iAm at Home on the Range.
Chapter Thirty-Seven; Cove Rides and Running to Freedom.
Disclaimer; I only own my own characters/animals and this plot and my writing… iCarly belongs to Dan.
Sam ran a brush across Apollo's side, clearing him of any dust. It was a day later and Sam had woken up early and had came down the stairs with a skip in her step. After eating and getting changed, she had came down to the barn to spend some time with her new horse. She grinned as the horse beside her seemed to relax under her touch, his legs going weak slightly.
"You comfy here Apollo?" She teased as the large animal turned his head to stare at the blonde haired girl.
"Sam!" She heard Carly's voice echo through the barn.
"Sam, where are you?" She recognized the second voice to be her boyfriend, Freddie.
"In here!" She yelled and within seconds, both Freddie and Carly's head popped over the stable door. "What goes on?" The blonde asked.
"Oh, we were thinking about going on a hack… since we're leaving tomorrow and all.."
"Sure." Sam shrugged, placing the brush on the side. She scratched Apollo's rump muscle making his back leg rest up. She laughed, shaking her head. "America's in her field with Smartie and Minstrel is out back in the corral. I just stuck him in there for a little while with a haynet."
"No problem." Freddie and Carly took off, head collars in hand. Sam Untied Apollo's head collar from the metal bars and pulled it up and over his snout, fastening the buckle near his right temple. She opened up the stable door and closed it behind her just in time to see Carly walking in with America, her hooves clacking off the concrete. She smiled as she tied her up. Sam headed into the tack room grabbing Apollo's bridle and Saddle. She rushed back in almost bumping into Minstrel when she came out of the room. Minstrel's eyes widened in shock but settled once he realised it was only Sam.
"Sorry!" She giggled.
"What are you sorry for?" She heard Freddie ask, confused.
"Oh, I crashed into Minstrel." Sam replied making Freddie chuckle.
"Clumsy." He smirked making her roll her eyes.
"Yeah yeah…" She stuck her tongue out at him.
"Sam.."
"Hmm?" He looks at her and grins, making her look at him funny. "Wha-" He crashes his lips to hers before she could finish. He smiled into the kiss. It was soft but passionate His hands cupped her cheeks as the kiss continued, getting more and more passionate by the second. Sam felt her arms going weak, feeling like she was going to drop the saddle.
"Guys! Can you stop making out!" Sam tore away from Freddie at Carly's voice, the slightest red tint in her cheeks. Freddie smirked looking at Carly's cross face. "I've already tacked up while you two were busy sucking face… can we get a move on please?"
"Demanding isn't she." Freddie whispered to Sam, making her giggle.
"Okay Carls." Sam lugged the large saddle in her hands towards the stable door, resting it there on top of his saddle pad. She unbolted the door and stepped towards Apollo. The short teen pulled the reins over his head resting them against him neck, before unbuckling the red head collar, throwing it to the side. She placed the bit carefully in his mouth and tied up all of the buckles for the bridle. She could see Freddie across from her, tightening up Minstrel's girth, with the help of Carly who was fixing up his noseband. Sam grabbed the saddle pad from underneath the saddle, placing it onto the chestnut's back. She picked up the leather saddle next, putting it on top of the pad carefully. She attached the girth at both ends to the straps and began to tighten it just when Carly's head popped over the door again.
"Are you ready yet!" She asked, thrusting Sam's hat over the top of the door. Sam rolled her eyes.
"Yes Carly!" She heard Freddie chuckle, already mounted up on Minstrel. Sam popped her girth up and extra hole before pulling the hat onto her head, flattening her blonde curls. She pushed the stable door open fully and lead Apollo out into the barn corridor. Apollo stopped right beside Minstrel, waiting for Sam to get on him. She heard Carly groan as she lifted herself into the saddle, making Sam laugh to herself almost silently.
"What's up with you?" Freddie asked Carly, clearly hearing her uncomfortable groan.
"I Haven't been on a horse for a few days Freddie! It hurts!" Sam rolled her eyes, trying to just burst into laughter.
"Oh… that explains it." Freddie replied, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Sam shoved her foot into the left metal stirrup and bounced on her right foot a few times before swinging herself up onto Apollo's back lightly.
"Ready?" Freddie asked her and she nodded, adjusting herself in the saddle so that she was comfy.
"Yep, let's hit it!"
"Finally!" Carly let out an exasperated sigh, making Sam roll her perfect blue eyes.
"Carly, what's the rush!"
"Oh- I- no reason." This made both Sam and Freddie raise an eyebrow.
"Carls?" Sam said in an accusing tone. "What are you hiding?"
"I- I -"
"Spit it out Carls!" Freddie joked.
"Okay…. There's a party down in the cove.. To say Goodbye to you." Carly finally caved.
"Party?"
"Well… not exactly a party… just us and a few of your old friends."
"Oh… well why didn't you say so!" Sam smiled.
"It was a surprise! I was gonna' give my best shot to lure you down there!" Carly laughed.
"Well.. You could have at least told me." Freddie grumbled, clearly feeling put out.
"Aww.. Is wittle Freddums' jealous he didn't get told the big secret?" Sam joked, talking to him like he was three years old.
"Hey, it's not like you knew about it." He smirked back at her.
"True.."
"Come on! We're gonna' be late!" Carly pushed, giving America a squeeze with her heels, walking her out of the barn. Sam and Freddie looked at each other before following her. Carly was already at a trot, taking America swiftly out of the gate and towards the hills. She turned back to see Sam and Freddie casually walking the horses. She sighed in annoyance. "Come on! We're gonna' have to canter to get there on time!" Her eyes glanced at her prissy pink watch around her wrist and she gasped. "We're already ten minutes late!"
"Carly, will you chill!" Sam dug her heels slightly into Apollo's side making him change his gait to a canter swiftly. His chestnut legs moved in perfect motion, his hooves bashing off the land. Sam could see America up ahead cantering at a steady pace. She smiled, she could hear Freddie right behind her too, Minstrel only metres from Apollo's rump. Apollo snorted, clearly feeling a little tired after all the work he had done recently. Sam's hands closed on the reins ever so slightly, squeezing her fingers to slow him down slightly, making him canter inline with Minstrel. Freddie looked at her oddly.
"Sam, you okay?" He said to her softy. Carly was still racing up ahead… well, only racing at the pace America could managed, which wasn't that fast anymore. She nodded.
"I'm fine, just Apollo seems a little tired."
"Understandable.. He's hardly stopped these last few days."
"Yeah, so I'm just trying to pace him. It quite hot today, don't want him passing out on me… I probably should have ridden Echo out instead."
"Yeah… come on, where almost there." Sam smiled at him and pulled Apollo up, staring down the back towards the cove where Carly and America had already disappeared down. Sam gave Apollo a squeeze and he took a gingery step down the steep dust bank, side by side with Minstrel. It was a very narrow path, but it could fit both horses side by side. The dust flew from under the horses hooves as they walked down the bank and out into the cove, the sun blazing over head.
"Finally!" Carly exclaimed, already uncounted from America, tying her up to one of the horse bars that had been specifically planted there when the cove was founded.
"Carls, Apollo was tired!" Sam shouted over to her.
"Oh, sorry!"
"It's cool." Sam jumped from the racehorses back and lead him over to the lake. He bent his head down and began to drink.
"Hey Sammy!" Aaron smiled at her, walking up to her.
"Oh my god, Aaron! Hey!" She let go of Apollo's reins, knowing he wasn't going anywhere mid-drink and wrapped her arms around Aaron in a hug. "How are you?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
"Good!"
"I can't believe your leaving tomorrow." He said, sadness plaguing his voice.
"I know." Apollo lifted his head and whinnied, almost deafening. Sam laughed, pulling off her hat and attaching it too her saddle. "I'm gonna' go tie him up, I'll be back in a minute." Sam walked Apollo to the bar where there were a few other horses already stood, munching on haynets. She smiled. Sam tied Apollo up between America and where Freddie was tying Minstrel. She recognized the other horse immediately, it was Aaron's horse… but the horse beside Aaron's horse… she knew she'd seen that gelding somewhere. She just couldn't figure out- Suddenly, it hit her. The horses name was Gadget. He was a solid bright bay colour and of American Warmblood bloodlines. He was quite a young horse at only nine years old. Sam knew who's horse this was.. What she couldn't understand was what he was doing here. "Wait a second…"
"What?" Freddie asked.
"Why is he-" Sam span around and immediately a smile broke out on her face. So that was why Gadget was here. There in front of her, stupid her oldest friend, Alicia.
"Alicia!" She grinned.
"Hey Sam!" They ran up to each other, wrapping themselves into a hug.
"What are you doing here!"
"I heard you were home… you don't think I'd let my best friend just come and go without saying Hi, do you?" Sam shook her head.
"It's so good to see you Liss." Alicia was a little taller than Sam with short brown frizzy hair. She had the brightest green eyes, Sam had ever seen and the pair had known each other since they were toddlers.
"It's great to see you too.. Feels like forever since you left." Suddenly, Sam turned to Aaron.
"Why didn't you tell me she was here?"
"Well.. I was about too.." Aaron stuttered, knowing how feisty Sam could get.
"Sam.. Don't kill him.." Alicia smirked. "I Thought it would be a great surprise… I told him not too tell you…"
"Oh.. Sorry Aaron!" Sam laughed, making Aaron roll his eyes. She smiled, sitting down on the sand, followed by all of her friends.
Hours had passed and the sun had gone behind the clouds. The horses were beginning to get restless, so Carly suggested it was time to head home. Sam groaned and got up from her current position lying in the sand. She stood up, after help from Freddie. He chuckled, making her look at him curiously.
"You have sand in your hair." He laughed making her roll her eyes. She shook her head like a dog, making her hair fly in all different directions, flinging the sand granules out. Sam pulled her hat onto her head and untied the stallion and walked him towards the cove entrance. She heard the snorts of the other horses behind her, as the rest of them mounted up.
"It was so great to see you Sam! You'll have to come see me next time your home!" Alicia said… except it was more like an order. Sam smirked.
"Of corse I will!" Alicia smiled in satisfaction at this.
"Hey! Don't forget about me!" Aaron put it.
"How could I forget about you, idiot?" She shot back playfully. She winked at him so he stuck out his tongue.
"Very funny!" Aaron and Sam had been friend since forever…. Sam's mother and Aaron's mother had been great friends before the family relocated to Seattle.
"See you guys!" Sam called back over her shoulder as she watched them go up the path in the opposite direction. After all.. Aaron and Alicia both kept there horses at Alicia's home… on the opposite side of town to where Havenfield was situated.
"You two ready to go home?" She heard Freddie ask.
"Sure thing, let's go." She yawned, feeling suddenly tired as they headed up the steep dust track and back onto the grassland. They could see the lights of Havenfield in the very distance, and at a walk it would take them about twenty minutes to get home. The cove was actually decently close to the farm, even though it looked extremely far on most maps. America jogged into a trot to catch up to Minstrel who was steaming ahead, desperate to get home, where as Apollo was just taking his time, enjoying the look of the land. Twenty minutes passed quick and soon enough the were back on the farm border. She suddenly remember the little puppy in the small cottage at the back of Havenfield.
"Oh hey, Carls, could you take Apollo in for me? I have to go give Freedom some food." Carly nodded and Sam dismounted, handing Carly the reins who had now dismounted from America. Sam pulled a pack of beef jerky from her pocket and smiled. She took off into the back of the farm, glancing at her watch. The sun had come out from the cloud now and she could see her watch perfectly. It was only a little after four in the afternoon, so it was still pretty light out. She crawled down and underneath the bramble to get to the cottage. It took her a little while, but finally she made it and was staring at the petite house with the pup inside. She popped open the bag and pulled out a few strips of jerky. Pulling open the door, she was greeted by a very excited Freedom. He barked. "Hey boy!" She smiled down at him, pulling the door closed. She gave him a strip of the beef jerky and he began to chew. After working his way through the full bag of meat, Sam gave him a little attention before deciding she should really get back out to the farm.. Not wanting to arouse suspicion with her aunt who by now, would have spotted Carly and Freddie back with the horses. Sam stepped backwards away from the puppy and grasped the handle, pulling it slightly ajar. A bark behind her made her turn around. When she couldn't see Freedom she panicked.
"Oh please no.." She muttered to herself, spinning back around to the door. She little puppy was sniffing around outside the cottage.
"Freedom! Come here boy." His head shot up and stared at her. He suddenly turned on his heels and ran head on at the bramble bush entrance Sam had just came through.
"Freedom, No!" Sam shouted in one last desperate attempt but it was too late. Freedom had taken off and was headed to… well, Freedom.
So, hope you like it!
Only a few more chapters to go now! I'm aiming two more chapters...
Oh! Dan confirmed iOMG On twitter! :D
And aparently it's airing April 9th! It's the mysterious 310 ep! :)
So, yeah, if 9th April is TRUE ... i can't wait! :D Supposed Seddie! :D
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Oh! And PLEAAASE Review! :D
Update should be up soon... hopefully. No promises though.
-Dreamer