[PHASE TWO] Slow & Steady

Days turned into weeks, turned into months, and soon it was nearly six months after Princess Pea had joined the Narrow Wilds Stable. Agonizing hours spent pooling over all of her resources, Stevie was so incredibly burnt out. Sometimes when they woke up in the morning, it felt like Pea would never improve. Still, after all this time, she was fearful and flighty. She didn’t trust anyone but Stevie, and she only trusted Stevie the bare minimum amount. Enough to be fed, to receive the few and far between pat or caress. This is where Stevie found herself this evening, sitting in Pea’s stall with her, scrolling on her phone.

Looking for how she could surrender Pea back to the organization. To throw in the towel, give up completely. She didn’t WANT to, but what else was there to do? She couldn’t rehabilitate Princess Pea. She didn’t know what Pea needed. She didn’t have what it took.

Then Pea turned her back on Stevie.

Dumbstruck, Stevie froze, not wanting to startle the pony. She squinted, looking around, trying to figure out what could’ve possibly brought on this sudden improvement. Then she caught the soft blue eyes of none other than Denali. NW’s own Ain’t No Mountain. The sweetest pony in all of North Dakota, at least that’s what Stevie thought. And suddenly, it clicked. Why hadn’t she ever tried offering Princess Pea a friend?

From then on, every single training session involved one of Stevie’s other Loshenka. Usually it was Denali, but sometimes it was Sherlock or Copper. On occasion, it was Kahan. Suddenly, Princess Pea was thriving. She still didn’t love people, or being tied, but she was playing. She was frolicking rather than hiding in the corner of her paddock, she was finally being a horse. She opened up like Stevie had never seen her open up before. One beautiful morning, Stevie was brave enough to try something new.

On top of Denali, she led Pea around the paddock, just to see. To her complete astonishment, the little pony who had been giving her so much grief walked easily alongside her. Of course, it would be a lie to say that she ponied perfectly, not even the best horse did the first time. But this was progress, it was something Princess Pea could do, and more importantly it was something she seemed to like. Stevie’s heart was thumping in her throat when she dismounted and untied Princess Pea, and she untacked Denali with purposeful slowness to process what had happened, to mull over the progress.

And to figure out what she was going to tell Dad.

“I ponied Princess Pea. On Denali.” Stevie burst out over dinner, unable to hold it in any longer. Her father just raised his eyebrows, waiting for his daughter to explain further. He had always believed in Stevie’s ability to rehabilitate Pea, so he didn’t take this new revelation as a surprise. Just as what was always going to happen. Of course Pea was going to eventually be ponied, or ridden, or do trick work, or be showed. That was never a concern to him. In fact, his only concern was Stevie’s own mind, the way she kept talking herself out of her own talents.

“You’re fine with the horses. I’m not surprised.” Is all he said, digging back into his dinner. To most, it would’ve been a small gesture. To Stevie, it meant the world.

“I thought I’d never make any progress on her,” Stevie said, rubbing her temples with her thumbs. The stress of the past six months had been setting in all at once. Now that there was hope on the horizon, she could finally let herself feel what she’d been stamping down.

“Now that’s just stupid. Course there’d be progress. You just didn’t think it was comin’ fast enough. Patience, kiddo. There’s a reason this program isn’t a week long. It takes time to do this stuff. If it was so easy, we’d be outta jobs. You think people would send their ‘shenka’s here if it was easy for any old Joe to train or fix one? Nope.” Stevie hated how her dad always seemed to be right. Couldn’t he at least have the decency to be wrong for once? No, she really appreciated his knowledge, but she couldn’t help the sting of being mistaken.

“Yeah, Dad. Thanks.” And with that, Stevie was out in the fields again. Velveteen was out with Denali. The yearlings with roughhousing. The stud paddocks were quiet. It was everything the farm was supposed to be. She scanned the horizon for a Pea shaped figure, but came up empty. Where was that little mare? Just when she was about to panic, a horse came up to her side. Not touching her, not offering it, but just enjoying the company. Putting her head down to graze.

“Princess Pea!” Stevie whispered, biting back a laugh. For the first time, this little mistreated mare thought it would be better to hang out with a person than to be alone. So Stevie would follow her lead, finding a tree and sitting against it, putting her headphones in and just enjoying the world. Enjoying her ponies. This is what life at Nimble Wilds was meant to be.

How glad Stevie was that she didn’t give up on Pea. Shame flooded her at the memory, how she had been so ready to turn her back on the pony she vowed to help recover. It seemed like this entire program was more a lesson for her than it was for Princess Pea. Velveteen and Denali joined the little crowd forming, Denali laying with Stevie and closing her eyes, letting out a long puff of air as she settled into the sunshine. Velveteen sniffed Princess Pea’s nose, nickering, and the two began to graze side by side.

Stevie wanted to paint this scene into a picture she could keep forever. Of a pony learning to trust, with her two most loyal Loshenka.

“You really are special, Pea. Maybe once we’re further with your training, you’ll make a fine pleasure horse? What do you think about that, Pea?”

Princess Pea lifted her head and tilted her ears, listening to the voice. She recognized her own name, but nothing else, so she decided it didn’t concern her and went back to her grass. Unless Stevie had treats, there wasn’t any point. The girl just laughed, all her ponies were so spoiled. Soon it would be time to go back and put the ponies in their stalls for the night, but Stevie didn’t want to think about chores right now. Not when the sun felt so nice on her face. Not when all of her loyal ponies were here, not when her belly was full with dinner and her horses were well fed.

“I love you, Pea. You too, Denali!” A jealous little cappuccino mare was suddenly nosing Stevie incessantly, wondering where all of her love was.

“Git! You nuisance, go make friends.” Stevie sent Denali off, and all three mares took off running out to the far end of the pasture. The girl laughed and rolled her eyes. Picking up her hat, she headed in.

“See you tomorrow, Pea.”