Next Day
"Where is everybody?" King asked as he walked into the kitchen.
"If you didn't sleep until noon, you'd know that they're at a sale." Blade snarled back at him.
"Why are they there?"
"Zoe wants a pony." replied Blade, rolling his eyes.
"Awww, I want one, too!" King whined in a mockingly childish voice.
"Don't sleep until noon." Blade said as he stalked out of the kitchen.
-----
Blade heard King racing down the stairs, and slowly walked over to the window to confirm his earlier thought. Tamlyn, Abigail, and Zoe had indeed returned from the sale. He headed outside to be welcomed with not one, but four horses.
"I thought you said A pony?"
"I couldn't help myself. Besides, if I count correctly there's five of us, and since Dixie is going to foal in less than a month, nobody's gettin' on her."
"You know I'm not getting on any horse." Blade replied to her explanation.
"More for me." Tamlyn teased as she lead two of the horses, followed by Abigail leading the other horse, and Zoe leading her new bay Welsh pony gelding, King following closely behind.
"When are you going to teach me to ride?" Zoe asked Tamlyn as they walked leisurely toward the barn.
"As early as you want me to." she smiled.
"How about now?" the little girl said excitedly.
"You want to learn right now? Do you think King wants to learn right now too?" she said teasingly to the little girl.
"NO! King does NOT want to learn right now!" he called from behind the animals.
"Yes, you do!" Zoe called back.
-----
Tamlyn stalled the paint gelding and the warmblood stallion she had been leading, and put the dappled grey quarter horse mare and Zoe's new pony in cross ties.
"You know you get to name him, don't you?" she said to the little girl as she saddled the pony.
"Really!"
"Yes, really. What do you want to call him?" she laughed at the girl's enthusiasm.
"I don't know." replied Zoe as she sat down to think on a hay bale.
"Well, you think about it, and tell me when you pick a name. What're you gonna call this one, King?" she said to him as he sat down beside Zoe, and Tamlyn started to saddle the mare.
"Well, first off, I ain't ridin' it, and second, it's name is Sarge."
"First off, you are riding it, and second, it's a she." she rebuttled.
"Awww, come on! I want a guy!"
"There are four in the barn at the moment, none of which you can ride. That warmblood over there would kill you, and you'd piss yourself if you got on the paint. This pony isn't yours, and Jack's supposedly a 'monster.' Therefore, you're stuck with this girl, and just 'cause she's female doesn't mean a damn thing."
"I like you when you're angry." King smirked.
"Are you riding?"
"I can't see why not."
"Good, I'll demonstrate why you don't get a male horse. There's an arena around here isn't there?" she asked as she lead the paint from his stall.
"Yes, madam." King replied.
"Good. Zoe, follow King and lead your pony. King, lead the way." she said to him as she lead both the paint and grey out of the barn.