Horseplay
Chapter 17 : Wednesday Willpower

  In his dream someone was sucking him, slowly using her lips and
tongue on his dick, drawing him in expertly and tenderly. His
willpower was nonexistant, he couldn't tell who it was, couldn't tell
her to stop, couldn't back away, and barely had the mental clarity to
ask himself how it was possible for her to be so fantastic at it.
There was a pause, a shift in the dream where she was gone and a
voice murmured to him. Warmth enclosed his cock again, softer,
firmer, sliding and he was inside someone. Neil opened his eyes to
the dawn and heard a radio alarm somewhere, just out of tune to a
radio station playing pop country. Maria was on top of him, riding
him slowly, rocking on her hands and knees.
	Neil blinked in surprise and she smiled down at him. He tried
to speak, but the rush of physical sensations and understanding muted
him. Maria sped up slighly, humming into his chest, one hand entwined
in his hair, the other holding his hand. Neil was overwhelmed and
tantalizingly close to orgasm.
	"Maria... wait... I'm..."
	"I have no time for you to dance with me" she whispered. "Come
in me, mi toro, wake up inside my pussy."
	Neil shook his head, trying to resist but he was barely awake,
he had no willpower, no defense for the sensations and he crossed the
threshold as she whispered in his ear. When Maria felt him clench down
she slowed her speed to a slow steady rocking with no pause at the top
or bottom, rolling his dick back and forth inside her. Sparks dashed
across Neil's vision and he wrapped his arms around her neck and
moaned deep and long in her ear. She rode him out, draining him,
urging him, growling in pleasure.
	Neil fell back, spent but now fully awake.
	"Good morning" she said, sliding up to a kneeling position and
stretching.
	Neil grunted something, basking in the afterglow.
	Maria got up, taking his pillow with her. "Come on my lazy
bull. I'm sure you have work to do today." she laughed when he
groaned pitifully.
	Neil tried to pull the blanket over his head, but it was too
tangled.
	"Ah, you are not a bull afterwards? A goat? A puppy?" she
teased, brushing out her hair.
	Neil sat up and slid his legs off the bed, trying to focus his
eyes. "You're the best alarm clock I've ever had" he said solemnly.
	Maria giggled and put on her robe. "I'm taking a shower. You
may go now, sir. I was quite satisfied with your services and there
will be a nice tip for you." she said, waving absently at him while
looking in the mirror.
	Neil grinned and walked over to hold her. She dodged him,
swatting at his chest with her brush.
	"You are not going to make me late." she said firmly.
	Neil sulked a little and she cuddled up to him brifely. "So you
are a puppy. Demanding attention with your big eyes."
	Neil squeezed her and started to put on some clothes. Maria
cinched her robe and smiled at him with a tilted head, then shook it
and grabbed her basket of shower supplies before heading out the
door. Neil spent a few moments looking around the room, then headed
to his cabin to shower and change.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Leah didn't visit him at the stable, which was a mix of relief
and disappointment for Neil. He had pretty much decided that his
resolve would have to hold from now on, regardless of any advances on
Leah's part. Neil honestly wondered if he could actually follow
through, though.
	Ruth arrived late for breakfast and Dave and Harriet didn't
arrive at all. Neil was heading back for seconds when he spotted
Harry walking toward the Cave. Harry grabbed a small plate of eggs
and sat down next to Neil with a sigh.
	"You're trying to kill an old man."
	"I'm not sure what you're referring to, sir" Neil said with a
goofy grin.
	Harry gave an exaggerated groan and put one of his feet up on
the opposite bench. "Your blasted punk rock girl damn near killed
me."
	Neil spotted Ruth walking around the cabins and chuckled. "Aw,
she keep you up all night?"
	Harry grinned. "I wish, I don't think she got much out of the
deal, except the endless gratitude of an old man"
	Neil ate in silence, letting Harry enjoy a bit of his
breakfast. "I must say" he started, watching Ruth walk past toward
the buffet. She glanced over and grinned sheepishly. "She seems happy
enough".
	Harry chuckled. "Perhaps I do know a thing or two about women.
On a more important subject, how was your evening with Maria?"
	Neil sighed contentedly. "I think I performed admirably,
honored the family name, what-what." He said in a bad British accent.

	Harry chuckled under his breath. "She's a lioness, yes?"
	Neil grunted in agreement as Ruth sat across from them, pushing
Harry's foot out of her way.
	"Aren't you two a pair of smug sons of bitches?" she teased.
	Harry waggled his eyebrows and Neil grinned. "So, Harry was
telling me..."
	"No he wasn't" Harry interrupted. "I never kiss and tell."
	Ruth laughed and Neil dropped it. He shoveled the last bit of
food into his mouth and bowed out. "I'll pry more details out of one
of you later. I have work to do."
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Neil met with Carol, another counselor in the Western group for
a joint trail ride that would last all day. The trail guards were
already assembled and a horse was being loaded with packs of food and
water for their lunch, which they would take on the farthest end of
the Cardinal trail. The path led up to the last wooded part of the
mountain on the far north side of the school, leading up against a
Dartmon State Park that covered the peak of the mountain and much of
the valley beyond. They didn't have permission to ride in the park,
although by the time they reached it they'd probably be more than
ready to come back.
	Neil volunteered to take the first group, assigning Gail and
Leah as leaders and taking the tail alongside Stephanie, who had
finally returned. She was antsy around the other riders and Neil
wanted to keep a firm eye on her. He put her on Homer for safe
measure and doled out the remaining horses quickly, taking Arnoss for
himself. Normally he'd take a less spirited horse, but with the double
ride they'd need the calmer mounts for the few inexperienced riders.
	By itself, the ride out was enjoyable. The weather had been
cooperative all week and there was a light breeze running through the
trees, blowing moisture off the lake in a refreshing mist. Neil led
the group along the Eastern trail to the mazes, then turned west to
run across the north side of the lake. From there, they'd head north
on Cardinal as the other trails broke off and doubled back, leaving
Cardinal to run up toward the peak of the mountain by itself,
dead-ending in the valley on the far side. Neil glanced over at
Stephanie from time to time, measuring her mood.
	"How are you doing?" he asked lightly.
	Stephanie shrugged with a tilt of her head. "My parents are
livid. They only left me here because they can't get down to get me
before Saturday."
	"Sorry."
	"Them knowing... makes it worse somehow. They yelled... then
talked to the doctor... then yelled some more. I finally just put the
phone next to my bed and let them scream at nothing for a while."
	"They're worried..."
	"They want me to give it up... for adoption."
	"I can guess at some of their reasons."
	"I'm due in... March. The last week, I think. I'll be in
school... showing...." Stephanie said, her voice breaking.
	Neil felt bad for her, but didn't know what to say.
	Stephanie sat up and looked ahead. "They've contacted some
groups... they pay for the hospital stuff, the medicines... "
	"So you're going through with it?"
	Stephanie's shoulders moved in a tiny shrug and Neil let it
drop.
	The terrain started to rise slowly and the remaining oak and
birch turned into a few holly trees, twisted laurels and shorter and
shorter pines. The breeze they'd felt at the lake intensified,
drowning out the sound of the horse's hooves on the rocky path. Neil
pulled his map from his saddlebag and checked their path. The trail
wound up the side of the hill through a few switchbacks, ending on a
flat, open section at the top of the hill called the "tennis court"
thanks to a low line of bushes that roughly divided the tall
sagegrass. The area would be big enough to eat at, although they were
early so Neil would have them stop on the way back.
	When Arnoss climbed the last turn to the tennis court, Neil
noted satisfactorily that Gail and Leah had the riders walking their
horses in a wide circle to cool them off. A few groups of girls
formed quickly with the horses grazing contentedly. Neil slid off
Arnoss, collected his reins and started to walk him, paying
attention for anyone goofing off too close to the steep eastern
hillside. There was a wire and wood post fence that was supposed to
prevent anyone from taking a tumble, but Neil didn't want to trust
it.
	Leah rushed up to him when he finished. "Gail thought she heard
thunder."
	Neil glanced up at the sky. It was blue, although there were
clouds to the west where the mountain stood. "We'll see how far away
it is when we go up the hill, we'll come out on the far side in a few
minutes and we'll be able to see the whole valley."
	The second group didn't arrive for fifteen minutes, and Carol
was leading the pack with a frustrated look. "Sorry, we had a horse
drop a shoe, had to send it back."
	Neil nodded. "We're going to head up the trail, we'll make some
room for you"
	Neil led the second leg, sending Gail to the rear and riding
with Leah. She seemed happy to have him, thankfully without
demonstrating it too directly. "I had an idea, Neil" she said softly.

	Neil almost flinched. "Really?"
	"I'm thinking of taking my Trail Leader cert."
	"Good, you should."
	"And getting a first aid card"
	Neil nodded, not really understanding where she was going.
	"And applying for a job here next year"
	Neil jumped. It was, he thought, a great idea. Not only would
she be eighteen, she'd be a counselor. A Junior counselor,
admittedly, but that was a million miles from camper in Mom's eyes.
"That'd be... great!" he said entusiastically.
	Leah grinned at his response, but as he watched her features
faded from joy to horror.
	"What's wrong...." he asked, turning to look. His stomach
lurched, then frosted over. They were just turning past the edge of
some trees on the path, coming out onto the northwest side of the
mountain. Below them the entire valley was visible, a panoramic view
that Neil looked forward too each time he rode this trail. Today,
however, the grand vista of mountains and trees was covered by a
blanket of black clouds.
	Neil pulled Arnoss to a stop and stared in shock. A wall of
black clouds was inching toward them, rolling up the far side of the
valley. Flashes of lightning flickered from within the clouds and the
soft, distant booms of thunder echoed back and forth between the
mountains. Neil turned and looked back. There was nowhere to turn
around. The collumn of horses following him was pinched between the
mountain and the hillside, they could barely ride two abreast and
turning around an entire line would be a nightmare. Some of the
horses might manage the steep drop through the trees to the section
of path below them, but without a doubt one of the less experienced
riders would panic and fall on the loose rocks. They'd have to turn
gradually to head back down to the tennis court, then back to camp
from there. They simply wouldn't make it before the storm broke over
the top of the mountain and raced down to the school.
	"Carol, CAROL!" Neil yelled into his handset.
	"What?!" her voice returned, swamped by hissing and static.
	"Thunderstorm, huge one. I need you to get to the back of my
group and get them to turn around."
	There was a moment of silence, then a crackle. "..mit... I'm on
it."
	His handset cracked with static as a flash of light lit up the
valley behind him. Neil turned to Leah, who's eyes were wide. "You
have to get to the back of the group. Tell everyone to get ready to
turn around."
	"What about you?"
	"I have to stay at this end. I have to make sure everyone gets
back."
	Leah nodded, then started to carefully pass the front riders,
who were staring at the storm with wide eyes and slack jaws. She had
to work her way back along the stopped riders, waiting for several to
move their horses so she could squeeze past. She looked back once,
just as she turned the corner into the trees.
	By the time the front of the group could turn around Neil
didn't have to look back to see the storm. The leading edge had raced
past their lookout, inching along the far wall of the valley headed
northeast. It had been preceeded by a wave of cold air, frigid when
combined with the moisture and the wind. The static electricity in
the air had the horses shifting nervously and Neil called out
repeatedly for the riders to pay attention to their mounts. Neil had
tried several times to get a singal from his cell phone to no avail
and the one transmission he got from Carol was broken and distorted.
	. He watched the slow wave of horses turning around, glancing
back in worry and calculating the ride time home. They'd probably
make it down the hill before the main part of the storm arrived, but
they'd be riding cold and wet.
	Neil reached the tennis court just as the first heavy drops of
rain hit. Thunder was almost constant, causing Arnoss to jump and
sidestep which worried Neil to no end. He rode up to the last group
of riders waiting to head down the hill and found Leah waiting with
them. Thick splashes of wet apeared on their helmets and the flanks
of their horses.
	"Gail's leading the group" Leah said loudly, looking nervously
up the mountainside.
	Neil had already seen it. Dark black clouds were pushing over
the top of the stubby mountain top. The wind was picking up steadily
and the cold rain didn't help the horses at all. "OK." he yelled over
the wind. He counted the last few riders quickly and waited for them
to file down the path.
	The storm hit Neil from behind like a linebacker, slamming his
shirt flat against his shoulderblades and whipping it in front of
him. Arnoss had stopped reacting to new concerns, focused entirely on
moving forward behind the thick grey in front of him. There was a set
of gasps and cries from the riders along the line as the blast passed
them, but Neil ignored it. There wasn't anything to do but tuck their
heads and move on.
	They rode through the pounding rain for fifteen minutes before
reaching the first intersection. Carol and Gail were standing at the
crossroads with a group of three girls, all drenched and shivering.
"Some of the horses spooked!" she cried, pointing down the side path.
"They're down that way. I got the girls off, but they bolted before we
could do anything."
	Neil nodded, hopping down from Arnoss' back. "LEAH!" he yelled.

	Leah rode over and nodded, slipping down off her horse.
	Carol helped the girls climb up, setting a pair on Leah's
horse.
	"Carol, go ahead home. We'll get them!"
	Carol nodded, pulling herself up onto Arnoss whlie the last
girl took her horse. They turned down the path at a trot.
	Leah, Gail and Neil took the right trail at a jog, shivering in
the downpour. They spotted the first horse a few hundred yards down
the path, head down and stamping its feet under a large oak. The tree
served as a makeshift windbreak and the roan seemed content to wait
out the storm. Neil was about to order Leah to take it home when Gail
grabbed the reins.
	"Can I take it?" she asked, stuttering and shivering.
	Neil nodded and she was on the horse in a flash, headed back up
the path. He turned to Leah who had a surprised look. "The others
shouldn't be far" he said. He tried his radio, but it was drenched.
There was no response, no hiss of static. Neil turned it off and
looked at Leah. She was shivering violently and Neil realized she was
also freezing. He stripped off his heavy t-shirt and handed it to her.
"HERE!" he yelled.
	Leah took it with a dazed look, then pulled it over her head.
Neil tried hard not to pay attention as she struggled into it. With
her arms above her head her nearly transparent shirt stretched tight
against her chest, revealing her bra and sticking to her stomach.
Neil enjoyed the view for a moment, then turned so he wouldn't look
like he was paying attention. After pulling down Neil's heavy grey
shirt she gave him an appraising glance. They continued up the path,
Neil getting colder and colder by the moment in the dense downpour.
They searched for signs that the horses had left the path, but their
fresh hoofprints in the mud kept them following the trail. Neil
started to clap his hands to his shoulders and arms to keep them
warm, wishing he'd thought to bring a jacket or something.
	They found the last three horses under an old pavilion near the
western edge of the trail where it curved south and headed back
towards the camp. The horses had found shelter under the edge of the
rotting old open pavilion, which had some cover from the wind thanks
to a hill and a large bunch of holly trees. Neil leaned up against
the grey mare for warmth and pulled out his map. The trail looped
around, eventually joining Cardinal closer to the camp. Leah came up
beside him and looked at the map.
	He shivered and clenched his teeth in the wet and cold. "We're
somewhere over here, on Mockingbird." he said, tracing a line along
the trail. "We should probably just keep going, at least we can..."
	Neil stopped as Leah leaned over and hugged him, wrapping him
up around his waist. Her shirt was soaked, but the combination of her
warmth and the horse helped. "You need to warm up" she said.
	Neil cringed slightly, trying to avoid thinking about how he'd
like to warm up. "I'm fine." he said.
	Leah squeezed him, shaking her head, then started to undress.
Neil jumped, but then watched as she only took off his shirt and
handed it back. "I'm warm" she said, "and we don't want to show up
with you half naked" she said with a grin. When she saw Neil's face,
she stuck out her tongue. "I think the romance novel authors are out
of their fucking minds. There is absolutely nothing romantic about
this storm."
	Neil laughed and put his shirt on gratefully. He glanced at the
horses and had an idea. Removing the saddles from two of the horses,
he set the gear in a pile on the packed dirt under the pavilion. He
then pulled the wet but warm blankets off the horses. "Ride back and
have them send out the cart."
	Leah hesitated, working up an argument.
	"We'll never get them all back." he said, cutting her off.
"Plus I'm frozen, T-shirt or not. Take this blanket and ride back,
send the trail guards out on the cart. Tell them I've got two
horses... and to send me some blankets. I'll be fine here with these
two."
	Leah nodded and mounted up, setting the blanket over her lap.
She gave him a long look before turning the horse back onto the trail
and heading right into the trees.
	Neil tried to stand between the horses for heat, but they kept
shifting in the storm and nudging him around. Plus they stamped when
they got nervous and he started to worry about his feet. Finally he
tied them to one support pole of the pavilion, then sat with his back
against another. He pulled his arms into his shirt, crossed his legs
under the blanket as best he could and leaned back, shivering in the
rain.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Neil never heard the cart drive up. When someone started to
shake his shoulder he groaned, feeling the horrible cold creep back
into his awareness. He shifted sideways, needles and pins racing up
his legs. Before he slid too far someone pulled his arms free and he
was lifted up, then set down in the back of the big trail cart. He
opened his eyes and Sarge was looking down at him.
	"Heya." Sarge said, draping a blanket over him and reaching for
a second.
	"Everyone... back ok?" Neil stammered.
	"Yeah. You're the last one."
	Neil nodded. "All the horses?"
	Sarge patted him. "You have the last two."
	A few moments later Neil felt the engine of the cart kick on
and they were moving, bouncing over the trail back to camp. He was
nestled, wet but warming slowly, in a huge pile of blankets. He
pulled a light blanket over his face to stay out of the rain and
slipped down into a warm doze. He was aware of the cart turning right
when he slid slightly in the blankets. Voices came back from up ahead,
reassuring him and Neil fell asleep.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Neil woke to warm water covering his legs and snapped awake. He
was being lowered, fully dressed, into a bathtub in the med hut.
Crystal looked down over him while Sarge and another male counselor
set him down.
	"Its alright Neil" Crystal said soothingly. "We're just going
to warm you up."
	Neil looked around, noting Carol and a group of campers milling
around the other side of the room. Sheryl, the other nurse, was
discharging them. "Is everyone ok?" he mumbled.
	Crystal nodded. "You're the worst case tonight. Mild
hypothermia. Sounds like you guys had quite a ride"
	Neil nodded, trying to stay comfortable as warm water seeped
into his clothes. He realized his feet were numb when tiny pinpricks
of pain started to flood his toes, moving across his legs and feet.
He shivered as the cold water was replaced with warm.
	"I think he'll be fine, Sarge. Thanks for your help" Crystal
said, patting Sarge on the shoulder.
	He nodded and grinned down at Neil. "Sounds like you did a good
job out there. This storm's a big'n all right"
	Neil sat back and watched the two leave, followed by the last
few campers. "Crystal, Leah was . uh, Jennifer was out there too, is
she alright?"
	Crystal grinned. "Everyone's fine, Neil. I think Sheryl
discharged her already."
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=
	Neil slept through dinner, and dinner duty, but he didn't give
it a second thought. When Crystal checked on him he harrassed her
into letting him leave, although he had to walk back to his cabin in
a borrowed pair of sweats. Some of his clothes had to be cut off, but
he wasn't worried about it. They were frozen, covered in dirt and
horse sweat and would have taken forever to clean. With legs that
felt like lead, he staggered into his cabin and collected his shower
kit. Even after the bath, he felt slimy and dirty.
	After several minutes of soothing hot spray, Neil felt
remarkably better. The soap seemed to take all the soreness from him,
except for the chafing in his thighs, which would require some
ointment. He slumped to a seat against the wall and stretched out,
being careful not to fall asleep. A few moments later, though,
Sarge's voice boomed through the showers.
	"You in here Neil?"
	Neil grunted some sort of answer.
	"Finally. Jesus... Mom wants to talk to you. She heard you were
out of the med hut and all."
	Neil groaned, climbing to his knees. "Can't I do it tomorrow?"
	Sarge laughed. "No. She's expecting you. She was going to do it
in the admin building, but its a freezer in there thanks to the AC."
	Neil chuckled. "The cave?"
	Sarge grunted afirmatively and left Neil to rinse off.
	Neil slid carefully into the benches between Ruth and Harry,
forcing the pair apart. "Break it up, you two." he said jovially.
	Harry gave him an amused look, Ruth grined and hugged him. "I
heard you're a big hero!' she said.
	Neil shook his head. "Not me. I got stuck in the woods and
nearly froze to death" He glanced around for Dave and Harriet.
Harriet was sitting with Carol, talking with her. Dave was on the
other side of the Cave, looking dejected. "What's up with Dave and
Harriet?"
	Ruth tensed. "I... I don't know exactly. Some sort of big blow
up. I'm trying very hard to stay out of their paths"
	"Maybe I should talk to Dave."
	Ruth started to reply but Mom had stood and picked up the small
microphone, which squealed to life. "I want to thank you all for
coming. As you're aware, we got pounded pretty good by a thunderstom
tonight, and there were a few lingering issues afterwards..." Neil
glanced around, wondering. "There was probably a lightning strike on
one of the light posts, we've lost those lights and I'll need
facilities to fix them by Saturday. Second, a big thank you to the
lifeguards, although could we have a little less whistles and panic
next time?"
	Neil grinned, shifting around to try and find any guilty looks.

	"Finally" Mom continued, "special thanks go out to the
counselors and guards on the mixed trail ride, Saul, Min, Jane, Carol
and Neil." There was a round of murmuring. "Especially Neil, who
helped get all of our lovely customers and expensive horses back to
the school with minimal damage."
	Neil wondered at the damage, rubbing his legs.
	"We've got the campers sedated with cocoa and cookies, so I
think it will be a nice fireside story next year... I hope. Finally,
I need to have everyone check for damaged limbs or broken glass
tonight and tomorrow. I don't want someone stepping on something or
having a branch drop on them"
	Neil struggled to his feet after Mom finished, only to find her
right next to him. "Thank you Neil." she said seriously.
	"For what? I got stuck in the rain. Carol got everyone back"
	"Carol got them back because you kept a level head and made
sure everyone got home." she said seriously.
	Neil smiled and shrugged. "I'm the black sheep counselor, got
to clear my bad rep"
	Mom laughed and pulled him into a sideways hug. "You're off
stable duty... all duty for the rest of the week. Got it?"
	Neil nodded.
	"And you're quaranteened in your room for the rest of the
night. No company" Neil jerked and Mom laughed. "You aren't just the
black sheep counselor. I've heard some rumors about you. No campers,
I assume?"
	"No campers Mom"
	"Damn right. Get some sleep, Neil."
	Neil managed to corner Dave on his way back to the dorms, which
wasn't easy given how fast Dave was striding. "Dude... wait up!"
	Dave turned with a frown on his face. "Not now, man. Seriously"

	"What? Come on, what the hell is up with you and..."
	"You are. OK? YOU."
	Neil stumbled to a stop. "What? What do you mean, I am? I am
what?"
	"Harriet and I are... she wants to see you again, get it?"
	"And you don't want her to."
	Dave struggled for a second with a response. "No, I don't."
	"Hey.. come on, we agreed..."
	"FUCK what we agreed, ok? I'm not fucking interested in...
she's... " Dave growled and turned, stomping off toward his room.
	Neil rubbed his head and frowned. Why was this his fault? He
had barely spoken to Harriet in days, and now he's to blame for some
hangup Dave had? Neil was frustrated, tired and now a little angry
and found himself slamming the door of his cabin. He'd thought about
finding Harriet, but somehow he didn't think that would make the
situation any better. Instead he paced for a few moments, then
slumped onto the bed. Neil let the exhaustion of the day wash over
him, breathing deep to slow his heart and calm his mind. When he'd
relaxed enough to think clearly he mentally wrote Dave off until the
morning. He absently considered going to visit Marie, but it was
silly to think he'd have much to offer her in his state. Instead he
tossed off his shirt, rolled onto his unkempt bed and dug his
blankets up. He was asleep in seconds.

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