Chapter 2: Ten Years Later
Being with her real family, the Quileutes for so long, White Wolf learned that she will have to go back to John Smith when she was fifteen years of age.
"But father," She pleaded, "I do not like him anyways." Embers held his daughter's hand and squeezed it.
"Do not be afraid, my child. We shall be there for you when you need us the most." With that, he let go of her hand and Hilda galloped away with his daughter and her filly, Blizzard. After two hours of riding hard, they got to the clearing and there stood a house from her early childhood. John came out of the barn and when he saw her, he ran.
"God, Arianna. Where have you been in the last ten years?" He was crying.
"I was taken hostage by the natives on the reserve. I was so scared. But they treated me with care as if I was one of them." John took Hilda's halter and brought her into the barn with Bliz following her and proceeded with bringing Arianna into town and bought her two new gowns and some pants, shirts and a skirt. Being so long from the people she grew up with before the encounter, she felt somehow lonely for the gossip, conversations, dances and everything else she left behind when she stayed with the wolves. She now felt completed, but only an empty spot in her heart was the only thing that hasn't been filled in.
"God, Nathan. Why can't this work?" Amber Hearald exclaimed. Nathan had known her enough to think that she might be crazy.
"It won't work because of three things. A) You were controlling my baby sister, B) I don't want a distance relationship with you for when I'm gone, you might have someone else and C) I'm moving."
"Where are you moving to and when? I don't want this to end." Frustrated on how to explain things to her, he turned around and walked out the door. First person to tell this to is Maria.
"Hi Nathan. So, how did it go?" Maria's angellic voice asked.
"Horrible and how did you know?"
"Oh, so I'm the Native scout of the family now."
"You've been spying on me and Amber?" Nathan questioned.
"Yeah and she didn't take it too well. Right?"
"Yepp and just to let you know, I'm going to be moving."
"WHAT! You're moving and you're not taking me? This isn't fair. Where are you moving to?" He had to think about this. Where was he moving to? He always wanted to learn how to become a horse wrangler and he only knew how to wrangle a cow. The best position he could get would be in Oklahoma.
"Oklahoma, lil' sis. Hope you don't try to leave here in my boxes."
"Oklahoma? Why there? There's only horses and wild people, but wait. You are a wild person."
"At least I get to wrangle them if anything." Maria sighed and said, "Bro, if you leave here without me, I might have to cry." With that, she hanged up. By the time he got home, he saw the same star that he saw when he was eight.
"When will I find her? Is she in Oklahoma?" The star twinkled as in saying yes she is or no she isn't.
The month later since she came home, Arianna stayed out in the barn and saw the same star that she saw when she was with her real father.
"Is he still out there?" She asked. The star twinkled its brightest twinkle in reply.
"Will I ever meet him? Will I be able to trust him enough to tell him what I am and my people?" The star disappeared and there was a whinny coming from the barn. Arianna ran and saw her mare with her one year old filly, Blizzard. She stayed with Hilda and when it was time to try out the new halter, the long winter blizzard started.
Hilda nickered while Blizzard was trying to get the halter off. John came into view and said, "Coma Arianna. The blizzard will be more dangerous than what you've been through. " Not worse than having a vampire trying to locate you and then kill you to drink your blood. She thought. Leaving Hilda to her little filly, Arianna followed John into the house when the phone rang.
"Hello? Yes, this is he. Okay, and have you ever wrangled mustangs before, boy?" He asked. "Okay, I do have someone who knows what she's- Pardon? No, she's my daughter. She's very experience and I will tell her that she has another parentice yet again. Thank you for letting us know and when she's done with you, you can help me with the wilder ones on the reserve. Bye."
"Dad, who was that?" She asked. Not even knowing if she should run for her life from another suitor.
"That was not a suitor, but a boy who's moving here and wants to learn how to become a wrangler. His name is Nathan or if you want to call him Nate. That's all he gave me."
"Thanks dad and when he does come, I shall try to blend in with the nature around me." Though I can if I want to, but just to make things better for my people, I might as well not to. She raced up to her room and got changed into one of her mother's nightgowns and got into bed.
"Could this be him?" Was the last words she said before she fell into a deep sleep.
Nathan awoke from a nightmare full of sweat and he was gasping.
It involved a girl he believed was John's daughter running either with or away from a pack of wolves bigger than the ones he knew and smaller than the Twilight wolves. She looked happy when running, but only a figure he tried to remember was chasing her that wasn't a wolf. "NOOO! Father, help me. He's going to kill me!" She screamed. "Who?" Nathan tried to ask, but only the scream from her woke him up. But the thing was, he was one of the wolves.
"I think I'm going crazy. Why am I dreaming about a girl I barely know?" He asked himself, probably to find the answer he sought for. He got dressed and ready for the day ahead of him for he was to meet John and his daughter. He ran all the way to their house to see three horses, two stallions and a colt, out in a field, and a girl, more like a teenager leading a one year old filly around. He walked up towards the trainer and asked, "Where can I find John Smith?"
"OH! God, I'm sorry I didn't notice you, sir.I'm his daughter, Arianna Smith. And you must be my student, Nate, right?"
"Ye-yeah. Ummm- Where can I find him?"
"Sorry, you just missed him. Something about one of his wranglers getting attacked by a white-brown coloured wolf. If you wish to know about what you're dealing with, I can help out." More like warn him of herself. Nathan was hit really hard in the gut by the beauty of Arianna. She was more good-looking than Amber looked like even with make-up on.
" Who is this guy?"
"SHE is Blizzard, one our new members in the barn. She had been growing twice as fast and she's only a year and a few months old. Bliz was just getting used to the halter. Give me a sec so that I can bring her into the paddock with her mother." She goes and calls one of the mares in the paddock away from the stallions, a big mare, paint and around twelve years old galloped away from the other mares and Blizzard whinnied to her. Arianna unhooked the gate and Bliz ran into the field with her mother behind her.
"Do you know how to ride in a western saddle?"
"Yeah. I was a rodeo competitor since I was eight. Did barrel racing, cow wrangling and the one where you have to get off the horse after you're close to the calf."
"Nathan Roberts? I heard the name before, but I don't know where. Anyways, Sam is your mount for the day and I want you tacked up in ten minutes." Then she left him next to Sam's stall while she went over to one of the stallion paddocks and there was a horse, brown with two socks on the hind legs already saddled. She trotted in a circle while he got Sam saddled and he raced over to her when she noticed that he didn't have a laso.
"Where's your laso?"
"In the barn. Be right back." And he raced back to the barn and grabbed the laso that was hanging on the door frame. When he got back, she went to the gate, unhatched it and then they both went into the paddock. She hatched the gate back up and she ordered, "Try to cut the stallion on the left of the colt and then go after him." He went to do it, but the colt was following him. The stallion bared its teeth to the colt and he stopped.
"A leader. Isn't that hard?"
"Not if you know how to do it." And she raced off to show him what she ment. She chased the stallion around the field until she got him tied to her saddle. Her steed's ears went down and he reared. He raced out towards her when the stallion that was fighting against him was fighting with him. Nathan got to Arianna's side fast enough for she went to fall off, but he caught her in mid-fall. The stallion came between Nathan and Arianna went under her and he went back up with Arianna on his back.
"I don't understand why Shilo reared. He's only afraid of dogs."
"Isn't a wolf also in that catagory?" He sarcasticly said. Arianna looked at him and stupidly said, "Yes. But he knows that a wolf isn't going to hurt him. I also make sure that we have a wolf come onto the property and he doesn't get scared." Because he knows it's me. Would Laurent come to see what I'm doing so he can prepare himself for our fight in five years from now? She got off the stallion and staked out of the pen.
"Nathan, a horse wrangler doesn't fear what the outcomes are if the mustang is fighting against you." Arianna lectured. Nathan was in the coral with the stubborn stallion, Lightening when John came into the parking lot.
"Hello. You must be Nathan, right?"
"Yes, sir. Nathan Roberts."
"THE Nathan Roberts? Not the guy who, since he was eight, did the rodeos in both Wyoming and Oklahoma?"
"That's me." Arianna finally knew what the guys were talking about and why Nathan's name was familiar. She was at a rodeo to spy on her 'father' when she heard the name and looked at him. She was discuised as a girl with black hair and he looked at her. She thought that she wouldn't have seen him again when two months ago, he called and signed up for wrangler position. Her long, golden brown hair layed down her back in a ponytail. She sighed and when she went into the house to start supper, her father was there.
"Father, why are you here?"
"I wanted to keep an eye on you. I think I almost sent you to the hospital earlier today."
"It was you? So, you saw my student catch me then. It wouldn't have happened if you were in the forest still. Shilo doesn't really like dogs and when I tried to get him used to having a wolf around, he didn't freak out."
"Didn't you talk to me about a boy named Nathan Roberts?"
"That's my student, father. Shhh- Go into my room and leave that way." She ushered her father to her room and he went out the window as a wolf. She got some leftover ham on the stove and had cream corn in a pot and she also got bread that she baked this morning out and sliced in equal slices. When she heard the door, she thought Laurent had finally came for her, she turned around and saw Nathan and her father coming in and she let the air out and reminded herself to breathe. Then she almost collapsed to the floor if it wasn't for Nathan to catch her.
"Bring her to her room. And come back to tell me what's wrong." John commanded. Nathan picked Arianna up and asended the stairs. When he got to her room, he noticed movement outside her window and he saw a wolf running.
"Don't leave, Nate. Don't go. Please." Then she coughed up a nasty storm. Nathan went beside her and he felt her temperature.
"You're burning up. How did you even get sick?"
"I don't know. I just ran into a nice girl. Think her name was Amber Hearald. She gave me something and then I felt dizzy yesterday and now, I feel sick. It isn't possible that she poisoned me, is it?"
"Not if you knew me before. I think she's jealous that I broke up with her. I would have told her to grow up."
"Do you think- She smelt funny. Oh GOD!"
"What? What is it?"
"Nothing, but you can leave if you want. I'm starting to doze of." Then she closed her eyes and her breathing slowed. Nathan left Arianna's room and he went downstairs to tell John that his ex poisoned his daughter. On the other hand, Arianna got up and she changed into a wolf then disappeared into the forest to tell her father about another vampire.