Mystic And The Midnight Ride Part 5

Issie looked up and saw Natasha Tucker, her white riding shirt soaked with tea, her face set in a vicious scowl.

"I'm so sorry!" Issie said.

"My shirt is ruined," Natasha snipped. "Calvin Klein! Ruined."

"I'm really sorry," Issie apologised again. "Have you got something else to wear for the rest of the day? We could try rinsing it off under the tap by the horse trough-"

"Yeah, what-ever." Natasha rolled her eyes, obviously losing interest in the whole conversation. "I'll give it to Mum; she can sort it out. Say..." she peered at Issie carefully, "don't you ride that old grey pony? That's your horse, isn't it? But I thought he was..."

"Hit by a truck. Yes..." Issie felt her lips start to tremble. She was determined not to let the thought of Mystic upset her. She didn't want to lose it in front of Natasha. She wouldn't understand.

"He was killed in the accident," Issie said matter-of-factly. "I'm riding a new horse now." She pointed to Blaze who was standing under the trees with her rump towards them.

"What? That skinny bag of bones!" Natasha said. "She doesn't look up to much."

"Actually" Issie felt her blood boiling, "she's got an amazing jump in her. I was riding her the other day and we went clean over the gate between the two paddocks where I graze her. And she hasn't even been properly schooled yet. I'm sure she'd make a great showjumper with a bit more work."

Issie didn't mean to boast but she just couldn't help herself. She couldn't stand the way Natasha was so smug. Besides, she wasn't exactly fibbing-Blaze did jump over the gate. Issie just didn't mention the fact that it was all Blaze's idea and all she did was fall off.

"In fact," Issie continued, "I plan to train her up as an eventing mount. I'll be competing on her shortly."

"Oh, really?" Natasha smirked. "So you'll be riding at the Chevalier Point one-day event next month, I suppose?"

"Oh, definitely. We're in training for it now," Issie lied.

"Me too," said Natasha. "Goldrush's last owner rode her to area trials and I expect to do the same, so this will be a warm-up compet.i.tion for us..."

Natasha had been staring distractedly at Blaze while she spoke. Now she turned back to Issie. "Where's your saddle?"

"What?"

"Your saddle," repeated Natasha. "I don't see one on your horse. Where is it? You're not planning to ride her bareback at a one-day event are you?"

Issie didn't know what to say. It was no use lying about it because the rally was about to get underway and Natasha would soon see the truth for herself: that she didn't have a saddle, or any other gear for that matter.

"I, umm...the thing is..."

"Actually Isadora has two saddles. One for dressage and another for jumping and cross-country. We just weren't sure which one to tack Blaze up with for today, were we, Issie?" Tom Avery smiled as he stepped out of the clubrooms and stood beside the two girls.

"So what do you reckon, Issie? Shall we put the dressage saddle on her this morning then swap to the jumping saddle after lunch?"

Issie just nodded. She couldn't believe it. Tom to the rescue!

"Come on. I've got your tack in my truck; let's get her ready." Avery bounded down the stairs towards his horse truck and Issie gratefully followed, relieved to be getting away from Natasha.

She finally caught up with Avery just as he reached the truck. "Tom, thanks so much for covering up for me," Issie gasped, "it's just that Natasha is such a, well, a sn.o.b, I suppose, and if I'd told her that I really didn't have a saddle-" Tom cut Issie off in mid-sentence.

"Covering for you? I don't know what you're talking about, Isadora. I was telling Natasha the truth. I've got both your saddles right here in the cab. Can't have you riding bareback at a pony-club meet now, can we?"

Avery opened the front door of the horse truck, and there on the pa.s.senger seat of the truck cab sat two saddles. "Remember the other day I said I had a surprise for you?" Avery reached in and grabbed the nearest one. It was made of soft black leather, and had the deep seat and straight-cut flaps of a traditional dressage saddle. "It's a Bates Maestro," he said, handing it to her so that her arm slid through the gullet. "It used to be my eventing saddle. I've ridden dressage tests in this saddle in all the big compet.i.tions around the world-at Burghley, Badminton and Lexington. It'll be a tiny bit big for you, I suppose, but it has adjustable kneepads which will help, and we can alter the stirrups, of course. It should fit Blaze just fine. As should this one..."

Avery reached across the seat and lifted out the second saddle. It was made of dark tan leather and seemed more well worn than the first saddle; the kneepads were scuffed a little and there were sweat stains on the padding underneath. Not surprising, thought Issie-this was clearly Avery's cross-country saddle.

"This one was made especially for me." Avery stared at the saddle proudly. "It has a flat seat and the first time I rode a cross-country in it I swore I would fall off, but it's actually very comfortable compared to those old-fashioned deep-seated models. It's not ideal for the showjumping phase, but it does the trick.

"It's just the sort of saddle you'll be needing," he added, "if you're going to be riding Blaze at that one-day event."

Issie was stunned. Avery must have heard her entire conversation with Natasha, including all her boasting about entering the one-day event.

"I'm not really entering..." Issie began.

"But of course you are!" Avery boomed. "You've got the saddles. You've got the horse. What else do you need?"

"But I've never even ridden Blaze over a proper fence yet!" Issie protested.

"Nonsense," Avery said, "you said yourself she has a big jump in her. And from what I've seen I'd say this mare is no novice jumper. It looks to me like she's been well-schooled already in the past. All you need to do is bring out the best in her again.

"The one-day event isn't until the end of the season, so you've got nearly two months to train. You've already got her well fed and her fitness is improving. You'll have to commit yourself to training solidly every day from now until the event, of course, but you can do it. Now let's get this saddle on Blaze and see how it looks, shall we?"

For Issie, the rest of the day pa.s.sed by in a sun-filled blur. There were around fifty riders in the Chevalier Point Pony Club-the best ten riders of the club being chosen to train with Avery. Issie was thrilled when she was singled out along with Kate, Stella, Dan and the dreaded Natasha to join Avery's group.

The morning was spent schooling the horses and Issie was amazed at her own progress. The weeks without a saddle had actually done her some good and she had developed an independent seat. Still, having a fabulous new saddle certainly helped and Blaze behaved like a perfect angel, trotting around the ring with her neck flexed and on the bit. Her paces seemed so light it was as if she didn't touch the ground, but floated around the arena.

It was nearly two in the afternoon by the time lunch break came, and Issie was exhausted and starving. She had just taken Blaze's bridle off and loosened her girth a little so she could relax, then thrown herself down on the long gra.s.s under the tree, when Dan appeared. "Hey, no slacking off!" He grinned. "You're my new groom, remember?"

"What?" Issie didn't understand.

"We made a bet," Dan said, "at the gymkhana, remember? The loser had to groom the winner's horse for a week. Well, I'm ready to take you up on that now."

"I can't believe you!" Issie was shocked. "After all that happened to me that day you actually want me to come over and brush down your horse! G.o.d, Dan, you're so insensitive!"

"Hey, hey..." Dan's smile was gone. "I was just kidding, Issie. Honestly. I really came over to see if you want to join us for lunch. Mum's made a giant bacon and egg pie-it's too big for even me and Ben to finish off. And there's stacks of sandwiches and banana cake and..."

"I'd love to." Issie smiled, feeling foolish about her outburst. "Just let me tie Blaze up and I'll be right there."

On the gra.s.s beside the Halliday's horse float Dan's mum was laying out the picnic. "Isadora! It's so good to see you riding again!" Mrs Halliday smiled. "Where's your mother today?"

"Ummm, she had too much work on and couldn't make it," Issie said, silently thinking to herself that this must be her day for telling whopping great lies. First she fibbed to Natasha about entering the one-day event, and now she was lying to Mrs Halliday about her mum. The truth was, she still hadn't told her mother about Blaze. She had been too scared to mention it. And now, well, the longer she left it, the harder it seemed to confess that she had started riding again. And with her mum away at work all day, and no school for the rest of summer, it was easy for Issie to slip away each day to school Blaze without being found out.

"Would you like a slice of pie or a sandwich?" Mrs Halliday offered.

"Oh, Mum, give her both! It's been a tough day." Dan laughed, standing up and dusting off his jodhpurs. "I'm going to the drinks machine. Anyone else want anything?" Issie shook her head and watched as Dan walked off to the clubrooms to get a drink. She watched as he ran up the steps and b.u.mped into, of all people, Natasha Tucker. This time, though, Natasha didn't seem upset about banging into someone. Instead she let out a torrent of girlish laughter as Dan said something to her, and then she placed her hand softly on top of his as they chatted.

Seeing them together like that made Issie feel sick to her stomach. She'd never actually thought about Dan as a boyfriend or anything before, but now that she saw him smiling and laughing with Natasha, she realised she was more than a little jealous.

"G.o.d, she is such a flirt!" Issie muttered under her breath.

"What's that?" asked Ben, who was busily tucking into his third piece of bacon and egg pie.

"Uhh, nothing," Issie pulled herself together, "I was just wondering what we'll be doing first after lunch."

"They're setting up the games now so I suppose it will be bending and flag races," Ben said, sounding a little disappointed. "It's a shame really. I had been hoping to get in some jumping training."

"As if you need it!" Issie laughed. "I'm the one who needs the jumping training. I'm entering the one-day event."

"On Blaze?" Ben was shocked. "Well, you're right. You do need to train more than I do. Dan and I are already having lessons on Wednesday and Thursday with Tom. Why don't you join us? We meet here at the club grounds at four."

"That sounds great!" Issie agreed. This would give her a chance to prepare Blaze for the one-day event-and hang out with Dan at the same time. Life was definitely starting to improve, she decided as she took another egg sandwich and lay back on the gra.s.s with her eyes shut and the sun on her face.

CHAPTER 11.

"Working Trot at K, proceed around the arena to H..." Tom Avery was reading instructions out loud from a piece of paper as Issie trotted Blaze around the dressage arena. There were just two weeks to go until the one-day event, and Avery was taking his squad one by one through a practice run of their dressage tests. For the big day the riders would have to know all the movements off by heart, but today he was reading the test out for them as they rode.

The dressage arena had been marked out with white boards, each one painted with a large capital letter. The letters were set up at various points around the ring and Issie had to make sure Blaze did exactly as she asked when she reached the right marker.

"At C, canter on in a twenty metre circle..." Avery's voice boomed across the ring.

Issie held Blaze lightly with her hands and asked her gently with seat and legs to move into a canter. The pretty chestnut needed only the subtlest of commands, she was so responsive. As she flew around the ring in a graceful canter, Issie could almost imagine she was competing at some huge event like the Badminton Horse Trials. She pictured Blaze with her blonde mane and tail perfectly plaited up, with tight white bandages over her white socks. And there she was on her back in tails and a top hat, entering the ring, saluting the judge...

"No, no, no! Wake up, Issie, you're not paying attention! You should be changing the rein at B across the arena!" Avery barked at her. "Change the rein, change the rein! Then turn up the middle at A, halt at X and leave the arena on a loose rein."

Issie woke up with a jolt and got back on track, trotting up the centre line beautifully to halt and salute with Blaze standing perfectly square and calm.

"If I keep daydreaming like this," Issie muttered to Blaze as they left the arena, "we'll never make it to the Chevalier Point one-day event, let alone Badminton."

Avery smiled at Issie as she pulled the chestnut mare up beside the other riders. "Well, apart from having a dilly dream for a rider, Blaze is doing pretty well," Avery said. "Seriously though," he continued, "all your hard work is beginning to pay off." Avery ran his hand across Blaze's shoulder. "Look how much her muscle tone has improved. And look at the shine on her coat. She's a different horse from the sad, skittish thing I dropped off here a few months back. You've done a fantastic job."

Issie blushed. She wasn't used to such praise from Avery. He was usually so tough on his riders that it meant a lot to her. But before she had time to feel too proud he was off again. "Still an hour left, people. Let's get them over some cross-country jumps. All right then, who's first? How about you, Ben?"

"Oh, no," Ben groaned. "Why do I have to go first? Max is totally hopeless today." He trotted off to warm up over a practice fence, while Dan trotted over to sit next to Issie and wait for his turn.

"Avery is right, you know," Dan said. "You and Blaze have come a long way"

"Thanks." Issie felt her cheeks flush pink for the second time.

"I suppose you're too busy training for the one-day event to take time out and go to Summer in the Park this weekend?" Dan asked.

Issie's heartbeat quickened. Was Dan asking her out on a date?

Summer in the Park was a series of gigs that local bands put on every year at Chevalier Point Park. Her mum had always said she was too young to go, but this year maybe she'd be allowed...

"Because if you are going," Dan continued, "we could always meet you there. Natasha and me are getting a whole group together. You should come along."

Natasha? Issie couldn't believe it. Suddenly Dan's invitation sounded less like a date and more like her tagging along while he hung out with Natasha.

"I didn't know you knew Natasha..." Issie was trying to sound casual, trying to keep the hurt out of her voice.

"She's in my cla.s.s at school," Dan said, "and my mum knows her mum so we kind of made friends."

Dan was a year ahead of Issie, and didn't go to Chevalier Point High. He went to Kingswood, a school on the other side of town.

"We met at pony club the other day," Dan continued. "She told me she liked Smoothy, this really cool band who are playing this Sunday, so I said I'd take her along."

Issie couldn't believe it. How could Dan like Natasha? OK, she was sort of pretty in a boring girly blonde sort of way, but she was also stuck up and rude and mean-tempered. She couldn't believe Dan would fall for all that flirting Natasha did. It was so shallow and obvious.

"Typical! Boys are so, so...stupid!" Issie huffed under her breath.

"What's that?" Dan said.

"Umm, I said, I don't think I can make it. Sorry. I'm going to be really busy with Blaze this weekend. We still have a lot of work to do."

"Your turn Dan!" Avery shouted out. Ben had just completed his round and it must have gone well because he looked pleased with himself, riding back towards them wearing a grin from ear to ear.

"Dan, come on!" Avery yelled again.

"OhmyG.o.d!" Dan groaned. "I was so busy talking, I haven't even warmed Kismit up yet."

He gathered up the reins and trotted off towards Avery, leaving Issie sitting by herself in the worst mood she had been in for weeks.

Issie was still in a sulk two days later, when she met up with Kate and Stella down at the River Paddock: "So then he tells me that he's going to Summer In The Park with Natasha!" Issie whined. "I don't know why he even asked me to come along at all!"

Kate and Stella both shook their heads in amazement as they listened to Issie's story of the whole stupid misunderstanding and how she thought Dan was asking her out when in fact he was going to the gig with Natasha.

"I can't believe he really likes her," Stella said. "That Natasha is just so pushy. I bet she's behind this."

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway," Issie said icily "I've got too much to do getting Blaze ready for the one-day event to worry about a dumb concert."

Stella gave Kate a knowing glance. The two friends could tell Issie was really upset about Dan and Natasha, but she obviously didn't want to talk about it. The best thing to do was go for a good gallop and let the wind whip through her hair and blow the whole thing away.

For the past six weeks the girls had been riding to a strict training schedule that Avery had prepared for them in preparation for the one-day event. On Mondays and Wednesdays they practised their dressage tests. On Thursday and Sunday they practised jumps-showjumping and cross-country. And on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sat.u.r.days they did "interval training," trotting and cantering back and forth around the paddock until they were exhausted and the horses were wet with sweat. It was dull work and hard on a rider's bottom too. But today, instead of riding endlessly around the paddock, the three girls were taking the horses out for some road work, riding all the way to Winterflood Farm.

Winterflood Farm sat on a jut of green land right at the edge of Chevalier Point where the river met the sea. It wasn't a big farm, just ten acres divided into neat square paddocks fenced with posts and rails. A slender, tree-lined driveway ran down the middle of the fields leading to a gravel courtyard, which joined a stable complex to a small wooden cottage. The stables had been deserted for years until Tom Avery took over the farm. Now he kept his three young sport horses that he was training in the stables-although most of the time they grazed outdoors in the paddocks that surrounded the farm.

The girls would be able to ride across pasture land most of the way-the hunt club had a special route to Winterflood Farm that was open to all local riders.

"But we'll have to stick to a trot along the gra.s.s verges on the roadside until we get down to the bend in the river," Stella explained. "Then we'll be able to go cross-country so that we can get some good galloping practice in."

Issie felt a tingle of nerves. She had never galloped Blaze in the open countryside before, and after that ride in The Pines she was a little nervous about the hotheaded Arab bolting again.

"Are we ready to go?" Kate was dead keen to get Toby out on the open roads and start riding. So keen that the pair of them were pacing impatiently at the gate.