Chapter Two! I have three written and the next four plotted out, so I should have them cranked out in the next couple of days. This will be a short chapter fic most likely. I am just letting the plot take me where it wants.
Chapter Rating: K+
Castiel was never considered normal by his family. His brother Michael rode bulls, his brother Gabriel rode broncos, and his father had been one of the greatest steer wrestlers in history before he died. Castiel just loved the horses, particularly his horse, Anna, a gorgeous roan colored mare quarterhorse. His mother had always encouraged the youngest Novak to ride an animal that did not want to kill him, and when she died, Castiel just plunged into training even harder.
He had realized early on that he was fast, and good at being so. Anna was young and energetic, but had a head good enough to follow directions. She was the perfect barrel horse, and Castiel had turned out to be the perfect barrel rider. The next step seemed obvious to him.
The only bad thing about barrel racing was that it was considered a girl's event, even though there had been male racers in the past. The teasing his brothers gave him was friendly, and they supported his choice against the status quo. But the reactions of other cowboys at the rodeos were not so nice. Castiel had to deal with enough harassment about being small, but when he started to race for real, it had been hard.
But, the young man stuck with it. He knew that it was what his mother would want him to do. He loved the feeling of the wind whipping his face beneath the brim of his hat, the thunder of the ground beneath Anna's hooves, and the thrill of almost being able to touch the ground as the team whipped low around a barrel.
Castiel's life was anything but easy, but he did not mind. He had his horse and his rodeos, and there wasn't much else he wanted. He was content. Of course, Fate is a bitch.
It all started with a crash of thunder and a broken mountain … leg … whatever …