AGORION AND GHOSTLY GIRL
Before I Am Buried Beneath
If there was one horse that Madeline Walker had always been apprehensive about, it was Agorion. Not only was the colt massive, but he was mean. In the entirety of the time she had known the colt, she had made it her mission to stay out of his way, and most definitely off his back.
“Aw, give the boy a chance Maddie,” Stanley Newton had called from his seat on Ghostly Girl. The newest three year old to Blue Cross, the filly was the picture of calm. As Agorion fussed about in front of her, she barely twitched an ear, and instead stared disinterestedly off towards the track, do doubt impatient to get to work. Madeline huffed from her place beside the giant colt, growing more uncertain by the minute. “Alex,” She had eventually called out to the head trainer, and had given him her best pout when he had glanced up, “Why don’t I take Ghostly Girl, and Stanley can keep his giant colt,” She had said, hope flooding through within her voice. Descartes had chuckled immediately, shaking his head just once. “No, I think you and Agorion will get on just fine. Do as Stan says and give him a chance,” He had told her, and as his word was law around the stable, she had submitted and allowed a stable hand to help her up onto the fidgeting colt.
Immediately the dapple grey’s shifting had increased, and he had paced nervous circles about the stable hand as Madeline had struggled to find her stirrups and secure the reins, more or less fuming as Stanley had laughed at her unabashedly from his quiet mount. She had wrestled with Agorion then, fighting to pull him straight and towards the track as he had refused her, fighting against her direction and guides, and they had awkwardly hopped over gracelessly to where Ghostly Girl had stood, Agorion dictating and enforcing his chosen path.
Stanley had reached over a hand to steady the pair, an amused smile still stuck on his face. “The thing about Agorion is this: You’ll get absolutely nowhere if you don’t trust him. Now, that get’s some getting use too, cause he does a lot of untrustworthy things,” Stanley had said, another chuckle breaking through his teeth, “But he won’t do anything to hurt you, and he’ll be twice as responsive as any horse you ever rode. Now you go up to the track first, keep him tight and use your leg aides, he likes those best,”
She had followed his instructions the best she could, but it had been difficult, in no way made easier by the colt who fought her every step of the way. “Give him his head, Maddie,” Stan had called again, the same smirk on his face, and Madeline had scowled at him. As funny as he might have thought the situation, she would have sooner quit horse racing all together than give the fiery-eyed colt his head. In an uncertain, disenchanting mess, they managed their way onto the track.
Here it grew slightly easier to control the colt, as he was well familiarized with work and loved it deeply. He managed to settle in some form, and Stanley drew up next to them with Ghostly Girl, the filly alert and ready, her body tensed as she waited for a signal—any signal—to run. They were calm and still for a few moments, Agorion shuffling his feet, demonstrating a bad habit he had picked up, before Descartes had waved them forwards.
Ghostly Girl had shot off immediately, like a bullet from the gun. Agorion had ignored her signal, but once Ghostly Girl had shot by him, had soared after her in order to keep up. It was a complete and total battle from the very start. For every signal Madeline gave, Agorion seemed to have a different decision, a better plan. They zigzagged ungracefully about, trailing behind Ghostly Girl in a pitiful display, Agorion pulling one way and she the other.
Within the moment, she found herself drastically missing Apollo Bear. The brilliant black colt had always been steadfast in his movements, and he had listened to her were Agorion blatantly refused. She reined him in further, attempting to take control of the situation, but to no avail. Far ahead of them now, she watched as Stanley threw a glance over his shoulder, and seeing how far back they had fallen, made a gesture towards his face that at first Madeline hadn’t understood. As Agorion continued to struggle against her control, she put it together pretty quickly. Give him his head.
She released him immediately, and the change was instant. For a moment, he stumbled uncertainly, but then his stride shifted and lengthened, and he straightened, becoming a blur of speed as Madeline drove him forward and he responded. They flew across the ground then, a suddenly unrelenting force. He obeyed as she drove him up the inner stretch, making huge strides towards Ghostly Girl, and as they neared the final furlong, they drew up along side them.
She offered Stanley only a giant grin as they sped by, Agorion fueled suddenly by fires she had not known he had possessed. She had not had time to see Stanley’s response, as Agorion had kicked into another gear, and blew by them with ease, his breaths striking a calm rhythm as he crossed his way over the finish line and directly into Madeline Walker’s heart.
“Well?” Stanley had asked as they had cooled off the horses, a small smile on his face. In response, Madeline had returned the gesture, her hand reaching forward to clap Agorion affectionately on the neck. “I never doubted him for a minute,” She stated. In response, Stanley just laughed and laughed.
