"Cari! Your Da needs you in the Pens!" Zigor yelled from the doorway of
the hut.
After a quick glance at mum, I put my embroidery supplies on the shelf and gave my pet cat, Fox, a pat and ran out the door before Mum could change her mind.
I took a deep breath of wildflower-scented air. Zigor had probably already gotten back to the barn so he could finish his chores and work on his horse, White Mist. I took my time, remembering the first time Da let me help him in the pens about six years ago and the five years before that I had helped Arun tend the sheep. And playing with birds, cats, and other animals even before I helped Arun with the sheep. For some unexplainable reason animals were always attracted to me. I don't care. It makes working with them easier and more fun.
When I got to the Pens- which are eight round corrals with fenced in walkways, just in case a horse gets loose, leading to our red and white barn and white-fenced pasture-lands- Da was working the most headstrong and difficult filly that we currently had in training: Black Which. Black Witch was a four year-old black Hunter filly Da agreed to train for some lord or other.
"Hey, Cari! All you need to do is work your 'magic'. It seemed to work last time- so here's hoping!" He said in his singsong stay-calm voice he adopts while working with young or inexperienced horses.
"Sure, Da." I replied.
Da, whose name is Kyril Nicolas and the son of a mercenary, has very muscular arms and shoulders from working horses, brown eyes and hair that's cut so short it's practically non-existent, and a golden-brown tan which is present all year round. I think we're part Shin'a'in or the like but when I ask, no one gives a definite.
When the sun's rays started to touch the tops of the pine trees that surrounded this particular pen, Da had me cool Black Which off and put her up so he could talk to Mum.
Several days later, on my birthday to be exact, we were eating supper when Da made an announcement.
"I've decided to take a few promising horses up to Havens next spring. And I'm taking Zigor with me." Da said as he glanced at Zigor, who in turn, made a sympathetic face at me while Mum and Da weren't looking. He'd always known that I wanted to go to Haven and visit some old family friends that had moved there ten years ago. After supper, he managed to corner as I was lugging water for Winger.
"Cari, sorry you weren't picked to go this year, maybe next year, eh?" he teased.
"Yeah, maybe." I replied downheartedly, while little pinpricks of tears formed in my eyes. Zi left shortly after, he'd probably seen my tears and left so I wouldn't be embarrassed. With tears still streaming down my cheeks and blurring my sight, I watered the rest of the horses and fed them.
"Mum? Have you seen Fox? He wasn't in my room last night or come when I called for breakfast." I asked two months after Da had announced that he was taking Zigor to Haven with him.
"Did you look in the barn?" I nodded. "How about the cellar?" I nodded again. "Why don't you ask your father? Hmm?" She said as she started making lunch. So I took a quick trip to the Pens.
When I got there, Da was working Fancy Gal, a four-year-old filly he was planning on selling in Haven. He looked up just as I managed to get to the top of the fence. "Ah, Cari. Just the young lady I wanted to see. Do you want to climb aboard Gal and put her through her paces?" he asked cheerfully as he wiped sweat off his face. Even though it was fall, with the heat as hot as it was in mid-summer.
"Uh, sure." I replied. After warming Gal up, I trotted, cantered and galloped her. As I was cooling her out, I remembered just why I'd came up here. "Da? Have you seen Fox?"
He shifted to his other foot and would not look me in the eyes as he normally does. Uh-oh, something's not right. "I hate to tell you this, honey, but Fox is -he's dead. I found him dead by your bedroom window this morning. I think he might have gotten in a catfight with Harry's dog, Ramose. I'm sorry, honey, I really am." But I didn't hear him, as soon as I heard he was dead, I had vaulted off Gal's back ran to the fence and climbed over it and took off.
I ran and ran and ran until my lungs hurt and my legs felt like rubber. I ended up by my old hiding place and flung myself on the ground. The tears came just as I landed on the ground. "Why? Why did you do it? Why did Fox have to die?! Why? Why did you get your self killed, Fox? One of my only friends. Idiot dog." I ranted over and over. Candlemarks later, when all my tears were dried up, I headed back to the hut. It was suppertime by the time I got back.
"Feeling better, sweetheart? One of the barn cats just had kittens, if you can tame one, which I know you will be able to, you can keep it in the house." Mum said as she dished up some gruel for me, trying to console me.
"No, I don't want another cat, I just want Fox. He was ... special. I don't feel any better, either. I feel- I don't know, terrible. May I be excused please?" I asked after nibbling on the food for several minutes, feeling much worse than I could easily explain.
"Sure, honey. Don't worry about chores tomorrow, Zigor'll do them for you." Da told me.
"That's O.K. I'll - I'll do them my self. I'll be O.K." I replied as I filled with longing, because Fox wouldn't be there with me, howling his head off for his breakfast.
Once upstairs, I changed into an over-large tunic and lose leggings. Then I pulled out a book about Herald Lavan Firestorm, but had to put it up half a candlemark later because tears made reading impossible.
"Cari? Can I come in" Mum asked.
"I - I guess." I managed to get out between sobs.
"You know, I remember a song Grandma used to sing to me when I was younger and I lost something important to me. Would you like me to sing it to you?"
Surprised, I nodded my tear-stained face and brushed my shoulder length brown-blonde hair out of my face. Mummy hardly ever sang. She had an awesome voice, but never used it much.
"Hush, now, my baby, my little girl.
It may not be as bad s it seems.
But while you mourn your recent loss,
I wish to you the sweetest of dreams.
May they be of the good times you had.
But while your heart feels like it's gone.
May you slumber 'till the worst pain has fled.
Hush, now, my baby, my little girl." She sang. "Now, why don't you go to sleep, huh? Maybe it won't hurt as much tomorrow. Night, sleep tight."
"Night, don't let the bed bugs bite. Say night to Da for me please? Thanks." Mummy blew out the candle and I curled up on my side and tried not to think about where Fox would be if he were still alive.
After a quick glance at mum, I put my embroidery supplies on the shelf and gave my pet cat, Fox, a pat and ran out the door before Mum could change her mind.
I took a deep breath of wildflower-scented air. Zigor had probably already gotten back to the barn so he could finish his chores and work on his horse, White Mist. I took my time, remembering the first time Da let me help him in the pens about six years ago and the five years before that I had helped Arun tend the sheep. And playing with birds, cats, and other animals even before I helped Arun with the sheep. For some unexplainable reason animals were always attracted to me. I don't care. It makes working with them easier and more fun.
When I got to the Pens- which are eight round corrals with fenced in walkways, just in case a horse gets loose, leading to our red and white barn and white-fenced pasture-lands- Da was working the most headstrong and difficult filly that we currently had in training: Black Which. Black Witch was a four year-old black Hunter filly Da agreed to train for some lord or other.
"Hey, Cari! All you need to do is work your 'magic'. It seemed to work last time- so here's hoping!" He said in his singsong stay-calm voice he adopts while working with young or inexperienced horses.
"Sure, Da." I replied.
Da, whose name is Kyril Nicolas and the son of a mercenary, has very muscular arms and shoulders from working horses, brown eyes and hair that's cut so short it's practically non-existent, and a golden-brown tan which is present all year round. I think we're part Shin'a'in or the like but when I ask, no one gives a definite.
When the sun's rays started to touch the tops of the pine trees that surrounded this particular pen, Da had me cool Black Which off and put her up so he could talk to Mum.
Several days later, on my birthday to be exact, we were eating supper when Da made an announcement.
"I've decided to take a few promising horses up to Havens next spring. And I'm taking Zigor with me." Da said as he glanced at Zigor, who in turn, made a sympathetic face at me while Mum and Da weren't looking. He'd always known that I wanted to go to Haven and visit some old family friends that had moved there ten years ago. After supper, he managed to corner as I was lugging water for Winger.
"Cari, sorry you weren't picked to go this year, maybe next year, eh?" he teased.
"Yeah, maybe." I replied downheartedly, while little pinpricks of tears formed in my eyes. Zi left shortly after, he'd probably seen my tears and left so I wouldn't be embarrassed. With tears still streaming down my cheeks and blurring my sight, I watered the rest of the horses and fed them.
"Mum? Have you seen Fox? He wasn't in my room last night or come when I called for breakfast." I asked two months after Da had announced that he was taking Zigor to Haven with him.
"Did you look in the barn?" I nodded. "How about the cellar?" I nodded again. "Why don't you ask your father? Hmm?" She said as she started making lunch. So I took a quick trip to the Pens.
When I got there, Da was working Fancy Gal, a four-year-old filly he was planning on selling in Haven. He looked up just as I managed to get to the top of the fence. "Ah, Cari. Just the young lady I wanted to see. Do you want to climb aboard Gal and put her through her paces?" he asked cheerfully as he wiped sweat off his face. Even though it was fall, with the heat as hot as it was in mid-summer.
"Uh, sure." I replied. After warming Gal up, I trotted, cantered and galloped her. As I was cooling her out, I remembered just why I'd came up here. "Da? Have you seen Fox?"
He shifted to his other foot and would not look me in the eyes as he normally does. Uh-oh, something's not right. "I hate to tell you this, honey, but Fox is -he's dead. I found him dead by your bedroom window this morning. I think he might have gotten in a catfight with Harry's dog, Ramose. I'm sorry, honey, I really am." But I didn't hear him, as soon as I heard he was dead, I had vaulted off Gal's back ran to the fence and climbed over it and took off.
I ran and ran and ran until my lungs hurt and my legs felt like rubber. I ended up by my old hiding place and flung myself on the ground. The tears came just as I landed on the ground. "Why? Why did you do it? Why did Fox have to die?! Why? Why did you get your self killed, Fox? One of my only friends. Idiot dog." I ranted over and over. Candlemarks later, when all my tears were dried up, I headed back to the hut. It was suppertime by the time I got back.
"Feeling better, sweetheart? One of the barn cats just had kittens, if you can tame one, which I know you will be able to, you can keep it in the house." Mum said as she dished up some gruel for me, trying to console me.
"No, I don't want another cat, I just want Fox. He was ... special. I don't feel any better, either. I feel- I don't know, terrible. May I be excused please?" I asked after nibbling on the food for several minutes, feeling much worse than I could easily explain.
"Sure, honey. Don't worry about chores tomorrow, Zigor'll do them for you." Da told me.
"That's O.K. I'll - I'll do them my self. I'll be O.K." I replied as I filled with longing, because Fox wouldn't be there with me, howling his head off for his breakfast.
Once upstairs, I changed into an over-large tunic and lose leggings. Then I pulled out a book about Herald Lavan Firestorm, but had to put it up half a candlemark later because tears made reading impossible.
"Cari? Can I come in" Mum asked.
"I - I guess." I managed to get out between sobs.
"You know, I remember a song Grandma used to sing to me when I was younger and I lost something important to me. Would you like me to sing it to you?"
Surprised, I nodded my tear-stained face and brushed my shoulder length brown-blonde hair out of my face. Mummy hardly ever sang. She had an awesome voice, but never used it much.
"Hush, now, my baby, my little girl.
It may not be as bad s it seems.
But while you mourn your recent loss,
I wish to you the sweetest of dreams.
May they be of the good times you had.
But while your heart feels like it's gone.
May you slumber 'till the worst pain has fled.
Hush, now, my baby, my little girl." She sang. "Now, why don't you go to sleep, huh? Maybe it won't hurt as much tomorrow. Night, sleep tight."
"Night, don't let the bed bugs bite. Say night to Da for me please? Thanks." Mummy blew out the candle and I curled up on my side and tried not to think about where Fox would be if he were still alive.