Mariana Nichols and the Cerelian Ring

Tryouts

I suffered through my first, long day of classes. Starting at a new school, a month into the semester, I have a lot of work to catch up on.

I figured I'd get started on it while watching the equestrian team tryouts. I could check up on Phoenix, plus, Myles is my ride home.

"Hi, Phoenix." I say soothingly, unsure if I was losing my mind the day before.

"Hey, Mari." Even though I saw it coming, the talking horse still startled me.

"So, Phoenix, don't you ever get tired of standing in that stall all day, every day?"

"Nope."

"You don't wanna get out? Stretch your legs?"

"Why leave my stall when I've got it made in here? People bring me food, I can sleep whenever I want. Besides, leaving my stall means training. And training means them putting that rock on my back again. And a lot of carrots, but that's not the point."

"What do you have against the saddle?" I asked.

"I'm a wild horse. We don't wear saddles. Never have."

"You're a wild horse?" Wow, that explains so much.

"My brother and I used to travel all over together, just the two of us. It was great, just wandering the open plains. Eat when we want, sleep when we want, run when we want. No schedule or routine whatsoever. Until one day, we both got captured, and then split up. I was brought here, and I haven't seen him since."

"Oh my gosh, Phoenix. I'm so sorry, I had no idea." I pondered on my thoughts for a moment. "What if you leave the stall, and we just put the bridle on, no saddle."

I could practically see the wheels turning in that big horse brain of his. "Fine. The bridle, and that's it...... What's a bridle?" I laugh as I strap the bridle over his ears and around his jaw, before finally using the reins to guide him out of the stall. "Ah, the light! It burns!" Phoenix cried as we stepped out into the sunlight. His mini outburst earned us a few sideways glances, but luckily no one stopped us.

We strolled around the perimeter of the building a few times before I led Phoenix into the main room at the center of the barn. "Would it be too much for one day if I tried riding you?" I asked, after seeing the room was empty. Everyone is already outside for the tryouts.

"No way. I've seen people riding the others, and they always wear saddles. That is not happening."

"What if I don't use the saddle?" I tried. "I'll ride bareback."

He didn't have to think about it for very long. I think Phoenix would be open to anything that doesn't involve a saddle at this point. "Fine."

I grab a lone helmet which was hanging on the wall. Then I drag a hay bale over next to him, and use it as a step stool. No saddle equals no stirrups, making it infinitely harder for me to climb on. Sliding my right leg slowly over first, I managed to not fall flat on my face.

I still remember the rhythmic up and down feeling from the one other time I had been riding, and thought back to it as Phoenix and I walked out the front doors of the barn. As I said earlier, I had only been riding once before, and it was years ago. I was mainly counting on the talking horse when I decided to try this out. Nervous, I tensed up, afraid of falling. Obviously, pressing my legs together was not the right way to do this, as Phoenix immediately started going faster. "Phoenix, slow down!" I cried out as he approached one of the obstacle courses meant for the riders.

Phoenix leaped over a ditch full of water, followed by a short fence. Then came the line of bushes, and finally, the mud puddles, which I don't think were even part of the course. The entire time, my goal was "don't fall." I chanted the two words over and over again in my head as I felt myself soaring through the air, clinging onto the reins the whole time. But part of me knew there were people watching, so I sat as straight and confidently as I could manage at the time, hoping not to make a complete fool of myself on my first day. Finally, I felt the wind slow down around me as Phoenix came to a gradual stop, and I forced my eyes open.

"Woah, Mari, how come you didn't tell me you could ride?" Myles and a few of his friends came jogging over to us.

Obviously, this wasn't planned. And I can't really ride, I just totally lucked out. But for reasons I don't think I need to say, I couldn't tell them that. "Um, I didn't think it was worth mentioning."

"Are you kidding?" Myles exclaimed. "That is totally worth mentioning! You've got a spot on the team if you want it."

Is he serious? "Are you serious?" I asked, nearly leaping off of Phoenix's back.

"Yeah, that was twice as good as any of these freshmen." Myles gestured to the crowd of underclassmen standing on the side lines. He shrugged. "Besides, worst comes to worst, we tell them you're new and put you in the beginners event."

"Hahah, yeah, the beginners event." Man, I've got to get better at lying if I'm gonna keep this charade up.