Monday morning dawned bright and cheerful with not a single cloud in the sky. The kind of morning that was just begging to have her go out and ride in nature. Having felt the call of the trails, Maddie had decided that she'd change up her training schedule for the horses for the day and instead of training in the arena, that could wait. It was too nice a morning to be stuck indoors working on circles and collection and all that jazz…

And so, here she found herself riding Dakota alongside the lake, Bel walking calmly alongside as she ponied her along.

It was quiet. Peaceful. She'd invited Mika to join her of course but Mika had six horses to get through riding today in the arena and didn't have the time to come with her. It was fine riding without her though, hench having ponied Bel along so that she could get exercised at the same time.

Coming to the dock on the lake, Maddie dismounted and ground tied the two horses so they could graze, heading down to dip her feet in the water. With how crazy everything in her life was right now it was just so nice to be able to stop and take a break. To take a breath and breathe in the nature about her.

Things back home were beginning to settle down, the place they were staying at looking somewhat like a home now that Bonham and Abeline had finished unpacking. While it wasn't anything like their old home, with a little love and care, it felt homey. Right. As long as they all were together too, that's what really mattered.

Now that she was able to catch her breath, other concerns she'd pushed aside were brought back to her attention. Just because she had been too busy to think about them didn't mean she was any better. If anything, things were getting worse for her. The headaches were there almost all the time now, that and the nausea. Not only that but she was starting to get dizzy too on occasion and more than once lately had to stop and rest against something until things had stopped moving.

She still hadn't been eating much though she'd been trying harder to eat more. She really didn't want a fuss to be caused at her expense, she was okay, wasn't she? It wasn't anything that bad, was it? In the back or her mind though was a little voice telling her that what she was experiencing wasn't right. That she really needed to get herself checked out…

No. Not yet. Though she hadn't cut again since last week, her legs were still very much in the healing process. Anyone with two eyes would clearly be able to see that she had self harmed recently if they saw her legs and though she knew that was highly unlikely due to the fact her problem was her head and not her legs, she still didn't want to cause a fuss.

She'd ask to get taken in a couple of weeks. Waiting a little longer wouldn't make much difference, would it?

The water lapped at the dock gently, Maddie smiling as she watched a couple of ducks with ducklings in tow swim by. The sun shining off the water though was beginning to make her eyes hurt, the mild headache that had been plaguing her all morning slowly creeping up on her. With a sigh she realized that she'd forgotten her sunglasses and knew if she didn't get herself back to the center before the worst of her headache hit, there was no way she'd make it back at all.

Bel and Dakota were disappointed to have to leave their grazing when she returned, Dakota snatching up one last mouthful as she mounted up. Bel followed along calmly as she started them back to the center, closing her eyes every so often for a moment to rest from the light. The light made the headaches worse these days… Again she chastised herself for forgetting her sunglasses. If she'd remembered them she wouldn't have had to head back so soon…

By the time that Maddie made it back to the center, her migraine was in full force. Every step that Dakota took sent waves of pain through her head and with the dizziness that accompanied it she had to hold tight to the saddle horn to keep herself in the saddle.

Mika was riding one of her horses in the outdoor arena close to where the trails started, looking over as Maddie returned from her ride. 'That was quick.' She remarked, riding her chestnut by at a trot as Dakota stopped at the fence. 'You weren't gone for long.'

Maddie didn't reply, didn't even seem to notice her at all.

She frowned, bringing her horse to a halt. 'Maddie? Maddie, you alright?'

Still she didn't answer, just staring blankly off into the distance.

Quickly she dismounted, tying the horse to one of the posts before climbing through the fence. 'Maddie-' She placed her hand on her friend's knee, giving it a gentle shake. 'Come on Maddie, you're scaring me.'

Finally, Maddie returned to reality. 'Oh… Mika…'

You alright?' She questioned with concern.

'Yeah-yeah… I-I'm fine.' She replied, holding tight to Dakota's saddle. 'Just um…'

'You kinda spaced out there for a moment. You sure you're alright?'

'I think… I think I need to go… go have a lie down.'

'Right. Let's get you down off Dakota first.' Maddie nodded, still holding tight to the horn as she slowly and carefully swung her leg over the mare's rump and dismounted. She took a good look at her friend, Maddie, slightly pale as she rested against her for support. Looking around, she motioned for one of the other stable hands to come assist with the horses and once she'd come over to take care of them, they started towards the stable hands accommodation building. 'I'll take you up to my room.'

Maddie nodded again, leaning against her friend as Mika walked with her arm around her waist, supporting her so she didn't fall.

'You know…' Mika remarked. 'You don't look so good.'

'No, no. I'm fine. I just-bad migraine.' She replied, her head pounding with each step she took. 'I get them all the time.'

'You want me to call your folks?'

'No, no. I'll be fine.' Mika helped her up the stairs to the second floor of the building where the onsite staff lived. She waited for her to unlock the door, her hand on the wall to steady her as the ground swayed a little beneath her feet.

'Come on.' She opened the door, closing it behind her with her foot when they were in. A moment later she helped her lay down on her bed, and pulled her boots off for her as Maddie placed her hat down on the table beside the bed. 'Anything I can get you?

'Got any aspirin?'

'Yeah, somewhere. Give me one moment.'

Maddie closed her eyes, thankful that her head had stopped spinning at last. It didn't make any sense. One moment she'd been riding up to the arena then the next… She couldn't remember what had happened. It was like her mind had skipped the time from moving from the closed gate off the trails to stopping beside the arena.

'Here.' Mika returned with a pill box in one hand and a glass of water in the other. 'Hope these will do.'

'They'll be fine.' She popped four of the painkillers, washing them down with a few mouthfuls of water before resting her head back against the pillow.

'You sure you're alright?'

Maddie nodded. 'I'm fine Mika. Once these kick in I'll be right as rain.'

'Yeah… Not convinced. If you aren't any better in half an hour, I'm calling your folks to come pick you up.'

She let out a little chuckle. 'God Mika, you are so persistent!'

'Someone has to look out for you when you obviously don't look after yourself.' Mika replied with a smile. 'I'll finish off Dakota's exercise-' Maddie went to protest but stopped with the look she gave her. 'No argument Maddie. Nina doesn't want to have to fill out paperwork because you fell off a horse while obviously not being fit to ride.'

'Fair enough.'

She stood after a moment, making sure the curtains were drawn across the window to block out all possible light. 'I'll let you get some rest. I'll be back in half an hour.'

'Mmmhmm.'

Mika left, blessed silence falling as the door closed behind her. Maddie sighed with contentment as the only sounds were that of birds and horses outside. No loud traffic, no neighbors shouting, and no Stella talking in her sleep… Heaven couldn't be sweeter.

Maddie had a small audience watching while she and Dakota practiced the next afternoon, a few of the stable hands and some of the kids that hung out around the stables seated in the grandstand. After her training had been cut short the day before by her migraine it was important that she managed to catch up on what she'd missed out on. The finals were less than two weeks away now and with that in mind she really wanted to focus on getting as much extra work put into her mare.

Dakota was doing well, nice and supple and responsive to her aids. As she asked the mare to perform a rollback which she executed perfectly, she made a mental note to think of something to show her appreciation to Mika for the work she had put into her.

Mika stood at the edge of the arena, watching how Maddie was working with her mare carefully. Being in an equestrian stable working with high end performance horses and trainers who were set in their ways, it was rather interesting to watch someone who used training methods. To anyone watching the connection that Maddie had between both her horses was easily visible. Maddie worked with the horse, not against it. Horse and rider moved as one.

Satisfied that Dakota had enough official practice for one day, Maddie brought the mare to a stop beside Mika and dismounted. 'Mind getting that neck rope for me there?' She requested, motioning to a dark blue neck rope that hung over the arena post.

'Sure.' Mika grabbed the rope and handed it to her, Maddie placing it over the mustang's head before she started undoing the cinch. 'So, explain what you were doing out there.'

'Just simple exercises that my Grampa taught me. He trains cow horses, cutting, roping, anything like that basically. The moves I was going through with her teach her to engage her hind quarters and that in turn helps her collect.' She replied as she took the saddle off and placed it over the fence. 'Bet it's different watching western horses, hey?'

'Yeah, yeah. I mean, you guys actually look like you're working together, you know? Like, you see some riders in here and it's just painful to watch but you two… You're like poetry in motion.'

She chuckled at that, Dakota dropping the bit into her hand and she hung the bridle over the post before picking up her dressage whips. 'You haven't seen us practice our liberty yet, have you?'

'No. What's that?'

Maddie grinned. 'Watch and learn, watch and learn.'

At a low whistle, Dakota turned and started off at Maddie's neck, the girl walking around in a few different patterns before asking the mare to trot. Together they ran around the arena then Maddie sent Dakota out to do circles around her. Dakota trotted on, turning this way and that at Maddie's cues. When she'd done some trotting circles she asked the mare to canter, Dakota cantering slow and collected at her shoulder as she moved with her.

With a flick of her whip, Dakota began to lift her front legs off the ground higher, the sound of the whip flicking encouraging her along. She was moving slower now, almost bouncing with her front legs and when they'd gone the length of the arena, Maddie dropped the pressure and asked the mare to trot on with her again.

As they worked, Elizabeth came into the arena, standing at the fence to watch. Mika, noticing her out of the corner of her eye, wondered why she had come in to see what they were doing but then turned her attention back to Maddie and her mustang. When she looked again, Elizabeth had disappeared again.

Halting Dakota in the middle of the arena, Maddie ran backwards then cracked both whips, Dakota coming to her at a canter. Suddenly, lifting both whips up in the air, she asked the mare to stop and rear. Dakota reared high, pawing the air before she came back to the ground. Maddie smiled, giving the mare a pat before asking her to rear once more.

They ran and played, Maddie and Dakota just enjoying each other's company. To the delight of the kids watching in the grandstands, Maddie ran Dakota through her tricks. Spins in both directions, rearing, bowing, lying down and a few other little tricks before she easily vaulted back onto the mare's back, cantering around the arena with nothing but her two whips in hand to guide Dakota.

'Who wants to watch us do sliding stops?' She asked the kids, bringing Dakota to a halt in front of the grandstands, not noticing Cordell coming through the door and taking a seat at the end. The kids put up their hands, shouting that they wanted to see more tricks and with a smile, Maddie asked the mare to move on again.

Mika held her breath as Dakota jumped forward into a gallop, running as fast as she could then at Maddie's cue, dropped onto her haunches into a sliding stop. Maddie didn't move in her seat, having learnt long ago how to sit through the movement. The kids erupted in cheers and she asked the mare to perform a rollback, galloping in the opposite direction to execute a second sliding stop.

Together they went through everything Maddie had already gone over on the ground, spins, circles, rears. The kids were delighted when she brought her to a stop in front of the stands, Dakota rearing high as Maddie encouraged her high. Finally, coming to the ground again, she gave the mare a pat, leaning down low over her neck.

'Can we have a ride?' A young girl with bright eyes questioned with excitement. 'Please? Please, please, please?'

After thinking about it for a moment, she nodded with a chuckle. 'Alright. It'll only be for a little ride though if everyone wants to have a go. Come down and organize yourselves into a line. No shoving and pushing please, everyone will have a go.'

Cordell smiled as he watched Maddie interacting with the young children, Maddie helping a young girl up onto Dakota's back then slowly led her around in a couple circles. Hearing someone coming over, he turned to see Mika coming to join him. 'Afternoon Mika.'

She smiled. 'After noon, Mr. Walker.'

'Walker is just fine.' He corrected. 'How's Maddie been?'

'Coming to check up on her hey?'

'Something-something like that.'

Mika looked back at the arena, Maddie bringing Dakota to a stop and helping the young girl off before giving a ride to the next kid in line. 'She seems to be settling in but I haven't known her long enough to be able to know if something's up with her.'
Cordell nodded in understanding. 'I do want… to thank you though. For this. For being a friend to Maddie. Maddie… She hasn't had things easy. I appreciate you taking the time for her.'

'She's a good friend.' Mika replied. 'Most of the girls her age who board here aren't the nicest company to keep. Maddie though, she's different. She's kind. Gentle. I mean, look at the smiles on those kids' faces. They adore her.'

He chuckled at that. 'Maddie has a way about her. Gets that from her mother, I hear.'

'She has a way with horses too, that much is easy to see.' She paused, wondering if it would be considered ratting her out if she told her father about what had happened the day before. 'Walker… I will admit though, I am worried about her.'

'Worried about her?' He frowned. 'Care-care to elaborate?'

'Something happened yesterday, something… weird. Maddie went out for her trail ride but came back early. When she did though, she didn't seem-there. Like, she was just staring into the distance and didn't seem to notice me at all. When she snapped out of it, she was really confused and didn't seem well.'

'She-she never mentioned anything to me…'

'I didn't expect she would have. Said something about you all having enough to deal with lately when I spoke to her about it. She was fine after some painkillers and a lie down but I just thought you should know. Please don't mention to her I've told you, I wouldn't wish for her to think I'm a tattle-tail.'

'No, no. Of course not. Thank you… Mika.' Cordell replied slowly, thinking over what she had said as Maddie led another kid around on her mare. 'I uh… I appreciate you telling me.'

She nodded as she rose. 'I best get back to work. See you around Walker.'

He tipped his hat as Mika left, his attention returning to his daughter. Maddie was laughing as she led a little boy around and he smiled. What Mika had said though worried him. If she felt it was bad enough that she needed to let him know what had happened then obviously it had really concerned her…

'Alright, alright.' Maddie brought Dakota to a halt once the last child had their ride. 'There we go.'

'Thank you.' Charlie smiled, giving the mare a pat as she was helped down. 'That was fun. Can we do it again sometime?'

'We'll see. I won't promise anything but we'll see, okay? Now it's time for me to get Dakota tucked into bed and get her dinner ready.'

The kids scampered off and Maddie led Dakota over to the gate, placing the halter she'd left there onto the mare. As she haltered her, a particular gentleman in a white hat began walking in her direction. 'Hey Dad.'

'Hey sweetie.' Cordell smiled, returning the hug she gave him. 'You two looked like you were having fun out there.'
'Yeah, we did. Lots of fun, hey girl?' She gave Dakota a scratch under the chin, Cordell getting the gate for them. 'Any reason in particular you dropped in?'

'Just wanted to see how you're doing.' He replied, the two of them heading into the main barn. 'Got of work early too…'

'And going home early is boring.'

'Exactly. Got it in one baby girl. What, you don't like my company?'

'Of course I like your company Daddy.' She replied with a grin. 'You know I like having you come watch me work with Bel and Kota. While you're here though-' She tied the mare up then picked up a brush from the grooming kit outside Dakota's stall. 'Make yourself useful.'

Cordell rolled his eyes but took the brush and began to groom the other side of the mare. 'Why do you always put me to work?'

'Cause you would do anything your loving daughter asks you to do.' She grinned. 'And I've got you around my little finger.'

'Oh you just think you do-'

'I know I do.' Maddie tossed her hair back over her shoulder mischievously. 'That's what little girls do.'

Cordell shook his head with amusement, a grin still on his lips. Mika was right about his daughter. She really was something.