Summary:

Charlie has just received a new horse for her birthday, and is told that she has to train the young gelding herself. While dealing with her move to high school, and her new stepbrother, Charlie must learn how to deal with the difficult mustang. Soon trouble arrives, when it is discovered that the little pinto was given to the auction illegally, unknown by her father. Can Charlie fight for the right for the gelding after she's bonded with him? Or will he be taken away from her?

Please review! Let me know if you want a second chapter!

á—›Chapter Oneá—™

Hooves struck out at the trailer door, and a vicious neigh exploded from inside. Fury radiated off the mustang, and his coat was covered with sweat. He glared through the rails of the trailer at the men that stood outside, watching him warily. The other two horses, a black and white paint and a skinny bay, looked at the buckskin pinto with boredom, as if they had seen this before. The paint tossed her mane, and turned away from the the pinto, and the bay did the same.

The pinto neighed again, and struck out at the side of the trailer. One of the three men standing near the trailer turned to the tall man next to him, and jerked his thumb towards the trailer. The pinto angled his ears towards the sound of their voices. "You still sure about that one Clay? I know you told me he was for your daughter, but he seems too hard for even you to control."

Clay, the tallest one, clenched his jaw a little. He was a master horseman with a lot of pride, so the man's comment irritated him a little. But he swallowed his annoyance down and shrugged his shoulders. "Charlie needs to learn somehow. And she's good with horses. I've always made sure she's safe and hasn't bitten off more than she can chew. Charlie can read horses; I know she'll do good with this one, Bill."

Bill scratched his chin, and took his hat off. After turning it around in his hand for a moment, he finally replied. "Alright, Clay. I know you'll help. You know that I don't want that little girl of yours gettin' hurt any more than you do. Good luck with him."

Bill nodded to the other man, who was called Randy. "Randy, help me unload that pinto into Clay's trailer." Randy walked over to the trailer, and pinto's eyes widened as the door opened and sunlight hit his coat. He saw his chance to escape, and started to run. But suddenly he was yanked back by the lead rope that was tied to the railing of the trailer. He screeched in fury as he tugged harder and harder at the rope. He tried to rear, and hit his head on the roof. The pinto was growing more frustrated as he tried to get away from the trailer, and he suddenly stopped when he saw the tall man step on the ramp. He was staring intently at the man, as if hypnotized. The man moved closer, and the pinto started to back away little towards the other horses. They still ignored him, and kept their attention on the hay that was in the feeders.

Clay started to untie the lead rope, his eyes fixed on the pinto the whole time. As the rope came free from the trailer, the pinto became angry again, and tried rush past Clay as he led him to the other trailer. But Clay kept a firm grip on the lead rope, and he guided the mustang as he fought into the other trailer. As soon as the door was shut, Clay turned to face Bill and Randy. "Thanks," he said. "I better get goin'. I need to get this boy home before my daughter sees him."

Clay got into his truck, and drove away Bill's house. The pinto thrashed in the trailer, calling out to the other horses with longing neighs. They nickered, but soon the pinto was too faraway too hear them anymore. After a few kicks to the side of trailer, the mustang stopped for a moment. He could see the plains outside of trailer as they rushed by, and a fury and sadness washed over him. That had been his territory, his domain. He had been a young stallion, with a band of mares, and was a fighter. He fought and resisted his capture, tried to keep ahold of his freedom. But now it had been taken from him.

Charlie Mason raised her hand to shield her eyes as she rode on to the ranch, letting Cherokee go into a slow jog. The hot July sun bore into Charlie's sea- green eyes, and it took her awhile to identify the figure that waited in front of her. Cherokee, Charlie's chocolate brown mare, tossed her mane as Naddy Mendoza came into sight.
Naddy was Charlie's best friend, and though she was usually excited to see her, Charlie was confused as to why Naddy was here, standing by her mom's old Toyota Camry with her arms crossed. Her black hair was straightened and it hung past her shoulders, with two red highlights in her side swept bangs. She wore a kind of leather jacket with a black shirt and blue jeans. Her purple Nike tennis shoes looked brand new. She wore an irritated look on her face, her brown eyes dancing with annoyance. But a small smile crossed her lips.

"Well, you took long enough," Naddy said, glancing at Cherokee, who whuffled her lips. Charlie dismounted and held the split reins in her hands as she stood, puzzled, looking at Naddy. Naddy wasn't even supposed to be here. Aunt Kari had told Charlie that they were going to pick Naddy up in town on their way to go school shopping. Aunt Kari had also said that they were leaving at noon, and it was a quarter till eleven now. So why was Naddy here?

"Hey," Charlie replied. "I didn't know that you were coming."

Naddy shrugged her shoulders, and as she did, the zipper on her sleeve jangled around a little bit. "Mom had some trip thing for work and she has to leave for a few days. She dropped Mikey off at Uncle Roberto's house, and Kari said I could stay with you while Mom's away. And I've been waiting here for thirty minutes for you to get back. Mom's still visiting with Aunt Myra, so I've got awhile before she leaves."

Charlie nodded. "Alright," she said. "Is my aunt around?"

Naddy shrugged again, and looked towards the house. "I saw her when I took my bag inside, but that was it. She said we're still going to try to leave at noon. You wanna go put Cherokee up? I'll help you, and then we go hang out in the house until it's time to go."

Charlie loosened the cinch on Cherokee's saddle, and wiped a bit of sweat away from her brow. "Dang, it's hot, isn't?"

Naddy nodded. "Yeah. Today probably wasn't the best day to wear black. But it may rain later."

Charlie led Cherokee to the barn, the mare swishing her flaxen tail. Cherokee was exotic looking, one might say, with her silky dark chocolate coat and almost white mane and tail. The mare, at almost seventeen hands high, had once belonged to Meagan Anuhea Kalani Kalea, Charlie's mother. Meagan Kalea had given Cherokee to Charlie when she left Nevada and went back to Hawaii after divorcing Charlie's father, Clay. Meagan had loved the mare, but she didn't want to take the mare with her. It'd be too much to handle, she'd told everyone.

Charlie slid the saddle and saddle blanket off Cherokee and took it over to the saddle racks against the wall. After taking her bridle off and replacing it with a halter and lead rope, Charlie brushed Cherokee off while Naddy stood by waiting patiently.

"I guess Ricky gave you the 'before you start high school' pep talk too, huh?" Naddy asked, a hint of amusement in her tone. When Charlie shook her head, Naddy continued. "Yeah, he was talking to me last night. I called Aunt Myra, and she told me Ricky had to tell me something. So I was talking with him, and he like, 'Oh yeah, high school's hard. All the teachers are horrible, and the seniors like to prank the freshman.' " Naddy shook her head. "That idiot thinks I'm so gullible, I swear. But we always did go along with everything her said when were younger, huh?"

Charlie smiled as she led Cherokee out to the pasture near the barn. "Yeah. I think he's home today, but he might be out helping Roberto with the yearlings. He said he's got that little gray filly for himself to train."

Naddy smiled, as if she was hiding something. She seemed a little mischievous. "Well, who knows, maybe there'll be a new horse for you to train yourself."

Charlie gave Naddy a puzzled look. "Huh?"

Naddy laughed and shook her head. "Nothing, nothing. By the way, what time is your birthday party tomorrow?"

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Well, it's not really a birthday party. We're just having a nice dinner and cake, and I open a few presents. That's it."

Naddy nodded. "Ok. Whatever."

Charlie slipped Cherokee's halter off and the mare trotted away to go graze near Fireball, a bright chestnut paint. Fireball nipped Cherokee's withers, and Cherokee swung her head to move the gelding away from her.

Charlie and Naddy walked up to the house, and Aunt Kari stepped out. Aunt Kari was ready to go, obviously, with her recently curled hair and she had picked out a nice outfit to go to town. She smiled at the two girls form the porch, and waved her car keys in the air. "You guys ready to go shopping?"

Charlie sighed. She loved to hang out with her Aunt Kari, but she didn't like shopping. At all. Especially not school. shopping. And it was the middle of July, but Clay had insisted that she get it done now, so she wouldn't have to worry about it later. "Besides,"Clay had told her, "you're gonna have your hands full for the rest of the summer." With what, he hadn't said, but it made Charlie a little excited to learn what it was.

"Naddy and Charlie, you two go ahead and get in the car. I forgot my purse. I'll be right there, girls."

Charlie and Naddy hurried over to the car, and they climbed into the back seat of the pale green Honda. Aunt Kari had always said that it was too pretty for the ranch, but had never sold it. It was nice and comfortable inside, and two pretty necklaces hung from the rear view mirror. One was a long pearl necklace that had been given to Aunt Kari by Charlie's grandmother, and the other had been given to her by Charlie's mother. Aunt Kari and Meagan had always gotten along, and still talked to each other often.

Aunt Kari appeared after few moments, and sat down in the driver's seat. As they pulled out onto the main road that led away from the Cactus Springs Ranch, Aunt Kari looked at Charlie and Naddy through the rear view. "You girls ready for high school?"

Naddy kind of shrugged, and Charlie laughed. "Not really."

"Oh, why not?" Aunt Kari asked. "I loved high school. You get to go to homecoming, watch football games, just have fun, you know? You know your dad played baseball?" Charlie nodded, and Aunt Kari continued. "Yep, he met your mom at a game. She was up here visiting family and she met him after the game. And that's how it all happened," Aunt Kari finished with a chuckle. "I think I was a freshman, maybe eighth grade. Your mother was so pretty. Looked like what you would imagine a little hula girl to look like."

"Mom called you in a while?" Charlie asked.

"Yeah. The other day, she wanted me to tell you something-"

Before Aunt Kari could finish, a jet black mare bolted across the street, followed by two other mares, one dappled gray and the other bay. They were obviously mustangs. The black one seemed to be in charge, and was tall and strong looking. The bay was willowy and graceful, and the gray was built like the black mare, but smaller. The black mare was already on the other side of the road, waiting for the other two. She tossed her mane and hurried the other two along, and galloped away.

"Did you see them?" Naddy exclaimed. "Did you see them, Charlie? Oh my god,, the black one was amazing!"

Charlie was still looking back behind them to see if she could see the mustangs. Where was their stallion? Had he been injured in a fight? But if he had, then the victor stallion would have those mares. Why were they by themselves? The two mares that black mare had been herding along had looked as if they were in foal. Where was their stallion?

Charlie would have to find out from Ricky later. He always watched the mustangs that roamed near the ranch. But Charlie kept the mustangs on her mind the whole time she was in town.

End of Chapter One. Let me know if you want more of this story! Please review!