Pam got up with a jerk. Her head was throbbing and her heart was beating fast. Sweat tickled down her neck.

"Easy girl! Nothing is wrong; it was all a bad dream! God, what's with these nightmares?" Pam asked herself again for the tenth time. "Well, I may as well get up! It is time to feed the sheep." She said to herself with a sigh. Pam walked over to the window and opened it. She put on her clothes and heaved herself to the bathroom to clean her teeth and went outside.

"Tiger! Tiger! Where the heck are you!" Pam yelled for her dog. Woof! Woof! And her cute little collie leapt on her.

"Ok! OK! I got the point! I know you are sorry! Sheesh! Don't slobber on me!" Pam shrieked pushing her pup away. The far away sounds of the sheep reminded her task and she plodded towards the huge paddock. She clucked at them as she jumped over the fence to the feed barn. After hauling some bales of hay, she chucked them inside their paddocks for them to eat it. Then she set for some real work….. Removing precious golden sheep poo. With Tiger making a mess of himself and her work plus the sheep intruding her handy piece, Pam was furious!

Move away Tiger! You're a mess! Roddy, get lost! I don't have any hidden grass ok?" Pam yelled at a sheep which was trying to push her. There was a chuckle behind her back. She jerked her head up to see Alan laughing.

"What do you want, now, loser? Haven't I told you to get lost already? Or is your thick skulled head so thick that you can't understand English? What are you laughing at?" Pam yelled furiously and threw sand on his face.

"Easy there cowgurl! I just came to tell you that ole' missy popkins want ye' to go and have a lil' chat with her! Hey! Dun look at me like that, just deliverin' the message," Alan drawled. Pam snorted and chucked her cloth at him and jogged towards the big cottage. Tiger sniffed at Alan in distaste and ran after her.

"Mrs.Popkins! There you are! Alan said that you wanna talk to me? "Pam asked questioningly. The old missus nodded and offered her a dirty chair. Pam looked expectantly as the old lady's eyes bore sadly into her own.

"Now dear, how are you? Everything ok at home?" the old lady started. Pam impatiently nodded. She waited.

"Well, dear, I know you are wondering why I called you and all! Nothing serious and all just dear old Deborah asking for you," Mrs.Popkins said sweetly. "You know, Deborah was just like you, she worked here when she was young, about your age, worked hard! Then, she had an affair with this young man…. Then your mother got pregnant but they never got married! Fishy business, I'd say! Your poor mother strived hard and then this very nice man came to work here, Eric, nice chap, your mom liked him, her folks agreed to the marriage and well, your step-father had cancer and died and your mom, poor child, heartbroken and miserable and all alone. But I think you were the biggest gift to her, kept her going, it did! Well, dear, you better go and see what your mum wants to talk to you about! You go, dear child!" the old lady said recovering from reminisces. Pam nodded thoughtfully and jogged put of the house.

As Pam neared the house, frightful yelling was heard. Quarreling and screaming. Pam's face got grimmer. What the heck is going on? What is all that noise?

Tiger growled and barked. Suddenly, everything went quiet. Deborah, Pam's mother rushed outside. Her eyes were rimmed red and her face looked sad and grim. Three other people emerged from the house. There was a middle aged couple. The woman was short, stout and plump and her eyes were sad and lonely with a far away dreamy look. Her hair was untidily put in a bun with two strands of silver hair falling on her eyes. The other two were men, one which she recognized.

"Ma, what is going on? Were you crying? What's going on?" Pam stuttered uneasily. Deborah's swollen eyes looked into hers deeply. She pulled Pam slightly and the little party went inside the house to the living room. Pam sat down on her favorite chair and took a deep breath and was about to start asking questions when…..Deborah stilled her.

"Pam, errrr….. dear, sorry about just now, something turned up! Quite dreadful! Well, I don't know where to begin! Pam, I need you to understand me, I'm in a very awkward situation, dear, I don't know!" Deborah said vainly.

"Pam, do you know Alex Ramsay?" Mrs. Ramsay asked.

"Of course! He is the best horseman ever lived! You are his mother and he is his father!" She pointed at Mr.Ramsay and he nodded. "You are Henry Dailey, pleased to meet you sir! " Pam said beaming respectfully at Henry. He grunted arrogantly.

"Good! So you know us! I know this may shock you but, what would you say if I told you were my granddaughter?" Mrs. Ramsay said. Pam eyes them warily as if discarding the remark. Deborah started weeping again and Mrs. Ramsay put a comforting hand on her but Pam could not help noticing tear drops rolling on her cheek. Pam suddenly felt panicky. She stood up and frowned at them.

"Dear, it is true! Alec is your father, and these are your grandparents! I know this is hard but it is darn true! I'm sorry I never told you before I just did not want -"

"Mom! Why didn't you tell me before? Alec is my what? This is so fantastic! He is my-" Pam interrupted Deborah. Then her eyes became sober and sad. "He was my father…. I never got to hug him" Pam said lamely. Everyone gazed at her sadly yet with astonishment at how fast she accepted that. Henry got up and walked stiffly towards Pam and hugged the young girl with fatherly affection. Pam's face was flushed with shock and she started crying silently. Deborah looked astonished for a reason she didn't know. Mr. Ramsay and Mrs. Ramsay touched her gingerly and took her hand in their own. Pam hugged them with pleasure and sadness. Their warmth made her feel welcomed…..so, at home. Then out of the corner of her eyes, she saw her mother, a fragile woman. She looked like a wreck and now she looked lonely and out of place in her own home. A wave of sympathy rushed towards her mother, she felt sorry for neglecting her. But this was supposed to be her mom's and hers happy moment to know they had people who cared and relations. But then she realized that the Ramsays did not want her mother but wanted her. She was their son's daughter and part of their family. After minutes of reunion, The Ramsays and Henry looked at her with pride. Suddenly Henry clutched her hand and shoved a small box into her palm. The box was plain brown, Pam gingerly opened it. She gasped.

"It is Alec's charm! It is the diamond horse! Oh my god! This is my father's!" Pam shrieked as she recognized the chain that was the one which was on the picture of Alec's and Black's. As she touched its cold surface she realized it had a little keyhole on the backside. In the box there was a tiny pin key that would open the horse locket. She pushed the key in and opened it. Her eyes grew bright with astonishment. She clutched the locket like it meant the world. She gingerly took out those strands of hair and looked at them with surprise. It was the most precious thing to her….to every horse lover or horse person! Those few strands were the mane of the legendary Shetan -