Phantom's POV
After a short ride out of Paris I saw sitting over this rolling hills a small house. Behind it was a large barn and horses scrttered over the hills. Sorrell dismounted at the house and knocked on the windows. Out came a stout black woman.
"Miz Sorrell!" She exclamed hurring over to the girl.
"Mammy I need ya'll to get supper fixed and fix our guest a place to stay."
"Yesma'ma Miz Sorrell." She said curitsying and going back inside.
I coldn't help but feel like she eyed me suspicously. Sorrell motioned for me to get down and I did so. We walked the rest of the way to the barn. Sorrell lifted her head soem before giving a loud yelp and a sharp whistle. Horses grunted and nickered. I heard thundering of hooves before I saw a heard of 18 horses comeing over the hills.
"Hey Buppies." She said as they came to the fence and looked at us entently.
"Tie her up here." Sorrell said pointing to a small cross post.
She undid the buckels and clips of her saddle and pulled it off the mare. Then came over and looked at me shaking her head disprovingly.
"Phantom." She said bluntly.
"When you tie a horse by his headstall you wrap it like so." She undid the knot and wrapped the reins around the post three times.
She undid the girt of the small saddle I had rode and slid it off before going to the hose and spraying the mares off. Leading them out to the pasture and turned them out. The other horses came over in interest and began to siff at Squirt and Fly. One horse turned and kicked at them. Sorrell let out a huff and muttered something under her breath, I could not understand what she said but I could tell it was very unlady like.
We walked out to the house where 4 ebony skined people stood on the porch. One was Mammy who Ihad unofficaly met earlier.
"Mammy! Prissy! Polke! Skillet!" She said running to them and hugging them each.
"Phantom these are my servants. Mammy. Prissy. Skillet. Polke." The each inturn nodded as she introduced us.
"Misus Sorrell."
"What is it Skillet?"
"How we's gonna get them ponies to da' docks?"
"Same way we got 'em here we drive 'em."
"Ya'll ain't got much sence." Came Mammy's voice.
"Come on inside and lets get Ya'll som'tin' ta e't." She hearded us into the kitchen and we sta as they brought in to food.
"Mammy."
"Yesma'ma?"
"Ya'll come eat with us t'night." Mammy nodded and went to fetch the others.
"So Miz Sorrell." Began Skillet.
"What we gonna do when we gets back ta Go'gia?"
"I wrote Mr. Rhett and said we would need a place to keep the horses. In my letter I requested that the fences back home be repaird but only by lumber they need not bye. I have aquired a job here for a little while longer so as soon as we get the horses back I will be coming back to Europe untill my work is finished."
I looked at the girl in disbeleife. She had aquired a job? Doing what?
"Sorrell." I adressed.
Setting down my fork. I looked up at her, her sapphire eyes held wonder and happieness.
"Yes Phantom?" She asked gently.
"What might this job of yours be?" She smiled.
"I was hired by Destler Horse Farms." Destler horse farm?
"Phantom is something worng?" She asked sensing something.
"If you'll excuse me." I stood and walked outside Leaving every one staring at me.
Sorrell's POV
"Mammy if you will clean this up I have to go talk to him."
I walked out into the cold night thankful the moon was full. I headed for the barn hoping my guess was correct. As I walked in I saw him staring out at the horses.
"Beuatiful ain't they?" I walked up beside him and leaned on the gait.
"Yes they are. Magnificent."
"Thank you. Each one was bred by the best sires and dams. It's a pure shame to see them waisting away here." I gave a light whistle causing them to perk there ears and listen my direction before trotting over.
"There the only true family I have left and I want to do right by them." Red came up and sniffed my hand before letting me run it aling his blaze.
"Hey Reddy! baby boy." I said calmly and happy.
"I've missed my baby." He kept letting me rub his forehead parting his forelock.
"He's especialy wonderful." Phantom said.
"You have a very good eye." He nodded at my complement.
Another colt walked up. He was big and buckskin with a this star strip and a crooked snip that bent over his right nostrel.
"Frost. Come on." I coaxed gently untill I felt his warm breath on my skin.
"Good boy." I rubbed his muzzel.
"He's a perfect colt." Came Phantom's voice.
I smiled even if he wasn't my baby like Red they were half brothers.
"Thank you. There sired by the same stallion." I said then I could take it no longer.
"What happened at supper?" I asked him gently but with a sence of athourity.
"Nothing." He turned back to the horses.
"Phantom." I said coldly.
"You can trust me. We're friends rember." I said sweetly kissing Red on the nose. (A/N: Red is actualy my yearling colt his name is Redfish he is my pried and joy.)
"D-destler Horse Farms i-is owned b-by my parents." Parents dripped of his lips like poision.
"And?" I asked confused.
"Did you no see you adorhent face?" He bellowed scarring the colts back.
"Yes." I said looking at them the peices of the puzzel that is my friend began to fit.
"They abandoned me. Left me for dead in a Gypsiy camp."
"I-i'm sorry." Was all I could manage, it began to make sence.
I looked at him. He stared into the moonlit night at the stilhouts of the horses grazing or bedded down for the night. I knew what I had to do. Without a sound I waped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. I looked up at him with apologetic eyes. He heasitlently placed his strong arms around my small waist and hugged me back. From that moment I vowed to be the best friend I could be.
"P-phanotm?"
"Yes Child?"
"Do you have a real name?" He smiled.
"No one has ever asked it of me before. Yes it is Erik."
"Erik." I echoed testing the name on my own lips.
A broad smile eruppted over my lips adn he lossened and began to smile also.
"It perfect." I said as I grabbed to rope halters and handed him one.
I lead him out into the pasture. I walked up to a sorrell snip stirp gelding named Envy and placed the halter on him tieing the long lead rope around like a pair of reins. Erik walked up to me and I pionted to Playmate and he nodded and did the same. We jumped up on them bare back and I clicked my heels in Envy's sides and walked out Erik following step for step. (A/N: Envy was my first horse but I never got to ride him I was to young and he was very bronc-ie.)
As we rode the tention seemed to melt.
"Are you still to take the job?" Erik asked cutting the silence.
"I have to we need the money." He nodded and remaind silent for a moment.
"I will go with you."
"O. Erik you don't gotta."
"I want to." This stuned me.
"Not to get revenge I hope." Came out of my mouth before I could stop myself.
"To be with the only person to ever show me true kindness." A smile eched my face as we reached the back fence and turned to go back.
"Thank you Sorrell." He said.
"I'm sorry."
"What?" He was now utterly confused.
ERIK's POV
"I'm sorry." Came out of her mouth.
'No she turned me in.' Was my first thought.
"What?" I asked causiously.
"For hurting you." She said gently.
"I should have never said what I did about her and should have never provoked you to do that." She was apologising.
To me?
"No I should be sorry. How are your ribs?"
She smiled a teasing smirk in the silver glow of the moon.
"Strong as steel. Nothing can touch me." I laughed as she patted her side.
"How's your arm?"
"Holding in there. You didn't exactly cut it off." I smirked a little.
"We need to go inside Mammy will come looking forus and that's no fun to be chewed out by her." He chuckeled as we slid off and turned our horses back out and going in from the late Febuary night.