treading the edge

A serious... bucking.

Maddog lets out a whistle as Gabby, our new recruit came out of the stable. Her battle clothes on.
I roll my eyes and tell him I'll smack him upside the head if he ever whistles like that to someone in the gang again.
It's been a week since I got knocked out, and the battle with Reefland, so training must start right away.
Today we are focusing on getting Gabby a horse.
"Thanks for doing this Tracer. She needs a horse, and I know it's not easy breeding and training--"
Tracer runs up ahead of me, his hands shoved in his pockets. I can tell he's upset, he would have let me finish if he wasn't.
I scoff, and run up to him.
"Hey! Tracer!" I angrily grab him and pull him so that he is facing me.
He looks at me with the same face he gives everyone when he's annoyed. A smirk.
I wasn't laughing
"Tracer, what is up with you?" I ask him.
He shrugs.
"N-nothin fire girl. R-r-really I-I'm fine." He answers, and keeps on walking.
"Hey, are you sure? Because you don't seem to be and--"
"I said I'm f-fine! L-leave it w-will you?"
I was taken aback at first.
"Gosh Ember. I just think... you know, it's not easy for m-me to just whip out a h-horse every second another b-b-blonde from reefland comes to town!"
I had forgotten that Tracer's stutter gets better when he yells fast, or talks extremely fast.
"Tracer. Is all of this just about getting her a horse? Or is there something else?" I ask.
He sighs.
"Ember... I-I'm s-sorry about that old h-h-horse of yours. H-he was th-the best horse on m-my ranch." He looked down at the ground.
"And n-now he's gone. And it doesn't h-help w-whenever y-you keep telling me that a-a-a horse should go to some n-new recruit... it's not fair. She stays with us for one week and she gets some brand new horse... a-and you've b-been here a-all y-your life, your horse dies, and you a-are s-s-stuck without anything."
He looks up at me.
"I can't do it."
I roll my eyes.
"What do you mean you can't do it?! She's more important. She's the 'spy' remember? She needs that horse more than I do!"
Now it's Tracer who is rolling his eyes.
"Ember." He looks me right in the eyes.
"You are much more important to me."
Right then I hear a loud neigh, and I look to my right to see a brown 'colt'. He rears up, bucks and tries to get loose from the pen that he's in, about 30 steps away from us.
My eyes widen.
"THAT--- is the HORSE you're giving her?!"
I look back at Tracer who is nervously laughing and shrugging.
"Well, you-- c-could h-handle him." He is persistent.
I look from the horse, to Tracer.
"Give the girl the horse. It's fine by me."
I turn and go back to the horse.

When Maddog and Gabby catch up with us, Gabby is surprised at how the horse is acting.
"You guys really think I can ride him? I mean, he's only a colt. And I've never ridden before."
She was interrupted by tracer and maddog saying things like: "it's all good- you'll be fine- etc." I'm worried that we'll  have to deep clean the whole barn after she splats on the floor.
Maddog and Tracer help her onto the horse, but not a second after, the colt rears up and everyone goes baserk.
Gabby screams "YEEEE!!" In fear, and Tracer looks at me with a look that says, oh no.
Maddog is killing himself laughing in the corner. I'm not laughing, but Secretly I'm thinking, oh maddog, you are like my son.
Gabby leaps off the horse.
There's no telling what will happen now.
I look back at Tracer to see a dreamy look in his eyes.
Hmm, wonder why?
It doesn't matter now, Gabby is in shock and it is my duty to protect everyone on the team. I sprint forward and ask her if she's ok.
"Umm. I guess so." She dusts herself off.
"I-I'm going to keep the horse."