Crisp Nevada air made Sam smile. "So how was Idaho?" Jen asked curiously as they rode around Aspen Creek. Ace, the bay gelding, snorted and wanted to go into a lope but it'd be too hard to talk and lope at the same time.
"It was interesting. Apparently Shadow, the girl that the Ely's hired, grew up with Pepper and she always had this big crush on him. But he ran away and her parents died so his parents took her in. She has two horses and a dog," Sam stated, not knowing exactly what to say.
Jen gave her a grin. "That's all you were thinking about when you were there, right? Horses?" she asked with a chuckle and Sam rolled her eyes.
"Yes. She also has an interesting collie that was covered in snow," Sam added. Jen shook her head and chuckled. Suddenly Silk Stockings and Ace came to a half, their ears were pricked and nostrils flared. "What do you think they hear or see?" she whispered, Ace's ears not turning towards her voice. Jen's energetic mare, nicknamed Silly, swung into a swift trot and Ace followed her. Sam saw how Jen tried to regain control of her mare but Silly just kept going. "Wait. Jen. Listen," Sam stated, her voice hushed. A sweet song floated across the creek. Sam couldn't help but think about the cougar that use to live here with the Phantom's son, New Moon.
Sam watched Jen and Silly go ahead and Jen turned around with a grin. Sam cocked her head in confusion. "It's an old friend," Jen hinted as her and Silly disappeared. Sam and Ace followed. The first thing Sam saw were two Gypsy Vanners; one looked familiar whereas the other looked like her white coat had been sprinkled with black paint, her mane and tail were a deep gray. Sam smiled, recognizing the large pinto.
"Lace?!" Sam exclaimed with a smile. The mare's ears pricked in curiosity but she was focused on the hunched figure that was producing the sound. The violinist stopped and looked up at the two riders.
"Samantha? Jenifer?" Nicolas said with a smile as he got up. Sam was about to reply until she looked towards a snap of wood. Sam sucked in a breath. Spike, a bachelor stallion Helen Coley named, stood far away from the colorful vardo. When he saw the newcomers and the music stopped, his eyes rolled and he bolted away. Sam looked at Jen in surprise. Then she noticed a dun standing towards the back of the vardo with a girl sitting near his head.
"Sam?" the girl asked with a smile. Shadow stood up and wiped off the seat of her pants.
Sam shook her head and looked at Jen. "Hey Nicolas and Shadow," Sam greeted at the same time Jen greeted Nicolas. "Jen this is Shadow, the Ely's new foreman. Shadow this is my best friend Jen, who lives on Harmony Ranch," Sam introduced with a mile.
The tall, lean girl stood up and shook Jen's hand. "So nice to meet you," Shadow Ravisk stated with a grin.
"Pleasure," Jen stated with a smile as she patted Silly's neck. Silly extended her nose towards the stallion who pricked his ears at her and raised his head and gave a short whinny. Shadow chuckled and intertwined her fingers in his black mane.
"This is Rogue and the Gypsy Vanner next to Lace is Grace," Shadow introduced her two horses as they bobbed their heads in agreement and Grace trotted towards her master, wanting her love as well. A short yip came from Nicolas' vardo and the shorthaired collie peeked her head past the cloth. "Oh and that's Ollie," Shadow stated as if she missed the most important part of their group.
"They're beautiful," Sam stated with a smile as Jen nodded her head in agreement. Shadow smiled and looked at their mounts.
"Wow. Your guys' horses look fantastic," Shadow stated as she moved towards them, palms up near the horses. The two girls swelled with pride.
"This is Ace," Sam introduced as she stroked her gelding who bobbed his head, showing the star on his forehead.
"And this is Silk Stockings but just call her Silly," Jen stated with a grin as her palomino bobbed her head eagerly. Sam looked towards Nicolas gazing at Shadow as she stroked the two horses.
"They're both beautiful," Shadow stated with a smile as she tickled both of the horses' noses. Suddenly a black horse appeared with a rider at ease. "Oh! Hi Jake," Shadow stated with a small wave.
Jake tilted his Stretson in greeting at the four people. "My dad was wondering when you'd get to the ranch. My mom and Sam's step mom and grandma planned this whole welcome party for you," Jake stated in a bored tone. His mustang eyes drifted around the campsite and he spotted the two horses and dog. "Nice horses. You're about to get another," he stated, his tone amused.
"Oh?" Shadow asked, confusion and surprise written on her face.
"Yep. My dad went to Wild Springs and bought a stallion fresh off the range. He wants to see how well you are at breaking rough stock," Jake stated, obviously eager to see it. Sam grew slightly worried. The Phantom's herd was protected but what stallion could be brought in? She immediately worried that it was New Moon, the Phantom's son. Jake caught her worried look. "He's a chestnut."
Sam thought about the wild stallions who were chestnuts. Jen cleared her throat and looked at Sam. "It's probably the one chestnut with the yellowish tail," she cleared up and Sam's eyes widened. Yellowtail. Her mouth shaped into an O. Shadow cocked her eyebrow but didn't press for details.
A silence occurred and Nicolas clapped his hands together, causing some horses to sidestep. "To your ranch, then?" he asked Jake curiously and he nodded his head. Shadow gave Silly and Ace one last tickle and headed towards her two horses with her hands on her hips.
"Who's turn is it?" she asked the two horses. Grace blew air out of her lips and stood next to Lace, swinging her head over Lace's back. "I figured it was Rogue's. Just checkin'," Shadow concluded with a grin as she put tack on the dun stallion who bobbed his head eagerly. When she was mounted up, the four riders trotted on the side of the vardo that held Ollie and Grace tied onto a ring on the side.
PhantomStallionCrazzy-------------------
no problem! if i use your idea, i'll make sure to give you credit. :)
God'srider-------------------
sake all the way!! and thanks, i really hope this story ends well
fancy Girl Halfinger ()-------------------
i think i will have something happen between pepper and shadow... unless... nicolas moves in first... hmmmm....
cattiedanty-------------------
thanks! if i do need any help, i'll definetly let you know. sorry that the ending was confusing, hopefully this clears it up a shmidge.
gr8h0rseluvr-------------------
pepper deserves a little story with him more involved! lol. and that's awesome. let me know whenever you get a fanfic about him started. and wait no longer! here's the next chapter. and now i shall work on the partayyyy
thanks guys for the reviews! anyway, i started on a site for people to get on and give ideas and like yell at me when i don't update. lol. it's on my profile so if you want, check it out. i promise i'm not full of myself; i made the site so that way people could give me feedback instead of just reviews and such!
