VIC

They ran the yearlings through the alleyway between the barn and the arena, and she understood the reason for the fenced part of the laneway between them now as the 6 young horses thundered their way across the concrete, bucking and prancing in excitement of being let out to romp.

Walt closed the gate and left them to it, and took a seat on a handy hay bale in one corner after throwing another one over the divide for her. He sat, gloved hands in the pocket of his heavy jacket and watched the yearlings chase and play, leant forward in concentration, eyes narrowed.

She shrugged her shoulders and snuggled into her parka, feeling a bit warmer with gloves, a double layer of socks and a woollen hat to complete what she was sure was a fetching Wyoming winter ensemble.

After about 10-15 min the level of exuberance died down, and Walt retrieved something rattley from his corner pile of stuff and walked into the middle of the arena. Immediately he was mobbed by the young animals, she wasn't certain she would like to be so completely surrounded, but he had pats and words for each one, deftly avoiding curious mouths that had a tendency to nip first and act innocent later.

A loud burst of noise had them all scattering, snorting and bucking, but clearly a familiar event, as they all settled into a steady run around the arena, propelled forward now and then by a shake and a rattle of whatever Walt was holding. Even at a young age she could see them racing, competing to be first, or attempting a nip at the side or rear of the yearling who had the temerity to pass them. Again he ran them for a while until energy levels began to flag and she watched puzzled as he vaulted over the far end of the railing, and threw an armful of brightly coloured ball like things into the arena, vaulted back and then distributed them about the place.

When one of the yearlings picked one up by a handle she realised they were horse toys! Having no idea such a thing existed, she was oddly delighted at the concept and laughed as two of them played tug-of-war with a blue toy that was clearly designed for such a purpose.

She arched an eyebrow as he lowered himself down on his haybale and queried "So this is how you spend your days now, being kindergarten teacher to baby horses?"

"Yep"

She knew he wasn't going to give anything away easily and was inclined to needle him "Is this some kind of therapy then, its obviously far too much fun to be punishment."

He turned his head, eyes narrowed in consideration or judgement, she didn't know and carried on recklessly "Its nice you have a retirement option" and waved a hand at the young horses "Better than being in your mid thirties with only one skillset and not being able to use it." Her tone was airy but the words were designed to cut and she could see by the tightening of his mouth that they had. Smiling a little inside, she sat back pleased to have scored at least one point against him today.

WALT

Stinging more than a bit at the rebuke and reminder he got up without speaking and walked away, heading back into the barn, it was time to bring out the other players to his horse kindergarten. He opened up Horse's stall, she would follow him, and he got the smallest softest halter out and smiled through the bars at the tiny filly waiting expectantly for him on the other side, her dam watchful but familiar with both him and the routine.

He carefully haltered the filly, leading her dancing on the end of the lead rope, Horse following at his shoulder, and the mares ringing whinny behind them as he navigated the doors and gate back to the arena. Horse meandered in her usual way, and the filly released to play bounced like she was on springs over to the other youngsters. She was a late season foal and half the age and size of the yearlings, so he waited til they had burned off the excesses of their energy before letting Little Vic out to play.

Horse was a dominant mare and a good role model for these young horses to learn manners from. With her wilder upbringing she didn't have her natural instincts civilised like the other horses and she didn't put up with bad behaviour and was quick with a correcting nip or an angry stamp of a foreleg. She could also be persuaded to play when in the right mood, which the youngsters thought was the best game of all and today the game of choice was a free-for- all tag.

Watching, judging that the smaller dark bay filly was holding her own, and not being too roughhoused, he resumed his seat next to the filly's namesake, if somewhat reluctantly. But her attention wasn't on him but on the horses. He sat watching the play, judging temperaments and performance, looking at their gaits, how they carried themselves, who was in charge, who followed. Horses were herd animals and ruled by the herd dynamic, he needed to understand that to be able to work effectively with them.

Vic's voice drew him out of his musings "The smaller one you just bought in?"

"The bay filly"

"Bay, OK is that a colour? Anyway yes her, she's different to the other ones isn't she?"

Surprised at her perception Walt turned and asked "What makes you say that?"

Vic shrugged, eyes still on the horses "Well she is smaller and a much darker colour, but she moves differently, carries herself differently. Bounces a bit and kind of floaty too"

He nodded, Vic didn't know much about horses, but she was perceptive and trained to observation "Omar bought her mother from the Sheik's son" He waved a hand "All the other horses were the payment, but Omar saw her dam and insisted that he have her too, and of course the filly had to come too"

Vic queried "Dam?"

"Dam is a horses mother. Sire is the father"

"Oh, alright. Well her mother must be quite something then I guess?"

He smiled a bit to himself, and stood up "Would you like to see for yourself?"

She looked up at him, curious but wary "I guess so, do I need to move or something?"

"Well you can give me a hand penning up these troublemakers for a moment"

He whistled up Dog who leapt over the railings behind them and asked him "Round them up into the corner" and waved an arm indicating the corner beside them. Dog circled the youngsters, yipping a little and darting in with pretend nips to heels and the mass started slowly heading their way. Walt vaulted the railing again coming back over with a coil of rope over his shoulder. Turning the hay bales on their end, he placed them out a few feet from the railing and about 10 feet apart, and motioned Vic to stand and block the short end at her end. Working quickly he rigged up a low fence, enclosing the youngsters as they were herded in, looping the rope through the top of the bales, it was just at the right height to pen them. He pointed at Dog "Guard" and Dog flopped down on the ground in front of the pen.

He threw a "Wait in the corner, be back shortly" over his shoulder as retrieved his shaker thing and headed back to the barn, Horse following again as he left, leaving the gate open behind him.

VIC

Uncertain what to expect, she waited next to the penned youngsters, and sidled closer to the pen, but just out of range of tugging teeth. When the loud clatter of a horse moving quickly over the concrete laneway echoed through the arena she focussed on the gap expecting Walt to be leading a horse in.

She gasped as a red black fourlegged blur exploded into the arena, half circling it before bouncing to a poised halt and surveyed her surroundings. Tall and elegantly built, with long black stockings up her legs, mane and tail black but her body a dark red mahogany, this mare was absolutely stunning.

Large dark eyes gazed about her, head high, ears pricked. Vic had seen a shadow of this in her daughter, the long arched neck, finely chiselled face curving to a tiny muzzle, long clean elegant legs and she stood with power and grace. Walt walked into the arena, closed the gate behind him, and slowly walked up to the mare, quietly talking to her, and she bowed her head, queen like and allowed his caress down her neck for a moment before snorting and staring directly down at Vic and the babies.

Walt stepped back and took his shaker out, and gave it a brisk rattle and the mare leapt forward into a ground eating trot, tail flagging high behind her as she swept around the arena, barely seeming to touch the ground. Vic was enchanted and could see why Omar had insisted, he was a collector of beautiful things, and this was one of the most beautiful creatures Vic had ever seen.

Another rattle of the shaker had the mare prop and turn, cantering this time and throwing in an energetic buck or two, snorting her opinion of the situation which had Walt smiling as he followed her progress around the arena. There was a plaintive cry from beside Vic, and the small filly who was the image of her mother slithered out from under the rope that was a little too high to contain her, and cantered over to join her. A touching of noses and a bounce from the filly and the two of them swept serenely around the arena, two royal ladies out to enjoy some fresh air and exercise, the mare continuing with that impossible long floating trot, and the filly cantering beside her to keep up.

Walt joined her in her corner, leaning back with a half smile, enjoying the view "You have an eye for a good horse Vic" and nodded to the two dark beauties making their rounds "The mare is from pure desert bloodlines and apparently quite rare and prized. Omar paid a small fortune for her"

Vic asked "What's her name"

He shrugged "Something that translates into Dark Desert Rose I think, so we call her Rose"

"And the filly?"

He shifted, chewing on his lower lip and ducked his head before saying quietly "She doesn't have a name yet"

"But you call her something, don't you?" she was curious at his reluctance to tell her.

He looked down and to the side, anywhere in fact than at her before saying somewhat idly "The filly is smaller than the others, but tough, ready to take her licks and get into the rough and tumble. When she grows up she is going to be beautiful like her mother and everyone who sees her will want her" and finally he did look up, and the expression in his eyes was dark and intense "I call her Little Vic"

Her breath caught, and she was surprised to feel a lick of heat uncoil and flicker in parts south. Parts that had up until now been numb and cold like the rest of her. She was caught in the intensity of his gaze and she remembered…

She remembered long drives on sunny days, giving him shit about the crap music on the radio, sharing lunches at the Bee, hunkered down on freezing nights on stakeouts, drinking beer and talking bullshit at the Red Pony. She remembered the easy friendship, trust and intimacy they had shared as partners who spent more time together than married couples did. She remembered the slow building awareness of him as a man, not just as the Sheriff or as her boss, and the wondering if he shared it.

Finally she remembered the day he had fucked it up entirely, and the reason she had chosen to leave…..