uneasiness in the paddock. Erika decided to do something about it and help them forge their bonds with their horses.
"Everyone!" Erika's voice was raised slightly, but she had caught the students' attention. "Come here." All of the riding students rode their horses to make a half circle around Erika. "You must understand that everyone's bonds with your horses are different. Everyone is their own individuals and the same thing goes to your horses." Erika smiled at the rookie riders and the hopeful horses. "You must trust yourself the bond between you and your partner together."
"Really?" asked a black-haired boy named Jake.
Erika nodded and said, "For a while, I've had a hard time finding a partner that I could count on." Erika smiled as she gently petted Nemain's neck. "But when I met Nemain, I've finally found the partner I was looking for."
All of the rookie riders smiled at Erika and nodded understandingly before they rode their horses back to the paddock. Erika smiled proudly at the rising potential that she sees in the younger kids. She looked over her shoulder and sighed wearily after seeing another argument was happening between the Bobcat Girls and the Bulldogz Club.
"Not again." Erika rolled her eyes at the clasing rivalry between the two riding clubs and looked back at the training rookie riders with calm curiosity. She sighed, but she smiled as she continued watching the rookies practicing and remembered when she had first arrived to Moorland Stables.
"I'll let Justin know about that," deadpanned Jenna at the clashing riding clubs.
"Good call," Erika agreed with a nod.
That's when a new, brown-haired and hazel-eyed girl named Miranda headed towards them on her golden flaxen chestnut Haflinger mare with a long white mane and tail, her white forelock hides her blaze and is named Honey. Miranda seemed scared, worried even. Erika knew that Miranda was originally from Jorvik City, but she was teased a lot and had no friends before she had met Honey.
"Miranda, are you okay?" asked Erika.
Miranda opened his mouth to say something, but closed it after nothing came out. Miranda sighed and turned, staring at the trainees. For about a minute, Miranda collected her thoughts about what she wanted to say.
"I don't know what they will do or what they will say to me," Miranda said. "I want to make friends, but I don't know how."
"Miranda, I think you need to let go of this fear before it becomes too much to handle," said Erika calmly. "And if it isn't fear, then let this emotion go before it starts to get any bigger. It might become someone else's weapon."
"But for so long, I was afraid of what others wanted me to be because that would mean giving up what made me who I am," said Miranda sadly.
"Who would care about that amiga?" Erika smiled at Miranda sympathetically and emphatically. "Thanks to Nemain and all of our friends, I see that I don't need to be what others wants me to be. But, I can be my own person. I wish to show my show and make them proud, but I don't want to give up what makes myself special. You don't either. We may always feel this burn, but we can move on and turn that burn into a flame, all we need to do is ignite it." Erika smirked and met Miranda's nervous hazel eyes, her blue eyes almost seemed to be glowing. "Who cares about what they think? Show them what and who you can really be."
Miranda was stunned by Erika's fierce determination and calm loyalty to prove herself to others, but she wasn't rejecting her true self.
"Th-Thank you Erika," said Miranda, her voice full of gratitude. "I needed to hear those words."
"Anytime." Erika nodded and watched as Miranda rode Honey away in a proud trot.
But for Erika, something tells her that this is just the beginning of the ride.