Willow King

by Chris Platt

  Cindy got to her feet, brushing the sand from her clothing in quick, angry strokes, then reached up to tuck the loose ends of hair back into her French braid. “I suppose you think this is hilarious?” She glared at Katie. “If you tell anyone at school about this, you’ll be sorry.”

  If it wasn’t such a dangerous situation, Katie might have laughed to see the high and mighty Cindy Ellis brought down a peg or two, but it wasn’t a laughing matter. Katie undid the girth and let the saddle fall to the ground. It landed with a thump.

  “I didn’t think it was funny at all. You could have been seriously hurt.” She turned to Cindy as she shook the sand from the saddle blanket. “That’s why you should never ride when you’re upset. Riding requires a person’s full attention. When you’ve got other stuff on your mind, you forget to do important things like check your equipment, and you can end up hurt.”

  Sparks flew from Cindy’s green eyes as she stared at Katie, but this time Katie stood her ground. In the next instant the fire went out, and Cindy hung her head and started to shake. It seemed that the realization of what could have happened just hit her.

  “It’s okay.” Katie stepped forward and awkwardly patted Cindy’s shoulder. She felt funny seeing the snobbish Miss Ellis caught in a vulnerable moment. “We all make mistakes. As long as you’re not hurt and you learn from it, you’ll be okay.”

  Cindy’s blond head snapped up and her proud manner returned. “That’s easy for you to say. You weren’t the one being trampled beneath the hooves of a crazed animal.”

  Katie looked at Jester as he stood patiently waiting for them to resaddle him. He was a little wary, but he didn’t look like a dangerous beast. She replaced the saddle blanket, then settled the saddle back into place, taking care to ensure the girth was properly tightened.

  Katie ran a hand over the spur marks Cindy had caused. They had stopped bleeding and weren’t as bad as she had originally thought, but they would need medication. She would drop by Jester’s stall after Cindy was gone and tend to the wounds. She turned her attention back to Cindy.

  “Oh, I’ve been dumped plenty of times,” Katie assured the shaken girl. “I’ve been bucked off, knocked off, just plain fallen off, and pushed down when I wasn’t even intending to ride the horse. You have to remember what you did wrong and learn from your mistakes.”

  When she finished checking all the equipment, she turned to Cindy, who was looking at her skeptically.

  “What are you doing?” the girl asked nervously. “Shouldn’t we put Jester back in his stall and let him calm down?”

  Katie ran a hand down the horse’s neck. “He’s all right. You won’t have any problems with him now. I think we’d better work on mounting. You’ve got to learn how to distribute your weight so you don’t pull the saddle over on the horse’s side. Did you know that at the famous riding school in Vienna they teach the riders to mount without a girth on their saddle? There’s nothing to hold the saddle in place, yet they can put their foot in the stirrup and mount up without disturbing the placement of the saddle.”

  “I think you’re telling me a tall tale, Katie Durham. I don’t believe anybody can do that.”

  “No, really, it’s the truth. I can’t do it, but it’s something to shoot for. Now, pay attention. This is what I want you to do.” She picked up the reins and placed her left hand on the horse’s neck, just in front of the saddle, and her right hand on the back of the saddle.

  “Put your hands like this,” Katie instructed. “If you have trouble at first, you can grip the saddle. Place your left foot in the iron and think of shooting your weight up into the saddle. Never try to push all your weight downward, or you’ll pull the saddle over to the side if it’s loose. Vault yourself up, then swing your right leg over the horse.”

  She demonstrated the move with fluid motion, then quickly dismounted. “Your turn.” She handed the reins to Cindy.

  The girl just stood there fumbling with the reins. “I don’t think this is such a good idea. Maybe we should wait till tomorrow. I think it will be a lot better then.” She started to walk Jester back to the barn.

  “Wait!” Katie ran to block their exit. She couldn’t let Cindy leave without making her get back on the horse. The fall had unnerved Cindy, and now she was afraid to remount. When Katie started riding, the same thing had happened to her. If her father hadn’t made her get right back on the horse, she might not be riding today.

  “Get out of my way, Katie,” Cindy growled.

  Katie was filled with indecision. What did she care whether Cindy ever rode again? If she didn’t, then maybe Katie could find a way to get Jester back. But if Cindy didn’t get back on the horse again, she might find a way to blame her, and Katie could end up losing her job.

  Katie squared her shoulders and crossed her arms, lifting her chin a notch. “No. I’m not letting you out of this arena until you get back on that horse.”

  “What do you mean? This is my house. You can’t stop me from doing what I want!” Cindy put her hands on her hips and gave Katie a furious look.

  Katie stood her ground. “Yes, I can, and I will.” It felt good to stand up to her. “Look, Cindy, I know what it’s like to be afraid after having an accident. But if you don’t get back on that horse right now and prove to yourself that you can do it, you might not ever ride again.”

  Cindy drew herself up to her full height. “I’m not afraid to ride. Where did you get such a stupid idea?”

  “Then prove it. Put your foot in that stirrup like I showed you and get back on that horse.” She could see Cindy’s hands shaking on the reins. It took a lot of courage to get back in the saddle after a fall, but it had to be done. Katie stepped forward, grabbing Jester’s bridle. “I’ll hold him for you.”

  Cindy looked at her with determination. “I’m not afraid, you know.”

  “Yes, I know. I’m just going to steady the horse while you practice mounting. Gather your reins and get your hands into position,” she encouraged. “That’s it,” she said when Cindy was in the proper place. “Now give a little hop.”

  “Are you sure the saddle is on tight enough?” Cindy said as she stood poised with her foot in the stirrup.

  “Yes, it’s good and snug. Just think of springing into the air, not pushing downward.”

  Cindy gave a couple of hops, then vaulted herself up into the saddle. It was a decent attempt for a first try.

  Katie smiled at Cindy’s accomplishment. “There, do you feel the difference?” she asked, and Cindy nodded. “Now let’s dismount and try it again.”

  “But I just got up here,” Cindy whined.

  “I know, but I want to be sure you’ve got it right. When you dismount, I want you to swing your right leg out of the saddle and pause for a moment at the top with both hands resting in the same place as when you mounted. From that position, remove your left foot from the iron before you slide down. You don’t want to have your foot in the stirrup when you hit the ground, because your horse could spook and take off, dragging you along with him.”

  Cindy shivered. “I get the picture.” She dismounted the way Katie directed, then tried the remount. It went more smoothly this time.

  “See, you learn quickly,” Katie said, and Cindy beamed at her. “Now let’s try a walk around the arena.”

  The smile instantly disappeared from Cindy’s face. “Why don’t we save this for tomorrow? You’ve taught me a lot already. Let’s call it quits on a good note.”

  “Come on, Cindy. It’s just a walk. I know you can do it. Cluck to him and ask him to move.”

  Cindy started the horse forward, but her fear made her clutch at the reins. Jester tossed his head around, trying to loosen her death grip.

  “Ease up on the reins,” Katie said.

  “But what if he takes off with me?”

  Katie spread her arms, indicating the fence. “Where’s he going to go? We’re in an arena. Just relax and loosen the reins so he’ll quit fidgeting.”

  Cindy did wh
at she was told, and Jester immediately settled into a nice walk. “That’s much better,” said Katie.

  Cindy walked the horse around the arena several times. When Katie could see that Cindy was starting to relax, she asked her to ride in small circles. “Cindy, when you hit the next corner, I want you to circle him to the left. Make a big circle.”

  As horse and rider approached the spot, Katie could see Cindy tense up. She jerked Jester’s head to the left and the horse immediately obeyed, turning a small, tight circle.

  “Hold it,” Katie said as she walked up to the pair. Cindy was looking displeased again. Katie knew she wouldn’t be able to hold Cindy’s attention much longer. How was she going to explain this without setting Cindy off?

  “Jester has a very tender mouth,” Katie explained. “It doesn’t take much to cue him. A big action will get a big reaction out of him.” She looked up to see if Cindy was paying attention. The look the girl gave her said that her patience was wearing thin.

  “I’m ready to go back to the barn,” Cindy said sullenly.

  Katie wondered if she should just drop the whole thing. Was it worth the effort? Cindy never appreciated anything anyway. Just then, Mr. Ellis stepped up to the fence.

  “How are you girls doing?” He looked from one to the other.

  “Just fine, Daddy … What were you saying, Katie?” She looked down at her as if there was nothing else in the whole wide world that she would rather be doing.

  Katie wondered how the girl could change moods so quickly. She knew Cindy wasn’t really interested in what she had to say. But as long as Mr. Ellis was standing there watching, she was going to take advantage of the situation.

  “I was saying that you don’t need much pressure to make Jester turn.” She grabbed the section of rein between Cindy’s hands and the bit. “This is all the tension you need,” she said as she pulled the reins gently so that Cindy could get the feel. “At the same time I want you to give him a little squeeze behind the girth with your outside leg, and give him some support at the girth with your inside leg. That will move him into the circle.” She stepped back. “Now circle him around the arena and try it again.”

  Cindy gritted her teeth and pasted on a smile for her father. This time when she reached the corner, her cues were much gentler and Jester made a nice circle. “I did it!” Cindy smiled triumphantly. “I want to do another one.”

  She rode to the next corner of the arena and made another circle. Jester behaved perfectly. When they finished, Katie called it a day.

  “You’re looking better already,” Mr. Ellis said. “Katie, how would you like to continue this for a while? I’ll add a little extra to your paycheck.”

  She groaned inwardly. The last thing in the world she wanted to do was spend more time with Cindy. She didn’t dare look back at the girl, but she could feel Cindy’s eyes shooting daggers. She opened her mouth to speak. “Well—”

  “Good, then it’s all settled.” Mr. Ellis slapped his hand on the fence post and turned to leave.

  Katie looked around at Cindy. Her face was puckered into a frown, but she didn’t seem to be too angry. Katie shrugged her shoulders. “Sorry. I guess we’ll just have to make the best of it. At least we got you back on a horse today.” She turned to leave before Cindy vented any more of her wrath.

  “Katie, wait.” Cindy dismounted and walked Jester up to stand beside her. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, looking down at the ground. “Sometimes I can be kind of a jerk.” She lifted her eyes to Katie’s.

  Katie knew this was the only kind of apology she was going to get. Cindy never apologized to anyone. Katie nodded her head. “It’s okay.” She smiled and opened the gate to leave. “I’ll see you Monday after school.”

  School. Katie’s stomach tightened at the thought. By Monday it would be all over school that she liked Jason. What would Cindy think of that? If she was this difficult to work with now, how bad would she be when she found out Katie had a crush on her boyfriend?

  Katie finished raking the straw from the shed row, then she headed home. Monday was going to be a long day.

  Seven

  On Monday morning Katie woke with a stomachache. she dreaded going to class. She shuffled out of bed and went to feed the horses. King raised his head and nickered when she entered the barn.

  “I wish I could stay here with you all day,” she told King as she threw some grass hay into the feeder. Grey Dancer munched happily while King nursed. “I might say I’m sick and come home early. Don’t be surprised if you see me at lunchtime.”

  An hour later, Katie entered the school building with her head hanging low, hoping that no one would recognize her and taunt her about Jason. By third period, not even so much as a word had been said about him. Nobody gave her funny looks or sly smiles. She was beginning to think that maybe he had stayed home sick.

  By last period, she had her confidence back and walked purposefully down the hall to her locker.

  “Hi, Katie.”

  She whirled at the sound of Jason’s voice. Hugging her textbooks tightly to her chest, she hoped they would muffle the sound of her galloping heart. He was standing by his locker with several of his friends. Katie peered into each of their faces, searching for hints that they knew of her affection for Jason. They just smiled back at her in an unassuming sort of way.

  “Need any help with that colt today?”

  She relaxed a little and found her voice. “No, thanks. We’re doing just fine.”

  “We’d be glad to help too,” his friends chimed in, elbowing each other as they passed their comments back and forth.

  “Knock it off, guys,” Jason warned as some of them began to snicker.

  Katie didn’t know what to say or do. Boys could be so confusing. Her face felt as if it were on fire. She turned from their smirking faces and quickly opened her locker and grabbed the textbook she needed, tossing the rest of her armload carelessly to the bottom of the locker. She slammed the door shut and ran to her last class, their laughter still ringing in her ears.

  When the final bell rang, she quickly gathered her things and hurried to the school bus. She had work to do at the Ellis farm, and today was another lesson day for Cindy. That would be enough to keep her mind occupied.

  Jester was tacked and ready to go when Katie arrived. Cindy sat on a bench trying to look uninterested, but Katie could see the sparkle in her eyes. She studied the girl cautiously, trying to determine whether the glint was anticipation or anger. If Jason had told Cindy about what he had discovered while eating dinner at Katie’s house, Cindy would make her life miserable.

  “Hello,” Katie ventured uneasily.

  “You’re late. Let’s get this over with,” Cindy said, feigning boredom.

  Katie was puzzled. Cindy didn’t seem to know anything about her crush on Jason. Yet most guys Jason’s age would have blabbed to the whole world if they found out a girl had a crush on them. It didn’t make sense, but Katie counted her blessings. “What do you want to work on today?”

  Cindy shrugged. “Whatever.” She untied Jester’s reins and headed for the arena. Katie closed the gate after them and watched Cindy mount.

  “Your mount looks much better today,” Katie said. Cindy seemed to warm a little at the praise. “Let’s start him walking to the left. Remember what I said about using your hands and legs. Easy on your cues.”

  Cindy circled the horse to the left, then to the right. Both horse and rider appeared much calmer than they had during their first lesson.

  “Okay, I want you to circle him back to the left. Then, when you’re ready, ask him for a trot,” Katie instructed.

  Cindy turned Jester and waited until she got around the corner of the arena before asking the horse for a trot. The transition was a bit rough, but it was passable. Katie watched from the center of the ring. Jester’s first few strides were okay, but then horse and rider seemed to fall apart. Jester took advantage of his loose reins and stretched his neck and stuck his nos
e in the air, while Cindy flopped around on top of him, posting two strides on the beat, and three strides off rhythm with her mount.

  “What are you doing?” Katie yelled.

  Cindy gave her a withering stare. “I’m trotting, just like you asked me to.”

  “Stop him, please.” She motioned Cindy to the center of the arena. “Do you feel comfortable at a trot?”

  Cindy wrinkled her nose. “It’s not my best gait.”

  “I can see that.” Katie immediately regretted her words when the stubborn glint returned to Cindy’s eyes.

  “Well, Miss Know-it-all, suppose you tell me exactly what I’m doing wrong.” Cindy glared at her.

  Katie shifted nervously under the intense stare. “En … well, you need to start by learning to collect your horse and post in time to his gait. Your reins are too loose, and Jester is all strung out. Then, on top of all this, when you’re not in time with him …” She didn’t know how to explain this without making Cindy seem like the inept rider she was.

  Cindy moved the reins to one hand and put the other hand on her hip. “Are you saying that I don’t know how to ride?”

  Katie fidgeted. How did she answer that one? The truth would probably get her removed from the farm. “No, I’m saying that I know a better way—one that the show judges like a lot.”

  That got Cindy’s attention. She leaned forward over Jester’s neck. “Show me.”

  Katie was only too happy to explain. They spent the next hour trying to get Cindy to work with the rhythm of the horse, posting out of the saddle when the horse’s inside leg hit the ground, and sitting on the next step. When she finally got the hang of it, Katie called it a day.

  Little by little, Cindy began to improve, and by the end of spring, Katie declared her ready for her first show.

  “There’s a small schooling show at the fairgrounds our second week of summer vacation. I think you’re ready to enter some of the English Pleasure and Equitation classes.”

  “Will you go into the classes with me?”