in secret

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Trillium:
Francesca Zelda Blade, reporting for duty.
bedecked in my long black wig, aviators, and an uncharacteristically bright lime green running top, i skidded the fourwheeler i had, ummm, borrowed from cousin milt up to the side of the covered arena. i hurried inside.

Katie:
a diminutive figure, apparently Trillium, aka, Francesca, darted into the arena. "welcome to dressage class." i said warmly, shaking her hand. "let's go get you a horse, shall we?"

Trillium:
i was glad this Katie stelring person was so nice.... to register at berryhill, you have to apply, have background checks run by- guess who?- the secretary, me, do some sample rides and take a test. "i can't wait to see my mount!" i exclaimed happily.

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Katie:
"Oh, i'm sure you'll love her!" i said, leading Trillium out of the arena and into the barn. i opened the first stall in the schooling horses block. "you can buy her if you want, or just rent her... Trilli- er, Francesca, Meet Pandora's Box."

Trillium:
i squeaked in delight. my new horse, the first horse i would ever own, was a gorgeous piebald mare the color of an oreo. he had the dished face of an arabian, but, as she pranced around inside her stall, the gaited trot of a saddlebred. "is she a national show horse?" i gasped.

Katie:
"that she is! and quite well trained for her eight years." i said, clipping Panda's purple leadrope to her halter. "for starters, let's have you saddle her up and try her out in the arena. i'll watch, but not really help. you really must become bonded with your horse."

Trillium:
"awesome!" unfortunately, as i pumped my fist in the air, my black wig went sailing off to land a few feet away.

Katie:
"oh, forget the wig, for now." i said, picking up the glossy hairpiece and setting it on a local barrel. "if milto comes, you can just hide in the hayloft or somthing. now, let's go find a saddle and fit the stirrups to your legs...."

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Trillium:
"oh my gosh1 i really am going to get to ride! and i bought a saddle over the internet a while ago, because i've always wanted to hvae ionem just in case.... i'll get it!" carrying the saddle in my backpack hadn'y been easy, but i had managed.

Katie:
"okay! i'll find a bridle while you're gone."

i started sifting through the loops of bridles in the tack room, searching for Pandora's when i heard hoofbeats outside. wondering what was up, i dashed into the stable yard to discover Arin riding double with that black-haired fellow from Berryhill on a tall thoroughbred. Blackthorne, though limping slightly, was grazing in my garden nearby. apparently, he had beat them home.

Arin:
"hi, Katie. long story, here..." and i recounted meeting owen in the woods, Blackthorne;s cataclysmic fall, and the ride back to Sterling. "do you think we could get a vet?"

Katie:
"i didn't get a bachelor's degree in equine medicine for nothing!" i said brightly, striding over to the rather muddy Freisan. after a quick examination of his leg, i found that there was nothing wrong but a bit of swelling. further inspection found that he could trot on it with only a slight stagger, as he had jogged off after smelling some of the oats i had absentmindedly left out in the barn aisle. "you'd better go retreive him before he gets colic from those, Arin. but you were lucky- he's fine, but i'm afraid we can't risk you jumping on him anymore. we wouldn't want to irritate the bruise and swelling, and the best thing for it is at least two weeks rest and relaxation."

Arin:
although i was overjoyed that Blackthorne Shilleaughs was okay, i was also a little worried about my new mount. "do we have any steeplechasers here at the stables?"

Katie:
"no, but i know somewhere where there might be a possibility..." without a word, i zipped into my office. it was time i releived one of my fellow stable managers, Melissa, of one of her hardest burdens to bear....

Owen:
"welllllll, i guess i'd better be going." i said, a bit awkwardly, riding double had been fun, but i felt like i would say somthing embarassing any moment.

Arin:
"yeah, i guess so...." i said, scuffing my toe in the dirt. "but once i get my new horse, we have a race to finish."

Owen:
"you bet!" not wanting to sound tooooo eager, i wheeled ballerina in a pirouette and galloped her out of the stable yard onto the trail to berryhill....

Arin:
my heart skipped a beat. riding away into the sunset?!?!?! i think i'm in love....

Trillium:
i scrambled out of the way, carrying ym saddle, as one of the four horsemen of the apocalypse went tearing by in a swirl of dust. one of the sterling riders was looking dreamily shellshocked at the entrance to the barn. i decided not to ask...

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Katie:
"it's settled, then! your new horse should arrive by midnight tonight!" i told arin, quite pleased with myself.

Arin:
broken out of my reverie of a certain person, i exclaimed, "how did you arrange that so fast?!"

Katie:
"well, one of my friends, Melissa, has a very nice stable in southeastern oregon. that's only about a five-hour drive from here. she's been complaining about this one horse she has, and con't seem to sell- but it looks to me like all this horse needs is a second chance, and she'll be the talented jumper she's trained to be. Melly can't wait to get rid of her, so she's hastening down tonight."

Arin:
i squealed with delight. "what does the horse look like? what breed is she? what's her name!?!?!?! i can definately buy her from you as soon as she gets here!" my pension from the dance company, plus the income from my part-time job as a webpage designer, kept me quite comfortable money wise, with room to spare.

Katie:
"i'll let it be a surprise. do you want to stay the night here? i have cots and sleeping bags in the barn."

Arin:
although i moaned when Katie said she'd reveal no more about my horse, i was excited to spend the night at the stables. "that sounds great! i'll invite Mary anne and sid to stay, too! and Trill- er, Francesca, if she can."

Trillium:
i glowed beneath my fake black locks as the redheaded girl remembered my presence. everyone here was so nice! no Whitley Treadwells to speak of. "i wish i could, but i have to go to one of Milton's aristocratic dinner parties." i said, regretting the fact. "but i'll be here ASAP in the morning to see the mytery mare!"

Arin:
"great! i'll just go and give Blackthorne a good grooming now." i skipped off to put my horse in the crossties. heaven knew he needed a good brushing and hosing!

Katie:
"well, we have a lesson to conduct, Trillium. i'll show you how to saddle and bridle Pandora."

Trillium:
"no need! i've practiced on the Berryhill horses loads of times!"

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in ten minutes, we had my gorgeous piebald tacked up and in the sandy arena. i was psyched to start riding! i quickly mounted from the left side, and felt on top of the world sitting astride the gorgeous National Show horse. "we're going to be great together, Panda!" i exclaimed, leaning down over her neck to give her a pat.

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Trillium:
with Katie standing at Pandora's head, i walked my horse into the arena. she immediately assumed a regal pose, bowing her head gently and beginning to prance in place. "gosh, what a well-trained horse!" i marveled aloud, tugging one of her ears affectionately.

Katie:
"here's your routine." i said, fishing a crisply folded piece of paper out of my coat pocket. "let's see how you do by yourself, first, and then we'll start seeing how it goes together."

Trillium:
i cracked my knuckles. "okey-dokey! let's see what we can do."

the first item on the sheet was "walking half-pass, A to E."

i knew plenty well from readin the official dressage maulal that a half pass was a diagonal walk, going corner to corner and then turning. Panda knew it too, and did exactly as told as i tapped my heels to her sides and let the reins go slack. i made sure to keep a straight back, looking forward, with good shoulder posture the whole time.

next came "serpentine, E to B, at trot." i did so, and posted well, due to frequent practice on one of Berryhill's plastic vaulting horses. i was so glad that i could actually ride!

Katie:
"you're doing great!" i cheered, happy that my nee protege was riding so well. "now you just need to commit it to memory..."