Beyond the Haunted Past.
Chapter Twenty-Five:Riding Mario and Groom Talks.
Disclaimer: Only the characters I have created myself are my own. I do not own the tv show.
Sam mounted up with a sign and gathered up her reins.
"Good boy, Mario. Steady." Sam slipped her feet into her stirrups as Owen stepped up beside her.
"You ready?" He asked, looking up at her.
"Of corse." She nodded, giving Mario a stroke down his toned chestnut neck.
"Do you want me to do anything?"
"You could put up a jump if you really feel like helping." She said to him with a smile.
"Sure thing, Sam." He grinned at her and stepped inside the sand filled arena. Sam gave Mario a small squeeze with her heels and the large chestnut gelding stepped forward into a steady walk. She guided him into the arena and pulled him to a stop beside Owen who was carrying a jump wing across the arena.
"Don't put it up to high. I've never jumped him before."
"Okay." He placed the jumps wing down on the floor and wandered off to grab a second.
"I'll start warming him up." Sam urged Mario forward just as Nikki darted under the fenceline and headed over towards Owen who was trying to lift the second wing and a pole at the same time. Nikki reached him and took the pole from him, carrying it to the middle of the arena. Sam smiled. They were so adorable! It was obvious they had a thing for each other. She continued to walk Mario around the outside of the arena until the jump had been set up and she heard Owen shout over to her.
"Is that okay for you?" He asked, a goofy grin settling on his face.
"That's fine, Owen. Thank you. You too, Nikki."
"I can stay in here if you'd like? I could put the jump up for you?"
"If you want." Sam shrugged, giving him a small smile. She gave Mario a tiny kick, just enough for him to feel and he stepped out into a trot. His striding was immaculate with no sign of any choppiness. He was the perfect dressage horse on paper and it was immediately obvious that he was very well schooled horse. After a couple of circuits of trot, Sam gently asked for a canter to which Mario happily obliged. She smiled and gave him a pat on his neck. "
Good boy, Mario!" She praised him with a pat on the side of his neck before looking up as he continued around the arena, his hooves pounding into the sand. Tara was stood by the fenceline watching her ride around. Tara was alright. She loved Tara in fact. She has always been close to her through Ava. However, the person who she did not want coming over to watch her was headed her way. Steven Granger.
Sam sighed and turned her attention back to Mario who was still being perfectly behaved, striding in a smooth rocking-horse canter. Tightening her grip slightly, she gathered up her reins and turned him down the centre line towards the jump. Owen took a couple of steps back so that he was out of the way and Sam took a deep breath. Pressing her heels down in her stirrups, she pushed him on and counted down the strides. With a snort, Mario shook his head and took off, his back legs powering him off of the floor and into the air. Sam leant forwards in the saddle, taking any weight off of Mario's back as he flew easily over the jump. Owen began to clap immediately just as both Sam and Mario landed on the other side.
"Good boy!" Sam praised him as the gelding's ear pricked forwards, legs pounding off the sand below him.
"Well done, Sam!" Owen grinned.
"Keep him moving and do it again!" The booming voice of Steven Granger filled her ears. "This time, I want for power over that jump. This is an expensive eventer not a donkey! Do it again!"
Sam frowned. She'd thought that was a pretty good jump for a first go on a new horse. Holding her tongue, Sam circled Mario around again and down the centre line of the arena, lining him up in front of the jump, reins ready to go. She dropped her contact on the reins, giving him his head and he closed in of the jump.
"Kick him! Go on, push him forwards!" Sam frowned and ignored him. Mario had enough power and momentum going into the jump.. she didn't need to kick the horse. Mario rose off of the ground, taking the jump with ease. When he landed on the other side, Sam gave him a pat and released her hold on the reins until she was only holding them by the buckle, slowing him into a walk.
"Come here, Samantha!" She heard and she immediately gritted her teeth and walked Mario towards the fenceline.
"Is there something wrong?" She asked him, casting a quick look over at Tara who simply shrugged her shoulders, not understanding what was going on.
"Yes, Samantha. There is something wrong."
"Oh?"
"I don't know how you expect to come home with a 1st place ribbon with riding like that.
"Excuse me!?" Sam was deeply offended.
"You aren't pushing him hard enough. He may be well schooled, more so than Devil but that horse still needs reminding who you are, why you're in charge and who is boss."
"I'm sorry sir.. but I thought that you hired me?" She said.
"I did. Your point?"
"My point is that maybe you should let me work with Mario and Devil my way."
"That is not what I'm paying you for, Samantha. I'm paying, and a lot of money at that, for you to bring both of my horses home with 1st and 2nd place!" Steven shouted, shocking Sam. She looked at him, really looked at him. Bloodshot and bagged eyes, worried and with slight nervous twitch in his left eye. Something was wrong with him.
"I get that, sir but-"
"No buts!" He snapped. "Take him over that jump properly this time and then go and get Devil. I think it's time I came in there with you."
"I didn't realize that you knew anything about horse training?"
"I don't personally... but my horse trainer does. Now go ahead, Samantha." Sam huffed, trying to hold in a few foul things she really wanted to say. She had never been so insulted in all of her life. Normally, she would have flipped, angry at Steven for insulting her and her riding abilities. She reminded herself that she was being paid by Granger to work the way he wanted her to. Money that her aunt needed. She couldn't screw this up. Sam took Mario around in a gentle trot and then circled him, before letting him surge into a canter. Strong legs pounded down the middle of the arena, lining up to the jump.
"Okay, Samantha! Push him on now and make him work!" Sam tried to block out his shouts and concentrate on Mario who was quite quickly bearing down on the jump. She sat deep in the saddle and gave slight pressure to the reins, slowing him so he wouldn't rush at the jump and injure himself.
"Don't pull him up! Kick him! Drive him on!" Sam ignored him and followed her gut feeling. Mario flew over the jump perfectly, legs tucked up as he sailed over. When they'd landed, Sam slowed him down and looked up at Tara and Steven. Tara was smiling at a nice jump. Steven however, had a scowl on his face.
"Cool him down." Was all he said before storming towards the barn.
"Jeez, what's his deal?" Sam asked Tara.
"I don't know.. I'm sorry he spoke to you like that, Sam." She said with a sigh.
"It's fine, Tara. It's really okay. I just don't get why he's trying to get me to ride them so aggressively?"
"His barn is full of aggressive riders. He is just trying to force on you what he sees every day. Even if he doesn't have a clue what he's talking about. His trainer is Chrissie Worth.. what do you expect.."
His trainer is Chrissie Worth? The Chrissie Worth?" Sam asked amazed. "Didn't she win every competition she entered back in the 80's?"
"Yes. Yes she did but she's an awfully harsh rider. Your sister and I once watched her training and she pulled so hard on the horse's mouth, the horse reared up to try to get away from the pressure."
"What happened?"
"The.. the horse ended up flipped over backwards and severely damaging it's back."
"Oh my god." Sam gasped.
"It was horrific to witness and if that women comes on this yard, you can bet she'll try and change your style of riding."
"I'm not going to hurt any of these horses, Tara. She won't change who I am."
"I hope not. Cool him off, I'll go and grab Devil for you." Tara said and headed off for the barn. Sam let out a breath. That had been a stressful training session and she still wasn't finished.
"Hey, you okay?" She turned her head to see Owen and Nikki behind her. She dismounted off of Mario and held him by the reins.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She nodded.
"That was pretty intense." Owen said.
"It's like he's obsessed with winning or something." Sam began to walk Mario around on foot, cooling his muscles down.
"Well with the stories about him, it's not surprising." Owen said wandering after her. Sam turned her head and stopped.
"What stories?" She raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Oh that's right! You won't know!" Nikki said.
"Know what?"
"A couple of years ago, my older sister used to work at Granger's barn as a groom." Owen told her. "Granger was going through some pretty bad money problems."
"So?"
"So.. they had a prized racer at the barn.. Mystery Prince. He was this beautiful bay stallion that everyone loved."
"When you say they 'had' him at the barn.."
"I mean he's no longer there."
"What happened?" Sam asked him.
"He was insured for one million dollars."
"Oh wow, that's a big payout."
"Exactly." Owen said. "Granger found him late one night in the barn.. apparently he'd colic'd and died."
"Oh god.."
"With Granger being Mystery's owner.. he got the massive payout."
"Okay, so.. I take it the money problems went away?"
"No, not at all." Owen said to her, earning a confused look from Sam. " He blew the money on his home and several bad investments. He's flat broke."
"Then how is he paying Tara so much money to board his horse here?"
"It's easy to talk money when you know you're gonna' get it by the end."
"I don't follow you.." Sam looked utterly confused.
"That horse that you're stood next to now.. it's insured for 1.8 million dollars. So, let's say the horse has a terrible accident.. a broken leg or colic.."
Suddenly, Sam caught on to what Owen was saying.
"The insurance payout would go to Steven Granger.."
"Exactly." Owen nodded.
"So, to clarify," Sam took a deep breath. "You're saying to me that Granger was responsible for the death of Mystery Prince and now, he wants to do the same thing to Mario?"
"That's exactly what I'm saying to you."
Well hello there, It's been a while! I don't even know if any of you guys are still out there who used to read this story! Hopefully this is me back for good!
Life hasn't been the easiest for me recently which is while I stopped writing about a year ago. It's only know that I really wanted to get back into writing now that I'm ready.
Anyway, this is a slight filler chapter but necessary to the plot of the story.
I knew I wanted to get this story written up and finished since I owe you all atleast that but since I don't even think about iCarly anymore, I'm still unsure about the third and final installment of this series.. I honestly don't know if I should write it or not. I've had the idea in my head since 2012 and would have loved to finish up the series with that as I've grown to love this series and it's characters that I have created. Please let me know your thoughts on this if anyone is still reading this!
Please review and tell me what you think!
-Dreamer