My friend wasn't feeling well so Scully (She's stuck in my head as well as Mulder) came up with this story to cheer her up. She even made Mulder to help her to shape the story. It's just short story but I hope you'll be able to enjoy it anyway.
One warning: English isn't my mother's tongue and I don't have a beta reader, so all mistakes are mine and I'm really sorry for all of them.
Once again, Mulder and Scully were on their way to solve another mystery case. As always, it was Mulder, who saw more behind the case than Scully thought could be possible. Of course, the rings in fields were always associated with the UFO. Especially when the rings were in the middle of the field with no obvious way for any human or vehicle to make it, as was the case this time.
"I'm telling you, Scully, something happened there."
Scully only shook her head. Whenever Mulder was so excited over a case, it was easier not to argue about anything because he would be able to talk for ages, trying to convince anyone brave enough to stand against him that something extraterrestrial was at work here.
"Do you really expect me to believe that some little green guy kidnapped our victim, flew him in his space ship and dropped him in the middle of the field while making some random rings just to draw your attention?" Scully teased her co-worker.
Mulder sighed. Sometimes it felt like mission impossible working with Scully. As if it wasn't enough that he was alone standing against the entire world but even the only person he trusted with his life, was making fun of him, not believing into what he believed.
…
They finally landed safely in Texas. But this wasn't the end of their journey. It felt more like a beginning. They had to pick up their car at the airport and drive for hours to the middle of nowhere. At least, this was how Scully saw it. She never understood why she was always following Mulder wherever he went, even when it meant to try to solve the most bizarre cases. But although she wasn't believer, even though Mulder was sometimes trying to make one out of her, she has seen enough to know that there were things science couldn't simply explain.
As soon as they arrived to the farm, where police officer was waiting for them, Scully smirked. It was obvious they would have to ride on horse to get to the rings in the field. The officer was already sitting on black horse, impatiently waiting for them.
"Agents Mulder and Scully, I assume." He said as soon as they were out of the rented car.
"Yes." Scully nodded.
"I hope you can ride a horse. I didn't want to destroy the field with a car for no reason. Horses are the best choice so the corn won't be destroyed for nothing."
"It can't be that difficult, can it?" Mulder answered, observing two young men leading white and chestnut horse.
Scully chuckled. "I take it you've never ridden a horse."
"Just a little pony when I was kid, while my family and I were in zoo." Mulder confessed honestly.
"Take the chestnut horse, then." The police officer said, listening to their conversation. He hoped FBI would send more competent agents but it seemed he would have to deal with the same idiots from city who barely knew how real horses looked like. He just shook his head but said nothing.
Scully came to the white horse, it was male one as she noticed. She stroked his head, murmuring to him some words Mulder wasn't able to recognize. Then, with the help of one of men, she got into saddle, found the right position and took reins into her hands. She looked like she knew what she was doing.
"I take it you've been in saddle before?" The police officer asked, not being entirely able to hide his surprise.
"Few times." Scully replied modestly. "It's your turn now, Mulder." She said turning her eyes to her co-worker. If she didn't know him at all, she would say she saw fear in his eyes.
"Right." Mulder answered, observing the horse. It was the tallest from all three. Mulder didn't trust the animal wouldn't knock him down. But he hadn't had a choice. He couldn't just walk and he couldn't stay here either. So he let the man help him in the saddle, trying not to fall down from the other side. He had to grip the saddle tightly because while he was trying to get into the saddle the horse decided to do few steps forward and Mulder almost did fall over. He thought he heard Scully chuckled.
"Are you ready?" The police officer asked, obviously not amused by Mulder's incompetence.
"Yeah." Mulder managed to say while still trying to figure out how to hold the reins.
Scully made her horse to come next to Mulder's. While the officer already was on his way, Scully was telling her partner the basic, how to ride a horse. Mulder looked so lost and she had hard time not to smile.
"Shall we?" Scully asked in the end.
Mulder simply nodded, still looking at Scully, trying to do everything the same way she was doing.
"Press your calves to the side of the horse, he will start walking. As soon as he will be moving, release the pressure." Scully explained.
Mulder did exactly as she said but the horse refused to walk. In that instant Scully was again on his side, trying to figure out what he was doing wrong. Of course Mulder was pulling the reins to the back.
"It's like you are trying to push the gas and break in car at the same time. Leave your hands be." Scully instructed.
This time the horse started to walk. But the officer was long gone and the agents had no idea where to go. Scully decided to find him and made her horse to trot and moment later to canter and before Mulder was able to say anything, she was gone.
"Is there anything the woman can't do?" He mumbled to himself, while gripping tightly the saddle, trying not to fall from the horse. Luckily for him, the horse was really easy going and was walking in the direction Scully disappeared.
Before Mulder was able to leave the lot of the farm, Scully was back. Mulder had to admit she looked really good in the saddle. But while he was observing his co-worker, the chestnut horse started to trot and Mulder almost fell from the saddle.
Scully chuckled. "Now it would be good time to pull the reins." She said while doing so. She was watching Mulder doing the same and his horse stopped. "According to the officer, it may take an hour for us to get there. Unless you want to trot, that's it."
"Let's just walk, alright?" Mulder said.
"I should warn you, your butt may hurt you later." Scully said winking at him.
"If I didn't know you I would say the horseback ridding was your idea just to make fun of me and mock me."
"Oh you poor little thing." Scully said, smirking. "Be glad it's just and hour away from here."
With that, she made her horse to trot again just to get in front of Mulder to lead the way. Mulder sighed and made his horse to walk, this time he did it at first try. He still wasn't feeling at ease but he was trying to follow Scully as best as he could. Luckily the road was easy, at least for the time being.
"How far it is?" Mulder asked in a while.
Scully looked at him over her shoulder. She saw how tightly he was gripping the saddle. But he was still trying to keep the pace with others. Scully was glad he didn't want to turn the horse around or complaining for the inconvenient transportation.
"It will take some time to get there if we will continue this slowly. But it's the best way for you to get there in one piece." Scully answered.
Mulder was trying to find in her face any trace of mockery but there wasn't any. He was glad for that. He really wasn't feeling very secure in the saddle but he wouldn't turn the horse around and missing the possibility of seeing the rings.
"So teach me how to trot." He said.
"I don't think it's a good idea."
"Scully, we don't have days to get there." Mulder pressed.
Scully sighed but nodded. She explained to him he would have to press the calves a bit more but trying to sit through the bumping. It would be easier than to do the trot properly. But she warned him it would really be bumpy and he would have to hold tight on the saddle.
Mulder was listening carefully trying to prepare himself what would have to come. But as soon as Scully finished lecturing him, he did exactly as she said. The beginning of the trot was extremely bumpy and he thought it would shake him off of the horse. So he gripped the saddle even tighter, clenched his teeth but refused to slow down.
Scully let him go first observing him from behind. She had to suppress smile because Mulder really looked funny, bumping up and down on the horse. She chuckled to herself and made her horse to follow Mulder's.
They finally arrived to the ring where the body was supposed to be. Mulder couldn't see it just yet because according to the officer the way through the corn was a bit further as not to destroy any evidence that could possibly be found.
In that instant a chopper flew over their heads, way too low for the horses liking. Scully's horse was the one who didn't like it at all; he shied. Scully was trying to calm him down but the horse didn't have any of it. Nevertheless she managed to shout at Mulder to keep his horse standing at all cost. In the meantime her horse was running around the two other hoses while Scully was pulling the reins close to her just to release them a moment later. But that wasn't helping at all. So she came up with other strategy; she pulled one rein to the left to make the horse's head turn left to make harder for him to go forward. That slowed the horse from galloping just to a trot. But in the meantime Scully's foots slipped from stirrups making her a bit unstable. Finally, using only the reins, she managed her horse to calm down till he stopped.
"Well, that was fun." She stated, breathing heavily.
"Well done, agent Scully." The officer complimented.
"Don't do it ever again!" Mulder said, looking more aghast than Scully.
She just smiled at him, looking pale, her hands shaking slightly. It has been a long time since she had to calm horse like that. She was glad she remembered how to do it and even more glad that it worked out without her falling down.
"I think I've solved the case." Mulder stated all of a sudden. When he noticed the other two looking at him, he continued. "I think the dead guy could have fallen out of a chopper, or maybe he was pushed down. The wind from the blades from the chopper would be able to make the ring. One thing I don't know is why chopper would fly so low."
"I may be able to answer that." The officer said suddenly. "I've heard that some group of people has chopper and fly their client with their eyes bandaged pushing them out of the chopper suddenly so the client has a feeling he would die. According to the rumors, the chopper is always slightly above the ground, so the client won't be killed."
"What a stupid game." Scully stated horrified what people would do just for fun. "I think that poor victim had a heart attack which could be the cause of death."
"The autopsy hasn't been done yet, but I think you might be right." The officer answered. "And I know where to find this group of people."
"I'm sorry Mulder, but no UFO this time." Scully said turning to her partner smiling.
Mulder only sighed wondering how long Scully would keep teasing him.
"On the other hand, you can practice the trot." She added cheekily, smirking.
"One day, you will pay for that." Mulder said while turning his horse around so he could head back to the farm.
THE END