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Post by Forte! on Apr 19, 2009 8:21:08 GMT -5
The tanagers struck up a dawn chorus from high in the trees, whistling and calling hopefully, preparing for some long journey to warmer territory. Piles of fallen leaves lay strewn across the path from the house to the barn, rotting away as they seemed to cling together, forming piles and making the footing treacherous. The ground was still wet from yesterday's rain, but the sun had come up and was basking the Earth in it's glow. Dmitri squinted up at it, silently cursing the rays for not reaching down further. A cold wind bit and nipped at his cheeks as he hobbled along, his progress slow as he made his way into the barn and grabbed the feed buckets. He was in the habit of waking up early, and today was no exception. When he entered the barn, Justin was still snoozing off yesterday's run round the pasture.
"Good morning!" Dmitri called, cheerfully. He liked to be in the presence of horses - he prefered them to people any day. Justin woke with a snort and turned his head, annoyed at having been woken up. "Time for breakfast." He dumped one of the buckets into Justin's feeding trough, and immediately the stallion was less annoyed and more intent on demolishing the food as quickly as possible. Dmitri then made his way over to the stall of the throughbred stallion, Enchanted. He was, honestly, scared of Enchanted - the stallion was more likely to hurt him than any of the other horses were. Someone had given him a raw deal down the line. "And how are you doing today, my beauty?"
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Post by Spitz on Apr 19, 2009 8:48:38 GMT -5
The night seemed to go on forever, Enchanted was hungry and he was watching the barn door for the man who came in to feed him. He tried to whinny to the other horse but he was sleeping, it was something he never really wanted to do much. He slept and then woke early, he wanted to just lie down but he wanted to go out. He wanted to gallop around and have fun as no one wanted to ride him in this place. He snorted a little and then started to dig around the straw as he was so bored.
Then the large door to the barn opened and in came the weird guy. He saw him feed the other stallion and then he started to hobble over to his stall. He snorted and reared a little in the stall when he talked, he then stepped forward and sniffed at him. Dmitri had been nicer to him than the other man, he hadn't seen the mean one for a while now. He watched the man carefully, he didn't know what to do. He then did something he didn't do often, he reached his head forward and nudged the mans shoulder. Enchanted let out a soft nicker and shook his mane. He had seemed to grow a trust with the man before him, he never ever held a whip or had mean laced in his words. Somehow, this man had been nice to him.
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Post by Forte! on Apr 19, 2009 13:43:12 GMT -5
Dmitri eyed the stallion dubiously as he reared a little and started snorting. Who had made him fear humans so? Enchanted, by nature of the Thoroughbred, was wired to be high-strung, but only real cruelty could turn even the most naturally nervous horses into creatures who wanted to flee at the very sound of a human voice, even when the tones were quite friendly. He noticed the pawed holes in the bedding, and a frown tugged at his lips. "Poor guy," he murmured, allowing himself to be sniffed over, "you really need to have someone ride you. I'm sorry I can't do that for you." He was looking away when he felt the stallion nudge him, and jumped a little bit in surprise, looking over at Enchanted curiously, and finally putting it down to that the stallion was anxious to get his grain. Dmitri obligingly poured it into the feed bucket and took a step back in case the stallion charged it.
Eying the stallion curiously, Dmitri fed the other horses and then returned to the stall, still worried about how anxious the poor fellow was getting. But it was potentially dangerous to put him in the paddock - if he got excited he could easily knock Dmitri over or trample him unwittingly. Dmitri didn't think that the stallion really wanted to hurt anybody, but horses got a little funny when they hadn't had proper exercise or good training with a kind person. "Tell you what," he finally said, his voice low and quiet as he opened the stall door slowly and put the stall guard up instead so that he could see the stallion better, "if you're willing to cooperate, I'll put you out in the pasture and you can have a good stretch to get that itch out of your feet."
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Post by Spitz on Apr 19, 2009 14:11:56 GMT -5
Enchanted pricked his ears, listening to the humans words. He watched Dmitri carefully but he somehow seemed to like this human. He had never once came in with a whip. He ate the grain as he went over to the other stalls and when he came back he flicked his tail. Pushing his head forward again, he put his head out again and nickered. He stood still and watched as the door opened, making no attempt to escape. As the stall guard was put up he stepped back a little and sniffed it before stepping forward and looking carefully at Dmitri. He had never learned to trust many people, Dmitri was probably the first and he flicked his tail. As he talked, Enchanted flicked his ears toward him again and then shook his mane happily. If you had never met Enchanted before and saw him now, you would never think he was ill treated.
Reaching his head forward he nuzzled the man quickly before putting his head back. He looked at him and pawed the ground with one hoof, he needed to go out and gallop around the pasture. Looking around the barn he hoped that the rope would be clipped on his halter and they could go out into the pasture. He had watched the other horses being taken out every day, he hated to watch when they went out and they then came back in while he had to stand and want to gallop. His life had always been difficult for him, he ate some grain and then flicked his tail again. Something about actually having company made him happy, none of the horses liked him here but somehow they all agreed that the older man was horrible. Yes, the man with the whip had been gone for a while now and he was happy.
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Post by Forte! on Apr 19, 2009 15:16:26 GMT -5
Dmitri was, frankly, surprised when Enchanted didn't try to storm the castle as soon as he opened the stall door, and even more surprised at the nicker. A little bit of... well, not exactly kindness, but not meanness, seemed to have done more good than he'd thought. Then again, Dmitri had always been the one who fed the horses. They generally liked him at least a little because of that. Cautiously, Dmitri reached out a hand and stroked the stallion gently on his crest, his hand making reassuring circular motions. "Easy now, miliy moy..." he murmured, opening the stall guard quietly and taking a step towards the stallion, the lead rope held in his other hand as he made soothing motions with his hand, trying to keep the stallion calm as he was shanked. Dmitri was, honestly, just a little bit frightened of being trampled, now that the stall guard was down...
"There we go," he murmured, as he clipped the shank on, "all right, big guy. Let's go have a nice romp, how does that sound?" He stepped away, eying the stallion carefully as he exited the stall and stood off slightly to the side, ready to let go of the rope and stumble as fast as he could should Enchanted get it into his head to run off. "Easy now, easy." He tried not to let the fear show in either voice or countenance, but it was there, quavering like some live thing as an undertone to his every word. he drw up the lead rope until it was taut, trying to convince the stallion to follow him without getting too fast or too exited. He hardly even realized that he was holding his breath, actually, and all the blood had suddenly rushed to his legs. As if he could ever outrun a horse...
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Post by Spitz on Apr 20, 2009 17:19:00 GMT -5
Enchanted tossed his head about and stepped forward quickly but then he stopped and walked forward slowly. He stood closer to Dmitri to, offering support as he knew that the man had a bad leg. He neighed to the other horses and flicked his tail, his head was held high and he was happy. To finally be able to go out into the pasture where he could run so quickly and be free. Yes, freedom in the green pastures where he could graze. This man was kind to him, he had always been kind to him and he was scared. He lowered his head a little, and shook his mane a little. Somehow just walking around her seemed to make him feel better. He looked up at the sky, it was so amazing to be out and into the open. To feel the breeze rufffle his mane and he whinnied in delight.
No one had ever bothered to take him out since the evil man left and then was a while back. He saw the green pastures and went to jolt forward but then stopped himself when he stepped forward. He couldn't with the man next to him so he waited and walked but when they reached the pasture and he was let in he galloped. He thundered around the pasture and whinnied in delight. He then trotted back up to the fence where Dmitri was and tossed his mane. He then looked into his eyes, he wanted to be ridden. He wanted a human on him and he wanted to let them know he could be trusted and this was the only way he knew how. Of course, if the evil man came he would never be able to get on his back but with this one it was rather different.
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Post by Forte! on May 2, 2009 11:34:58 GMT -5
Dmitri had been prepared for Enchanted to take off, and was surprised when he saw the stallion visibly check himself and go slowly, seeming to understand that Dmitri could be badly hurt if he did so. What was it about animals having a sixth sense? Dmitri was sure that they did. He'd seen big draft horses led by little children, and they watched ever movement of the fragile little feet, careful not to step on them. But he'd never seen anything like this. This horse had no reason to trust him. Actually, a lot of reasons not to trust him. Dmitri grinned and leaned against the fence as Enchanted galloped around, filled with joy at the thought of the poor, abused, cramped up thoroughbred finally getting a taste of freedom. He dreaded the day that Ivan would come back, because he knew that Enchanted might never see freedom again, then.
Dmitri watched in amazement as Enchanted trotted up to the rail and whinnied at him. What was it with this horse? "He-ey," Dmitri said quietly, reaching out a hand to apt the stallion lightly on the side of the neck, behind the ear, "what is it you want with me, huh? Last I heard you were an uncontrollable bucking demon. What's gotten into you?" He could tell from the look in Enchanted's eyes that the stallion wanted something. But what? He was at a loss. He continued to scratch the horse's crest lightly, feeling the muscles underneath and the coat. He looked across the stallion's withers at the patches of rough hair that had grown in where the whip and spur had stung him, wounds that had mostly healed while Ivan was way. "What is it?" Dmitri asked again, meeting Enchanted's gaze curiously, wondering. |
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Post by Spitz on May 2, 2009 12:07:11 GMT -5
Enchanted met his gaze, he then trotted around in a circle before standing side on to the fence where Dmitri was sitting. He looked around at the man, and then set of at a canter. He started to canter the perimeter of the pasture, gaining speed into a gallop. His legs moved quickly, each hitting the ground in turn but to see each leg hit the ground you would have extraordinary eyesight. The wind whipped through his dark mane, the fence was coming closer and he swerved just in time. He then skidded across the mud, making it fly everywhere, before coming to a complete stop. He tossed his mane and started to walk back toward the other end of the pasture. It was true that he was happy to be out, and that he wanted the man to ride him. How he wished this man would never go away, that the mean one would never come back at he would take over. Somehow, he knew that Dmitri wouldn't stay forever and that the man would come back to beat him again. Putting down his head, he took a mouthful of grass. He then loped to the water trough and took a drink
He then trotted back up to the fence, nothing would come between him and Dmitri. He would escape if he went away and the man came back, he would gallop until he found him. Of course, that would be tricky but he would do it and then when he found him it would all be ok again. Something about the way this man cared for him and the other horses made the trust. The other horses liked him, so why shouldn't he? So now, he seems to trust Dmitri but if he ever tries to lay a whip on his body it will vanish. Of course, Dmitri would never do that to him but you can never tell what will happen in the future. He then trotted around in a circle before standing side on to Dmitri. Looking at him he kicked the ground with one foot, trying to tell the human that he wanted to be ridden. He was a intelligant horse, he could always tell a human in some shape or form what he wanted. He flicked his tail, hopefully the man would get the message and ride him. Enchanted would ride well for him, that was certain.
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Post by Forte! on May 2, 2009 12:29:20 GMT -5
Dmitri watched as Enchanted suddenly took off again on a rambling run across the pasture, before pulling up again. His eyes widened as the stallion very clearly turned as if to let him mount, and gazed at him. A sudden understanding passed over Dmitri. Enchanted wanted to be ridden. Why? "You... you want me to ride you?" he asked. He took a step back, shaking his head, but then he saw the gentle gleam in Enchanted's eye. The stallion wouldn't hurt him. Not in a million years. He was somehow sure of that. That he could trust this horse as long as he was kind to him. "Alright then. This is crazy." But, drawn by the stallion's insistence, Dmitri hobbled awkwardly to the gate and stepped in, grabbing a feed tub as an impromptu mounting block. He wasn't about to try and tack the stallion, and he figured that if he was going to get thrown he might as well make sure that the stallion wouldn't trip on the reins.
Taking a deep breath, he face the stallion. "Are you sure about this?" he murmured. He didn't know if he was talking to himself or to Enchanted, really. Then, plucking up courage, he stood on the feed tub and stroked Enchanted's neck and mane for a moment, before hoisting himself up awkwardly and almost falling over the other side of the horse before getting his balance, gripping Enchanted's mane as he maneuvered into a more comfortable position. Please don't buck. Please please please. he thought, looking over the stallion's ears and around at the pasture. This was... weird.... to say the least. But Enchanted hadn't bucked yet, and that was good, so he didn't bail out (as was his half-baked plan at the moment.). He suddenly realized how stupid he was to even think about getting on this horse. But he was up now, nothing he could od about it.
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