Some Semblance of Peace [Rosella]

[Lahja Morgan]

The wedding season was now well and truly under way, and after an incredibly hectic birthing season Lahja was feeling the pressure more this year than she ever had since founding her business. Of course she was not complaining; the order books were filling up beautifully and she already had buyers queuing for several of the foals despite the fact they wouldn't be ready to leave for months yet. Almost every weekend between now and September was booked with at least one wedding or prom or birthday to be worked, and the finances looked healthier than they had ever been before.

It was just a shame it was all such exhausting work, and all semblance of a life away from the job had been put on hold until the maple trees turned red again. Finally home from a wedding they had attended all day, Lahja pulled up the horsebox in the farm parking lot and took a long moment to just sit there in the quiet. Wish and Frey had been absolute superstars and the wedding had actually been a fun one to be working, but Lahja had been up and preparing for it since long before daybreak and now it was well past four and she was more than ready to call it a day. There was still so much to do though; Wish and Frey had to be settled in, the carriage had to be wiped down and stored in the barn, everyone needed feeding and checking over, there was undoubtedly countless emails to attend to...

The door of the cab being opened pulled Lahja from her thoughts, and she glanced over at Jessica, her head groom. Jessica gave a small shake of her head. “You've been sat in there for about fifteen minutes. Go and take someone out for a bit, you clearly need the break.” When Lahja went to protest, Jessica held up a finger. “No. I can babysit everything, you know that. Take someone and shoo. That's an order.”

Lahja couldn't help but smile at the younger woman; she really could use a bit of a break, that was true. “I suppose you're right. Would you mind unloading these two, then? I'll take care of the cart when I get back.” When Jessica agreed, Lahja thanked her before heading over to the barn by the house. Already knowing who she was going to take, Lahja collected Miko's tack and grooming kit and gave him a quick tidy-up before leading him out to the horsebox. Wish, Frey and the carriage were all out by the time she got there, and Lahja loaded him up and made the short drive to the lake.

Miko hadn't been at the farm very long, having only been imported over from Finland a few months ago, but he had settled in quickly and had a sound head on his young shoulders. He'd been working really well going around the farmland on his own, and Lahja was curious to see how he would respond to a completely new environment. As she led him out of the box and got him ready for the ride the initial signs were good; his nostrils were flaring and he was a little tense but staying calm and well mannered as Lahja locked up the box and mounted up. After a few minutes walking slowly down the path and letting him settle, Lahja rode him over to the edge of the lake, where the ground was firm and sloped gently down to the water. The palomino stallion reached his long neck down and nosed at the surface for a long moment before taking a drink of the cool water.

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Back home, Rosella had the fortune of growing up with a variety of privileges, including the riding lessons she’d taken since she was ten years old. It’d quickly become a hobby and by the time she was in high school, she found herself going down to the stables on the days she didn’t have choir practice or voice lessons. As a gift for graduation, Rosella had acquired a mare of her own, which she boarded at one of the local stables as her riding school didn’t offer such services. Rosella had named her Celestine and proudly took care of her for a number of years.

Rosella didn’t have Celestine anymore. Her life as a wife and mother kept her from keeping up with the practice; she had enough on her hands just taking care of two children.

But now that she was divorced, with her children off living their own lives, she had control over her own life again, Rosella was free to get back into whatever hobbies she abandoned when she became a house wife with a bachelor’s degree, including riding. She hadn’t found her partner yet, but she would in due time. Rosella was confident about that.

For the moment, she was content with regaining her skill via rental from one of the local stables who offered that sort of service. She’d only known Thomas about a month, but she was feeling like they were becoming good friends. Compatible. He was an older stallion, however, so wasn’t as strong as he once was, the stable-owner had told her. Rosella could feel it sometimes in his gait, and so was careful about riding him too hard. She didn’t mind it, though. She was older herself, so they matched up quite well, she thought. Rosella gave him a supportive pat as they walked along the trail surrounding the lake.

Looking up, they rounded a curve in the trail and Rosella smiled to see a clearing in the brush, occupied by a fellow rider. “Hello there,” she called out to the woman as they approached. “It’s fair weather we’re having, isn’t it?” She slowed to a stop, but didn’t move further down the slope. At least not yet. “May I join you?” she asked with a warm smile on her lips.

((OOC: I know next to nothing about horses and horseback riding, so if I get details wrong, apologies and feel free to correct me, thank you!))

[Lahja Morgan]

Although the park around the lake was often busy during the main hours of the day, in the early evening it tended to be quieter and Lahja absolutely adored riding there. She was very fortunate that her own farmland was stunning and had amazing riding trails around it, but a change of scenery was never a bad thing and the lake in Pilot Ridge had become very close to her heart over the years. It was the perfect place to unwind and relax, and Miko seemed to be picking up on her mood as he started to settle down as they walked.

Despite her exhaustion and how much she so often wished for a break, Lahja never complained about her work. She was privileged to be one of those few incredibly lucky people that absolutely adored her job, and she relished in the fact that she got to spend her life doing something that she loved, surrounded by amazing horses and even more amazing people. Her bank balance was healthy, her farm was secure and despite all the tiredness and moments of stress, her life was a good one. The only thing that could have made it absolutely perfect was if she still had her son as an active part of it.

Miko suddenly tensing and lifting his head to stare off to the side pulled Lahja from her thoughts, and she quickly took up the slack in the reins ready to control the young stallion in case he decided to play up. He gave a loud snort and fidgeted with his head anxiously, and Lahja wondered just what he had picked up on until she saw another rider come around the trees and into the clearing. Ah, that definitely explained it.

The palomino gave a loud whinny and snort at the other stallion, puffing up his chest like a bullfrog and tossing his head. Lahja gave a firm pull down the rein away from the other horse, trying to get Miko's attention back on her. He flicked an ear back in her direction, listening but still locked on to the other horse. With the way he was acting, the other horse could only have been another stallion; if it was a mare or a gelding he likely would have been curious but otherwise nonchalant. Well, at least he wasn't trying to bolt over or showing aggression. Not yet, at least. Lahja kept ready though, just in case he started played up. “Hi, yes, it's been very pleasant. Warm but not too humid, which suits me to the ground.” When the other woman asked if she could join them, Lahja gave a nod of her head. “Please, be my guest. Just don't get too close; he's young and not really used to being around other stallions yet.”

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Rosella had taken Thomas out around the lake a few times before, so they two of them were familiar enough with the trail. As she was still reasonably new to the area, she had yet to find the best places to ride. While not much had changed in Pilot Ridge since she was at Hammel, enough had changed that Rosella felt she needed a bit of time to become reacquainted with the community and geography surrounding it. The middle-aged woman was patient, however. She wasn’t planning on leaving the area for a long time, so there was plenty of time for her to familiarize herself with the area and the people who lived there.

In her short time thus far in Pilot Ridge, Rosella had come across a few other riders in her outings, though not this particular woman as of yet. The other meetings had given Rosella chance to test Thomas’ temperament against unfamiliar horses. He was as docile as the owner claimed, which was fortunate. However, as with the young stallion they’d snuck up behind just now, not all the interactions were mutually appreciated.

Rosella gave the woman a deep nod of understanding. “Of course,” she said and guided Thomas down to the bank, settling the two of them a reasonable distance from the other pair. She gave his chocolate coat another supportive brush with her palm then straightened up again, gently turning her gaze to the woman rider. “You come here often, I imagine,” she stated to the brunette. “You live in the area, I presume?” Rosella was trying to keep a mental note of the locals she came across and interacted with. It was never a bad thing to have a few friendly connections, especially when she was still a relatively new resident.

Now that she had a closer look, Rosella could see the age in the woman’s eyes and guessed that it resembled her own, give or take a few years. Possibly. Rosella was usually a fairly good judge of age, but sometimes she was mistaken. She was still lovely, though, despite it. “He’s very beautiful,” she said, nodding her chin to refer to the young stallion the woman was riding. “Is he yours?” She hoped it wasn’t an impertinent question. Rosella had that bad habit as well.