Star Stable: Wildwoods

Chapter Two: Stablehands

As the sun had started to rise from the golden and blue sky, the people of Jarlaheim had started getting ready to start their day. The sound of the birds could be heard in the morning. The adults had started heading towards nearby markets or started heading towards work. The teenagers had started working their morning jobs or meeting up with each other. While the kids had started helping their parents, playing with their older siblings or playing with their pets.
Many of the people takes in pride of the unique nature and vibrant beauty of Jorvik. One could almost feel sorry for all the people who had never experienced the beautiful island they called home.
But at Jorvik Stables, where some stablehands were gathering their plates of breakfasts and sat down at the seats at the Jorvik Stables Arena.
The camera soon turned to Erika, who was quietly gathering her breakfast of two pancakes covered in syrup and butter, bacon, and sausages.
As she walked towards the seats, she sat on the empty seats and started eating her breakfast there alone. Her eyes flickered towards the other stablehands, but she looked away quickly whenever they saw her. She doesn't feel like belongs with the other stablehands and the riders.
"Crash!" She and the stablehands glanced at the stables, startled and curious at the sound of screaming and panicked whinnying in the courtyard. "Look out!" It was quickly followed by Herman's voice. "Put him back in the stables." At that, the noise became less and less.
Erika looked pretty curious as she finished her breakfast. She stood up and put her empty paper plate in the trash can.
It didn't take long for Erika head inside of the stables. Erika gazed around warily when she spotted one of the riders. Linda was in the aisle of one of the stables, grooming Meteor. He was chewing on a hay bale that had slid down onto the floor. A saddle, bridle, and a saddlebag of the same distinctive model that some riders had were all lying on the stool next to them.
"Oh, hi, Erika!" Linda waved to her with a bright smile. "I'm glad to see you. This is Meteor." Linda stroked her stallion gently. "My best friend."
"Is Meteor yours?" Erika asked Linda curiously. "I'm not sure how this works here yet."
"Meteor's mine," explained Linda. "My parents brought him for me when we moved here as a bribe so they could keep working all the time." Linda studied her horse lovingly. "I was born in Pakistan and we moved here when I was seven years old. Jorvik is so completely different. It's like from a fairy tale island. We really loved it here, my family and I. But then my mom and dad both got offered jobs in the UK. They obviously wanted me to come with them." Linda paused briefly. "But I liked my school. I had friends. And I had just met this one." She patted Meteor tenderly. "I just couldn't go with them. So, they arranged for me to stay here in Jorvik with my Aunt Amal." 
Erika took the brush and curry comb from Linda and started grooming Meteor with her friend's assistance. "What breed is he? I can't quite tell... Is he a mix?"
"He's a Starbreed," explained Linda as she helped groom Meteor. "Here on Jorvik, they have every type of horse in the world." She laughed and stroked Meteor's groomed flank. "I think they're still trying to figure out their exact ancestry. Some scientists believe that Starbreeds like Tin-Can are distantly related to some rare ancient horses that originated on the island." Linda smirked playfully and laughed as Meteor nudged her playfully. "Some people even say that Starbreed horses have magical abilities."
"I sort of know the feeling. My dad works as the member of the Silverglade Council. He usually gives me money for food, drinks, and such." Erika just nodded to indicate she was listening, but she seems unsure how to respond to it. "It was... a riding accident. I was okay, but my horse wasn't. That's why I'm afraid of being near a horse." Erika's silent tears streaked down from her face.
Linda seemed to feel Erika's loneliness and raw grief. She gently placed a hand on Erika's shoulder. "I'm so sorry." As Erika quietly cried, Meteor stood motionless next to them, as if he were guarding the girls. They could both feel his warmth, his reassuring presence. Linda didn't let go, and Erika was surprised to realize she didn't want to either.
Erika felt her emotions calm down. It felt good to release all of those tears. "I'll tell you what happened another time. And thank you for the horse therapy." 
"You're welcome," said Linda with a gentle smile.
Lind told her more about the horses, the stables, and how everything worked. Erika discovered she liked listening to Linda's voice. Erika helped clean Meteor's bridle and bit, she noticed how natural it felt. She remembered how much she used to like this part of riding. The everyday stable chores. Fixing things around the stables, cleaning the tack — she could smell beeswax — and picking out hooves. The little tasks that were more important than the big events outside the stable walls. She had missed it.
After she helped her friend and learning more about Jorvik, Erika walked behind the girls as they led horses into the stables and the horses would each get their own clean, spacious, sawdust-scented stall. The riders would also get hay and fresh water for the horses, but Erika helped give the feed and water to the horses. She currycombed the horses, cleaned out their hooves, and combed their tangled manes.
But she remained silent as groups of friends as she continued working. She kept out of everyone's way. She barely spoke a word to anyone.
"Erika." She spun around to see Johanna stepping towards her. Johanna is one of the stable warden of Jorvik Stables. "Can you take Foxtrot out for a walk on the trail in the woods? She's acting pretty hyper for a reason."
"Okay." Erika took the brown bridle with a lead rope from Johanna and started looking through the stables for the mentioned horse.
A curious head of a young Morgan mare poked out of her stall. The young mare is has a silver bay coat while her eyes are brown and her mane and tail is the color of silver. Erika carefully placed the bridle on Foxtrot's face, but she chuckled softly when she heard the eagerly stamping hooves and looked ready for the exercise outside of her stall.
It didn't take long for her to lead the fidgety mare into the woods. Erika took in the amazing beauty of Greendale as she walked Foxtrot through the forest. The branches rocked to the silent rhythm of the breeze and leaves were carried off by the wind, spinning and twirling like tiny dancers as they fell. Surrounding her was a beautiful forest with mushroom fairy circles and colorful flowers. She could also see a few woodland critters scampering through the forest. Some foxes went into a burrow. She spotted a couple of deer bounding away. Squirrels and chipmunks scattered about, grabbing their acorns to stash inside their tree-trunk homes and went into hiding. From above the birds started flying back to their nests. It was calm and peaceful around her and Foxtrot in the gentle forest.
But Erika felt as if somebody was watching her and Foxtrot. She looked around cautiously, her eyed scanned through the forest around her. So far, nothing. She smiled as Foxtrot stood next to her, but remained on high alert. "I guess it's time for us to go."
As she led Foxtrot back to Jorvik Stables, Erika was unknowingly being watched by a wild seal brown tobiano mare from the top of a hill that was covered by a tree's branches.