Disclaimer: I don't own the Phantom Stallion series.
Jake knew that one day his eavesdropping would get him into trouble – he knew that it wasn't something grown-ups approved of. But he couldn't help it. How else was he supposed to know what was going on? No one told him anything.
Kit and Dad were in the tack room, and Jake could hear their voices talking lowly but forcefully.
Jake just hoped that Quinn wasn't spying on him. Quinn would tell on him in a minute if he found out Jake was listening in on one of Dad's conversations. Kit probably would just smile at him, depending on the type of conversation he was having, and tell him that men respect other men's privacy.
But as Jake sneaked his way down the hallway and into an empty stall, it was clear that Quinn was nowhere to be found.
"I'll be fine, Dad. I've lived around here long enough to know what to do if a cougar attacks or if there's a flash flood. The whole point of this is to have an adult learning experience."
Jake ruffled his brows in confusion. Why would Kit be near cougars on purpose?
Jake, although he was already tiny and probably wouldn't be seen even if his dad and brother did walk out of the tack room, sat down in the stall and put his hat down low on his face. That way, if he did get caught he could pretend to be sleeping. After all, he could play the card that he didn't know any better and had a tiresome day.
"I know, son. But your grandfather can sometimes go overboard. It would just make us all more comfortable if you would call us half way through the week, just to confirm that you're okay."
Jake was starting to become upset. Kit couldn't go away! He was supposed to give Jake a formal roping lesson next week. Sure, Jake had the basic idea and movements down pat from observing the rest of his family and practicing it, but Kit was a master.
The way they were talking – about cougars and flash floods – what if Kit never came back? He was the only one of Jake's brothers who didn't mercilessly tease him. He was the only one who actually listened to Jake when he talked. Except for Mom, of course, but she didn't count. Jake, in his opinion, needed man-to-man conversations.
Kit sighed heavily. "How about this? I'll contact grandfather once during the middle of the week. I need to take this getting away and spiritual walk seriously. If I talk to you guys, it's not the same."
Jake stood up in excitement at Kit's words. Spiritual walk? That sounded awesome!
Being as quiet as an eight-year-old kid could be, Jake hurried down the barn and out towards the house.
He had to convince Kit to let him come along.
On his way to the house, Jake spotted his brothers Nate and Adam messing with the family's old blue truck.
Nate was in the driver's seat, even though he was barely fifteen, and Adam was laughing in the passenger's side. Jake wanted to go over there and see exactly what they were doing, especially since he knew that Nate would be able to get a learner's permit soon. However, Jake also knew that his brothers were already in the joshing mood and didn't feel like having his spirits ruined.
Jake kicked off his boots quickly, letting them lay astray near the front door, and threw his hat on a chair.
"Hi, honey! I heard you had a big day today!"
Mom was cooking dinner, wearing an apron and a huge smile on her face. Normally, Jake would have jumped at the chance to brag about his day to his mom, but today, he needed to plan. He could tell her how Dad had let him hold his rifle and shoot at rabbits, but right now Jake was more concerned with this spiritual walk of Kit's.
"Yeah," said Jake, trying to make a run for it up the stairs. But Mom wasn't having it.
She grabbed him by the waist and held him against her. Jake almost whined, but realized that one of his brothers was probably lurking around, and it was bad enough that Mom had him trapped.
"Jake Ely, you're going to tell me about it!" Mom tickled his sides until he laughed, even though he had been trying hard not to.
"Fine! Dad let me shoot the Winchester at a rabbit. I missed, but it was close. He said I did good for the first time!" Jake, although still a bit annoyed, felt his face light up in excitement.
Mom smiled. "You like it better than fishing?"
Jake scowled. It wasn't that he hated fishing, but he'd had a bad experience with gutting a fish last time. He'd thrown up all over the boat, and Quinn still wouldn't let him forget it.
"Yep!" He leapt up the stairs, playing his own little game to see how fast he could go. Mom had no chance of catching him.
Jake sped to his room, which he shared with Nate and Bryan. Bryan was lying down on the top bunk, looking depressed.
Jake tried his best to ignore him as he sat down on his own bed, the bottom bunk, but Bryan wasn't having it.
"Did you hear about this spiritual walk?"
Jake froze. He tried not to look disappointed, but he probably did. Of course everyone else already knew about it.
Jake nodded, laying down in his bed and facing the wall. Bryan didn't need to see his face.
Bryan leaned over his bunk to peer at Jake's back anyway.
"Well they won't let me go! I don't understand why!"
Jake sighed. If Bryan couldn't go and he was eleven, then there was no way Jake would be able to go. There went his excitement.
Jake rolled over to look at his brother. He thought about what he'd overheard.
"I heard Kit say that he wasn't supposed to talk to anyone. Maybe that's why."
Bryan blinked. "That's stupid," he said, and then rolled over on his own bunk, no longer in Jake's sight.
"What exactly is a spiritual walk, anyway?" Jake asked tentatively.
"Kit's gonna live off the land by himself for a whole week. Grandfather says it's supposed to make him an adult."
Jake didn't reply. Instead, he was thinking about how cool that sounded. Kit had to be a really smart guy to know how to live all alone out there by himself for a whole week.
"He was supposed to teach me how to rope next week," Jake said, sounding despondent.
"It's not like he's going away forever, stupid. Besides, there are plenty of us here that know how to rope. It's not like it's important that you learn right away."
Jake bit his tongue from snapping at his brother. That was the problem with living here. There were already so many boys in the family that by the time everyone got to Jake, it didn't matter. He wasn't important. And when people did pay attention to him, it was just to tell him how adorable he was and baby him. If there was one thing he'd learned from his father and brothers, it was that you were supposed to do things on your own, not have other people do them for you. Well how could he when no one trusted him to do anything?
Jake almost wished he were at River Bend with Sam. At least he knew more than she did.
But then he thought about how much she'd cried when she fell off her pony, and remembered how annoying she was.
Jake and Bryan laid in their beds, both silently brooding, until Nate barged in the room.
"Mom says dinner is ready. Wash your hands."
Bryan jumped off his bunk just as Jake was trying to stand up, and he narrowly escaped the planned attack. Bryan laughed and raced toward the bathroom ahead of him.
Jake decided to use the kitchen sink instead, and made his way downstairs slowly.
Kit and Dad were already sitting at the table, and Nate and Quinn were arguing over who would get the last can of Coke.
When Jake sat down next to Kit, almost hesitantly, he refused to look at him. How could Kit just cancel their roping lesson without telling him? It was so unfair. Jake had been looking forward to it since they'd planned it two days ago. Kit could do things with a rope that most cowboys probably couldn't.
In return, Jake decided to pretend that he didn't know anything about the spiritual walk. If Kit wanted to keep secrets, so would Jake.
Within fifteen seconds of the food being laid on the table, all of the boys were eagerly digging in. Jake looked at the food in silence. He decided to just go for what was closest to him and pretend like he didn't want mashed potatoes and gravy, which was the furthest.
Usually, whoever was sitting next to Jake, which was commonly Mom or Kit, would get some of the helpings for him since he was much smaller than most of them and would really have to fight to get to them.
Jake was cutting his chicken silently when he felt a nudge on his arm.
Kit was smiling at him, holding the bowl of mashed potatoes in one hand and fending off Adam with the other.
"Don't you want any, Baby Bear?"
Kit didn't look at him any different. His brother still wore the same large grin and spoke with a confident deep voice.
Jake shook his head and tried to return to his plate in silence.
Kit gave him some anyway. "What happened?"
Kit's voice was quiet so no one else could hear him, and Jake felt more confused than ever. Why would Kit still pretend like they were the best of friends and yet he still hadn't formally told Jake about his trip or about canceling their lessons? Maybe the lessons weren't as formal as Jake had thought they would be . . .
Jake shrugged and decided he was acting like a big baby.
"Nothing. Just not hungry."
Kit gave him a small smile, and Jake could tell his brother wasn't buying that excuse.
"Keep your secrets, little man."
Jake felt his face heating up in anger. Kit's words had only reminded him of how no one told him Kit was going away. But Jake knew what Dad would do in this situation, and that was to bite his words and get over it. So Jake sat silent.
He only looked up once because he felt eyes staring at him, and saw Dad silently watching him. Jake averted his gaze quickly, knowing that Dad had probably already figured out what was happening. Dad was good at that – knowing his sons so well that he knew their actions before anyone had actually told him.
"Listen up!" Mom shouted. Everyone immediately quieted down. As the only female in the house, she knew how to keep track of them.
"Most of you already know, but we're going to have a formal conversation about Kit's spiritual walk."
Jake looked up at Mom and refused to look anywhere else.
Kit cleared his throat, clearly uncomfortable with the way in which she'd quieted everyone down just to listen to him speak.
"I'll be living off the land for one week, starting this Sunday. Grandfather says it's our transition into adulthood, and every Shoshone man should go through one. Since I'm seventeen and about to graduate, he's decided it's time I do mine."
A few of his brothers started whispering – mainly Bryan to Nate – but the others looked at Kit with excitement.
"So, you're going to have to kill rabbits and squirrels and eat them?" Quinn asked.
Kit winced. "For part of it. I have to fast for half of it too. Grandfather says this is supposed to be a challenge that opens my eyes to the world. So I have to do it the right way."
Jake had tons of questions. Was Kit just going to be sitting around all day and doing nothing, or did he have a specific duty? Was he taking a horse with him? What supplies was he allowed to take?
Thankfully, the rest of his brothers asked the questions for him. No, Kit wouldn't have a horse because he'd have to feed it and they didn't want him worrying about more than one mouth if he didn't have to. He would be meditating on life apparently. The entire experience was meant to help him do that, although Jake didn't really understand any of it. He would be allowed one backpack, filled with jerky (just in case) and bottled water (the natural water couldn't be trusted). He would have to sleep on the bare ground.
To Jake, it sounded like a boring camping trip. But his family said it was going to be challenging, so Jake assumed he just didn't understand.
When everyone started walking around, putting their dishes in the sink, and some wandering into the living room to go watch TV, Jake climbed up the stairs silently, hoping that no one would notice him.
Jake showered and got ready for bed as slowly as possible, because for once his brothers weren't knocking on the door and telling him they needed the bathroom.
When he was in his pajamas, under his covers and drifting off to sleep, the door opened.
Jake, in an almost dreamlike state, didn't realize it until there was a soft pressure of someone sitting down on his bed.
Looking up dazedly, Jake saw Kit looking down at him.
"You feeling okay?" Kit asked.
Jake wanted to tell Kit that he was upset. He wanted to beg Kit to stay and teach him to rope, or beg him to let him come along. But Jake knew the answer to both questions would be "No", and he didn't want to get overly upset in front of his oldest brother.
"Fine," said Jake, his voice softer than it usually was. Kit motioned for him to scoot over on the small bed, and he lay down next to Jake.
It was a tight fit, considering the bed was small anyway and Kit was a large person, but Jake didn't mind.
"You want to come along, don't you?" Kit asked as he looked at the bottom of the bunk above them instead of at Jake.
Jake didn't need to answer. Kit already knew that was the problem.
They were both silent for a while. Jake wondered why Kit was still in his room if he wasn't going to say anything.
"This summer, when we're all out of school, we'll go on a camping trip to the tribal lands. I promise. It'll be fun, Jake. There are a bunch of wild horses roaming about, and some of them are friendlier than those out on the range."
Jake felt his spirits lifting, thinking about the wild horses. Kit always knew what to say to make him feel better.
"What about roping?" Jake asked quietly.
Kit turned his head to look at his little brother. It was dark, but Jake could see his eyes clearly. Kit had clearly forgotten their plan.
"I'm sorry, Baby Bear," said Kit, "But don't worry about it, okay? You're still young, you'll learn soon. Maybe when I get back, if we both have enough time once school starts again."
They were on a spring break currently, and whenever they went back to school all of them had multiple responsibilities that made it hard to plan around. Kit volunteered with the fire department, and he was also trying to look around for colleges this upcoming fall.
Jake nodded, but he still wanted to learn how to rope right now. What kind of cowboy couldn't rope?
"Hey," Kit said, ruffling his hair as he stood from the bed, "you'll be a great roper one day. It's in your blood."
But Jake was also thinking about what Sam's dad had said to him – that once Jake became more experienced with ranching he might let him help out sometimes. Jake would probably not get that chance at Three Ponies for many years, considering he already had so many older brothers who were capable.
"Mr. Forster said that if I learn, I can help him sometimes," Jake said, the excited, boy-like tone back to his voice.
Kit smiled a true smile. "Even if it means having a little mosquito following you around the whole time?"
Jake scowled. Kit usually refrained from teasing him about Sam – the little girl who lived on the neighboring ranch whose favorite pastime was to follow Jake around.
Kit gave a loud laugh at the look on Jake's face.
"Mosquito's only follow horses around because they want their blood, Mustang."
Jake gave him a weird look. "You mean she wants to drink my blood?"
Kit chuckled. "No, Jake. I just mean that you two are friends and go well together. She only follows you because she looks up to you. Remember that."
Jake sighed. "Whatever."
Kit pointed a finger at him. "Don't give me that, young man."
Jake started giggling even before Kit was coming towards him. They ended up on the floor, Jake trying with all his strength to pin Kit down. Even though Kit was stronger and could instantly win, he let Jake struggle but still refused to be beaten himself.
They fought playfully until Bryan reappeared, and then Nate. Four of them rolling around on the floor together brought it to the attention of their parents, who wanted their house to stay relatively undamaged.
"You know better," Dad joked, ushering Kit out of the room. Kit smiled and shrugged, unconcerned.
Jake went to sleep that night, thinking happy thoughts about that summer's camping trip and his possible roping lessons from one of the best roper's around – his brother.
But time would tell a different story.
Because shortly after Kit returned from the spiritual walk, he retreated into himself and rarely spoke when around his parents. He was constantly cranky and didn't feel like playing around anymore. When he did call Jake Baby Bear, which Jake enjoyed immensely because none of his other brothers had a special nickname, it was usually out of frustration and not affection.
Right after Kit graduated high school, he woke them all up at four in the morning to say his goodbyes, to the dismay of his parents.
Jake watched his favorite brother walk away, choosing an unknown life over his family. He was just a child; Jake didn't understand why Kit had broken his promises and he didn't like it.
For the next four years, the only time Jake saw his big brother was on a television screen, where he was an unfamiliar face giving odd interviews in the rodeo circuit.
AN: Hi! I wanted to write this story because I find both Jake and Kit interesting characters. There will probably be three chapters. One when Jake is little, one when Kit visits when Jake is eleven, and one that covers their interactions in the final book. Thank you for reading and please review :)