Dancing Bears

Picture: Training at home, 1/2
Horse: CVS Fleet Street
Rider: Anastasiya Drovninsky
Stables: Chater Valley Stud GBR
Class: 3 Day Eventing
Start Number: 22


I'm quite proud of this picture. I'm continuing lineless! getting quicker definitely, though this hasn't got the same level of detail as Diadochos' reference did, and the lighting is not as dramatic as the piece I did of Violet Valentine.
Also virtual cookies if you can guess the music The title of this deviation might give you a clue too

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Nastasya had just about got over her initial cool rage that she would not be allowed to enter the Olympics side saddle. Apparently she needed some sort of injury. Ephy's joking suggestion that she let her run her legs over had not gone down well at the time. For once Jethro had actually been at the stables and although he understood Nastasya's frustration he didn't have much sympathy.

"Don't get so wound up over a triviality. This is the Olympics, there will be rules to follow. Get on with training astride. I want Fleet Street representing us this year, he's got a chance if you'll give him the opportunity. It would be selfish to deny him for your sake. And as a warm up you can compete at Oak Hollow astride too."
He had left Nastasya and Ephy before either could respond. Ephy had opened her mouth to try and lighten the mood but one raised eyebrow from Nastasya silenced her. The neat elegant woman instead took a pen and filled out the olympic entry form, signing her name with a flourish.
"Well according to his lordship's instructions I need to dig out Sweeney's astride saddles. Tell Jet he can post the damned entry form!"

With that she had flounced from the room, her mouth set in a grim line. Ephy wasn't quite sure what to do, she needed to get working on her own jobs but she knew if she left now she'd forget to relay Nastasya's message to Jet. Luckily for her, only moments after the angry russian had left, Jet reappeared.
"Nastasya filled out the form. She asked if you could post it?"

Jet looked it over.
"I'm sure she wasn't quite so polite. I need to change some things but I will give you the envelope later, to post on your way home."
Ephy inwardly rolled her eyes. Would it hurt the man to ask and say please? Between him and Nastasya she felt like a servant sometimes.
"Alright your highness! I'm off to do some work with Lilu if you want me."

Jet looked up at her, an odd expression on his face. It made Ephy blush, and she looked away quickly before turning to leave. She swore she heard Jet chuckle softly, at what exactly she wasn't sure. God he was confusing!

---

It hadn't been quite so simple as digging out Sweeney's old astride saddles and just getting on. He had changed shape, gaining definition and topline, and it didn't take a genius to see that none of the saddles fitted anymore. Luckily Ephy's friend Lucy had come to the rescue, reflocking his jumping saddle there and then. The dressage saddle was a different matter however;
"I could reflock it to fit him reasonably well, but it doesn't fit you at all. I reckon this saddle was fitted for a man, the flaps are so long you can hardly give him any leg aids. I don't have anything ready to go that will do the job either. Back at the shop I know there's a tree that would be perfect but it's going to take a week, and that's with me shunting it to the front of the queue."
Nastasya sighed quietly. It still surprised Ephy to hear or see any sign of emotion from the ice queen and she looked over at her friend. She guessed that despite the cool exterior she was thinking about the valuable training time lost in a week, not that there was any alternative.
"Thanks Lucy, I'll take you up on that offer. I'll just have to attempt some flatwork in the jumping saddle. At least it will give me a bit more grip, I'm not sure how Sweeney will react to me having a leg on either side after so long!"
Nastasya smiled as she rubbed the side of the stallion's face. He leant into her hand and closed his eyes in a moment of bliss. Lucy leant forward to pat him on his shoulder, and with sudden ferocity he swung his neck round with his teeth bared. The blonde saddle fitter stepped back quickly, but still giggled. 
"I've got to say, he takes the Obertaurer traits to the extreme! I'll be off now, get those wither tracings back to the workshop. Oh, Anastasiya, as we're making the saddle up do you want to have a look at leather samples? I think we've got all our normal colours in stock so you can choose."

****************

The three girls were gathered around Lucy's van, looking at the various bits of leather. Nastasya had decided she wouldn't have black, Sweeney looked much better in something less severe, but there was still a wide range to choose from. 
"Maybe the tan?"
"No, I think it's too similar to his coat colour. don't you think a colour closer to his dun points would be better?"
It was this conversation which Jethro broke into.
"Sorry ladies, just got an envelope for Nastasya here."
He handed it to the small Russian and then turned on his heel, disappearing back into the stable yard.Lucy looked after the tall man appreciatively
"Mmmm. I wouldn't mine working under him!" She winked suggestively at Nastasya and Ephy
"Lucy!" Ephy slapped her arm playfully. Although she laughed along with the other two there was a deeper pang of something at the other girl's words. She pushed the feeling away.

Nastasya slowly tore the edge of the envelope, thinking more about whether she preferred the havana or conker brown leather. It was only when she saw the olympic motif at the top of the page that she focused on it. She looked through the pages of thick creamy paper, carefully checking all the details.
"What is it?" Ephy asked, leaning over Nastasya's shoulder.
"Just all the Olympic details. There's some error with my name though, it says Anastasiya Drovninsky. It must have been mixed up with another entrant's. I'll go and speak to Jet. Lucy, I'll go with the conker brown please, I think I'll need a new double bridle in the same colour please. His current one is getting pretty worn now anyway."
"Ok great, I'll bring them both over as soon as the saddle is done, I'll be working on it day and night for you!" Lucy replied, piling saddles and samples back into her van.

****************
Nastasya found Jet in his office for once. Recently he seemed to have been away more often than he was at the yard, though he ignored any of the girls' not so subtle questions about why. He was poring over some papers and didn't acknowledge her entrance.
"Hey, Jethro."
"uhhuh."
"These papers are wrong. They must have made a mistake at RPS, my surname is wrong."

Jethro finally put the papers aside. 
"There's no mistake."
"What do you-"
"Drovninsky is your real surname. I know part of the deal when I hired you was to find out about your past, but your surname was the only thing my contacts could get hold of. It seems the Russian government has restricted any information about your family, and my contacts aren't high up enough to get through. I've done what I can, so I think you'll have to explore other avenues to discover any more."

Anastasiya stood silently for a few moments, her face unreadable. 
"Thank you. At least this is a starting point."
She nodded at Jet and then left the office. Nastasya wanted to retreat from human company for a while, so she made her way to Sweeney's stable, picking up his grooming box on the way.

---

A week had passed, and true to her word, Lucy had delivered the saddle and bridle, in fact a couple of days early. Nastasya felt that Sweeney had just about got his head around being ridden 'normally', and now they could start on the serious work. The most pressing item on her to do list was starting on the freestyle Kur that was required for the olympics. She and Ephy had listened to some music over the past couple of nights but normally ended up in fits of giggles. So far they had achieved nothing. And it seemed Jethro had chosen this important time to just disappear, merely leaving a couple of instructions for Cally's care.
"I don't even know where to start with this freestyle Ephy. Do I choose music first, or do the floor plan?"
"I know less than you! I can't remember the last time I even rode a dressage test."

The girls stared into their tea, but it gave up no signs or omens. 
Suddenly Ephy's face lit up,"I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner! Ask Cleo. I'm sure she could give you some advice."
"You mean if she deigns to talk to me." Nastasya raised an eyebrow. 
"She's not that bad! I think she's just shy, or quiet. I don't think she means to come across as uppity. and she's a different person with Niko when she thinks no one is looking." Ephy replied.

"Ok, fine. I'll give it a go."

****************
Cleo had been surprised when Anastasiya approached her. So far the other riders at CVS had left her in peace. Or maybe she had shied away from leaving her own safe bubble. She liked Ephy, although she was full on and bubbly she was happy having a quiet conversation. Nastasya she hadn't been so sure about. The woman seemed like an iceberg, unapproachable and unreadable. Cleo also felt there might be some resentment, no doubt because of the preferential treatment Jet had given her. At least now everyone knew about her one sided blindness and deafness, and they had adapted.
"Cleo?" Nastasya asked, leaning over Niko's stable door.
"mhm." Cleo gave the woman a sidelong glance and carried on grooming Niko's bright coat.
"I have a favour to ask. I need help with my freestyle for the Olympics. To be honest I have no idea how to go about choosing the music or choreographing the movements. I can understand if you don't want to."

Cleo looked up at her then, slightly surprised.
"Of course I would love to help! I had actually already come across some music I thought would be perfect, but I didn't want to impose."
"Thank you Cleo. So when do we start?"
"Today. I can burn the music onto disc now and we can go out to the arenas and check the tempo fits Sweeney's gaits. Then it's just a case of arranging the movements, checking out the timings. I think we can have it ready to go in a week if we work hard on it. Maybe a bit longer...." Cleo's words drifted off as she fell into her thoughts, already planning. Nastasya fidgeted and she tore herself away from all the whirling ideas.
"I'll meet you in the ring after lunch. is 1:30 alright?"
"Yes, that is perfect. See you later!" Anastasiya smiled at Cleo and then left. That had gone much better than she anticipated.

****************

After she got over her initial shyness, Cleo became a hard taskmaster. after every session Anastasiya felt her legs were jelly as she rediscovered muscles that she hadn't needed quite so much for riding side saddle. On the first day she hadn't even heard the music as instead Cleo drilled her and Sweeney to get him working properly, especially in the collected movements.
"He's not using his hindquarters enough, that's why his piaffe is inconsistent."

Today though they were going to hear the music for the first time. 
"Ok, so when you enter I want you passaging down the centre line, and then at G I want a piaffe. If we can get it good enough I'd actually like a piaffe pirouette, but we'll just start with a piaffe for... let's say 20 seconds."

With that, Cleo turned the old cd machine on with a flourish. At first Nastasya didn't recognise the music but it finally came to her, and even she smiled as they passaged down the centre line. It was clever and very apt. She could see Cleo out of the corner of her eye, conducting an invisible orchestra with a piece of twig. She sang along and her voice was surprisingly strong and clear. Ephy's puppy, Plum, sat at her side. She wagged her tail and seemed to smile at Nastasya.
Cleo opened one eye and forgot about the music for a moment.
"Get him sat on his bottom! leg on Nastasya! Leg on!"
Anastasiya nodded and concentrated on the stallion beneath her, giving him strong aids. She suddenly felt him drop back onto his hindquarters and give her more elevation. She couldn't help but smile at the sensation.

"Fab! Right, circle away in working trot and then we'll work on the half pass."
Sweeney grunted as he was allowed to step out of the piaffe. Nastasya patted his sweaty neck and promised him the next day off from prancing around the arena.

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all characters (c)
Sweeney's original design (c)
Plum's original design (c)