Friendship from Tears – Part 2

Welcome back! 🙂 I hope that your week has gone well. Mine has been pretty crazy – I returned from my mission trip in Ireland on Wednesday (it was absolutely amazing btw!) and have since been trying to get back into the normal routine of school. Not exactly an easy task…! 😀

Today I’m going to share with you the concluding part of the short story I posted last week. If you haven’t read part one, click here to read it. I hope you enjoy! 🙂

~ 

My eyes are caught by a brand on the horse’s flank – a ‘C’ inside a circle. “The Circle C… Have I heard of that before…?” Before I can chase the thought, another something bursts out of the bushes.

 But this time, this something is a girl. She storms towards me, hands on hips, dark braids swinging, anger oozing out of every move she makes. I back up next to Fire, poised for a quick getaway.

“You thief! How dare you?!” she throws her words at me, putting a protective hand on the palomino’s neck. The horse nickers and rests her head on the girl’s shoulder. “You know we hang horse thieves in this state?!” Her angry blue eyes throw me a challenge.

 I stiffen at her accusation, and draw my small frame up to its full height. I feel my green eyes narrow, returning the challenge, and my hands clench into fists.

“I. Am. Not. A. Thief.” I spit each word out with great disdain. “I was not stealing your horse, I was only wondering why a horse was wandering out in the middle of nowhere, and seeing if I could find out whose horse it was so I could return it.”

 “She’s not wandering out in the middle of nowhere, she’s on Carter land, and she’s a Carter horse. See the brand?” the strange girl says, pointing to the mare’s flank. “In fact, you are trespassing on Carter land. Right now.”

“I’m very sorry, I didn’t know I was trespassing.” I retort icily. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get off your Carter land.” I mount Fire, and we start to walk away from the girl. “And I was not trying to steal your horse!” I toss as a parting shot over my shoulder.

 “Wait!” Her voice has a strange sound to it. I pull the reins, and we stop, but I don’t turn around. I’m too mad. “I’m-I’m sorry. I jumped to conclusions.”

 Is she going to apologize? I slightly turn my head so I can see her out of the corner of my eye. She’s standing next to the palomino, looking at me.

“Taffy disappeared, and then I heard noise, and when I peeked through the bushes, all I could see was someone standing next to her, and I-I guess I just figured that you were trying to steal her. I’m kind of protective of her, you see.”

 I turn around Fire around fully, and stare at this strange girl. One minute hopping mad, the next minute apologising – what kind of girl is she? She smiles apologetically at me, hand still laying protectively on her horse’s neck.

“Umm…” I’m still wary of her, and don’t really know what to say. I haven’t seen anyone as mad as that girl was two minutes ago in a long time. “Well…”

“Mother is always chiding me for my temper.” The girl continues on. “And I know I ought to be better at controlling it. It’s just hard to control it when you think someone is stealing your horse.” She giggles awkwardly, then stops when she sees that I’m unamused. “I guess what I’m trying to say is…” She stops, takes a deep breath, and then starts again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted at that like you. Will you forgive me?” She looks up at me, her eyes pleading instead of spitting fire.

My mind races. I guess I don’t blame her for getting mad – I would be furious if I thought someone was stealing Fire! I give a small, reluctant smile.

“Sure, I forgive you. I would be mad too if I thought someone was stealing my horse.”

“Oh thanks! I really am sorry.” She shoots me an apologetic smile. “Shall we start over?” She asks.

“Huh?” My forehead wrinkles in confusion.

“You know, start over and get to know each other properly. I’m Andrea Carter, but you can call me Andi.” She sticks out her hand and gives me another grin. Her grin really is contagious, and I find myself shyly grinning back. I slide out of my saddle for the second time in ten minutes, and walk over to where she and her horse are standing.

“I’m Anna Moore. Pleased to meet you.” I shake her hand and then back up, not sure where to go from there.

“Nice to meet you, Anna!” She chirps. “How old are you?”

“I’m 13 next month.” I reply. “What about you?”

“I was 13 in May. So we’re practically the same age!”

“Yes!” I agree, and then silence falls again. I know I should keep the conversation moving, but my mind is still spinning from the rapid transition of events that have just occurred. The girl, or Andi as she calls herself, makes the first move again.

“Your horse is beautiful. What’s its name?” She stretches out her hand and lets Fire sniff it. I can tell she has a natural connection with horses.

“Thank you.” I reply. “His name is Fire.”

“Oh he’s so lovely!” She’s now scratching him under his forelock, his favourite place to be scratched. Fire gives a little grunt of happiness and a smile creeps across my face. Anyone that can make friends with my horse has found a place in my heart.

“And you said your horse’s name is…. Taffy?” I question.

“Yes, it is. I’ve had her since I was 6 years old.” Taffy is still standing contentedly behind her, her ears whiffling at the sound of our conversation. “How long have you had Fire?” She asks.

“Oh, since I was about eight. My Papa gave her to me…” I trail off and shift my feet in the dust. Those words bring back a slew of memories – memories that hurt more than they should.

“That’s nice. My brother Chad gave Taffy to me. I’d been simply longing to have my own horse, instead of a poky little pony. It was so hard being surrounded by horses and having to ride a pony instead.” She stops her flow of chatter abruptly. “Oh I’m sorry, I should explain. My family owns a ranch. The ‘Circle C’.” She gestures to the brand on Taffy’s flank. “So we have a lot of horses. You can imagine how delighted I was to have one of my own! And Taffy is my practically my best friend. We do everything together, don’t we girl?” She turns and strokes Taffy’s nose.

Taking the moment’s silence as a signal, Fire prods me in the back with his nose and nickers. I smile and grab his bridle to keep him from pushing me further. “Hey!” I chide gently

“Anyways, enough about me. I do tend to ramble on, unfortunately.” Andi chuckles. “So where do you call home?”

My heart plummets into my stomach at this question. Oh, how I long to go back to the only place I’ve ever called home, the cabin in the Oregon woods. But I can’t.

“Um, I’m living with Whit Hereford right now. He runs the dry goods shop in Fresno.”

“Oh yes, I know the one! I didn’t know he had anyone living with him. But then I haven’t been to Fresno for a while. No need to, now that school is over and done with for the summer. Thank goodness.” She gives a mock shudder and her blue eyes twinkle.

“My mother is going to help Uncle Whit run the shop. We moved there last week.” I shuffle my feet, uncomfortable at admitting this upsetting truth.

“Hey, that’s great!” Andi offers another grin. “And what does your Father do?” The question hovers between us as the warm breeze whispers in the trees. I struggle to keep my mouth from quivering, and furiously blink back tears.

“I… ah. He… um… died.” I manage to get out. “In January. It was a logging accident.” I look down and scuff my boots in the dust, my vision blurred by tears swimming in my eyes.

“Oh I’m so sorry.” Andi’s voice comes quietly, gently. “I’m so very sorry.”

“Thanks.” I manage to choke out.

“It’s hard, huh?” She softly asks.

“Yeah. Really hard.” I can’t stop my mouth from wobbling and soon tears are once again spilling down my cheeks. “I’m- I’m sorry.” I gulp. But floods are hard to stop once they’ve begun, and my tears just keep coming. I bury my face in my hands, and turn away towards Fire, embarrassed to be sobbing in front of this girl I’ve only just met. Fire lets me cry on his neck – he’s been used to it these past months.

Then suddenly, I feel something strange. An arm steals around my shoulders, and I feel the comforting pressure of a hug. It makes me sob harder, but all of a sudden my heart feels warmer. It’s as if a soothing layer of balm has been spread across the recently opened wound. After what seems to be an eternity, I take a deep, hiccoughing breath and look up. Andi’s face is warm with compassion and understanding.

“My Father died when I was five.” She says, simply. “I know what it’s like.”

She understands me. She understands my tears. The thought is comforting, like the final squeeze she gives me before stepping back. Fire whinnies concernedly in my ear and whooshes his breath over my cheek. “I’m alright, don’t worry, Fire.” I smile shakily and pat his neck to reassure him. Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I compose myself, wiping the tear stains off my cheeks, and tucking away the wayward curls of hair that have escaped from my braids behind my ears.

“I’m sorry.” I say. “I didn’t mean –“

“No don’t be.” She cuts me off. “Sometimes you just have to let it all out.” She smiles knowingly at me. “I come here when I need to do some letting off. It’s my special spot…” She gestures round the clearing, and all of a sudden I realize that it is actually quite a pretty spot.  A brook babbles off to my left and birds twitter among the trees.

“I can see why.” I say. “It’s lovely.”

“Yeah, it’s good to just come and be alone sometimes. As long as no one tries to steal your horse…” She shoots a sidelong look at me, and I see laughter twinkling in her eyes again.

“Well I don’t think a horse thief would get very far with you on their trail!” I reply. I shoot her a twinkling look of my own, and suddenly we both burst into laughter. It feels good to laugh again.

“I should hope not!” We burst into another round of laughter, and I feel a weight lift from my shoulders. All of a sudden life doesn’t seem as bleak as before. Perhaps it is possible to find joy again. Our laughter dies, and we share a companionable   grin.

Then she looks up at the sky. “Oh dear, I must dash. Mother will be expecting me back for supper soon!”

“Yes, I suppose I should be getting back to town too.”

“Do you know how to get back to town?” Andi asks. “If you head straight south from here you’ll hit a road. Just follow that east and you’ll ride straight into Fresno.”

“Oh thanks! I wasn’t exactly following a map when I stumbled upon this place.” I giggle. It feels funny to be smiling so much all of a sudden. But it feels pretty good too.

“Are you free tomorrow?” Andi questions, while climbing easily onto Taffy’s bare back.

“I think so.” I say, putting my foot into the stirrup and hefting myself into the saddle. “Why?”

“Well I figured I might ride out to Fresno, just to see what’s new… And while I’m at it I might stop by the dry goods store and see if anyone there fancies a ride…” She shrugs carelessly, but I can see the grin she’s trying to suppress.

I smile again. “Sounds like a good plan!”

“Right then, see you tomorrow!” She waves and then turns to go.

“See you tomorrow!” I echo.

“Goodbye!” She throws one last beaming smile over her shoulder, and then urges Taffy into a gallop. I watch her ride until she is out of sight, and then pick up my reins.

“Come on Fire, let’s go!” Within seconds we are hurtling faster and faster straight south. I laugh with joy, but the wind that whistles in my face whisks the sound away quickly.

 Our speed is exhilarating, but more so are the strange new feelings that bubble up inside, feelings that I haven’t felt in quite a long time – the feelings of thankfulness and joy.

 I give a whoop of delight and urge Fire to go faster. I can’t wait for tomorrow.

~

So, what do you think? I’d love to hear any thoughts you have on the story! 🙂 

 

Friendship from Tears – Part 1

Hi there, welcome back! I’m so excited to be sharing the first part of a short story with you all today. I wrote this story to enter into a fan fiction contest, and though I didn’t win anything, I still had a lot of fun writing it, so it was definitely worth it! If you want to learn more about the books behind this story, you can go here. And now without further ado, my I present to you, the first half of Friendship from Tears!

~

June, 1881

The wind whips my hair into my face, and the pounding of Fire’s hooves echo like drum beats in my head. I lean further over Fire’s neck, urging him to go faster. Maybe I can outrun my unhappiness.

“I hate it here!” I shout, but the wind snatches the words from my mouth and they melt into nothingness.

I never wanted to move, it was all Mama’s idea. Ever since Papa died she’d been restless. Grief does that to a person I guess… So when she got an invitation to come help out in Uncle Whit’s dry goods shop, she took it up. Now don’t get me wrong, I like Uncle Whit. But not where he lives. Fresno, California is a hot, dusty, out in the middle of nowhere place. And to top it all off, it has no forest near it for miles.

Up in Oregon, I’d spent my whole life in the forest. I loved it. It was my native habitat, my home. No place else could replace the cosy cabin in the woods where I lived with my Papa and Mama.

But now, I’m here, in a strange place without my beloved Papa. And I hate it. At least I was able to bring Fire with me. I don’t know what I would have done without him this past week. Every day, as soon as I can escape from the shop, I ride. I don’t know where I go, just out into the dusty country and scrubby hills. When I’m alone on Fire’s back, I can try to forget the weight of loneliness and grief that hangs heavy on my heart.

~

I love to ride. When I was little, Papa used to toss me up in the saddle with him and we’d ride through the woods together. When I got bigger, he gave me my own horse, a black gelding I named ‘Black Fire’. I called him Fire for short. He and Papa were my constant companions – whenever I had a free moment, they were the two I wanted to be with. We’d ride together through the towering pine trees and across the lush, green fields, talking about everything and anything, and laughing at the slightest provocation.

When dusk would begin to fall, we’d turn towards home. Tired but happy, we’d eventually come through the trees and into the clearing where our cabin stood. There Mama would be standing in the lighted doorway, waiting for us to come in. Oh the love and joy that I felt, surrounded by the people and place I loved! Papa’s ever present laughter filled our house, and Mama’s gentle smile lighted it. Our house was an island of happiness.

 “It’s a puddle of heaven, Anna girl” Papa used to say, as he’d hug me tight.

Then, this past winter, all that had changed. A freak accident took Papa, and in one swift blow, everything I knew and loved fell out from beneath my feet.

 I felt like I was falling forever though a thick, black mist of sorrow. When I finally hit the ground, everything was different.

It seemed that all joy disappeared that day Papa never came home, and heartache came in to take its place. Mama didn’t talk much. She seemed to withdraw inside herself, like a snail into its shell. The silence in the house screamed out that something was missing.

Fire was my constant companion in those dark days. Every day, as soon as school and chores were over, I’d take off on Fire, wandering the woods and remembering happier days. Many tears fell and my heart throbbed until I wished I could die too. But the woods were like a healing balm to my soul. The familiar paths and hills, the never-changing beauty and the pine-scented breezes soothed my heart. The grief that had at first stabbed me with sharp pain, slowly but surely subsided to a dull ache.

In my own way, I was happy again. Never as happy as before, but still, I was content. I had Fire, and my beloved woods, and our home was again lighted by Mama’s quiet smile.

Then Mama announced that we were moving to Fresno, and once again everything changed. I fought the decision with everything I had in me. I couldn’t fathom leaving the home that I had known my whole life. But despite my pleadings and tears, Mama had remained steadfast in her decision.

 And so, a week ago, we had taken the long journey down to Fresno. Leaving the cabin in the woods tore yet another wound into my already aching heart, and this time it felt like it would never heal…

~

All these memories and thoughts flash through my head, as Fire and I gallop over the open country.

But one thought pounds in my head above everything else, even louder than Fire’s pounding hooves. I hate it here! I want Papa back! Tears leak from my eyes and are immediately are swept away by the wind that whistles in my ears. My breath comes in great gasps, and sobs tear through my body.

“Why? Why?!” I shout.

But there is no answer.

I slowly become aware of Fire’s sides heaving, as he struggles to keep up the fast pace I’m urging him to. I slow him down, easing him out of the gallop into a lope, then trot, then finally a walk. “I’m sorry old boy,” I say, patting Fire’s wet neck. “Guess I wasn’t thinking about what I was doing. Did I run you too fast?”

Taking a heaving breath, I scrub my tears away and take note of my surroundings for the first time. We’ve galloped out of the open country, into a sparsely wooded area. Nothing like the woods back home, just some trees here and there.

Fire whinnies softly, and looks back at me with his dark, gentle eyes. He seems to know my pain, and his eyes are filled with pity. “Oh, I love you Fire!” I lean down onto his neck and hug him, ignoring his sweatiness. He whinnies again, and then walks forward deeper into the clearing.

 It’s actually not that bad here. There isn’t a lot of dust and it’s quiet – something that town never is. I miss the silence of the woods back home. Fire pricks his ears back and forth, listening for something only he knows.

Then, the silence is broken by a rustling noise coming from the far edge of the clearing. I sit up straight, gripping Fire’s mane with one hand, and the reins with the other. The realization suddenly comes upon me that I have no idea where I am. I’ve galloped for miles, and I have no clue who, or what, could be out here. The quiet clearing becomes eerie to my nervously listening ears, and the silence that I welcomed a moment ago now becomes unfriendly. My eyes dart quickly around the circle of trees, I feel like I’m being watched. “Wh- who’s there?” My voice comes out in a quaver.

 Suddenly, something bursts through the trees, and then stops. That something is a horse. I let out a shaky sigh of relief and grin at my nerves.

“Whew, that scared me. Did it scare you Fire?” He snorts and walks toward the other horse.

It’s a beautiful cream palomino, perfect from head to toe. I can tell it’s a horse of good breeding. The question is, why is it alone here out in the middle of nowhere? I slip out of my saddle, and hit the ground in a puff of dust.

Walking forward towards the horse, I reach my hand out and start sweet-talking. “Hey, beauty. Whatcha doing here all by yourself? You sure are a pretty horse to be all alone out here… Come on, I won’t hurt you.” I reach the horse, and stretch my hand out to stroke its face. Its nose flares as it delicately sniffs my hand, then it turns its attention to Fire. They touch noses, and have a little conversation in horse language, punctuated with little snorts, sniffles, and whinnies.

As they talk, I run my hand over the palomino’s creamy side down to the flank, feeling its strong muscles beneath the soft skin. I can see now that it’s a mare.  And a very beautiful one at that. “You are the most gorgeous hunk of horse-flesh I’ve ever seen.” I croon to the horse.

A jealous nicker sounds in my ear and I turn to see Fire behind me. “Oh do pardon me. I meant excepting you, Fire.” I correct myself with a giggle. “You are the prettiest horse ever!” I give him a scratch underneath his forelock.

 “But I wonder who you belong to …” I muse, turning back to the palomino. My eyes are caught by a brand on the horse’s flank – a ‘C’ inside a circle. “The Circle C… Have I heard of that before…?”

~

Come back next Saturday to read the concluding half of this story! 🙂