An error in judgement by chihuahua4446 on DeviantArt (original) (raw)
Mandatory image number 2 for Larchenlied.
Import image: Here
Previously: No need to worry
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Story:
In the days following Larchi’s arrival, Miru had spent most of her time outside the round pen gate. Dusty’s mare, Stardust, had been allowed to stay in the round pen with Larchi, and the two of them had spent most of their time close together. Stardust’s laid back nature had done a lot to convince Larchi that the humans were trustworthy and both mares could be seen each morning with their heads over the gate in eager anticipation of breakfast. Larchi was also relatively unconcerned by people walking past the round pen. It was the unexpected that she seemed unsettled by. Someone stopping to lean on the gate, a wheelbarrow rolling past, a plastic bucket clanking to the ground all seemed to send her into high alert. Her head raised high, she would snort and dart to the furthest area of the pen.
Miru watched these reactions endlessly. She could still feel the mare’s pull to run when something surprised or startled her. Miru’s mind could not fathom breaking that instinct from the mare. How hypocritical that would be, when she had done her fair share of running; and her fair share of being unable to run. But she also felt a pressure, unspoken, that she needed to be able to train this horse. This feeling creeped on the edge of her mind until she was certain that everyone at the barn had decided she was not capable of this.
It was only two weeks after the mare’s arrival before Miru got it into her head that she needed to get started on handling. She armed herself with a pocket full of cut carrots and entered the round pen. Stardust walked up to her immediately and allowed some head scratches. While Stardust was certainly Dusty’s horse, the mare knew Miru well and would never turn down the possibility of snacks. Her pink lips began to explore Miru’s pockets and upon finding some pieces of a carrot, Stardust made quick work of pulling out a chunk and chewing happily. Miru pulled a few more chunks out and gave it to her. Now Stardust was insistent on staying close, which both gave Larchi some confidence and made it difficult to approach her. Eventually, curiosity got the best of her and she came cautiously closer. Miru gave Stardust another piece of carrot and Larchi inched closer and closer. She reached her head as far forward as she could, her little lip twitching. She wasn’t quite close enough to reach but Miru put a carrot on her palm and held it out to her. She had nearly reached it when Stardust casually leaned over and ate it. Miru laughed, checking to find her pockets empty. Oh well, it was a start.
This game went on for two days before Larchi began to take the treats from Miru’s hand. After that, the progress seemed to come quickly. Miru would walk around the pen, stopping periodically to give both mares a treat. Before long, Larchi was walking beside Miru and stopping when she did. Then Miru began to halter her and play the same game. Larchi picked it up quickly.
“She’s looking good!” Tessa said from the gate one afternoon. Miru looked up from the middle of the pen. She hadn’t even noticed the bystanders approaching, but there stood Tessa and Bristol.
“Thanks,” Miru responded quietly. She continued what she was doing and started slightly when someone spoke again.
“If you want any help with her, let me know,” Bristol called out, her voice chipper.
Miru didn’t acknowledge her, focusing on what she was doing, and on keeping her energy soft. She was annoyed that her concentration was being disturbed. Then, just barely, she could hear Bristol say to Tessa: “Jeesh, she’s so prickly.”
Tessa said something in return but Miru didn’t hear it. She could feel her energy spiking and didn’t want to set off Larchi, but the two girls were blocking her exit. Silently, she begged them to leave. After what felt like a very long time, Tessa called out a “see you around!” and they walked off. Miru emptied her pocket of treats onto a pile of hay and left the pen.
Why did it bother her? Miru argued with herself for the next two days that she shouldn’t even care what some new princess thought of her. Bristol was obnoxious, audacious, and she was only here because Stephan was too generous. Even as she let these thoughts take hold, she recognized both the unnecessary hostility and the irony of them. Still, she didn’t need help from some girl in high end clothes who always rode like she was trying to show off. Miru could manage on her own.
So, Miru decided, it was time to get Larchi’s training really started. She made sure Bristol was around and then haltered Larchi as she had been doing. She took her time walking and stopping and feeding treats all the way to the gate. Then she opened the gate. She tossed Stardust a handful of treats on the ground and then carefully maneuvered Larchi out, closing the gate softly behind them. Stardust lifted her head and gave a concerned nicker, but otherwise, this was going smoothly. Miru began her same game, trying to keep everything as much the same as possible. Larchi was looking around, alert, but she stayed with Miru. Hopefully Bristol was watching, Miru thought to herself. No sooner as she thought this was there a sudden bang of a wheelbarrow being dumped.
It was like an explosion, the reaction from Larchi. She dashed forward, giving Miru no time to react. The mare hit the end of the lead rope and didn’t stop. Miru had only a moment of time to imagine Larchi galloping off somewhere, her rope trailing behind her, the damages that could be done. She held on, leaning her weight back on her heels, but this did nothing except skate Miru across the grass. Larchi was picking up speed now, her hooves plunging into the soft grass of the barnyard, and Miru found herself suddenly being yanked off her feet. She hit the ground hard, with momentum, and then she was being dragged across the grass. She was vividly aware of the mare’s hooves all too close to her head and then she was rolling as the horse took a sudden turn. Still, she kept her grip on the rope, hoping that the mare would stop. She struggled to get her feet under herself, nearly succeeding briefly, before being flung to her stomach again. Another turn sent her rolling again but this time she hit something solid, abruptly stopping her and knocking the wind from her lungs.
The rope flicked from her hands in an instant. Miru rolled over and pushed to her feet, ignoring the pains that seemed to be coming from all parts of her body and the sounds of someone (or multiple someones) calling to her. She could only think of Larchi. But as she gained some sense of orientation, she realized that Larchi, no longer restrained, had only gone a few more yards and had come to a halt. The mare was wild eyed and snorting loudly, but thankfully seemed unharmed. Miru took a shaky step towards her, wondering how much progress she had just lost. But to her surprise, Larchi began to close the distance between them. Miru let out a sound, something between a laugh and a sob, and gently stroked the mare’s neck. She gathered up the lead rope, steeled herself, and turned around. Bristol was indeed watching, along with nearly everyone else who worked here. Though, Miru thought to herself, it seemed neither Dusty nor Stephan were present: a small silver lining.
No one approached her, likely worried they would set off Larchi again, but as she got closer, Tessa asked, “How badly are you hurt?”
“I’m fine!” Miru lied, though she was definitely going to be sore the next day!
“Just get her back to the round pen,” Bristol offered.
“What do you think I’m doing?” Miru snapped.
“Just trying to help,” Bristol replied.
“Well, don’t!” Miru shot back.
She returned the mare to the round pen, where a very worried Stardust greeted her, took off her halter, distributed the rest of the treats to both horses, and then slipped out. No sooner had she closed the gate was Tessa at her side.
“Geesh,” she breathed. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“I’m good,” Miru brushed her off. She wanted nothing more than to get into her car and leave already. “I’m just gonna head home for the day.”
“You should probably get checked out,” Bristol said, sounding concerned.
“If it weren’t for you, this wouldn’t have happened!” Miru snapped.
“Me?” Bristol huffed. “I’m not the one making rash training decisions!”
“Okay!” Aevin said, his voice calm but deliberate, leaving no room for interpretation. “Enough.”
“I literally didn’t do anything!” Bristol complained. “I’m being blamed for literally nothing!”
“Yeah right!” Miru grumbled. Why was the damn parking lot so far away!
“Why are you like this?” Bristol shot back, her volume rising steeply.
“That’s enough,” Aevin said again, his voice still perfectly even.
Miru could feel tears prick behind her eyes, always a betrayal, always at the worst times. The embarrassment of staying here a second longer seemed more agony than the throbbing on her side; she could already tell a bruise was forming. Tessa and Aevin were both still walking with her but Bristol gave one last huff and stalked off. Finally, Miru made it to her car, reassured Tessa and Aevin she was fine again, and drove off. As soon as she was headed down the driveway, she felt the heat of frustrated tears on her cheeks.
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Art (c) chihuahua4446