HORSEBACK RIDING

[<anaesty>]

Vira pulled her rented horse from the stables, mounting the gorgeous bay to a mounting block so the slight teen could get on. The gelding was a huge beast; with white forefeet and calm liquid eyes. Vira scratched his head, reveling in the new day.

Anaesty had promised to come riding with her, but as Vira had left the dorms she had seen a cute boy coming up to the door. He had the kinda goofy look most boys had around her gorgeous cousin, so Vira assumed the black haired boy had been there for Anaesty. Vira was forgiving, and didn't mind her cousin's abscence.

The honey blonde nudged her heels on the gelding's sides, edging the horse into a canter along the wooded trails. Vira steered the gelding, named Canterbury, onto the side trail for cross country, and took the first jump at an easy pace. Vira was lost in the moment, calmed by the gentle nature of her horse and the sweet gurgling of the brook she cantered beside.

Sweat poured from Canterbury; it was hot outside. "Okay, boy. Whoah." He slowed, and Vira dismounted to lead the big bay to the brook. He drank eagerly, and Vira spent some moments making figures and patterns in the shining water, the reins dangling from her right hand. She was entranced, comforted by the water and the feel of the horse beside her.

[Annah]

The cool feel of the water felt good as Kayla ran through it. She jumped from one spot to another playing happily. As a dragon fly flew by Kayla snapped it with her short puppy teeth. It took off down the creek and Kayla was right behind.

Noah who had been sitting on the bank watching his young pup play sighed and stood to his feet. He started running after the border collie yelling for her to come back. But she was far to distracted by the green bug to care.

Kayla came flying down the creek until she saw them. She was only a few feet away when she stared at the big animal drinking from the water. A girl was with it. Kayla yipped a bit anxious. "Kayla! Come back here girl."

Noah had finally shown up on the scene, he wasnt exhausted but a little taken back by the girl and her horse. "Oh. Hello Miss." He said politly. "Please do excuse us for barging in. Im Noah. Noah Rimmer." He tried to smile but he was to distracted by Kayla who was clawiing at his legs, wanting to be picked up.

[<anaesty>]

Vira looked up, a bit suprised. The Bre'a girl had thought she was alone, and the stream seemed to shiver as Vira Shuh looked at the other teen. Canterbury nosed her side, water pouring from his snout. He hazed uneasily at kayla, long ingrained instinctual memories flowing through the gelding's mind about the border collie's herding prowess.

"Oh, hello," Vira said, feigning distractedness as she continued to manipulates rivulets of stream water. her honey blonde hair caught the light, showing off her fine tan and golden locks- rare for one from Maine, as she was.

"I'm Vira Shuh. Have you been here long?" Vira loked up at last, examining Noah and his puppy.

[Annah]

Noah fidgeted with his hair a second as he watched the horse's uneasyness. "Well if you are refering to the wooded and watered area we stand at now, then the answer would be for about an hour. But if you do so mean the general area of Jefferson City. Then the answer is no. I am new here, Kayla and myself." He had picked up the whimpering puppy and cradeled her softly in his right arm. She seemed to be falling asleep.

[<anaesty>]

Vira couldn't help but smile at the boy's manner. "I guess a bit of both..."

Her eyes glanced down for a moment, then looked back up to meet Noah's eyes. "I'm new in town. I got here a couple days ago, to attend the school. My cousin Anaesty's here with me. We're Bre'a, from Bar Harbor in Maine." She couldn't stop talking for some reason... Vira knew she shouldn't, on some level, but the fifteen year old was still naive, having been protected by her family and her community.

"However, Canterbury here isn't new to Jefferson. He's the stable's; I rented him the day we got here and fell in love. I'm looking for a job to save enough to buy him from the stable- then maintain the job so I can keep him stabled there. Living in a dorm at the high school isn't generally a good place for a horse."

[Annah]

Noah smiled his crooked smile. "I have also moved here to attend the school. A school for the gifted is what it said. But very few know just how gifted it is. I do recall running into a shape shifter, a mind reader, and a girl who could manipulate electricity. What a fascinating place this is. Would you mind if I asked what exactly a Bre'a is?" He was genuinly curious as to what the girl had ment.

[<anaesty>]

Vira had forgotten not all knew her people. "The Bre'a are an indigenous people, similar to native americans, from Maine. I am from the Bar Harbor branch. All Bre'a have an affinity to nature, and we specialize in one of the four elements. Fire, earth, water, air. I'm water, and my cousin Anaesty is earth. We have some vines in our dorm; they are very active- like a dog, but more stationary. Anaesty is the chief's daughter, he wanted her to get a new education and I was chosen by lot to go with her."

[Annah]

Noah seemed very confused. He himself did not know where he had come from, he had been adopted. "Watch." He said softly. He placed his themb and index finger together and placed hem in front of his mouth. He breathed softly onto his fingers and watched as flame spark between them. He let the fire intensify but let it simmer down quickly. Wiping his fingers on his pants he stared at Vira awkwardly.

[<anaesty>]

"Are you one of another group of elementals?" Vira was curious. Fire was the sacred element, and earth the holy one. Not many of her people could call fire, the destroyer and creator.

"I know there are a people called the Quile'e, in Pennsylvania," Vira said.

[Annah]

Noah gave a soft shrug. "I dont know where I came from. I was adopted. And they had no prior info on me." His words were calms and friendly. He was never rude to a lady. It was just the way he had always been. Kayla yawned softly making Noah smile happily.

[<anaesty>]

Vira's eyes were soft. "Oh... I am sorry." Her voice was soft, gentle; though the young Bre'a was naive, she was by no means cruel or rude. "It must be terrible to grow up without a family."

At that moment, Canterbury nudged her in the back of her neck, below her honey hair. "He's getting impatient. I should get off. Would you like to come along?" Vira was still curious about the strange fire boy, but she knew that until Canterbury was hers she could not keep him out so long.

[Annah]

The sky had turned a light pink. Sunset would be soon and it was time to get back. "Id be glad to accompany you miss." Noah moved a few feet forward and sighed. He wasnt looking forward to go home. It was lonely there.

[<anaesty>]

Vira mounted up, her toned legs' muscles evident beneath the cotton riding pants she wore. "Hop up behind me," she said to Noah. "Kayla can run behind, if she likes, or you can hold her."

[Annah]

"Kayla's wiped, and knowing her she will run herself right under the horses foot." He pulled himself up easily, this wasnt his first horse ride. But he was no expert.

[<anaesty>]

Vira scratched the cute collie behind one ear. "I wouldn't want her to get run over. This brute likely wouldn't notice her; his feet are so large." She clucked to Canterbury, tapping him with her heels. The bay took off smoothly, breaking into an easy lope that ate the ground back to the stables. She had covered several miles on the gelding, though, so it would take some time to cover the distance again.