The stable was a long line of stalls, filled with the scent of hay and wood. Each stall was both a home and a viewing box, equipped with everything a horse might need. Most had already been claimed, and only five remained. Being picky was not an option for Jane.
Her goal, one she'd made just minutes ago, was simple: find the smallest, nicest horse in the stable. There had to be at least one, she hoped.
Jane cautiously approached the first stall. Inside was a shimmering white mare, the smallest among its peers, with a surprisingly big head.
Her hands rose slowly as she moved closer. Jane felt like one of those humans in a movie making first contact with an alien, if the alien didn't immediately let out a sharp squeal and retreat.
"That's strange. She is one of the friendliest mares," Amelia said, then added, "Usually."
She ran her hand through its thick mane. The horse had been her first choice until she found a better one.
Amelia glanced at the twins, remembering what vampires could do.
"It wasn't us," they said in unison.
"It was me," Jane sighed. "I've always had a hard time making friends with dogs."
They never bit or barked; they just ran away, no matter how calm or gentle she tried to be.
"Maybe try holding a carrot," Amelia suggested.
And Jane did exactly that. But the horses dodged her, and the carrot too.
"Maybe they're full," Jane said, a lie that even she wouldn't believe.
She stood awkwardly, avoiding Amelia's eyes, her mind flashing back to that school day when one of her classmates brought a dog, and she was the only one it refused to approach.
"Animals only like good people".
The words used to echo in her head. She knew better now, how absurd that was, but after multiple times and occasions, a part of her still believed it. She hadn't gone near a dog since.
The sound of crushed grass came from afar, then a voice:
"They are afraid."
Rose slowly walked towards them with her hands clasped behind her back. The twins followed quietly behind, then stopped before getting too close.
"And they know when they can fight back."
She leaned in near Jane, picked up a single strand of hair, and let it fall from her fingers.
"Make them fear you." She smiled, the smile Jane had when she was about to do something bad.
"Like this."
As soon as the last word left her lips and the corners of her mouth dropped, something changed.
Rose stepped back. Her face relaxed into nothingness, but her eyes... her eyes turned cold. Dark and empty, like a midnight pool.
At first, it was a tingling on the skin. Jane rubbed her arm through the coat, trying to chase away the odd goosebumps.Then it tightened, squeezing her lungs, until her whole body had to stiffen into an unnatural pose.
Thump.
The first horse collapsed to its knees. No scream, just the dull sound of flesh and weight hitting the earth.
Jane didn't dare to turn around. Standing already took all her strength, every breath echoed pain against her ribs.
Whether it was pride or stubbornness, she didn't know. She only knew it would haunt her for years if she knelt today.
Jane swallowed the fear rising inside her, forcing it back down to her stomach. The power pressing against her was absolute, similar to when she was standing in front of a giant statue, realizing she could be an ant in someone else's universe.
But even an ant knew to run when danger was near, if only it were big enough to escape.
Thump. Thump. One by one, they fell.
The sound hit her back like a slow drum, asking her why she hadn't succumbed yet.
"That's enough Rose," Alina said. She and her sister stood beside Amelia, who had, at some point, run away from the stable.
More students had stopped what they were doing. Their eyes turned toward where a more interesting lesson was being taught.
Thump. Another one fell.
"The horses ... have.... fallen, Rose." Jane grinned. The words hardly escaped her clenched jaws. She looked like a small cottage about to vanish in a storm.
"No. There's one left," Rose said, with an obvious interest in what she was looking at. Her eyes blinked before turning darker, more focused, and emptier.
"You bit—"
THUMP.
Jane turned around in disbelief. The sudden sound had stopped the word from coming out of her lips, and her will to keep fighting.
Right before she collapsed, an arm hooked under her armpit, preventing her from going any lower.
Rose.
Beautiful, dangerous rose.
Jane forced herself upright. If she didn't, her arm might fall off from being hung up.
She stared at Rose, whom she couldn't understand at all. What was under that unbothered mask? Was this a punishment for earlier? Jane knew she wasn't that important. Or was she the wrong one for getting in the way?
"Come," Rose said as if nothing had happened. "Claim your prize."
She pointed to the corner stall, where a black horse lay alone, the one that Jane had crossed off her wishlist for exceeding the height limit.
She stepped forward and crouched beside it. The black horse was calm and obedient, or probably too tired to move. When Jane ran her fingers through its hair, it simply accepted its fate and rested its head against her thighs.
A hand appeared in her line of vision, and she took it this time.
Once was enough. Twice, if the aborted handshake counted.
***
After the incident at the stable, riding a horse wasn't as scary as Jane had imagined. Getting on the horse, however, made her hand sweat.
Jane looked down. The horse was even wider from this angle. It filled her vision with its black and glossy hair. A well-groomed horse, with a mane smoother than her own.
The saddle, as heavy and sturdy as it seemed, turned out to be an unstable alliance and the most unsuitable seat she'd ever sat on. She straightened her back and stuck her hip to the saddle, hoping not to fall.
"Relax your legs," Alina rode up beside her. "This horse used to belong to Rose. That's their signal to speed up."
Despite being twins, Jane could always tell the sisters apart. Alina was the calm, grounded one. She remembered hearing that same voice earlier, when she was struggling to stand.
"What happened?" Jane asked. That could explain why the horse was more "adaptable" compared to the others.
"She got bored." Alina ended their short conversation in time for Alice and her horse to ride up on the other side, putting Jane in the middle. She tightened her grip on the reins; three horses seemed a bit crowded.
"She's much, much older than us," Alice said, clearly overhearing their conversation.
"Alice!" Alina glanced and shouted with a grunt. She maneuvered her horse between Jane and her sister.
"Be careful," she warned while grabbing Alice's reins. "This one used to be wild."
Jane watched as the twins blur into the distance. She did wonder why Rose, among vampires of her rank, was the only one allowed to sit at the resting area. She got her answer now. Turned out age earned respect everywhere.
They were still classmates, however, and would stay that way. Jane tossed the new information aside.
One horse, one human strolling around the field. Eventually, she spotted Amelia, who was outside the dome, sticking her head in a bush of daylilies.
"What are you doing?" Jane asked, riding her horse closer. Amelia's horse was resting by the side, waiting for its owner.
"My bracelet. I think it fell here," Amelia mumbled from the bush.
One unavoidable gift of nature was insects, and Jane was unfortunately favored by a dragonfly.
She glared at it, trying to scare it away using her silent intimidation. If she hadn't been on a horse, she would have swung her hands.
Then the dragonfly landed, on her horse.
Oh no. Jane watched as it brushed over the horse's skin, and the animal trembled beneath her like an earthquake.
"There it is!" Amelia shouted while waving her hand from the bush. The bracelet shot out a sharp, momentary flash of light under the sun.
Jane squinted, and in that exact moment, the horse let out a high-pitched squeal and stood up on its back legs. Similar to when the white mare ran away from Jane, except now she was sitting on one.
Her body fell backward, hanging like the Hanged Man card. Her inner thighs clamped around the horse's ribs while her hands pulled on the reins.
By the time Jane realized what she had done, it was too late. The horse bolted straight toward the forest.
Jane pulled the left rein and steered the horse with her whole body, but the horse only screamed in protest and ran faster, back towards her classmates this time.
"Look at that."
"What is she doing?"
Everyone watched as one horse and one human circled the field in chaos. The horse spoke a language no one could understand, but for sure it was not praising while the human struggled to stay on. From a battle of directions to a battle of who would give up first.
"Stop pulling the reins and use your legs!" That was from Alice.
"Balance your upper body Jane!" That was from Amelia.
Then came a dull, heavy thud, realistic enough to make anyone feel the pain.
"OHHHHH!" That was from the crowd watching her fall.
Jane rolled over the grass, spat out the dirt, and wiped her face. The earth shook under her hands, a vibration only she could feel. The horse was still in a frenzy.
Was it mad or was it scared? A thousand thoughts ran through her head, all condensed into one word as their eyes met each other:
Fuck!
Jane froze on the ground as its hooves got closer and closer. She closed her eyes, waiting for the pain, but it didn't come. An arm wrapped around her waist, lifting her off the ground.
A familiar scent surrounded her. One that of nature and nothing like her name: Rose.
Her arms came around Jane's waist as she grabbed the reins, steering the horse back toward the dome.
Jane's chest rose up and down. She tried not to breathe like a buffalo, afraid it might annoy her savior.
At that point, her head went blank. There were no flashing lights, but she couldn't move her limbs.
They returned to the field.
The coach stood there, mad at what had happened. He was ready to yell when he saw Jane in the front, but his expression quickly changed when he realized who sat behind her.
"You can rest for the rest of class. We'll handle the horse," he said, forcing a smile, but it was definitely better than being yelled at. Jane had seen how he herded students like sheep.
Rose jumped down and handed the reins to Alina. She then grabbed a towel and turned to Jane:
"Aren't you coming?" she asked while rubbing the towel against her skin.
"I need the ladder..." She said weakly, looking down at Jane with pleading eyes. There was no need to drop any tears; her eyes were already wet from the dirt and terror.
Rose paused, unprepared for the response, then laughed softly. She grabbed the mounting block and set it under the horse.
'Here's your steps princess," She said, offering a hand.
Jane was trembling, mostly because of how sore her legs were after clinging to the horse. Her mouth opened, closed, then opened again. Finally, she took a deep breath and spoke.
"Thanks," she stopped. "You hurt me once..." Rose raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt.
"... and saved me twice. So, I guess that's fair. I don't know if you need me, probably not, but if you do, I'll return the favor."
Her tone was steady. Her face was serious, and her eyes didn't move away from Rose.
"Entertain me," Rose said. She tilted her head slightly; the same teasing smile appeared on her lips. "That's all I ask from you. For now."
Jane let out a small, helpless laugh from somewhere deep in her chest. Her friendship never started normally; there was always chaos or a fight first.
But fire test golds, her eyes brightened as she followed Rose's footsteps.