Hey!

I know it's been a long time, sorry that I haven't updated sooner. I'm lazy when it comes to typing the story onto the computer.

Anyway hope you enjoy!

I do not won D. Gray- Man. It belongs solely to Hoshino Katsura.

I simply invented Hannah Litle and the story line that doesn't appear in the Manga.

Chapter 57:

I woke up with the sun the next day.

It was cool, there was mist on the ground and a few birds chirping the early morning light.

I got up, got dressed and went downstairs.

My father was already up eating porridge for breakfast.

"Good morning." I greeted with a smile.

"Morning," He smiled back. "have some porridge while it's hot."

I don't need to be told twice. I got myself a bowl, sat and started eating.

"Gonna start work already?" My dad asked after a few moments of silence.

"Na, the General gets up late. I was wondering what you were doing this morning."

"Taking care of the horses. We got a new mare that I'm trying to break in. Wanna work with her today, or have you forgotten how?"

"Ain't no way I could forget."

"Good. It'll be fun to see what you remember and continue teaching you." He patted my head with his rough hand. "I've missed you kid. I wish this whole war was over and that you'd come back here for good."

I lifted my head and looked him in the eye.

"Me too dad. Me too."

"What's for breakfast?" Tim yawned as he entered the kitchen.

"Good morning to you too." I replied with half a smile.

"What's good about it?"

"What do you mean? The sun's shining and it's a beautiful day!" Tim glared at me. He hated mornings.

"Shut up." He took a bowel and started eating.

"When you're done come on down to the stables." My dad told him getting up. I got up with him and we exited the house.

As soon as we walked down the old Rusty came wagging his tail following us to the stables, when we got there he went to his usual corner and lay there looking at us calmly.

My dad and I started by letting the horses out to the fences off area we had. Then we started cleaning out the stables. Shoveling the manure and bad straw, laying out new straw where it was needed, new feed and water. The we brought the horses in, each took one and we made sure they were shoed properly, we washed them then we put them back in the clean stables.

There were 15 horses in all. So each of us did 5 (Tim had joined us by then).

Here in the Ozarks you shared things.

You had your own garden, your own gun, your own way of feeding yourself, but then you still needed money to buy things like clothes etc. Every family had a different trade. There was a blacksmith, a shepherd etc.

Our family was known for breaking horses. You brought us a horse and we'd break it for you.

Since it was a small community, you'd break the blacksmiths horse and he'd give you something you needed. That's the way it worked here in the mountains.

Some of the horses we had were ours, some were the neighbors and some belonged to city folk. My family was known as the best horse trainers in the state.

"Hannah, over here!" My dad waved me over to a stall where there stood one of the most magnificent dun-tan horses ever. "This is Morning Dawn. She belongs to a man in Kansas. Want to take her to the ring?"

I led the mare out of the stable and to the circular ring. So she could back into a corner.

"How far along are you with her?"

"To the part where I can place the cloth on her back, but not the saddle. Hasn't had a bridle on yet either." I nodded.

I let her loose and let her run in circles for a while. I took some old cloth and a bridle and placed them on the gate, ready for use. By now she'd stopped running and she was watching me intently.

I smiled to her and started walking toward her slowly, hands to the side. Her ears moved forward, she was giving me all her attention. I stopped when I was in hands reach and lifted on hand half way between me and her. I looked at her intently. She moved forward and nudged my hand with her nose. I smiled and slowly lifted my hand to pat her head. She closed the gap between us and I stroked her soothingly. I turned my right shoulder to her and clicked my tongue, then started walking toward the gate. She followed me. She knew this trick. I stopped and turned with a smile, pet and praised her. She flicked her tail and nodded her head. She understood.

"Stay." I lifted my left palm up. She nodded and didn't move forward as I turned and left to the gate. I took the cloth and turned back to her. I smiled and placed the cloth on my shoulder. When I got back to her I praised her and started subbing my hands of her back. She moved around a bit but I talked to her and soothed her. I walked so that I was in the field of her vision, I made sure I had her complete attention and I slowly took the cloth and brought it to her nose. I let her feel it, sniff it and rub it- the side of her face, her neck, her stomach, her side, her back.

I slowly placed it on her back, she didn't get agitated, I smiled at her and she liked her lips understanding.

"Hannah!" I saw my dad and the General standing by the gate. "It's gonna be lunch soon! Let's put her back in the stable."

I brought Morning Dawn over to the gate and picked up the bridle.

"One last trick." I told my dad. He smiled and nodded, the General was watching closely. I turned back to Morning Dawn and let her smell the bridle while I rubbed her forehead. I slowly started bringing the bridle in her mouth, she jerked back like all horses but I had the reigns in my hand so she stayed close. "There, there, I know it's a shocker, here, have some oats. See? You can still eat and breath with it on." I calmed her down. I then placed the reigns over my right shoulder and turned so that my right shoulder was next to her head. I clicked my tongue and gave a slight tug on the reigns. She complied by walking after me. I stopped, turned and smiled, congratulating her. She liked her lips and nodded her head in understanding.