As the rain pelted down I leaned against Thunder, wincing at the pain in my right hand. I'd managed to wrap my hankerchief around the wound caused by the fall into the ravince but I sighed whne I noticed that despite my efforts the bleeding hadn't stopped. Only enough not to leave a trail and seeing me wincing Thunder nuzzled my head. "I'll be okay just need to wait out all this rain." I told him, gasping as I bumped my hand on the dirt floor.
"This is all your fault, Mia. If you hadn't distracted me we wouldn't be stuck here until this rain clears." Grayson muttered and I rolled my eyes too focused on pulling the hankerrcehef tighter which made the pain even worse and I swallowed, pressing my head against Thunder's forehead until the dizziness passed.
"Oh shut up, Grayson. You were so focused on winning and taking my horse that you didn't see that tree branch around that bend in the path did you?" I countered and when he just snorted at me I continued. "I knew it. Xerxes could have really hurt himself but luckily Thunder stopped him from tripping on it."
"Your darn horse got in our way and tripped Xerxes. If that wasn't bad enough it sent us over into that ravine." Grayson complained and I shook my head standing on two wobbly feet before I stumbled over to him poking him directly in his shirt.
"Hey that was an accident and anyway I was the one who ended up getting hurt not you. My hand really hurts and all you got was a bruise." I shot back turning my back on Grayson who just blinked at me. I walked back to Thunder only to stumble and he neighed, pushing at my back in an effort to get me to sit. "Good idea, boy. I'm feeling kind of woozy right now. Must be the blood loss." I muttered as I quickly sat beside my horse and he neighed lowering his head so I could rest my head on his head. "Relax, boy I'll be fine after a rest."
"Not if your wound keeps bleeding like that." Grayson commented but I ignored him too busy fighting to keep from passing out as the pain grew worse. "Hey, Missy you even listening to me?" He growled stomping over to me and I winced as he grabbed my shoulder picking my right arm.
"For once in your life shut up!" I shouted over the thunder and Grayson stared at me when I turned fully around ignoring the throbbing in my hand to glare at him. "It was your stupid idea to race our horses and maybe I did cause us to fall down that ravine. But I was the one to ended up cutting my hand open on that rock. It really hurts and my head aches and your shouting isn't helping!" I snapped at him, pulling free of his grip before I turned my head away.
After an awkward pause Grayson just shook his head stomping back to Xerxes who rolled his eyes at his owner. "As soon as this storm passes over I'm leaving and you can find your own way back." Grayson grumbled but I just ignored him lying on the ground next to Thunder who resting his head against my back.
"Fine with me." I muttered, closing my eyes and despite the thunder I soon fell asleep beside Thunder who kept an eye on Grayson for most of the night. The storm passed a few hours later and after the sun came up the next morning I woke to find that Grayson had already saddled Xerxes. Once he saw I was awake he smirked at me climbing onto his horse's back.
"Since you stopped the race we're going to race tomorrow morning." Grayson told me leading his horse past Thunder who helped me stand. "'Course you can barely stand so maybe you should just hand over Thunder now and save yourself the trouble." He added as I struggled to climb onto Thunder's saddle until Thunder knelt, pushing me up as soon as I swung one leg over.
"I won't lose to you, Grayson." I told him, rubbing at my eyes when they blurred and he smirked at me Xerxes snorted at Thunder as he walked past us. We walked out from under the trees and as Thunder carefully made his way back towards town I stared straight ahead wondering if my hand would ever stop bleeding. Thunder took his time and after looking back several times to find us getting further and further behind Grayson growled, turning his horse back and I blinked when Xerxes walked beside us.
"At this rate we'll be back by Christmas." Grayson snarled at me and I lifted my eyes giving him a blank stare. Seeing that Grayson grit his teeth. "Just as useless as your darn horse. Get moving!" He shouted and Thunder jumped out of his reach when Grayson tried to slap his flank when Thunder didn't speed up too worried about his rider. But the sudden movement caused me to slip from the saddle and I fell onto the dirt causing Grayson to start laughing at my clumsiness. "Can't even stay in the saddle can you and you think you can out-race me?" He laughed as Thunder bared his teeth at Grayson lowering his head before my horse gently nudged my head, trying to get me to stand.
"J...just give me a minute, Thunder." I mumbled, pushing my left hand onto the ground but when I pushed at it I slide back giving me a nose-ful of dust for my efforts. Thunder neighed trying again to get me to stand but I couldn't find the strength and he whinnied looking at Xerxes with two wide grey eyes.
"Oh come on. You can get up. You're just wastin' my time." Grayson complained but when I didn't even try the third time he rolled his eyes, hopping from his horse before he stepped over to my crumbled body. Nudging my shoulder with his foot he waited for some response but when Thunder snorted at him he stepped back slightly keeping his feet away from Thunder's hooves. "Guess I'm going back to Miradero without ya." Grayson smirked, moving back toward Xerxes only to feel a tug on the back of his jacket and he froze.
Once he turned his head he found Thunder gripping his jacket with his teeth and Grayson glared at him, trying to pull himself free. But my horse refused to let go and Grayson just narrowed his eyes tugging his jacket until Thunder finally snorted. "She's your problem now." Grayson commented, finally freeing himself and after he climbed onto Xerxes's back he waited for Xerxes to start walking but his horse didn't move.
"Xerxes, let's go." Grayson ordered his horse tapping on his horse's flank with the toes of his boots though his horse didn't move looking at Thunder who nudged at his rider's head. "Not our problem." He added as Xerxes glanced at his rider. As Xerxes walked past Thunder my horse whinnied at him and Xerxes snorted, nodding towards his rider before he broke into a canter.
Thunder snorted at them as they raced past a grove of trees and out of sight. Shaking his head he knelt beside me pushing his head under me and after he managed to lift my head I cracked open my eyes, finding my horse staring at me. "N...not sure I can stand, Thunder." I admitted and he just snorted, helping me to stand even after several failed attempts. Finally he knelt and I climbed onto his back finding that the handkerchef had fallen off at some point and I winced at the blood dripping from my gash.
"Looks even worse. Might need stitches but that'll have to wait until we get back to town and I can see the doctor." I pointed out, gripping his saddle and as Thunder started to make his way back to Miradero I rested my right hand in my lap praying I made it back to the town.
Xerxes made it back to the town by noon and as he slowed to a trot Grayson grinned. "If we'd waited for those two it'd be dark." Grayson commneted as he nudged Xerxes' flank when his horse stopped walking though when his horse refused to move he frowned. "Xerxes, what's the big idea?" He asked and his horse turned his head snorting at him with two wide eyes.
"They're the ones who got us stuck in that storm and knocked us down a ravine." He pointed out and Xerxes neighed, looking back over his shoulder to the forest in the distance. Crossing his arms against his chest Grayson rolled his eyes. "If they get lost out there it's their own darn faults for getting in my way." He added after a pause and Xerxes rolled his eyes planting his feet when his rider refused to budge. "You're not going to move until we go back for those two idiots are you?" He finally grumbled and Xerxes nodded, turning around until they were facing the forest.
"I'm only doing this because I want that horse of hers." Grayson grumbled as Xerxes took off at a canter nearly unseating his rider in his haste. "Slow down would ya?" Grayson snapped at him though his horse took no notice.
I leaned forward pressing my face against his head as Thunder picked his way through the grass and trees carefully stepping over every rock in his path. "Hope we get back soon. The bleeding's getting worse." I whispered and Thunder snorted slowly when he came across a tree branch blocking the path we'd taken hours ago. "Why did you stop, Thunder?" I mumbled leaning over before I noticed the tree branch and I sighed, gripping his saddle tighter. "Can't go around it so you'll just have to jump over it." I told him and he raised his head looking at me until I nodded.
With a slight nod he turned his attention back to the path and after backing up a few steps he rushed forward his hooves brushing the branch as he cleared it keeping his feet undet him. "Good boy." I whispered, brushing his mane with my left hand the right keeping close to my stomach in an effort to stem the bleeding. Once we made it past the grove of trees I squinted feeling better once I saw the town of Miradero not too far off into the diatnace.
"Nearly there." I told him and he neighed moving a little faster as we neared the town only for Thunder to rear up as another horse rushed into our path. They narrowly missed colliding and I barely saw Grayson gripping Xerxes' saddle as his own horse reared up though I wasn't so lucky and I slipped backwards, hitting the gorund beanetah Thunder's hooves with a thud that actually made Grayson wince.
"Oh not again. Can't you stay on your horse for five minutes?" Grayson grumbled as he climbed down from Xerxes' back walking over to me as I lay on my back in the dirt. "Oh get up would ya?"
"Just leave me here. I can find my own way back." I groaned but he just shook his head kneeling and I yelped as he pulled off the ground. "I said I can take care of myself." I protested pushing awy from him though I only managed a few shaky steps before I fell to my knees. "Shouldn't have bothered helping you." I muttered unaware Grayson had gone back to his saddle bag though when he approached me Thunder snorted at him.
"What is it, boy?" I asked Thunder looking up in time to see something clutched in Grayson's hand and I flinched as he knelt in front of me.
"Just hold still, Missy." He said and after I saw the needle and thread in his hand I froze staring at him for long enough to see how deep the gash really was. "This'll only hurt for a second."
I opened my eyes to find myself covered in what looked like a handmade quilt and as I lifted my head I raised my hand only to see my right hand wrapped in a bandage. Confused I stared at it hoping that something would remind me as to how it got there but after several seconds of thought I just couldn;t remember. Giving up I sat hearing a snort and I turned my head finding Thunder sitting beside me. Once he noticed I was awake he neighed brushing his forehead against mine.
"It's good to see you too, boy." I told him giving his snout a pat until I realized I had no clue where I was. "You wouldn't happen to know where we are would you?" I asked and he snorted standing before he nodded towards a door a few feet from where I woke up. Seeing the door I grinned knowing exactly where I was. Shaking my head I tried to stand finding that despite my legs being a little weak I was able to keep myself up leaning on Thunder's flank. Together we slowly approached the door only to see it swing open and I froze eyes widening until I saw Lucky, Pru and Abigail walking into the building and I finally relaxed.
"Hey she's finally awake. How are you feeling?" Pru asked me and I just shrugged looking at my right hand.
"You wouldn't believe it if I told you." Lucky said and I blinked as Thunder led me back to his stall. Once I was sitting beside him Lucky, Pru and Abigail joined me.
"Okay so why did I wake up in the barn. Also who bandaged my hand?" I asked, raising my right hand in front of me. Noting the looks exchanged by my three friends I sighed. "Let me guess; it was Grayson wasn't it?"
"Right and right again." Abigail commented as I rested my hand in my lap and after a long awkward pause she added. "Also he left you a note."
"Okay back up a step. Grayson actually helped me? Even after the accident he blamed me for." I muttered and everyone leaned in making me jerk my head back. "It's kind of a long story."
"Well we tried to find you after you and Grayson never reached the finish line. We looked through the forest but we couldn't find any tracks until we headed back to Miradero." Lucky told me and I nodded, trying not to scratch at my bandages.
"We were racing along the track until I saw a branch ahead so I tried to warn Grayson. Xerxes slammed into Thunder and we tumbled down a ravnie. After we woke up I found I'd cut myself on a rock so I tried to bind it with my hankerchef. Not sure how long ago it was but we ended up having to wait until it stopped raining before we made our way back to Miradero." I explained looking down at my bandaged hand.
"When we got back into town you were already in the barn tied to Thunder's back. We managed to carry you inside and once my dad took a look at your hand he noticed that someone had stitched your hand up." Lucky explained, taking an piece of paper from her pocket before she handed it to me. Once I opened the note I stared at it before I crumbled it up with my lips curled into a smirk.
"Grayson said he's going to beat me in another race once I can use my right hand again." I told them staring at my hand with a tiny smile. Noticing the smile Abigail giggled and I looked up to see her grinning at me. "Did I miss the joke?"
"You like him don't you?" Abigail asked getting a blank stare for her trouble she shook her head. "You can tell us. We can keep a secret."
"There's nothing to admit, Abigail. He tried to take Thunder the second he met me and he blamed me for the fall. Which was my fault by the way but still he didn't have to keep reminding me about that." I complained as I dropped the note at my feet. "Plus he blamed me for getting us caught in the storm. Who does that to someone who can barely stay awake?"
"I agree, Mia. He's a selfish jerk and he'll never change. Though he did bring you back to Miradero and he did stitch up your hand. Dad said it was a pretty bad injury and you're lucky you didn't pass out from blood loss." Lucky said when I climbed to my feet, stretching my back.
"I know he was actually kind enough to bandage my hand but he tried to leave me behind as soon as the rain cleared." I protested as I started to pace. "Who'd want to make friends with someone like that?"
"Yeah good luck making friends with him, Mia of all people. Believe me I've tried and it doesn't work no matter how much effort you put into it." Abigail pointed out and I just shrugged, leading Thunder towards the barn's front entrance. "Where you going?"
"I'm going for a ride. I need to clear my head." I muttered as they followed me though after I led Thunder outside I noticed that the sun had begun to set and I shook my head. "I suppose we could take a ride tomorrow." I added and Thunder snorted, nuzzling my head.
