Let's Go Hit the Trails (Kol)

[Marcel Toulouse]

Marcel was brushing Wish outside. He had already grabbed his tack, but was taking his time to make her shine in the sun, silky blue-grey hairs each in the right direction. Actually, he was waiting. He had gone on enough rides by himself, and was hoping he would catch Kol, and be able to show him around the trails, though perhaps by now he knew them well enough. But he got along with the guy. So he had no problems with inviting him out on the trails just for company either. Wish takes a small step forward, impatient to be off. "Easy girly, just a sec."

Marc was planning on heading up to the bonfire site, setting up an easy dinner over an open fire and watching the stars. He loved quiet nights, away from classrooms, bright lights, and noise pollution. Not that Harrisbury was really a city, but sometimes one could forget about cell phones, electricity and other modern conveniences just by staring at the sky. The brush glides down Wish's fur, showing off the bird catcher spots as the sun hits the gloss. The shows had gone well for them. Wish, at 3, had come in 2nd in dressage. Sometimes hard work pays off.

He wonders how Kol has made out. Since they were in separate disciplines they hadn't seen too much of each other, except in passing and the warm up ring. Besides, both had been too focused on their own mounts and anxieties that they really said a proper hello, more than the automated greeting even digital telephones these days could respond with. He grimaces a little. Technology is not really his strong suit. He can use it, and will use it, if it is the most efficient option. But it detracts from communication. Or caring about those immediately around you. Marcel strokes Wish's neck. "Not always easy these days." Of course he means the people, so wrapped up in computers, they do not even recognize what a horse is, let alone how to ride or care for it.

[KOL NATHANIAL CARTER]

Kol sat atop Cinny with the reins in his left hand. The leather saddle creaked as the equine walked slowly, head arched from a tight hold and ears perked with excitement. "Easy, Cin," he said softly. The ebony gelding was excited to be outside with out any restricting fences, and the only thing holding him from a gallop was the rider on his back. As much as Kol would've enjoyed a gallop himself, he knew that the horse wouldn't have fun on the trail ride if he was exhausted. It would be too much to ask of him.

So the two were caught in a limbo, a battle for power really. Both of them were stubborn enough to keep this up for awhile, but Kol was confident that the equine would settle down after they got on the trail with Marcel and Wish. His arm ached a little from holding the energetic beast back, but the ride would be well worth it. Marcel was the closest thing to a friend he had, other than Cinny of coarse, but a human was different. He preferred to keep to himself, and the only true friends he had before were horses. Horses didn't stab you in the back, or lie, they just wanted companionship. It didn't matter who or what you were, as long as you were kind to them.

The paint jerked his head suddenly and halted, brown eyes meeting another equine and humanoid. He let out a snort and flicked his ears at the gentle nudge to his sides, but proceeded forward obediently. A whinny rattled his body as he called to the mare that was being groomed. Looks like we're a little early, Kol thought to himself, Oh well, better than being late. He wasn't one to make people wait, and preferred waiting on someone else than explaining his tardy. He waved to the other male as a smile spread across his lips slowly, he was glad to be around someone he knew. Being in a new place was always interesting, it was meeting all the people that was tiresome.

[Marcel Toulouse]

"Whoops, sorry. Didn't think you were around yet." Wish answers Cinny's call with a low nicker. Marcel quickly tucked his grooming supplies away, threw on his old English hack saddle with a grab strap, well worn and dependable, and a plain brown bridle with braided reins. Nothing fancy was necessary on the trails. Wish jigged a bit, excited to go out. Marcel hopped on from the ground. It was easy due to Wish's lack of height. He'd always expected Irish Sport Horses to be a bit bigger. Perhaps she had more Connemara Pony blood in her lines than others.

"Okay, ready now. Sorry to keep you waiting." Marcel said as he turned towards the trail, hand loose on the young mare's mouth. Wish is in an easy going type of mood. He had not yet been riding with Kol, being wrapped up in training both Wish and Mori, plus school, and keeping on top of chores at the stallion barn. It had been a busy summer and may get even busier come fall. At least he would be taking Equine Science studies and Large Animal Behavior instead of Russian History.

Marcel aims Wish towards the Ruins, a trail he knows well and that gets used most during summer and fall, when bonfires are highly popular, and days are getting shorter. He has already seen the first leaves begin to change on the drier hills in the area. "Starting to look like this heat will be leaving soon" he shares with Kol. "Great time for trail riding, but I'll be sad to see the winter coming." Marcel adds, not looking forward to frozen water buckets, icy roads and impassable trails. Not to mention blizzards and less turn out.

"Any plans for the upcoming shows?" Marcel intones, turning his thoughts back to present events and more happy occasions. His own horses had been doing alright, placed 6th and 7th in the region so far. He hoped they would do as well at the end of season shows and Finals. But so far those were a ways off.

[KOL NATHANIAL CARTER]

"It's fine," Kol commented, reining the antsy gelding to stop. He took a moment to make sure he had everything in the saddle bag that went behind the saddle, connected to the saddle's strings. The pouches on either side were small, one for a water bottle, the other mostly for counter weight. After making sure the water bottle wasn't going anywhere, he checked the other pouch. It contained his cell phone, ear buds, gum, and small weights. He doubted he'd need anything in there, but he had taken most of it along out of habit. At the center of the pack, just behind the saddle was a first aid kit. Which he hoped wouldn't be needed for anything more than a small cut, this was supposed to be a fun ride.

Closing the pouch he had been checking, he brought Cinny to a start and followed Marcel toward the trail. The eager horse beneath him attempted to break out into a trot, but was caught quickly and slowed to an easy walk. "Steady, Cin," he said softly. The equine wasn't pulling as much on the reins as before and Kol slackened the reins, but still didn't give him his head. He knew from riding him earlier that the gelding was smart and he wouldn't give up that easily.

"Really? I can't wait for Winter," Kol mentioned, "I love the snow." Winter was his favorite season, he enjoyed the frosty weather and the cool feeling of snow. Sure, some days riding would be difficult, but he thought it was worth it to have the break from the blistering heat. Even when he couldn't ride, he'd still be able to visit Cinny and give him a light work out in the indoor arena. When he wasn't with Cinny he would probably take a walk on one of the trails, the mental and physical challenge of getting around snowy obstacles was enough for him to get over the lack of riding.

"I was thinking of doing Reining again, but I can't wait for a Barrel Racing show to start up soon," Kol said with a smile, "I'm like the black sheep of the flock, compared to all the other people who are training specifically for Reining." Although it was in his horse's breeding to be good at the event, the event wasn't Kol's strong-suit. He wasn't terrible, but it wasn't what he was training for.

[Marcel Toulouse]

Marcel smiled a little at Kol's enthusiasm. He supposed he had just grown tolerant of the heat Virginia offered, and still feared the amount of snow the Blue Ridge mountains tended to attract. But a break from the humidity would not be all bad. Already sweat starts to brim under his hat, and he heads quickly for the relief offered by the shade ahead, up the trail. Snow could be fun. He remembers galloping through it on horse back, learning to ride bareback, because the snow offered some cushion if he slipped off. But he has also been here for some bad times, with horses colicky or slipping on the ice. Mother Nature could be a dangerous woman.

He leans forward over Wish's withers as they start up an incline, keeping himself in balance and above her forehand to make it easier to climb hauling his weight with her. Despite her small stature she is sturdy built and handles trails like a pro, probably born wild not too far from these same hills. He pats her neck in gratitude and encouragement. "Well, we'll probably have lots of snow." He is quiet for a bit. "I think I just remember winter always being a cold time for me, as a kid." of course, he means back in New York City, though some may say it is inappropriate for him to share his past with someone still in the foster system, a minor. But their age is really not that far apart.

"I'll probably be doing the same events. After, who knows." Of course, this time he would be competing at the next level. It made him a bit nervous, thinking of that. Mori and Wish had both done well last time. But this time the competition would increase. And the pressure. "They'll hopefully have a Barrel Racing competition soon. Or at least some different western events." If the shows were always the same, it would be relatively limited to those who followed western disciplines, or raced.

The horses have been walking, warming up, and the path is well worn and smooth. "Care to trot a little? Good for conditioning and fun as well." Now that they were clear of the barn and had been on the path a bit Wish was ready to go, not that she would unless Marcel let her, but it might be fun to trot along the clear trail enjoying the scenery a while.

[KOL NATHANIAL CARTER]

Kol hadn't always enjoyed the freezing cold, there had been a time when he thought he would die from the cold if he could see his breath. One winter he just didn't have that feeling, he found himself practically in short sleeves and watching his foggy breath floating skyward. He never had liked the heat though, the feeling of sweat on his skin drove him mad, and he could never get comfortable. The change had come out of no where, but he had a feeling that it had to do with sitting up in the barn at late hours, avoiding his parents and people in general.

Leaning forward with almost no thought involved, he followed in suit up the trail. Despite all the thoroughbred in the solid paint, he was built like a quarter horse. Well muscled and well built for the job, it was in his breeding to go fast, but not for long. An eyebrow was raised at Marcel's comment and a head was cocked slightly. "What do you mean?" The question came out in a small voice. The cold was always associated with loneliness. Maybe that was why he didn't mind the cold, he was used to the empty feeling that the cold brought. He didn't see Marc as the lonely type, but then again, he didn't know anything about his past.

Kol wasn't phased by the next shows, but he would be competing at the same level as before. Many riders had advanced quickly in the last competitions, but it wouldn't last. They would fall in the rankings just as fast. In a way it was like racing; sprinters moved fast, but they couldn't keep their speed for long. Stayers, they were the ones to watch, they gained speed slowly, but surely, and they could keep their speed until the end of the race. He wasn't too worried about the competition, it would take time to rise in the rankings.

He was glad to have a chance to trot, it would help Cinny settle enough to relax and stop fighting for his head. The gelding would see a chance to bolt as soon as he was asked for more speed, the thoroughbred in him wasn't visible, but it was still there. It was in his blood to run until he couldn't run any more, and it was definitely in his spirit. "Sure, why not?" He answered to the invitation. Normal he would tighten his reins in prep for a trot, but his reins were tight enough, he'd just stay alert and not let the horse pull anything off.

[Marcel Toulouse]

It was an interesting question to try and answer. Cities are always colder during the winter, hotter during the summer. The buildings blocked the sun from hitting the ground and the people below, casting shadows. The snow, so pretty in the country, was reduced to ugly brown slush within a half hour of being exposed to city traffic of cars, bikes, pedestrians, etc. "Just not having heating in the north can be very... bracing." Maladies like frost bite, pneumonia, or influenza tended to take a hard toll of those in poverty living in the northern states. And while shelters weren't supposed to turn any away, there just wasn't room sometimes.

He kept his focus on the trail, and spoke as if it was nothing personal. Marcel knew his past, but felt disconnected to it at the same time. It had been a long time ago. And it felt like a different lifetime. There were no dealers here, knocking down the allies, collecting debts. He had left that life behind, however unwillingly it had been at first. He tousled Wish's grey mane, wishing he'd thought to braid it before heading out. The thick hair could easily prove difficult to disentangle if they got into burrs or a place heavy with twigs and sticks.

After Kol had agreed a trot would be fine he clicked to Wish, who gracefully picked up her feet, moving at a forward trot, head high and alert. Summer days like this were her specialty, as she did not need much guidance on the trails, and had such comfortable gaits. Marcel did not encourage her into a frame, better to give her her head for balance and for the point of keeping trails fun and interesting, a break from ring work and shows.

[KOL NATHANIAL CARTER]

Kol tilted his head slightly, eyes bouncing between the trail and Marcel. He didn't completely comprehend the answer he had gotten, but decided that it would be better to keep his nose out of other peoples business.After all he didn't know Marc very well, and sensitive topics could easily end any friendship this early on. Even with his lack of social grace, he did have some sense.

His lack of communicating had caused him to fall. Had he had the support he needed he probably wouldn't have snapped that day, but it was over and done with. All he really had to worry about now was not repeating what had happened, at least until he was out of the foster system, and not falling off of a horse and injuring himself seriously. He wasn't too worried about the latter. As long as he didn't do anything stupid and listened to his horse, he wouldn't be in too much trouble.

Cinny instantly jolted forward, attempting to pick up at a canter at Kol's cluck. A soft, but constant tense in the reins slowed him to an easy trot. The gelding's ears were locked forward, ready to pick up the pace, though he reluctantly kept to a trot. Kol watched the scenery as it passed, though he kept an eye on the trail and Cin, his mind relaxed and took in the sounds that came with the sights on the trail. Birds chirped over head and a soft breeze stirred the leaves on the tree tops. As much as he loved his fast-paced music he always longed for the soft soundtrack that nature provided. Not even his favorite band could replace the natural sounds along the trail.