Chapter Ten

I will write you letters that
Explain the way I'm thinking now
I, I will return to you
What I have taken long before
I, I will return again
When it gets dark and day is done

And lay me down
In the hallowed ground
Down by your side I will stay
So lay me down

When Leah hadn't turned up to help with the lesson by nine thirty, something tickled Embry's nerves. He mentioned something to Justin.

"She's probably just got held up in the rain. I'm sure she's fine. If you're really short for a hand with the lesson while she finishes up out there, call Chrissy, she's in early today."

That was beside the point; he wasn't worried about being a hand short for the lesson. He was worried for Leah's safety. In this weather, the Gully was prone to landslides and rock falls, among other things, driving horses in this sort of rain would be difficult for one person, let alone one person with not a lot of experience.

At ten forty, he was well and truly concerned. He had called Chrissy in to help with the lesson. Kids and horses were nervous about the thunder that had just started rolling in over the hills and even though they were in an indoor arena, they decided to do some dismounted bonding activities instead of the dressage lesson planned.

"I'll be back in a second," he said to Chrissy, and ducked out of the arena. He walked briskly through the rain across to the stable and checked Jake's stall. They still weren't back.

He returned hastily to Chrissy, "Do you think you can handle this on your own?"

The young blonde woman frowned, "What's wrong?"

"Its Leah, she's not back yet. She's been up the gully bringing the broodmares in. She's been gone since the beginning of the shift and I don't like the weather."

Chrissy nodded, "Go ahead, we'll be fine. Stay safe Embry!"

"If we're not back in four hours, send out a search party!" he called over his shoulder as he headed to collect his horse.

Thunder clapped across the sky and echoed off of the gully walls. Things were really difficult and Leah could barely see ten feet ahead of her, let alone drive the horses safely.

She'd reached the herd; they were huddling in fear and didn't want to budge.

A small part of her conscience was telling her to leave the herd and get out of that gully, but the rest of her knew she'd be damned if she'd arrive back at the stables empty handed.

Maybe it was her pride, maybe it was sheer stupidity but she was going to do it anyway.

She pushed Jake around the outside edge of the herd and then drove herself forcibly through them.

"Heeeyah!" she growled at the top of her lungs, waving an arm above her head and then bringing it down to smack one of the frightened horses on the rump.

The smell of wet horses and churned mud soaked Leah's nostrils; horses pushed themselves up against her, herding together in fear of the thunderstorm and the lightning that now flashed violently over the trees.

It was like being stuck in the subway during peak hour and trying to reach your train through the thousands of others all trying to do the same thing. Except Leah was surrounded by twenty nervous animals all bigger and stronger than she was on her own calling out frantically to one another and in the midst of a heavy downpour.

With deep breath, she gave Jake a sharp kick with her heels to the flank, which spurred him into the mob, dividing the group just enough to break the tight circle they had created around her and causing them all to move together.

Finally she had them on the move, and in the right direction. She struggled to turn Jake back around through the milling horses, he lost his footing a couple of times, nearly diving headfirst into the mud at their feet and Leah held on for dear life, there was no way she was getting off this horse.

They set off at a quick walk, and she drove the herd in front of her. She was sure she'd have no voice after the amount of yelling she was doing. They were all still so nervous and she tried to keep a balanced atmosphere of calm and haste, as not to send them all into a wild panic.

Thunder continued to slam into the earth on either side of them and the rain only seemed to grow heavier. Horses were moving restlessly down towards the mouth of the gully and she was feeling like she actually had a chance of handling it successfully.