Barebacking the trails[done]

[akia]

Buzz...buzz...buzz...

Flies, and they were everywhere. One couldn't just turn around without getting a face full of them! Nothing could be worse...oh wait, never mind, he was forgetting about the fact that it was summer and that it was hotter than the underworld outside! Another factor that was bothering him was the fact that he was bored and had nothing to do until later on in the day, which was, go off and apply for a job around here. So, to waste time, not only for himself, but for his attention craving Appy, he made a make-shift bride and reins out of the halter and lead rope Hiki had on, mounted and off he went!

Plan A: Escape the flies by going on a trail ride, also to cure boredom, get some riding done, and be in the shade! Ah shade, cool, dark, and kept the sun from shining in his eyes. Nothing like drowning out those flies by listening to Hiki's hooves against the ground, feeling her body move under his, becoming in perfect rhythm with not only the horse, but with nature itself. Adjusting his seat as Hiki trekked under the trees, Aso sighed contently and slowly let his grip on the lead rope loosen, putting one hand behind him, resting on Hiki's rump. "Now, this is what I call relaxation," he said, grinning lazily to himself.

He could hear the birds up in the tree branches, calling to one another, and he thought he heard some other forest life and turned his head once in awhile to see if he could catch a glimpse, but gave up after the first five minutes. Up ahead, he could hear the beginnings of the creek that was said to run with the trail, and he figured it would be a good place to stop for a bit. He sat up and grabbed a bit of Hiki's mane and nudged her softly into a slow trot. Her steps continued in their lulling thumps on the ground, kicking up fallen leaves, and loose dirt.

Everything seemed to be perfect, and he could see the creek up a head. A smile was starting to form and then...out of nowhere, two blue jays flew out in front of their path, circling and cawing at one another. As if in slow motion, Aso tried to grab for a better hold with not only his hands, but his legs as well, as Hiki reared up, letting out a neigh of surprise, forelegs flying out.

And...Aso found himself on the ground in the next instant, staring up at the leaves of a tree, feeling the hard ground beneath him. He had that 'I'm not amused...' look on his face as he lay there, hearing Hiki's thumps a little farther off, feeling a slight thud beginning at the back of his head. He sat up, before he went back down, his head hurting. "God...I'm going to kill her..." he muttered, trying to sit up without having his head feel like it was about to split open from the back.

Actually sitting up, he looked in the direction where he thought Hiki ran, got up, and tried to find her calling her name out every so often.

[jenn;;]

midday. obviously the worst time to go riding on a hot summer day like this. it was probably nearly 85 degrees but it felt like a hundred. jenn couldn't imagine how horrible it would feel for brownie. he was black and white, so surely there was a lot of heat beating down onto him. but jenn couldn't help herself. she had just adopted him yesterday at the rescue center. being a caretaker there made her want all the horses, but brownie seemed like he wanted her the most. and considering the fact that jenn hadn't owned a horse for a while and her life has sucked since, she couldn't refuse. she had enough money now to pay for the feed and she would board him at the ranch, that way she had time for work instead of having to feed him twice every day.

but perhaps since it was so hot, they could take a dip in the pool. jenn had ridden the trails before with a few other of the rescue horses. they connected all the way to the ranch. she had even taken brownie out once or twice, but it had been a long time. she taked the gelding up in a english saddle. instead of the fleece she placed a thin blanket on his back under the saddle instead. plus if it got yet it wouldn't get all mildewing and such. she mounted off of a rock and clucked for him to walk on. like it was magic, he did so, and with a fast pace too. he was excited to be outside for once. brownie didn't care how hot it was. jenn squeezed him into an easy trot until they would get deeper in the wooded area.

once arrived in the trees, jenn slowed her paint down to a walk. the shade felt a helluva lot better than the sun did. she listened to the birds and a few squirrels chirping at each other. brownie didn't mind the nature sounds and usually didn't spook too much at things. but he was also in a very hyper mood and seemed to be on a mission to get as far away from the barn as possible. definitely not barn sour. complete opposite. they hadn't been in the woods long when jenn noticed a boy up ahead. a bit confused she slowed brownie down to a slower walk and listened. he was calling for something. why would a boy be out here no riding? after all, it was a horse trail, not a people trail. she stopped a bit behind him.

are you looking for something? jenn raised her voice, hoping he'd hear her. she looked around in the trees a little bit, maybe she could see something he was looking for, whatever it was. but everything was as should be and she squeezed brownie to a walk up to the boy. she stopped the gelding and dismounted. jenn looped the reins over brownie's ears, being careful not to touch them. he was a bit sensitive around the ears. after all, he was a rescued horse. his past was his worst. he had good days coming to him though. she stayed by his neck and continuously glanced around in the trees, hoping to see what he was looking for. she wasn't quite in the mood to help. she only wanted to ride. but by the looks of it, he needed some help.

[/size]

[akia]

He had been calling for at least ten minutes before the throbbing in his head got to the better of him. Hiki must’ve run all the way up the trail without stopping, and knowing her, she’d have to back-track once she realized that he wasn’t on her back. That always happened, all he had to do was wait, but he didn’t want to wait, thinking that something could’ve happened to her while she blindly galloped away. He rubbed the back of his head, trying to feel if he had any blood there, and pulling his hand away, he noticed there wasn’t anything there. Good…but he still probably thought it’d be a good idea to stop by the hospital later, just in case. But, then that was money out the door and…ugh…

“Hiki!” he called out, thinking it was the last time he was going to and cursed under his breath in Japanese. That was when he heard something behind he. He twisted his head around and saw a horse. Black and white, with a girl on top, and from the looks of it, a gelding. The girl dismounted and he had a feeling he looked stupid on this trail without Hiki. He turned all the way around to face her, but stayed where he was, seeing that she was coming towards him. She asked a question, and he sighed before answering.

“Yeah I am…my horse. A pair of blue jays flew out from nowhere, she shied and here I am,” he explained. He was going to ask if they had seen the Appaloosa, but then decided against it. They were coming from the opposite direction that Hiki had run off in, so he highly doubted it, and kept his mouth shut. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other before speaking again. “It’s fine though, she’ll be coming back this way shortly, she always does,” he trailed off, staring at the girl fully now.

She had nice eyes, that was the first thing he had noticed. The blue as lighter than his, but from where he came from, blue was regarded as rare and very beautiful, no matter what shade. He then stopped there, because he didn’t feel like being a cocky jerk at the moment, only because his head was pounding against his ear drums and it made him dizzy. He looked for a place to sit and sure enough there was a stump over yonder. Making his way to it, he plopped down on the stump, head in his hands.

“I’m sorry…hit my head when I fell…forgot to wear a helmet, bad idea,” he said, grinning up at her after removing his hands from his head.

[jenn;;]

brownie was already beginning to get impatient. but, that was expected. they had come out for a trail ride, not to stop and chat and make friends. brownie had no interest in anyone other than jenn, and jenn knew it. but he would have to wait. she couldn't let the boy be here all alone and just wondering where his horse was. if jenn's horse had run away, well, they wouldn't. but if they ever did, jenn would be panicking and swearing and all of the above. luckily for her, she had her horse right by her side. of course he was beginning to paw the ground and swaying his hips, but jenn could live. and so could her anxious gelding.

jenn noticed how the boy looked. she had never seen him around before. he looked about her age, maybe a little older, and a little different skin-toned. perhaps he was from another country. the shape of his eyes weren't the normal american. jenn loved meeting new people, especially when it came down to the new person being from somewhere else, like a different country. but, she wasn't the one to assume these kind of things. definitely not. she never judged anyone from the color of their skin or the way they talked or how they dressed. none of that mattered to her. but, things could change. they changed before. but that's why she is the way she is today right? we all have to morph into the person we want to be.

jenn stepped a little closer after hearing his words of how his horse ran away. she wondered how it had happened. a bird being afraid of blue jays? it must've been really sudden if it made his mare run off like that. she saw a taller rock near where he boy had sat and brought brownie over with her to sit. brownie looked at the boy with perked ears and open nostrils. then he reached down and nuzzled his nose against the boy's hand. maybe he had treats. jenn smiled and pulled hima way. silly boy. she told herself and then looked at the boy a little more worried. do you need to go to the hospital? i can look around for your mare while you're there. she couldn't be too far.

[/b] jenn wanted to help the boy and hoped he was okay. she wasn't that great of a nurse.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[akia]

Aso stared at Brownie, grateful the horse didn’t try to bite him as he stretched his muzzle out. He only felt the horse’s whiskers tickle his palm and the gelding’s warm breath, before Jenn pulled him away. He smiled, and wished Hiki would be that calm. “No, no…I’ll go later, which is a bad idea, but I’m just worried about Hiki. She might get hurt out there…I rather find her first before I get myself fixed up,” he explained smiling again. Yeah, his horse came first, like everyone else who owned one. But after that horse injured his back years ago, he still would put her before himself. He remembered looking up to see if Hiki was alright back then, and sure enough, the mare had stood by him, head down, looking ashamed for knocking him off, and that was when he blacked out.

“It’s nice of you to say that, but really…she’ll be…oh wait, there she is…” he whispered, noticing the spotted mare making her way down the trail, at a slow trot, her ears perked up. She was a bit sweaty, and her breathing rough, but he guessed that it was because of her scare. She seemed alright, until he noticed a small scratch on her leg. The mare came close and then noticed Brownie, before stopping. She tossed her head, snorting as she did so, and pawed the ground, before coming close. She was greeting Brownie, and when she got to Aso, she stretched her head out and sniffed at the gelding.

Aso, then, took the chance to grab her reins, which made her jump and pull back, but once she saw it was Aso, she calmed down and stood there, head down. The boy reached his hand out to stroke her neck, feeling her wet fur, and sighed. “Ah…you nut case…scaring yourself like that…” he whispered, before the dizzy feeling came over him again. He glanced to Jenn and then to Brownie and back. “Told you…but, I guess we can make that hospital trip now,” he said, laughing softly. “Oh, I forgot…where are my manners? My name is Aso Tozawa, I just moved here and will hopefully become a bartender at the Tailgate. It is a pleasure to meet such a cute and caring girl as yourself,” he added. Also, he had no idea where the hospital was, so maybe he could get that information once Jenn introduced herself.

[jenn;;]

brownie perked up and spun his hindquarters around immediately once he heard a nearby creature approaching. he twitched his ears forward and listened until he saw the mare. brownie, being as polite as he was, began to paw the ground and tried reaching his nose to the mare's. brownie enjoyed meeting other horses it seemed like. he certainly had no problems with Hiki. jenn smiled and patted the gelding's black chest to hopefully make him calm down. when the mare finally was able to reach him he put his nostrils to hers and greeting her gently. jenn pulled him away once he got carried away.

jenn smiled. his mare was sure very cute, but obviously extremely skiddish. jenn was always interested in appaloosas. they're coloring was always very unique and always different from one another. no appaloosa looked the same. hiki and the boy seemed like they were meant for each other though. she was happy to find another person that loved horses just as much as she did. of course he couldn't just leave when his horse was missing. jenn would've probably done the same thing anyways. at least he was conscience.

she sure is skiddish isn't she? she giggled and laughed as he grabbed the mare's reins. even then she spooked. she had dealt with spooked horses before. with her work she has been trained to deal with horses that spook at everything and sometimes it's hard and frustrating. but it was always a rewarding experience in the end to watch a horse that you worked so hard with come back to reality. and when someone comes to adopt them, it makes you feel like a hero. like you did something right and something that could change the lives of both horse and rider. although some horses are so skiddish they don't make it through adoption, it is always a challenge, and jenn loved that.

she listened to his introduction. aso was a strange name. jenn assumed he must be from somewhere else. he just moved here. this reminded her of jason who she had met a few days ago. it was great to be able to meet so many new people. after the town was publicized so many great things had happened. jenn was proud to be part of it. she blushed when he said she was cute and caring, but tried to hide it best she could. she smiled again and put her hand slowly out to his, wondering if his mare would even spook at that. i'm jennifer. jenn for short. she spoke and shook his hand. she grabbed the reins on brownie again. i work at the rescue center. that's where i get this big boy.

[/i] she said, looking back at brownie's face. she patted his neck. it's nice to meet you.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[akia]

Hiki blew lightly against Brownie’s muzzle, before Jenn pulled him away. Her ears stayed forward and she looked relaxed, knowing that another horse was around. Aso noticed that when she was with other horses, she had less of a chance to shy for no reason, so he felt himself calm down a bit as well, knowing that Hiki wouldn’t randomly jump to the side and pull his arm off. He laughed at Jenns comment. “Yes, she is skiddish. She’s been like that ever since we met, but it’s alright. Patience is the key to work with her, and one day I know she’ll be less random and more easy to ride. She loves attention though, as you can tell,” he explained, patting Hiki’s neck.

The mare let out a soft sigh and put her head down, lipping at a few blades of grass. Aso reached out and shook Jenns hand, before he pulled it back. “You work at the rescue center? Wow, that’s pretty cool. I’m trying to get a job at the Tailgate myself, but I’m sure working with animals is much more fun than spinning glass bottles around at midnight,” he said, laughing. He glanced at Brownie and smiled at the gelding. “He is a handsome stud,” he commented. He didn’t want to risk having his hand bitten, since he didn’t know how Brownie would act towards another male or human for hat matter, so he kept his urge to give the gelding a scratch on the muzzle to himself.

Well, back to business. “As I said, I’m new here, so I haven’t really wandered around town after I put Hiki up at the stables, so if it would be alright with you I’d like to figure out where that hospital is,” The moment he thought of the hospital, his head started to hurt more. He guessed it had to do with the fact that the last major time he was there, he was getting stitches and a wooden pole taken out of his back. Not fun, not fun at all. Plus, as of now, Hiki was the main reason he went. Shied and knocked him off at a jump, crash, and Aso’s at the hospital in surgery.

Hopefully this time, he’d just get some pain killers and be told he’ll live to see another hundred years.

[jenn;;]

the conversation hadn't lasted long and jenn felt bad for her poor gelding. he hadn't gotten a trail ride for who knows how long and jenn was sure he was going to be bummed about that. but she would promise he'd get one this evening, and if it lasted too long, it'd happen for sure first thing in the morning. she backed brownie up so he wouldn't run over Aso and Hiki when he turned around. yea i can show you around a little bit if you want. everything is in walking distance. jenn replied to his question. jenn knew almost everything about the town. she had lived here since she was about ten years old, which was nine years ago. she grew up with the barn and the horses. it always gave her a boost.

there was never a time when jenn ran in to a rude person in this town. nearly everybody was nice. although there were some occasional snotty girl who that she was all that. some rich girl who had like fifty horses and only rode one. jenn hated those kinds of people. all they were here for was competition, and it made the town less fortunate and less welcoming. but, that was only one time since jenn had lived here. she had denied going to college and she couldnt' live with her parents any longer. but that was all in the past and there was no need to think or talk about it now. she hadn't talked to her mom since her last birthday when she called and said happy birthday to her. but nothing more than that. she didn't understand why she was unwanted.

to be nice, jenn decided to lead brownie out of the trees and back to the barn. if it was just her she would mount him right then and there but since she was with someone and felt like she needed to talk to him, well, on the ground, then that's what she would do. she began to lead brownie out of the trees, assuming Aso would follow behind with Hiki at his side. the tailgate! that's fun. i guess. jenn thought to herself that last comment. the hospital is basically in the center of the town so it should be about a ten minute walk. can you handle it?

[/b] she somewhat teased. she would put brownie in the round pen if it wasn't taken so that she didn't have to untack him. plus it would always be an excuse to go back to the barn.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[akia]

Once Jenn got Brownie backed up, Aso stood up, using Hiki to keep himself standing for a second, as his vision blurred for a few seconds. He almost felt like vomiting there and then, assuming it was from his fall, and totally knew this was worse than being hung over. He groaned slightly, leaning against Hiki for support, the mare standing there, head down, and keeping still. She had a feeling something was wrong with Aso, since he wasn’t acting like he normally would’ve, and let out a tiny snort of concern. Patting her neck, Aso watched as Jenn walked ahead of them, still on the ground, and decided he should try to walk as well.

“Thanks, and I’m sorry our meeting has to be short…” he replied, grinning for a few seconds before his head turned his grin into a grimace. I seriously must be out of my mind…what am I doing walking, I should be riding, but that might make me puke…what do I do, he thought, biting his lower lip to keep himself from passing out. It was times like this where he wished he had his mom or someone close to him, to tell him what to do, but then his dad would probably say that he needed to learn from experience or something like that.

Good ol’ dad, Aso wondered how he was doing. He was pulled from his thoughts at Jenn’s comment. Fun? It was a bar full of drunk people and from the looks of it, Jenn was too young to even get in. Ha, so much for a future date plan then. “I think I can handle it…if you don’t mind me taking it slow,” he replied, now using some of Hiki’s short mane to keep himself up. He probably looked horrible. Sweaty, his eyes probably weren’t that focused, he was breathing out of his mouth now as if gasping for air, how attractive. Usually it was the girls who’d look like this if he pass, now it’s the other way around.

“Do you think riding there would be faster…?” he asked, already mounting onto Hiki, leaning a tad forward in his seat as the mare adjusted to his weight again. Her head tossed slightly, and she walked in place for a second before catching up to Brownie and Jenn.

[jenn;;]

she hated it. why hadn't one other person before her seen the boy first. she didn't want to leave the barn. after all she had only gone nearly a fourth of a mile on brownie before she realized the boy calling out his horse. if only one person before her had seen him first, she would still be riding on the trail like she had been so excited to do. her thoughts drifted to jealousy and then frustration. it had been months since she had ridden a good riding horse out in the open. now was her chance, but she couldn't. she had to be nice instead. but she knew that eventually she would've regretted not helping the boy. she wasn't sure if he was in for sure danger from hitting his head or not, but she had to think positive.

she continued to walk and when he said he can handle it slow she tried to slow her pace down and she glanced behind her at aso. he looked horrible. sweat covered his face and it almost looked like he was limping, but it must have been just from walking so impressively slow. it gave jenn a hint that there's got to be something seriously wrong with how he hit his head. she had worn a helmet herself but after this incident she would always wear one when out on the trails by herself. she didn't know brownie all that well as her own horse so it would definitely be a safe choice to wear a helmet, at least until she knew the horse for sure and knew nearly everything about him.

jenn stopped brownie he was trying to walk faster than they were. he must be a brat sometimes because he was going back to the barn. totally understandable but jenn needed him to understand that the boy was hurt. brownie would get ridden again this evening or tomorrow morning. or even both if she had to. when aso stopped and got up on hiki (very impressive with a bareback horse), jenn too stopped and mounted up on brownie. brownie began to walk as she flew her right leg over and before she had the stirrup he began to trot. she slowed him back down and spun him around to face hiki and aso, hoping that brownie's sudden disperse didn't cause hiki to go just as fast. especially if aso had just got on her back.

she stayed stopped until the two had caught up, then she turned back around and had to continuously pull back on the reins to get brownie to slow. it was a faster pace then walking on foot still but jenn didn't know how aso was feeling. are you going to want to ride there or i can drive you there. that'd be a lot faster.

[/b] she said, a little louder than usual so he could hear her without her having to repeat herself at all. she tried to plan the whole thing out. brownie had a saddle on and it would be a waste of time to just untack him, then tack him again once she got back. so she had planned to place him in the round pen, take his bridle off and let him wander with the saddle on. surely she wouldn't be gone that long. but if they were driving the car hiki would have to go somewhere. she could put the horse in the stall or paddock or whatever she lived in, but she wasn't sure if aso would let her. she could just place hiki in the indoor arena, but who knew how long it would be until aso got back to catch her and put her away.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[akia]

Even though Aso was somewhat out of it, he noticed Jenn’s posture and expressions. She seemed a little unhappy that she had found him, and Aso felt bad. God, out of all the days to make someone feel bad, it had to be when he just met someone. He bit his lower lip, wishing he had worn a helmet, so if they did come across each other it’d be a more pleasant meeting than it was now. Fate was playing an interesting game again. He tried to keep his eyes level with Hiki’s ears for now, until he heard Jenn. He swallowed, still feeling guilty. Brownie looked like he hadn’t been out in ages, the way the gelding was walking fast, and he felt bad if the horse didn’t get the exercise that he needed. Plus, wouldn’t Jenn have to untack him if she drove him?

“Brownie looks like he has some un-used energy, would it be so bad if we rode them there? I’m sure I’ll go in for some pain medications or something. You can always just leave me and Hiki there if that’s alright with you, I don’t want to take any more time out of your day,” he replied.

Hiki balked a bit at Brownie, but she calmed down a second later, almost smacking the back of her head against Aso’s forehead, which would add more problems. Tightening the make-shift reins, Aso glared lightly at Hiki, but sighed, patting her neck to reassure her that everything was ok, and nudged her to a faster walk, catching up to the others.

“Or, if you could just point me in the right direction, I can go myself. You said the middle of town right? I’m sure I could find it, even in the shape I’m in, I won’t give up until I get there,” he said, grinning lopsidedly at Jenn. Which was true, since Aso was very goal-oriented. Maybe this idea would be best. It would give Jenn and Brownie the trail time they needed, and he was going to be boarding Hiki at the stables anyways, so he’d do that after the hospital trip anyways.

[[ooc; agh crappy post, sorry about that xD]]

[jenn;;]

jenn remembered when she had fallen and hit her head pretty hard. except she was a wimp, so aso could have had a worse experience right now than she did. she truly hoped he was okay and knew that she probably shouldn't leave him on his own. he could be suffering from a concussion or possibly even worse. she didn't want to thik about how horrible his injury might be, and hoped she was helping to the best of her ability. she continued pulling on the reins for a bit and listened to aso's painful sounding words. she could tell there was something seriously wrong and felt she was obligated to help him and take care of him until he was in better hands. and that's what she would do.

"Brownie looks like he has some un-used energy, would it be so bad if we rode them there? I’m sure I’ll go in for some pain medications or something. You can always just leave me and Hiki there if that’s alright with you, I don’t want to take any more time out of your day" jenn listened to his words and suddenly felt extremely bad. had her inner thoughts shown through her outer emotions? sure she was bummed she didn't get to go on the trail like she had planned but if it was to help of friend it was totally worth it. she could spend everyday riding if she wanted to, but it wasn't every day that you can help a friend out. i will ride with you there. i don't want to leave you riding by yourself with your head the way it is.

[/i]

brownie took a few trotting paces until jenn slowed him down again. she kept her legs nice and lose, not letting her boots rub against the gelding's sides. jenn glanced behind her again and made sure he was still balance on the mare's back. jenn believe hiki could tell what was going on. horses had that sixth sense and she might've known that aso was hurt and she wanted to help. she looked a lot more calm and willing. of course, if you had a good bond with your horse, that would happen to every body. i'll ride with you there and walk in. there's horse posts outside almost every store. brownie will stand and i'll walk in with you until we find out what's wrong. okay? jenn was stern with what she was saying and she wouldn't turn back on her word.[/blockquote][/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]

[akia]

I will ride with you there. I don’t want to leave you riding by yourself with your head the way it is

Was she seriously that worried? Or did she feel bad? Aso bit his lower lip then, thinking. It wasn’t everyday that’d you find someone who would go out of their way just to help out, but then again…

I’ll ride with you there and walk in.

She continued for a few seconds, and her tone had changed. Aso blinked and sighed. He guessed it would have to do. “Alright, but only because you’re so worried. I’m sure this will give Brownie a bit of exercise that he needs, and probably more. It’d be like…an extended trail ride, except into town!” he said, grinning at her. Even with a sore head, he was still finding the positive in this situation. He lightened his grip on the reins, nudging Hiki into a faster walk.

The mare shook her head, walking up to Brownie, giving him a tiny nudge with her nose on his shoulder, as if acknowledging him, and walked ahead of him. “Middle of town, which is…that way!” Aso said, pointing, hoping he got it right, and lightly moved the reins, giving the signal to turn for Hiki. The mare flicked her tail and slowed down, looking back at Brownie and Jenn. Aso turned his head too, a bit slower than the horse. “Well? You coming?”


[[ooc;; I'll go make a post at the hosptial]]