Sorrel Hill: Dancing In Rome (BK3) |COMPLETED|

Chapter Eleven

"Show me the most damaged parts of your soul, and I will show you how it still shines like gold." - Nikita Gill
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      ~Arabian, Hanoverian, Mustang~

     I moved my arm back in forth in a flick motion as I tried to brush off all the dirt collected onto Promise's colored back.  She had just recently been clipped revealing a beautiful light strawberry red and marvelous white.  The deeper shades of sorrel had faded and now blended with the lighter colors.  She wiggled her lip at the pleasurable feeling of having her back cleaned.  A few long strokes had her muscles bending to the pressure only to inflate once the brush had left.  I finished brushing her slick coat and moved onto her short, trimmed mane.  The brush went through her mane like a hawk flying through a summer breeze: blissful.  Due to the extreme amount of extra grooming Promise's mane hardly tangled.  It didn't take long for her forested mane to lay neat and organized like a prince's bedroom. 
     My hand ran along her hoof, she lifted it up without protest, and I picked out all the clustered dirt, shavings, and some loose gravel glued in the mud.  She stood quiet for all fours.  I completed off her grooming session with an expensive product to help her coat shimmer.  I painted hoof shiner onto her beautiful cream ones and declared her ready.  I slipped a silver halter with chains linked together- much like a necklace- on her smooth face.  This helped draw attention to her glorious lineament features.  I took Promise to the stalling stations which had wall dividers, concrete floor, and ring attached to the wall to tie the horse.  Promise stood patiently as I tied her flexible fabric black lead rope through the ring.  I gave her a pat on the shoulder before departing to fetch Jack.
     Promise was quite the character.  She was my first project horse and a dreamy one at that.  I remember seeing her in the arena at Sorrel Hill.  The slim, sick, and terrified little two year old she once was.  She was so nervous about everything and slow to trust.  I was briefly taken back to Will and Diesel.  I had begun to miss my friends a lot recently.  Sorrel Hill had closed this year for renovations, we had planned to go, but there was no point in going this year.  The goal was next year to revisit the place were we all connected.  I would never forget the time I met Ben and Emily after my first session with May.  I only had Jack at the time and we had jumped a bit.  I chucked to myself as I thought of the moment I first saw Xavier astride Lily reining like an old time pro.  He looked so cool, professional, but Lily is what really caught my eye with her stunning liver chestnut coat and quick stops. 
     Samantha was interesting, I never got along with her the first few times I had ran into her.  Will was a very good friend of mine and even then we became instant friends.  I smiled thinking back to the first time I met Luke in the volleyball sand pit, one of the funnest moments of my entire life.  One of the most dramatic was definitely when I had met Nathan.  As funny and sarcastic of a guy he is now, he used to hardly speak to me back then.  Lastly was Jessie- my boyfriend.  We took the first few days to figure each other out then just clicked.  I regret nothing.  Sorrel Hill made all of these memories and I needed to go back. 
     Jack's whinny jerked me from my thoughts, "hey, boy."  I greeted and halted him in a nylon halter.  I lead him out of the stall and into the tack-up room.  I tied him in a small section before going right to the grooming.  I repeated the exact steps I had previously performed on Promise.  He was considerably taller than her and I had to brush a bit more than I did for Promise, but the after look was worth it.  It took me all but ten minutes.  Jack's build and Promise's build differed from each other.  Jack had a lean, tall, muscular although not too muscular, and mile-long legs.  Whereas Promise had a stocky, short, very muscular, and short legged build.  I absolutely adored them. 
     I rubbed behind Jack's ear, he tilted his head to the satisfied feeling.  His chestnutty coat glistened under the stable lights.  I glanced at his reflective shoulder wondering briefly if I were to brand him what the design would be.  I had been thinking of branding my horses incase they were to be stolen or misplaced.  Most equestrians could recognized my herd, but the whole world wasn't involved in horses and for that I knew it would be safer to have a brand that could be easily distinguished.  My brown orbs met his light-hearted ones.  He looked calm.  My arms trailed around his neck as I gave him a hug.  My face rose gently at his exhaled breath only to deepen at his intake of oxygen.  I could hear his pounding heartbeat synced up with my own.  The warmth of his neck gave my head comfort. 
     I listened as someone lead their mare across the aisle to groom.  The mare was a buckskin splash AQHA pregnant.  She was expected to foal any day now.  This made me wonder back to the mare Jack had bred when I went to visit his breeder's.  I wish I could have known the foal and bought them.  I would do anything to continue Jack's honorable lineage.  To carry a piece of him with me after he's long gone from this earth.  For a moment, my vibrant world faded to a cold, crisp, gray.  Jack had no known foals other than that one.  After Jack comes to an end that will be it.  I won't have anything left to cherish him with except old motion pictures playing in both my brain and TV competitions.  He was my best friend and in a few years his jumping career would no longer be in existence. I removed myself from his neck and drew in a long breath to stop the aching feeling in my throat.
Jack glanced at me through his easy, warm, caramel eyes. Warmth huffs met my chilled face at his closeness. My heart swelled with emotions at the thought of Jack not being around anymore. He curled his head to me and nudged my swaying hand. A smile eased its way onto my lips as I reached my hand and stroked from his ears to his nose. I took notice of every detail from the small wavy dents to the defined, soft spots his nose supported. My hands roamed over his closed eyes, he let out a deep sigh to this and leaned into my palm. Jack would be Jack and I loved him for it. I leaned down and kiss his white star between his eyes. I loved on him for a bit longer before I took him back to the stable and went to fetch Justice.
I opened the stall door slowly and walked at slow walk towards him. He lifted his head high, eyes alert, and ears pricked forward. He was already so attentive at as much as my appearance. He strained his neck to sniff my outstretched hand. His breathing was short and quick letting me know he was very nervous. I took my time gathering the halter and very carefully slipping it over his uniquely shaped head. Once I had ahold of him I lead him out of the stall and to the tacking station. I cross-tied him and moved to retrieve the brush quietly. He eyed the brush wearily, craning his neck to smell the unfamiliar item. I held the turquoise brush out to him, he smelt of it as if it was some type of chemical.
My hand carefully touched the brush to his shaped neck. He jumped a little at the contact, but soon settled down enough for me to stroke all the dirt off. I went about brushing him tenderly afraid of losing the sliver of trust he had already granted me with. His white coat sparkles underneath the wooden shavings and plain dirt which were spread in his old stall. It wasn't long before I had finished with the brush and mane. I decided to hold back on the hooves due to further freaking him out. I stood back admiring the work I had just completed when my phone's ringtone sounded. He flinched, but remained standing for the most part.
I gleaned down in my pocket for my phone. Once I located the slick object I pulled it out to see who had called me. It was Hannah demanding for FaceTime. I answered her and switched the camera on Justice. It took a moment for both devices to connect. "Kiley, girl it's been- who is that?" Her voice was excitable. "Justice, he's my project horse. A registered AHA, gray, stallion. He's beautiful isn't he?" Hannah took a FaceTime screenshot agreeing with the vigorous nods, "Kils, he's the dream. What are you doing with him?" Justice pawed openly into the air. I clicked to him taking a high-energy step causing him to cease the action instantly.
"They were going to send him off to a kill pen due to him being a stud and he hasn't been messed with. He's actually very skittish," I said. Hannah's brunette hair bounced as she nodded. She was sitting in her bed, in an old T-shirt, and tight black leggings. She looked oddly comfortable. "You'll get him there. Has Nathan called you?" I turned the screen back to my face, "no... why would he?" Her easy smile tightened, "I just thought he might. Samantha said he had a pretty bad panic attack last night. She said he wouldn't talk to her for two straight hours, he was just blank." I frowned, they had made up I didn't see why he would be like that, "what'd Jessie say about it?" Hannah shrugged, "he wouldn't. He knows something, but he said he couldn't tell us- that Nathan would have too himself." Why would Jessie hide something? He was a very open guy. "Weird," I twirled my blonde tipped hair. "Yeah, I have to go get breakfast with Luke. Talk to you later?" I smiled, "yeah, love you." "Love you too!" I turned my phone off and relayed my attention on Justice although my mind went to Nathan... was he okay?

A/N:

Boom! And everyone said, "yay! Cliff hanger!" They're fun right? Anyways, hope y'all awesome folks enjoyed it!