you're like a Ghost. [onzy/open]

[Sync]

Teeth worried her bottom lip as she paced the yard at an almost impossible speed. Her expression was clouded with worry as her arms instinctively curled around her middle, glancing out to the road every time she heard the grumble of a vehicle. They were late. Half an hour late. Amelia was stressed out, worried that something had happened to her treasured mare. When she'd rung the airport this morning, the staff hadn't been exactly helpful when she asked how the mare had traveled. They'd dismissed her without so much as an 'okay'. The girl had been out of her mind with worry every since, finally giving up on stalking around her room and moving it out to the barn. "Hurry up.." she murmured, ignoring the curious glances shot at her by various students as they passed.

Finally, an engine cut off outside the yard. The girl pivoted so fast on her heels that she nearly fell over. Righting herself, she streamed toward the front gate and slipped through it with ease. "Is she okay? Did she hurt herself? She didn't throw a fit, did she?" she blurted her questions out at the startled driver as he removed himself from the large vehicle. Shaking his head as if to clear it, he grinned in amusement at the tense girl. "No dear, she's just fine. The flight was delayed, and it took us a while to get her off. She'd grown attached to a couple of dogs flying with her." he grinned, following her around to the back of the trailer and helping her undo the latches and lowering it to the ground carefully. "Thank the lord." she huffed in relief, dancing impatiently on the spot as she waited for her mare to be revealed.

"Baby!" she cried in excitement, throwing herself into the trailer. The painted mare inside strained to turn her head to greet the person with the oh so familiar vocals. "Oh Ghost! My sweet girl." she cooed in delight, appearing on the mares right hand side. Ghost tossed her head in pleasure, pressing it into her owners chest and snuffling the edge of her shirt affectionately. Amelia grinned, lowering herself to a crouch and pressing a wet kiss on the mares maw. "I missed you baby, I don't care if it was only two days." she mumbled into the soft velvet of Ghost's maw. Kissing it again, she straightened up and untied the lead rope that held Ghost in place. The driver had watched the scene in awed amusement. He'd never tire of seeing emotional reunions between humans and their pets, no matter how long he'd been in the business. Each was always such a delight to witness.

"Alright then, Miss Howarth. If you could sign this, then i'll be off." the driver told the girl after she'd backed her equine from the vehicle. Amelia signed the sheet quickly, shooting a smile at the driver as she did so. "Thank you for taking good care of her." she told him warmly, to which he raised a hand to dismiss. "It was my pleasure. Now you enjoy the rest of your day." he told her as he climbed back into his vehicle. Amelia rose a hand in goodbye, before turning to lead Ghost into the yard. "Now let's get you settled in, baby. You must be exhausted." she murmured to the silent mare. She did, indeed, look tired. Her oracles were heavy with sleep, her movements relatively sluggish and her lip drooped in relaxation. Amelia smiled affectionately, her fingers caressing gentle circles on the mares neck as they walked. She was so pleased to have Ghost back in her sight, it was the longest they'd gone without seeing one another since Amelia had been given the mare as a gift. It had been hard on them both.

[Onzy]

No riding. In the end Max had gotten his way, and Kris had happily taken over the role of riding her horses. To Bella it had felt as if her life was not in her control anymore. All these decisions were impacting on her, and she couldn't have a say in it. It had become easier with the arrival of Ruthanne. The girl seemed to fix things without even realising it. Before she had come, it was difficult to get Kian and Ieuan in walking distance of each other never mind actually talking again. Yet Bella felt that her relationship with Kian was pretty much on the rocks. She blamed him for many things, her anger merely a form of fear on it's way out. The pregnancy had freaked them both out, not one of them imagining that they would be parents. She had decided that she wasn't going to get an abortion. Adoption was still on the cards though and so was keeping the child, but she needed Kian's opinion on the whole situation. They were only just starting to talk again, never mind discussing life changing events.

So they had said no riding, but it didn't mean that she wasn't allowed to go down to the stables and visit her beasts. Max would most likely have a fit if he knew, but what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him. Bella would stay far away from Flame as possible, because the young horse was volatile enough, but Manor was old reliable in these situations. The black gelding was always so accommodating towards her, and he was also the one that would be happy to share his stall at two in the morning when she couldn't sleep. They had become partners in a short space of time, maybe just over two years, and if push came to shove then she would always go visit Pan who now belonged to Alexi.

Bella easily mingled into the background activities of the barn, she had to, otherwise someone might just go and tell Dafydd, and that was something that she was not looking forward to. She knew that she was like a daughter to that man, and she had seen what he had become like when Kris was pregnant with his own kids. Now it was her turn, and it was not going to be fun. She was just over two months along and the baby bump was already forming. Her jeans sat tighter slightly, and any tight fitting shirt was a no go. Her six week scan had gone without a hitch, but she wished Kian had been there.

Slipping into Manor's stall, Bella heard the frantic paces of someone by the start of the stalls. It carried on for a while until the rumbling of a truck was also heard. That would explain it. She also went crazy horse owner if the truck was late if she wasn't the one driving it. Bella didn't want to mingle or socialise, but she did want to see this new person that would be stabling. Curiosity was her thing, but horses were. Getting up, she took glanced at the new arrival. The mare took her breath away. The coloring so unique, that she had to comment. She's beautiful, Bella said to the girl as she passed. Her own gelding, Biscuit, was also unique in color, and as if by telepathy, the painted warmblood stuck his finely formed head over the stall door and nickered.