Thou shall fly without wings ((William))

[Jasmine Anderson]

Jasmine put her full weight on the shovel staring down at the ground exhausted. This was her last stall to clean for the day before heading out on a trail ride with Wildfire. Swiping her hand across her forehead Jasmine shoveled the last bit of maneuverer into the barrel. Grabbing the wooden handles she pushed forward but soon was stopped by Veronica yet again. "What do you want now?! I already groomed Cobalt for you and tacked him up." Jasmine said steering out of the girl's way and continuing down the isle. "Excuse me? Cobalt needs to be watered and his tack needs to be cleaned." she said examining her nails. Stopping the wheelbarrow Jasmine turned around swiftly staring up into Veronica's cold eyes. "You know what? Do it yourself. I'm not here to look after your horse. I clean stalls to help pay for my rent and you know what I'm not in the best of moods today." Jasmine said picking the wheel barrel back up again walking down the isle. "You and that hack will never become champions." Veronica called after her, but Jasmine just ignored it.

Pulling the reins from over Wildfires neck Jasmine lead the gelding out of his stall. Trying to buckle her helmet together Jasmine lead Wildfire to the mounting block halting him to make sure the helmet was on right. Climbing up the little stairs Jasmine swung one leg over the saddle and landed in it gentle collecting the reins while Wildfire walked forward. "Going on a trail ride Jazz?" Max, the owner of Hillside Ranch asked while dismounting from Barq. "Yes. I haven't been on one in forever and just giving this boy here an day off." Jasmine said patting Wildfire neck. Squeezing with her hells lightly Wildfire picked up the pace entering the woods at a brisk walk. His dark bay coat gleamed in the sunshine and tail held high. Smiling to herself Jasmine clucked with her tongue and admittedly the gelding replied by trotting. Wildfire was a big horse, almost 17 hands high with big bones which came from his breeding.

Staring up into the clear blue sky Jasmine smiled at the sound of hoofs pounding the earth. Powerful mussels beneath her clenched together than apart with each stride. The Trakehner breed was known for the way they flowed. Wildfire quickened his gait to a slow, controlled gallop in an open meadow. Leaning slightly more forward Jasmine loosened her grip on the reins signaling the gelding he could go faster. Wildfire outstretched his head lenathing his stride causing his speed to increase. The wind began to sting her checks a little and everything seemed to wash away. It was strange how just a simple gait could just drain everything away. Smiling even more Jasmine pulled on the reins a little bringing Wildfire down into a rhythmic canter. Seeing a log ahead of them Jasmine clucked with her tongue a little quickening the canter a bit. Leaning forward over Wildfire's neck Jasmine felt him take off and flew for a second landing perfectly back on the ground.

Hearing Wildfire starting to breath some Jasmine brought him back down into a walk loosened the reins a little. Jasmine didn't know how long she had been out but nothing mattered. The way Craig had been acting toward their father was once again brought up. What was going on with those two? Her brother would never keep a secret from her but he might be now. Noticing Wildfire stopped by a rather woodsy area Jasmin looked ahead seeing nothing. But the gelding ears where pricked forward and he kept moving back and forth. "Whoa boy..." Jasmine whispered trying to get Wildfire back under control. But he just kept whinnying loudly. That only meant another horse was around.

[will]

Will sprinted through the forest at the crack of dawn. His feet thudded soundly on the ground and he sported no grimace of pain. His ankle had healed well enough for him to run but the Nurse had warned him that he should take it easy for a while until it was fully healed. He had thrown caution to the winds, however, for the school was still deciding whether or not to get rid of Luce, the midnight horse. He and Will shared a certain connection but now that Luce had bitten someone....It hadn't fared well with the Owners of the orphanage who basically owned Lucifer. They had insisted that the Devil resided in the horses soul. They had been determined to rid themselves of him and now that they had a perfectly good reason. Will was determined to stop it before it went to far. Shannon, one of John's - the boy who had gotten bitten - friends admitted that it had been a dare that John reach out and pinched Luce's shoulder. Considering Luce hated people and everything to do with them it hadn't turned out well.

Will stopped when he reached the fence. The five horses that stood there all gazed at him, contentedly munching on carrots. They were left here, all alone, because the orphanage had been unable to train them. Of course, if they had just kept the horses in training courters and worked with them patiently they would be wonderful. Will, who had loved horses ever since he had been five, had gone to these horses almost every day of his life and he himself had tamed them enough to be ridden. There was no tack, however, so it was all done bareback. Bareback was something that came to Will as easily as breathing now. At first he had taken a few falls but it was simple enough now. All he had to do was hang on and not feel any emotions; after all, horses can sense what you are feeling. He jumped the fence slowly and approached the horses. One Appaloosa, two Paints, and two Quarter Horses. Will didn't see Luce yet but sure enough his welcoming whinny came on and the pounding if hooves reached his ears. Turning, he saw the hot-blooded Arabian run gracefully to Will, stopping about a yard away. He was amazing, it took Will's breath away every time he saw him.

"Hey boy. I haven't seen you for a while now. How's you shoulder buddy?" Will whispered softly as he touched Luce's shoulder. The horse instantly reared, sending Will scrambling to the side to avoid getting trampled. The whites of his eyes were showing as Will brushed his bangs away from his eyes. It was apparent that Luce wasn't going to get over the incident with John any time soon. He nodded, not expecting less, and stepped cautiously toward the black Arabian once more. Muttering random words once again to soothe him, he was relieved when Luce's ears came foreword with interest. He smiled and touched the horses' forehead. Luce always liked being rubbed there. Grinning from ear-to-ear now, he proceeded to go near the horse's left shoulder, which was thankfully not the pinched one. Still murmuring his condolences, Will grabbed the mane and vaulted onto Luce's back. He shifted right instantly, as though to make sure Will was on. Regaining his composure, Will wiped the sweat off of his shoulder. It was hard work.

A trail, beginning at the forest and ending near the small lake, is the one Will followed. It was only about four miles long. He paced Luce with a steady trot. Even he seemed to be liking riding. Will was relieved that not many people were on the trail. After all, he mightn't be allowed on it without the proper tack. He shifted uneasily in the saddle, causing Luce to shake his head. Will muttered his random words again to calm the horse. Breathing more freely, Will smiled and let the scenery wash by. It was intoxicating how beautiful the world seemed on a horses back. It was as if the world was thrown into a whole new light, a light Will enjoyed seeing it in. There was a small stable nearby. The owners knew Will very well by now. It wasn't his first time that he had been on this trail. Luce, although very young, was starting to breathe rather heavy. The boy astride his back was beginning to get worried so he stopped by the stable. After all, they had gone about fifteen miles.

"'Ello, Al!" Will cried as he pulled on Luce's mane to halt him. The horse snorted but obeyed. "I need some water for this horse here. Can you spare some?" Will vaulted of Luce's back before taking out the halter he had brought along. He had made it himself. It was a bright blue thought stood out against Luce's shiny black. Tugging him foreword, Will heard Al's response.
"'Course! I should have known you'd want that!" Al jumped off his own horse, which was a pretty chestnut and tied him up. He then caught sight of Lucifer and his eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Will led Luce over to the nearest empty stall. It had a water tank that would refill once it became somewhat empty. Luce drank up rather quickly but not for long, for Will knew that a horse that was running would have a stomach ache on the trail if it drank water. Pulling him away, Will borrowed a lead rope and tied it around the halter, leading Luce to a nearby tree. He tied the stallion to it before sitting on the bench. He was going to let Luce rest for a bit before they continued on.

The sun high in the sky by the time Will and Luce were riding the trail again. The steady rhythmic sound of the hooves was reassuring. Will loved horses so much. He had put the halter back around his neck, the lead rope along with it. It was somewhat hard riding in this fashion but he clung on hard enough to remain seated. Luce began to canter without warning; the stallion was a fiery one and loved to be in control. Will laughed before urging him with his heels. Luce obliged and it turned into a great canter. The trees swished by so fast it hurt his eyes as he struggled to remain on top of the horse. He began to cling to the mane tighter but he had no intention of slowing Luce down. He would go until he tired and then he would be easier to handle. When Luce finally did calm down it was only to canter. The horse always felt stronger then everyone else; very hot-blooded. Will sighed and pulled on the mane to slow him down to a fast trot. Luce obliged but reluctantly. They rounded a corner and saw another horse, a pretty bay, and a girl. Luce stopped quickly, sending Will flying foreword onto his neck. He sat back down and began rubbing the horses neck, soothing him until his ears went foreword again. Relaxing, Will waved to the girl before walking toward her slowly so not to startle the other, stopping about a foot away, Luce snorted and stomped his foot but remained still. "Hello!" Will said softly, still not wanting to startle the other horse. He waved again, before walking up to the other horses side. The girl looked familiar but he thought nothing of it. "I'm Will Senetta. Do I know you?" he asked before looking down at her bay horse. "That's a beautiful horse. What's his name?"

[Jasmine Anderson]

Jasmine looked around in every direction of the woods wondering what could get Wildfire so wound up. There was nothing but an occasionally squirrel squiring around for acorns. Rubbing the bay geldings neck softly Jasmine clucked with her tongue for Wildfire to move on. Feeling him take a timid step forward but stop as an horse and ride came into view. The boy looked oddly familiar and was riding without a saddle and bridle. Watching him wave and walk toward her and Wildfire Jasmine pulled on the reins to try to make the gelding stay in once play. Looking more closely at the horse the boy was riding she noticed he was an Arabian from the slender and slim looked of his body and dished head. The horse was also a stallion. Jasmine had never rode a stallion before. Horses at the Hillside Ranch had to be gelded so they wont get in fights about territory and mares.

The boy than stopped his horse next to Wildfire and introducing himself as Will Senetta. Bitting her lower lip Jasmine looked at Wildfires ears. They were perked forward than pinned back. But the gelding was always used to other horses, he had to be to show. "Jasmine Winters. Thought people call me Jazz." Jasmine introduced herself with a small smile. Letting Wildfire have more of the rein she felt him stretched out his hand and bite on the bit lazily which meant he was comfortable and bored. Will than asked Jasmine his name. "This boy right here is named Wildfire." she answered his questions patting Wildfires neck. "Whats your horses name? He's drop dead gorgeous." Jasmine said admiring the Arabians figure once again.

[will]

Will smiled calmly as the girl introduced herself as Jasmine Winters. The name sounded so familiar....Will bit his tongue and said nothing. The problem about being in the muggle world was if you asked about something, and you were wrong....they would be curious and all. Will didn't want that. Although he was almost positive that this girl had gone to Hogwarts with him, he was too cowardly to ask about it. Keeping himself busy by patting Luce's neck Will only looked up when Jazz introduced her horse as Wildfire. He smiled but frowned when she asked Luce's name. It was always the problem when naming a horse. He sighed. What would she think of a horse named after the Devil? Even though the name didn't fit him.

"His names Lucifer. Luce for short. It's a long story." he said with a small smile. He looked intently at Jazz to see what she would think of him. "He's a stallion. Arabian." he added with slight pride. He didn't mention that Arabians were sometimes known to be hot-blooded. Keep his eyes on Jazz he continued to pat Luce's neck. He was being good so far, which inspired Will, but Luce was always at play first. He smiled down at him before turning back to her. "Is Wildfire your horse or is he just a trail-horse?" he asked with some interest. Luce was breathing somewhat heavy, so the break was good for him. He looked at her and then at Wildfire. They looked good together. He wondered what he looked like on Luce. A boy with no tack sitting atop a tall, black stallion. He smirked before turning all his attention on Jasmine.

[Jasmine Anderson]

Jasmine smiled even more as Will introduced his horse as Lucifer, but Luce for short. Watching the boy pat Luce while talking more about him. She knew that the horse was an Arabian stallion. The breed was known for being quite hot blooded, stamina and being loyal companions. Luce reminded her of the horse in The Black Stallion. That was her favorite book next to Black Beauty growing up reading. "He's beautiful....I never rode a stallion only geldings. Most of the stables I've been at have to have calm horses so they wont fight over territory and other mares. How long have you owned him? I'm also guessing you breed horses..." Jasmine said looking from Luce to Will with a big smile on her face. She had only met a selected few boys that loved horses.

Rubbing Wildfires long outstretched neck Jasmine couldn't help but smile dreamily. She loved her horse very much and wouldn't give him up for anything in the world. Hearing Will ask about Wildfire Jasmine looked up from the gelding to the boys face. "He's my only horse. I normally do jumper rounds or dressage on him. Wildfire a Trakehner. My mom found him through a friend. Do you do any equine disciplines with Luce?" Jasmine asked feeling her body lean forward aburtly as Wildfire started nibbling on blades of grasses. Pulling on the reins Jasmine brought his head up and looked back at Luce noticing he was breathing some what hard. "Lets walk them for a bit to cool down." Jasmine said giving a light nudge with her legs for Wildfire to move on.

[will]

Will looked up hopefully when Jasmine didn't mention the name but his beauty. She must have looked past the name and into the deep heart of a horse itself. He had been relieved to actually find someone who thought names weren't always everything. He didn't tell her so but it really was sometimes hard to find people like her. What with Slytherins around and such. He gave a smile as she told him about how where she rides they usually have geldings. Will knew about them although he had never ridden one. They were the gentler horses, the ones who listened repeatedly and they were very loyal. Will preferred the stallions better.

"That's understandable. Under Luce's circumstances, though, it's okay. All the horses there are stallions." he shrugged it off but couldn't help but become sad as Jasmine asked him about ownership. He did own Luce but not legally. Actually, he never owned him. Lucifer was his own person and he was uncontrollable. He wasn't owned by anyone. He shook his head and pondered what to say. How could he make it understandable? "Luce...I found him when I was five. The Orphanage once tried to breed champions but they found that the horses they picked were uncontrollable. It took ten years for this one to come around," he said, patting Luce's neck with great respect. "I would go to the eight stallions that the Orphanage owns and talk to them, feed them, pet them. Slowly they began to trust me. The Owners, however, had no patience and wouldn't believe that they could actually listen. Of course, I never told them. I was too selfish. I didn't want them to be taken away. They are like life-long friends. So really, both your answers to the questions are no. I'm afraid not." he smiled, unsure if Jazz had understood but didn't pressure it either. When she asked the next question, Will bit his lip.

"Not really. I believe Luce has what it takes. I wrote to a Mr. McCartney. He trains horses and breeds champions. I asked him if he could take on us outsiders and he agreed that he would check in on it. I'm not sure what Luce can do though. I know he's fast. He has a certain lust to out-power other horses." he grinned brightly. Arabians. "I've never actually ridden with tack before though...." he added as an after thought, his grin fading. It sounded hysterical but the truth came in all forms. He let the ends of his lips turn down as he nodded. Digging in to his side with his heels, Luce moved foreword abruptly. Will smiled as Luce seemed to not have any problems with Wildfire. He wasn't sure how well that would last though. Frowning, he looked over at Jazz once more. "Jumping did you say? I've heard that's one of the more difficult ones. Do you agree?"