Taming The Wild Heart
Disclaimer: I do not own Card Captor Sakura.
Names of the horses and some of the training methods and descriptions of the horses belongs to Tamora Pierce, taken from her book The Immortals 1 Wild Magic
CHAPTER 1It was a quiet night at one of the many stables situated in the Li kingdom; the only sounds that could be heard were that of Mother Nature and her animals and insects. The sound of a car interrupted the silence as it drove through the gate and came to a halt. The back door of the car opened and a young man climbed out. He wore a tailored suit and had the air of a businessman around him. He walked up to the main house and knocked on the door, the owner of the house opened the door and words were exchanged. The man pointed and the visitor nodded and left as the door closed.
Meanwhile, in a small cottage not far from the stables, a stable manager and horse trainer were busy having a nice peaceful dinner. They had just finished when they heard a sharp knock on the door. The manager stood up and left the trainer to clear away the table as he went to open the door.
"Lord Hiiragizawa!" The man cried out in surprise as he hurriedly bowed to the young man. "Please come in…" He stood aside to let Lord Eriol in.
"Forgive the intrusion, Mr. Kinomoto, but I have an urgent matter to discuss with you and your daughter." Eriol said as he walked into the small but cosy cottage.
"Certainly, Lord Hiiragizawa, please make yourself comfortable. Would you like some tea?" Mr. Kinomoto asked.
"That would be great, thank you."
"Sakura! Could you please make some tea for our guest?" Mr. Kinomoto called out.
"Sure! Just give me a minute." A girl answered from the kitchen as she grabbed some cups and saucers to make some tea.
Her honey coloured hair, tied in a messy braid was starting to come undone as she walked to and fro in the kitchen. She muttered something about getting her hair cut as she blew her fringe out of her eyes for the umpteenth time. When the tea was done she put everything on a tray and walked into the living room, where her father and their guest were talking quietly. The two men stood up as Sakura entered the room and Fujitaka took the tray from Sakura.
As he walked up to her, she couldn't help but notice the difference between the two men. Where her father is more relaxed in his manner and casual with what he wears and his face bronzed by the years of working in the sun, this stranger looks like your typical 'paper pushing junky' complete with the almost stiff body posture, fancy business suit and fair skin.
"Ah, and this must be your beautiful daughter Sakura." Eriol took Sakura's hand and lightly brushed his lips against her hands. "Your reputation for being one of the most gifted horse trainers perceives you, miss Kinomoto."
"Uuuuuhhhhh… thank you, I guess." Sakura replied a bit weary as she took back her hand and rubbed it on the back of her jeans. She looked at her dad with questioning eyes.
"Sakura, this is Lord Eriol Hiiragizawa. He is the advisor of Prince Li." Her father introduced him.
Sakura nodded in uncertainty but still remembered her manners as she bowed before the young man. "Good Evening Lord Hiiragizawa, and welcome to our house." She sat down and started to pour the tea for them.
"How do you like you tea, Lord Hiiragizawa?" Fujitaka asked.
"No sugar and a little bit of milk please." He answered. He thanked Sakura as she handed him the cup.
"Since you two are probably wondering what I'm doing here, I will get right down to business. As you have probably heard in the news, Queen Yelan had bought two wild new colts and we hired a horse trainer to train those horses, but the trainer was caught abusing the two horses and is currently in prison awaiting trial. Now usually our stable manger handles the hiring of the trainers, but unfortunately he died a couple of months ago, so we are currently without a manager and trainer." He paused for a while as he sipped his tea.
"Now that is where you come in. I have done extensive research about managers and trainers in the kingdom, and I have noticed that the name Kinomoto has a very high reputation and after talking personally with your previous employers I came up with very positive feedback. So what I am offering is, if you are interested, is a job opportunity at the palace stables as manager and trainer. You will have a two-week trial period in which we will evaluate your performance. If we are satisfied with how you handle the horses you will be offered a permanent position."
The father and daughter looked at each other, stunned. This was an amazing opportunity for both of them, but it just came so suddenly. Eriol noticed the looked between the two and let out a soft chuckle. "I know this is unexpected and sudden but please think it over. If you have any questions please do ask and I will answer them."
Sakura recovered first and cleared her throat. "I have a question, my lord. Where will we be staying and what arrangements will be made for my own horses?" She asked, her voice clear and confident.
"Well, you will both stay at the palace. We have a lovely house next to stables, where our previous manager lived. However, if you wish, you are more than welcome to stay in the palace. As for your horses, miss Kinomoto, there is more than enough stables open for them and you do not have to pay for the boarding of the horses and yourselves as it will be part of the benefits of your employment.
"You will be paid for the first two weeks whether or not you passed the evaluation and you will receive enough free time to do whatever you need to do. You will also receive a monthly budget for the overall managing of the stables. If you find that the some expenses go over the budget please do not hesitate to let me know and I will see what can be done."
Sakura studied her father's face as he mulled things over. It was a huge decision and as it involved Sakura as well, he had to be careful with his decision.
"When do you need to know our answer?" Fujitika asked.
"Well, we are a bit anxious for you answer, so as soon as possible."
Fujitika looked at his daughter. Sakura nodded her head and held her breath. This was a great opportunity and she didn't want to let it go. "Okay, we accept. When do you want us to come?"
"Well as soon as you have your things in order. Everything is prepared for your arrival." Eriol answered with a smile as he stood up. He held out his hand for Fujitika, who grasped it. The two men shook hands and Sakura opened the door for Eriol.
"Thank you very much for the opportunity." Sakura said as she bowed.
"No, thank you Miss Kinomoto, Mr. Kinomoto. You have no idea how much we appreciate your decision. And I truly hope that you will not regret your decision." And with that Eriol disappeared into the night.
"Well, looks like we are heading for the palace." Fujitika said as he looked at Sakura. Sakura nodded and let out a whoop as she embraced her father.
This is a new adventure for Sakura and an amazing opportunity for her father to make a name for himself and both are willing and able to live it.
A/N: Okay so this is my first solo story for Card Captor Sakura. I do hope that you have enjoyed it. Please feel free to review the chapter. Constructive criticism is welcome.
I would also like to send out a special thank you for Tella, for helping me with my fic and always being there for me when I need her. If you do not know who Tella is, she is an amazing author. Her best fic so far is Happy Birthday To Me? and I urge everyone who has not yet read it, to go and read it NOW!