Surging On

Blahhh crappy story, I'm terribly sorry. I was writing it in a pub, and in the last paragraph, as you might guess, I was being rushed to leave xD so sorry!

Cailan's on his way I can't wait!

Also a few small changes to Cosmic's design, on his neck. It made more sense >.> but hey, I drew them both!

Story

Previously: [link]
<sub>The afternoon was wearing on as Mark headed to the stallion barn after working all morning. He was looking forward to finally getting to work with Cosmic, a chance he felt was becoming rarer and rarer now the stables were getting more and more busy. With more breeding and showing horses coming in, and a growing number of foundation Spirit Horses, it was growing more and more difficult for the staff to find time with their own horses. Aithne caught the young man as he walked into the call barn, a grumpy toddler at her heels. “Oh, Mark!” She sighed as she grabbed his arm. “I just thought I’d let you know that we’ve got some more staff coming in.” Mark raised an eyebrow and put his hands into his pockets.
“Really? How many?” He was curious to find out who Aithne was calling in and what they would be doing. While they were short-staffed, there wasn’t a lot for new staff to do other than ride and groom horses. Aithne let the child beside her wander off to see Rojuk, pulling her hair back into a ponytail as she continued.
“Yeah, I decided we could do with the help. There’s another four people turning in the next few weeks, should make things easier,” she said as she tightened the ponytail and smoothed out her hair gently. “Cailan will be here first this week, I was hoping you could show him around and getting settled in.” She folded her arms as Mark nodded and looked around the barn.
“Wow, Aithne, you’re gonna run out of room soon,” he chuckled. She rolled her eyes and nodded, smiling slightly.
“Tell me about it. We’re looking at some more plans for buildings,” she glanced over her shoulder as Aiden squealed with glee, Rojuk ruffling his blonde hair with his soft nose. “Anyway, I better get on. Run Cosmic through his paces on the flat today, you need the practice if you want to put him in the dressage show,” she said, looking at the man for another moment before calling the child back over. “And be nice to Cailan, he’s a bit… introverted.” Mark nodded and watched her go, running over the words in his head as he walked to up to the tack room. Introverted? How bad could the guy be? Either way, he was glad there would be more help around the place. It was impossible to exercise and groom all horses to the correct standard every day, along with mucking them out, turning them out, vetting them, monitoring them, and all the other tasks that came with horses.

After retrieving the tack and grooming kit from the tack room, Mark headed to Cosmic’s stall. The big stallion was stood at his door, his huge head held high as his owner approached. The stallion whickered deeply as he saw Mark, ears perking forwards. “Hey there, big man,” Mark chuckled, rubbing his nose as he reached him. “What’re you up to, hmm?” Cosmic snuffled the man’s hands and breathed warm air gently from his nostrils. “Shall we get you groomed?” He unhooked the headcollar from the hook outside the stall and let himself into the stable. The huge stallion jostled slightly at the man as Mark slipped the head collar onto his noble head and tied him up. Mark smoothly swept the brushes over the horse’s coat until Cosmic was positively shining, and then tacked him up swiftly. Efficiency was an acquired skill at Firelight, and if you ever wanted to get anything done you had to be quick about it. Just fifteen minutes after he started he was leading the fully groomed and tacked up stallion from his stall and towards the exit.

Cosmic’s large hooves clapped loudly against the concrete as they walked, his long purposeful strides matching Mark’s quick walk towards the fields. It was nicer to ride in the fields during the summer, where the trees created some shade and there was plenty of room to run. It was also much easier for Mark to ride Cosmic in a field, where the stallion did not approach every session as a jumping session and would listen a little more keenly to his rider’s aids. Mark swung himself up onto Cosmic’s back as they reached the path out towards the fields, adjusting himself in the seat as the stallion marched forwards again. Mark asked for a trot, enjoying the breeze on his face as they moved along swiftly.

It didn’t take them long to reach an empty field, the grass short from grazing and a gentle slope down towards the distant far end. He pushed the gate open from horseback and walked the horse into the field, shutting the gate behind him. He was growing nervous as the summer dressage show drew closer, Cosmic still being a bit rough around the edges. At least he didn’t go crazy every time he was ridden now, after a stay at Beaumont Stables receiving some much needed serious dressage training. Since then, Aithne and Mark had carried on working with him and he would finally perform some more advanced dressage aspects, and not leap over every trotting pole like it was a four foot jump. Mark as for a trot again as they headed around the field, getting a feel for the stallion’s powerful gait again. Cosmic always surged forwards in every stride, his long legs eating up the ground with ease. When Mark asked for a canter, they flew forwards smoothly and instantly, Cosmic’s hooves snapping up and out neatly and precisely. He carried his head vertically with an essence of his usual stallion pride. Mark hoped they would still make a dressage horse of him before the dressage show, and enhance his three day event performances in the future. For so long Mark had struggled to control the stallion, but the feeling of finally being able to ride him smoothly and perform dressage was an incredible feeling of pride and achievement. He almost felt like he could stay out in the field all day, enjoying the summer afternoon as it slipped into a golden evening, just him and his stallion, alone in a golden world.</sub>

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Another untraced image! just reffed from: [link]

Image & characters © =mapal