crazy with love [open, see The Gallop first]

Eventually, Henna had slowed Flash down from his canter. It would be insane to gallop at night, even if the moon was out and would light the way. She cared too much about her colt to risk him like that, even if she felt it would be a wonderful release. So she slowed him to a trot, and then to a canter. The dirt track waited at his hooves, and Flash wanted to move on and gallop, but his rider held him firmly in hand. For a couple of minutes, Henna stared out into the blackness, lost in thought, half wondering if she would freeze to death and wondering if she would care if she did. As with a gallop, it would be a wonderful release. Yet she had horses to care for, didn't she?

She didn't notice Alice Kacey until the woman had softly petted Flash's velvet nose and Flash had responded with a deep nicker. The woman's question to her caught her off guard. Did she really look that bad? Or was she just asking that because she was out at such an unusual hour? Just as Henna was beginning to gather her thoughts to form a coherent reply, another person walked over. Henna didn't recognize him at all, and was left staring blankly into the darkness as she strove to recall his name. The man excused himself and then he, too, asked her if she was all right. Well then. Either both were asking because she looked terrible or they both just had the same suspicious natures, wondering what she was doing out here. But what to say to them?

She couldn't easily say she was just having a mental breakdown, could she?

So instead, she looked down from her spot on Flash's back, down at the ground, avoiding both of their eyes. Tough week....tough month....tough year she whispered instead, her voice tightly controlled against betraying the internal turmoil that welled up at her words. She would not start crying in front of these strangers. She would not.