[OPEN] get ready to ride the sky ;;

[Shalane [BARCELONA]]

From a distance, one may have wondered what on earth was going on in one of the smaller paddocks. It was a little hard to tell. Was the horse trying to trample the dark haired girl in the paddock with it? Was it just trying to be dominant? Was it playing?

The last probably would have been the most accurate, although it wasn't precisely the case. In fact, the little Akhal-Teke mare did rear over er mistress, and, in fact, her ears were pinned, and, to be honest, she looked quite angry. Of course, that wasn't the case. The dark haired girl darted away from the horse, laughing, and the mare touched back down to earth with a snort, her ears pricking forward and an eager gleam in her eye.

"That's my girl, Kadri" the blue eyed beauty called, breathless, the trill of laughter held in her voice. Head held low, the mare trotted toward the girl. "That's it." The girl leaned against the fence, catching her breath while the mare came to a stop before her. Grinning a white-toothed smile, Shalane stepped forward to meet the mare. She gently rubbed the mare's face, a broad smile still coloring her face. Her cheeks were flushed pink from laughter and exercise, and she just looked ultimately happy.

The girl hardly looked ready to play with horses. She wore skinny leg jeans and a pair of black converse shoes with writing on the toe. A loose-fitting black tee-shirt with skulls with pink bows sat on her upper body, and her black hair hung loose to the middle of her back. Still, there was no mistaking her, at this moment, for anything other than a horse woman.

"Hey Kadri" Shalane said as the mare swung away. Blinking, the Teke mare looked back at her mistress. "May I say hello?" Shalane asked, bending and holding out her hand. The mare snorted, stretching out a hoof until it rested in the girl's palm. She laughed, pleased with how well the mare was responding today. She wasn't always so willing to perform her tricks. Maybe it was just because there wasn't an audience. Or maybe she was just feeling good after the break and the move. Either way, she was especially willing today. "That's my girl" Shalane said.

She backed away and the mare followed, head up, neck arched a bit and ears pricked forward, always alert. Shalane smiled. "That's my girl. The crowds just love you" she exclaimed to the mare. With an over dramatic groan, The mare stretched one leg out in front of her as she had when she was shaking, and shifted her weight back until she rested on one knee, clearly bowing, her nose to the ground. With a smile, Shalane swung her leg over. Snorting, the mare rose. "Heigh ho, Silver!" Shalane announced, at random, and the mare reared. Laughing, the girl tangled her hands in the black mane and leaned forward with the movement.

Some might not have understood the commands for what they were; commands. Obviously you didn't need to ask permission to say hello to a horse, and there were no crowds around. And clearly, the mare was a chestnut, and certainly not silver. Still, someone who paid attention might have realized that the phrases brought out different reactions in the mare, and then one would realize that they were commands. They were random, yes, but they matched Shalane's random, free-willed spirit and personality. She never could have dealt with a simple plain, "Shake" or "take a bow." Oh, now. She was unique in every way, and she wouldn't settle for the run of the mill commands or ideas or fashions or training methods or pretty much anything else you could think of. Shalane was certainly one of those people who marched to her own beat, and, frankly, she couldn't have cared less what anyone thought. Maybe it made some people love her. Others found it annoying. But she was one of those all or nothing girls. You loved her or hated her, and, as far as Shalane was concerned, there was no in between.

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word count; 684
tag; open
notes; none