Disclaimer: I do not own Maximum Ride or anything that is obvious that I don't own. If I get anything incorrect (which, I think I'll keep things vague enough in areas I don't know, I don't think I will) just review and tell me :D

Long Ride From Home

Chapter One: A Mare, a Gelding, and a Stallion

Fang

I slid off Cobalt, my black sixteen hands Egyptian horse, feeling my boots hit the ground smoothly. As I turned to walk into the small eatery, I could hear my friends slowly coming off their horses and tying them up.

I threw the doors open, walking in and taking a seat at the bar. The young woman with Mexican looking heritage who was tending the bar swayed up to me, giving me a wink before asking for my order. She had to be around twenty two, give or take a bit.

"Two sarsaparillas and a beer," I said, not looking up as Iggy slammed onto the stool next to me and Aidan took his seat quietly.

"That'll be-"

"Ella," a voice called from a door in the back that led somewhere, "Put their tab on me."

"Yes, father," she replied back almost automatically, handing us our drinks before going to take someone else's order.

A man with short blond-brown hair and round glasses that made it almost impossible to see his light brown eyes walked over to us, pulling up a stool on the other side of the counter that made up the bar area. He put his elbows on the counter, locked his fingers, and rested his chin on his now intertwined hands while he looked me straight in the eyes.

"My name is Jeb Ride. I own this place and half the livestock in the town. I need a package delivered to Camden, New Jersey, in at least a week. A few less than that would be great. I don't know when they need it, but if it's late…"

Aidan whistled, "Williamson to Camden in five days? Adding in rest stops and full nights rest for the horses, and one campfire sing along, that treks got to be almost impossible."

Mr. Ride chuckled dryly, "Almost? Yes. Completely? Well, I've heard you boys have made worse treks in less time."

Aidan was nodding slightly as I looked over at him before shifting my eyes to Iggy. He sat forward, tipping his hat slightly, "How much you willing to pay?"

"How much is basic coverage for you and your horses?"

"Let's see," Aidan spoke up before I could, "Water's free if we take a bit longer to pass by clean streams. Feed for a regular horse, feed for a Clydesdale, and feed for a picky son of a mare. Food for us. I'm gonna need new boots if we're gonna be 'loping for a while. I'll cover half for that, but, I hate to be stingy, I wouldn't need new ones if it weren't for you wanting us to go to Camden. Add that all together and see what amount you come up with."

Iggy chuckled, "Then add that to the thousand dollar fee for even taking this trek."

"Whoa," I interrupted before it got out of hand. "Aidan, you can pay at least two third of the custom made boots we'll have to get for your big ass feet. And, Iggy, you know we do set the start fee. We let them pick a price and see if we think it's reasonable."

Mr. Ride grunted, getting out attention, "Do you boys think you'll be able to make it?"

I tapped my fingers on the bar while I talked it out, "With the conditions Aidan explained: Full nights rest, short rest stops, and one campfire sing along… Yeah, I'm sure we'll be able to make it just within a week, maybe a day less, but I can't make promises with a trek like this."

Mr. Ride stood up, "I knew you boys were the right men to talk to. Two thousand it is." I opened my mouth to object but he cut me off, "I don't care if it's way over what I need to pay. I just want you to promise me that the extra money will be put away so you three will be able to support yawl own families when they come about.

"Now, you boys should get a good night's sleep somewhere in town tonight before starting out tomorrow. I know I'm not your boss, but I don't want this trip starting out bad for you boys. I need that package in Camden as soon as it can be."

"Wait," Ella came up, holding a tray at her side, "campfire sing along?"

"Yeah," Iggy smirked, "Aidan's the best guitar player you'll ever meet and Fangster's got the best voice."

Ella giggled, "And what do you got?"

Iggy quirked and eyebrow, "Do you really want to know, sweetheart?"

Mr. Ride cleared his throat angrily, "Ella, get back to work!"

She looked down at the end of her dress, seeming to put on an act of feeling ashamed, "Yes, father."

Fang stood, holding his hand out to shake Mr. Ride's, "One seven fifty?"

Mr. Ride nodded jerkily, still glaring at Iggy and not seeming to mind the option of a change of payment anymore, "One seven fifty."

/After their drinks, outside of the bar/

I adjusted Cobalt's saddle, waiting for Iggy and Aidan to come back from getting his new boots. Just as I finished sifting through the saddle bag to find his brush, a voice came from behind me.

"I hear my dad hired you to take… the package to Camden," a young woman, more than likely around my age, stood a few feet away, staring at me as if she wasn't sure if I was good or not. She had long blondish brown hair that was pulled up into a messy bun, gorgeous brown eyes, and a tan that looked like she was always out with the animals. She was wearing a long beige Sunday dress that seemed to have many layers sitting against her legs, making the skirt poof out, and it also had very short sleeves, only reaching just past her shoulder.

"Yes, ma'am, that right," I said, putting on a charming voice that even I wasn't expecting.

She raised her eyebrows, rolling her eyes slightly, "And you think you can make that trek?"

I gestured to my horse, "Not without Cobalt here."

She nodded, looking my horse up and down before her eyes widened. "Whoa," she breathed out. The only reason I didn't turn around was because, by the clomping of heavy feet, I already knew what it was.

"Yep!" Aidan called, moving his red eyes to where he heard the voice of the woman from.

"Is that a Clydesdale?" the woman asked, watching as the humongous grey and white Clydesdale mare came stomping up with Aidan sitting atop her saddle.

"That's correct, young lady!" Aidan called, earning a chuckle from Iggy who was riding his brown bay with a bright white mane while leading Aidan's horse.

"What's her name?" The woman asked excitedly.

"What's yours?" I asked, making her eyes dart to me.

"Maximum Ride," She answered sternly before turning back to the Clydesdale.

Iggy smirked, probably biting his tongue to keep himself from saying something as Aidan answered Maximum's question. "This is Bear and the gelding Iggy is riding is Quickster."

Maximum gave the blind boy a big grin, before turning back to me with a harsh stare. She was about to say something when Mr. Ride's voice called out from inside, "Max! Go find Nudge and help her collect the horses, we need Bessley in for her shots with the rest by nightfall!"

She turned, lifting her skirts before she ran away. Something about the way some of her strands of hair fell out of the bun and how her hips moved made me stare after her.

Iggy's voice broke through my thoughts of… well, nothing, "Fang, you're drooling."