truly striking

[Ripley Marsh]

Truly Striking
featuring: Awestruck

Reese leaned against the paddock rails, heedless of the light rain that fell from the sky. A fine mist covered Witch Creek's property, hiding the trumpeting stallions, the barren broodmares, the wild yearlings. A sense of timelessness overwhelmed Reese as she took in the fillies standing beside a pond. Reese could remember that the pond had been one of Red Herring's favorite spots. The handsome red stallion would have covered himself in mud and muck, returning to the barn with a panicking groom. Now the bulky horse was a stud with Firestone Racing and his first colt was expected in May, out of the queenly Silver Tide. Now... the paddock did not belong to a wild-eyed colt, but a group of devilish fillies.

One by one the bay horses stepped from the pond, the flippant Artemis in the lead, her blaze a stand out even in the gloomy weather. She walked around petulantly, her tail in the air even in the face of Lady Timeah's wrath. The dark bay, almost black filly had been in a hellish mood after her second loss. She was learning the frustration of failure and it was not sitting well. Nominated queen while Enrapture was away getting her rub down, Timeah doled out her fury, ignoring Reese at the rail. She charged through the herd, scattering Swing Dancer and Coveted Faith. Ears pinned, the Limitless Time filly chased Reese's morning mount away from the water.

Awestruck ran, hooves beating on the slick earth, but she did not run like a coward with her tail tucked between her legs. The long legged bay ran with her head high and tail in the air. She knew that once Ennie returned, Timeah would be put in her shaky place beneath a filly she considered beneath her. Reese held her breath as True jumped a puddle, knees tucked to her chest. She landed neatly on the other side, scattering sparrows and finches. Then with a quickness in spite of her height, True spun on her haunches and locked eyes with Reese. With a belligerent scream, the bay launched into a run, bulled her way through the newly gathered fillies and through the pond.

Reese growled lightly, but made no move when the filly approached. True was used to humans chasing her. She'd been a nuisance ever since her return. She snorted, tossing her head and pawing the ground. This one definitely got her way. It was in her to be wild, but this bratty nature was not something either Indian Darling or Winning Touch had possessed. It was a trait uniquely Touch Up. Every single one of his daughters possessed this arrogance. Reese had simply given up, but she would not encourage it.

With careful, calm movements, Reese squatted and slid under the wooden slats. Eyes downcast, the woman approached True, appealing to her condescending side. The filly was sending her suspicious glances, but she didn't budge an inch. She Reese laid her hand on the filly's shoulder, stroking the satin body then neck. With a fluid movement, Reese tugged the pocket rope halter from her sleeve and wrapped it around the filly's neck. True jerked but it was not enough to make Reese release. She quickly slid the halter up over the filly's nose, behind her ears and grinned. "Caught you, True."

The filly glared furiously, but she obeyed the tug of the rope that was clipped to her halter. With a toss of her head, True pretended to ignore the mocking gazes of her paddock mates. The occupants of the paddock might have changed, but the equine attitudes were as timeless as the land they called home. Reese patted the filly's neck, eyed her legs. "Darn you. There were horses in the way and yet you still have to go through the pond?"

True kept her eyes on anything else beside the human leading her. She nickered to Optimus who was returning for a gallop, called for the yearlings that were playing in the paddocks. No one answered her. She was the disgraced protege.

Reese was smirking as she entered the barn. Her smirk grew larger at the sight of Laura. "Come to help me clean the she-witch?"

Snickers met her words.



Thirty minutes later, Reese and Awestruck emerged from the barn both with glaring eyes. Ripley grinned into their respective faces from her position on Finale Slew's back. The dark bay dam of Artemis' Glory snorted at True who stabbed a foreleg at the air in impatience. Finale Slew turned her head at an angle, expressing her disdain over the young horse. No one could match the regal disposition of Finale Slew. Ripley drew the mare up to Awestruck, took the lead rope from Reese's hands. The woman side, lifted her hands in the air, soaking in the moment of lost control. True was one of the most difficult horses Reese had ever ridden in her life. It wasn't that they didn't get along, they did. It was more of one partner wanting more control than the other partner could give. True behaved like an innocent on the line, ears playing over her head as Ripley and Finale led the way toward the turf track.

"Don't tell Brooks I'm riding. He thinks I should plant my butt in the office and not come within an inch of a horse. However, he's gone and I want to ride. Finale will take good care of me." The bay mare snorted, tossing her head in agreement. She skipped over the grass, happy in spite of the developing cloud of negativity on True's part. The filly grew more cantankerous by the second. She fussed at the end of the lead line, tossed her head and stomped like a baby about to have a tantrum. She obviously didn't appreciate being led around as if she didn't have a brain herself. Ears pinned True attempted assault on Finale, but the mare turned around jaws wide open and stunned True to a stand still. Ripley chuckled.

"Manners, Grasshopper."

Reese took a relaxing breath as Ripley unclipped the line at the stretch before the first hill. "Just let her get those bugs out of her pants so she'll sit still. I'll see you at the three furlong flat. Keep her steady in there. Bring her to the edge, but don't push her beyond watch she can handle."

Reese urged True into a hand canter, grinning when she bucked going by Finale Slew. Young whipper snapper. The filly had a beautiful way of going, her stride so fluid and long. She was one of the best moving daughters of Touch Up, his most athletic looking filly. She was among the tallest he'd ever thrown, second only to In Front. She was the Athena of the group. A war goddess whose beauty was proclaimed far and wide. Reese tucked her hands at the filly's withers as she galloped up the first hill. True crested the top, pricking her ears, wind whipping her forelock back. She looked powerful.

Reese sent the filly on, keeping herself calm with regulated breathing. True was an adrenaline rush. She could decide to ditch Reese in a heartbeat. She hadn't since they'd first begun, but there was an unpredictability to True that hadn't existed with Pride and Luna. True was bloody fast in body and mind. The woman inch lower as the filly picked up the pace, reins tightening as she realized she wasn't under Reese's strict control.

For the first time, Reese felt true excitement and happiness fly through True's veins. The filly surged through the valleys, slowed up the hills and down them. She was breathtaking in flight with her long tail flying in her wake. Unlike Pride, the filly was as surefooted as they came, not picking her way carefully over the course. Reese relaxed then, felt herself move with the horse more than ever before.

Ripley and Finale Slew awaited the pair patiently beside the flat. Finale munched on grass, her reins looped around the horn of Ripley's saddle. The dark mare was the most well mannered of the retired broods. Once Sunny retired from brood, Ripley was not sure if she would go into a second career as a farm pony or back to the track. The track called to her as much as her foals. Finale, however, could have cared less. When Awestruck appeared at the crest, the mare didn't even lift her head.

True skipped down the hillside, nostrils flaring wide as the wind changed direction, pushing her toward the flat instead of away from it. The bay actually ran the whole not, even leaping. It was then that Reese knew she could take back control. Picking up the slack, Reese called upon the filly's heart. She knew this one had tremendous talent, tremendous speed. But did she have the courage? Talent was good enough on several occasions, but heart meant something more.

The filly responded to the sudden urging, slapping into a new gear. She shot across the field, legs flying beneath her. Ripley sucked in a breath at the size of the filly's stride. True seemed to skim over the surface, parallel and perfect. Her ears were lost in her mane. She didn't grow tired as Reese had expected. The filly got stronger. Reese had not egged her on since the beginning of the workout. And here was True, flying like she was in the fastest race of her young career.

Ripley was grinning like a fool as Awestruck passed through the line with her ears pricked, as if she had just figured out that this hadn't been a race at all. Everyone thought Uno was her ace, and he would be when he learned the game. But he needed to have heart, not just the pedigree and talent. Awestruck was perfection in that department.