Little Red Riding Hood

‘Go and get a little pony to train up for the pony classes! If not for yourself, then your sister!’ They said. ‘It’ll be great fun! Just find one you really feel like you could enjoy working with, and it'll all work out.'

My family had always been... encouraging, to say the least, and their heart was always in the right place, but sometimes it was a lot. The show season was starting once more, and at one of the smaller shows we went to last month, my friend Jade had been showing off his little cob. There were a couple of Pinecone Grange ponies there, including Jade's Viper, his boyfriend's Bear, and some of the pony club kids taking out their lesson ponies for fun. My parents had stuck around with the Waterlily Lane riders - particularly Ms. Luxiaer, who went to almost as many shows as we did. My parents had automatically been obsessed with the idea of showing one of the newly popular Teddy Cobs, just like everyone else seemed to be doing. It wasn't the worst idea they'd ever had, so I went along with it - just to indulge them, if nothing else.

Well, it was… kind of fun. The entertainment of the search, of getting to watch Asra tripping over roots as I followed. That was worth it. And besides, I wasn’t getting this one for my sister - maybe another time. This little gelding was ironically perfect for what I was browsing for.

The one I had seen in the newsletter from this herd’s protection management was a smoky black, with a long, slightly wavy mane and a poof-like tail. He had two white front feet and a delicate star on his forehead, hidden by his forelock. He had a delicate build, slight feather around the amount of a Friesian's, but surprisingly bare compared to the rest of his herd. His temperament seemed to be a complete and utter disaster at times - sassy, harsh and self-centered. No-one's really seemed interested in him, and - to no-one's surprise - that works in my luck, because I was quite charmed by him.

I watched Asra wander off in the direction of the squealing palomino, and I stuffed my hands in the leather jacket I had tightly wrapped around me. The wind was cold, and people had all wrapped up warm in hats and gloves. I, however, had decided to lack the intelligence I claim to have, and I had some ripped jeans on, paired with a short red skeletal shirt and black jacket. 

Boots caked in mud from our walk, I gingerly approached the smoky pony, taking note of the subtle spotting on his coat. His fur seemed relatively short compared to many others here - more of a sporty type, perhaps. He was a handsome creature, big brown eyes gazing at me as I approached. 
'Hey, pony,' I mumbled quietly, hand held out for it to sniff - only for him to rather rudely reject it, flicking his ears, squealing and trotting off. A game of chase - no, hide-and-seek, apparently. I could only watch dejectedly as he fluttered off between the trees, back into the muddy pits beyond the bushes. 

With a sudden rush of determination, I began to pick my way through the shrubbery in an attempt to find the pony in his hidden environment. He was quick on his feet, jumping over roots or pushing through weeds; as if he knew exactly where to go to avoid my reach. 

After half an hour of searching, I pulled out my phone to try and find a map - this stubborn gelding did not want to be found, and at this point, I wasn't going to make him. The phone's screen flashed on, then flickered, and shut down again - not only was there no signal, but there was no battery left, either. Dammit.

Forced to wander along the mucky paths, I could only pray that at some point, some sort of park ranger would happen along the same route. The sky was getting grey, and before I knew it, the rain started. Great stuff.

A few yards in front of me, I'd found a lake, and beside the lake, a grand oak tree, standing at least three times my height, if not more. It was wide, evidently hundreds of years old, and inside the trunk was a hollow hiding spot - a few bugs crawled inside of it, yes, but it was a shelter from the rain nonetheless. I squatted down, shuffling inside, watching the world go by as the rain fell and the sun stayed behind the cacophony of clouds. I saw a few rabbits, a few birds, and a deer - they were sweet, at least. A wolf howled from amongst the trees, and it was surprisingly easy to pick out how far away it was. Alone, and heading in the opposite direction to me - so there's no worry there. 

It really felt like the rain had been going for years. Years, cramped up in a tree trunk hollow, accidentally crushing beetles and freaking out at low-hanging spiders - I couldn't really get too freaked out, though, because in all fairness, they were here first. I squeezed my way out of the old oak, and was automatically stopped in my path.

Next to the lake was a small black pony - wavy mane, pom-pom tail and two white front feet. The gelding that had been avoiding me ever since I found him was right in front of me, sipping from the water. He looked up, tilting his head as he glanced at me, before putting his head back down, nibbling at the grass on the banks. I stepped forwards, clutching the silver bell in my pocket, but it alerted the little cob - yet he didn't seem to mind. How long had he been here? Why hadn't I noticed?

I tied the bell into his tail, and he flicked it, causing it to jingle quietly. He seemed fine with the noise - how curious. If I do manage to adopt him, we could get along very well.