Disguised In Lavender

Part 48

Unlike in Dressage and Cross Country, Lauren was almost at the end of the lineup since last names were in reverse alphabetical order. Some went, none absolutely cleared with a fallen pole which didn't make anyone feel much better about the final chances. A few people even started ducking out, calling for their trainers and whispering a way to finish. "Lauren Blaine, up next." Finally, Lauren opened her hands to check her palms of sweat but they were dry much to her confusion. She didn't even feel nerves, after seeing Dalla fail there was such a slim chance she'd lose that it made her feel alright. "On Ducky." Lauren whispered, forcing her heels down and clicking her tongue for him to trot onward. Her mind whirled searching for Ann in the crowd, hoping that just a glimpse would top off her confidence. Ducky bobbed his head against the reins in tensed excitement, pawing the ground with a snort. Lauren set her hand on his neck, feeling the cool wind turning his sweat to almost ice water. The thick sweater she wore was enough to keep out the wind but her ears were frozen numb and so were her fingers.

This was it, the final round, Lauren took a slow breath of the penetrating air as she popped into jumping position. "Steady." She tightened the reins, knowing from experience that Ducky would start off galloping like in cross country. Ducky tucked his neck into the bit, listening to his rider's soft ques against his mouth, picking canter over gallop. The foghorn sounded and off they went, a more choppy Canter than Lauren would like to start. She nudged him forward into a more looping stride which evened him out for once, something they'd failed in training. Heart pounding in her ears, Lauren lifted for Ducky to take the first jump clearly, staying low to the saddle. Cleared, without a knick Lauren felt untouchable, that was the first clear of the day and it gave five points. The rest of the jumps would be simple until the brush which would pose an almost imminent challenge. Ducky would reach for it the same way Dalla's mare did since he wouldn't know the difference, being blind.

Rounding to the jump would be almost the same as in cross country but time wouldn't count as much. Ducky cantered headlong towards the brush, it caught his eye almost right away just as Lauren predicted. She tugged back on the reins, pushing his head to the right where he could surely see that the bush was plastic. He swerved slightly, his gait faltered towards a tripping right lead, still unable to shake Lauren. She pressed her heels down firmly, keeping his head turned and craning his neck even tighter against his chest. Like she did with Gravity when they would ride down the craggy hills before Winchester Manor. Ducky wasn't Gravity though, and they were headed towards the jump faster than down the hills. Up, please work, Lauren switched the reins and helped Ducky's head straight again, shifting his balance. If cleared they wouldn't even need to finish the course, having been the first and only to make it this far untouched anyway.

Behind Ducky was the bush jump, the pole looming over it creaking from the impact of Ducky's unbalanced leap. Lauren shook the failure from her mind though it made her throat burn as the crowd heaved a collective sigh. The next jump was a triple oxer, one that Ducky had already taken with ease during the cross country course. Leap one, easy, the gelding took his second pause and tossed his head in excitement at regaining balance. It was true even he could understand the thrill that Lauren felt coursing through her veins and making her hands tighten on the reins. Up, the second jump was taken with ease and now there was no need to pause as each oxer fell a standard and made it simpler. One more, one more and the other jumps didn't matter, the crowd's shouting was drowned by one voice. Lauren knew it was Ann, a small smile crept onto her face at the image of her subtle girlfriend shouting. In a split second every thought vanished, all that remained was Ducky's dark mane coiled tightly in Lauren's fingers. Over, cleared, the crowd burst into hysterical shouts of joy, drowning out the loudspeakers.

No one other than the trainers and teachers really cared who won but the show was what mattered to them. Lauren sat back and clicked Ducky down into a trot, his legs snapping back high in a prance of glorious determination. "You did it, good boy." The rider whooped, lifting her hands to the air, Ducky steered only by her heels against his ribs. "Lauren!" Ann ran up to the fence and spread her arms, reaching towards Lauren as she rode over. Before Ducky even stopped she had vaulted off and ran towards the fence where the trainer stood. "We won, we did it." She cried, tears pricking her eyes as she wrapped her arms around Ann, burying her face against her shoulder. "You won, you did it. It was you, darling." The trainer whispered, kissing the soft skin of Lauren's neck discreetly, not even listening to the ranking over the speakers. "Kiss me in public, idiot." Lauren muttered, pulling Ann around the fence and dipping her back like in some sort of cheesy rom-com.

The trainer looked up at her with sparkling eyes, feeling the older girl's fingers tangled in her hair and the other around her waist. "Deal." She stretched up and kissed Lauren passionately, pressing her tongue against the back of her throat.If winning wasn't shocking enough, this sure was, still, no one stopped yelling and it seemed like no one saw. Of course not, Ducky had trotted back to his rider and dipped his head in front of them, his hot breath against their necks. "You too? Lauren chuckled, pressing her palm to his muzzle as she held Ann around the waist, her arms around her neck. "I'll take you both with me, then. Gravity too, maybe get a dog or some cats. It'll be okay." The plan she'd told Ann was coming true, she looked deep through the trainers eyes, her dream was coming true.