I couldn't decide whether to sell or not.  I just couldn't.  

The minutes ticked by until the potential buyers would be here, and I just could not make it.  Sometimes I'd come so close.  "I'm going to sell her," I'd think, and then I'd remember Tessa's words.  Or, "I'm keeping her," and then I'd remember the last time I rode her.

I'd never been in a situation like this before.  

Finally, I decided to wait until I saw her potential new owners.  If they seemed good, why should she not have a career as a broodmare?  She certainly had the bloodlines for it.

I stood beside Mr. Caston, Vantage Point's head barn manager, as a shiny dark blue car pulled through the gates.  Mr. Caston would be showing Medallion to these potential buyers.

Two people stepped out the car.  One was tall with white hair, he was clearly Mr. Link.  Following him was a younger girl, who looked to be about ten years old.  I surmised she was his daughter.  

Mr. Caston stepped forward.  "Hello sir, I'm Mr. Caston, head manager of Vantage Point.  I'll be showing you around today."

"Good day."  Mr.  Link's voice immediately set me on edge.  It seemed high and whiny, while trying to be professional.  "I'm sorry my wife couldn't come today, she came down with a bad cold.  This is my daughter, Clare."

"Nice to meet you," said Mr. Caston to Clare, who didn't seem to care, as she was gazing across the cross country course.  To Mr. Link, he said, "I'm sorry to hear that, I hope Mrs. Link recovers soon."  

I resisted the urge to role my eyes.  The absolute fakeness in the well wishing was almost too much.  

Mr. Caston turned to me.  "This is Vanessa Ireden.  She was the one Medallion was bought for."  

I saw the same thought flash across both Link's faces.  "The girl who couldn't ride her" was what that thought said.  

One part of me, an older part, lit up with offense and anger.  But that was swallowed up.  They were right.  I hadn't been able to ride her.  

And I was pretty sure they wouldn't be able to either. 

 I wasn't exactly sure how mother had advertised Medallion, as I hadn't seen the ad she'd put up for her. I figured that she'd been advertised as 'not rideable', but that could mean a whole host of things. Had she said her daughter couldn't ride her? That she was dangerous under saddle? Or dangerous all the time?

While I was musing on this, Mr.Caston started leading Mr. Link and Clare towards the barn Medallion was stabled in. They started talking about her.

"So, this mare, when you bought her, she was rideable?" Asked Mr. Link.

"Well, the owner didn't go to test ride her, but based on her sale videos, she was rideable."

"You bought her without seeing her?" Condescension entered his voice.

"The owners did. My opinion was not asked." I couldn't be sure, but it seemed like Mr. Caston was defending himself. And I was also pretty sure that the Link's estimation of me had sank even lower.

We entered the cool stable and went to Medallion's stall. Medallion had been polished and groomed excessively beforehand.

She pricked her ears at us, and then walked up to the stall door. She hadn't been given any hay and seemed to me to be a little bored.

Mr. Link and his daughter shrank back from the stall a bit. My brow wrinkled. Medallion was troublesome, but she wasn't dangerous. What did these two think she was?

"What are her bloodlines again?" Mr. Link asked.

Mr. Caston rattled off her bloodlines, but I didn't pay any attention. I knew them by heart.

Mr. Link nodded as Mr. Caston finished his monologue. "Yes, yes. Perfect for breeding."

"You'll use her as a broodmare?" This was the first time I'd spoken.

Mr. Link glanced at me as if he'd forgotten that I was there. "Yes. If she is not rideable, that's all she's good for."

"What about her temperament?"

He shrugged. "We have gentle stallions. Hopefully that would counter it."

I bit my lip and looked back at Medallion. Something twanged inside me. I remembered how, when she'd bolted on my last ride with her, how her long strides had felt. And her sale video, where she'd been free jumping.

It seemed like... like such a waste. Medallion was still young, she still had a long life ahead of her. So much potential. And now she was to be essentially retired, if these people bought her.

You must try. Will you try?

They were discussing her sale price when I finally roused myself from my musing. But I didn't come outof it in time to here the price they settled on.

A revelation conked me on the head. As long as Medallion was mine, I could try. But if she was sold, I would never get her back. I would never know if I had tried one more time, if it would have worked. I wouldn't ever know.

Suddenly I jumped in. "Just so you know, we're not sure if we're willing to sell." The words popped out of my mouth.

Mr. Caston gave me a confused look, but Mr. Link took it in stride. "Oh, of course. We understand." He didn't seem surprised at all.

I turned away, a little shocked at myself. Medallion reached out her nose towards me. No one else was paying any attention to her, they all seemed a little scared of her.

I rubbed up and down her face, feeling the broad bone against my hand.

"We'll be in touch," said Mr. Link.

It was when his voice went high on the word 'be' that I flinched, looked in Medallion's soft eye, and thought, "Can I sell such a nice mare to such a not nice man as Mr. Link?" The answer was, to my mind, a firm no.

Mr. Caston and Mr. Link went back up the stable. But Clare lingered for a moment next to me. She tugged at me and looked up with wide eyes.

"You're not going to sell her, are you." Her voice was matter of fact. She already knew. How, I didn't know, but she did.

"No."   

AN:  Well, there you go, Vanessa decided not to sell ;)  

Ah come on, you didn't think she was actually going to, did you?  If you did, you must have forgotten the blurb XD  

Thanks for reading, see you next Sunday!