Ellie stood there in the school stables. She wasn't a very good rider; she'd admitted that to herself a long time ago. She'd never been that good, not since she had an accident when she was seven years old. The horse had been stung by a bee and cantered off with her still in the saddle. She didn't like riding after that, and now, eleven years on, she still wasn't any different. But the nuns at the Catholic boarding school she attended insisted she keep trying, and even though she was leaving later on that year for college they thought she should get over her fear. Of course, arguing because you were eighteen and could do whatever you liked wouldn't exactly go down well with the nuns. She had needed a tutor to help her but none of the regular riding guys could. Not that she'd blame them, she didn't feel the best about herself in that respect. She looked good, she'd admit that, but she just didn't have the confidence.
She had long, slightly curly, light brown hair. It went down to her waist and framed the creamy skin of her face. With high cheek bones and huge green eyes, she'd call herself not bad looking, but she felt better when she was with female company. Then again she didn't have much of a choice. The school she was in was an all girl one. The only guys there were the priests and the stable hands.
Sister Jessup had told her that Bridget would meet her down at the stable to help her. Bridget was in the same class, year and sleeping block as her, and she was beautiful like Ellie but in opposite ways, having almost like a gleaming gold shine to her shoulder length, straight hair, a small nose and deep blue eyes. She was a lot of opposites, Ellie thought, since Bridget was pure confidence. Maybe Sister Jessup thought some of it might rub off onto her. Bridget was a good rider too. She amazed nearly everyone with her talent. That's why Ellie supposed Bridget was helping her.
Before Ellie hand come out to the stable she had put up her hair in a low pony tail, to both keep it out of the way and have a helmet on her head at the same time. She also put on a pair of baggy, old, faded jeans with a big tear in the left knee matched with a big, navy, sports sweater to keep warm, completed by her tan boots. Just then she heard a noise come from the front outside the stable door. She had been waiting in the main part of the new stable where the horses would be transferred to soon. Fresh hay had been put down in preparation but no moves yet. She walked out into the small court yard out the front of the stable block and saw Bridget with her back towards her, saddling up Missy, a chestnut coloured horse. Bridget had come wearing a hot pink cardigan sweater top and pair of black jeans matched with her black riding boots, her golden hair separated into pig tails behind her black velvet helmet. She had just finished sorting out Missy when she turned around, a smile on her face. She must have heard Ellie come up behind because she handed Ellie a whip before she saw it was her. Then she handed over a helmet.
"Come on Elle, let's get you saddled up," she said, still smiling.
"Er, I think you're confused, my name is Ellie."
"I know, I was just shortening it. You don't mind, do you?" she said sincerely.
"N-no of course, it's just some people-"
"Don't worry about what people say. It shouldn't matter. But I'm glad you don't think I'm one of those people."
"N-no of course not."
"Good," she said taking Ellie's hand. "Let's get you saddled up then," she said, helping her onto the horse.
Bridget, noticing Ellie's stiff frame as she led Missy into the riding pen, halted the horse, and then looked at Ellie. Ellie could tell she could see the fear that had sketched itself into her eyes as soon as they had got onto the horse. But she smiled anyway.
"Try not to be scared, Elle. Horses can sense your fear, and when you're tense like that they know you don't trust them, so they don't trust you either. And that is how accidents happen." Ellie stiffened even more at the thought of an accident happening. Bridget, seeing this, started to rub her back. As soon as Bridget's hand touched Ellie, just like when she was helping to get her on Missy, that warm feeling settled in her stomach. God, she hoped Bridget didn't know what was going on with her, she thought, her body becoming rigid against Bridget's hand. Feeling it Bridget looked up. Putting her hand on each side of the saddle, she hauled herself up.
"Right," she said placing herself behind Ellie, and then placing her hands on Ellie's hips. Ellie stiffened, not knowing what to do.
"Right," Bridget repeated, then continued, "The best way to calm yourself down and un-tense muscles is simply to think about something else. Something that has nothing to do with fear. Sometimes it's showing you how the horse moves, so you can get you rhythm, showing you that it's safe. We'll try that one first," she said, he hands gripping Ellie's hips harder.
