Ashleigh was fighting to keep all four of the filly's feet on the ground and failing miserably at it as the horse threw herself against the shank for the seemingly hundredth time since leaving the stall.
"She feels good." Charlie said, standing clear of Wonder's flying feet. "Just a little frisky, is all."
Ashleigh rolled her eyes and tugged back on the rope, shoved her elbow into Wonder's neck for leverage and grumbled, "If she'd frisk a bit less and walk a bit more she could have more time to feel good in the paddock."
Charlie barked out a laugh and left her to it, and she and Wonder get all the way to the first line of paddock fences before it dawns on her that she had herad the familiar haughty tone of Brad Townsend chuckling.
She finally deposited her chestnut ball of energy into a paddock next to some younger fillies, and after watching her snort and stomp about for a couple minutes, headed back to the training barn.
Halfway to the tack room to hang up her lead shank, Ashleigh heard an angry shout and the familiar sound of clattering hooves on the rubber floor mats. Thoughts flashing to a scene of a loose horse in the complex, she starts toward the noise, only stopping when a familiar coppery face crow-hops around the corner, tugging another familiar face along with him.
She heard Brad swear under his breath as the Prince reared and plunged, trying to shake off his handler. After a few more moments of areal acrobats, Brad has the colt back under control and they continue toward their destination.
Just as they are about to pass her, Ashleigh smirks and says "He's feeling good today! Just a bit frisky!" Her smirk turns into an actual grin as she sees the look of tired frustration pass across his face as his arm muscles take a beating.
She turns away before he can say anything in return, and has just hung the shank on its hook in the tack room when another angry yell sounds from outside the barn; and she lets herself laugh. Frisky indeed.
Author's Note: I have always shipped brad and Ashleigh together and I think it is completely unfair that they didn't end up together.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters used in this story.
