find him,” echoed
Cally, then added, “If he’s there.”
Raven snorted, and then he and
Joanna were off.
It has been ages since I have had to
wait. No horse is calling me. None of my humans. There is nothing I
can do now to find David. Cally has returned to her grandfather.
Tango, Bonnie, and Breeze have promised to wait.
This is a rare moment, one that has not
happened since my run with Rhythm and Crystal. Have I forgotten
what it is to have free time? Apparently.
What do I do now?
Maybe a stroll in these woods? The
wildflowers are wonderful, so tiny and perfect. The breeze is
refreshing. The boughs sigh and trees creak – wild music. I hear a
brook nearby.
Xu? Yes, I hear you. You want me to
come to you?
Thank goodness!
Joanna rode into the yard just as a red
truck pulled into their driveway. Jason and Capri had arrived. She
waved to them, then trotted Raven toward the barn. Mom would have
lunch ready soon, and she wanted to give her pony a good grooming
before she turned him out with Trusty to graze.
Robbie and her dad were in the
barn, standing outside Silver Belle’s stall.
“Jason and Capri are here,” said
Joanna.
Joanna’s dad turned toward her,
his face lined with concern.
“What’s wrong?”
“Belle. She’s worse.”
“Oh no!” Joanna hurried to the
stall, Raven clattering behind her, and peered over the half door.
Belle was stretched out in the straw, with her foal, Silver Chime,
standing over her and the vet kneeling at her side. Raven whinnied
and the mare startled. She struggled to rise but her back legs
didn’t seem to be working properly.
“Help me, Robbie,” said Joanna’s
dad. He pushed past Raven and entered the stall.
Tears erupted from Joanna’s
eyes. Was their beautiful Belle going to die too, just like Silver
Surprise?
“Move,” said Robbie, sharply.
“Raven’s upsetting her.”
Speechless, Joanna pulled her
pony away from the stall. She ran to clip him in the crossties,
then hurried back. Robbie was holding Chime in the corner, keeping
her safe from her dam’s flailing hooves. Dad and the vet were
attempting to hold the mare still so she wouldn’t harm herself in
her struggles, but they weren’t having much success. Belle seemed
to be having a seizure.
Then Dad saw her. “Jo, go take
care of Raven!”
“But–”
“Go!”
Joanna ran. Not toward Raven,
but toward the barn door. Across the stable yard and over the gate,
toward the fillies’ pasture. But no matter how hard she ran, she
couldn’t get the horrible image of Belle, trembling and jerking on
the floor of her stall, out of her mind.
Pain stabbed at her side, but
she didn’t stop. Suddenly, the second gate was in front of her.
Moments later, she was over it and racing onward. She was almost to
the fillies’ pasture now. There in the center of the field, she
could see the white spot that was Crystal, Belle’s foal from two
years ago. Joanna stopped short and squeezed her eyes shut. “Please
make Belle be okay,” she muttered. “Please, please, please.”
She opened her eyes to see the
fillies canter toward her, obviously delighted to get an early
afternoon visit.
“Joanna.”
Joanna spun around.
“Angelica?”
“Raven told me you needed
me.”
“Belle’s dying.” Fresh tears
gushed from Joanna’s eyes. “And she can’t, she just can’t. She has
a baby who needs her. I need her. She can’t die.”
“I will see what we can do.
Please, stay here.”
Surprised, Joanna looked up.
Angelica was already moving toward the fillies. She climbed the
fence, and moments later, was in the center of the small herd, her
head bowed. The fillies crowded closer to her, pressing their heads
against the teenager’s slight body.
Joanna’s mouth opened in
amazement. Light was sparkling over Angelica’s hair and the
fillies, especially Silver Crystal, Belle’s foal.
And then the sparks were gone.
It had to be her imagination. There was no logical explanation
Cally, then added, “If he’s there.”
Raven snorted, and then he and
Joanna were off.
It has been ages since I have had to
wait. No horse is calling me. None of my humans. There is nothing I
can do now to find David. Cally has returned to her grandfather.
Tango, Bonnie, and Breeze have promised to wait.
This is a rare moment, one that has not
happened since my run with Rhythm and Crystal. Have I forgotten
what it is to have free time? Apparently.
What do I do now?
Maybe a stroll in these woods? The
wildflowers are wonderful, so tiny and perfect. The breeze is
refreshing. The boughs sigh and trees creak – wild music. I hear a
brook nearby.
Xu? Yes, I hear you. You want me to
come to you?
Thank goodness!
Joanna rode into the yard just as a red
truck pulled into their driveway. Jason and Capri had arrived. She
waved to them, then trotted Raven toward the barn. Mom would have
lunch ready soon, and she wanted to give her pony a good grooming
before she turned him out with Trusty to graze.
Robbie and her dad were in the
barn, standing outside Silver Belle’s stall.
“Jason and Capri are here,” said
Joanna.
Joanna’s dad turned toward her,
his face lined with concern.
“What’s wrong?”
“Belle. She’s worse.”
“Oh no!” Joanna hurried to the
stall, Raven clattering behind her, and peered over the half door.
Belle was stretched out in the straw, with her foal, Silver Chime,
standing over her and the vet kneeling at her side. Raven whinnied
and the mare startled. She struggled to rise but her back legs
didn’t seem to be working properly.
“Help me, Robbie,” said Joanna’s
dad. He pushed past Raven and entered the stall.
Tears erupted from Joanna’s
eyes. Was their beautiful Belle going to die too, just like Silver
Surprise?
“Move,” said Robbie, sharply.
“Raven’s upsetting her.”
Speechless, Joanna pulled her
pony away from the stall. She ran to clip him in the crossties,
then hurried back. Robbie was holding Chime in the corner, keeping
her safe from her dam’s flailing hooves. Dad and the vet were
attempting to hold the mare still so she wouldn’t harm herself in
her struggles, but they weren’t having much success. Belle seemed
to be having a seizure.
Then Dad saw her. “Jo, go take
care of Raven!”
“But–”
“Go!”
Joanna ran. Not toward Raven,
but toward the barn door. Across the stable yard and over the gate,
toward the fillies’ pasture. But no matter how hard she ran, she
couldn’t get the horrible image of Belle, trembling and jerking on
the floor of her stall, out of her mind.
Pain stabbed at her side, but
she didn’t stop. Suddenly, the second gate was in front of her.
Moments later, she was over it and racing onward. She was almost to
the fillies’ pasture now. There in the center of the field, she
could see the white spot that was Crystal, Belle’s foal from two
years ago. Joanna stopped short and squeezed her eyes shut. “Please
make Belle be okay,” she muttered. “Please, please, please.”
She opened her eyes to see the
fillies canter toward her, obviously delighted to get an early
afternoon visit.
“Joanna.”
Joanna spun around.
“Angelica?”
“Raven told me you needed
me.”
“Belle’s dying.” Fresh tears
gushed from Joanna’s eyes. “And she can’t, she just can’t. She has
a baby who needs her. I need her. She can’t die.”
“I will see what we can do.
Please, stay here.”
Surprised, Joanna looked up.
Angelica was already moving toward the fillies. She climbed the
fence, and moments later, was in the center of the small herd, her
head bowed. The fillies crowded closer to her, pressing their heads
against the teenager’s slight body.
Joanna’s mouth opened in
amazement. Light was sparkling over Angelica’s hair and the
fillies, especially Silver Crystal, Belle’s foal.
And then the sparks were gone.
It had to be her imagination. There was no logical explanation
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