Petite girl stood precariously next to the fence, knuckles white with her strong grip. This had been one of her worst ideas ever. But surely the mare had to run out of energy soon. Surely she had to get used to the strange nymph that had entered her territory. Didn't she? A clatter of hooves forced the dazed girl to look upward, and looming before her was the gargantuan form of the angered beast. For a moment there was calm, and then, all in a single instant, everything sprung into action. Nicole screamed, the mare lunged, and the birds cheered with glee. The rodeo had started.

The girl ducked her head as the mass of muscle catapulted at her. The ground and fence rumbled when the mare reached her destination. For a split second, Nicole had hope the offended vix would simply turn around and head for freedom after a single shot. But she did not. Large cranium struck out, ivories tearing Nicky's jacket. Instinct told her to jerk away as fast as she could, and she did. Still dizzy, she ripped her arm out of the grasp of the monster, caught herself with the momentum, and tumbled to the ground. The barrage of furious terrors continued as she fell. The purebred mustang's ivories again lashed at her, ripping a hole in her forearm. The no-longer-hopeful miss clutched her arm in pain, the blood streaming lightly from between her fingers. Talons struck the air, hitting the brunette square in the shoulder. Once again, the mare's shadow next to her rose, and Nicole winced for what was sure to be her last breath. But instead, the sound of shattered earth arose, and the mare was down.

Nicole stood daintily, watching the mare rest on the ground. Crystalline snow became tainted with her blood, and Nicole knew she would be killed. Whether by the damaged lady before her or the furious lady that ran the place, she didn't know. But either way, she was dead. The girl's shoulder throbbed as she took a step away from the fallen creature. She was sure it was broken, she probably had a concussion, and she would need stitches for her arm. But she was alive. She had to take advantage of that, right? As she turned to run, her feet refused to move. She had come to get the mare used to company. Could she quit after just one visit?

As the mare stirred once more, Nicky quickly decided the answer was No. She had come this far. If she quit now, what kind of person would she be? Could she really give up on a being such as a horse just because of a few scrapes and bruises? Certainly not.

Once again the beast screamed with fury. Nicole was hers now. The snow had been packed down with their struggle, making the charge all the easier. The girl searched frantically for a way out, a safety zone where she could not give up but not get hurt, either. As her eyes scanned the horizon momentarily, she felt absolutely stupid. Why hadn't she thought of it before? Surrounding the pen was a multitude of fall backs. Outdoor rings with stronger fences. Indoor rings with walls to keep the mare contained. Pastures galore. As long as the mare still had energy and she still had breath, there was always a way to keep going.

Now, how to get the mare into one of those?

Feet moving faster than she thought she could with her injuries, Nicole leaped over the fence, toward one of the indoor rings. She checked over her shoulder quickly to see if the mare had followed. Turning back to her task, she practically flew toward the nearest building. Shoes skidded in the snow, dragging to a stop just in front of the large doors. Shivering hands thrust both of them open, pushing them so that they were plenty big enough to allow a charging beast as big as the filly through without getting hurt.

Feeling accomplished, Nicole turned and stood in the doorway, awaiting whatever fury the filly felt she needed to deal upon the small child.

The child watched in sheer horror as the beast rushed in her direction. The sound of hoofbeats almost echoed the sound of her heart pounding. The chill of the winter had vanished long ago, replaced by the flames of adrenaline. Time seemed to move slowly for a moment. Nicky could see each hair on the equine's body raised in fury, whistling in the wind created by speed. Dark orbs pierced Nicole's eyes, focused on destroying the girl that had entered their domain. Puffs of glossy air rose from the creature's maw, fading into the sky.

And all at once everything sped up. The mare rocketed forward, catapulting towards the girl. Nicole dove out of the way, scraping her elbow on the cold turf beneath. The sound of wood meeting flesh splintered the silence of the room, hoofbeats only growing faster as they went deeper in. The girl heard the mare skid, trying to do the impossible and stop. Nicky looked up, watching in fear as the mare darted to avoid the walls. One by one she came upon wall after wall, each time running as though they would jump out and slaughter her. As the mare raced, she screamed. But not the scream she had let loose when Nicky had invaded her space. This scream was filled with dread rather than rage.

Knowing her wall was next to be met by the beast, Nicole raced toward the doors. Not sure whether this was the best idea or not, she quickly slid them shut, trapping her behind Hell's Gates with the Devil. Sure that the doors were shut tight, the girl fled to the center of the room. The more space she had to move, the better, right?

Awkwardly, Nicky looked away and spoke softly. Careful words of assurance floated toward the mare, though the girl doubted she was paying any attention. It's alright, girl. Nicky cooed. Don't worry.

Not sure quite what to do anymore, Nicole relaxed her shoulders and stood stock still. Making sure her focus was far from the large horse, she awaited whatever judgement the Devil wished to deal upon her.