Bonus Prompt 2: Milestone

Wings stared at Sylus as he held the saddle in his arms, watching the mare stand in the arena with her hackamore and saddlepad on. She had just been cleared to ride again, her ulcers finally gone.

But was her fear gone?

She pinned her ears at the sight of the saddle, even backing away as Sylus approached with it, his voice gentle, “Look, just look at it and sniff it. I won’t put it on yet.”

She reached her nose out, nudging at the girth settled on top of the saddle as Sylus lifted it over her back. She flinched, backing away from him as Sylus pulled the saddle away, “Okay, okay. I won’t put it down yet.”

Wings swished her tail as she remained suspicious of the saddle, tensed up and backing away whenever Sylus even leaned in her direction.

Sylus frowned, “Hey, I promise there’s no pain this time…. Please?”

Brown eyes stared into blue before she finally relented, standing still as Sylus gently hovered the saddle over her spine. Then slowly, gently, he eased it down onto her back.

Wings flicked her ears back to the saddle, shaking her belly for a moment as she gauged the new saddle. It…. It fit! No more dull aches, no more feelings of something digging into her. It was perfect!

She nickered softly as Sylus began to tighten her girth, adjusting the fleece padding as Wings mentally prepared herself for any pain in her gut.

But when Sylus sat himself down in the saddle, Wings felt nothing. She tensed and tensed and tensed, preparing for pain and agony and a blow up to try and evade it but- nothing. He just sat there, the weight a normal moment.

She looked back at him, Sylus rubbing her crest, “See? It’s all better now. You no longer need to worry.”

He held the reins loosely in one hand as he clicked his tongue, letting Wings take the first few unsure steps of her first ride on her own. Her hooves sunk into the footing, her ears flicking around as she waited for the pain.

But it never came.

She perked up, whinnying as she began to trot around the ring. Her newfound freedom from her agony was a rush of excitement, the mare even jumping into a canter as Sylus laughed on her back.

Her days of pain were over.

Wings finally grew her own pair of wings.

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Word Count: 407