The Fire Horse (On Hold)

Chapter•8/62•

"Hey Stacy" Clay greets with a slight smile. He leans against a wide rock flower pot, a willow tree glrowing from its center. Ria nips at its swooping leaves. Galligur nickers to the made excitedly.
"I should be heading home" I state.
"You can catch a ride with me, cars parked not to far" Stacy says. I nod agreeingly.
"See you tomorrow. I'll swing your car around the barn in the morning" Clay says and swings into the saddle. We wave him off as he trots away, Galligur in tow. I shove my hands in my pockets and walk shoulder to shoulder with Stacy along the road.
"Are you going to ask to be a Flame?" She asks.
"In don't know, I want to but I doubt my horse will be ready. What would I even do? There's only three divisions and its not like I'm good at any of em"
She gives me a shocked look.
"Seriously! Your amazing at racing, and don't act like I haven't seen you with that flaxen chestnut out in the fields"
"How did you see me! I go out at like four in the morning!" I retort playfully.
"Jason takes me out on the draft cart on his way to work" She explains, looking at her feet. I'll admit its a smidge awkward, your friend talking about going on dates with your brother.
"Can I ask you for a favor?"
"Sure, shoot"
"I need an outfit-"
Her face immediately brightens. She's always telling me she can get me free clothes through her job, a seamstress at the fabric shop.
"I want to make an impression on the others, they only let in like one Flame a year, if that. And if I get in I'll need an outfit for the festival"
"I have the best idea for this!"
"It can't be poofy or sparkly, I need to be able to ride in it" I direct.
"I got you covered"
She opens her car door. I slide into the passenger seat. I'm content with the silence, gazing out of the window. The buildings turn to feilds and soon we pull in front of my log made house. I hear the door open and Jason's head peers out at us. Stacy gives him a wave and he walks back into our home. Stacy follows me in but I'm not surprised. She throws herself into a hug. Jason's eyes lock with mine an I hope up a bag full of magicialness. He spins past his girlfriend and snatches away the brown paper bag, pulling out a cinnamon stick.
"Your welcome" I chant, turning down the hall and into my bedroom. I promptly close the door behind me. Light spills in from the big window on the far wall. I plop down on my bed, my cedar desk and chair next to it. The closet door is sprung open, just how I left it yesterday.
'WE'LL BE HERE TILL FIVE IF YOU WANNA SWING BY. THE BOYS ARE LEAVING IN A FEW MINS'
My phone buzzes with the text. I cqn imagine him telling me this in his enchanting accent. I eagerly respond.
'THAT'D BE GREAT ILL SEE YOU SOON'
I toss my phone onto the desktop beside me and sprawl out on the bed. My eyes are to heavy to keep opn and I let my self catch up on some long overdue sleep.

I check my phone.
9:23
I slept for almost half an hour. I lazily by up and change. Short lacy black shorts and a red crop top. I throw my boots off and walk down the hallway, shaping my hair into a messing fishtail braid. Jason and Stacy are on the coach next to the window and door. I clear my throat to alert them of my attention. My brother takes her by the hand and leads her to his room. He doesn't shut the door which gives me some relief. I squeeze freshly peeled orange into the cake mix. I check to make sure I had used enough eggs and flour to make it. This will probably be the last cake we'll have in awhile. I pull down the biscuit tin that sits in a shelf above the stove next to a green ticking clock. Empty. Jason and mom got their pay a few days ago and I just blew months of mine on a saddle. We're officially broke.
I whistle as I gently pour the mix into a cake pan and slide it in the oven. I put on the kettle and prepare mother's tea. Chamomile with sugar and honey. A brisk wind carries through the house and rests on me. I pull on one of Jason's black hoodies. Hopefully this will make up for my distant behavior, going out with Clay I normal but I rarely drink. Staying at his house without calling and catching a Fire horse might not be possible to solve with tea. Eventually I here the faint rumble of a parking car. Mother comes in and puts her bag down. She looks startled to see me.
"How was the world of crotchet selling today?" I ask in a joking tone. She sighs and sits down at the island chair. I lean over the countertop.
"Cass" She begins.
"Explain yourself. Why did you leave the house in the middle of the night?" She forces her voice to stay calm.
I advert my eyes and tell her. Everything. From last night to five minutes ago.
"A FIRE horse!" She bellows.
"Why in hells fire would you do that!" She spits.
"Mom! I can get the money that we need!" I try to explain. She doesn't care for my words.
"I can be a Flame! Help them win! Even if you don't participate each member gets a cut" I say.
"No Cass. Its to dangerous. I don't want you anywhere near them"
"Mom!" I moan.
"Dad wanted me to!" I scream. Her eyes flick to mine, expecting an explanation.
"He was going to help me catch one last year. He knew how important this was. I don't want to rebel but your chaining me in and I need to do what to love" My voice no more them a whisper.
"If you die. I'll never forgive myself" She murmers.
"I won't die. No one will die. Dad trusted me with them, he trusted them too-"
"Your father was killed by them"
Her voice is cold. Full of hatred butnim not sure what its directed at.
"I need to go to the barn. Im expected there" I mumble, heading towards the door. She yells a response but I don't hear it over the slamming of the door behind me. I slip into her car and speed off. Why can't she understand?
I'm greeting by a familiar face. Of someone who truly understands. He has his reins tight on Thiz's mouth.
"Hey" I greet.
"We tacked up your pony for ya, only kicked me twice" He winks, following me toward the barn. I notice a cut on the side of his face.
My horse, as promised is perfectly equipped with my new tack.
"Are they not hard to train for wearing tack?" I ask curiously.
"Naw, a few minutes and they're perfectly adjusted. I think this one might've been part of the herd that was caught three years ago" He says.
"what?"
"Three years ago there was a whole herd of em and they let em all go" He throws up his arms dramatically.
"Should be used to rein and leg then" He adds. I lead him out of the barn aisle and into an arena. Gravelly footing and dim lights. I guess it would logically explain him not bucking when I mounted him in the forest but a wide portion of me tells me it was something different. I glance into this horses eyes. Hes waiting. I slide my foot into the stirrup. The saddle shifts slightly when my weight falls into the seat. The horse stands squarely, his head raised, ready to ride.
"Wow" Labsent observes.
"He will need a name you know" He says, staying a safe distance away with Thiz.
"Yeah" I agree. I walk him in steady circles and rack my brain for the perfect name.
"Pyro" I whisper. His ears flick in egnolegment.
"What?" Labsent calls, to far away to hear.
"Pyro. That's what my dad used to call me" I explain half heartedly.
Labsent nods. Everyone knows what happened to my father. His death was to grusome to keep away from the public. I caress Pyro's fur lightly. They killed my father.
A sudden urge wafts over me, my exitment makes Pyro feel the same. I barely have to kick him on to push him into a gallop. I hadn't been expecting him to lunge into a full on sprint. I quickly regain my form, jockey stance, tightening the reins more then I usually would like Labsent had. His hooves barely graze the ground. He rounds the corner and them the next.
Its exilerating.
I feel his breathe become shallow and loosen the reins and fall back into the seat of the saddle. Pyro slows to a halt in front of Labsent.
"Uhhhhh wow"
"What...uh...made you compelled to do that?" He adds after soaking it all in.
"I wanted to"
His eyes are wide and his mouth agape.
"Cass" He begins.
"Yeah?"
"That was amazing"