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Equus	By : Deb Category: Gundam Wing/AC > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2855 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, it belongs to Bandai, Sotsu and associated parties. I do own the equines though, please do not take them without permission. Written for pleasure not profit.

Chapter List
- 32
- 33
- 34
Chapter 33
The trio found Frank in the collecting ring with another two riders to go before him. Jester looked alert and eager beneath him, eyes bright with anticipation. Spotting Heero and the others walking towards him, Frank smiled and waved.
Heero introduced Treize to Frank who was in awe of meeting yet another of the Olympic gold medal winning team and a rider he had admired for some time. Treize had sensed the man's feeling of being overwhelmed at meeting him and instantly put Frank at ease with his easy manner and friendly chatter.
“How is it looking so far?” Heero asked, attention fixed on the ring.
“Two clears at this stage,” Frank replied. “I only hope we can go out there and also go clear.”
“You will,” Heero replied in a confident tone.
“I don’t want to let you down,” Frank said. “You've put a lot of time and effort into working with Jester and me.”
“You will be just fine. Jester has settled a lot with you and you're riding a lot better too, there's no reason why you can't clear this course,” Heero stated.
It was the confidence booster Frank needed. “Thanks.”
The current rider exited the arena with six faults, two of them being time penalties and then it was Frank's turn.
Treize asked Heero a few questions about the rider whilst Frank was saluting the judge, Heero explaining about Jester's problem of rushing and how he'd been working with Frank and the stallion to get him to settle more. Treize agreed with Heero's methods before falling silent to watch the pair as they started their course.
Duo could see a marked difference in the pair as they cleared the first three jumps. Jester appeared a lot more relaxed and ready to listen to his rider. The stallion was still a handful, wanting to go faster than Frank would allow, but overall he was a much more settled horse in himself.
“That's a very nice combination,” Treize commented. “They obviously need more work yet, but there's a solid foundation there and I think they could become very real contenders for the next Olympic team and Nations Cup.”
“I thought so too,” Heero mused. “When I first started working with them there was this underlying spark. Now Frank is a lot more skilled he has better control and Jester is starting to listen more to him. I thought they had the potential to be Olympic material, nice to know you agree with me.”
“There's no doubt they can go to the top with the right coaching. You're doing an excellent job with them, Heero.”
Feeling the blush rising up his neck and covering his face, Heero felt secretly pleased with the compliment, even if it wasn't true in his opinion. “I had the best teacher myself,” he returned.
Listening to the conversation, Duo couldn't help the grin that graced his features. He knew just how good his lover was when it came to horses and jumping and it was nice to know others thought so too; but it still amused him that Heero had trouble accepting compliments regarding his riding skills. Really, he was just too cute when blushing.
June and Carl joined them, the pair having spent a little time with their respective horses back at the goose-neck, brushing and rugging them before stowing gear, leaving only Shinigami for Duo to have to worry about.
Frank and Jester were still moving around the course at a steady pace and had cleared the double along with jumps five, six, seven and eight. They were approaching the barrels and following that was the triple. Frank did his best to remember all he'd learnt so far from Heero and checked his horse back a touch. Jester didn’t want to be restrained, he could see the jump ahead and wanted to jump it, but his master was insistent.
Dropping his weight deep as Heero had taught him, Frank kept a firm feel on the reins to prevent the horse from rushing forward, applying a little leg at the same time to drive the stallion's back legs under the body. Given how his master's seat and leg had strengthened and improved, Jester had no option but to shorten his stride and use his hind legs.
A soft smile played on Heero's face as he watched. He felt pleased that Frank had heeded his words in their lessons and also listened to him when he'd explained about the course and where the difficulties lay.
The big bay soared over the barrels, Frank having a bit of a tussle with him to bring him back to hand for the triple, but he managed it. In the collecting ring, Heero, Duo and the others all held their collective breath as the pair bore down on the triple.
Frank's face was a mask of concentration as he steadied his horse. Jester eyed off the triple ahead and did his own calculations. They met part A on the correct stride and cleared it with inches to spare, the moment Jester landed Frank was with him and using his seat and leg to drive the stallion together. They surged over part B, landed safely and with a couple of strides, launched into the air for part C.
All in the collecting ring heaved sighs of relief when the pair cleared the last element.
Still concentrating hard and fully aware that the next jump was the one that most riders had been caught out at, Frank rode his horse with all he had at the wall. Jester responded perfectly, listening to his rider and taking off at the right moment. They landed clean and were heading for the last fence, the oxer.
“Clear round for Frank Lowe and Royal Park Jester,” the commentator announced.
Cheers and applause rang out, Frank not bothering to hide the wide smile on his face as he brought his horse back to a trot and exited the arena.
* * *
Stefan brought his car to a stop and exited the vehicle. Pocketing his keys he whistled to himself as he entered the stable block and headed for the tack room and his gear. He wasn't surprised that no one was around, he knew they had all gone to the Baxendale show and wouldn't be back for some time. Setting his saddle and bridle down on top of the stable door, he grabbed his lead rope and went to catch Comet. He'd promised himself a bush ride that afternoon and was looking forward to it.
Comet whinnied when she spotted her master and began to walk towards the gate. Wing glanced up from where he was grazing, noted the human and went back to his eating. Angel stood dozing under the gum tree in her paddock, her belly starting to swell a little with the unborn foal she was carrying. Zero raised his head when he heard the mare whinny and looked to see what was going on. He spotted the human approaching her paddock and caught the scent on the breeze. He lowered his head once more to continue grazing; the scent was familiar and posed no threat.
Comet was soon inside the stables and being given a good brush down. The saddle and bridle followed, Stefan leading the mare out into the sunshine once more to mount up. Once settled in his saddle, Stefan turned the mare’s head towards the drive and rode out of the yard and onto the side road, aiming for the bush tracks a little further down.
Riding along with the sun on his back, Stefan let his mind wander, specifically in the direction of a long haired vet who had sparked his interest. He frowned when he thought about his obsession, he'd not had much luck at all in spending any alone time with the vet of late. It seemed whenever he managed to find Duo by himself, Heero or one of the others would show up within moments.
It was seriously beginning to frustrate him.
Riding along the bush tracks, Stefan pushed Comet into a steady canter. He needed to feel the wind against his skin, clear his head and try to come up with a plan of sorts to sway the vet his way.
* * *
“I think I'm going to be sick,” Frank muttered.
“No you're not. It's just the nerves,” Carl told the rider.
“More like watching June devour that hot dog and chase it down with a ton of cotton candy,” Duo offered with a grin. “I thought I had a pretty tough stomach, but that even gives me the willies.”
“Tasted fine to me,” June shot back and licked her fingers.
“Pregnant women, I'll never understand them,” Carl stated with a roll of his eyes.
“You will be just fine, Frank,” Heero told the rider, ignoring the other three. “All you need to do is remember to sit deep and keep a firm hold on him. He will do the rest. He's more than capable of completing this jump off with no penalties.”
“I hope you're right,” Frank mumbled.
Six riders had made it through to the jump off and Frank was third to go. He was nervous, but had to have faith in himself and his horse. He wasn't worried so much about himself – more like he didn't want to let Heero down. The man had spent a lot of time with him and Jester, and Frank felt he owed it to Heero to put up a good performance.
The first rider went clear in a time of 38:10 – a good round by anyone's standards. The second rider came to grief over the double, having turned a little too sharply and finished with four faults and a time of 40:26. Then it was Frank's turn.
Feeling confident in himself and his horse, Frank rode towards the judge and saluted. Collecting up his reins, he pushed Jester into a canter and rode towards the start flags. The bell sounded and they were on their way.
Keeping in mind what Heero had said about jumps six and twelve, Frank was determined to have his horse steady and listening to him all the way. Jester soon settled into an easy rhythm, knowing it was easier for him if he listened to his master and did what was requested. The pair easily cleared the first two jumps, Frank managing a reasonably tight turn between jumps three and nine to bring Jester in line with four A.
In the collecting ring, Heero watched very carefully, Treize had moved off to speak with a couple of other riders he knew, but the man was still watching Heero's pupil from the corner of his eye. June and Carl had fallen silent and kept their eyes trained on the pair in the ring. Duo had sidled alongside Heero and now stood with his shoulder brushing his partner's from time to time.
Jester cleared both elements of the double with style and once he had all four hooves back on the ground, Frank asked for the stallion to shorten up and build impulsion. The aids were clear and concise, Jester understanding and obeying after a brief hesitation. They passed around the outside of jump five and Frank lined his horse up for the hedge. Gazing ahead, Frank could see just how far off line jump twelve was and knew Heero hadn't been joking when he'd said Jester would need to be brought up short and pushed to the right immediately they landed. With that in mind, Frank rode his horse at the hedge.
The bay grunted with the effort, but managed to push off the ground and into the air. They brushed over the top of the jump but didn't dislodge anything, Jester's front hooves biting deeply into the turf as he landed. Returning to the saddle, Frank took up a strong contact and sat down hard. He checked the bay and whilst building the impulsion again, he nudged the horse to the right.
Jester obediently came back to hand, lowering his nose and softening through his back, the weight shifting more to his hind end where the energy could be built back up. Moving forward he heeded the legs against his sides and moved across to the right.
Three strides away from the jump, Frank equaled the pressure of rein and leg before driving the horse forward to the final jump. Jester bounded forward, eager to tackle the oxer. They flew into the air, Jester putting in such a big leap that Frank had one heck of a time staying with the horse. They landed and Frank didn't dare look back to see if they were clear, he looked for the finish flags, gave Jester his head and pushed the horse into a gallop.
Cheers and applause rang out around him as he tried to bring the stallion back to a canter. Jester didn't want to stop and tossed in a couple of bucks to let his displeasure be known. Frank was more determined though and soon had the stallion back under control and exiting at a sedate trot.
“Clear round for Frank Lowe riding Regal Court Jester in a time of 37:04. We have a new leader in the B grade competition!”
Frank was assaulted with well wishes and congratulations once he was back in the collecting ring and couldn't help the smile that almost split his face in two. Accepting the congratulations, Frank dismounted and made a big fuss of his horse. Noting Heero waiting to congratulate him, Frank turned and smiled at his teacher.
“Well done, Frank. That was an excellent piece of riding,” Heero said and shook his pupil's hand.
“Thanks to you it was. I can't say how much I appreciate you having taken Jester and myself on, Heero. After that round today, I know we are improving and it makes me want to work even harder to get better still.”
“That's good,” Heero said, trying to hide his embarrassment at the kind words. “At the end of the day though it doesn't matter how good the teacher, the pupil has got to want what they are working for. And you showed that out there today.”
It was Frank's turn to blush.
“Okay you two, can we stop with the ego boosting now and get back to watching how the rest of them go?” Duo teased.
“Uh, sure.” Heero shook his head but turned his attention back to the ring and the last of the riders to attempt the jump off.
No one managed to beat Frank's time and he won the B grade event.
* * *
Returning to the stables, Stefan was in a much better mood. His head was clear and he felt refreshed. He still wasn't sure how he was going to convince Duo that he was the man for him, but decided he wasn't going to spend any more time thinking about it. He'd simply watch and wait, if and when the opportunity arose, then he'd consider his best options.
Dismounting in the yard, Stefan noted the goose-neck and Frank's float still missing which meant the others were all still at the show. He wondered how they were going, if they'd managed to pick up any placings at all and knew he'd find out soon enough.
It was a little cooler inside the stables and Stefan took his time in unsaddling Comet and giving her a really good grooming. With the gear put away and Comet's light rug on her, Stefan led the mare back out to her paddock. Securing the gate, he hung the lead rope on it and spun on his heel, intending to clean his gear before leaving.
Strolling back down the raceway between the paddocks, he glanced across at Wing when the young colt gave a sudden snort and took off at a mad gallop around his paddock. The sudden movement of the colt startled Nataku who was in the paddock across from Wing and next to Comet. The bay mare gave a snort of her own and deciding that the colt must be running away from something terrible, she also broke into a gallop and went careering around her paddock.
Watching the pair and noting it was only high spirits causing Wing to gallop around, Stefan shook his head. Youngsters, he thought to himself. The thundering of hooves soon drew his attention back to Nataku and Stefan's mouth dropped as fear settled in his heart.
The mare was galloping flat out towards the gate and fence and didn’t look like she intended to stop either. Stefan swallowed as things went into slow motion.
Nataku continued to gallop, not knowing what it was she was galloping from. Suddenly her vision picked up on the fence and gate ahead. It was too high for her to jump and too short a distance for her to have much of a chance at stopping either. The bay mare dug her hind legs into the ground, her front ones following suit as she tried to stop her headlong rush.
The ground was well grassed and didn't aid the mare's attempts to stop in any way. The gate was rapidly approaching, Nataku tried to prop and turn at the last minute and lost her footing. Hind legs slipped out from underneath her and she crashed heavily onto her left side, body still skidding across the grass towards the gate and fence.
“Shit!” Stefan yelled and took off running towards the paddock gate.
Nataku came to a sudden stop when her legs and body hit the fence and gate. She gave a shrill whinny of fear, Zero immediately answering her. Her legs folded against her belly and once she was still, she did her best to throw out her front legs and get back to her feet. Her off hind fetlock had jammed under the gate and as she tried to rise, it pulled taut and caused her to fall back again. Another whinny of fear and Nataku tried to kick out with her trapped leg to free it from the monster that held it.
“Easy, easy,” Stefan tried to soothe as he approached the frightened mare.
Nataku didn't listen though and began to thrash around. Somehow Stefan managed to get the lead rope from the fence and darted in to clip it to the mare's halter. Just as he was jumping back out of the way of those thrashing hooves, Nataku wrenched her fetlock free and staggered to her feet. Stefan hung onto the lead rope and managed to keep the mare from running away and doing further damage to herself.
“Steady, easy girl, that's it, no one is going to hurt you. Whoa there, steady girl,” Stefan cajoled and managed to settle the trembling mare. Running a gentle hand along her neck, Stefan did his best to try and see what damage the mare had done to herself. She had a few bits of skin missing here and there from her slide along the grass and collision with the fence, but it was her right fetlock that had Stefan worried. There was some blood staining the dark hair and the joint was swelling. “Damn it,” Stefan said under his breath and gazed around. He had no idea when Heero would be back.
Mind made up, Stefan pulled gently on the lead rope. “Come on, girl. Let's get you up into the stables and hose that leg off so we can see exactly what damage you've done to yourself.”
Feeling sorry for herself, Nataku limped quietly beside the human.
* * *
“It's as tight as I can get it,” Duo said and settled the saddle flap back over the girth buckles he'd just finished tightening.
“Thanks.” Heero petted the hard, gray neck. “He does like to blow his tummy out if given the chance.”
“Yeah, tell me about it.” Duo blew a puff of air up towards his sweaty bangs, ruffling them slightly.
“I think we should head for the collecting ring, they shouldn't be too far off calling my number by now.”
“Right with you, Heero.”
The first thing they noticed when they entered the collecting ring was Treize, the tall man sitting easily astride Romeo. Heero and Duo wandered over.
“How is Romeo feeling?” Duo asked as he gave the bay neck a warm pat.
“Very well, thank you Duo. “
“I haven't seen Zechs with you today,” Duo commented. Usually the blonde vet was in attendance at the shows Treize went to.
“Unfortunately he had a prior engagement. I hadn’t originally planned on entering the show so Zechs made arrangements to go with Relena to visit another stud farm; it was a little unfair to ask him to change them just to accompany me to this show.”
Whilst Duo held his tongue on the comment that wanted to leave his mouth in regards to the pink menace, he could also appreciate how Zechs would honor his promise. “Looks like I'll have to act as a double cheer squad then.”
Treize laughed.
“What are the results so far?” Heero asked, lowering his stirrup and mounting up. Shinigami gave a couple of side steps.
“One clear and the rest with mainly four faults,” Treize replied. “I'm in after this current one and I believe you're about five after me.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks.”
Treize was soon riding into the arena, Romeo looking fit and well beneath him. Carl and June joined Heero and Duo, Frank still finishing off settling Jester before he'd be along. The group all watched the Olympic medalist as he rode a careful and accurate round. It was easy to see why he'd been selected for three Olympic games, the man was an excellent rider, in tune with his horse and had a knack for knowing exactly where to turn to get the best results in the shortest time.
Romeo was attentive to his rider and looked like he was really enjoying himself over the jumps. As he'd grown, Romeo had matured into a lovely stallion. His once lanky frame had filled out and although he was still tall, he had the bulk to go with it. Not that any of it was fat; it was all pure muscle.
No one was surprised when Treize rode out with a clear round.
Five more riders went, three having four faults, one, eight faults and one going clear before Heero was called to enter the arena. Duo wished his partner good luck and did his best to hide his nerves. He'd stuffed the end of his braid into the back pocket of his jeans in an attempt to stop himself from destroying it.
Frank arrived in the collecting ring just as Heero was saluting the judge. He joined June and Carl who were standing by Duo and offering moral support.
The bell rang as Heero was cantering a circle, the gray feeling fresh beneath him. Turning, Heero rode for the first jump. Shini's ears pricked up and his stride lengthened out, with shining eyes, the gray cleared the first fence and looked eagerly for the second.
“Clear so far,” muttered Carl.
“He's only done one jump,” June pointed out.
“Yeah, I know, but he did clear it.”
“Sometimes I wonder about you,” June said with a roll of her eyes. Frank couldn't suppress the grin.
Jumps two and three were also cleared, Shinigami settling into his stride and enjoying himself. The double appeared in their line of sight, Shini lining it up and picking his take off point. Heero sat calmly on his back, a slight movement of his body weight, a light touch of his leg or close of his fingers on the reins all that was needed to keep the gray focused and working hard.
The first element was cleared, Heero using his weight to drive the hind legs back under his horse and maintain the impulsion. Shinigami took two strides and launched again into the air. The spread on part B didn't affect Shini, the stallion clearing it easily. Following the line of the left hand circle, Shini soon cleared jumps five and six.
Sitting deeper, Heero shortened the stride and built the energy back up. They took a sharp turn to come into jump seven, the rustic rails. They didn't pose any problem to Shini, the gray having found his rhythm and loping along whilst still keeping the impulsion where he needed it.
Jumps eight and nine were also cleared and Shini knew the next one was going to be tough by the way his master's weight sank deeper into his back and the pressure on his mouth increased. Heero dropped his weight deeply into the saddle, hands checking the forward motion of his horse whilst Heero's legs applied enough pressure to the gray's sides to push his hindquarters right underneath him.
Coming into the triple, Shinigami was like a stick of dynamite ready to explode just as soon as Heero lit the fuse. Continuing to hold onto his horse, Heero rode at part A, concentration never wavering, eyes on the jump ahead. Three strides out and Heero eased on his reins and drove the stallion forward. Shini bounded up to part A and sailed into the air. He cleared the jump and landed safely, immediately taking note of the second element that was right in front of him. With a grunt, Shinigami gathered himself together and sprang into the air once more, his front legs tucked up against his body, hind following over the jump. Landing, Heero drove the horse together again and within two strides they were facing off against part C. Driving his hing legs right under him, Shini launched off the ground and arced over the jump, front legs connecting with the ground moments later and absorbing the impact of landing.
“Two more to go, Shini,” Heero mumbled and risked a quick pat to the now sweaty neck. Shini tossed his head and pricked his ears. He was still full of going and wanted to jump more!
Jump eleven waited for them, the one jump that many people had managed to score faults at. Heero planned on not letting the jump claim him as a victim too. He pushed his horse together, trying to get as much impulsion as possible into those hindquarters. The wall was a formidable obstacle, even more so now as it stood an impressive five foot four inches.
Shinigami had no qualms though. He eyed the wall, lined it up and picked his take off point. One more his powerful hindquarters pushed his body into the air and over the jump.
“It's a good idea to breathe, Duo,” June said with a nudge to Duo's ribs.
Duo drew in a long, deep breath, unaware of when he'd stopped performing that vital function.
“Only one left, boy,” Heero said quietly and rode the gray forward before asking for a left turn that would bring them into line with the final jump.
Once again the gray lengthened out his stride and with pricked ears, cantered at jump twelve. The feeling of cold air rushing past his face was exhilarating. Combined with the adrenaline rush he got when the horse sailed into the air beneath him and Heero felt hard pressed to come up with anything that could compare to it. Well, sex with Duo was about the only thing that could beat it.
With all four feet back on the ground, Heero gave Shini his head and urged the gray into a gallop and through the finish flags.
“Clear round for Heero Yuy riding Shinigami,” the commentator announced over the sounds of cheering and applause.
Duo was bouncing on the spot with excitement. The moment Heero and Shini returned to the collecting ring Heero was inundated with congratulations from everyone around, including people he wasn't familiar with. Duo opted to wait and give his congratulations once everyone else had finished, instead he found himself with a gray muzzle searching his person for the treat he knew he'd earned.
Digging into his pocket, Duo produced the expected carrots. “There you go, boy, all for you. You were great, Shini,” Duo praised and gently pulled on the stallion's ears while Shini crunched up his treats and asked for more. “Great round, Heero,” Duo finally managed to congratulate when the crowd had thinned a bit.
“Thanks,” Heero smiled and dismounted. “He was a good boy.” Heero patted the gray neck whilst Duo loosened the girth a little and tossed Shini's light rug over him to keep him warm.
“That's four of you into the jump off,” Duo noted as he stood by Heero, his eyes full of warmth.
Giving his partner a loving smile, Heero agreed. “Hai, there is. Could be more yet as there's still another four riders to go.”
No more clear rounds were forthcoming though and the commentator gleefully announced those riders that would be taking part in the jump off. There were two that neither Heero or Treize were familiar with as well as themselves. Treize would be second to go and Heero the coveted last.
* * *
Stefan tied Nataku up and fetched the hose. Turning it on to a slow stream, he carefully ran it over the mare's fetlock to wash away the blood and try to see what damage had been done. He silently thanked Heero many times for the persistence the man had shown when handling the skittish mare. Since Heero and Wufei had been spending regular time with the bay she had become a lot less wary and would let most people catch her and handle her now. Stefan dreaded to think what the outcome of this incident could be if the mare hadn't let him catch her.
The water began to run a pale pink, Stefan taking the risk and moving closer to run his hand over the fetlock joint to see if he could feel what damage there was.. Nataku stood still and let the human check her leg. She was feeling sorry for herself, her leg throbbed and several areas of her body stung. She sensed this human wasn't about to hurt her; in fact, no one had hurt her in any way since she'd come here and slowly she'd allowed herself to trust again.
“Well, shit. You're a lucky girl from what I can tell,” Stefan murmured, “but that leg still needs looking at. I think you'll get away with a few stitches and lots of bruising, but I don't think anything is broken.” Running the hose over the joint for a little longer, Stefan tossed up his options.
He couldn't call Chang, Nataku's owner as he didn't have the number. He really didn't want to disturb Heero at a show either. A sly smile spread across Stefan's face. Of course! He'd call Doctor Maxwell. The man was the vet here after all and Stefan had no doubt that Chang would have signed the same agreement the rest of them had that the Maxwell Veterinary Practice would be the consulting vets if and when the need arose.
Turning the hose off for the moment, Stefan fetched his cell from his car and located Doctor Maxwell's pager number. He called the paging service and gave them a brief outline of what the emergency was. They said they would get hold of the vet and for him to wait for a call back.
Not five minutes later Stefan's cell rang.
~ * ~
tbc...
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Equus