Post by Cadence Silverstream on Aug 15, 2017 1:03:53 GMT 10
Chapter One~
Juliette sharply inhaled as she approached the stables. Supposedly, this was the stable that she was to stay at all summer long. Ivy crept up the crumbling stone walls. The place would need a renovation soon.
She headed into the front gates with the pace of a snail. Her boot heels clicked on the cobblestone as she headed over to the only person in sight, a teenager named Justin. She had heard her mother conversing with his father over the phone to set up the plans for the summer. Justin bounded over and heartily shook her hand. "Nice to meet ya'," he said, flashing her a smile. "We haven't had any new riders around here for a while." He glanced over at the gates leading to the rest of the stables. "My father, Thomas, will have your horse ready soon." Juliette nodded and smiled nervously. She wasn't sure how to react. She was finally going to ride a horse, but in this strange place with plenty of new people.
"Don't worry," Justin said, as if reading her mind. "Come over here. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Juliette followed with a little pep in her step. She might be in a new place with new people, but Justin seemed like a nice, trustworthy person. "Juliette, this is Midnightblaze, the horse that you will be riding this summer." The stallion wasn't particularly handsome, but he wasn't ugly, either. He had a long chestnut coat and a fine black mane. A small, pure-white star lit up his forehead. He tossed his mane as if to say, 'I'm here, baby!' For the first time since arriving on the mysterious isle of Jorvik, Juliette felt welcomed.
"Here's a soft brush. Midnightblaze likes soft brushes," Thomas informed her, handing her a large, circular wooden brush with soft brown bristles. Juliette ran her fingers over it before carefully brushing the thin layer of dust off of Midnightblaze's shiny chestnut coat. "Now try using the hoof pick. Face backwards, pick up his hoof, and carefully use the pointy end to scrape out any rocks. Be careful of the triangle in the middle, called the frog, which is sensitive."
"Okay," she responded, feeling calmer being around the stallion. She did exactly as Thomas had said, and Midnightblaze held up his hoof well, until she accidentally let it slide out of her hand. It landed on her boot with a thump. Her foot writhed with pain as she tried to squirm out from under the horse's heavy hoof. "How do I get his hoof off of my boot?" she asked, slightly annoyed.
"Push on his shoulder," Justin replied calmly.
Juliette leaned against Midnightblaze's shoulder and heaved with all of her might. He lifted his hoof and put it down after she had removed her foot. She stopped heaving and looked up at Thomas, exhausted. "What now?"
"Heh. Tired, I see. I'll tack him up for ya'. " He pulled out a saddle pad, a saddle, and a bridle. "This is the basic equipment for horseback riding," he explained, gesturing to the supplies hanging over his left arm. "First one is the saddle pad." He placed the saddle pad on top of his back. "Next..."
About ten minutes later, Juliette was sitting atop her own rented horse. She confidently gripped the reins and pressed her heels down in the stirrups. She felt proud of herself. Trotting over to Jenna, she sat up straighter and tried to look like and experienced rider. "Hello," Jenna said with a cheerful wave. "It's time for your first race."
Two years later, things had changed. Greatly.
The wind whipped Juliette's amber hair as she rode through the Hollow Woods at a full gallop, her eyes hardened and cold. She had stayed in Jorvik and had decided to live there, mostly because she had a good friend in Justin. But a few days ago, everything had changed. Instead of being a normal stable girl, she found out she was the fifth Soul Rider. Justin had left Moorland and Thomas was too worried to properly care for the horses. She had to do stable chores every day to help out, which she was glad to do, but it only scared her. She was alone now, facing her destiny without a close friend to back her up.
Alex pulled up beside her, her jagged blonde hair draped over her left eye. "Juliette, you okay? Ever since Justin disappeared, you've been... Different."
"I'm fine, Alex, just worried. He was a good friend of mine." Alex didn't respond. She seemed to be thinking of something - or someone - else. Linda snorted and tapped Alex on the shoulder.
"You're doing it again." Alex seemed to snap out of it. Suddenly, Starshine reared, right in the middle of the path. Below his hooves was a small black kitten with a green eye and an amber eye. "Mew?"
"That's adorable!" Juliette cooed. She picked up the kitten and cradled it in her arms. "Stay in here, Sesame." She gently placed him in the saddlebag. Sesame seemed to comply with that, purring with satisfaction. The four continued their ride down to the Valedale Village.
Juliette sharply inhaled as she approached the stables. Supposedly, this was the stable that she was to stay at all summer long. Ivy crept up the crumbling stone walls. The place would need a renovation soon.
She headed into the front gates with the pace of a snail. Her boot heels clicked on the cobblestone as she headed over to the only person in sight, a teenager named Justin. She had heard her mother conversing with his father over the phone to set up the plans for the summer. Justin bounded over and heartily shook her hand. "Nice to meet ya'," he said, flashing her a smile. "We haven't had any new riders around here for a while." He glanced over at the gates leading to the rest of the stables. "My father, Thomas, will have your horse ready soon." Juliette nodded and smiled nervously. She wasn't sure how to react. She was finally going to ride a horse, but in this strange place with plenty of new people.
"Don't worry," Justin said, as if reading her mind. "Come over here. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Juliette followed with a little pep in her step. She might be in a new place with new people, but Justin seemed like a nice, trustworthy person. "Juliette, this is Midnightblaze, the horse that you will be riding this summer." The stallion wasn't particularly handsome, but he wasn't ugly, either. He had a long chestnut coat and a fine black mane. A small, pure-white star lit up his forehead. He tossed his mane as if to say, 'I'm here, baby!' For the first time since arriving on the mysterious isle of Jorvik, Juliette felt welcomed.
"Here's a soft brush. Midnightblaze likes soft brushes," Thomas informed her, handing her a large, circular wooden brush with soft brown bristles. Juliette ran her fingers over it before carefully brushing the thin layer of dust off of Midnightblaze's shiny chestnut coat. "Now try using the hoof pick. Face backwards, pick up his hoof, and carefully use the pointy end to scrape out any rocks. Be careful of the triangle in the middle, called the frog, which is sensitive."
"Okay," she responded, feeling calmer being around the stallion. She did exactly as Thomas had said, and Midnightblaze held up his hoof well, until she accidentally let it slide out of her hand. It landed on her boot with a thump. Her foot writhed with pain as she tried to squirm out from under the horse's heavy hoof. "How do I get his hoof off of my boot?" she asked, slightly annoyed.
"Push on his shoulder," Justin replied calmly.
Juliette leaned against Midnightblaze's shoulder and heaved with all of her might. He lifted his hoof and put it down after she had removed her foot. She stopped heaving and looked up at Thomas, exhausted. "What now?"
"Heh. Tired, I see. I'll tack him up for ya'. " He pulled out a saddle pad, a saddle, and a bridle. "This is the basic equipment for horseback riding," he explained, gesturing to the supplies hanging over his left arm. "First one is the saddle pad." He placed the saddle pad on top of his back. "Next..."
About ten minutes later, Juliette was sitting atop her own rented horse. She confidently gripped the reins and pressed her heels down in the stirrups. She felt proud of herself. Trotting over to Jenna, she sat up straighter and tried to look like and experienced rider. "Hello," Jenna said with a cheerful wave. "It's time for your first race."
Two years later, things had changed. Greatly.
The wind whipped Juliette's amber hair as she rode through the Hollow Woods at a full gallop, her eyes hardened and cold. She had stayed in Jorvik and had decided to live there, mostly because she had a good friend in Justin. But a few days ago, everything had changed. Instead of being a normal stable girl, she found out she was the fifth Soul Rider. Justin had left Moorland and Thomas was too worried to properly care for the horses. She had to do stable chores every day to help out, which she was glad to do, but it only scared her. She was alone now, facing her destiny without a close friend to back her up.
Alex pulled up beside her, her jagged blonde hair draped over her left eye. "Juliette, you okay? Ever since Justin disappeared, you've been... Different."
"I'm fine, Alex, just worried. He was a good friend of mine." Alex didn't respond. She seemed to be thinking of something - or someone - else. Linda snorted and tapped Alex on the shoulder.
"You're doing it again." Alex seemed to snap out of it. Suddenly, Starshine reared, right in the middle of the path. Below his hooves was a small black kitten with a green eye and an amber eye. "Mew?"
"That's adorable!" Juliette cooed. She picked up the kitten and cradled it in her arms. "Stay in here, Sesame." She gently placed him in the saddlebag. Sesame seemed to comply with that, purring with satisfaction. The four continued their ride down to the Valedale Village.