Apparently I gave you guys the wrong link in chapter five XP Here’s the REAL thing, so you know more or less what River looks like…it’ll probably change in a while though cuz I’m not too fond of the pic. The rest of the group will come along later…

1. yuralria. deviantart

2. .com/art/River-119223185

It wouldn't show the first art when I put it as one, so when you put in the url, paste the first part of the url in and then the second (underlined bits only)

Chapter 6: In Which I am a Ninny

After that, I allowed Jeremy to lead me to the fence, head hanging and tail drooping in shame. Yes, shame. You’d be embarrassed too if you’d woken up the entire stable for an imaginary threat.

By the time we got back to the fence, we had both calmed down considerably.

Jeremy unbolted the lock on the fence door and slowly, hesitantly and tensely pulled me in. I took several steps forward (seemingly willingly) and he sped up, all caution lost. Once I was all in, he fancy-knotted my lead rope to one side of the fence and slid the lock shut once more.

I twitched my ears nervously and looked around. The circle was empty except for Jeremy and I. I looked at him over my shoulder. He was staring at me critically, looking me up and down. I did the same of him – shiny black boots, tight beige pants that no male should wear, loose white shirt, stone cold face (dirty from our earlier adventures) and the messily knotted back mop on his head.

Finally he came up to me, unravelled the knotted lead, and started walking around the circle, pulling me along behind him.

At first I stayed still, watching him carefully. He tugged gently on the lead, which I took as “keep it moving, you handsome devil you.” I didn’t…move. I stayed where I was. He turned and looked at me again, then came back and slipped his fingers through my halter.

I neighed and jumped back, but he held firm. He was strong for a scrawny little no good son of a tick. He tugged gently on the halter, in a way that suggested, “Let’s get this over with. I have better things to do than waste my time out here with a wayward beauty like yourself.” I whole-heartedly agreed – except about the beauty part. If I’m the goat, he’s the ogre under the bridge. I like goats. They’re cute and always have pleasant conversations. And I like their coats. I wish I had horns. Then I’d be a unicorn…or a goatnicorn. Heck yeah. I’d be bi –

He yanked again and I stumbled forward, snapping out of my goatnicorn centred dreams. As soon as I put one foot in front of the other, he clicked his tongue.

“What the heck is that supposed to mean?” I wondered out loud. I figured maybe he was calling a dog – I had seen a fuzzy black and white one sneak into the stable last night – and stopped, looking around. Ears pricked forward, I listened for the tell-tale sound of glass-shattering yaps that accompanied their arrival. I dislike dogs as much as I like goats. They make too much noise and then they bite at your ankles and get their fleas all over you. Yuck.

He pulled on my halter again, once more breaking my herd of thought. As I stumbled forward, he clicked again. I continued to walk slowly, but waited tentatively for the dog. ‘Where is the little bugger?’ I wondered to myself.

I followed him once around the circle without noticing. Someone neighed – someone I hadn’t met yet – and I stopped. It sounded like “Get your paws out of my yoghurt, Sooty!”

I stopped and pricked my ears forward. What the heck is ‘yoghurt?’ And who the heck is Sooty?

Another yank, accompanied by a click, and I looked around once again for the black and white dog – nothing. I calmed down and followed Jeremy around the enclosure a few more times. This incessant circle walking was getting extremely irritating – and boring. I wanted to run.

And then I heard it – little thuds, four of them, one after the other, running toward me. My eyes grew wide, my breathing short and rapid. There was a little squeal and I lost it. “DOG!” I screamed. I reared up, taking Jeremy off the ground. He yelped as I kicked the air with my legs and swung my head around, trying to get him untangled. He wouldn’t let go, and the sound of small feet came closer and closer. I could hear breathing now, not mine and not Jeremy’s. I leapt into the air and bolted around the circle, dragging Jeremy along, screaming, “Slow down! Stop! HO, you stupid beast, HO!” I didn’t stop, and his hand slid out of my halter. By the time he got up I was half way around the circle. He threw himself in front of me.

“What are you, stupid?!” I yelled in a frenzy, not slowing down as I approached him (I’m a prey animal. My safety comes first.)

“Ho!” he yelled. “HO, horse, HO!!” I didn’t HO. I didn’t know what the heck HO was, so I kept going, and he leapt over the fence just in time to not get trampled.

I ran at the gate, hoping it would open – I screamed and reared again, throwing myself backwards. The two little girls – the ones who belonged to Chip and Dale – were giggling just beyond it, pointing at their brother. But I saw no dog.

I stopped, legs apart and tensed, ready to bolt if I had to. I was covered in sweat, steaming air sliding out of my nostrils in puffs as I breathed out. My eyes were huge as I scanned the area for the dog. Nothing. I jumped when I realized he could be in here, with me, and spun around violently, prancing this way and that. Still no dog.

There was another squeal behind me and I zipped around – facing the two little girl people. They were squealing with pleasure – it sounded like a yipping dog. Together they had four relatively small feet, padded by hoof-covers. One of them was breathing very loudly, like she had been running too fast and laughing to hard, and the other smiled, soundless. And then it hit me. The dog was nonexistent and I – I was a ninny.

Fingers slipped slowly into my bridle, and I shied away a little, but realized there was nothing to be afraid of when I heard Jeremy’s voice whispering soothing insults.

I stood perfectly still, relaxed now, and leaned against his hand, exhausted. He slapped my rump.

“See what you two did?” he growled at the little ones.

The one I had heard breathing laughed. “Sorry Jeremy. We didn’t mean to. But it was funny!”

“I’m glad you find pleasure in my misfortune,” he grunted, clipping the lead rope back on my halter. “I think we’re done for today, don’t you?” he whispered to me.

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He patted my sweaty neck – I winced, thinking it was going to be violent, surprised when it wasn’t (even more surprised when I found out I liked it) – and clicked. I automatically moved forward, surprised for the third time in thirty seconds, and followed him out of the fence. He and the two little ones, running back and fourth ahead of us, laughing and talking and taking turns rubbing my withers and neck, led me to another, much larger fenced in area. There were several other horses already in it (including the filly that I had met yesterday). It was wide – all I could see of the fence on the other side was a white line, which disappeared in some places. One of the little ones opened the gate and Jeremy brought me in.

“Lock it,” he instructed.

“Why?” one of the girls asked.

“He might try to get away.”

“Chip and Dale never try to get away,” the other one said, speaking for the first time.

“That’s because they’re well trained,” Jeremy said. “Now please lock it so I can get rid of this thing.”

The first girl – the chatty one – slid the bolt home and asked, “How come you’re so mean to him?”

I stood up straighter. I had been wondering the same thing.

He unclipped my lead with a sigh, sliding the halter over my ears and off my head. “It’s complicated,” He said.

“What kind of a lame answer is that?!” I asked out, blowing air through my nose to show my annoyance.

He slapped my rump hard. “Be gone with you, beast,” he said.

I cocked my head, but stared where I was.

“Oh for heaven’s sake,” he said, exasperated. “Get a move on or I’ll blow your head off. GO!” he said.

I neighed loudly and charged down the sloping hill, calling back, “As long as you don’t geld me!” and laughing at my sorry excuse of a joke – it was funny at the time, even though no one else thought so.