Chapter Ten
Home on the Range
"Well boys," said Mr. Lee standing up. "Why don't you go show Selene the horse you found? I'm sure she's anxious to find her horse."
They all nodded and stood up except for Dean who asked,
"What are you going to do, father?"
"Go into town of course, same as every day."
"Can- can I come too?"
Mr. Lee looked surprised at the request.
"Why sure. Did you unsaddle your horse from this morning yet?"
"Yes," he said. "But I'll go get him again," and with that he ran out, presumably to the barn.
"Come on Selene," said Anna grabbing Selene's arm. "Let's go see if the guys found Belle."
Selene and Anna led the way out to the barn followed by Eddy, George, Henry, and Carl. When they entered the barn Selene stopped dead. A few of the horses neighed and nickered and George, Henry, and Carl started giving out some hay.
The strong stench of horse and hay reminded Selene of inside Belle's stall, only it was about five times stronger. She wasn't bothered by it, in fact it was almost comforting. Horses of every color stuck their heads out of the stall windows.
Selene quickly stepped out of the way of Dean walking past leading a horse who looked like he'd had brown paint splashed over his white fur. Dean waved to Selene and Anna before mounting the horse and going to meet Mr. Lee who was waiting for him.
Selene flinched when a large spotted nose touched her wounded shoulder. She looked over to see a golden colored horse with flaxen mane and tail. The term palomino came to mind. She gingerly stroked its face.
"I knew Dean would ask him sometime," said Anna.
"Pardon?" asked Selene.
"Dean. He came to me for advice. He wants to take over Dad's job when he retires."
Selene, nodding, scratched the palomino's neck.
"That's Prince. He's my father's best cutting horse."
At Selene's confused look Anna laughed and explained.
"He herds the horses and picks out ones father wants to sell or train."
"Oh," muttered Selene.
"Here she is," said Eddy, startling both girls. He was leading a black mare down the aisle of the barn toward them. Even though the spot on her face was still covered by the black goo that Marie had rubbed into her fur, it was none other than Belle.
Selene rushed forward and hugged her horse. Belle shied away at first, but Selene's familiar sent calmed her enough to stand still.
"Poor girl," murmured Selene into Belle's neck. "Why'd you run off and leave me like that?"
Eddy looked surprised at the affection then scoffed and whispered to Anna.
"Is she all there?"
"Of course she is." Replied Anna insulted. At Eddy's skeptical look she clarified, "She lives alone in the forest with her aunt and that horse, they're the only family she's ever know. I'm her first friend."
"Ah, that explains a few things. Like why she's so jumpy."
"It's also taught me to heighten my senses and always be aware of every thing and one around me," Selene added as a passing remark. She ignored Eddy's embarrassed look and began checking Belle over for injury, silently amused at catching Eddy. She found a few scratched on Belle's sides and legs, but nothing serious.
"Don't worry Belle," said Selene, standing up and patting Belle's shoulder. "I won't let that Demon hurt you."
'Demon am I?' said Jaegar mocking offence.
'Among other things,' Selene laughingly thought back, forgetting momentarily that she was supposed to be on her guard with him.
Selene turned to Eddy and bowed slightly. "Thank you for finding and looking after her."
"S- sure," he said, a little uncomfortable about being caught talking about her behind her back.
"The tack is in the back, I'll go get it for you."
"Thank you," Selene said as he walked away. She turned to Anna. "Tack?"
Anna laughed. "The saddle and bridal."
"Oh, thanks." Selene could feel herself reddening slightly.
Eddy was returning with the saddle in his arms and the bridal and pad draped over top of it. Soon afterwards the other guys came out of the same room carrying more plain equipment than Selene's black silver-decorated 'tack' as Eddy had put it.
"Hey, why don't you ladies join me an' the boys to go patrol the herd? We were just going out," Eddy said as he approached.
Anna looked up at Selene hopefully. "Oh please? It'll be fun!"
Selene looked away and scratched the back of her neck. "I dunno, I should get home soon…"
"Just for a few hours then, I'll ride back with you when you have to go. Oh please Selene?" she begged.
Selene looked down at the sad face she was making and groaned.
"Alright, but three hours tops."
"Yay!" squealed Anna jumping up.
Eddy laughed and set Selene's saddle down. "You know how to tack up your horse, right?" he asked. Selene nodded.
"I know you know how to tack up a horse," he said to Anna. "Get to it ladies, we live in a few minutes." And with that he walked away to get his own horse ready.
"I'll come help you if you need it after I tack up Belleza," and then she walked away too.
Selene rubbed some of the dirt and sweat from Belle's coat before throwing the thick black pad over her withers and following it with the saddle. She buckled the girth on snugly and then made sure the stirrups were the right lengths. She had just finished when Anna returned.
"Here, let me help you with the bridal." Anna slid Belle's lead rope around Belle's neck then took the halter off her. Selene slid the bridal over Belle's face and they both buckled the two straps beneath Belle's head.
"There. Lead her outside. I'll be out in a moment."
Selene looked behind her and saw all the other guys talking amongst themselves while they waited for Belle to clear the aisle. Selene hurriedly pulled Belle out of the barn and away from the doors.
The others came out next with Anna leading them with Belleza. Henry Carl and George all pulled themselves into the saddles but Eddy went over to give Anna a leg up onto Belleza's back. Selene grabbed onto the saddle and put a foot in the stirrup to pull herself up. She looked over to see the rest of the party staring at her again.
She looked down and found out what they were staring at. Since she straddled the saddle, unlike Anna who was sitting sidesaddle daintily, her dress was hiked up a little past her knees. Selene gasped and blushed then stood up in the stirrups to try and fix her dress. She got it down past her knees, but that was as far as the saddle would let it go. She sighed and sat back down before guiding Belle over to Anna sitting astride Belleza.
"Do you always wear a knife, or did you wear it just for today?" she asked.
Selene looked down and sure enough, her knife was visible strapped to her calf in it's sheath.
"I hadn't worn it here last time, but meeting J- The Horseman put me on my guard." Selene had nearly slipped up! What would she have done if she'd accidentally said his name? She hoped Anna didn't notice the slip.
"Last place we left them was south of here. They're getting a little too close to the border, so I want to move them up," said Henry catching their attention. He turned his bay horse around and kicked it into a run, Selene and the rest following him.
At first they all ran single file with Henry in the front and Selene taking up the rear, but after a little while of running they began to slow down and loose their line.
Selene found herself still at the rear but now riding next to George.
"Hey," he asked quietly. "Does your aunt really know magic?"
Selene looked at him sharply for a moment before nodding.
"Wow, so does that mean you know magic too?"
"I don't have the talent for magic, but my mother did." Selene remembered the runes Marie read for her.
"Wow…" he said again. "I wish I knew magic," he said absentmindedly.
Selene looked ahead at Anna who was talking to Eddy.
"Hey George, Why does Anna hate magic?"
"Well, our grandmother was a witch. She wasn't the good kind who sees into the future or does healing magic. She had this little workshop out back in the shed. Once Anna had this cute little white kitten that she named Baby, but she hadn't had it for a week when Henry's mean old dog got hold of it, poor thing. I remember we all ran around after him, trying to make him let her go. He disappeared into Gram's shed and that's the last we ever saw of him. Although the next day we found a lot of white fur sitting piled up all neat outside the shed. Anna was heartbroken and never spoke two words to Gram after that. I think after that Anna just grew a sort of dislike for anything supernatural."
"Oh, thanks," said Selene. 'Now I understand. I'd just thought she hated it for no reason. The good magic isn't really all that bad.'
Off in the distance Selene could make out about two dozen multicolored figures grazing not too far from the main road. Selene had never gone as far as the road before, she'd always kept relatively close to the forest.
"See, they're much too close to our borders," said Henry. "Carl, you come with me. We'll surround them on the left. The rest of you get the right and we'll move them back up toward the house."
Selene and George moved closer to Anna and Eddy who were now heading off around the left side of the herd. Many of the horses were now looking up from the grass at the people, but both sides were giving them a wide berth so as not to scare them further away. When the two groups were almost behind the herd, the men began to ride toward the herd, shouting and waving their arms around.
The horses bolted, running from the people and back toward the direction of the barn/house. Anna whooped and spurred her steed onward after them, joining in the mad run. Belle shied away from the running animals, spooked by all the sudden movement and noise. Selene hurriedly got her under control again and clucked to get Belle to run after them. No way she was gonna get left behind after all this!
Selene and Belle caught up with Anna and Belleza.
"Woo!" Anna cried over the neighs of the horses and shouts of the men. "Exciting, isn't it?"
Selene nodded, too preoccupied with keeping in her saddle to form emotions into words. Truth be tell, she preferred the climatic excitement of stalking a creature barefoot through the nighttime woods than riding blindly in a mad fleeing herd.
When the house on the horizon looked about as big as a fist, the guys pulled back from the herd and joined the girls following the still running horses. The little band of people continued to fall back until the horses began to slow. Selene followed them following the horses. They all seemed so close, the Lee family and their stable hands. Like they were all a big family. She enjoyed it, but it was a little suffocating…
"Geze!" cried Anna startling Selene from her train of thought. "Selene, when were you suppose to be home? Look, the sun's beginning to set."
That sent Selene into a panic. Fear flashed across her face, but she quickly stifled it, hoping Anna missed it. Anna was looking at her a little strangely, but she motioned for Selene to follow her.
"Come on, I said I'd ride back with you, so I will. See you later guys!" she called over her shoulder and waved to the men they were leaving behind. The men waved back and turned back to the horses.
Anna turned toward the setting sun but kept north. She looked back at Selene.
"What'cha doin' back there? Come on up here."
Selene urged Belle on and rode next to Anna.
"So what's bothering you?" asked Anna. Apparently she had seen Selene's fear.
Selene thought on her feet. "Well, last night I met the horseman and just barely got away with my life. I don't want to get caught in the dark again." Well, it was mostly true…
"Ah…"
The girls lapsed into silence. After a few minutes riding, Anna broke it again, surprising Selene again.
"Hey, race you!" and with that she kicked Belleza into a run with Belle not far behind.
Selene kept almost neck and neck with Anna. Really, Selene was using all her attention on staying atop her horse rather than winning a race. It was Belle who was trying to keep up. Apparently Belle didn't want to meet Jaegar again anytime soon.
'I'll meet you in a few hours' time, Fräulein.' He seemed to caress her spirit before he dripped from her mind.
Selene shivered and had to clutch at the saddle to keep from falling from Belle. Anna seemed to notice and began to slow a little looking worriedly at her friend. Belle slowed with her and Selene smiled at her, apologetic and grateful.
"Are you sure you're ok? You know you can always stay with us. We'll take all three of you in."
Selene smiled at Anna, appreciating the gesture. Anna was offering a home for Selene's small family even though they were so tied up in magic and she feared it.
"Thank you very much, but I know how you feel. I won't put you in an uncomfortable situation when I know we'll be fine the way we are now."
Now it was Anna's turn to smile gratefully.
The girls reached the edge of the forest when the sun began to look like just another bright hill among all the other green ones. Selene turned to Anna and hugged her. She was worried about what would happen tonight and she wanted to say goodbye properly.
"Bye Anna. I'll stop by tomorrow if I can, and I'll bring Marie with me."
"Oh good! Come by at whatever meal you want. I'm afraid that's the only way to see everybody at once."
They both laughed and hugged once more. Then Anna wheeled Belleza around and galloped off away from the sun.
Selene sighed and turned toward home, hoping this wouldn't be the last time she ever saw her friend.
Hope you liked! Review!
Oh, and I'm looking for an editor. You know, someone to check gramor and make sure I stay in character with my people and offer suggestions to the story. If anyone's intrested, e-mail me!
Nox