I knew they’d simply taken this place as an opportunity to dump me, but as I walked past all the horses, I really didn’t care. I would be happy, and as long as they could ignore guilt of their odd parenting ways, they would be happy too. Although, I realised their next trip to England would probably provoke a numerous number of questionings as to why they’d thought it to be a good idea.
The fact that animals would be around me wasn’t the only reason that cheered me up though, but the thought that at last I could remain in one place, I wouldn’t have to keep a suitcase packed just in case my parents spontaneously decided we’d go away for the weekend or longer if they felt like it. Of course I was a little upset to see them leave me like this though. It had clearly always been an easy thing to do for them, but this time I was completely alone. I had no family around me and to make matters worse, I was in a place that we’d only just arrived in. It was like being a kid again, getting lost in the shops, being so scared that you don’t know what to do. Only I wasn’t a kid, I wouldn’t look for them and I certainly wouldn’t start crying as I thought more and more about the situation.
'I’ll live.’ I sighed, stopping by one of the stables and lightly reaching out my hand to gently stroke the horse before me. She was a rather pretty horse and her coat was a clean white colour with various black spots and her blue eyes were rather cheerful, though seemed to be more interested in the food rather than me. I didn’t blame her, I was hardly interesting.
I moved away to the next stable instead, allowing her to continue with her food. The horse this time was a rather lively looking male. I smiled softly and simply leant lightly on the door. I couldn’t reach him from here, and would simply have to make do with watching him. That was of course unless I was allowed in to get a better look. I pondered on asking her, her being the woman that had brought me in here. She’d told me a little of the Academy earlier and explained that she was one of the instructors. She might let me, after all she’d said I was in here to choose a horse now.
”Umm, excuse me.” I said, though even as I spoke realised it was probably to quiet for her to hear me. Sure enough I was right as she didn’t respond in anyway.
”She’ll never hear that, Mouse.” I heard a voice call out. I would have been perfectly calm about it had the voice not been clearly male and the only other person in here was the instructor. I thought it best to ignore the voices though and simply decided to try get the instructor’s attention again.
”Excuse me” I repeated myself, louder and clearer this time, and sure enough she rose her head and looked towards me.
”Is there a problem? Or have you made up your mind?” She questioned as she moved over towards me, peering at the stable before me. ”I’m afraid that if you’ve chosen that horse you’ll need to carry on looking, he’s already set aside for one of the students, simply waiting for his new stable to be cleared.”
”Oh, alright. Sorry to bother you then.” I responded, taking another glance at the horse, mostly to try not look at the instructor anymore, feeling a little embarrassed for thinking about choosing a horse that had already been picked, and a little guilty for bothering the instructor for no reason.
”Not to worry, I am here to help Miss Hartley.” She stated with a smile before she set off to whatever she’d been doing beforehand.
”Better luck next time, Mouse.” It was that voice again and I frowned lightly, paying attention to it this time. ”Over here, Stable 11” It stated, probably seeing the look of confusion on my face. I moved though, for some unknown reason, and towards the stable the voice had said. I peered inside expecting to see someone else, another person, not the only occupant of the stable; a black horse.
”You can’t be talking to me.” I muttered backing away slightly, though I still remained close to the stable, watching the horse, his black eyes seemed a little uneasy, and I was certain that my brown ones held a similar look, though with much more confusion.
”And why not?” He actually seemed offended by that statement and once again I felt a little guilty for my words. I knew that the Academy would apparently teach us to talk to the horse that we chose, but I had certainly not picked one yet, nor had I begun any lessons. This was just madness. ”What’s your name anyway Mouse?”
”Kat” I whispered. I was beginning to believe this more and more as the conversation went on, but I still felt uncomfortable about it. I felt odd enough here already, being English, and now, I was talking to a horse that only I could hear.
”How ironic; you act like a mouse but you’ve got a name like cat.” He seemed to soften a little there, and amused by my name and had already sussed out my shy nature.
”Kat, it’s short for Kathleen” I explained, although I wasn’t entirely sure why. ”What’s your name anyway?” I asked him, changing the subject from the joke of my name as I moved back towards the stable.
”Ridge, I suppose” He answered shifting slightly, moving closer to the door. I wondered how he could ‘suppose’ that was his name, though I kept quiet, not wanting to offend the horse. There was a silence between us for some time as we simply watched each other. I half expected him to tell me to do something and end the sentence by calling me ‘Mouse’ again, but Ridge was quiet now and I began to feel that he wasn’t as thingyy as he’d first appeared.
”Right then Ridge, I suppose we’d best sort things out.” He moved his ears a little and for a second I thought that maybe I’d been dreaming before and this horse had never actually spoken to me. ”I’m here to find a horse during my stay and I suppose you’re here waiting for a rider.”
”You got it Kat” Ridge stated, nodding his head lightly. ”Only, for some odd reason I’ve chosen you”
’What?’ I wondered ’He’s chosen me?’ But I didn’t bother to question him, things were mad enough already and for some reason, I half expected them to get crazier yet.