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Chapter Six: Another Class And Beach Rides

Crystal left at a quarter to five for her first class of the evening and once on arrival there, Matt went over the very basic things, making sure that she understood thoroughly.

At a quarter to six she left there for her second class of the evening, Jeet Kune Do. Once on arrival there she trained hard, making sure that she knew what she was doing and sticking to doing only the things that she knew she could do.

She left there at a quarter to seven for Karate and Kick-Boxing, her third class of the evening, and once on arrival there, David started to teach her slightly harder things, still really easy for an expert like himself but hard for a beginner like Crystal.

She had only been there a little while before Matt walked over to her.

"What do you want Matt?" she asked, almost coldly. "Come to hassle me again?!"

The man winced visibly, feeling, and deliberately showing how hurt he was and when she realised this, the young woman sighed.

"I am really sorry, Master Levinson." she whispered, bowing slightly in respect, her eyes closing as she trembled. "That was entirely uncalled for and very rude of me."

Shocked a little, Matt laughed wickedly to himself, thinking. ~It feels good to hear the word Master, coming out of that pretty little mouth. I want to hear it again. More often. Weekly, if not daily... Or by the Dark Gods... Hourly... ~

He smirked a bit wider as he replied. "I only wanted to say that you are already showing improvement in my class. I never got chance to say so before you left earlier, you're really speedy when you want to be."

The young woman blushed, remaining silent with her head bowed as she stood before him, still trembling and that visibly.

"Well done." Matt continued, before resting a cold hand on her bared neck, flexing his fingers against her skin; raking his nails across it and inwardly snickering as she shivered, and pressed helplessly, into his touch. "You are such a good girl, and you are trying so hard to get strong and that strength that you are looking for will come to you, eventually." his voice lowered then. "Do you have anything to say, Ice, pet? You may talk."

Swallowing hard, Crystal licked her lips before she whispered. "I... Thank-you for your praise Matt sir, and for accepting me into your class."

Matt snickered. "You have earned my praise and as long as you keep up the hard work, you will keep earning it. You are such a good girl."

Crystal nodded, fervently. "I will work hard."

Matt sneered a little then went back to his own training. Crystal left at a quarter to nine for her fourth and final class of the night, Judo. When she arrived, she stayed stock still, eyeing Hector.

"Is it possible for me to trust you while I am within these walls, Hector?" she asked, calmly. "I mean... You are..."

Hector leered then sighed. "Yes, it is and yes, I am."

Crystal nodded then. On entering the main area of the Hall, Hector began to teach her the most basic moves that he knew. Before she left at ten o'clock Hector said. "Judo is like the other martial arts that you have done Crystal."

The young woman smiled faintly, sighing heavily. "Good. I need all the help I can get against you lot."

Hector seemed about to say something, but she was gone before she could.

Crystal drove home then, worn out.

The following day, from eight o'clock in the morning, Crystal was exercising her horses. She had exercised the first pair and had seen Chad, Seth, and the others on the beach even at that time in the morning and they were still there when she arrived on the beach some-time later with the second pair of mares, Holy and Ivy.

~I really can't believe that they are up this early and are still here. I've been up for hours, it feels like, and they would have to have been up just after me to be here this early.~ she mused, cantering slowly past with the two horses. ~They must be crazy. Absolutely bloody nuts.~

Chuckling a little, she found that Holy and Ivy made a good pair and she pondered on loaning them out for one of the Christmas pantomimes that would be in the area. She was back down on the beach some-time later with Sunrise and Jyngles, exercising them and finding they too were a good match up. Chad, Seth, and the others were still there. When she came back on to the beach with Pearl and Gift, Crystal was very surprised to see the guys still hanging around, talking quietly amongst themselves, but she didn't know what about.

She inwardly wondered. ~Are they blind? Have they even seen me coming backwards and forwards? I mean... They've been here for hours... Really... I... Can't... ~

Mentally shrugging, she turned her attention to her horses, finding out that the two were another matching couple, a perfect team. Reaching the yard again she laughed, "Fear next."

Chad and the others meanwhile, had spotted Crystal but lazily couldn't be bothered to try and get her as well as the fact that they had seen her come down four times with eight different horses and so were shocked.

Sebastian sighed. "The only horse that we have not seen is that stallion."

Chad snickered, lazily. "Speak of the devil. Here they come!"

Galloping through the surf with Fear, Crystal couldn't believe that Seth, Chad, and his friends were still there.

~Fear is going to go nuts soon, I know he is.~ she thought. ~And not just because they are there. He's in one of those moods again... ~

She calmly schooled the highly-strung stallion for a while, before letting the horse bolt across the sand and run as and where he wished.

"Let it all out Fear." she called lowly. "Feel all that tension just fade away. Just let it all just drift away and forget about it."

Again, Crystal was riding bareback, in all actuality she hardly ever rode him with a saddle. The pair were halfway across the beach when the stallion skidded to a halt, half rearing and almost clattering the young woman on the nose with the back of his head. Crystal clung like a limpet to his back, her hands knotted around the reins and in his long mane as he reared fully, screaming in rage, pawing at the air just in front of Chad.

"Ssh. It is okay, ssh. Good lad." the young woman whispered into the horse's flicking ear. "Do you remember what I taught you?" she nudged, ever so gently with her heels and shortened her reins, leaning further forwards as the stallion kept rearing. "Ovah!"

Chad blinked, stepping aside, and just in time as Fear lashed out with his front hooves before bolting, Crystal clung like a burr to his back. Chad and the others were left, coughing in the dust and completely shocked, apart from her cousin, who knew her too well.

"Well, now we know why Crystal has looked so tired the past few days." said Jacob, brushing sand from his clothes. "She has been exercising all of her horses daily."

"Don't forget Tai Chi and Meditation." reminded Matt, calmly.

Chad smiled, slyly. "Or Karate and Kick-Boxing."

Eric chuckled. "There is also the fact that she has been going to Jeet Kune Do."

Hector nodded. "And Judo."

Seth chuckled softly, highly amused, thinking inwardly. ~Crystal is fit, she can handle it. These men sound almost worried about her. These men who say they hate her and don't care about her, at all. That want her enslaved...~

"And it is Friday today." said Logan. "So..."

"Does that mean another class that she does?" queried Byron. "She keeps so busy..."

Aaron snickered. "Yes. Archery at four o'clock."

Matt shook his head, smirking. "She is going to be so tired."

Chad nodded, snickering. "She is that."

On arrival back at her stable-yard she gave her stallion a good brush before putting him back in his field again.

After eating her own lunch, the young woman went into the city and bought another car, a blue Jaguar XKE after which she put the car in the garage.

The remainder of the afternoon saw the young woman buying more mares and on arrival home again she put them with the others before putting away their things in the right places and bringing Finch and Pearl in.

The three new mares were called Golden Snuff-box, or Snuffbox who was a palomino Highland pony, Black Magic, or Magic who was a black Connemara and True Fear, or True who was a blood bay Connemara.

Crystal fed all of the horses, swept the yard clean then left, putting the alarms back on before she entered the house to shower, change into clean clothes and have her own tea.

The young woman left at five minutes to four for her Archery club and in her silver Jeep, as usual. She practised as hard as she could, considering there was a competition coming up in the new year before she left for Tai Chi and Meditation.

On arrival there, Matt showed her slightly more advanced techniques, but still very basic. The young woman was glad of the calmness and the chance to restore some mental energy, among other things.

She left at a quarter to six for Jeet Kune Do where Lucian taught her slightly more advanced techniques, her paying close attention to his words and actions.

Crystal left there at almost seven o'clock for Karate and Kick-Boxing. When she arrived, David started to teach her slightly more advanced techniques as well as making sure she kept up with the really basic things that he had taught her already.

During a rest period the man asked. "So, what did you do today Crystal?"

The young woman chuckled, taking a long drink of water.

"I exercised nine of my horses, bought a new car and three new mares." Crystal explained. "I am building up a breeding herd you see. I intend to offer my Stud, which is my stallion, to other mares. His family line is a good one. Good jumpers and racers." she smiled then. "I went to Archery after that, from there to Meditation and there to another fitness class." laughing, she added. "Then from there to here."

David laughed along with the young woman. "Is that all?"

Crystal shook her head. "Nope. From here it is to a third fitness class and from there it is home."

The man chuckled. "Sounds like a full day."

The woman laughed.

"It is." she agreed. "I am dog-tired!"

David laughed some more before leaving Crystal to practise. She had only been practising for several minutes when Chad and the others went over to her, surrounding her.

Crystal tensed, sliding into a battle-ready stance, her eyes glittering. Seth dipped his head very slightly, so prideful of his younger cousin and knowing that she would keep getting stronger. Crystal settled down as she caught Seth's look and she allowed a contented smirk to travel across her face, eyes sparkling.

"Wha... " she started to say.

Chad inhaled, rubbing at his chin before he spoke.

"Nothing is actually wrong Crystal, honey." he said honestly, startling her because he used her actual name. "Not unless you think pushing yourself so hard is wrong."

Matt bit his lip.

"We are just worried about you Crystal. We really are, for all we say we hate you." he said. "I know you're frightened and feel like you have to be strong to evade us... But... We... Well..." he paused, thinking. "None of us wan..."

Damon nodded, as he interrupted with. "I mean we don't like you but at the same time, we think that you are trying to do too much too fast. You need to slow down before you burn yourself out..."

The young woman raised one eyebrow, allowing them to speak.

"Go on..." she encouraged, softly. "Keep talking."

Hector spoke then, chewing on his lip. "I mean. You are quite obviously exercising your horses daily, as well as looking after them in other ways, whatever they are."

Chad added.

"That is, before you, like today for example, go to Archery, Tai Chi, and Meditation, Jeet Kune Do, Karate and Kick-Boxing and finally Judo."

Crystal smiled, wryly, faintly amused, but not nastily. "You obviously lost me this afternoon then."

The woman back-flipped as Jeremy growled. "Yeah, where did you go away off to?"

She chuckled. "I went to buy three more mares."

Silence fell for a second before Jacob said, taking a guess. "So, you own twelve horses? That is ten mares, one stallion and one... Gelding?"

Crystal nodded.

"Yeah. Do you want to see me exercising them all or some-thing?" she snickered. "I mean... It's not like... Oh I don't know... You haven't been after me for years."

Aaron sneered at her. "What a clever idea Crystal. We do. From seven tomorrow morning on the beach, until whenever you finish riding them, which is likely about lunch time..."

The young woman muttered. "Me and my big mouth."

Chad snickered. "Well Crystal?"

She nodded, tiredly. "Yeah okay. I will be there."

At a quarter to nine Crystal left for Judo and on arrival there Hector kept her training with the very few moves that she knew. It was after ten o'clock when she left there for home and once at home, she checked the horses then went to bed after locking everything up again. She slept badly that night, tossing and turning, bad memories surfacing as she slept, though she couldn't even remember them when she was awake...

Surprisingly Crystal was up and around before seven o'clock and on the beach with the first three horses. Finch, Magic and True for the time that she said she would be there. Chad, Seth, and the others were there too, waiting for her. Yawning a bit and that widely, the very fit young woman found that while the trio were a good match, so were Magic and True.

Time passed, and she was back on the beach with the second three. Wombat, Holy and Ivy. While training she found that they were all a good match with each other and Crystal chuckled, happily.

The next three to be exercised were Sunrise, Jyngles and Gift. She found that they were not good matches as a trio but good as pairs.

Stretching tired limbs, as she got back to her yard she smiled a little and then left with two of the last ones. Snuff-Box and Pearl, soon arriving on the long beach with them.

Chad and the others watched, fascinated and shocked by the number of horses, and how beautiful they were, that the young African woman had already exercised. Seth, of course just snorted and watched, knowing full well how rich

Crystal was and what she was capable of at any given moment, even when she was really tired. Crystal laughed as she exercised the two mares, them matching each other stride for stride, moving easily as a team.

"Clever girls." she muttered as she un-tacked them once back in her yard.

Meanwhile, on the beach, Logan said. "She has been down with eleven different horses!"

Matt nodded. "Only the stallion..."

He trailed off as Crystal and the stallion arrived on the beach.

"And there we are." laughed Chad softly.

Reaching the yard again, Crystal brushed all the horses then turned them back out into the fields again before she went to get her own lunch.

After she had eaten she went into the city and bought another car for her 'collection', which was a silver coloured Ferrari F-40. On arrival at her garage, the young woman laughed.

"All my lovely vehicles!" she grinned. "My green Porsche 911 Targa, my black Ferrari GTO, my blue Jaguar XKE, my silver Cherokee Jeep, my silver Ferrari F-40, my red BMW Z3 and my blue GMC horse-van."

Still chuckling, Crystal brought in Finch and Pearl before feeding every horse that she had, sweeping the yard then locking it all up securely and entering her house for her own tea and a shower.

She left, in the Jeep, at half past four to go to her first class of the night which was Tai Chi and Meditation. Once there, Matt kept the young woman practising what she already knew, wanting her to get as good as she could with the little she knew before he would teach her anything new. At six o'clock she arrived at Jeet Kune Do and trained in the things that she already knew as much as she possibly could, working as hard as she could. She left at a quarter to seven for Karate and Kick-Boxing. When she got there David said, firmly.

"You are not ready to learn any other techniques yet. When you can do the ones, you know without having to think too hard about them then you will be ready for the next stage."

Crystal nodded in understanding and started to train, hard.

"Okay." she said, during a rest period. "I am really tired today, but I will do my best."

David nodded a bit then smiled. "What did you do today Crystal that has made you so tired?"

The woman laughed. "Well, all morning, more or less I was exercising my horses." she explained. "I had my lunch then went to buy another new car."

"Go on." prodded David, gently. "What else?"

"I came home, brought two of the horses in for the night, fed all twelve of them, swept the yard, locked everything up then entered the house to shower and for my own tea." Crystal replied. "Then I had Meditation, then a fitness class and then here." she laughed then. "And after this it is one of my other fitness classes before I go home... Then I can relax. Oh... I really can't wait... A day to myself to relax and everything."

David laughed, very amused. "I bet that you are glad that it is Sunday tomorrow. Right Crystal?"

The woman blinked then chuckled. "Yeah. A day I can relax, a little."

David smiled. "Keep practising anyway Crystal, it is good to see that you are determined about this."

He walked away then, not hearing her last comment.

"If I can't do this I may end up dead, or worse." she whispered. "I have to do this and to the best that I possibly can..."

Crystal left at a quarter to nine for Judo and she practised everything that she had been taught, trying to get it right. When the young woman arrived home, she was completely worn out and she checked the horses before going to bed.

From seven o'clock the next morning, Crystal was exercising her horses and after they were all exercised she turned them back into their fields before she went for her lunch, glad that she had the afternoon free.

Morgan came round at two o'clock that afternoon with his horse, Silver. Crystal was lying sprawled on the front lawn, dozing in the sunshine when he smiled down at her and stroked one hand along her side.

"Hi there honey." the man purred, warmly. "How are you?"

The woman stretched like a cat then opened one eye. "I am fine thanks Morgan dear, apart from being exhausted."

The man raked his eyes across his girlfriend's sylphlike shape worriedly before settling on her face, smiling faintly as he spoke. "Why are you tired?"

"Put Silver in a loose-box and come in for a cuppa." Crystal said, sitting up. "Then I will tell you."

Morgan chuckled and did so. Once in the house and sipping a mug of warm tea, Crystal said. "Well firstly because I have twelve horses to exercise daily."

Morgan grinned. "That would tire you out, yes."

"On top of all that, there is the various clubs that I go to. I go to Archery, on Fridays, Karate and Kick-Boxing, Jeet Kune Do, Tai Chi and Meditation, and Rock-Climbing, on Mondays when it starts again, as well as Running on Wednesdays and your Dancing class on Thursdays when they both start again." the young woman added.

Morgan's eyes raked over her face.

"You need some help Crystal darling, to stop you getting so tired." he said finally. "You really do."

Crystal snickered, her eyes gleaming with amusement. "Are you offering to help me Morgan, treasure?"

The man looked mock-stern before he laughed. "Hell no. I have nearly as many horses as you to exercise and look after. I am needing help too. You know how many horses and ponies I have, as well as a few donkeys..."

She smiled then. "Did you see the herd on the way up?"

Morgan nodded. "I did yes, it is starting to get big with ten mares and that fine stallion you have."

"I don't think any of the mares are in foal yet, I think it is too soon, but we will see." Crystal chuckled. "Maybe I'm wrong, maybe I'm right. No idea."

Time passed, and Morgan left with Silver, saying. "Take care Crystal darling. I will ring you tomorrow."

Stretching, the young woman reached up and kissed the man before she said lovingly. "You too Morgan. Be careful as you pass the herd."

He smiled, teasingly. "You could come down too honey."

Crystal looked around. "But there is no horse in."

Morgan chuckled, entertained by his beautiful girlfriend.

"Silver can carry two people." he reminded. "Silly girl."

Crystal blushed. "Let me just get a couple of lead-ropes."

Soon after that, Crystal and Morgan were riding down the drive on Silver, Crystal sitting in front of her boyfriend, relaxing in his arms. Once at the field the stallion roared and Morgan rubbed at his face.

"Here we go again."

Crystal narrowed her eyes as Fear charged at the very strong fence.

"Stop it Fear!" she growled, fondly, sliding from Silver's back and making flapping motions. "Away with you. Stop your nonsense."

Stunned, the stallion spun away then stood, watching silently.

"He is not going to steal your mares." she said, climbing the fence, and entering the field. "Get over it!"

Fear eyed the slim woman before trotting over to her and nosing gently at her shape.

Crystal laughed and stroked him gently before pushing him away.

"Go on." she said, fondly. "Away with you."

As the stallion cantered away, likely to get a drink, the woman laughed. "That was Fear." she grinned. "My big boy!"

"He is a beautiful piece of horse-flesh Crystal." Morgan said, entering the field. "You have yourself a top-grade stallion. You are very lucky to have him."

Catching True and Magic, the woman grinned. "This is True, the blood bay and Magic, the black."

Morgan nodded. "What are they like to ride?"

"Magic is..." she laughed. "If you think riding Silver on a difficult day is terrible then try riding Magic. I mean, really."

The man smiled, teasingly. "Okay. I will."

Gob smacked, Crystal watched her boyfriend climb on to the mare's back.

"Are you ready for me to let go?" she asked. "Sure?"

"Yes." said Morgan. "Sure."

Wincing, she let go, half wanting to cover her eyes so that she couldn't see and half wanting to see.

The moment the black mare was loose she bolted, bucking all the way across the big field and through the herd.

Crystal sighed in relief then, glad that Morgan stayed on after the spirited little mare buck-jumped. Her boyfriend rode the mare back over to the young woman and slid off her back.

"Had fun?" Crystal teased gently as she let Magic go. "Looked it."

Morgan glared at her then laughed. "What is True like to ride?"

The woman smirked. "She is nearly as bad as Magic. Want a shot?"

Morgan shook his head. "Hell no."

Crystal released True then before she caught Sunrise and Gift.

"This is Sunrise and Gift." she smiled. "Sunrise is like Pearl to ride and Gift is like Finch to ride. Great in other words."

"Pretty mares." Morgan chuckled. "Like their owner."

The young woman nodded before she released those two and caught Jyngles and Ivy.

"This is Jyngles and she is like Pearl to ride but she has an even softer mouth." she said, indicating the right mare. "And this is Ivy and she is the same but with a hard mouth, poor girl."

The young man nodded before Crystal released the two mares and caught Snuff-Box and Pearl.

"This is Snuff-box and she is like Magic to ride with an extremely soft mouth." she smiled. "And you know the Pearl. You know her almost as well as I do."

Morgan nodded, feeding the two mares a polo mint each before his girlfriend let them go and caught Fear, leading him over to the fence.

"You know the other two mares." Crystal laughed. "And this is Midnight Fear."

Morgan whistled.

"Big stallion." he commented. "What can you do with him?"

Crystal blinked. "I can do almost anything with him. I will ride him over tomorrow."

Morgan laughed. "Okay. See you tomorrow."

Crystal nodded, and Morgan left. Releasing Fear, the young woman climbed back over the fence and walked back up to the house, dropping the lead-ropes off in the tack room. She had her dinner then brought in Finch and Pearl before feeding them and the rest of the horses before sweeping the yard, relocking the place up and re-entering her house to take a shower.

Deciding against going to Tai Chi and Meditation, Crystal was able to relax for almost an hour before she pondered Jeet Kune Do before she decided against going to that too. She left at a quarter to seven for Karate and Kick-Boxing.

Once she arrived David smiled gently, glad to see that she wasn't looking as tired as she had been the day before.

"I will teach you another technique Crystal." he said. "You seem to be fitter tonight."

Crystal smiled. "Cool. And that will be because I did not bother going to my two classes earlier, I was too busy relaxing. Nice to relax sometimes."

David laughed. "I see, and yes, it is."

She was in the middle of her second rest when Seth, Chad and the others walked in. The young woman twitched before ignoring them and resuming training.

~Great.~ Crystal thought. ~They will, probably, bug me again.~

Shaking her head slightly, she licked her lips then focused on what it was that she was trying to do, her eyes narrowing. The young woman was deep in practising when they surrounded her, hiding her from David's view. What she did not know was that David had been called away from the Hall for a little while and had left Chad in charge.

Rolling her shoulders, she continued to concentrate and train hard.

"Think you are good, do you Crystal?" taunted Damon as she back-flipped. "Hmm...?" he smirked a little, coldly. "Well?"

Landing easily, she twitched and backed a step. "No." she whispered, lowering her head. "I think that I am okay though. It'll take me a while before I can come close to any of you... In technique and everything..."

Logan stepped close then and the young, fit woman back-flipped again, kicking the man in the face as well as knocking him down.

"Try knocking me down." taunted Jacob. "Come on."

"What is this?!" Crystal snarled, her lips skimming back from her teeth. "A trial?"

Chad laughed, coldly and, nastily. "No, we just feel like beating you up. Ice."

The young woman flinched, quietly as she whispered. "Well, you can't."

Matt sniggered, his voice hard. "There is no-one here to stop us Crystal."

She trembled.

"Fight us Crystal." taunted Hector. "Show us what you have learnt so far. In any of your classes that you are doing now. We want to see how good you are."

Chad nodded, silently, watching the terrified female. Crystal started to fight, using the few moves that she knew, but even so, she managed to get to the point where Chad would fight her. Of course, the other males, apart from Seth, were setting her up for a fall. Chad watched her, intently as she took a drink of water, her head downcast and figure trembling with weariness as well as fear and pain.

"My turn now, my Little One." the Manchester man purred darkly as he stepped forwards towards Crystal. "You had better be ready, Crystal dear. I will hurt you and badly."

The woman yelped helplessly and backed a step before she started to fight Chad, the man playing with her like a predatory animal did with its victim before it overwhelmed it. When she stopped for another drink, she was shaking even harder.

The fight began again, and Chad really began to fight, every single one of his hits connecting with Crystal and making the fragile female sob in pain. The last few moves of the arse-kicking that the fight had turned into, they had both tried to kick each other but the last time Crystal had tried she had fallen, landing hard but before she could rise Chad pounced on her, pinning her down to the floor, an arm around her throat.

"Give in, damn it!" he growled, feeling her wriggling beneath him.

Panting, Crystal growled. "No way Chad. You will not win, not if I can help it."

The fourth Dan black belt leered. "You can't help it Ice. You are losing."

"No, don't bet on your win." she snarled, poisonously. "You can't."

Chad snickered, squeezing his arm around her neck, forming his grip into a head-lock instead just a restrictive grip.

"I can, Crystal." he smiled slyly, jerking his arm harder. "See?" he shifted a little. "I'm so much more powerful than you so, yes, I can bet on beating you."

Absolutely terrified, Crystal sobbed, squirming even more, snapping at Chad's shape with her teeth. Angry, Chad jerked his hand harder, almost knocking the slim female out. "Don't try to bite me Ice. Ever."

Sobbing brokenly, Crystal whimpered. "Please, no more. I give."

Chad smiled slyly and lazily, a gentle hand drawing down the woman's pinned shape and tantalising her senses and body lightly, before he lowered his head and nuzzled at her neck, gently. Humiliation made Crystal's cheeks glow and she drooped, her eyes closed, her quivering with helpless pleasure, panting slightly, almost pleading for more, without that she uttered a sound.

"I win." he said softly, letting her go. "I told you I would."

He stood then, walking away with all his friends, and leaving the Hall.

"I..." she started to say, before she fell silent. "I..."

Seth hunkered down beside his cousin, helping her to roll over and sit up, before hugging her gently. He did not say anything, just smiled gently when Crystal purred, croakily and wordlessly as she relaxed. He kissed her forehead then he left too. David returned a couple of minutes later, but no-one told him what had happened while he was gone, and no-one ever would do.