Wrekage__&[Ember]

[»ryan wilks_]

Brown. What a beautiful and magnificent color. Chestnut, more used for equines, fit the four-legged powerful beast perfectly. But, that was one of many hues it beheld. Ivory, the color of the whitest cloud, with a light coat of dirt, attired it's sides, leaving big splotches all over. A blaze adorned it's long snout, velvety pink muzzle getting pet by a hand. The beasts' large caramel eyes closed, a snort of pleasure escaping it's large mouth. The girl petting the horse giggled as the big stallion nudged her shoulder. Her brown hair was pushed aside by a big and heavy snort. Lifting up a hoof, the horse stomped it on the ground, waiting by 5 other horses. They all owned a different hue and hide pattern, though the one of the stallion's left matched his almost equally. That was his son. And the stallion was proud of him.

Horizon, Blazer, Sunset, Fire, Tide, and Wishbone. Are those the right ones, Mom? A 17 year-old called out towards a room that looked like an office. And it was. Grabbing a clipboard off of a bench that had all the horses' names on it, and the horses duties for today, she checked all five off, then went to the tack room. One by one she grabbed each of the horses' tack, tacking them all up individually. The last one she was tacking up was Horizon, her big and mighty stallion. She adjusted the stirrups to fit her, then took off the lead rope, grabbing the reigns and leading him outside by the post, tying him up there. She did this with the other four horses, putting Blazer next to his dad, Fire and Wishbone together, and Tide and Sunset together. Looking over all the horses, she nodded to herself in satisfaction, then walked back into the stables. Looking over the clipboard, she set it down, then went to the office.

Ryan's mom, Vanessa, had her reading glasses in one hand, a pen in the other. She was calculating the bills for this month. And, so far, she didn't look too pleased. Her mom had a better job out in the city as an Interior Designer, but she loved working on the ranch more. She was actually debating on whether or not she should quit the city job. Her mother looked up at Ryan, who was leaning on the door frame, watching her mom in somewhat amusement. Coughing some, Ryan walked in and sat on a chair in front of her moms desk. We good to go, Ryan? Asked her mother. The teenager only replied with a nod. Looking at her lime green nails, she sighed some, then looked back up. Her mom was staring hard at her, and Ryan winced some. We have a person coming in today who's interesting to work here. She'll be coming soon, I just got off the phone with her. I want you to take her, as well with some people who want to ride, out on the Brickslide trail. Can you do that? Ryan took the question into some consideration before replying. A new person? Psh. Please. And a girl? Oh, come on. Ryan was the only girl, besides her mom, who worked here.

Okay. But I better be getting more pay... Without waiting to hear what her mom said, Ryan got up and silently walked out of the office. She walked slowly outside, her black riding boots clicking on the tiled floor. She was wearing a black boy tank with good fitting blue faded jeans, and black boots. her brown hair was sprawled over her back, make up adorning her petite and tan facial features. Sighing loudly, she walked towards where the horses were, looking up at the sky. it was cloudy, but still bright enough to the point where Ryan had to squint her eyes a little. Walking over towards Horizon and Blazer, she smiled some. Blazer tried to rear, but couldn't since he was tied. So, instead, he bucked out his back legs, kicking the air. Ryan shook her head. Her mom was serious about taking this yearling? He would kill somebody! Petting the young male's head, he soothed down some. He also behaved for the time being, as for his father nipped him gently, but hard enough, on the shoulder.

Oh, Horizon... Ryan muttered. She walked to the right side of her horse, resting her head on his long nape. The stallion replied with a soft whinny. Ryan couldn't love anyone more than she loved her horse. he was her life. Looking around, she watched a few blue jays dart to one tree to another, as if they were playing tag or something.

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[ember poppins.]

^{a moment like a poem.}

Getting a job, for Ember, had always been an easy task. It was as simple as this: show up, be polite, and make shit up. The last part was key, and boy, did she use it to her advantage. Let's say, for example, that our dear little Ember decided she wanted to work as a farmer's helper. If the time was right during her boss' tour of the boring-as-hell corn field, she'd bring up the fact that her house back in Texas was set next to a cow farm, and that she'd worked there every summer since she was ten. Her house, of course, was not built adjacent to such a place, and was not in Texas, but fifteen hundred miles away, in Greenwich, Connecticut. See what I mean? She's just a natural master at lying - squeazing her way out of things, or in this case, into things. So that's why she had no problem whatsoever convincing Mrs. What's-her-face that she was in fact a skilled trail rider, when in reality, she'd never been on a trail ride. Don't get me wrong, though, she'd been on a horse - two state titles and a countless amount of blue ribbons will tell you just that. I guess, seeing that she's miles from home, she missed just being herself. And one of the ways Ember could ease her domestic ache was to hop on an old stead. And plus, she was getting paid for this shit.

Ember's black Mercedes had only pulled halfway into a parking space before she saw the group of horses, tacked and ready to go - and waiting. For her. Ember winced. Her first day at work, and already she was late, dressed in the complete wrong attire - olive English riding breeches and tall black field boots - and, as if that wasn't enough, she'd just gotten her tire stuck in a pot hole. The gravel beneath her hissed against the sedan's fight for freedom, but the hole was too deep. The whole car was tipped to one side, and the brunette inside groaned with disapproval. An ebony lock of hair slipped from her updo and onto her face, and she glared at it through the corner of her eye, like as though she were blaming it for all her troubles. She'd never been that good of a driver, but even a blind man would have seen that coming.

"Fuck it."

Long, slender fingers shoved the gear into park and cut the engine. She'd just have to deal with this little rut later, after she was refreshed with a canter and the tangy aroma of an equine, which, she could already smell. In a less-than-graceful motion, Miss Poppins twisted the set of keys out of the ignition and pushed her door open, letting her abandoned coffee cup and box of Junior Mints fend for themselves in the blistering heat. It had to be over at least a hundred degrees, but it felt like more after leaving the comfortable safety of the air conditioning. All she'd done was breathe, and already she was sweating.

Ember scanned the yard. It was clean - cleaner than most - but didn't hold as many horses as she'd expected. She was so used to four star stables and expensive ponies that she'd envisioned a more .. sophistocated set-up. But, no, it was more of a laid-back kind of ranch, with a lot of open space and vegetation. And no wonder Mrs. What's-her-face had been hiring! The place was nearly empty of people, except for a caramel brunette about her age who was patting a frisky tobiano colt. And, much to her confusion, the woman Ember recognized as her boss was nowhere to be found. Instead of searching the office to her left - that'd be the rude thing to do - the petite girl headed toward the small group of horses. Standing there was the even-more-petite miss she'd spotted just moments before. Ember's boots padded from surface to surface, and her helmet bounced at her side. All the while, the back of the girl's head became more familiar and more familiar - too familiar. Which scared the living hell out of Ember, because not only was she shy around strangers, she was shy around aquaintences - and this girl was an aquaintence for sure, she just didn't know exactly who it was yet.

When she finally reached her destination, Ember slowed to a stop and tightened her manicured grip around her IRH. This was totally humiliating. A girl shows up to a western trail ride, decked out in nothing but English apparel. She scolded herself.

"Hey, I'm Ember."

That was all she dared to say. After all, Ember knew the less she said, the less people would notice her.

Wait .. what people?

[»ryan wilks_]

The sound of a car struggling to get out of a hole caught both Ryan's ears and attention. A black Mercedes was stuck. All too humiliating to her. Nobody brings a nice car to a stable! Were they nuts? Her caramel eyes then hit a slender figure, who seemed to be walking this way. tilting her head some, she patted Horizon on the nape once more before walking away from the horses, leaning onto one of the posts. The figure reminded her of someone, but she couldn't place who, exactly. The hissing of Cicadas throughout the forest made her a tad bit annoyed. Ryan thought those damned creatures from hell should die and never come back up to Earth. And, as if anything was getting better, the girl who was walking up here walked straight towards her. hearing her then speak, Ryan now remembered who this girl was. Ember? No fucking way! Staring at what she was wearing, Ryan held in her laugh. She hoped Ember knew there was no English riding up here. Both Ryan and her mom forbade it. They didn't like it. At all.

Not answering Ember, Ryan whipped around and walked off towards the stables. Getting inside, she then stormed into the office and slammed the door shut. Her face was almost a beet red color. The slamming of the door made her mom jump some.

You hired Ember Poppins!?! How could you, mom! She doesn't even know what Western Riding is. She's not riding here. No way in hell,[/b] Ryan watched her mom's calm reaction. She picked up a clipboard, then said to Ryan,Give this to her and tell her to fill it out. It'll work out, Ryan... Growling loudly, Ryan snatched the board away from her mom, grabbed a pen, put the pen under the clip, then opened the door. Calming herself down some, she walked out casually towards Ember, mustering up the best smile she could produce to this bitch.

Handing the board over to Ember once she was close enough, Ryan took a few minutes to actually respond to the girl. But, before she did, she saw two cars pull up, park, then 4 adults, two in each car, come out. Smiling brightly to them, she walked over towards them and welcomed them. Then, she told them to walk into the stables and go to the first door to the left that said 'Office'. Once they nodded and went to the stables, Ryan then turned back to Ember.I know who you are, Ryan replied rather snappy. She looked over Ember once again, a thin smile appearing on her full lips. Looking back at Blazer, who whinnied, Ryan suddenly got an idea. She would put Ember on Blazer. She wanted to see how well that would work out. Looking over at Tide, who was the oldest of all the horses that were out, but not the oldest in the stables, was dozing off. Smiling to herself, Ryan walked over there and gently rubbed her nape, waking her up. She didn't want any of the horses to be sleeping until after they were done.

I just need you to fill out those forms I handed you. When you're done, just give me it and I'll take it to Mrs. Wilks, Ryan said. She tried to maintain her calm, but it was hard when she hated this girl more than life itself. She just wanted to start beating this shit out of her, but she knew she would get in trouble. And more, sued by the bitch. All well. It would have been worth breaking her pretty face.

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[ember poppins.]

^{shot me down, bang bang.
i hit the ground, bang bang.
that awful sound, bang bang.
my baby shot me down.}

Okay, that ain't right. What the fuck was Ryan Wilks doing here? Ember had told herself too many times that they'd never see each other again. And yet, here they were, standing only three feet apart, just like they had that day at the airport. When was that again? Oh yeah, nearly three months ago. She couldn't possibly still be mad at the fact that Ember'd knocked her over. I mean, sure, it was a little embarrassing, but shouldn't she have some .. sense of humor? Someone must have shoved it up her ass or something, because the bistered girl was mad. And not just mad, but furious. Ember would have felt safer if she put her helmet on now, instead of waiting to mount, because she knew Ryan well enough to know she'd bust her scull open if given the opportunity. Frankly, Ember didn't agree with her anger. Just because of the person she is, Ryan refuses to forgive Ember. I mean, the rival had never said exactly those words, but from the way she stormed away and into the office without a second glance in her enemy's direction, Ember knew. And she knew it'd take a long time to revive her friendliness.

In the time it took for Ryan to return, Ember decided she'd play this thing out cool. She'd pretend she didn't remember Ryan, and that way, the sparks hopefully wouldn't fly in the conventional direction of her face. And by sparks, I mean Ryan's fists. The saucy brunette would try to be polite, seeing that, if she didn't, her boss would most likely discover their little rendezvous and send Ember packing. So much for easing her domestic ache. She needed this job - not for the money, but in the general interest of her saneness. Ember wished she could have stayed in Connecticut. But she didn't want to take back what she'd done. Bradley was the greatest thing to ever happen to her. He was her best friend, her life, her love, her everything. She could still smell his cologne and see his crooked grin, but Ember wouldn't remember that for long. That's what most upsets her. The fact that, even if they're the greatest you'll ever make in your life, memories fade like the stain on your jeans, like a castle on the beach. Her father was stupid for quickening that grueling process. She was still a virgin. Wasn't that enough?

"I know who you are."

Ryan's stiff articulation swept Ember's thoughts into a crevice of her mind, and she looked up from the helmet she'd been staring at to meet her rival's gaze. It was hazel in color, and burning a mark into Ember's baby blues. There was a small clipboard, burdened with a single paper, perched between them. Ember took it politely, and forced a shy smirk. The plan was ready. Now it was time to put it into action. She raised a thin, ebony eyebrow into a brittle arch, and pouted, just the tiniest bit, so that it was clear she was confused.

"Uhm .. yeah, I'm Ember. It's nice to meet you .."

She paused, waiting for the name she already knew: Ryan. But it didn't come. Instead, the shorter brunette counter-attacked Ember's mission, and continued without missing a beat. Ryan strolled casually over a rusty-looking mare who was obviously tired. She appeared unfazed from her rival's words, but Miss Poppins hoped Ryan had heard her loud and clear, and was pondering in her own mind whether she should forgive poor Ember.

"I just need you to fill out those forms I handed you. When you're done, just give it to me and I'll take it to Mrs. Wilks."

Ember nodded, and looked down at the page. It only asked for four things: her name, number, address, and any questions or concerns that she may have. The brunette quickly scribbled her replies in with a blue pen, making sure to dot her i's neatly, and pondered for a moment at the last question. Finally realizing she fully understood the job, she left it blank and handed the clipboard back to Ryan. Gently, of course.

"Who will I be riding?"

She narrated softly. Man, this was fun.

[»ryan wilks_]

Listening to Ember speak made Ryan want to just snort in amusement. Listening at her 'confused' statement, Ryan only raised an eyebrow. She never gets faces mixed up. Once she knew someone, she knew them for life, basically. Yawning some, she looked around her. The horses were doing fine, Tide still trying to snooze, then snorted some. Walking close to Ember, she sized her up somewhat. She was taller than her, but she never let size get in the way. Haha. Lifting an eyebrow after Ember was done writing on the paper, Ryan took the clipboard back, then turned around. She acted like she was trying to find the best horse for her to ride, but in her mind, she already picked out the horse: Blazer. Walking around the horses, she picked up Fire's left rear hoof, then put it back down. Ryan finally then went over at Blazer. Patting him on the side, she said rather gruffly,

You'll be riding Blazer. He's probably the best for you,

Ryan replied as sweetly as she possibly could. So, she was trying to play dumb? What a deuce. Well, two can play it that way. Rubbing the back of her neck idly, she turned around and sauntered back towards the stables, going into the office. Without even looking at her mom, she put the clipboard down, then looked at the four people who were waiting outside the office. They all had helmets on, so they probably talked to her mom. telling them to follow her, she assigned each of them a horse. Horizon was Ryan's, Blazer was going to be Ember's for the day. Showing the adults how to mount onto a horse, she waited until they all did, then untied their horses. She then untied Horizon's reigns, threw them over his nape, then mounted. Ryan then showed the adults the basics of riding.

Once she did that, she looked down at Ember. Raising an eyebrow, she watched the girl, then circled around the whole group once, making sure everything looked fine. It did.You can mount whenever, Ember. Ryan stated. She blinked a few times, then ran a hand through her hair a few times. Patting Horizon on the neck, she smiled to him, then looked over at Blazer, who was bucking his back legs. He wasn't liking being the only horse tied up. Smirking to herself lightly, Ryan looked over at the trails, then brought Horizon into a fast paced walk, walking in front of all the others and heading off to the trail. The stallion whinnied excitedly, knowing that he was going on a trail ride. And his favorite one, too. His chestnut whipcord flickered some, smacking at a fly or two that was trying to rest on his rump. The steady beat of hooves on Earth soothed Ryan greatly. For sometime, she actually forgot about Ember.

Until, that is, she heard Blazer whinny in protest, not wanting the rest of the group to leave just yet. he pulled on his reigns, trying to get loose. but, it was no use. growling some to herself, Ryan looked back at the group. They seemed to be doing fine. nodding to herself, she took the excess reigns she was holding onto and tapped Horizon gently on the side, making him go to a very slow trot. She wanted to make sure there wasn't any snakes or whatnot in front of them. If that happened, it would be hell. Ryan had that happen to her once. A snake popped out of nowhere, making her other horse, Maria, spooked. She reared, Ryan not fast enough to get a good hold, and she fell off. Stayed in the hospital for about seven days due to a very minor concussion.

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[ember poppins.]

^{i woke up this morning,
to a blood red sky.
they're burning on the bridge
and turning out the lights.}

"You'll be riding Blazer. He's probably
the best for you."

Blazer? Ember guessed it was the name of the tobiano colt with a blaze as big as his attitude. He accepted Ryan's gentle pats, but there was something about him that said, 'just this once'. She didn't have to see him misbehave; Miss Poppins just knew, from experience, that this horse was deliberately .. naughty. And she was right. Ember's favorite kind of equine is one with looks that could give someone a heart attack, and a calm, collected personality. The mount she'd left behind in Greenwich, a New Zealand warmblood gelding named Polish, was quite the looker. His chestnut glaze seemed to get brighter the older he got, and the star on his forelock was a perfect sphere in shape. The rider's first pony, a Welsh cross she affectionately called Bitty, wasn't so blessed with a stunning appearance, but had the calmest, coolest air to him. The gray was the primary reason that Ember excelled so much in the sport of equestrianism. She definitely learned from the best. But this horse, this colt, was different. His eyes were rimmed with red and had the deepest, darkest absence in them. His caramel haunches were pointed in, ready to spook, kick, and rear. All you needed to do was pull the trigger, and he was ready.

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll get along just fine."

Ember replied confidently, and cowered a sideways glance at the horse. Take that, Ryan Wilks. I'm will ride your beast, she told herself, and settled the helmet over a loose, sagging updo of ebony locks. She slid the two buckles together, and they snapped like two long-lost friends who were more than happy to see each other. The chin straps rubbed against the bridge where her jaw and neck met, but she ignored it, despite the notion that it'd turn her skin pink and raw, like it had so many times before. She'd never really gotten around to adjusting it, seeing that she'd be running from the barn to ride Polish, back to her house to babysit Griffin, to the high school to drive Patrick home from his detention .. again. Life back at Connecticut was hectic, alright, and Ember stopped breathing for just a moment, to imagine what life would be like here - free. No little brothers to follow around. No neighbors to meddle into her life. No tight-knit cliques to make her jealous. No Bradley. She took a breath through a parted pair of red-stained lips. Life without Bradley wasn't free, it was suffocating. She felt weightless around Bradley. He made her feel delicate, like linen. Ember could feel the wind blow through her around when she was with that boy. They used to hike to the hill in the woods, where the trees cleared out just enough to let a large mound raise as high as the treetops did. The grass was usually dry and crackly, but it didn't matter, because Bradley always let Ember lay on his jacket instead. They used to try and count how many times a bird flew across a cloud, but stopped after they realized it was probably the same blue jay making multiple trips across their sky. That's right; it was their sky .. unless .. No. There was no way Bradley was cheating on her. He'd wait for her, no matter how long it took her father to realize it's actually normal to kiss boys; to like them, to be liked in return. But still, Bradley was infamous for an unfortunate incident in which he dated three girls at once. He denied such allegations, and Ember believed him, even though she could see the panic in his emerald gaze whenever she brought it up.

The brunette shook her contemplation off. It'd been hanging on her like a heavy weight, and no matter how hard she shook in her mind, the density remained. Only a few more minutes, and she'd be in the saddle, happy to let someone else carry her burden. Hopefully, when she returned to the ground later, the thoughts of Bradley's lips on someone else's would be gone.

"You can mount whenever, Ember."

A ebony-framed face turned its chin up, so that Ember's blue eyes were stiff on Ryan's. She hadn't even realized everyone else had been ready to go.

"Will do."

She replied in a sort of half-goofy, half-excited tone, and turned her attention to Blazer. He was practically vibrating with anxiousness, and he was clearly uncomfortable with the idea of being tied up, all alone. And the idea didn't slide too well with Ember, either. I mean, she liked to be alone and shit, but riding alone didn't really appeal. She untied Blazer, who spoored backward with such speed, Ember's slender arm was nearly forced out of its socket. His head was held high. Ah, shit, Ember swore under her breath. It was almost as if he'd picked her to be mean to today. Mounting was going to get interesting, and interesting fast. But luckily, it didn't. It was a normal mounting trip. Ember tried to vault from the ground once, and the nearly-seventeen-hand colt shifted his weight when she failed to get her bum in the saddle, and slipped down the flap. Her second time was successful, though, because she discovered a way to sneak her foot into the stirrup just enough before her body came crashing down again.

Blazer wasn't as bad under saddle as she'd thought he would be, but he was still quite the handful. He tried to turn for the barn when his rider asked him to move forward, but Ember didn't give him his head, so he eventually just gave up and wandered forward. When they reached the rest of the group and spotted the leading stallion - another tobiano who looked just alike - he shot forward in a sort of half-capriole, and Ember lost her stirrup. She turned him in a tight circle, smiling at an adult rider who needed to halt in order to avoid Blazer's wide rear, and shortened the colt's reins. This time, though, all he did was quicken his pace toward the horse, and before long, Ember and Ryan were riding side by side. Their mounts got so close, their knees nearly touched, and the brunette debated whether or not to pull Blazer back when the trail narrowed. Pulling him back might result in another embarrassing tantrum, and another apology-filled traffic jam.

"How long is this ride?"

Ember asked in the calmest tone possible. The air was so still, and she felt the sudden urge to fill it with her own voice.

[»ryan wilks_]

The steady beat of hoof on gravel made the girl close her eyes. Her horse knew the trail pretty well. She wasn't afraid of falling off. A leaf mustered itself, then, off of a bough, fluttering down to Earth like a gliding butterfly, the moist green hue it held not letting any light invade it. It landed on Ryan's shoulder, slipping its way off, then landed right behind her horse, only to be stepped upon by the horse behind her. That made Ryan open her eyes and watch the poor little defenseless greenling. It showed her how short life could really be. Letting a rather loud right, not bothering to suppress it back any longer. It was building up inside her lungs, screaming to let free. And, she obeyed its command at last, feeling about a billion times better.

The noise, then, behind her made the girl tilt her head in curiosity. But not bothering to look back, she instead took a sideways glance. She observed the four adults on the four equines, acting as if they were a professional atop of a newly polished western saddle. They acted like they knew what they were doing. But, chances are, they didn't. And that didn't surprise Ryan, either. Most people who came thought it would be plain and simple to ride a horse. I mean, all you have to do is make sure the stirrups are the right length for you, make sure the helmet is not too tight or not too loose, then mount on while the horse that is about to be underneath your rump is fidgeting, waiting for you to hop onto it's strong back, and wanting to be let free. And, don't forget the reigns, holding onto them like you're really supposed to, making sure you don't kick or squeeze the horses' barrels too hard, making sure the horse didn't stall... Ryan could go on all day in her mind, telling herself these adults didn't know jack shit compared to herself.

A bump and an annoyed snort interrupted her thoughts. Not to mention a voice intervening into her mind. But, we wouldn't get onto that subject. The sigh huffed out of Horizon next, bringing up his head when he noticed his son was too close for comfort. Beginning to kick out his rear right leg some, Ryan glared over at Ember, burning her caramel gaze into her thick skull. With an annoyed tone, Ryan said,

Will you move him? Horizon's about to go bananas. And you're supposed to be rounding up the rear, And, with that, Ryan kicked Horizon's barrels gently, setting him off straight ahead of the group, about ten feet away from the rest. Growling in frustration, Ryan took a left turn, watching the trail in front of her. The gravel looked like gray beads, like someone pulled a giant pearl necklace and broke it. Then it looked like they sat there for about ten thousand years, getting that eerie gray color, setting them in each place where they belonged. Hearing Ember then ask how long the trail was, she huffed, then mumbled,About an hour and a half,

After with that said, Ryan looked over at Blazer, who was throwing his head up in excitement. This was probably his third time on this trail, and with that horse, it took him forever to get bored of it. With a flock of her head, the teen girl moved her bangs away from her caramel eyes, then focused on Horizon, who whinnied loudly, giving his son a 'back off' warning. Loosening the reigns on her trusty steed, Ryan let Horizon do all the walking, her hands resting onto the sides of her hips lazily. The reigns were laying on the saddle in front of her, moving somewhat as the horse moved. His movements seemed almost ghost like, making him go fast, but at a slow rate. Smirking wide at her horse, she patted him on the nape gently, then listened to him let out his suppressed sigh loudly. Running a petite and tanned hand through her straightened auburn hair, the girl let her eyes roam off the trail in front of her, and onto a tree that was about to pass up.

The tree looked like it was older than the dinosaur age, with its bark mostly peeled off and the leaves all gone, making it bare. The boughs looked like they would snap if a piece of lint touched it. Shaking her head subtly to her thoughts, Ryan let out another huff, wiping her brow as the heat began to soar higher. All she begged for was a breeze.





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