Up the Mountain

Cassandra saddled FMA Porsche as she regarded the other riders she was with. The trail portion of the Loshenka Anniversary Showcase was probably the part she was looking forward to the most. She enjoyed the freedom of being out in the woods and fields, be it on a trail or riding in the brush and wilds. Though from her understanding this wasn’t exactly a horribly high endurance ride, about an hour at the most assuming they didn’t get lost, which was well enough given she wasn’t riding with anyone familiar this time. Unfortunate, but not exactly catastrophic. 

Porsche danced impatiently as one of the other horses in the group got a little too close to her, the chimera mare wasn’t unfriendly but she still preferred a wider berth until she knew the other horses around her.  It was a stance Cassandra could sympathize with as she too preferred to not get overly friendly with most people around her. She’d work with the others, but she had no interest in getting to know them or be friends. 

The other rider moved their horse away quickly. It was a handsome thing. A smaller stallion, friendly from the way they were behaving, and hopefully well suited to the trail they were about to be on. 

Cassandra nodded in acknowledgement and calmed Porsche, brushing the smoky black neck of the smaller mare before scratching at their black and pink nose. The striping was such a distinctive feature, narrow white track marks running up to blue eyes. She then straightened her red woolen tunic and flicked a bit of dirt off her black riding pants and boots. She was one of those riders who felt both horse and rider should look their best at the start of the competition, and preferably end it that way too whenever possible. Allowances for mud splashes acquired on the trail, of course. 

Cassandra as she checked over Porsche’s saddle to make sure it wouldn’t rub the mare. When saddled, the delineation between the silver smoky black and the smoky black snowflake appaloosa of the chimera Loshenka the curved portion where they touched was hidden making them look even more like two horses glued together. 

She regarded the other pair. The horse seemed sturdy and well cared for and the rider competent, which was always a bonus. And the guide assigned to them by the event sponsors looked to be on a more spirited horse than the others, which almost made her smile. That was the kind of horse she tended to. The ones who made you work for their friendship and trust were often the ones who made the best partners on a ride. The guide was a courtesy and safety provided by the sponsoring stables. She couldn’t blame Fjellhov Stud for the consideration. Losing a horse and rider on a snowy trail was hardly a good look and some of the most competent riders she’d ever met couldn’t navigate their way out of a wet paper bag. 

The starting area near the farm was beginning to show early signs of a spring melt. Green was poking through and very little snow was left. The ground was soft and the air cold but not unpleasantly so as the three riders were handed a map and compass and given the location of the three landmarks they needed to stop at. 

Cassandra mounted Porsche and studied the map for a moment as she absentmindedly guided Porsche towards the gate leading to the trailhead, the mare following her signals with a practiced ease. It wasn’t her first time doing something like this, and getting to the start of the route was simple enough to warrant little more than enough attention to make sure the other riders were doing much the same. 

They set an easy, if brisk pace towards the start of the trail. It was clear the guide’s horse wanted to compete himself, and Cassandra was pretty sure she’d have loved to see it. Porsche, for her part, seemed content to enjoy the scenery along the road leading up to the trail, though the spring in her step suggested she’d just as soon GO at this point. It would have been good weather for it too. Cold, but not bone chillingly freezing, though she suspected at the higher altitudes the wind could still carry a bite. 

There was a brief conversation amongst the riders as they reached the start of the trail and one of them took the lead to the first marker, the pace picking up in an effort to make a good time in the competition. 

A little more snow appeared on the ground as they got away from the starting area and the initially well worn trail was soon gone, forcing them to rely on the compass they’d been provided. The lead rider was competent enough that Cassandra only felt the need to chime in and correct their course once as they veered a little too far east to successfully reach their target in the quickest manner possible. 

Porsche’s footing was steady on the gentle climb, the snow barely causing her a moment's pause as she settled into a fast trot, keeping pace easily with the other mares. Her three white splashed legs made an easy pattern with her one darker front leg. The snow wasn’t deep enough here for them to blend in, but it still stood out in the snowier hills around the farm. It was a pleasant ride, giving Cassandra time to look around at the passing woods and the snow still clinging to their branches. 

The first landmark was just off the coast of the lake, the water still largely frozen over. It was a pretty, old evergreen tree, nearly impossible to miss as it towered over the rest of the trees nearby. Its thick green needles were still intact, covered by a layer of glimmer snow. 

They took the required picture and paused to verify the course to the next landmark while admiring the view of the sun glistening off the ice and snow around the lake, the shadows from the trees causing a delicate pattern of light and dark across the surface. 

Cassandra took the lead on the way up to the second landmark. The trail was leading up higher to a cave that was supposed to be something unique. The path was definitely steeper and snowier, and Porsche was stepping all the livelier for it. The cold air certainly suited the smoky black splash chimera. 

The best route wound its way through the snowy woods, the air growing colder as they reached a higher altitude. Porsche seemed enchanted by the increasingly snowy surroundings, the colder air meaning less had melted off the trees and ground. Her blue eyes kept a curious watch of her surroundings, the mare’s gait relaxed as she took in the passing scenery. 

The cave was an easy find, the trees giving way to a clearing. It wasn’t a large cave, but it had some pretty rock formations outside. She could see why they’d chosen it as a marker. Crystalline formations like the ones around the cave were rare to see intact, and the snow on them made the amethyst and citrine colors pop even without polishing or cleaning. 

They took a picture and then turned for the last marker, a scenic outcropping near the peak of the smaller mountain. The path looked like it’d be easy enough, for all they were in steeper territory. Whoever had designed the course did a good job balancing the need for navigation with a realistic course. 

The path got steeper and the snow thicker in the higher reaches, but nothing unmanageable or unsafe. The guide’s horse seemed to be living for it, tossing his dark head as he tried to race through the snow. His excitement set off Porsche, who danced impatiently and tried to race ahead. The blue eyed chimera put up a brief, if determined fight for a moment, though she soon settled in when she realized Cassandra wasn’t about to give way. 

They reached the scenic outcropping with little mishap, having kept to a slower pace on the steeper trail. It was probably a good decision, really. If on her own Cassandra probably would have gone much faster, but she and Porsche weren’t and so they’d work with the group they’d been assigned to. Besides, an accident would have cost them more time if not the entire trail event, so overall the caution was a better option. 

The view from the outcropping was stunning. The valley was laid out below in a scene that looked almost like a snowglobe. The stone buildings and walls of the farm were neat and the earliest edges of the thawing world stood out in the snow. Spring would turn Fjellhov Stud into a stunning blanket of green grass and pastel flowers, she’d no doubt. 

Porsche seemed to share her appreciation of the view, as the mare had stopped to stare as well, for once completely still. The pair barely noticed when another rider took their picture, but for all Cassandra wasn’t certain she wanted to be in a picture, she’d no doubt the chimera mare and she would have made for a lovely one. It wasn’t until a moment later that she realized the guide’s horse had joined them in the picture, the stallion having momentarily gotten control of the situation and moving into frame. 

Cassandra laughed as they all turned their horses back towards the starting area, the trail down likely to be quicker than the route up. Downhill on good ground usually was.

As they reached Fjellhov Stud, Porsche decided the flatter ground was a good option for a run, and this time Cassandra didn’t stop her. She allowed the smoky black splash, appaloosa splash mare to race for the end of the trail. 

They turned in their photos, thanked their guide, and went to brush down and care for their horses. Cassandra still wasn’t certain of anyone save the horse’s names, and she doubted she’d ever see them again, but at least they’d made for pleasant companions on the trail. All things considered it’d been a pleasant ride.