Keep Me Hanging On (5th, Equitation, Lesson Four)

Ninette waltzed into the stables like she owned the place. Which considering that this was her mother's class... she sort of did.

At least as far as knowing the place was concerned. This was after all one of the places she'd known all her life.

Walking over to one of the horses, one of her favourite, she scratched at his nose and waited for someone else to show up.

The jaunty country stroll that Yvette had, with its rolling gait, might have looked funny to a lot of outsiders but having grown up on horses and running over rough terrain all her life the gait was a show of confidence and a sense of knowledge of the landscape. She never fell over her own feet and only something throwing her off balance could make her fall if she had her feet planted firmly on the ground.

Approaching the stables but still a distance away the teen put her fingers to her lips and blew a shrill blast. Inside the stable Renroir perked up his ears in response to the sound and used his nose to open his stall door, trotting past Ninette and out the stable door. Nickering softly he approached Yvette, who greet him affectionately before climbing onto his back and began putting him through his warm up paces bareback.

Athena walked into the stable and looked slightly frightened watching the horses. For the big animals scared her, a lot. Yes she had a few of them at home, liked them as a kid. But since she fell off one of them that fateful day, well it hadn't been the same since.

She walked up next to a beautiful young male horse, pitch black with the wildest eyes. He should have scared her, but it did somewhat make her feel comfortable knowing that the horse was wild. Weirdly enough. She patted his neck before placing the saddle on his back and getting up. He was calm, and so was she.

Lisette walked briskly through the large fields, her eyes glinted the brightness of the sun. A grin came upon her face once she laid eyes on Ninette, and her pace quickened until she entered the stables.

"So, Nine. It's last term," she chuckled as she took her equipment out of her bag, "Personally it's my favorite time of year. People always tend to do stupid things they've been too scared to do any other time of year."

She walked up to Cirrus, and held out a sugar cube, "There's always some seventh year who proposes, or something like that. Hey, did you hear about Paul? Apparently he got betrothed to some Romanian girl. I mean, really. All these arranged marriages are popping up all over the place."

Ninette smirked, "Aww, and Paul was such a good kisser too. How attached to you think he is to miss Romania?"

Her eyes twinkled as she watched the other girl, she nodded her head briefly in greeting to the other two girls.

"THough you are quite right, nothing like the end of the year... how many proposals do you think we'll get this year, from the enternially love sick?"

Lisette laughed with a shrug, "Not sure. But I hear she's filthy rich, and, well, you know Paul." She giggled again, grabbing a brush and patting it quickly over her horses stormy-gray fur.

"Hmm... last year there were, like, three. Although we have a particularly sappy group of seventh years, so I'd say at least five." Lisette sighed, "Y'know, I sort of feel bad for them. I mean, once I'm out of school, I'm going to try and avoid marriage as long as possible. All I'm going to want to do is actually have fun."