Beyond The Stables (ch3)

EARLY RELEASE FOR HIGH-PLEDGING PATRONS! THANK YOU!

I hope you didn't forget about this fic! Ruby is determined to help her new friend!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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												Chapter 3. Secret Arrangement

Weiss wasn't certain she'd heard correctly.

Of course it had always been her dream to ride these horses, and she must've been bad at concealing it if Ruby was already addressing it. Truth be told, Weiss had wanted to lead up to that gradually, not intending to make such a request until after she'd convinced her father to let her work with the horses instead.

But if Ruby was willing to help her with that first...

"You... do you really mean it?" Weiss gasped.

Ruby squeezed her hands again.

"Of course I do, Weiss! I know you want to ride them more than anything. I'll teach you how, and then you can prove to your dad just how badly you want this. If I train you in secret for a while, you'll be so good by the end that he can't say no!"

Weiss could already feel her heart starting to pound in anticipation and excitement.

But she didn't want to get ahead of herself with this. She knew it would take a lot of time and a lot of work on both hers and Ruby's parts. And there was one other issue...

"But... how will we ride them?" she asked. "I mean, it would be easy for you to teach me how to groom and handle them, because we can do all of that here in the stables. But riding them would require taking them outside. The guards will catch us, and will have no choice but to report us to my father. Even if we aren't doing anything wrong, they'd need to tell him because we would be exercising the horses at night. It'll never work."

Her shoulders slumped a bit, but Ruby's hands still squeezed hers tightly.

"Don't worry! I've got just the plan!" she said, lowering her voice a bit. "There's a little corral around the other side of the stables. We don't use it anymore for training or anything because it was built too small. The guards aren't stationed to go there because it isn't a section of the ranch that's in-use anymore. We can train there!"

As Ruby spoke, Weiss recalled a few reports her father had mumbled about several years ago. As Ruby had said, the corral had been constructed a while back in hopes to split the training sessions and hold more lessons for more riding students.

But there'd been an error in constructing the spot, as well as spacing issues, rendering it unfit for lessons. The only reason it hadn't been demolished yet was because it would cost too much to do so, therefore it had been left as it was, out of use.

Weiss didn't think she'd ever been down there before, but if it was as out-of-sight as Ruby was making it out to be...

Perhaps this could work after all.

"Of course-" Ruby said, bringing Weiss back to the present. "Riding will have to come way later. You can't just hop on a horse tonight and expect to ride him. First you've gotta earn his trust, groom him and spend time with him and feed him. Once you've bonded enough, then he'll trust you enough to put reins and a saddle on him – don't worry, I'll teach you how to do that, too. And then – after allll that – you'll be able to mount him and start riding!"

Weiss' hands were getting warm with Ruby clinging to her like she was, and the brunette seemed to notice as well. "Sorry!" she squeaked, releasing her. "I was just really excited about this! I wanna help you, Weiss!"

"It's all right," Weiss mumbled, wiping her hands on her pants. "I'm sorry. I'm just... honestly, I'm jealous of you, Ruby."

The younger girl nearly fell over.

"Wh-What? You're jealous of me? How? Why?"

"Because," Weiss sighed. "You get to do what I've always wanted to. Every day, you're out here working with the horses. You know how to care for them and how to ride them."

"Well, actually..." Ruby put in sheepishly. "I've never ridden before. B-But I've seen so many other people do it a bajillion times, so I know I can help you with it! Even if I can't ride myself because I'm not permitted to, I can guarantee you that I can instruct you well enough to help you ride."

"I trust that you can," Weiss said. "You're very knowledgable about everything, Ruby. The other stablehands just do their jobs and then go to bed, waiting for pay day.

"But you... you sleep out here with the horses, and even if my father forgot to give you a paycheck a few times, I'm sure you wouldn't complain and you'd simply continue to work. Because you love it that much. For you, it isn't about money. I can tell."

Ruby felt her cheeks flush, and she nodded bashfully.

"Yeah... I mean I need the money for my parents back home, but even if your dad ever forgot to pay me or something, I wouldn't mind. I really love this job."

Weiss smiled as she watched the girl get teary-eyed talking about her passion. But it was making the white-haired girl have second thoughts. She took a step back and shook her head.

"Then... don't mind all of this, Ruby."

"Huh?"

"I said don't mind this. Forget about helping me. If we ever got caught, you'd risk being fired, and I can't let that happen. I can't let you take that risk."

"Weiss, no-" Ruby reached out for her hands again, holding fast to them. "I wanna do this for you, Weiss! This will help the both of us! I'll get to share what I know about the horses and work with them a bit more, and you'll get to learn about them, too. We'll prove to your dad that you deserve this and that you'll work hard for it - harder than anyone else." She offered a reassuring smile. "We'll do this together, Weiss. Promise."

Ruby hooked both of her pinkie fingers around Weiss' and curled them up. "You're gonna achieve your dream, Weiss. And I'm gonna help you do it!"

Weiss hesitated. There were still a lot of risks about this, most of which were for Ruby. If they got found out, Weiss would get a scolding, but Ruby could lose her job, her income, her passion for working with horses. The stablehand had immensely more things to lose from this than Weiss did if things were to turn sour.

But... for some reason, looking into those earnest silver eyes right now, Weiss was inclined to believe Ruby when she said everything would work out. Ruby just had that aura around her that made Weiss feel everything was going to be alright.

Another moment of silence passed, but still, Ruby kept Weiss' gaze, and didn't let go of her hands. Then, the white-haired girl gave a nod, and squeezed her pinkies around Ruby's in return.

"Alright," she said. "Then it's a promise."

Ruby's face lit up like the sky at dawn. She gave a small squeal of delight, then leaned forward to throw her arms around Weiss, pulling her into a zealous hug.

Weiss stumbled back, somewhat shocked by the action.

But Ruby's excitement was contagious, and made Weiss remember her own. This was her dream they'd be working towards from now on.

Weiss sighed, smiled, and returned the embrace.

After a minute, Ruby pulled away, already eager to take the first step.

"Alright," she said. "So let's not waste another second tonight. Let's get started! First, you should choose a horse you'd wanna ride in the future. That's the one you should start bonding with starting tonight. That'll be the one you'll be grooming and feeding and gaining the trust of."

She walked a few paces down the stables, passing by several horses in their pens. "Most of these guys have been trained and already know how to be ridden, but the riding students all have their own horses, and they don't switch very often. I think you should choose a horse that's got a good temper and welcomes all different kinds of people on their back. Like Ebony here!"

Ruby paused outside of a pen where a jet-black mare was resting. "She's such a sweet girl!" Ruby went on. "She's super mellow and doesn't ever run too fast. The instructors always give her to the beginners. Anyone can ride her. I think she'd be a good starter for you, Weiss! Then you can move on to someone else once you've got the feel for riding!"

She turned around, expecting Weiss to be right beside her. But Ruby found the other girl hadn't moved an inch all this time. She was still standing in the middle of the stables, looking into one stall in particular.

Ruby knew whose it was, and swallowed.

"Weiss-"

"I know Ebony is wonderful," Weiss said as Ruby went back to her. "My father praises her a lot. Says she's one of his best horses for training the riding students... But I don't think she's for me."

Ruby stood beside her, peering into the white stallion's pen.

"I mean, Zuri's a great horse, too!" she said. "But I just think for your first ride, you should start with someone a little less-"

"I know, Ruby," Weiss murmured. "But... I want my first ride to be with him. I don't know why I'm so drawn to him. But I just am."

Even now, she could feel a flutter in her chest as the stallion opened his eyes and lifted his head, walking over to the pen's window to stick his nose through. Ruby took an involuntary step back.

"But Zuri..." she said. "Well, he's already been here for two years, the same amount of time as me. And he always acts docile and friendly in his pen, but as soon as you take him out... he can get a little unpredictable."

"I know," Weiss said again. "Believe me, I know. My father's brought it up many times now at supper and while talking to his trainers. Hardly anyone's been able to ride Zuri since he got here, and the few who have were nearly thrown off. He's not wild, and they still went through the process of breaking him. But if he doesn't let someone ride him soon, my father's going to get rid of him."

Her eyes went down to the floor.

"I mean... I guess I can understand my father's thinking. He'd rather use his money and supplies to care for a horse he can actually use. But I fear if Zuri went to another ranch, they might abuse him because of his behavior, or sell him again and again until they decided he'd be better off dead-"

Her throat closed up at the mere thought of it, and Ruby flinched at the suggestion.

But she'd seen Zuri's temperament for herself, and she knew full-well that having him put down because of it wouldn't be an outrageous decision.

She liked Schnee's ranch because they didn't put horses down unless it was absolutely necessary, like to save them from suffering a life of disease or a broken leg.

But Ruby knew other ranches weren't like that. She knew some killed horses just because they didn't like the way they acted or because they couldn't care for them any longer or make enough profit off them.

And just like Weiss, she couldn't bear the thought of that happening to one of their own.

Weiss had managed to get her voice back by now, and she inhaled deeply before continuing.

"He doesn't deserve to be put down or relocated. He's just a bit rowdy, that's all. We can take him here – I know we can. I want to prove that to my father. I want to be the one to ride Zuri and show that he's as good a horse as any."

Ruby had listened quietly the entire time, but by the end of Weiss' speech, she had that trademark grin covering her lips once again. She met Weiss' gaze once more, earnest and eager.

"You're really amazing, Weiss."

The compliment had been unexpected to say the least, and Weiss blinked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"I beg your pardon?"

Ruby traced a circle on the floor with the tip of her boot and elaborated.

"I mean... how you'd go through all of this just to save one horse. How you'd put yourself and your position at risk. How you'd train at night in secret to achieve your dream. I think that's really incredible of you. I'm happy to help you do it." Ruby lifted her hand and gave a thumbs-up. "I'll be with you every step of the way!"

Weiss' lips curled into a smile. She had to admit it was nice to know she wouldn't be going at this alone.

"Thank you, Ruby."

The brunette nodded, then spun around on her heel to face the stables.

"Now then, let's get in a short lesson tonight! Did you bring a treat for him?"

Weiss nodded, stepping forward as she reached into her pocket and extracted a carrot.

At the sight of the treat, the stallion perked up and lumbered over to the window of the pen. Ruby took the carrot and broke it in half, giving one to Weiss and keeping the other for herself.

"Alright, so you already know how to hold out a treat to a horse. Never like you're holding a pencil. You gotta lay your hand flat and keep the carrot in your palm. And it's best not to feed them at irregular times from the usual schedule, but we'll make an exception tonight for this big guy."

Ruby held out her piece of the carrot to him as she'd explained, nodding at Weiss to do the same. The white-haired girl stepped up beside her and mimicked the motion.

"Now then," Ruby went on as the stallion approached them. "When you're waiting for him to come take it, make sure you're not too stiff. Don't be nervous or uncomfortable. Horses can sense that. Just relax, be calm, and let him know you trust him not to bite you."

Weiss tried to copy Ruby's posture and her radiating confidence. As a stablehand, she'd hand-fed horses probably a thousand times over the past two years.

But even in the seventeen years Weiss had been living here, she had probably only hand-fed them a collective dozen times or so.

And she'd never fed this one before.

She watched as he went to Ruby's hand first and happily gobbled up her half of the carrot. Ruby gave him a few pats on the nose before withdrawing her hand, wiping it on her pants.

Zuri then inspected Weiss, and Ruby could see him hesitate. She stood at the ready beside Weiss, in case she deemed it fit to pull the girl away altogether.

"Relax..." she reminded her. Ruby put a steadying hand on Weiss' back, coaxing her forward another step.

But Weiss could only remember two nights ago, the sudden outburst when she'd accidentally startled him. Most horses' reactions to such an incident would be to flee, but Zuri's had been to attack and try to harm her in order to defend himself.

As soon as his lips neared her hand, Weiss jolted a little bit, causing his teeth to graze her palm. The carrot rolled to the floor in his pen, and the horse instantly dipped his head to retrieve it.

Ruby guided Weiss a few paces back, feeling the change in her stature.

"He noticed you were nervous," she said. "Which was why he got nervous, too. He thought you might move your hand or pull it away, so that's why he was being jumpy, too. He didn't want you to move, or else he'd bite you. Lemme see your hand."

Gently, she took Weiss' left hand and looked it over – a little dirty, but no blood.

"Sorry..." Weiss mumbled. "I was just thinking about a few nights ago. I couldn't help it."

"Hey, that's okay," Ruby soothed, patting her back. "He did kinda charge you. He's a little aggressive. Are you sure you don't wanna choose someone else for this?"

Weiss sighed, but shook her head.

"No. Like I said, it has to be him."

Even before Weiss had said it, Ruby had already known the answer.

"Alright. Then you've gotta forget about the other night. That was partially my fault cause I'd surprised you when you were trying to handle him. He's a bit antsy around you too now because of that. I'm mostly responsible for it, so I'll help you out with this in whatever way I can."

She looked up to the far wall of the stables, glancing at a clock that hung there. "Gosh, it's already 1:30? Alright, let's do one last quick thing tonight. Sorry I gotta cut you kinda short, but I gotta be up at 6 to start feeding them."

"Right. I'll come a bit earlier from now on."

Ruby led her back to Zuri's pen. The horse had finished his snack and was looking at them expectantly for more. But Ruby shook her head and held out both empty hands for him to observe.

"Sorry, buddy! That's it for now." He sniffed both of her hands, snorted, then tossed his head. A few seconds later, Ruby reached out to pet his forehead. "There we go. It's best to pet them when they've got their mouths full so they don't try to nip at you. But if you show them you don't have any food and they realize they won't be getting anymore yummies, then you can pet them, too."

She waved Weiss forward to try it out. The older girl displayed both palms for the stallion, and once he saw she had nothing more to offer, he simply remained still, enjoying Ruby's treatment.

But Weiss hesitated, not certain how she should go about making contact. Ruby ushered her closer and used the same trick they'd used on Oatmeal a few days earlier. Ruby replaced her own hand with Weiss', quickly enough where the horse didn't even notice the switch.

"Now just pet his neck and scratch his ears!" she instructed.

Weiss did just that, doing her best to loosen her posture and be calm.

Once she'd shaken off the last bits of nervousness, she realized this horse really was just the same as any other. Despite his notoriously unpredictable behavior, he still enjoyed human contact. For every second he was jumpy and aggressive, he could be calm, reserved, and relaxed as well.

Weiss knew this would take a lot of work, and many hours of training in secrecy, but she was determined to make a difference in this horse's life.

She stroked her fingers through his white mane, using her other hand to rub his muzzle.

"I won't let them take you away," she murmured. "You'll be staying right here. With me."

Ruby watched the entire scene, the tranquility in both Weiss' and Zuri's eyes, the desire to make this work somehow. Her stomach knotted a little bit, and a rush of warmth started to sting behind her eyes.

Weiss really was beautiful, in every sense of the word.

Once the girl had finally pulled away and Zuri returned to the opposite side of his pen, Ruby stepped forward. There were tears already rolling down her cheeks, silent but expressive enough. She hugged Weiss, burying her face in the other girl's shoulder.

"We're gonna do this, Weiss. I promise."

This was the second time Ruby had embraced her, but Weiss was already getting used to it. It wasn't often she got to experience such contact, and she had to admit it wasn't at all unwelcome.

"Thank you..." She placed her hands on Ruby's back and held her for a moment, until the blubbering had died down. Weiss cleared her throat meaningfully. "Alright. Don't cry, you dunce. You should get to bed. You've got to be up even earlier than me."

Ruby sniffled one last time, then wiped her arm over her eyes and stepped back.

"Right! I'll let you go, Weiss." She released her and grinned. "I'll see you here tomorrow night, then!"

"Yes. And as I said, I'll try to get out a bit earlier, perhaps eleven or so. That way, we can work a few hours and still get sufficient sleep."

"Got it!" Ruby saluted her cheerfully. But just before Weiss could turn away to head back to the mansion, Ruby's tone lowered a bit. "And, Weiss...?"

The white-haired girl turned back.

"Yes?"

Ruby's voice was earnest and full of emotion this time.

"Thank you for doing this. Thank you for... giving him a chance."

Her eyes flashed back to the stallion's pen. Weiss dipped her head to Ruby.

"And thank you for believing in me."

With that, the two girls went their separate ways for the night, the promise of tomorrow waiting to begin at dawn just a few hours away.

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A/N: Ruby and Weiss have gotten a little closer, but sneaking out at night can't possibly stay easy forever, right?