Hayride (Prompt Party)

Cassandra stood stroking FMA First Class’s neck and regarding the wagon full of children in front of her. This wasn’t exactly what she wanted to be doing. As a matter of fact, it was something she absolutely didn’t want to be doing. How on earth had she been talked into this. 

First Class seemed to agree, the classic champagne roan stomping his front feet in annoyance at their situation. The white stockings didn’t even come up to his knees and yet they stood out in the twilight of the farm. 

One of the kids at the wagon pointed to Cassandra’s horns, and in response she flashed them a file that displayed a delicate set of fangs. It wasn’t unkind, but it wasn’t precisely friendly either. The kid seemed to take it in stride, squealing in the kind of fear the children in about to embark on the haunted hayride seemed to desire. 

First Class snorted, tossing his head and glancing towards the trail, clearly eager to run. Or jump. Or do something that wasn’t this. 

“Yes, I know.” Cass moved to run a hand along the white diamond on his forehead and ran her fingers down to the pink skin of his nose, offering him a carrot as a kind of compensation. “But I agreed to this, and so here we are. Besides, as guides it’s our job to point out all the scary things as dramatically as possible, which could prove fun.” 

“You ready?” the tall individual driving the team called as he climbed onto the wagon. 

“Of course.” Cassandra replied, using the nearby mounting block to swing onto the seventeen hands high stallion, turning him to come alongside the wagon. 

The kids in the back all gave delighted sounding laughs and were already pointing into the woods in anticipation of the hayride. 

The trail was wide and clear, an easy passage for the wagon, the way lined with individuals in costumes and other things designed to scare the children without frightening them too much. She’d discreetly organized the event for the children of those in her employ and the children she’d quietly taken in recently but hadn’t found suitable placements for yet. She certainly wasn’t supposed to be there. Neither was First Class, as she had no doubt the stallion would soon grow bored of the slow pace needed for the ride. 

First Class seemed to echo the sentiment as they rounded the first corner into the ever darkening woods and came across a pair of vampires who circled the wagon calling out to the children and trying to lure them into the dark. 

“Don’t follow the vampire.” Cassandra called out as she moved First Class in front of them, the stallion mercifully playing along and acting like he was guarding the kids from the costumed individuals acting scary. The stallion was nearly impossible to spook, which was a good thing. 

The children, as if on cue, squealed and hid in the straw, and the older kids and the few parents who had come as chaperones talked and played it either up or down enough to keep the other kids from actually being truly afraid. 

Cassandra drew her sword and allowed First Class to put on a little speed as they pretended to charge the vampires. She was momentarily worried the roan would take the assignment a little too seriously, but as soon as the vampires were out of sight, he turned and pranced back to the wagon with his long tail swishing in pride as if he’d won a great victory. 

Cassandra managed not to laugh as the wagon once again set off down the road. “Enjoying yourself, are we?” she murmured when they were out of earshot of the kids. 

FMA First Class tossed his head as if offended by the very notion that something like this could be fun. The lighter coloring of his roan coat still stood out in the now dark woods, the path lit only by strategically placed torches. His darker hind legs were lost in the shadows now. 

A hoard of zombies staggered out as the wagon rounded the trail into the clearing and for a moment First Class paused, then he huffed. It was a mix of annoyance and resignation as Cassandra signaled him to put himself between the wagon and the once again playfully screaming kids. “Look out, don’t let them bite you!” Cassandra called over her as the zombies tried to get around her. A few of them succeeded because that was the bit everyone was playing. 

The kids shrieked in fear and delight as they bopped a few of the closest zombies on the head with foam covered, play weapons. The zombies would, on cue, drop to the ground dramatically once struck. Which absolutely delighted the kids. 

Cassandra let First Class run the perimeter of the opening, ostensibly chasing the remaining zombies off, but it was more to let him get out some energy. Finally, when the kids had vanquished the last of the zombies, Cass gestured to the road ahead, trying not to sound annoyed or bored. She usually paid someone else to do this. “We should get going. There’s probably more out there and we don’t want to risk getting caught.” 

The road narrowed slightly, the trees hanging overhead decorated with cloth ghosts that danced in the wind as the kids talked and pointed excitedly and First Class eyed a nearby trail known for its jumps and sharp turns. It was only a firm command from Cass that kept him on the road alongside the wagon. “I know. I’d like to too.” She patted his neck. “Perhaps in the morning we’ll go for a proper ride.” 

First Class seemed to like this idea as he gave a loud snort and tossed his head, the action drawing the attention of the children who were immediately shrieking and looking for whatever had caused First Class to react like that. 

“I think I heard something.” Cass said, looking ahead to where she knew there was someone dressed as a ghost. They were just before the bridge crossing the stream, which meant the ride was almost over. Thank goodness. 

Hearing the wagon approaching, the individual playing the ghost started moaning and rattling their chains. As they passed the large tree blocking the trail, the woman in white came into sight and the kids shrieked as the carefully concealed lighting made it look like the woman’s dress was translucent and she was floating above the ground. 

“Beware!” She wailed. “Beware!” 

The kids began laughing and shrieking as First Class balked at something. Cass glanced at the horse, well aware the woman was an actor. For goodness sakes, she was one of the stable hands and Thorn Rose, so what had made the stallion pause. 

She glanced at the driver and shook her head ever so slightly, not wanting to actually frighten the children, but something wasn’t right. From the way First Class was now sniffing at the air, something really wasn’t right. 

The woods went quiet as something loud moved in the woods near the river. Cassandra looked to the woman playing the ghost and then at the driver of the wagon, First Class now dancing in agitation, his dark eyes wide. “Best you all get out here. Get across the bridge and head for the stables. Let them know there’s trouble.” 

It didn’t take a second order from Cassandra to get the wagon and the now genuinely frightened kids moving, picking up the now completely out of character woman along the way. They’d barely made it across the bridge when a tree crashed down along the road, blocking the bridge, as a large troll lumbered out from behind it. 

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” Cass growled as First Class backed away from the fallen tree and the troll. 

The troll roared and stumbled towards Cassandra, its large limbs flailing as it tried to grab her. He was met with a swift kick from First Class as the stallion wheeled and struck at him, giving Cassandra time to draw her sword, not that it would do much good. She had no interest in taking on the troll at the moment, just buying a bit of time for the wagon to get down the road. 

First Class apparently hadn’t gotten that memo as the tall stallion charged down on the troll, rearing up and striking the monster in the chest. 

“Oh, nope!” Cass just barely managed to avoid a wild swing by the creature, backing First Class away from the monster and onto the road so they could get a clean jump over the tree and onto the bridge. “I don’t have anywhere near enough fuel on me to light that monstrosity on fire just now. We need to get out of here and come back with better ammo.” 

First Class listened well enough, though it was clear the classic champaign stallion would have loved a fight. Instead it was his speed that got them out of the range of the massive troll. He managed just enough to clear the tree and land on the bridge with a loud clatter of hooves on wood before racing off after the wagon. 

“That’s a boy!” Cass patted his neck, leaning in as they urged First Class on faster. She could hear the troll trying to get across the stream behind them, but the soft bottom and high water was definitely slowing it down. “Let’s catch the wagon, shall we?” 

First Class didn’t need any encouragement, the stallion dashing down the road. He didn’t really have all that far to go, the wagon being slower and more cumbersome than the long legged horse. 

“The troll?” The wagon driver asked as Cassandra and First Class came up alongside. 

“Stuck for the moment,” Cass replied, keeping FIrst Class alongside for the remainder of the quick trip down the road. As they came up on Thorn Rose Stables the driver turned the wagon towards where the party was planned. 

“I’ll park the wagon and grab some fuel and my hammer and go back to deal with the troll,” the driver said. 

“We’ll go with you.” Cass kept a firm hand on First Class as the stallion danced impatiently. At least the hayride hadn’t been a total bore.