Champions Until the End

Chapter Six

Lonru pictured.

        I checked Faith's leg, hoping desperately that it would be better. Yes! I cheered in my mind. The wound was healing well. "A few more days, girl," I whispered. "Then you can go back out." Faith neighed, stamping her uninjured leg against the floor. I laughed as she shook out her long mane, patting her neck reassuringly. "Don't worry, Faith, you'll get there soon." I said into her mane, hugging her.

        After I had gotten home yesterday, Mike had obviously told my mom what happened on the cross-country course, because she gave me lecture about facing your fears and blah blah blah. None of them understood! Dad died on the cross-country course, I thought, wondering how my mom didn't understand that I didn't want to jump the stupid ditch! "You get it, don't you, Faith?" I asked her, my voice muffled by her mane.

        I checked my watch. 12:00. Everyone was here today, so I wasn't riding. A little disappointing, since today's lesson was showjumping, but I knew there would be other chances. Every day had a discipline set to it, weather permitting, of course. For example, Monday was just reviewing the basics and all, Tuesday, dressage, Wednesday, cross-country, and Thursday, showjumping. Friday was apparently some sort of western thing my guess was barrels or pole bending, and Saturday was often some games on horseback, competition mode. Flag races, Puissance and such.

        Not being able to ride until Saturday, I figured I might as well watch the lesson. I walked over to the largest outdoor arena, the one with showjumps set up. Parker was taking Feather over a course of fairly low jumps, so I assumed that they were just easing into the season. Good, I thought, since it wasn't good to start off with the huge jumps. I stood on the ground behind the arena fence, crossing my arms over the top and resting my chin on them. Parker had good form, I noticed. He was obviously a showjumper, and a good one at that. Just as I thought this, he turned the corner too sharply, unbalancing Feather and causing her to take off too far back on the next jump, and the top pole came crashing down.

        After finishing his round, Parker looked back at the fallen pole and slumped forward onto Feather's neck, and I thought I heard him groan. Mike said something to him that I didn't catch, and Parker responded with what I thought was "Yeah, I know. 'Watch you corners.'" which caused me to wonder if this was an old habit. Rachel lined Dawn up, facing the first jump, before squeezing her into a canter and taking the first fence, a vertical, beautifully. Wow, I thought. She's good. It seemed like Rachel was even better at showjumping than Parker, but maybe some of that came from Dawn being such a neat jumper. Still, Rachel had skill.

        I stood watch for a while longer, before I decided to head back a few minutes before the lesson ended to check on Faith. When I got to her stall, I noticed that the door was open.Weird. Faith was smart, but as far as I knew she couldn't open a stall door. And who would have opened it? There was no one around except for everyone at the lesson, but I had been watching them while I wasn't with Faith. I checked inside, confirming my worst fear. Faith was gone. Again. A flash of white caught my eye in the corner of the stall. I stepped inside and saw a paper pinned to the wall. I tore it off and quickly scanned the note.

        Meet me in the forest tonight, if you want your horse back. I'll be waiting near the pond. Borrow a horse from the stable to get there. Midnight tonight. Don't be late.

F.

        As soon as I saw the initial, I knew who this was. How did he even know I was here?!!?! And how would he know where my horse was? There was no way I would let him get away with this. Why did he have to find me here? I couldn't live in peace for more then a day, apparently. I closed my fist holding the paper, and it made a satisfying crinkling sound as I crumpled it tightly. I whirled around as I heard footsteps, and saw Parker standing at the door, looking confused when he saw the empty stall, and the paper crushed in my hand. "Are you oka-" Parker started to ask before I interrupted him.

        "Don't even try talking to me right now. Just don't," I snapped as I shoved past him, not looking back, so I didn't see the hurt expression on his face, just like I didn't notice that I had dropped the paper as I passed him. He picked it up, and by the time he had read it, I was gone from the barn. I didn't notice that the paper was gone until I was outside, and I didn't want to go back for it. I was in a violent mood right now. Where is a bowl of fruit when I need it? I wondered, feeling like throwing something.

        Whistle came up to me, but I just jumped into a tree where she couldn't follow me. I really didn't feel like doing anything but scream at the guy who had taken my horse. I had met him on the eventing circuit, before my accident. I knew what the F in the note had stood for. Finnick. I had thought his name was Fenrick when I first met him, but apparently, I had misheard and it was Finnick, like from the Hunger Games. Same thing, if you asked me. Anyway, his name didn't matter. What mattered was that he had Faith.

So... I tried to give you some action! Who is Finnick? And, yes, I had to reference The Hunger Games in this... I'll go get started on the next chapter soon, now that I have something going that I need to write. I'll be skipping straight to that night.

Glorybringer1163