The Tail Of A Horse

Chapter 20

✈️James' P.O.V✈️

I couldn't help feel a little jealous when Zara opened her letter from the Olympics Committee. It was a clean. bright white envelope with red writing on the front. As she opened the seal on the back she gripped the folded letter in her hands.

"This is it." She said. "This letter determines my future with horses...."

It was either good or bad. She flung the letter into my hands.

"I can't look. Open it for me." I opened up the folded letter so that it was unfolded. The black writing was a medium size and in a clear spaced out font. It was very nerve racking that I had to either break the bad news or tell her the good news.

I took a deep breath and read it, word for word.

"Dear Miss Zara," I read , "We are unfortunate...."

She began to have a look of horror on her face.

"Don't say it."

"....To say that you have been accepted to compete in the 2012 Olympics." I said in a very dreary voice tricking her into thinking it was bad news.

"What was the point. Now Tally won't fulfil his purpose her on earth. Now I won't get to achieve my dream. Or yours. I'm so sorry - Wait what?" She paused. Her face changed from pure dread to absolute complete joy. She leaped towards me and jumped into my arms.

"Yours sincerely, the Head of the Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach." I managed to squeeze out of my mouth as she wrapped her hands around my neck.

Once I put her back down, she yelled at me. "Come on we must celebrate!"

I followed her outside and out to Tally's stable. She put on his bridle then took him outside ready to ride him bareback. I grabbed my favourite horse, May, a tall black mare who can sometimes have a stubborn attitude. She made a loud whinny and practically pulled me outside to the mounting block. Zara was already on Tally's very bony back and he was standing square ready to do what he thought was some dressage practice. We rode down to the bridle path and into the forest.

The forest had a path going into it which had two tyre tracks right in the very middle. The tyre tracks were covered over so now it was just dried mud. As we followed the dusty old path, we saw the hill on the horizon. May perked her head up, immediately. She knew it was almost time to gallop up to the top of the hill.

As I asked for a gently trot, then a canter and then a gallop, Zara followed behind me and it felt great to have the wind brushing against my face again and the sun starting to set just beaming its last rays of heat on my back. It was amazing. I had hacks like this before, bareback and at sunset, but I had never been with the person I love the most in the whole wide world and with my 2 favourite horses, galloping with the wind and the beautiful sun keeping me warm. Not only was the sun keeping me warm but also the sense of being free. Being out there was so quiet, like I had finally escaped from the mean, cruel and stereotypical society.

In a couple of weeks, we had practised non stop with Tally for the Olympics in the summer. Time had flown so fast that before I knew it, we had packed up all the things we needed and we had travelled down to London. We had all the food and water we would need, all the tack and some spares, plenty of first aid stuff - just in case and we had packed it all into the back of the luxurious trailer. The trailer had the cab, where we drive, a door from the cab lead to a small kitchen with a TV and sofa which above it held a small bedroom. Out from the living space was a bathroom and the actual trailer for the horses.

We travelled along all the long winding motorways and soon pulled up into a service station to top up on air for the tyres and some petrol. We continued to to go to London and we were singing some songs and chatting about relateable topics like Shane Dawson does with other youtubers in his Carpool Karaoke videos. Soon enough Zara was fast asleep and I decided to pull into the next service station.

When I parked in the lorry/trailer section I carefully climbed out and closed the door softly. I went around the back of the trailer, and fed and watered the horses. May and Tally seemed fine but for extra safety I made sure that they were safe and sound, no cuts and no bruises. I walked around and got back in the cab. Zara was on the passenger side (left - welcome to England, folks) and I opened the door behind me slowly and very, very quietly. I walked into the living space and up to the ladder, climbing up it one handed with Zara in the other arm, like Spider-Man. I lay her on the bed and kissed her forehead. I covered her body with the blanket that dropped over the end of the bed. I went back to the drivers seat and pulled out of the car park, back onto the road again.

🎶Zara's P.O.V🎶

"Huh?" I said to myself when I woke up on the bed. I was wrapped up in the blanket and I looked out the small window beside me. We were still on the road and a sign passed by quickly that told me I was almost at Olympic Parc. James had put me up there to keep me comfortable while we traveled. I hoped that the horses were fine too. I turned on my phone and sent a text to Red.

Almost at Olympic Parc. Hope you see me in the TV soon! -Zee xox

Red replied almost instantly. I read it and started to giggle like a little girl.

🏇📺❗️ HaHa. All the horses say good luck too! 👍🏻🍀Zee! -Red

As soon as I switched off my phone, I felt the trailer tip slightly to the right. We were turning left, off the motorway and into London.
I went into the cab again and buckled myself in. James turned and smiled at me, then turned to focus back on the road again.

We were all settled into our accommodation for the next 3-4 days. Tally and May had their own stables next to each other along with all the other competitors'. Me and James just parked into the trailer parking and decided we would stay in the trailer to sleep. There wasn't any competition today so we went to a fancy restaurant in the centre of London. We avoided the traffic by walking, but my feet soon hurt from all the cobbles and uneven paths. As we walked out arms kept hitting each other and James just grabbed my hand in his, our fingers entwining. His hand was very warm and soft. No wonder horses always trust his touch!
      The restaurant was quiet and the waitress was kind and quite chatty! She seemed to know about me competing and was delighted to meet me!