Every Storm Runs, Runs Out of Rain {Open}

[Sara Jane Lyena]

Sara glanced up at the grey clouds, worried about rain. She wanted to take her paint gelding out for a ride, but the weather didn't seem too bode all too well. Deciding to take a chance, she walked out to the Red Willow Barn, planning on giving Rolo a good grooming and then taking him out for a ride. Cinder followed faithfully behind her, his new vest bulging slightly with the dog's portable water bowl and lead.

After tacking up the paint gelding, Sara led him out and mounted, swinging into the western saddle easily. She pointed the gelding in the direction of the Green Hill Trail. As they rode along, a very familiar tree caused a pang of hurt for Sara. She hadn't heard from Dan in weeks, since her boyfriend had been called away, and she missed him every day.

Just as she found the meadow that everyone had been talking about, the clouds let loose. Cursing under her breath, Sara looked around, spotting a few trees that seemed like they would give Rolo and Cinder sufficient shelter. Whistling for the dog, she dismounted and led Rolo towards the thicket of trees. As they settled down in the middle, Sara glanced through the branches, seeing the rain pouring down. Only the odd droplet found its way through the trees' foliage, although Sara knew that if the wind were to pick up, they would have a higher chance of getting drenched.

Since the rain didn't seem to look like it would be settling down any time soon, Sara uncinched Rolo's saddle and laid it at the trunk of a tree, then switched the paint's bridle for a rope halter that she always carried. She tied Rolo to a different tree, then sat against the trunk of that tree. Cinder lay beside her, and Sara reached over to undo his vest as well, before placing it next to the saddle, then just sitting with the dog's head in her lap, absently watching the rain pouring through the space between the trees' trunks.

[Nina Joel Dobrev]

Nina was tacking Ratio up and was hoping to take the mare out on a nice trail ride. As she already groomed the nicely, it really didn't take as long as she hoped. The mare was already nicely cleaned, but it was good to still brush her off a bit more. She already laid the white saddle pad and went to work on the saddle. She went by notch by notch to see which one was perfect. Fiddling around a few more minutes before getting the saddle perfectly settled, as she went and bridled the Arabian.

The brown haired student started to lead the mare out of the barn. She then finally noticed the weather. How the sky felt all grey and it might start to rain. She somehow feels the gloomy and depression of this day. "Why did it have to be today?" She cursed silently towards herself for the weather. The time when she wanted to take a nice trail ride with Ratio, she gets rain. 'How delightful..' She thought, but she already tacked her horse up and can't disappoint now. So she just mounted the Arabian up and went along with it. Luckily she decided to wear a heavy jacket today.

As they steered into the Green Hill trail and followed the path. She gets the feeling like she is not alone. They happened to follow the trail which she spotted in the distance that there was a meadow. She felt a few droplets on her hands and glanced up at the sky. She knew it was about to rain. She put on the hood of her jacket and continued on to this meadow, curious. As they approached, she spotted a faint sight of another paint horse, and probably a dog. She decided to slowly head over to the clump of trees. She then saw the full body of the horse. The horse looked familiar. It was Rolo. Soon a faint whisper escaped her lips. "Sara?" She dismounted and grapped the reins from Ratio and lead them closer to the horse. She then moved away some clumps of damp leaves and spotted the girl.

She remembered her. "Sara.." She repeated the name, but slightly louder against the falling rain. "It's been so long since we have seen each other. What are you doing under here?" She could slightly see the faint sadness in her. She wondered what was going on. She didn't comment, and rather talk to her a few before asking. Plus, also wondering where the dog came from, and what happened to her old dog. Nunya, was it? She was just glad to see an old friend of hers.

[Sara Jane Lyena]

Sara played with the fine fur on Cinder's head, watching the rain, which felt like it was mirroring her mood. After a few minutes, she could see another horse and rider approaching her hideout. The horse looked slightly familiar, but Sara had met so many horses at the academy, she couldn't quite place this one. As the rider dismounted and came closer, Sara recognized the girl from the trails, and a few various times around the academy. Nina, and... Ratio, that was it. As the girl approached her shelter, hiding spot, whatever it was, Sara forced a smile onto her face and stood up. As the girl stopped to ask her questions, Sara gestured for her to enter the copse of trees, "Come on, you don't want to be soaked." She paused, considering the question, "Just hiding from the rain, because I wanted to head out onto the trails, and then it started pouring." She gestured at the deluge outside, "As you might have noticed. I wasn't too much of a fan of Cinder getting a coat of mud, so instead of heading back, I started looking for somewhere that would stay moderately dry." She walked back to her seat against one of the trees and sat back down, "How have you been, Nina?"

[Nina Joel Dobrev]

Nina couldn't recall the last time she has talked with Sara. Like actually sitting and talking, hanging out, just like friends would do. Besides once in a while seeing each other around the academy and just saying hi before they had to hurry on. She was surprised that she wasn't just the only one taking the chance to have a trail ride in the rain. She was glad it was at least someone she knew.

She gave a grin as she invited her in. "I bet I don't. Thanks." She responded as she ducked low and entered. Helping Ratio come over next to Rolo and tie the reins on a stiff branch near the paint horse. She took off the Arabian's saddle and saddle pad and laid it down near the tree trunk that the horse was tied to. She patted the mare's shoulders. "You remember Rolo. Be nice." She whispered to the horse before walked over and sitting at a nearby tree by Sara. She gave a light chuckle at her older response about hiding from the rain. "Oh yes, how foolish of me not to recognize the weather." She smiled lightly before hearing about Cinder and his coat. 'Oh, must be talking about the dog.' "So Cinder," She glanced over to the dog and gave a ghostly smile. "is your new dog? Nunya doing well?" She asked. hoping she wouldn't mind about bringing the topic about her old dog. Before being asked about how she has been.

"I'm alright, just have had a busy schedule to have soon find the time to bring Ratio out on a trail ride." She responded with a shrug. "I guess I wasn't too lucky on the weather part." She let out a teasing grin towards her added comment. "How about you and Rolo?" She turned the question over to her. She had so many questions to catch up on their friendship. She knew she would have to start out slow, if she wants to get them answered. It would be rude if she just started to blurt them out, as well as awkward. So she calmed herself and kept her mind focused so she can just ask them normally and not such in a rush. That just wasn't her kind of personality.

[Sara Jane Lyena]

Sara nodded, "Not unless you want to catch a cold, at the least." She watched as Nina ducked under the shelter and then set about giving her horse the best comfort that she could in the circumstances. She smiled as she heard the girl's words to her horse, and watched as her gelding turned his head to nicker at Ratio, and then sniff at her again.

At Nina's words, Sara shrugged, "Foolish, preoccupied, unbothered, I wouldn't say it's just a bad choice." She smiled slightly, although the happy expression faded from her face when the other girl asked about Cinder. She bit her tongue as she considered for a moment, before she grudgingly nodded, "Cinder is my new partner. Nunya was retired during the summer break, and now lives with my parents. The last I heard, she was doing well." She thought of the black and white malamute, "She just passed her test with TDI, to be a registered therapy dog." She swallowed, blinking. As much as she was proud of her dog, and how she would be able to touch more lives, she hated that they were no longer parts of each other's lives. "When I go back, though, I can work with her and Cinder at the same time, when we go to the library." She had done the same handler test as her mother, so when she was at home, she would be able to work with the dog as a team again, although she wasn't sure if she wanted to do that.

Trying to distract herself, Sara played with the long hair on Cinder's ruff. She listened to Nina telling her about her busy schedule, forcing a smile as she girl joked about the weather, "Well, Rolo and I have had as much luck as you with the weather. Otherwise, I guess it's working out well, we're getting to know each other more than ever." She felt herself relaxing as they moved away from the topic of Nunya, a smile coming naturally, "And Balian, my other horse, is doing excellent as well."

[Nina Joel Dobrev]

Nina gave a grin towards Sara's comment about catching a cold. "You got a point there." She chuckled softly, glancing over at the pair of horses. Ratio, being the friendly Arabian she is, gave a soft neigh in excitement towards the paint. The girl gave a ghostly smile to the horse. She knew it has been a while since the mare has seen Rolo. Besides that one time when she first met Sara.

She looked back over to the Sara, as she spoke. She gave another one of her teasing grins, as she understood what the girl meant. She as well just added a simple shrug. "Eh, what you got to do about it?" Joining in with the topic. Watching as Sara's happy expression faded when she asked about Cinder and Nunya. Worried, she bit her lip. 'Well done, Nina. Great topic to just bring up!' She really didn't know it was really a bad thing to talk about. It was just her curiosity that got to her. She gave a nod of sympathy as she heard about Nunya being retired and passing her TDI test to be a therapy dog. She thinks it's a good thing. "When I go back, though, I can work with her and Cinder at the same time, when we go to the library." She pushed herself to give her a reassuring grin. "That's good. At least you will be able to see her again and she will be doing well." She commented in response. She wanted to apologize for bringing up the topic, but it might make the setting more awkward.

She let out a giggle as Sara responded about how the pair is experiencing the same luck as she and Ratio does. Good to know someone else gets you. "I'm glad too." She gave a light smile to her. She then heard how the girl has another horse, Balian. "You have another horse too? I own another horse as well!" Getting slightly bit excited to know what they have something in common. "Hope is my American Quarter Horse mare." She added some information, probably unnecessary, but she put it out there anyways.