Amaryllis-]

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A m a r y l l i s

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A little touch of heaven,
Where imagination flows;
The valley in the garden --
Where the passion flower grows.

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Rain dotted the ground, a large summer thunderstorm that rattled the walls with thunder. A dampness was brought to all things, as humidity hung about like a thick curtain would a window. The heavy air liked to suffocate those who breathed it, accompanied with the stifling heat of mid-summer. Clouds had floated into the area quickly, startling the humans whom watched over the animals of the temporary home they found themselves in. Whinnies echoed on the wind as numerous breeds of horses, situated over the entirety of the premises, became antsy at the prospect of rain. The worst of the precipitation was yet to come, and the stables were in a frenzy as they pulled horses from pastures to the safety of indoors. One pair of mares in particular now fought at the gate of said pastures, pushing one another out of the way as a young human male attempted to clip a lead rope to one. The brown and white mare, while just as capable of holding her own as the other, was on the downside of luck as the lead rope caught the chain of her pasture mate. Snorting and tossing her head in sheer irritation, she accepted defeat gracefully as a bay standard-bred was lead to the barn. Their grazing spot was one of the furthest from indoors, and the less fortunate mare would no doubt be caught up in the forceful rains as they neared. Despite this, the painted Arabian danced not out of distaste for rain, but having been forcefully knocked down a spot in the careful hierarchy that her kind naturally set up. Amaryllis, as the humans had named her upon birth, had been brought here nearly five days ago. Being around an auction house for such a duration of time was no doubt rare, but it was not for her own shortcomings. In fact, the show mare was incredibly talented when it came to most show ring genre's. As usual, it seemed, the young horse had gotten the short-end of the stick-- having ended up on the far side of the lands, where potential buyers rarely showed. The road that past them was a back way, that only stable hands and the occasional lost visited. Flicking a dark hued ear, Amaryllis turned from the gate to stand under a bushel of trees as rain began to fall. It fell in torrents, sheets of water that almost stung when it hit. However, the mare found she did not mind it so much. After all, wild horses took on such powerful weather on a daily basis. Shielded somewhat by the thick foliage, a long tail flicked against the insect that buzzed there. Blankets had been left off that morning because of the heat, and so her body became drenched even with the minimal protection. It was uncertain how long it would take for someone to bring her in, but she found comfort in the damp grass she began to graze on.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] alyce sharpova your eyes like a shot of whiskey warms me up like a summer night - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Rain and humidity. Alyce didn't mind the rain, though she preferred to be inside when it poured down, but the humidity was her enemy. It made everything hotter, damper, and slimier. Hot rain was terrible; at least cold rain allowed one a mug of cocoa. Even outside, Alyce felt like she couldn't breathe the heavy air, and she thought of turning around and coming back another day when it wasn't so gross. No, though, she had driven out here and might as well do what she came here for; to look for another lesson horse for Sharpova Arabians. She had a fair supply of saddle seat geldings and mares, all perfectly willing to bring a rider of whatever experience level to a show ring; however, she was in need of more hunters and Westerns. The stables of lean, arched park horses called to her, but Alyce forced her attention away; that was not what she came here for and, as Alyce knew perfectly well, she had to focus on what she really needed. Her four-horse trailer was waiting to carry someone new home, though Alyce thought that the shiny silver mass wouldn't be full at the end of the day - the weather would surely defeat Alyce, turn her around in a few hours, follow her home until she was in the cool shelter of her home. One or two horses would be all for the day - there would be more sales to come. Alyce wished to duck for the cover of the barns, where rain wouldn't reach her, but as stablehands rushed in an out, horses on their leads, she knew she would just be in there way. Until the traffic cleared Alyce skirted the outside of the auction property, where few horses still stood in the torrent, waiting for a hand to come and bring it to the cover of the barn. As she came across the horses, Alyce's eyes carefully scanned each for the traits she wanted: yet, no desirable Arabians or half-Arabians stood out for her. Most had been brought in already, though the movement in and out of the stables hadn't slowed yet. Rain spattered against her legs - in an effort to keep cool, Alyce ditched her work jods and paddock boots for shorts and some sneakers that she kept in her closet solely for situations like this: when her shoes would get dirty. Keeping her boots on would just make her feet hot. Alyce rounded the corner of the property, and the pastures really emptied; almost no horses were out. While this was a good thing, Alyce felt like she was wasting her time, being out here in the rain; yet her legs kept moving, following the pasture gates until she could round back up to the back of the barns. As she passed one gate, however, she did notice something intriguing - a pinto mare, standing under what cover some trees offered. She definitely had Arabian in her, despite being a half-breed - perhaps an American paint, or saddlebred. Of course, Alyce didn't need more National Show Horses, but the mare's legs didn't have the conformation of a high-stepping horse. This could be just what Alyce was looking for. Leaning against the fence, umbrella leaning lazily on her shoulder, Alyce decided to see if the mare would come near her.

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PANDUH. FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY NINE WORDS. OUTFIT.
TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

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[*Panda]

A m a r y l l i s

[/size]

A little touch of heaven,
Where imagination flows;
The valley in the garden --
Where the passion flower grows.

[/size]

The tri-colored mare pulled pieces of grass from the immediate vincinity of where she stood, not willing to cross the threshold of dryness into the undesireable weather. It didn't take long for the long emerald pieces to diminish into nothing, so that a large circle of short grass wrapped around Amaryllis's hooves. Rubbing her cheek against a foreleg, the pinto colored mare scratched her face with the rough metal chain tied within her purple halter. Her previous owners had left the tack-piece upon leaving her here nearly a week earlier, as they would have no further use of it. The family was leaving the area, bound for the city where the eldest daughter would be attending school and the husband could find work. Flicking a light colored tail with chocolate pieces, the mare's blue eyes rose to the surrounding area. While the horse had a typically sweet disposition, the weather no doubt laid upon her a sort of aggitation that would have produced quite the bit chomping. Mud speckled her legs from the rain pellets that swelled around her, and as her head turned over her shoulder a loud snort was heard from her large nostrils. The sight of humans at her gate wasn't exactly a rarity, but labeling someone as a stranger was something animals did well. Regardless of not knowing whom this person may have been, Amaryllis took the company as an opportunity to finally get out of the rain. Finally braving the results of the thunderstorm, the mare trotted swiftly towards the stranger. Her mane and tail was reluctant to bounce even at her lively pace, as the strands of hair had quickly become plastered to her neck. As she neared the gate, her pace slowed and she let her chest touch the iron bars that kept her here. Her nostril's flared at the foreign scent of the girl -- someone who did not spend a lot of time in the auction barn. While not a worker, the horse could also detect the smells of other horses. Not all too concerned with the prospect of a different home, she threw her head before searching the persons hands with her muzzle. She wasn't searching for a treat, but instead the leadrope that she had hoped the person would have. The mare was of course disappointed as she stood in the thunderous rain. While being wet wasn't exactly the worst situation the horse had come across, the idea of warm hay and sweet feed was incredibly tantalizing.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] alyce sharpova your eyes like a shot of whiskey warms me up like a summer night - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For a few minutes, Alyce just watched the mare as she grazed at the grass beneath the trees, waiting for her to notice Alyce's presence. Even when the mare did notice her, she waited for a bit, clearly contemplating if it was worth crossing into the rain. Another spell of waiting, and the horse trotted over to Alyce - a trot meant to be ridden under a hunter saddle. This lit up Alyce's heart, a sign that her day may not be unsuccessful. Alyce propped the umbrella up to partially shield both of their heads before the mare pushed her muzzle into Alyce's hands. She cooed to the pinto mare, rubbing one hand up underneath her forelock. "I'll be right back, my beauty," Alyce murmured to the pinto before turning, taking the umbrella with her. Alyce expected the mare to turn and return back to her dry area; that was fine with Alyce, as long as she could lead her back out. Picking up a lazy jog Alyce made her way to the barns, and about half way into her trek she found a stablehand. "Pinto mare in the far pasture," she said, pointing to the direction of the pasture where she stood. The hand, clearly ready to get out of the rain, nodded exasperatedly. "Lemme get a rope and I'll be down there," he said, to which Alyce agreed and turned on her heel, as if to let her horse-in-interest that she hadn't been forgotten. Truthfully, Alyce thought that this auction area was way too spacey; Alyce believed that they should be smaller, to get horses moving and out as quickly as they could. Wasn't that what auction houses were for? Alyce thought back to the mare: she'd surely enjoy getting into the barns, but how was she to ride her if she was wet? The stablehands would have to put up with Alyce letting the horse dry off before she brought her into the covered arena to ride; surely the barns would have her tack somewhere. Back at the white, wet fence of the pasture, Alyce waited impatiently for the hand to return; everyone wanted out of this rain. A few minutes later and he arrived, a lead to match the mare's purple halter, and he opened the gate to grab her. "Name's Amaryllis," the man told her, going to clip on her lead shank. "Pretty nice horse, as far as I know. Whaddya wanna do with her?" Alyce leaned one arm on the fence, umbrella leisurely hanging over her head. "I need some lesson horses," she began. "She seems promising." The man nodded. "Her owners dumped her here, but she's got experience in lessons and hunter-jumper," he told her, and Alyce grinned from ear to ear. "Just what I'm lookin' for," she said excitedly, "Did they leave her any tack?" Again, the man nodded. "Yup," he said, though he didn't add any more. Good enough for Alyce; so long as the mare had a good gait and an even better disposition, Alyce was almost sure she'd be going home with her.

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PANDUH. FIVE HUNDRED FOURTEEN WORDS. OUTFIT.
TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

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[*Panda]

A m a r y l l i s

[/size]

A little touch of heaven,
Where imagination flows;
The valley in the garden --
Where the passion flower grows.

[/size]

While the mare could never make out the words of the two-legged creatures she called her companions, the tone of ones voice was far more telling anyway. The hooved animal could read some sort of joy in the stranger as she was relieved from the rain for a few moments. Beneath the cover of the plastic contraption, Amaryllis's ears pushed themseves forward. In an attempt to protect the sensitive inside of her ears, they had since laid almost perpendicular to her forehead. Water from her forelock trickled down her face, like a miniature stream between her eyes that dripped down the side of her muzzle. The feeling itched between the lining of her halter and skin, and she seemed completely absorbed in rubbing the feeling out on the iron gate. A chain that held the gate closed clanked loudly as the girl disappeared towards the barns. Amaryllis was reassured that she'd return, even though the mare had no words to confirm it. Because of this imagined sense of security, the mare waited against the fence. Ears flickering only once at the sound of thunder, the mare instinctively flicked her tail and watched the entrance of the barn. There was no point in returning to her place of relative dryness, as she was already covered in rain and the mud from the pasture. Not to her surprise, the female human returned shortly after her departure, accompanied by a stablehand Amaryllis had encountered on more than one occasion. Whinnying softly had whom she knew would finally relieve her of the almost violent parcipitation, the mare moved away from the gate and waited to be lead out. Tossing her head slightly at the sound of her own name, Amaryllis leisurely followed the stablehand back to the fence and eventually to the other side. Stopping while the man who held her fastened the gate closed again, the mare gazed over at the young woman. She seemed to stare, while wondering exactly who this person would be to her now. Their conversation excited her, which bode well for the homeless horse. Amaryllis had been through the process of being sold, traded, and bought many times in only a few years; all because of misfortunate, but never harmful, occasions. Lowering her head to a more comfortable position, Amaryllis followed the tension on her lead rope back towards the barns. She had been the last to finally be brought in, but that had been expected considering her location on the expansive grounds -- as was typical. It was a wonder the mare hadn't been forgotten completely in her medium-sized pasture, which had been hers alone before the bay dressage horse that had accompanied her in it just earlier that day.

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[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style,padding-left:16px; padding-top:0px; padding-right:0px; padding-bottom:0px; background-image:url(http://i51.tinypic.com/2nbr3oi.jpg) ] alyce sharpova your eyes like a shot of whiskey warms me up like a summer night - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Alyce grinned through the rain, hand on the mare's flank as they made the trek from the pasture to the barn. She decided against riding the mare now; Amaryllis was perhaps even more agitated by the rain than Alyce was, and it'd be unfair to judge her behavior by how she acted in such undesirable conditions. She would bring the mare into the barn, groom her and let her dry off, then walk her around in the barn just to see how she responded. Alyce had learned from her years of riding lessons that horses with bad habits in the arena or difficult gaits make you a better rider than horses like Sin, who was quiet and didn't have those habits. Alyce did agree when she thought to herself that today hadn't been a good day go horse searching; there were too many things going against her that she couldn't control. With Amaryllis as far back on the property as she was, there was a chance that if she came on a better day, the mare would still be there. Nevertheless, Alyce was here, and she had found a horse that was, most likely, going to be coming home with her. The dry lights of the barn promised shelter from the godforsaken rain, and Alyce nearly ran up to the barn in eagerness to put her umbrella down; she didn't, however, and moments later, she, the stablehand, and Amaryllis were under the comforting barn roof. Alyce slid her umbrella closed and set it on a nearby chair just inside the door, picking at her jods as they stuck to her skin. The barn was somewhat humid from the rain, hay, and horses, but it was so much nicer than being outside. As Alyce plucked at her jods, she followed the stablehand down the aisle of the barn, Amaryllis in hand. She hated the feel of the fabric clinging to her legs; she couldn't want to go home and change. She reached up to stroke the mare's wet neck. "I want to have her dry, groomed, and tacked - just to ride around the barn for a bit, see how she is," she said to the hand, who nodded and left to retrieve a groom box and towel after securing Amaryllis. Smiling, Alyce rubbed the pretty mare under her forelock, sharing in their relief to be out of the rain.

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PANDUH. THREE HUNDRED NINETY NINE WORDS. IT SUCKS. OUTFIT.
TEMPLATE BY OH SO COOPERNATURAL ! @ CAUTION.

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