Horse Story WIP By Briena
07-22-2013, 09:36 PM
1
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The grass was sweet on his tongue as he grazed, cropping the vibrant green vegetation with strong front teeth. His thick black tail swished idly at the Summer gnats that, despite his owner?s applications of fly shield spray, persisted in their hungry attacks on his hide. His name was Shadow, and he was the finest stallion in the area, if he did say so himself. He stood a powerful 17 hands high at the withers, being a Shire Friesian cross. His entire body, from heavily feathered hooves to the tips of his curved, alert ears was jet black, with not a mark on him of white. The mares paid many a compliment to his powerful muscles and thick, wavy mane and tail. His eyes were large, intelligent, a deep liquid blue. His blue eyes were the very reason his owners had kept him a stud. They wanted to pass that down to the next generation.
A deep motor rumbled it?s way down the road on the other side of the white fence, and he lifted his head to stare curiously toward the noise. After a moment, he started off with a flick of his tail. Perhaps it was his next cover. A lovely mare to woo? He came to the fence, neck arched, muscles bulging, doing his best to impress the possible new breeding partner. Being the typical male, he loved his job as a stud, and took special care to woo the mares he bred for his owners. He considered himself to be quite adept at it. He?d almost never been kicked at or refused.
He draped his head over the top rail of the fence and gazed intently at the vehicle that was motoring its way down the road. He was sad to see that it had no horse trailer hitched to its bumper. He huffed a sigh through his flared nostrils and relaxed his stance, grumbling at the misfortune. The truck was one of those large ones that humans carried there belongings in. He remembered when his owners had moved to newer pastures. He?d loved his old pasture; the grazing had been good and plenty, and the fences had been far apart, with room to run as fast as he wanted. The great red barn had been comfortable, with a nice large box stall to call his own. He didn?t exactly understand why they had moved. He guessed that it must have had something to do with the female owner having new offspring. She would ride him all the time, before about nine months before the move. Every time he?d seen her after the end of their riding adventures, her middle had been bigger and bigger.
He?d had a fine view of the old home of his owners from his pasture front gate, and they had been loading all manner of strange things made of wood and fabric into the back. He?d heard them calling it a ?You-Haul.? The ?You-Haul coming down the road now must be filled with those things too. He watched with interest, waiting for it to turn down his drive. It didn?t. Instead, it turned the other way, down the drive on the other side. He snorted at the nasty smell of the bluish smoke spitting out of the back of the ?You-Haul?. Soon, the vehicle vanished around the bend, and Shadow lost interest. He turned away and lowered his head, going back to his meal of grass.
An hour later, or maybe longer, he heard the jingling of his halter chain coming closer, and raised his head. The male owner was walking toward him, clucking his tongue as soon as he saw that Shadow?s attention was on him. Shadow obligingly trotted over to him, hoping for treats. And sure enough, he was rewarded with a tasty peppermint candy piece. The male owner made his soothing nothing noises, words that made little sense, except for the occasional ?Good boy.? intermingled among them. The male owner slid the halter over his nose and face, and Shadow allowed it, despite the faint feeling of claustrophobia that most horses felt at having their faces enclosed. ?Good Boy, Shad. Good boy.? The last bit was elongated, drawn out in a way Shadow rather liked. He did enjoy listening to the Humans converse. Their way of speaking was so different from the way of the animal kingdom, and yet there was a sense of sameness.
They spoke with their bodies, as well as their mouths. What made it interesting was that their body language didn?t always match what their mouths said. He had often wondered what was wrong, until one of the dogs, an old Golden Retriever named Daisy had told him about lies. Humans could lie to each other. That was something animals had a hard time doing, since their bodies spoke so fluently of truth. Shadow felt the tug of his lead and obediently followed the male owner as he walked away toward the barn. Shadow liked the new barn. It was twice the size of the old one, and his stall was enormous, practically a small barn itself. The flooring under the shavings was a layer of that new rubber matting that drained liquids like no tomorrow, and he even had a run out paddock to go into if he wanted some fresh air.
The male owner led him to the pasture gate and opened the metal exit. Shadow stepped well away like he?d been trained to do ever since he was a foal sticking close to his mother?s flanks. Through the open gate they went and he stood quietly until the gate was closed and followed his leader to the barn. His shod hooves clopped in an even, strong cadence on the stone the humans called pavement. It had a music to it, and he loved listening to it, finding something satisfying in the sound. A sound that meant he was there. He looked around hopefully. Maybe a mare had snuck in while he was watching the ?You-Haul?. He could use to woo a lady.
He was disappointed when they went to the saddling stall and he was clipped into the crossties. However, he was mollified by the knowledge that a good, deep grooming was ahead, and maybe a good long ride cross country. Maybe the female owner would ride him again. He liked that idea. So he stood quietly, muscles quivering with hopeful excitement as the male owner clattered around, stepping into the tack stall and returning with the grooming kit and setting it on the floor nearby. The male owner picked out one of the grooming instruments, a slick stone that Shadow quite enjoyed. He settled down for a long, thorough grooming.
The male owner was a fine groom. He never left a single spot un-groomed, always did the best strokes with the rubbery little curry that humans slid over their hands, and when it came to the last step, where he ran a soft cloth over the sleek black hide, he never slacked, and Shadow always shone like a still lakes glassy surface. Or a ravens plumage. His mane was never tangled, and his hooves never lacked for shine. Shadow was the best cared for stallion in the area.
The male owner finished his last step and stood back, observing his work with one of those grimaces Daisy called a smile on his mouth. Shadow liked the smile the male owner did. It reached the man?s brown eyes and made the skin at the outer corners of his eyes crinkle into lines. The female owner had a nice smile too. Like a mother mares gentle touch. Shadow lipped at the air in a way he knew the owners enjoyed. It got the result he was looking for. The male owner laughed, another thing about humans Shadow liked. Laughter, It was such a nice sound. Musical, generous. Happy.
He also got a free peppermint candy. His day was made even better when the male owner turned and went into the tack stall and came out carrying the saddle, bitless bridle, and fluffy wool saddle pad. Shadow announced his delight with a happy nicker, ears pricked forward. He made sure to stand extra still, holding his breath for happiness. He didn?t move as his halter was removed, and the bridle was slid over his nose to replace it, the brow band was settled around his pricked ears and his long, thick forelock was pulled out from under the brow band to hide it. The throat latch was buckled, and the reins draped over his crest. He stood extra still as the pad for the saddle was placed, centered carefully on his back, and then the saddle was set upon his back on top of the pad.
The male owner reached under his belly and pulled the girth around his barrel and fastened it. He felt the tightness growing, then remembered to let out his breath. He?d never forgiven himself when his held breath had caused the saddle to slip during a ride with the Female owner. She?d fallen, and broken her wrist. She?d never once blamed him, though. He was blessed by Epona to have such fine Owners.
At last, he was ready, and he followed the male owner from the saddling area to the mounting area. There, he was absolutely delighted to see Major, a blood bay Thoroughbred gelding with a broad blaze centering his face standing beside the female owner. Major tossed his head in friendly greeting. ?Ho, Shadow. Fine day for a ride, eh?? The gelding was a jolly sort, who loved to stretch out his legs and race the wind. He was one of those ?Off The Track Thoroughbreds? who had been retired from the job and retrained to a new job. He?d won a race or two, and then his old owners had lost heir farm to a bank and had to sell their horses. Major had come to Shadow?s farm.
Shadow nodded in agreement. ?Yes, it is. The female owner hasn?t ridden me for so long.? He swished his tail as he replied, quivering with readiness to ride. The female owner approached him then crooning in her sweet, low voice the meaningless nothings that were so satisfying. It seemed she had missed him, too. He rumbled a low whicker in reply, nudging his face into her soft chest and breathing her scent. She smelled like saddle and cloth, and a newer smell, like milk. She was a mother now. She?d been a mother before, but now she was a mother again.
Soon enough, the Owners were mounted up, female on Shadow?s back, and male on Major. The day was just getting better and better.
2
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Anna, was glum as she looked out of the car window at the passing scenery. She hadn?t wanted to move. But no one had asked her opinion, now, had they? It was, ?Let?s move out of the place you love so much. Let?s move away from all the friends you love. Let?s go!? She wrinkled her small, dainty nose and narrowed her green eyes at the window. Sure, she loved the country, but she also had been happy in the suburbs. She?d liked her high school. She?d loved her friends. She?d had a crush to drool after, even if the hottest guy in school wouldn?t even think to look in her direction.
Anna heaved a gusty sigh and turned her attention to her parents, studying them. They acted as though they had a wonderful surprise or secret they were bursting to tell her. Her dad, sitting behind the wheel, glanced back at her in the rear view mirror, and a smile quirked at his strong mouth, turning up the corners. Then his hazel eyes returned to the road. Her mom fluffed at her shoulder length bob, they way she did when she was excited or nervous. She wasn?t nervous, since there was a smile on her face.
Anna?s eyes turned away from them and went back to staring out the window. The car slowed, and turned. They were on their new driveway, coasting down and around a bend. ?Ann, look ahead, kiddo. This is our new home.? Her dad?s baritone pulled her attention from the grassy yard to look out the windshield. The house was a big, two story American Foursquare. It looked like it was older, and in mild need of repair. It was white, though the white was faded and some of the paint was peeling. The trim was blue. The front of the house was taken up by a large, covered front porch. She squinted at it. It had a porch swing. Well, it was something to add to the good news list.
The U-Haul was parked in front of the house, backed up to the porch. The driver and his assistant were unloading the furniture and boxes already, disappearing into the house and returning empty handed for the next load. Anna?s dad pulled in next to the U-Haul and cut the motor. Anna heaved another sigh and unbuckled her seat belt, opened her door and stepped out. She turned and reached across the seat to grab her bag.
Hoisting her bag over her shoulder, Anna turned to look up at the house again. Up close, it looked even shabbier. The screens in the upper windows were rusted, or frayed, or nonexistent. She heaved yet another gusty sigh and started up the steps, wincing at the creak of the boards underfoot. Goddess, was the porch going to collapse under her feet? Not likely, since the U-Haulers were both hefty sized men and the furniture pieces weren?t lightweights either. She stood aside to let the two men by with a dresser, then stepped into the house itself.
Anna looked around at the room. Inside, the house seemed much younger. There were modern fittings on all the lights, and no old wallpaper on the walls. The paint was new, a cheery light blue that wasn?t too much, with white trim. The floor was new wood flooring, red cedar with rich grain swirling through the wood. The house didn?t smell old either. It smelled like a new house Light filtered through the windows, giving the room a nice feel.
Okay, so this wasn?t quite as bad as she?d thought at first. She stepped out of the way of the haulers and went into the living room. It was bare, no furniture having been placed in it yet. It actually looked very comfortable. The carpet was new, a nice shade of cream. There was a fireplace, with a nice large hearth, and a surrounding of wood flooring to separate the hearth from the carpet.
Anna found herself liking it. Until she thought about how much Amy would have liked it. Amy was an Architecture nut, with an almost unhealthy fascination with houses, especially old ones. Amy was an awesome friend, though. She was the kind of girl who stood up to bullies, and comforted smaller kids when they had scraped knees. Apart from Architecture, she was also fascinated with being a nurse. Or a doctor. Amy was ambitious, and finished her homework as soon as she got home from school. She also shared a love of animals with Anna. Especially horses.
Anna heaved a sigh, glumness returned. Amy was all the way on the other side of the state. Sure, there was internet, and phones, and snail mail, if it came to that. But there were no hugs. There would be no more sitting in the cafeteria ogling boys. Anna grumbled, and continued investigating the house. From the living room, she went into the kitchen. It was large, and she felt a little thrill. She liked cooking and baking. This would be a nice work place. The appliances were new, the counters a pretty white and black swirled marble. The sinks were roomy, and the dishwasher was to die for. No more hand washing. she thought, with some satisfaction.
The stove was large, with six eyes, three small, three large. Easy to clean. It?d make her kitchen chores much easier, until her brother could come home from College to share the chores. Tom was not only her brother; he was her best friend apart from Amy and Missy. She never hid anything from him. He knew about her first kiss, had chaperoned her first date, and picked up the pieces of her heart when her first boyfriend had turned out to be cheating on her with the hottest girl in school, Lizzy Meyer. Ever since he?d gone off to college, her heart felt like a piece was missing. Their phone calls and skype calls lasted hours, until he?d have to go.
She sighed and hugged herself, frowning. Would he like this house? Would he be able to find it? She sighed and continued her exploration. The lower floor of the house had a roomy bathroom, and she loved the shower stall. The shower head was huge, and had spray settings. It was also on a hose, so she could reach everywhere on her body. She liked this, and was already looking forward to a shower. There were three bedrooms all small except the master bedroom. This room was huge.
She peeked into the utility room. The washer and dryer were large, and of a good brand. She liked them, too. There was a back porch, large and covered. She turned and found the stairs to the upper floor. She climbed them. There were four bedrooms, and a smaller bathroom. It was still a big bathroom, and the shower stall just as nice as the other. She found herself warming to the house. Despite the shabby outside, the inside was comfortable, roomy. Livable. It would do. But what was the school like? What was the internet like? Were the neighbors nice? Were there any boys who could possibly hold a candle to Davis Marley, her crush?
She wandered from the bathroom and into one of the bedrooms. It was large, She spied the closet and went over to it, opening the door. She gave a gasp of delight. It was a walk in closet with space to spare. Heck, she could put three dressers in there. Alright, so maybe not three. But still. It felt that roomy. She stood in the middle and turned in a circle, arms stretched wide open. She could get used to this, if only her friends were there.
She had found the room she wanted. So she dropped her bag onto the closet floor and left the room to go help unpack. She was stopped by the sight of the view her room had. Anne went over to the window and looked out, mouth slightly open. She had a great view of the mountains. From one end to the other, mountains lined the horizon. The great Rockies. Her eyes finally lowered from the range to her new backyard. There was a barn. It was old, faded red. And it had a pasture. Room for horses.
Anna was liking this more and more. She turned and went to help unload boxes.
3
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Shadow had had a fine day. The ride was exhilarating after so long a time of not being ridden. He felt exercised, relaxed, strong and healthy. Such a fine day to be a horse. The male Owner was rubbing him down, and he leaned into the firm strokes, groaning contentedly. After he was rubbed down, the male owner led him to his stall and let him in, fed him and watered him, and said goodnight. He watched the male owner walk away as he munched his hay.
When his belly was full, he turned to his trough and drank deeply. What a wonderful day. And the night proved to be likely to be comfortable as well. He yawned, and went out into his run out paddock. Above, stars glittered in the darkening sky, though he paid little attention, his interest more toward the grass that would be his night time snack. He lowered his head and began nibbling.
A soft woof from outside the fence made him look up. It was Daisy, golden face grey with age and wisdom. ?Good evening, Shadow. How was your day?? The old dog asked, creakily sinking back onto her old haunches and regarding the stallion with liquid brown eyes. Shadow nodded respectfully. ?It was wonderful, Daisy. I enjoyed my ride very much.? He flicked his tail and a persistent mosquito. ?How is training of the pups coming?? Recently, Daisy had begun training her litter of two year old pups, Fable, Millie, Ash, and Creek. They were rambunctious, like most young dogs, eager to fetch and run and swim.
Daisy chuckled dryly. ?Taxing, but they are learning. They have loyalty down. The Owners pup is safe with us.? Her old maw opened in a pant, liquid eyes proud. She was an old dog now. At twelve years, she was nearing her end. She would be sorely missed by dog, horse and human alike. Shadow nodded agreeably. ?How was patrol training?? He asked curiously. Sometimes, he wished he could come along on their patrols, instead of sticking to the trails the Owners wanted to ride on.
?It went well. We chased off a few squirrels, and a stray.? Daisy replied proudly, then cocked her head, listening. ?I must go, Shadow. The Owners are calling. Good night.? ?Goodnight Daisy.? Shadow dipped his head, then went back to grazing as Daisy plodded away. Sometime in the night, he must have dozed, because the next her knew, the sun was rising, and the other horses were shifting in their stalls, huffing and snorting their morning greetings. Shadow shook himself and went into his stall, taking a long drink from the water trough.
There was a rattle, the click of boots on pavement, and the barn door rolled open, revealing the morning stable hand. The stable hand went about gathering up his tools for mucking. Nickers and whinnies of greeting filled the barn as he went through, taking horses out to their paddocks. Shadow added his own voice to the chorus. Soon, it was his turn, and he was led out to his pasture and turned out.
Shadow pranced out from the gate, neck arched, muscles rippling, knees raising high, until he reached the middle, where he slowed and walked in a circle. There it was. He lowered himself to the ground and rolled vigorously, scratching the itches on his back that he couldn?t reach. Itches annihilated, he stretched out on his side for a moment, before heaving himself to his feet and taking off at a gallop, kicking and buckling, burning of his morning energy. He loved mornings like these, were dew lay on the grass, and the sun was warm. He loved hearing the thunder under his hooves as he charged across the pasture.
He reached the fence by the road and slid to a stop and pranced along the fence, knees lifting high, head high, ears pricked. What a glorious morning. Finally, he relaxed and dropped his head to grazing, tail swishing pleasantly. The grass tickled his nostrils and he huffed out a snort, shaking his head lightly, mane tossing and swinging. A few hours passed before a scuff of shoe on pavement made his head raise. It was a young human female, walking out from the drive across the road, where the ?You-Haul? had gone. He studied her.
She had a brown mane, green eyes, and a small nose. Her body?s language said she was shy, happy but sad at the same time. She walked with her eyes on the ground, not looking up. His ears flicked as he watched her walk along, and he followed along on his side of the fence. Ahead, he heard a car motor roaring down the road in their direction. The girl didn?t seem to hear it. The car turned the bend, bearing down on the girl, who still didn?t look out. Shadow, huffed uneasily, waiting for her to get out of the road. He was a horse, for Epona?s sake, and even he knew to get out of the way when a car was coming! When she still didn?t step off the road, he lost patience.
Shadow let out a loud whinny and charged the fence.
4
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Anna was miles away as she walked down the drive and out onto the road. She liked the house, and the view, but she missed her friends with a passion. What were they doing right now? Probably still waking up, getting ready for school. Discussing the prom. Her nose wrinkled. She?d had a dress picked out and everything, and then her parents had dropped the news on her. ?Hey honey, we?re moving this Sunday. You?ll love it!? She sighed and kicked at the road with the toe of her sneaker.
A loud whinny and thundering hooves broke her out of her reverie and her head snapped up. She heard the motor of the car and looked up, and lunged off the road in time to dodge the car as it swept by. She fell into the bank and sagged against the grass, heart racing in her chest. She had been so close to never thinking again. A snort from across the road made her look up. She found herself looking at the most beautiful horse she?d ever seen, except in pictures on Google.
He was big, looked like a Friesian, and was black as a raven. But his eyes contrasted with his black face and drew her gaze to them. They were blue. A black horse with blue eyes. How did that happen? For a long moment, she and the horse stared at each other. Then she looked away and stood, dusting off her rump and stumbled onto the road. Anna looked both ways, then crossed to the fence, coming up to it and looking up at the horse. He was even bigger up close. She stood at five foot six inches, and he still made her feel small and insignificant.
The big horse was quite friendly, arching his neck and draping his head over the fence to snuffle at her face. He even licked her. She found herself scratching his throat and cheeks, savoring the silky texture of his hide. He was certainly well cared for. He smelled like all horses should. Like hay and grass and wind. ?Hey big guy. You saved my skin there. Thanks. What?s your name, big fellow?? She talked to the horse like she would any friendly animal, stroking the muscular neck under the heavy mane.
He nudged his face against her shoulder, and she scratched it obligingly. And when she started to step away, the horse looked so sad, that she stopped and continued her attention to his face and neck.
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The grass was sweet on his tongue as he grazed, cropping the vibrant green vegetation with strong front teeth. His thick black tail swished idly at the Summer gnats that, despite his owner?s applications of fly shield spray, persisted in their hungry attacks on his hide. His name was Shadow, and he was the finest stallion in the area, if he did say so himself. He stood a powerful 17 hands high at the withers, being a Shire Friesian cross. His entire body, from heavily feathered hooves to the tips of his curved, alert ears was jet black, with not a mark on him of white. The mares paid many a compliment to his powerful muscles and thick, wavy mane and tail. His eyes were large, intelligent, a deep liquid blue. His blue eyes were the very reason his owners had kept him a stud. They wanted to pass that down to the next generation.
A deep motor rumbled it?s way down the road on the other side of the white fence, and he lifted his head to stare curiously toward the noise. After a moment, he started off with a flick of his tail. Perhaps it was his next cover. A lovely mare to woo? He came to the fence, neck arched, muscles bulging, doing his best to impress the possible new breeding partner. Being the typical male, he loved his job as a stud, and took special care to woo the mares he bred for his owners. He considered himself to be quite adept at it. He?d almost never been kicked at or refused.
He draped his head over the top rail of the fence and gazed intently at the vehicle that was motoring its way down the road. He was sad to see that it had no horse trailer hitched to its bumper. He huffed a sigh through his flared nostrils and relaxed his stance, grumbling at the misfortune. The truck was one of those large ones that humans carried there belongings in. He remembered when his owners had moved to newer pastures. He?d loved his old pasture; the grazing had been good and plenty, and the fences had been far apart, with room to run as fast as he wanted. The great red barn had been comfortable, with a nice large box stall to call his own. He didn?t exactly understand why they had moved. He guessed that it must have had something to do with the female owner having new offspring. She would ride him all the time, before about nine months before the move. Every time he?d seen her after the end of their riding adventures, her middle had been bigger and bigger.
He?d had a fine view of the old home of his owners from his pasture front gate, and they had been loading all manner of strange things made of wood and fabric into the back. He?d heard them calling it a ?You-Haul.? The ?You-Haul coming down the road now must be filled with those things too. He watched with interest, waiting for it to turn down his drive. It didn?t. Instead, it turned the other way, down the drive on the other side. He snorted at the nasty smell of the bluish smoke spitting out of the back of the ?You-Haul?. Soon, the vehicle vanished around the bend, and Shadow lost interest. He turned away and lowered his head, going back to his meal of grass.
An hour later, or maybe longer, he heard the jingling of his halter chain coming closer, and raised his head. The male owner was walking toward him, clucking his tongue as soon as he saw that Shadow?s attention was on him. Shadow obligingly trotted over to him, hoping for treats. And sure enough, he was rewarded with a tasty peppermint candy piece. The male owner made his soothing nothing noises, words that made little sense, except for the occasional ?Good boy.? intermingled among them. The male owner slid the halter over his nose and face, and Shadow allowed it, despite the faint feeling of claustrophobia that most horses felt at having their faces enclosed. ?Good Boy, Shad. Good boy.? The last bit was elongated, drawn out in a way Shadow rather liked. He did enjoy listening to the Humans converse. Their way of speaking was so different from the way of the animal kingdom, and yet there was a sense of sameness.
They spoke with their bodies, as well as their mouths. What made it interesting was that their body language didn?t always match what their mouths said. He had often wondered what was wrong, until one of the dogs, an old Golden Retriever named Daisy had told him about lies. Humans could lie to each other. That was something animals had a hard time doing, since their bodies spoke so fluently of truth. Shadow felt the tug of his lead and obediently followed the male owner as he walked away toward the barn. Shadow liked the new barn. It was twice the size of the old one, and his stall was enormous, practically a small barn itself. The flooring under the shavings was a layer of that new rubber matting that drained liquids like no tomorrow, and he even had a run out paddock to go into if he wanted some fresh air.
The male owner led him to the pasture gate and opened the metal exit. Shadow stepped well away like he?d been trained to do ever since he was a foal sticking close to his mother?s flanks. Through the open gate they went and he stood quietly until the gate was closed and followed his leader to the barn. His shod hooves clopped in an even, strong cadence on the stone the humans called pavement. It had a music to it, and he loved listening to it, finding something satisfying in the sound. A sound that meant he was there. He looked around hopefully. Maybe a mare had snuck in while he was watching the ?You-Haul?. He could use to woo a lady.
He was disappointed when they went to the saddling stall and he was clipped into the crossties. However, he was mollified by the knowledge that a good, deep grooming was ahead, and maybe a good long ride cross country. Maybe the female owner would ride him again. He liked that idea. So he stood quietly, muscles quivering with hopeful excitement as the male owner clattered around, stepping into the tack stall and returning with the grooming kit and setting it on the floor nearby. The male owner picked out one of the grooming instruments, a slick stone that Shadow quite enjoyed. He settled down for a long, thorough grooming.
The male owner was a fine groom. He never left a single spot un-groomed, always did the best strokes with the rubbery little curry that humans slid over their hands, and when it came to the last step, where he ran a soft cloth over the sleek black hide, he never slacked, and Shadow always shone like a still lakes glassy surface. Or a ravens plumage. His mane was never tangled, and his hooves never lacked for shine. Shadow was the best cared for stallion in the area.
The male owner finished his last step and stood back, observing his work with one of those grimaces Daisy called a smile on his mouth. Shadow liked the smile the male owner did. It reached the man?s brown eyes and made the skin at the outer corners of his eyes crinkle into lines. The female owner had a nice smile too. Like a mother mares gentle touch. Shadow lipped at the air in a way he knew the owners enjoyed. It got the result he was looking for. The male owner laughed, another thing about humans Shadow liked. Laughter, It was such a nice sound. Musical, generous. Happy.
He also got a free peppermint candy. His day was made even better when the male owner turned and went into the tack stall and came out carrying the saddle, bitless bridle, and fluffy wool saddle pad. Shadow announced his delight with a happy nicker, ears pricked forward. He made sure to stand extra still, holding his breath for happiness. He didn?t move as his halter was removed, and the bridle was slid over his nose to replace it, the brow band was settled around his pricked ears and his long, thick forelock was pulled out from under the brow band to hide it. The throat latch was buckled, and the reins draped over his crest. He stood extra still as the pad for the saddle was placed, centered carefully on his back, and then the saddle was set upon his back on top of the pad.
The male owner reached under his belly and pulled the girth around his barrel and fastened it. He felt the tightness growing, then remembered to let out his breath. He?d never forgiven himself when his held breath had caused the saddle to slip during a ride with the Female owner. She?d fallen, and broken her wrist. She?d never once blamed him, though. He was blessed by Epona to have such fine Owners.
At last, he was ready, and he followed the male owner from the saddling area to the mounting area. There, he was absolutely delighted to see Major, a blood bay Thoroughbred gelding with a broad blaze centering his face standing beside the female owner. Major tossed his head in friendly greeting. ?Ho, Shadow. Fine day for a ride, eh?? The gelding was a jolly sort, who loved to stretch out his legs and race the wind. He was one of those ?Off The Track Thoroughbreds? who had been retired from the job and retrained to a new job. He?d won a race or two, and then his old owners had lost heir farm to a bank and had to sell their horses. Major had come to Shadow?s farm.
Shadow nodded in agreement. ?Yes, it is. The female owner hasn?t ridden me for so long.? He swished his tail as he replied, quivering with readiness to ride. The female owner approached him then crooning in her sweet, low voice the meaningless nothings that were so satisfying. It seemed she had missed him, too. He rumbled a low whicker in reply, nudging his face into her soft chest and breathing her scent. She smelled like saddle and cloth, and a newer smell, like milk. She was a mother now. She?d been a mother before, but now she was a mother again.
Soon enough, the Owners were mounted up, female on Shadow?s back, and male on Major. The day was just getting better and better.
2
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Anna, was glum as she looked out of the car window at the passing scenery. She hadn?t wanted to move. But no one had asked her opinion, now, had they? It was, ?Let?s move out of the place you love so much. Let?s move away from all the friends you love. Let?s go!? She wrinkled her small, dainty nose and narrowed her green eyes at the window. Sure, she loved the country, but she also had been happy in the suburbs. She?d liked her high school. She?d loved her friends. She?d had a crush to drool after, even if the hottest guy in school wouldn?t even think to look in her direction.
Anna heaved a gusty sigh and turned her attention to her parents, studying them. They acted as though they had a wonderful surprise or secret they were bursting to tell her. Her dad, sitting behind the wheel, glanced back at her in the rear view mirror, and a smile quirked at his strong mouth, turning up the corners. Then his hazel eyes returned to the road. Her mom fluffed at her shoulder length bob, they way she did when she was excited or nervous. She wasn?t nervous, since there was a smile on her face.
Anna?s eyes turned away from them and went back to staring out the window. The car slowed, and turned. They were on their new driveway, coasting down and around a bend. ?Ann, look ahead, kiddo. This is our new home.? Her dad?s baritone pulled her attention from the grassy yard to look out the windshield. The house was a big, two story American Foursquare. It looked like it was older, and in mild need of repair. It was white, though the white was faded and some of the paint was peeling. The trim was blue. The front of the house was taken up by a large, covered front porch. She squinted at it. It had a porch swing. Well, it was something to add to the good news list.
The U-Haul was parked in front of the house, backed up to the porch. The driver and his assistant were unloading the furniture and boxes already, disappearing into the house and returning empty handed for the next load. Anna?s dad pulled in next to the U-Haul and cut the motor. Anna heaved another sigh and unbuckled her seat belt, opened her door and stepped out. She turned and reached across the seat to grab her bag.
Hoisting her bag over her shoulder, Anna turned to look up at the house again. Up close, it looked even shabbier. The screens in the upper windows were rusted, or frayed, or nonexistent. She heaved yet another gusty sigh and started up the steps, wincing at the creak of the boards underfoot. Goddess, was the porch going to collapse under her feet? Not likely, since the U-Haulers were both hefty sized men and the furniture pieces weren?t lightweights either. She stood aside to let the two men by with a dresser, then stepped into the house itself.
Anna looked around at the room. Inside, the house seemed much younger. There were modern fittings on all the lights, and no old wallpaper on the walls. The paint was new, a cheery light blue that wasn?t too much, with white trim. The floor was new wood flooring, red cedar with rich grain swirling through the wood. The house didn?t smell old either. It smelled like a new house Light filtered through the windows, giving the room a nice feel.
Okay, so this wasn?t quite as bad as she?d thought at first. She stepped out of the way of the haulers and went into the living room. It was bare, no furniture having been placed in it yet. It actually looked very comfortable. The carpet was new, a nice shade of cream. There was a fireplace, with a nice large hearth, and a surrounding of wood flooring to separate the hearth from the carpet.
Anna found herself liking it. Until she thought about how much Amy would have liked it. Amy was an Architecture nut, with an almost unhealthy fascination with houses, especially old ones. Amy was an awesome friend, though. She was the kind of girl who stood up to bullies, and comforted smaller kids when they had scraped knees. Apart from Architecture, she was also fascinated with being a nurse. Or a doctor. Amy was ambitious, and finished her homework as soon as she got home from school. She also shared a love of animals with Anna. Especially horses.
Anna heaved a sigh, glumness returned. Amy was all the way on the other side of the state. Sure, there was internet, and phones, and snail mail, if it came to that. But there were no hugs. There would be no more sitting in the cafeteria ogling boys. Anna grumbled, and continued investigating the house. From the living room, she went into the kitchen. It was large, and she felt a little thrill. She liked cooking and baking. This would be a nice work place. The appliances were new, the counters a pretty white and black swirled marble. The sinks were roomy, and the dishwasher was to die for. No more hand washing. she thought, with some satisfaction.
The stove was large, with six eyes, three small, three large. Easy to clean. It?d make her kitchen chores much easier, until her brother could come home from College to share the chores. Tom was not only her brother; he was her best friend apart from Amy and Missy. She never hid anything from him. He knew about her first kiss, had chaperoned her first date, and picked up the pieces of her heart when her first boyfriend had turned out to be cheating on her with the hottest girl in school, Lizzy Meyer. Ever since he?d gone off to college, her heart felt like a piece was missing. Their phone calls and skype calls lasted hours, until he?d have to go.
She sighed and hugged herself, frowning. Would he like this house? Would he be able to find it? She sighed and continued her exploration. The lower floor of the house had a roomy bathroom, and she loved the shower stall. The shower head was huge, and had spray settings. It was also on a hose, so she could reach everywhere on her body. She liked this, and was already looking forward to a shower. There were three bedrooms all small except the master bedroom. This room was huge.
She peeked into the utility room. The washer and dryer were large, and of a good brand. She liked them, too. There was a back porch, large and covered. She turned and found the stairs to the upper floor. She climbed them. There were four bedrooms, and a smaller bathroom. It was still a big bathroom, and the shower stall just as nice as the other. She found herself warming to the house. Despite the shabby outside, the inside was comfortable, roomy. Livable. It would do. But what was the school like? What was the internet like? Were the neighbors nice? Were there any boys who could possibly hold a candle to Davis Marley, her crush?
She wandered from the bathroom and into one of the bedrooms. It was large, She spied the closet and went over to it, opening the door. She gave a gasp of delight. It was a walk in closet with space to spare. Heck, she could put three dressers in there. Alright, so maybe not three. But still. It felt that roomy. She stood in the middle and turned in a circle, arms stretched wide open. She could get used to this, if only her friends were there.
She had found the room she wanted. So she dropped her bag onto the closet floor and left the room to go help unpack. She was stopped by the sight of the view her room had. Anne went over to the window and looked out, mouth slightly open. She had a great view of the mountains. From one end to the other, mountains lined the horizon. The great Rockies. Her eyes finally lowered from the range to her new backyard. There was a barn. It was old, faded red. And it had a pasture. Room for horses.
Anna was liking this more and more. She turned and went to help unload boxes.
3
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Shadow had had a fine day. The ride was exhilarating after so long a time of not being ridden. He felt exercised, relaxed, strong and healthy. Such a fine day to be a horse. The male Owner was rubbing him down, and he leaned into the firm strokes, groaning contentedly. After he was rubbed down, the male owner led him to his stall and let him in, fed him and watered him, and said goodnight. He watched the male owner walk away as he munched his hay.
When his belly was full, he turned to his trough and drank deeply. What a wonderful day. And the night proved to be likely to be comfortable as well. He yawned, and went out into his run out paddock. Above, stars glittered in the darkening sky, though he paid little attention, his interest more toward the grass that would be his night time snack. He lowered his head and began nibbling.
A soft woof from outside the fence made him look up. It was Daisy, golden face grey with age and wisdom. ?Good evening, Shadow. How was your day?? The old dog asked, creakily sinking back onto her old haunches and regarding the stallion with liquid brown eyes. Shadow nodded respectfully. ?It was wonderful, Daisy. I enjoyed my ride very much.? He flicked his tail and a persistent mosquito. ?How is training of the pups coming?? Recently, Daisy had begun training her litter of two year old pups, Fable, Millie, Ash, and Creek. They were rambunctious, like most young dogs, eager to fetch and run and swim.
Daisy chuckled dryly. ?Taxing, but they are learning. They have loyalty down. The Owners pup is safe with us.? Her old maw opened in a pant, liquid eyes proud. She was an old dog now. At twelve years, she was nearing her end. She would be sorely missed by dog, horse and human alike. Shadow nodded agreeably. ?How was patrol training?? He asked curiously. Sometimes, he wished he could come along on their patrols, instead of sticking to the trails the Owners wanted to ride on.
?It went well. We chased off a few squirrels, and a stray.? Daisy replied proudly, then cocked her head, listening. ?I must go, Shadow. The Owners are calling. Good night.? ?Goodnight Daisy.? Shadow dipped his head, then went back to grazing as Daisy plodded away. Sometime in the night, he must have dozed, because the next her knew, the sun was rising, and the other horses were shifting in their stalls, huffing and snorting their morning greetings. Shadow shook himself and went into his stall, taking a long drink from the water trough.
There was a rattle, the click of boots on pavement, and the barn door rolled open, revealing the morning stable hand. The stable hand went about gathering up his tools for mucking. Nickers and whinnies of greeting filled the barn as he went through, taking horses out to their paddocks. Shadow added his own voice to the chorus. Soon, it was his turn, and he was led out to his pasture and turned out.
Shadow pranced out from the gate, neck arched, muscles rippling, knees raising high, until he reached the middle, where he slowed and walked in a circle. There it was. He lowered himself to the ground and rolled vigorously, scratching the itches on his back that he couldn?t reach. Itches annihilated, he stretched out on his side for a moment, before heaving himself to his feet and taking off at a gallop, kicking and buckling, burning of his morning energy. He loved mornings like these, were dew lay on the grass, and the sun was warm. He loved hearing the thunder under his hooves as he charged across the pasture.
He reached the fence by the road and slid to a stop and pranced along the fence, knees lifting high, head high, ears pricked. What a glorious morning. Finally, he relaxed and dropped his head to grazing, tail swishing pleasantly. The grass tickled his nostrils and he huffed out a snort, shaking his head lightly, mane tossing and swinging. A few hours passed before a scuff of shoe on pavement made his head raise. It was a young human female, walking out from the drive across the road, where the ?You-Haul? had gone. He studied her.
She had a brown mane, green eyes, and a small nose. Her body?s language said she was shy, happy but sad at the same time. She walked with her eyes on the ground, not looking up. His ears flicked as he watched her walk along, and he followed along on his side of the fence. Ahead, he heard a car motor roaring down the road in their direction. The girl didn?t seem to hear it. The car turned the bend, bearing down on the girl, who still didn?t look out. Shadow, huffed uneasily, waiting for her to get out of the road. He was a horse, for Epona?s sake, and even he knew to get out of the way when a car was coming! When she still didn?t step off the road, he lost patience.
Shadow let out a loud whinny and charged the fence.
4
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Anna was miles away as she walked down the drive and out onto the road. She liked the house, and the view, but she missed her friends with a passion. What were they doing right now? Probably still waking up, getting ready for school. Discussing the prom. Her nose wrinkled. She?d had a dress picked out and everything, and then her parents had dropped the news on her. ?Hey honey, we?re moving this Sunday. You?ll love it!? She sighed and kicked at the road with the toe of her sneaker.
A loud whinny and thundering hooves broke her out of her reverie and her head snapped up. She heard the motor of the car and looked up, and lunged off the road in time to dodge the car as it swept by. She fell into the bank and sagged against the grass, heart racing in her chest. She had been so close to never thinking again. A snort from across the road made her look up. She found herself looking at the most beautiful horse she?d ever seen, except in pictures on Google.
He was big, looked like a Friesian, and was black as a raven. But his eyes contrasted with his black face and drew her gaze to them. They were blue. A black horse with blue eyes. How did that happen? For a long moment, she and the horse stared at each other. Then she looked away and stood, dusting off her rump and stumbled onto the road. Anna looked both ways, then crossed to the fence, coming up to it and looking up at the horse. He was even bigger up close. She stood at five foot six inches, and he still made her feel small and insignificant.
The big horse was quite friendly, arching his neck and draping his head over the fence to snuffle at her face. He even licked her. She found herself scratching his throat and cheeks, savoring the silky texture of his hide. He was certainly well cared for. He smelled like all horses should. Like hay and grass and wind. ?Hey big guy. You saved my skin there. Thanks. What?s your name, big fellow?? She talked to the horse like she would any friendly animal, stroking the muscular neck under the heavy mane.
He nudged his face against her shoulder, and she scratched it obligingly. And when she started to step away, the horse looked so sad, that she stopped and continued her attention to his face and neck.