{Open}.So .Bored

[.:x:.A.rtemis.:x:.]

A small, slim figure bent over the crazed silver stallion, Desert Oasis. The girl held him under a loose rein, but her hands controlled him perfectly. She raced him over his old territory, the land he knew so well. She galloped him towards a 15 foot wide crevice that led deep into the earth, he jumped it with ease. She pushed him harder, testing his limits and her own as they flew across the empty, bare desert. A silver Resistol hat pulled down low over her brow almost hid the bright, vibrant blue of her wide, doe-like eyes, but not fully. The sun found them still, causing them to flash with anger, joy, and a simple wildness that was rarely found in any woman. Hidden deep within the other emotions was a passion and love deeper than her wild ways and her stubborn attitude. Her perfectly tanned skin mixed with her surrounding, blending some of her slim, feminine bodice, but her vibrant blue shirt, that matched her eyes perfectly, gave her position away. She was bent low over the stallion's neck as she approached a fallen tree at least 6 foot high. She guided him over it easily and pressed him on, his lathered neck becoming more slick as the moments passed. She didn't treat him cruely, despite how the situation looked, she simply asked him for perfection, and he gave it, willingly. They pushed each other, testing each other, finding their own boudaries as they searched relentlessly for the others. Silver chaps flapped against the stallion side, and he jumped, twisting his body as he tried to unseat his rider. She stuck easily and laughed as she held on, enjoying the splendid power that surged through the wild beast. They were almost perfectly matched, but the girls intellegence was always one step above the stallions, giving him a disadvantage. She lined him out with a swift word and pushed him on through the desert at a pace so unbelievable that one had to see it to believe it. Her musical laughter rose above the sound of hoofbeats, until she spotted the figure in the distance. She rose in the saddle, pulling the stallion to a slower pace, then sat down hard in the saddle, grasping the reins firmly as she jerked the stallion into a sliding stop. He slid at least 28 feet on his back hocks before he came to a complete stop. Novalle's hat hung to the back of her neck with a string, her blue-black hair as wild as her flashing blue eyes as she tried to make out the stranger.

[aerostarr »-♥->]

ashley appeared, her eyes scanning the horizon before falling on novalle. she squeezed her heels against rose's sides, and the mare moved into a trot toward the girl and her horse. hey novalle. she called, coming to a stop.

[.:x:.A.rtemis.:x:.]

Novalle shifted uncomfortably under Ashley's gaze, then she shot her a quick smile that wasn't quite as friendly as it was suspicious, yet it was still dazzling. She ran a hand through her raven black hair and tossed her head slightly before releasing her tight grip on the reins. Her vibrant blue eyes ran over Ashley twice, as she wondered what the girl could possibly want. Novalle had just turned 18 a few weeks ago, and, soon, she'd probably leave. She had lived her most of her life under the shelter of her brothers wings, and she hadn't minded, but, now, even he was too busy for her and there was hardly anyone around here that thought like her. She had more in common with the guys than she did with the girls, and most of the girls were too "girly" for her comfort. She tossed her head again, resembling the filly that she was name after, as her long, straight hair flew together in a beautiful cascade of ebony. Lo, Ashley. Her voice was as beautiful as the sunlight that danced over the desert, lightly touching everything and bringing them to life.

[pksgirl]

Lindsay rode Envy with wide reains adn good contact as she trotted down the trail.SHe spotted a couple other horses and slowed to a walk as she got closer to them."Hey Heys"said Lindsay as she rode Envy.Envy was a great horse,well trained and a great jumper but whenever she was schooling she always had wide low hands.

[aerostarr »-♥->]

ashley smiled toward novalle. oh...i was just wondering if you'd tell me what happened to tex when he was younger. she smirked softly. you know...since we're sisters in-law now. she grinned softly. her green eyes fell upon lindsay. she had been hoping she'd have this moment alone with the girl, but she supposed the time for her and lindsay to meet once more had finally come. hey lindsay. she mumbled softly.

[.:x:.A.rtemis.:x:.]

Novalle's smile fell quickly, leaving a worried, complexed look. Anger coursed through her, she wasn't Ashley's sister-in-law, and she never would be. I'm not related to Tex, and Colt isn't married to Amy, so, the way I see it, I'm not related to you at all. She smiled sweetly, yet it was false, her optics showed the pain and hurt that still stood alone in her eyes. Tex's secret was as much her own in a way, but it didn't bind her like it did him, he was the one who had murdered his own father, she was just a witness. If she ever told, and it got out, then Tex would never speak to her again, of that she was sure, and, despite his broken promises to marry her, she was certain that he wouldn't break the promise of telling everyone her secret. Didn't the saying go, "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth."? Yes, it did. But it was different for Tex and her, it was one wicked, dark secret for another. If she told his, he'd have no qualms of telling hers, then what man would want her? None. That was certain. Despite her smug smile her eyes showed all her fears, she glanced away, not wanting Ashley to know that she was so unsettled by her words. After all, it wasn't Ashley's fault that she had fallen in love with Tex, almost all girls did, it was just natural, but, normally, Tex would resist them to keep his promise. She looked up as she saw the other rider approach, Lindsay Wood, wasn't it? Great. Novalle sighed, she had been wanting company, but not really the company of the two biggest gossips in Arroyo. She smiled politely despite her angry notions, she would just have to be careful what she said, otherwise it might end up on a blog by the end of the hour.

[aerostarr »-♥->]

close enough. she muttered, obviously rattled
by the girl's reply. either way, i just wanted to
know since tex has been destroying himself over this.
i care about him just as much as you must, and even
just having an idea of what happened would help.
she murmered, green eyes softening toward the
girl. there was something in her eyes, too. something
that told her she shared the pain tex was feeling in
a way ashley hadn't imagined possible.

[/right]

[.:x:.A.rtemis.:x:.]

Novalle smiled sweetly, a defensive look coming into her blue eyes. Well, then, why don't you ask him, then? Her tones dripping with mock sincerity. She didn't want anyone to know what had happened. If she told what Tex had done, wouldn't he tell what his father had done to her? It only made sense, Tex had already broken one promise, what would keep him from telling the other? She shifted with Oasis as he moved, suddenly interested in the mare's presence. She quieted him with a gentle hand, although she was obviously suddenly stressed over what had happened so many years ago.

[aerostarr »-♥->]

ashley sighed once more. the girl was going
to be tough, just like her brother and his
friend. don't you think i've already tried
that? she said softly. you don't have
to tell me everything. i know you love tex
and don't want him to get hurt, but i feel
like he's just destroying himself. he came
back to the house the other night, totally
drunk. she sighed, rolling her eyes.
she was so stressed by this, but ashley
had changed. normally, she would have
been screaming at people by now. and
sure, she was a little irritable. but some
things never change, right?

[.:x:.A.rtemis.:x:.]

The shock on Novalle's face showed plainly. She tried to swallow the lump in his throat, and failed. She turned away from the girl, looking towards the horizon, her face much too pale. Finally, she spoke. He's drinkin' again? Her voice was tight with emotion, a final blow breaking open the wounds that had never really healed. Liquor had destroyed the lives of many around her, and Tex had turned from it, years ago. Now, he had turned back, falling upon a crutch that would surely cause him to fall, again.

[aerostarr »-♥->]

"yeah. amy heard from colt that tex
had to go to the hospital and get it all
sucked out of him." she muttered,
hands moving from the reins to put
her face in her hands as she sighed.
tears were rolling down her face by
the time she looked up once more to
novalle. she was so worried for him.
worried that she couldn't stop him
from what he was doing to himself.
"i'm scared to lose him, novalle."
she murmered.

ooc: hope that's okay for ashley to know about the hospital part. i didn't know what else to write.

[/right]

[.:x:.A.rtemis.:x:.]

Novalle shifted again, knowing that nothing could stop Tex if he went down this road again. He had been messed up as a kid, and his drunken father had caused it all. The problems hadn't went away with his sudden death, instead, they had intensified. Tex took to drinking with such a vigor that one would have thought that it would save his life, instead, it had only broken him down more. When he had promised to marry Novalle, he had been drunk, but noble as he tried to fix what had been broken by his own father. Novalle's eyes glazed slightly at the thought of the past, then she blocked it out. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she spoke. Ashley, you can't tell him that I told you, he'll...he'll kill me. She whispered, knowing how angry he'd be, but knowing at the same time that it was the only way to protect him from himself.

[aerostarr »-♥->]

"why would i do that?" ashley said
softly. "of course i couldn't tell him."
she murmered. she ran her fingers through
her long blonde locks, sighing before wiping
her tears away, hoping the streaks of mascara
came off with the water. "it's the only
way to save him." she whispered, afraid
to believe in her words.

[/right]

[.:x:.A.rtemis.:x:.]

Novalle nodded grimly, growing silent for a moment. His mom died when he was 6. His father became an alcoholic. He beat him almost every night, or whenever he got in his way, from the age of 6 to 15. He got used to it, he took up drinking whenever he could get an alcoholic beverage at the age of 13. He got drunk, a lot. He used to live next to me and Colt, when he lived in the city, when our parents were home. He was always in Colt's class. They became friends, and, they started hanging out with each other. When they were fifteen, ummm...Tex's dad ...died. She spoke softly, refusing to meet Ashley's eyes. She couldn't tell the full truth, knowing that it would give her part of the secret away.

[aerostarr »-♥->]

well, i didn't think that was the issue, novalle.
she sighed. i already told him that i was abused
as a child, and he didn't want to talk about what
happened to him. are you sure there isn't anything
more? i mean, how did his dad die? she murmered
inquisitively. she felt so stressed, trying to unravel
this mystery. tex wasn't about to tell her, and if love
wasn't enough to persuade him, she didn't figure there
was anything that could.

[/right]