Trenton
I know he's not much, but he's mine. He's my first horse. Dad calls him a pony, but I know he prefers to be called a horse, he's told me. I named him Ricky, years ago, but he decided his name was Steve about the same time he decided he was a horse. Ricky's a pony name, he told me.
Dad told me that you can tell a good man from his horse. He kept Angharrad nicely, and even now, with her ankles swollen with arthritis, grazing in the sunny fields most days, she still greets him happily. Dad has me take care of Steve, brushing out his mane daily, cleaning his tack, and doing exercises with him most days.
I tack him up, getting him ready to go for a ride. He doesn't seem quite excited, much rathering his toasty, straw filled stall to the sharp, early fall night, but he doesn't do much but complain. I mount without a mounting block, something I've just recently accomplished. I direct him towards the wooded path, mapping in my head just where we're going to go.
I think I'll take the outside loop, since it's hardly five.
Valentine
Ryan comes and sits next to me around the fire. I'm quite proud of it. It's roaring and spreading warmth around the clearing, stretching shadows and giving everything an orange glow. It's quite cozy, and makes you want to get closer to the people around you. Lucky for me, my company doesn't appear to have a bubble. He just gets closer and closer.
I can hear him thinking my name. I can see what he's planning, but vaguely. It has something to do with me. Well, of course it does, why else would I be here.
Understood, crisp silence creeps between us. He finally breaks it. "Valentine, I've been thinking. You and I, we've been raised as brother and sister. But, I don't want to continue that way. We've watched each other grow up. I've seen you as girl, and I've seen you now as a woman. I was wondering if, maybe,"
I can't help myself. I guffaw. "Did you rehearse that!"
His face turns red. "Yah, kind of. It was good, though, right?"
"Totally convincing. And my answer is yes. We can date. If you can stand the my awesome personality."
"Oh, I don't think that will be a problem. I hope your cool with being out shined by my awesome skills."
We kiss. It's not much more than a, well, I it's not important. It's interrupted anyway, when we hear a little gasp from the edge of the clearing.