A/N – Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews and even the not so wonderful ones. I would never forget Cheryl who will be discussed in the next few chapters (chapter 27 maybe ?) and she'll also be back as you might imagine. The whole family will be along once they're back at Pegasus have no fear. Sorry for the delay in getting this published, travel is what it is, I'll continue to try to stay close to on schedule.

Chapter 25

There was a pool of light highlighting a circle in the center of the field. While you could hear Brin over the speakers she couldn't be seen. The twins were standing back to back in their flowing costumes, their hair was down and when they would eventually move their hair and costumes would flair out and flow with their dancing and the warm summer breezes blowing over the meadows..

"A Medieval Fable of Sisters, identical twins and exactly the same in every way, they loved the farm life they lived, the animals they tended, their families and each other and they were inseparable. They also loved to dance and lacking other partners danced with each other or just by themselves. Their parents were protective of their girls but proud of what they had become, they had blossomed into fine and proud young women."

While Brin read, the twins were on the field alone in an elaborate pantomime of her words, they skipped, made like they were feeding animals or washing clothes and dancing together and apart. Their movements were exaggerated and flamboyant but it was necessary and it was fun watching the costumes move with the dance.

"Their favorite days of the year were harvest days when their parents would load up the big wagon and they would all travel into town to sell their produce, eggs, cheeses, jams and pies. It was an exciting day for the sisters because it always ended with a dance in the square. The girls would hide in the shadows and watch the dancers meet in beautiful movements together."

Again, while the story was being read the twins acted out their parts elaborately and the spectators watched and listed to the story waiting anxiously for the horses to appear.

"This year their mother gave them each a new dress and told them that this year perhaps it was time that they came out and met others their ages and join in the dancing. She knew that they were beautiful and she had raised them well and knew it would be wrong to hold them from the world any longer. She gave them permission to join in the festivities in the square come evening and they were overjoyed."

The girls danced and celebrated in a mock surprise and joy, twirling and jumping.

"One sister Charlotte dreamed of being approached by a tall handsome young man and told her sister. The other Madelyn simply nodded because she secretly dreamed of a beautiful princess. Of course Charlotte knew, she had always known, they were the same but different and it didn't matter to her at all. Her parents also knew and though in their hearts they had wished for an easier path for their beloved daughter they understood as good parents should, that their children's happiness was paramount to them and that the good lord whom they were taught to trust all of their lives as a loving mother would bless the loves of both of their daughters wherever that joy was found and let those who stood against her decree deal with her wrath when their times came."

During this narration the pantomime continued with the girls elaborate movements and their flowing costumes and hair.

Amy was standing along the rail, Ty behind her with Jackson now on his shoulders, which to all it seemed was becoming a familiar sight. Amy was holding Meg's hand and they both had tears in their eyes. Sam, Brin's dad, stood next to Ty with Carson on his shoulders and was surprised at the expression on Ty's face which he assumed was very similar to his own. The Carmichael's stood with Bobby, his eyes trained on Charlotte.

"They handed me a bogus script." Betty said chuckling.

"Not what I read either" Meg croaked her throat obviously strained with emotion.

Both Jack and Lisa were silent as were John and Trish, each couple stood together in pride and watched the tale unfold.

"That evening" Brin continued "the girls helped pack away the little they hadn't sold, changed into their new dresses and then stood before their parents for their evening blessing. They bowed their heads as both their parents laid their hands on them "May the good lord watch over you and in her wisdom and love bring you joy and happiness."

"The girls walked out and into the brightly lit square where they stood off to the corner, their eyes wide. After a time they noticed another pair across from them, similar but different. Charlotte noticed the handsome young man, he stood tall and his eyes and smile captivated her. Madelyn however was lost in his companion, a beautiful young woman whose skin shone like pearls and whose beautiful hazel eyes like beacons in the night."

It was then that the spectators noticed the twin Paint horses lined up across from the twins as the light above them was raised brighter and the crowd sighed in approval when they appeared.

"The young man unable to hold himself back from her beauty any longer wandered across the square and bowed before Charlotte and proffered his arm and name and after a proper curtsy Charlotte took it and returned her name with a smile. His name was Rudolph and he asked her to dance."

With Charlotte's signal Rudy trotted across to her and bowed his head and knelt to the best of his ability, as he was taught. When Charlotte turned to walk apart, Rudy nodded and followed. Then Maddie signaled Margot.

"His sister Margot stood shyly before Madelyn both knowing their hearts. Madelyn curtseyed and Margot reciprocated and then after a second Madelyn held out her hand. Margot smiled and with a deep breath, took it and followed along after their siblings."

During this part of the story there was mild applause as the horses joined, followed the girls in the pantomime and bowed or curtseyed.. It was pretty impressive and the crowd responded.

The story continued. "They joined in several line dances that were not partner specific and sat out several others off to the side enjoying refreshments and talking. At one point they introduced each other to their parents who stayed together and watched their children. The parents understood about their children and their desires for the future as no parent could be truly blind to their children's needs and happiness if they chose to see them and these were loving parents who trusted in the lords plan as they were taught."

At this point in the performance the dance was free form and the horses followed their trainers through many swishing and swaying turns. Their manes flowed and tails whipped back and forth when their heads turned and the girls outfits and hair were alive with their movements.

Brin continued while they danced. "The last dance of the evening was the Quadrille an elaborate dance set up in sections of four sets. It was a dance for couples and very often at the end a kiss was stolen and true intentions were laid bare."

At this point the sisters and their horses faced each other and played out the next paragraph.

"Seeing the Quadrille form Charlotte was excited and took Rudolph's offered hand while Madelyn stepped back. Seeing their sister's dilemmas they whispered and contrived a second and third couple from friends nearby and then innocently called for their sisters to simply fill the fourth slot and they happily agreed."

"The Quadrille was elaborate and involved spins, passes, turns and partner changes. Charlotte and Madelyn had practiced alone for years together as did Rudolph and Margot and when the music started they paired off and began."

The crowd watched as the music played and the girls danced their horses in the elaborate routine they had been taught. Two seemingly identical paints dancing with their twins. Liberty is typically a solo performance, the trainer and as many horses as was part of the act. Liberty is a joining, an understanding between human and equine that takes trust and patience. More than one horse made it complicated, two trainers and two horses changing partners almost never done. Amy knew early on that when training the twins she needed several things to happen. They needed to work together as a team, that their victories and successes can be theirs and shared with their counterpart simultaneously. In many ways identical twins share what she could only describe as a connected soul and an inner light that shone from both of them, individual but together. Amy knew that although they didn't voice it the girls were almost telepathic when apart, appearing just as the they were needed for one task or another as if physical communication was unnecessary. She had seen it a hundred times and did not doubt it at all.

To this end Amy insisted that other than their primary ranch horses, the pairs for jumping and liberty would be interchangeable. She scrupulously set out to schedule them to care for, train, ride and perform on and with each of the horses equally so that bonds were laid and set in stone. It's not that the horses couldn't tell them apart, their smells were different and horses were very intelligent, it took time but they learned. The girls routinely joined up with all of the horses under their care and over time the horses treated them equally. To be truthful, even their ranch horses treated them equally though they rode their own personal horses almost exclusively. The girls and JT absolutely loved their horses and it was quite obvious that the feelings between the three and the horses they cared for were mutual.

The crowd gathered was enthralled by the dance and reacted as many horse lovers did when watching Liberty work. Many could never imagine a bond like this or that the horses were capable of such detailed work. That the girls trained them themselves albeit under Amy's supervision was also appreciated by many. They were as the programs told only 14 years old.

The applause as the dance slowed to it's conclusion was hearty and the crowd murmured approval. Then Brin continued.

"At the end of the dance Rudolph stood with Charlotte and asked for permission to kiss her, and gave her his claim of love and his wish to court her and she smiled and agreed."

The crowd laughed as Rudy bowed again and when Charlotte turned her cheek for him to nuzzle and he moved over to slather her face.

"Madelyn and Margot were torn and scared but seeing their parents smiling and Charlotte and Rudolf nodding their approval the girl's kissed and hand in hand joined their parents."

Once again the crowd murmured their approval as Margot stepped up, nodded, bent her head and slathered a kiss on Maddie's face.

"As the year passed the families became close as parents do watching their children's love grow and then one day at a large Sunday dinner, the children announced their intention to marry and post bans at prayers come the next harvest day."

During this section the girls walked, skipped and moved their horses elaborately and then they knelt in a mock proposal again to the laughter and applause of the crowd.

Brin continued "On that day their parents presented them all with new clothes contrived by the mothers so that their children would be looked favorably upon by the Town Elder the spiritual leader of their community and the gathered parishioners but that would not come to be. The Elder was aghast at the suggestion that Madelyn and Margot would marry or that Charlotte and Rudolph or their parents would promote such an affront to the Lord. How would they fulfill their obligations to produce children in the Lord's name and raise them to believe in god's glory and greatness."

"The parent and sisters stood equally aghast at the suggestion that their children's and siblings love would be denied and expressed their confusion. God loves us all equally, how can our love be denied ?"

The pantomime showed the girls shaking their heads along with their horses as they faced each other and then stepped back.

"As the Elder and those others assembled in the sanctuary pews frowned on the families Madelyn stepped forward. "We will care for those children who in the Lord's wisdom are left orphaned and destitute. We will teach them that the lord loves us all equally regardless of where our joy is found and that's it's not our place as mortals on this earth to pass judgements on our fellows and their happiness." And with that they marched from the assembled congregation and the sisters and partners and their parents stood in the center of the square and declared their love for each other in defiance of the the Elder and went home."

Here again the pantomime followed as closely as they could, certainly without words it would have looked odd but with the story the movements between all four "actors" were done well or as well as one could expect considering.

"In time, the town split and the new families were accepted by those who could not deny the couples love and rejected by those too blinded by intransigence and hate to see it. A year later, soon after Charlotte gave birth to her twin daughters, alike and identical in every way, Madelyn and Margot found a grandmother wandering on the road with a sick boy and his two sisters, also, alike and identical in every way. They took pity on the family and took them in and fell in love with them and made them at home. They cared for the young boy with all the love than any other parents would and made him well. Seeing this, more people in the town turned a kind eye on the couple and allowed them in."

Charlotte pantomimed rocking a baby in her arms and Rudy looking at the motion close by, again the crown was amused but the applause more subdued as the moral of the fable came to light and Brin continued.

"Now, many years later the sisters live close by and their children love each other and play together. As time passed whenever there are those in need passing through they are steered by the townsfolk and those around to this family for help and to find love and peace for a time and with that sharing of their love and the lessons they taught to all who could see, they lived happily ever after."