Chapter 5

"Alex!" Lucinda shouted at the grubby, Fell Gelding. He was cantering away from her- as usual. Richie was standing by the gate, making sure that Alex didn't run away through it. Lucinda blew out a deep sigh and stormed off to collect the chaff, Alex was a difficult horse to catch. She returned with a bucket full of chaff and a head collar behind her back. Alex finally took a notice of the chaff in her hand and came bolting towards her, she put it on the sodden ground and he dunked his head right in, gulping his food down as though there was no tomorrow. Lucinda thrown the lead rope across his neck, waited till his head was out of the bucket and strapped the head collar onto him. She picked up the bucket, lead-rope in hand, she dragged Alex through the gate Richie was holding and went to his stable. Lucy tied him up on an old piece of baler twine next to the stable. She proceeded to grab his grooming kit from the tack room, as well as his prized, custom made leather saddle and bridle. That was in need of a very good cleaning session, that she didn't have time for.

"Here you go, Richie" she told him as she placed riding boots and a hat into his hands. "Go get changed, I'll be getting Alex ready". Lucinda grabbed a hoof-pick out of the box and picked up his left fore (front), she picked it up with ease, though getting out the stones and dirt was a different story. It was very hard to do, especially when he didn't want to hold his hoof up any longer. She cleaned out the rest of the hooves. "Good boy" she mumbled to the Fell, gently stroking his neck, and patted him gently. "Lucinda" Richie mumbled, strolling back towards the horse and putting on his new boots. "Yes, Richie?" Lucinda replied, grabbing a curry comb from the grooming kit. "Well, ummmm, I think I'm in love, with you".
"Don't you think that's a  little early? I mean, you hardly know me. Though, I do feel attracted to you. I do believe in love at first sight" Lucinda told him, smoothing down the collar on his jacket and took the bridle off the hook and gently, placed her thumb in his mouth and opened it. Taking care to not bash his teeth, she gently placed it in the mouth, quickly putting his head piece over his ears. We don't need a vet now. Lucinda done up his throat lash, nose band and gave the reins to Richie, to hold him. Lucy stumbled to the door, groaning at the weight of the saddle that was now in her arms.  


She wandered to his near side and placed on the saddle, sliding it down from his withers. Lucinda sighed. Then, the girth was done up loosely, to allow the horse to breathe. Richie gently stroked Alexs' mane and smiled gently, Lucinda decide to do up his girth some more and pull down the stirrups.
"Right then, let's go to the mounting block, shall we?" Lucinda insisted, leading Alex towards thew mounting block on the yard, Alex was perfect for beginners and had a kind, gentle temperament. Despite his size, he is the safest in the yard. Richie stepped onto the mounting block and took the reins, shaking a little, probably nervousness, he climbed onto the horses' back. Alex stood still as Richie gathered his reins in his massive hands, Lucinda attached the leading rein from her waist, clipping to the opposite side of his snaffle. She trudged up to the sand school and opened the gate, once lead inside, she shut the gate again. She started to walk Alex around the school, Richie smiled and laughed as they went around the 20 x 40m arena. Richie felt tense, though, somehow, being with Alex and Lucinda made him feel more at ease.

Alex decided he wanted to trot for a while. "Richie" she told him as they pulled into the centre on X. "When trotting, sit tall and straight, look at when the foot falls, you rise and if not then sit two beats. Got it?"
"Yes"
She dragged Alex out onto the outside, and started to run beside Alex while Richie tried to sit up and rise at the same time, while making sure that his feet didn't go through the stirrups.
"It'll get easier, trust me. I've been riding for forever so I'm bound to find it easy, you'll find your feet, just relax and enjoy it"


_________________


"I wonder whether Richie's getting his lesson in, horse riding. He should be, you ok to walk, or do you need me to help?"

"I';m okay to walk, thanks for the offer though Jon" Alyssa replied, her eyes watching the fields and folage pass by them. Lucinda had taken care of Leo and Blue, Richie was probably riding the black Fell, called Alex. He was bombproof. Soon, they came to the gate, and up a long, cobblestone drive, that made the truck rattle and rumble along, and came to the yard. Jon switched off the engine and jumped out, shutting the door behind him. He rushed to the other side, and opened the door for Alyssa. She smiled and stepped out.
"I do have arms you know. I can open a door for myself. Though, thank you"
"I was trying to be a polite gentlemen, and, you're welcome"
"Are my eyes deceiving me or is that Richie riding? With Lucinda by him."
"That is Richie riding. I never thought that he'd pluck up the courage but it appears he's had some persuasion"
"Well, he sort of had to, didn't he? Besides, you have to ride as well"
She hobbled over to the bench by the arena and watched comfortably. Jon sat next to her, and watched his right-hand man ride a horse. Lucinda smiled and began to walk, she turned Alex at K and took a short breather. She propped herself on top of the fence that ran the long-side of the school, and watched Richie ride on.
"Do a 20m circle at C, then come down here and do one at A"
"Barking orders are we?" Jon joked as he fiddled with his thumbs, he looked up and smiled, mischievously at Alyssa.
"Yeah, I am, I'm trying to teach someone to ride, when are you joining us?"
"After he's done."
"Alyssa can take you, if not, get Julie to sort you out a horse. I have to untack that Fell over there that's currently trotting."
Alyssa sighed.

Chapter 4

Lucinda sighed and placed Blu's saddle on the hook and checked her watch, she was interrupted by Richie, who was stood at the door. She sat down and continued to proceed with the accident report form that needed to be filled in, she grabbed her pen and started to write in all of the necessary details. Richie walked over to Lucy, smiled a little and placed his soft, gentle hands on her tense shoulders. She smiled as Richie started to massage her tense, tight shoulders.
“So tight” he mumbled as she started to relax a little under his touch, Rich grinned and whispered in her ear, “relax darling, you feel so tense and stressed, just let Mr Sambora take care of it”. She nodded. Lucinda let go of a pleasurable moan she had stuck in her throat, she relaxed under his gentle, calloused touch. The day had been long and hard for Lucinda, Alyssa’s fall on the hack, the riding lesson full of screaming, scared toddlers that morning, no way was she going to do the lesson without Jon or her best friend there, injured or not.

Lucinda closed her eyes as she inhaled a large breath of air, it filled her lungs and it made her feel a little better. Her stomach rumbled loudly as she swore under her breath, time had flown by and it was now lunchtime. 

"Richie, could we have lunch in the farmhouse? I'm really hungry" she asked, looking at him and stood up.

"Sure Lucinda"

"Call me Lucy, lets go"

Richie smiled and walked past the stables, across the yard and towards the old Victorian farmhouse. She opened the door and strolled to the kitchen, Richie following behind. She turned and opened the fridge, taking out the bread. They then made their lunches, walked to the table and eat. Lucinda's hunger satisfied, they made their way back towards the yard. 

Lucinda completed the forms and began sweeping the yard of hay, straw and muck. Richie grabbed a broom as well and began to help her by sweeping the yard.

"You don't have to help out. Honest" Lucinda protested, Richie stopped and looked at her.

"I want to"

"OK then, I'll go and muck out Leo's stable while you do the sweeping. Thank you" she replied, walking over to Leo's stable and grabbed the pitchfork with the wheelbarrow. Richie enjoyed helping out Lucy, he enjoyed her company. Jon wasn't exactly the best company Richie could have, Jon was constantly on his phone and it bothered Richie. Lucy was perfect company, and, to make matters better, she was female. This was a break from music, it was very pleasant and the heat was just about bearable. It could even be a second job, no, that couldn't happen, he was too busy making music that he wouldn't enjoy this place for what it is.

______________

Alyssa had a full examination by the doctor, she'd been told that she would have to have stitches. Not that bad, could be worse, she thought in her head as the doctor came in with a clip board and glasses on, he looked at her and continued to talk about her 'vitals'. Jon sat by her, sometimes holding her hand, and gently shaking her if she ever started to doze. Once the doctor was gone, she and Jon started to talk.

"I don't understand why Leo would do that, he's not usually spooky and is usually calm around cars. He's never thrown me off like that, he must of been in quite a panic to bolt, I couldn't control him. It's all my fault"

"Listen, Lyss. It's not YOUR fault, he just gotten scared that's all. He panicked and tried to run away from it, he just bucked you off in the process, and that ended up with us being here now, and you having stitches for that gash on your leg"

"Yeah, you're right, horses do that sometimes. It'll be a few days before I ride again though, it shook me up quite a lot, though I'll get back on him. I trust Leo enough"

At that moment, another doctor came through. He was wearing scrubs and had a nasty looking needle in his hand, he explained what he was gonna do and performed the procedure, once over he stood up and placed a bandage on top of the gash. He shook Jon and hers' hand and went off on his way. With no more injuries to report, Alyssa could be discharged. They walked up to the front desk, signed the papers and she hobbled out of the hospital, she put a arm across Jons' waist to help stabilize her. Jon opened the door to his awaiting truck, that he had paid for and she got in, Jon was in the other side. Off to the stables they went.

Chapter 3

She tried to hang on, he continued to buck as she felt that she could hang on no more. She was
thrown onto the ground as Leo reared just a few metres away from her injured body, she screamed in agony as a large gash on her leg throbbed with blood.
Alyssa could see Lucinda running towards her, shouting her name and quickly grabbing her phone from her back pocket, she pushes her head back into the ground and grits her teeth as shoots of pain rush through her body, then out of the corner of her eye, Jon grabs Leo, doing up his stirrups.
Richie runs towards her as well as she tries to stand up, she falls back down as streams of puss and blood flow out of her leg.
"Am I dead?" was her only thoughts as Lucinda frantically tried to call the emergency services, the ground was rock hard and she fell on a rather stony path that was now red. Her blood.


Richie could hear the faint cries of a siren and ran towards Alyssa, she was crying out in pure pain and there was nothing that he could do about it. Though, a couple of minutes later a ambulance arrived, paramedics gotten out and put Alyssa on a stretcher as Richie held the two horses, they put her in the ambulance as Jon gotten in with her. Lucinda had to take the horses back with her.

"Come on Leo, lets go home, Richie, drive the truck, follow the road, it's on the right hand side"
She got on Blu, grabbing her reins, taking Leo's as well as she started to walk towards home, Richie slowly followed in the F150, he could see that her eyes were puffy, she sniffled from time-to-time, though he could see she was worried. For Alyssa's sake.
He mumbled a prayer that she would be alright, though he was dreading the news that she would have to have surgery or something. All he could think about was her.

______________

Jon sat in the ambulance as they sped along the highway towards the over-flowing hospital, the paramedics cut away her jodhpurs (they ride English), she was exhausted and just wanted this ride from hell to stop. Jon braced her hand as they performed various checks on her, wrapping a bandage around her gash.
Soon, they arrived at the hospital, doctors and nurses were there waiting patiently, she was taken out of the ambulance as Jon came out with her. He walked along the corridor along to the ward, ready for the doctors to assess her injuries and damage.
The world went black as she closed her eyes, she was taken to Intensive Care as Jon was taken to the waiting room.

Richie finally came toward the riding school at last, Lydia jumped off Blu, doing up her stirrups as she walked along the drive, a horse in each hand. Richie sighed, was this his fault?
He pulled up on the cobblestone yard, getting out with his head hung a little lower than usual, he could only blame himself and felt immensely guilty.
"Come on Rich, you can come and tack off Blu's tack for me, I'll do Leo"
"Sure"
He walked along, took Blu and lead him into the stable, undoing his girth and taking it off his back, he tried to smile as Blu neighed and flung water at his face, Blu continued to gulp down the water as he was very thirsty. He put the saddle on the door, he undone the throat lash, nose band and slipped the bridle over his head. He flung the bridle on his shoulder, picking up the saddle and walked over to the tack room.

He put the bridle onto Blu's hook and placed his saddle on top on a saddle rack. Still, he was still thinking about Alyssa, he just hoped Jon would bother phoning him sometime soon, he was getting impatient. Lucinda sighed, Lyss was her BEST friend, riding buddy and they could joke around the yard as they swept up loose straw. No, she needed to think positively.

Chapter 2

Richie huffed and puffed as he held the map in his hands, lush, green fields passed them as he scratched his chin, intently. It better not be one of these isolated places where he and Jon go to write new material for some new album, anyway, why would they go to Texas?

Jon smiled as he drove the F150 along the secluded country road, he breathed in the clean country air and hummed quietly to himself as Richie tapped his knee up and down.
"When are we getting there? We've been driving for hours, and I haven't seen a single house for miles" Richie moaned as he continued to look across the cattle-strewn fields.
"Only a few more minutes, it's quite peaceful don't you think?"
"Yeah, really peaceful. Too quiet though"
"Now where did they say it is?" Jon mumbled as he stared at the map that Richie was holding, he nodded his head and continued to look at the road that lay ahead of them.

___________

Leo, as always, was eager to move ahead and lead, whereas Blu like to follow behind and shake his head when Lucinda wasn't concentrating, today was the perfect day, it was a pleasant temperature and the sun beat down its rays on their backs as they asked for trot. Leo liked to trot out, so did Blu, Alyssa smiled as they continued to ride down the small, quiet road.

Alyssa heard a low rumbling in her ear, it sounded like that of a engine, a large one, such as a truck. It would probably be one of the fellow farmers, wouldn't it? Then the rumbling came closer, louder, Leo stopped. As much as Alyssa tried to kick him on, moaning under her breath to tell him to go forward, she gently squeezed but it was like her horse had been glued to the floor.
"Walk on Leo, come on"
"What's wrong? Why isn't he walking on?"
"I don't know"
Then, round the corner came a black Ford F150, two men were inside and they didn't look local. Leo started to back up, Alyssa's facial expression was one full of terror and fear as the truck started to slow down. Then, a door opened, a tall man with dark, mussed, brown hair, he was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt, though he slammed the door, Leo reared, the whites of his eyes were visible, she tried to grab his neck to console him.


She tried to console her horse, though it was no use, Richie walked over as Leo come to stand on all four legs.
"Phew. Thank goodness that's over"
Then, Leo started to bolt into a nearby field, and Alyssa knew this was not gonna end well.
"SHIT!" she mumbled under her breath as he started to buck.

Chapter 1

The sun rose high in the sky that morning, a perfect summers day, or so she thought but things were going to get better.

"Hey Lyss, wanna hack" Lucinda asked, grabbing Leo's tack, her feet crunching on the cobblestone's as she walked to her friend in her stable. "Sure as long as Leo is good, you know he doesn't like cars or motorbikes" Alyssa moaned as she placed on the saddle, resting it in the croup of his back, attaching the girth. 

"I'll take Blu" Lucinda replied, Blu was her favourite horse, dapple grey with a grey mane, 16hh and a personality to match.

"Come on Leo, just let me put this on you!" Alyssa whispered, annoyed. Leo was not letting her put the bit through his mouth, as always. Then, she put her thumb as the back of his mouth (I do this), then he had no choice but to open his massive mouth to her, she placed the bit in his mouth, put the headpiece over his ears and done up the nose band, tight. "Done. One tacked horse, ready and being naughty" she joked before Lucinda went to get Blu. 

"Come on you cheeky thing, ready to go hacking?" she asked, he neighed in compliance; she chuckled and led him out of the stable and onto the yard. Her feet trudged along as she lengthened her stirrups, done up his girth and adjusted her chin strap. Lucinda with a massive smile, walked out onto the cobbles as Blu followed merrily alongside, she had her red hair up, tucked underneath her hat. "Let's get on shall we?" Alyssa suggested, walking up to the mounting block, gathering her reins in her left hand and putting her left foot in the stirrup, getting on gently onto Leo's back. 

Leo walked forward, impatiently as Lucinda mounted Blu, they gotten through the gate, down the gravel drive and towards the entrance towards Apple Orchard Farm and Riding School. However as she was the owner's daughter she had her own horse. 

She looked each way twice, satisfied that there was no traffic she led Leo onto the road, these were usually very quiet, which of course made it a great place to ride. Leo neighed happily as they walked down the lane, towards the lake that they loved to go in, it was only a small lake but in the sweltering heat of Texas, it was a very pleasant surprise. 

Though, Blu did not like to get his nose wet so he held it up as Lucinda and Alyssa sang a little rhyme.

"Horsey, horsey don't you stop, just let your hooves go clippity clop, let your tail swish and the wheels go round. Giddy up! We're homeward bound"