i need freedom now ,

[bluet magnolia brier]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-image: url(http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss279/legendskseeker/oceanbreezebg.png); padding-bottom: 20px;] s o b r e a k m y s t e p , AND RELENT. YOU FORGAVE AND I WON'T FORGET. It had been ages since Bluet had even gotten the chance to touch a Western saddle, let alone ride in it. Smiling as she brushed a hand over the carved leather, the petite woman breathed in the scent of clean leather, saddle soap, and fly spray that permeated the barn's large tack room. Finding the peg that had a bridle marked "Q", she slung the leather straps over her shoulder before perusing the saddle racks. Just her luck, the saddle she required was on the second to top row, which meant she had to pull over one of the step-ladders and reach up. Though her arms strained to pull the saddle down without losing her balance, it was managed without mishap. Slinging the heavy tack over her forearm, she moved the step ladder back and then shut the door to the tack room behind her as she emerged into the aisle. Today she was going on a trail ride. Blue had already gotten Sam's okay to use one of the Western horses for a relaxed ride through the trails meandering through the property. In an effort to teach one of the younger horses, she'd been asked to sit atop Quixote. Whilst she was nervous to ride a green horse on a trail alone, Bluet knew she'd do just fine. It was easier to stay in the deep-seated Western saddles than it was in an English one, in her opinion. Then again she could just be biased. Checking that the stirrups would actually be a good length to accomodate her shortness, Bluet sighed. Her feet would barely fit comfortably, so she'd have to stretch a bit. Oh, well. Setting the saddle on a retractable rack on the wall, she hung the bridle up on a nearby peg and then sought out the paint gelding's stall that she was to be riding. Upon finding him, she slipped him a peppermint from his pocket and kissed him on the nose. The young horse snorted and nuzzled her. Grinning and grabbing a lead rope, she opened the stall and clipped the lead line to his halter before leading him out into the aisle. Hooking him up to the cross-ties, she slung the lead rope over his withers so he didnt' step on it and got to work currying some mud out of his coat. Q must've rolled in the mud after the last rain, she figured, given how it was caked on there. The grooming process was as relaxing for her as it was for the horse, who was standing with his left hind hoof cocked and his head down, eyes half-lidded. Patting his neck gently, so as not to disturb his little rest, Blue continued to run the plastic brush over his coat. After the ride, she'd probably have to give him a real bath. Well, she wouldn't have to; it would just be polite and make him more comfortable, most likely. Under her breath, she began to hum a lullaby, which only furthered to ease Q into a relaxed sleep. notes : i spent more time on this table than the post haha words : 519 - outfit : clicky - tagged : brittney

[/td][/tr][/table]TEMPLATE BY KHRISTIAN OF CAUTION 2.0, LYRICS BY MUMFORD & SON[/center]

[samuel carter maddox]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, background-color: dddddd; border: #cccccc solid 8px; width: 420px; padding: 15 5 15 5px;] OH THE SPOTLIGHT IS NOT FOR ME The Words: 745 The Notes eep; i can't believe i got this done today. ;D Sam had purposely set his alarm earlier than the usual 6:30 AM. He had been asked by Bluet to take one of the younger western horses owned by SEC on a trail, which he had thought a great idea. He didn't, however, think it was a good idea that she ride alone with a four year old on a trail. It wasn't that he didn't trust her riding ability, he just didn't trust the antics of a four year old on unfamiliar property. It had slipped his mind to tell Bluet that he would accompany her on the trail with another one of their four year olds, Rosie. And so here he was, getting into the shower at the crack of dawn to be to the barn and get everything he needed to get done before Bluet arrived. The chances of beating her there, however, were slim to none; Bluet was one of his most dedicated workers, having been under his employment for years. She had a quiet way with the horses and knew what she was doing, even if she was a bit nervous. After Sam had his shower, he peered at himself in the mirror, focusing especially on the sallow look his skin had taken on despite the natural tan and the dark circles around his eyes. In short, he was extremely stressed and being overworked. He wouldn't complain to anyone though; he had chosen to open SEC and run it himself while raising a teenage daughter. To say he had brought it all on himself would be an understatement, but he took it all in stride. Or he appeared to, at least. Once he was dressed, shaved, and fed, he left the house and began the short walk to the large barn that housed the horses. Once inside the barn, he relished the temporary coolness that it offered. The lights were already on so somebody must've been here already; Sam was not surprised to see that that somebody was Bluet. She had Q on the cross-ties already and was lulling him into a sleep with a nice groom, which was uncharacteristic for him. Sam had seen more of this horse's crazier aspects when they had brought him to SEC only a few weeks ago and was a little surprised at his progress. Then again, that wasn't to say he wouldn't be a nut on the trail. He stepped quietly up to the gelding and put a hand on his dropped neck then turned to Bluet. He transformed into an overprotective father figure when around the girl, something that was quite odd for him to develop over a staff member. "Good morning Bluet," he said over the sounds of the horses being brought in by the stable hands. Sam was pleased that he had gotten here before Rosie was fed; he didn't much feel like waiting to get her out on a trail. "I'm going to take Rosie out with you and Q today, just to be safe." He didn't feel the need to give her a full explanation why; every member of SEC knew Q well enough to understand why he wasn't to be trusted on a trail alone. Sam left the pair then to retrieve Rosie's tack from the tack room. He lugged the heavy, intricately designed saddle, bridle, and thick saddle pad to the mare's stall. He groaned upon reaching her stall however; it was obvious that the mare had enjoyed the mud created from last night's unexpected downpour. She was filthy and would most likely not be quiet when it came to grooming her, as the other horses were about to be fed. Sam quickly slipped a nylon breakaway halter over her head and led her out to the cross-ties, where he began attacking the caked on mud. A sore arm and a dirty hand later, Rosie was clean (for the most part) and he proceeded to tack her up. He didn't ride western but new the discipline well enough to know how to tack up a horse and have a fairly decent seat in the saddle. He wasn't going to be concerned about his seat very much today, but he'd make sure he kept his seat light and his hands even lighter to avoid interfering with any training the young mare had received so far. When Rosie was completely adorned in the heavy western tack, he led her over to where Bluet and Q stood. "I'm ready when you are." created by ADE! Pb-ified by WILL

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[bluet magnolia brier]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 400px; background-image: url(http://i583.photobucket.com/albums/ss279/legendskseeker/oceanbreezebg.png); padding-bottom: 20px;] s o b r e a k m y s t e p , AND RELENT. YOU FORGAVE AND I WON'T FORGET. Caught off guard to hear Sam wishing her a good morning, the short woman looked up and flashed him a hesitant grin. As much as he’d become a father figure to her, she was still nervous around him. He had quite a bit of influence around here, given who he was, and that could be intimidating to anyone who’d spent years being on the bottom of the food chain in this business. Scooping poop was hardly a glamorous job. Given her size and nervousness around the big horses, she wasn’t often able to work with them past grooming and feeding otherwise. Maybe the way the other hands treated her was why he’d chosen to get so protective of her. Even now that she was a jumper in his stable, it felt odd. She’d only been training for two months, really, and the financials were still foreign to her. She paid half of what the other riders did, working with him. Then again she doubled as a hand when she wasn’t riding, so perhaps that had something to do with it. Or maybe it was just Sam trying to protect her again. Blue didn’t have the balls to bring it up, unless she turned the entire conversation awkward. Besides… she almost didn’t want to know if he was giving her special attention. That would hardly be fair, and she’d never be in a spot to pay him back for his kindness. Ducking under the crossties Bluet moved to give him a quick and awkward hug (the norm for when she saw him). At the fact that he was going with her, she blushed and grinned. “Really? The famous Sam Maddox deigning to go on a trail ride with the likes of me?”

[/b]There was real humor in her voice, and she seemed more relaxed now that she knew his reasons for being there. Bluet was a funny creature, seemingly always expecting the worst. In a way she was like a skittish horse; she didn’t know that the people trying to teach her new things didn’t mean any harm.

Watching Sam go and start to get Rosie ready, Blue laughed. She was done grooming the young gelding in front of her a good bit before Sam was done with his mare. With his saddle and bridle on, she grabbed a hat and clipped it around her chin. When she looked up from doing this, Sam and Rosie were done and moving closer. Smiling back at the older man, Bluet nodded and lead Q out of the barn. When a hand shouted something nearby, he tossed his head with a snort. Murmuring to him to keep him quiet seemed to work. Making her way over to the nearest decorational rock, she lead the horse next to it, stood atop the highest point, and then hoisted herself into the saddle.

Looking back at Sam, she grinned and began walking towards the trails. Let him catch up if he was so intent on riding with her. While he might think that Q was crazy and tossed tantrums, she trusted the gelding. If he wasn’t a good horse, he wouldn’t have been so relaxed at the sound of a human voice. Even now as his head was up in the air, he watched everything warily, and his ears were pointing forward she trusted him not to do anything with bad intentions. If a stray leaf looked like it was going to eat him, then she’d just have to teach him otherwise. That was how it worked. Pausing at the mouth of the trail to wait for Sam, as it was only polite, she patted Q’s neck as she listened to him chew the bit. ”I think he’s looking forward to this,” she said when Sam and Rosie were beside them. [/div]

notes : lameface. although i'm starting to flesh her out. that's a plus.
words : 634 - outfit : clicky - tagged : brittney

[/center][/td][/tr][/td][/tr][/table]TEMPLATE BY KHRISTIAN OF CAUTION 2.0, LYRICS BY MUMFORD & SON[/center]