Crime & Punishment *Amaris*

[<Amy>]

Amy Garland

A corner of Southern Blues was dedicated to the administration office, otherwise known as Amy's office. It was wood paneled with shelves that held old trophies, ribbons and pictures. Some were of unknown mustangs others of a handsome buckskin and the more recent ones including a chocolate brown light draft. Amy didn't have any of her most recent rescue, the dappled grey mustang named Aye Aye Captain. She hadn't found out if he was camera shy yet but there was obviously space for more pictures. The office was still and silent, the chairs both in front of and behind the cluttered desk empty until....

The door to Amy's office across from the feed room and tack room burst open as the stable owner strode inside. The door banged off the wall making a few picture frames with photos of various mustangs rattle on their shelves. Luckily nothing fell because that would have done absolutely no good for Amy's black mood. Grabbing a kit off the shelf near the door, Amy went over to her desk and put it down on top of the various files labeled with horse names and student names. A laptop was closed on the desk, clipboards of deliveries and a roster of all boarders and riders slid off the desk and clattered to the floor. Amy snatched it up and put it down again before flipping open the kit.

The day hadn't gone as she had planned. The horse they'd delivered was insane and now Amy was irritated beyond belief at one of her own students that had shown so much promise and happiness at the horse's arrival. Amaris was probably the only one that was happy about Black Hawk Down being at the stable. Amy wanted to ship him out, not put him down just get him away from where he could hurt her students.

She knew she wasn't alone in the room but didn't say anything. Striding back around the desk, Amy closed the door sharply before taking in a deep breath. Turning, the woman turned to the teen. Her dark brown eyes were stormy and irritated and there was obvious strain in her voice. "Slide your arm out of your shirt so I can take care of your arm or if you think you can do it yourself go ahead, bathrooms are in the lounge."

Walking over to the mini fridge in the corner of the office, Amy knelt down and opened it, pulling out a cold compress. Going to the kit on her desk, Amy pulled out medical tape and a wrap. Amy set them on her desk and looked over at Amaris, awaiting her decision. If Amaris left, Amy would expect her to come back and take her verbal lashing as she deserved but Amy wasn't above hunting down those that needed a scolding. Amaris knew she did wrong but apparently she hadn't known that well enough to avoid the whole situation.

[Amaris]

She walked in silence, and then stood in the room like a shadow, not speaking no clear expression on her face and unmoving. Not even when Amy did finaly speak to her. This was going to be awkward, because with her current state of mind you would be lucky to get more than three or four words out of Amaris at any one time. She often fell silent and expressionless when either she was in pain or angry. But now was both and being the way she was she didn't let anyone touch her shoulder of back, even at the best of time. and she wouldn't do anything about it.

Eyes that were once blue had become a dark shade of grey when her mood changed from one thing to another. She stood back to the door right arm bent at her side left dropped at her other. She stared at nothing special in fact she wasn't looking at anything she was just standing there trying not to just walk out and go back to her horse where Amy wouldn't be, where it would just be her and him no-one watching them. No-one to tell them what to do or when to do it. But ti was all for her own saftey was what she would be told, and then she would acept what was said and walk off to be alone again.

Eventualy she turned her head slowly to face Amy, the rest of her body folowing as she stared at the woman infront of her. Almost growling at the woman she knew she was doing it mentaly but knew better than to verbaly attack the owner of this stables. Unmoving still, and wordless Amaris once again was stood still staring but this time she was staring at Amy.

[<Amy>]

Amy rolled her eyes and dropped into the chair behind her desk. So she was going to get nothing but silent attitude and probably growled at before this was all over? Great. Wasn't the first time. Amaris wasn't the first chick with an attitude that Amy had to rant at but if she didn't then nobody would listen. Amy was sure that Amaris could say word for word what Amy was going to rant about. Still it had to be said or Amy would find herself being sued for child endangerment or something rediculous like that. Then again, that was what was happening. She had let Amaris into the ring with an obviously dangerous stallion. The horse had a history of being violent and still Amy had thought one new girl could make a difference. When was the last time she'd been so stupid? She'd forgotten everything just hoping Amaris could win him over.

"It's not your fault. I know that" Amy said finally, meeting the girl's vaccent gaze. "I shouldn't have let you near that horse but I did. The next time I tell you to get out of the ring Amaris, you do it or you'll be looking for another place to board your horse. Do you understand me?"

Amy tapped one of the files on her desk. It was a termination file, someone leaving the stable because they'd had one strike too many and therefore been kicked clean out. Yes, the stable was a rehab stable but it was for horses, not humans. She needed mature riders that knew when it was time to get out before they got hurt.

"Hawk could have smashed your head in but you know that." Amy put her fingertips together, elbows on the desk leaning forward. "You stay away from that horse. He doesn't leave that ring and you don't go in. Am I clear? I find you in that ring or him out of it and your out of here. My stable, my rules. He has a chance Amaris but for right now he's a risk horse. He. Is. Dangerous. I say get out and you get out."

Picking up the cold compress on her desk, pushed it toward Amaris. "Go get your shoulder fixed up. Remember what I said, stay away from that thoroughbred. One week and then we'll work him. Together. He's not yours until the paperwork is finalized but as of now he's still a risk and therefore in Southern Blues' custody."

Leaning back, Amy flipped open the laptop and hit the power button. She gave no obvious signs of dismissal but if Amaris had protests or complaints, maybe even a rant of her own Amy didn't care at the moment. Pulling up the TAEA website, she scrolled through other equines that were possible candidates for rescues.

[Amaris]

she kept silent her gaze never moving away from Amy she knew what was wrong with her shoulder so knew where she had to be but she could wait this wasn't the first time her collar bone had given way under a horses hooves. Amy had her rant and tried giving Amaris a cold compress, but knowing better against it she just stood still and ignored it. Amaris had her own words for Amy and maybe if they were got out Amy would realise what she done was the safest option at the time.

"Look Amy..." she sighed she would have to talk and untill she did Amy would jsut keep her stood here in silence. Yes her tone was rough but not through anger or anoyance but pain.
"Hawk would have caused more damage if I had mooved sooner..." It was true if she had mooved when told to the stallion would have run her out of the ring and more than likley kicked and crushed her leg of something as she ducked out of the arnea. "If I had moved when you said he would have run me out.... Rather than knocking my collar bone out... again..."

She had said what she wanted or needed to say, her side was across if Amy would listen or acept it was another matter but at least she had said mroe than she ever did say at times like this. Normaly she would stand as she was now, unmoving and emotionless without a word, so Amy was lucky that her reasons for being like this were because she couldn't help the stallion. It wasn't Amy or herself it was that she didn't help.

[<Amy>]

Amy looked up from the profiles and studied Amaris' expression. She knew the girl had a point but Amy had one too, one that obviously wasn't being conveyed clearly. Time to clarify. Shifting, the stable owner interlocked her fingers and put her elbows on her desk, resting her chin on her fingers and watching Amaris. "That's not the point. The point is I never should have let you in the corral with a horse that I knew was dangerous. That's my fault. Inside of that corral however, you got reckless. I admit it is mostly my fault but when you get direct instructions, at least attempt to follow them. That's all there is to it. You can go. Just remember, that fence stays between you and Hawk."

Leaning back, Amy stacked a few files and put them off to the side, moving her laptop and adjusting the screen angle. She was still kicking herself mentally. Never let a student with a risk horse. Never. What had she done? Let a student in with a risk horse. It would be different if Amaris did it on her own but no, Amy had let her in there. She would take full responsibility for that but Amaris had also been reckless with Hawk. Amy could see why, Hawk was her first horse at Southern Blues and he was charming to look at when he wasn't in a rage. He had potential, so much potential it almost hurt to not see a full set of tack and first place ribbon on him but Amaris had gone too far. He wasn't ready for the kind of connection Amaris wanted with him.

Amy understood that but Amaris had had to learn the hard way. She never should have had to, not with Amy around. She had trained broncos that were so wild some people thought they were insane but she still hadn't had the sense to make Amaris wait to go in the ring with Hawk. She'd jumped the gun and now she was mad with herself, mad at Hawk and mad at Amaris.

[Amaris]

She shook her head, yes Amy let her in the arena, but she was the one who wanted that horse in the first place, she was the one who chose him out of all of the TAEA's horses, she was the one who chose the most dangerous horse to tame and teach manners. She also was the one who entered the arena, Amy didn't tell her to, she only said she could. Not that she had to.

"Maybe your right. Yes you told me to go into the arena. But first, I chose the most dangerous horse the TAEA had, then I chose to enter the arena knowing full well that Hawk is a danger to me, So it is my own fault for both choosing a danger horse and entering the arena."

Turning on her heel Amaris left the room no longer wanting to be around Amy knowing that she would just stress the owner more than she already had. But what both said were true, she was allowed to enter the arena, but she could have chose not to, she chose the horse when she could have chosen a safer one. But she wnated the troubled horse and not a little pony that she could lead around like a dog.