- Username;; LivingLethal
Show Name: A Penny for Your Thoughts
Barn Name: Coin
Age: 9 years
Height: 15.3hh
Halter: Charcoal gray <3
Discipline: Pleasure riding and a bit of cross country
Competition:
“He’s 19—as far as I know, he’s been riding his whole life. He does… you know, the jumps and rides on the street. Something like that. His parents will only do a gentle-natured horse, and they don’t want to waste their money on any average looking brown horse. Got anything to offer?”
“…”
“You’re sure she’s real pretty and nice? If so, we’ll arrange a company to pick her up and bring her to the barn Grey’s always disappearing off to.”
“…”
“Then it’s a deal.”
- ---
This was Grey’s first time back to the stables since what had happened. His parents were adamant to not let him back at first—he wasn’t even sure why, frankly, because the stable was the only reason he bothered breathing—but they’d conceded today. Their motive remained unclear to him, but he was weary when his phone didn’t ring when he left the manor and the maids didn’t question his whereabouts. So, he left to his favorite release: the stables.
His tires rolled over the familiar gravel as he entered the gates of the stable he’d been sneaking off for as long as he remembered. Grey almost couldn’t believe it; it’s been nearly four months since he’d been. As he stepped out, his favorite sights, sounds, and smells greeted him in waves. It was his true home—the place he felt most himself. Even though time had passed and things had happened since he’d last driven away, the stable still eased his heart in a way even the doctors he’d been entertaining for the past few months couldn’t.
“Grey! Look at you—I almost thought they’d never let you come back!” The stable owner—a woman he considered more of a mother than his own—peeked out from the stable’s office. She was smiling a wide smile, an honest smile; it was a breath of fresh air he didn’t know he needed. He’d gotten used to the fake, worried smiles of the people who’d simply been hired to care about him. “I thought that was your car driving up. Come on, follow me! Someone came the other day and dropped… something off for you.”
With not a moment of extra chat, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him along towards the stable. He went along with it, perhaps a habit he’d picked up after these past few months. He was pulled along the stalls. Some horses he’d known for as long as he could remember remained. Deville and Badger were still in the same place, as were Bennett, Razzie, and Tobias. He didn’t recognize some, perhaps new purchases or leases. Some faces were gone altogether. She pulled him past all of the horses he’d usually work to ride, and this was what made him meekly question, “Where are you taking me to?”
His question was answered not by words, but by the stall they stopped before. The horse who occupied it was out in the run, but the golden, engraved, tacky plaque said more than enough.
- Greyson Lemmi
A Penny for Your Thoughts
“The men who dropped her off called her Coin. Your parent’s secretary called me before they dropped her off yesterday.”
Grey sighed; it was what he was expecting. Some kind of bribery to start behaving again. He simply wished they wouldn’t have brought a living being into it.
He rubbed his eyes—it was tiring, always having your behavior bought. “That’s probably why they didn’t stop me,” he sighed. He rested his arms on the stall’s door, glancing out at the horse who was grazing at the scarce grass that had grown in her run. “Has she been exercised since she was dropped off?”
“Nah, the secretary told us not to touch her. Something prissy like she’s more expensive than us. You know, the usual,” she teased, rolling her eyes.
That evoked a chuckle from Grey. He opened his chest—it’d been moved in front of this stall, rather than its usual in front of Zeph, who he usually rode; from it, he grabbed the extended lead line and halter he’d had for as long as he remembered. “I’ll go ahead and give her some lunging time. You go ahead and get back to what you were doing… thank you for the warm welcome back. It means a lot, hey?”
With his reassurance, she went off, leaving Grey with only himself and this strange, new horse. The sight of the plaque evicted another sigh, as it meant they were simply trying yet another bribe to pacify him into behaving as he should. Nonetheless, the horse was innocent; he wasn’t about to take out his disappointment on a mare who’d done nothing.
Grey whistled, and for the first time, Coin’s gaze locked onto this new figure before her stall. Her look was incredible—probably the most unique horse he’d ever looked upon—but it was her soulful brown eyes that intrigued him. With her preliminary check passing, Coin ambled up to Grey with ears perked. He was among the first to give her attention since she arrived; needless to say, she was grateful for the interest. Her head popped over the stable door and into Grey’s arm without a second thought.
“Friendly, aren’t you? Would you like to go out for a walk?” He inquired gently, stroking her velvety muzzle to Coin’s gratitude. He slipped on the halter without Coin’s notice and hooked on the rope, then unlatched her stall door. She waiting for his confirmation to walk out; Grey snickered at her obedience. “You act like a dog, don’t you?” He remarked, patting her neck. “Come on out,” he motioned, tugging the lead rope gently. She responded in second, eager to please this kind, new stranger.
Together, they walked out of the stable to the fenced pastures. Coin’s interest was piqued by all the novel sights; she’d not gotten acquainted with any of the horses, nor the views offered by the area. Her prance gave off her fascination; Grey couldn’t help but be amused. He grinned gently. The mare was charismatic, he had to admit. He walked them both into the pasture and unhooked her from the lead rope.
“What do you want to do?” He asked, facing Coin. “Want to walk off? Run? Do whatever.”
Coin’s look was comically human; Grey couldn’t help but chuckle. She bumped his shoulder with her muzzle, asking for his guidance. To that, he outstretched his hand to the open pasture. “Do what you want!”
The mare threw her head, still gazing at Grey with expectation. He began walking, beckoning her to follow. “C’mon, then, we’ll just walk around here.”
With his permission, she strode forward. This entertained him even more—she was almost more peculiar in personality than in looks. He decided to start a jog, to see if she’d follow his lead even then. As soon as he picked up in speed, Coin responded instantly. She trotted along him, her easy eyes fixed on his face. He stopped; she stopped. Grey bolted out in a run, and Coin reared up and ran after him.
This mare’s a riot!, he thought.
But she’s meant to buy my obedience, Grey remembered. The air of cheer he’d amassed from their frolic dissipated near-immediately. Coin glanced at him with concern, lipping his shirt. He couldn’t help but feel relief—even though she was a bribe, she was at least something they’d keep out of from then on.
Plus, she was sweet… and his. Grey caressed her face, noticing her intricate markings and even more so her perceptive, hazel eyes. Perhaps this set-up wouldn’t be so bad.
A Few of Grey and Coin's Chronicles wrote:From that day forward, Grey was allowed to sneak out to the stable again just like before. The reason for his parents’ loosened grip on him wasn’t a secret anymore, at least; he knew they just expected him to behave now that they’d bought him something pretty and expensive. He couldn’t care less. Coin was an incredible mare, not even in the technical sense, but in the sense that she was so incredibly observant. She was intrigued by people, and she cared for Grey.
Grey’s first ride on Coin was interesting, to say the least. Coin may have been a gentle mare, but she certainly had a mind of her own. Grey would lead left, and she’d go left. Grey would lead right, and she’d go right. Grey would lead forward, and she’d go backwards. Coin knew what Grey was asking, but she simply didn't listen. The pattern continued until Grey was frustrated—even more than he was when he started.
“What, Coin? What in the world are you pulling today. I know you’re a better mare than this for god’s sake,” he fumed, glaring at his horse. Coin snorted, pawing the ground with discontent at Grey’s loss of his temper. Grey grabbed her reins, but Coin refused; she threw her head, backing up out of Grey’s range. Immediately, Coin’s extreme reaction provoked the sense within him. He backed up, putting his hands over his mouth and gasping as his irritation abated.
“I’m so sorry,” he croaked, reaching his hand out in regret. “I didn’t mean to—I’m sorry, Coin.”
The mare pawed at the ground once more, but sensing the tension within Grey dissipate, she approached him cautiously. When his hand grazed her muzzle, she leaned in with trust, fully feeling his relaxation. Grey’s stress melted off knowing that the mare forgave him for the sudden outburst.
Coin’s anxiety similarly dispersed when she knew her handler was under control of himself again. She trusted him; he was always there for her, and he truly cared for her and all of the other horses in the barn. Grey was the first human who’d shown her such wide-eyed adoration, even if he came in to the stables on occasion unwilling to open up to her or some weeks wasn’t able to get out of bed to come in at all. He was there for her and always would be.---
Grey took Coin out for spontaneous rides often. He found it to be calming to simply navigate the terrain outside the stable, and as Coin usually was quite in tune with his movements, they could make a lot of ground and enter some tricky territory. It was during these rides that Grey discovered her exceptional skills at jumping. Coin was magnificent: she jumped massive logs without hesitation and over small streams almost without thought. She was much like Zeph, Grey's former cross country lease, although upon later questioning he discovered she was simply trained as a show jumper. This discovery led to the occasional cross country show when Grey felt up to it, but it was these rides that the duo enjoyed most. It was when they could quietly connect without the barriers or language coming between their understanding of each other.
