Wayward Soul

The sun lit the fire of brilliance on the land, bathing it in color. Harks flicked and dark chocolate orbs surveyed the lands as deep breaths escaped through flaring nostrils. Jaden sighed and gave the buckskin he sat on a slight tap on the side, sending the stallion down the rocky slope toward the green valley.

Wild flowers joyfully danced in the breeze, swaying to the song of spring. Horses of every color possible were scattered around the meadow, one small grey mare watching over them all. The mare was getting old, her coat had once been coal black but she now sported a regal dappled grey. The mare’s ears perked up as she spied the golden stallion coming near. Trotting forward to meet him, she whinnied a welcome. The buckskin happily greeted his aging mother, nuzzling her when she was within reach.

“Well hello there Charity!” Jaden greeted the mare with a carrot that was soon snatched from his hand with surprising speed. Chuckling, he reached into his pack, pulling out his bullwhip. Charity snorted and whipped her head, prancing like a young filly; she galloped off to gather the herd like she had for over fifteen years.

Hoof falls, snorts, and cries sounded from the herd as the horses gathered, the grey mare at the herds head. A young mare escaped from the herd, black and white boyce shining in the sunlight, head held high in defiance. She whipped her head and with powerful beats, flew into the thick forest.

Jaden sighed, ‘either I’ll go catch her later or she will come back on her own’. The herd continued on, picking up speed, it wouldn't be long until they would reach Wild Wind Ranch. Many other young horses ventured away, but would soon return to the safety of the herd, none as wild as the paint mare. The buckskin stallion trotted along behind the herd both moving and protecting them. An hour had passed with no trace of the paint mare, Jaden smiled as the herd descended the last hill and Charity’s harks flicked forward as the Ranch came into view.

Wild Wind Ranch was the only man made structure in the valley, with only one long dusty road to civilization. The ranch had been modernized, and no expense had been spared. It was able to stable over a fifty horses and comfortably house around fifteen people, but the facility was home to only three people, soon four. The house was one right out of a magazine: beautiful log cabin on the outside, mansion on the inside.

An older couple stood by the largest corral, the tall grey haired man held the gate open, looking the horses over. Charity happily trotted into the corral, the herd following behind her. Once all of the horses were in the corral, the man shut the gate, clicking it into place. Jaden dismounted and led the buckskin to the stable, unsaddling and leaving the stallion to eat in his stall.

“The horses are lookin’ good this year son!” The older gentleman smiled and patted Jaden on the back, “Skylar should be here soon and ma’s makin’ pork chops!” The man smacked his lips, just imagining the taste “Don’t be forgettin’ to feed the horses.” With that the man meandered up the steps to the house and left Jaden by himself.

Piles of hay were thrown into the corral along with buckets of oats. The horses munched happily, and soon the sound of a truck could be heard. A blue Dodge made its way down the road, a medium sized horse trailer being pulled along behind it. The trucks color was dulled from a long dusty trip, and the trailer had several layers as well. The roaring engine cut off when the truck came to a stop in front of the house, and the small whinny of a foal came from the trailer.

With the opening of the driver’s side door, old worn out brown boots hit the ground. A girl with long blonde hair and a curvy build, Skylar was far different from how Jaden had remembered her. He stood in the doorway, watching and thinking back to the girl he once knew. Skylar was always helping others and a smile never left her face, her big blue eyes sparkling. The girl that stood before him now had bags under her now bloodshot eyes, eyes that conveyed a deep sadness. A frown was etched on her face, and she was unhealthily pale. Jaden understood this transformation though; Skylar had lost everything, her parents and almost all of her animals were now dead. Everything that had meant anything to her had gone up in flames, leaving only a broken girl and a six month old filly.

Jaden stood there until the foal whinnied again, wanting out of the trailer that she had been standing in for hours. The filly looked like someone had hung her upside down and dipped her in the blackest oil they could find, leaving only her face and legs as white as fresh snow. Jaden led her to a clean stall and unclipped her halter, leaving her to lie down for the night. He shut the door to her stall and shut the barn lights off, heading toward the house.

The sun had long descended and the night had crept in, washing the world out in dull darkness. The howl of a wolf echoed across the valley and was soon answered by its mate. A snowy owl gave out a cry as it flew overhead, searching for prey. The night seemed to hold endless life as creatures hunted and hid, even the horses snorted and stomped their hooves every so often. Jaden made his up to his bedroom, the full moon casting shadows along the way. His head hit the pillow and he was out, dreaming of the girl he once knew.

Broken

A bird sang a high joyful song, greeting the morning with enthusiasm. Horses pawed and banged at the gate, demanding their breakfast. Jasper looked curiously as the small creature in the stall across from him, the foal looking back at him with interest as well. The dirt covered trailer had been unhitched and left in the trailer garage next to a large gooseneck trailer. The truck now sat next to a large dusty dualley, looking right at home.

Jaden used a black quad to haul several bales of hay out to the horses, quickly cutting them open then heading to the water trough to refill it. The hose turned on and water rushed into the trough, splashing and swirling. Horses slowly came toward the trough, sniffing and snorting as it was filling. Jaden turned the hose off as the water crested the top of the trough, watching as the horses dipped their muzzles into the cool water. Boots thudded down towards the barn, blonde hair held up by a single black band. Skylar grabbed a brush from the grooming box and headed towards the filly’s stall.

“Hey Ashin,” the black filly nuzzled Skylar as the brush slid over her coat. Smooth even strokes whisked the dirt and shavings off and left the filly shining, her brown orbs closed in relaxation. The roar of the quad got louder as Jaden brought it back into the barn to be parked in its spot by the tack room. The key turned and the quad quieted. Jaden slowly got off it, heading toward Skylar. He leaned on the door frame, just slightly inside the stall, but not enough to make her feel crowded. “Hey, how are you doing?” she looked up at him with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes, “I’m doing ok.” she turned back to brushing the filly that was now wide awake and frisking Jaden for treats.

He watched her for a while before quietly asking, “Are you really?” She stopped brushing as a tear slid down her face, her facade slowly failing. He watched as she tried unsuccessfully to control her breathing. Stepping forward, Jaden wrapped his arms around her as she broke down, turning to sob into his shoulder. Her body shook, small tremors racing through her body as she clung to Jaden’s shirt. He stood there a moment in shock then tightened his arms and ducked his head to the crook of her neck, trying to console her. Skylar had been a girl that could take on anyone or anything that stood in her way, unafraid to fall. But here she stood, clinging to Jaden, totally broken.

After a while she quieted, weak and exhausted. Jaden bent down slightly, using one arm to support her while the other lifted up under her knees. He cradled her in his arms as he walked back up to the house. His mother opened the door and gave him a sad look, knowing it would take time for Skylar to heal and be back to her old self. Jaden sighed as he lowered her onto her bed, making sure not to wake her. He closed the door, and ran his fingers through his hair, wondering what might help her feel better. He knew he couldn’t let her continue to be sad and alone, but he needed help.

One quick phone call and he was back out in the barn finishing grooming Ashin and letting her out in a small grassy pen to run around. When he entered the barn again, his father was scratching Jasper’s nose as the stallion patiently waited for his turn to be groomed. “George will be here in a few hours to pick up the horses he bought,” the old man turned toward Jaden and nodded his head out towards the corral, “bring the horses we are keepin’ into the barn, the rest can stay in the corral until their new owners come for em’.”

After several trips with multiple horses, the only horses left in the pen were the sold ones. Charity grazed out in the pasture that connected to her stall, many of the others doing the same. Jaden quickly brushed Jasper, cleaning the stallions golden coat. There had been no sign of the paint mare, and Jaden wanted to go look for her. He saddled Jasper and mounted up, making sure he had plenty of ropes if the mare was elusive. The buckskin trotted happily out of the barn and once he was past the gate, Jasper took off at a gallop.

Skylar watched from her window, wishing she had a horse that she could ride for hours. As Jaden and the stallion disappeared into the forest, an old Chevy could be seen heading down the road, quickly followed by another truck and trailer. The Chevy parked on the other side of the dualley while the truck and trailer came to a rest next to the corral. A middle aged man stepped out of the truck that was next to the corral and was greeted by Mark, Jaden’s father. Buy the time Skylar looked over at the Chevy, it was empty and the front door to the house could be heard opening. Light footsteps made their way up the stairs and there was a knock on her door. Skylar scrunched her eyebrows together wondering who it could be, “Come in,”

A girl around Skylars age with long dark brown hair and forest green eyes came bounding in, a big smile on her face. Skylar’s eyes widened and a real smile made its way onto her face as she leapt up to hug the girl, “Sophie!” Sophia was Jaden’s cousin that had instantly connected with Skylar when they had first met. The girls had both been fifteen at the time, and Jaden who was seventeen at the time, had been told to watch over them. Back then, Jaden had been tall and lanky, but that didn't stop her from having a crush on him. Now he was twenty and had grown into himself, and both the girls were eighteen and grown up.

Sophia hugged Skylar back, missing her partner in crime. After the girls had calmed down, Sophia gave Skylar a sad look, “My cousin called, he said you needed me Sky.” Skylar looked down and sighed, “Ya, I had a break down this morning. I think I kinda freaked him out, but he handled it well.” She chuckled but the frown was soon back. “The only way you’re going to get past this is if you quit thinking about it and try to get back into your normal routine,” Sophia watched her friend, ”as much as possible.”

Jasper flared his nostrils as he scented a mare nearby; Jaden gave him his head so that the stallion could hone in on the paint. She was grazing in a small meadow, in the perfect position for Jaden to rope her if he was quick enough. He got a rope ready, hoping he wouldn't have to use his backup rope. The stallion waited silently for the queue, knowing exactly what he needed to do. Jaden barely flexed his calf muscles and Jasper launched toward the mare, covering ground quickly. They were close to the mare before she realized what was happening and tried to escape, but it was too late. The rope that had been swinging above Jadens head slid easily off his fingers and hit its mark, wrapping around the mare’s neck. Her cries of fury rang out across the valley and she stopped to rear and strike out at her captors. Her harks laid flat against her skull, nose scrunched up and teeth bared.

Birds took flight as the furious cry of a horse rang out, making both of the girls turn towards the window. “Well, Jaden must have caught that mare.” Sophia chuckled as Skylar turned to her with a questioning look. “When he was bringing the horses in, one paint mare escaped and he went out today to try to capture her.” Skylar nodded and flashed her eyes to the corral where the sold horses waited to be picked up. Mark and the other man had already loaded three of the horses and Mark waved to the man as the truck started up and began its journey back to its home.

Jaden struggled with the mare as she thrashed around tugging at the rope that was secured around the horn of his saddle. Jasper slowly drug the mare behind him, his strength out matching that of hers. Squirrels chattered in the trees, watching from a safe distance as the paint fought. Suddenly, the mare jolted forward, now attempting to pull the stallion and his rider. Jaden used this to his advantage and spurred Jasper on, galloping with the mare. She twisted and turned but all to no avail, all she succeeded in doing was get herself closer to the ranch. Her wild eyes caught sight of buildings and other horses, causing her to screech to a halt. The mare wasn't use to the sights and smells of humans, her nostrils flaring to assess the scents.

 

The horses in the corral watched as Jaden and Jasper drug the mare the rest of the way and into a small round pen. Once she was free of the rope, the paint galloped around, looking for a way to escape. Jaden led the buckskin back to the barn and unsaddled him, only stopping once to pour cool water over the stallions steaming back. Once Jasper was put away, Jaden wandered back over to the round pen, watching the mare as she slowly calmed down. Two sets of footsteps alerted him that the girls had come down to see the mare. Sophie folded her arms and rested them on one of the metal bars that lined the round pen, “She sure is wild,” Skylar stood on the other side of Sophie, silently watching the mare with interest, “What do you plan on doing with her?” Jaden looked the mare over and looked over at Skylar with a smile, “Well, if Sky feels up to it, she can work with the mare and maybe even break her.”

Skylar was off in her own world as she watched the mare, but Jadens comment caught her attention. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, seeing if he was joking or not. The look in his eyes told her he was serious, and with one last look at the mare she nodded her head. “But,” Jaden added, “I don’t want you in the pen with that mare unless someone else is around watching you.” Skylar nodded and smiled at the paint, thinking of names that fit the wild mare. She eyed Jaden, his breathing was even but she could tell by the sweat that was dripping off of him, the mare had been one heck of a workout.

Skylar found out that Sophie sadly had to return home and wouldn't be able to come back out for a while due to the fact that she had her parent’s cattle ranch to take care of. Skylar was quiet during dinner, exhausted from the day’s events. Sleep came quickly as she fell into bed. Skylar dreamed of the mare and her wild spirit, Jaden’s ocean blue eyes also making an appearance

Tragic

The next few days passed by quickly as Skylar started working with the mare that she had named Destiny. Jaden was never far when she was in the pen with Destiny, always keeping a close eye on the body language of the paint, making sure that Skylar was safe. Destiny was calm and watchful, unsure of things but unwilling to show weakness. Skylar sat cross legged in the center of the pen as she had for days, getting the mare use to her presence and showing her that she was no threat. She slowly ate an apple while leaving another a few feet away, hoping to entice Destiny and get the mare closer. This went on for days until the mare would come right up to Skylar and take the apple from her hand. Slowly the mare let her brush the dirt from her coat and even put a halter on her, though she was still unsure of any pressure on her back.

Jaden watched as Skylar brushed Destiny with a smile, she was no longer the pale and depressed looking girl that had stepped out of the truck two weeks ago. Taking care of the mare and gaining her trust had given Skylar something else to think about besides the fire and her parent’s death. She still stood far away if they lit the fireplace, or even if there was a candle burning. Every so often he would hear her having nightmares of that night; though, they were getting fewer and far between. Heading into the barn, Jaden was greeted by the sight of Charity happily wandering the aisle looking for food to steal. He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her neck, grabbing her mane to steer her back to her stall. Charity had a habit of unlocking her door and wandering around the property, often ending up on the porch to beg for food through the kitchen window.

After the grey mare was securely in her stall, Jaden shook his head running his hands through his dark brown hair. It was a hot day and the next was supposed to be even warmer, all Jaden could think about was going down to the river to relax in the cool water. He leaned against the side of the barn in the shade to watch Skylar as she finished up for the day. She closed the gate and rubbed Destiny’s nose, saying goodbye till tomorrow. She spotted Jaden and walked over to him, watching as his smile grew, “She’s lookin’ good,” Skylar glanced back at the mare with a smile, ”Ya, Destiny is starting to trust me, but she still doesn't like any weight on her back.”

“Give her time,” his gaze moved from the mare down to Skylar who was about a head shorter than him, “Why don’t you give her tomorrow off and come down to the river with me?” Skylar bit her bottom lip as she thought about it, “Ok, but I’m going to have to go to the store and get a bathing suit.” Jaden nodded, “Why don’t you call Sophie and spend the rest of the day at the mall?” Skylars eyes lit up at the opportunity to go shopping and grabbed her phone, running towards the house to change while yelling, “Thank you!” He chuckled and pushed off of the barn, wandering over to the house to go relax and take a shower.

By the time Sophia dropped Skylar off it was dark and the resident snowy owl greeted her, golden eyes watching her. She lightly made her way to her room, making sure to not wake anyone. Skylar dropped her bags next to the door and decided to wait till morning to put everything away. She had had a great time running around the mall with Sophia, though she had spent a little too much. Skylar yawned and snuggled into her soft sheets, enjoying the warmth they already gave her.

Morning arrived and by the time Jaden and Skylar were ready to head out, the sun was beating down and warming the air to over a hundred degrees. Jaden sat bareback on Jasper as the stallion grazed just outside the barn, only wearing swim shorts that matched the color of his eyes. Skylar hopped on one of the geldings that they used for roping and trotted outside. Jaden’s mouth dried and his eyes darkened as he saw what Skylar was wearing, short shorts and a hot pink bikini top that made her skin glow and look tan. She smiled at him and motioned for him to lead the way. Jasper tossed his head, sending his mane in all directions. Jaden clicked and the stallion trotted off, leading the way towards the cool water of the river.

Breaking into a canter, Jasper flicked an ear back to watch as the gelding started to pass him. The buckskin was extremely competitive as was his rider, and soon the pair were racing ahead of Skylar and the gelding. She laughed and urged the gelding on; slowly catching up after Jaden slowed the stallion down so they didn't end up hitting a tree. The river could be heard before it could be seen, a loud rushing sound from the falls. A small meadow surrounded the falls and a section of the river. At this time of year the river wasn’t as fast as usual, the sun evaporating some of the water.

They left the horses tied to a stake in the meadow, close enough to the river that they could take a dip if they wanted. Jaden dived right into the cool water and popped back up to the surface in time to see Skylar step out of her shorts and reveal black and white bikini bottoms. He sucked in a breath and submerged again hoping the cool water would relax him. The swoosh of another body entering the water told him that Skylar had jumped in as well.

When he came up for air, she was floating on her back with a smile on her face. He resisted the urge to wrap his arms around her, and instead decide to go sit on one of the rocks that sat just below the surface of the water. He closed his eyes as the sun warmed him, his arms folded behind him as laid down on the large flat rock. 

Skylar opened her eyes and watch as Jaden lifted himself onto the rock and laid down on it. Her eyes followed water droplets that shimmied down his chest, past his abs and disappeared. She licked her lips and willed herself to look away before he caught her staring. She started swimming to the other side and was almost there when a weird sound came from the falls, a crackling sound.

Jaden opened his eyes and spotted a fallen tree at the top of the falls, ready to tumble over. He looked over at Skylar who was in the direct path of the tree. Jaden launched towards her as the tree tumbled down the falls and was whisked towards them by the current. Branches were torn from the tree as it closed in on them. Jaden grabbed Skylars arm and pulled her to his chest, turning to put himself between her and the tree after he got her as far away as he could in the time.

The tree rolled past them, but not before it grabbed at Jaden, leaving bloody scratches on his back and sides. Skylar was wedged between a rock and Jaden, but she could see the blood that was coming from him. In his pain, Jaden had lowered his head to the crook of her neck, shaky breaths coming from between his clenched teeth. Skylar moved one hand to his chest and the other nestled itself in his hair, “Jaden, we have to get you home, you're bleeding too much!” She started to panic when she turned him and say the full extent of his wounds, some of which were deep. Silent tears fell as she helped him out of the river and rested him next to Jasper, who by now was showing concern for his rider. Skylar tapped the buckskin’s shoulder and the stallion lay down. Jaden reached down and grabbed hold of Jaspers black mane, using it to steady himself as he sat on the stallion. “Hold on,” Skylar tapped the buckskin’s shoulder again and he slowly got up, taking care to not dislodge his rider.

Jaden groaned and knew there was no way he could ride at a fast pace, not with the pain. Skylar hurried and unhooked both horses, climbing onto the gelding and holding Jasper’s reins in one hand. Clicking, she moved both horses into an easy trot, knowing that it would be the fastest and safest way to get Jaden back to the ranch. Jaden ground his teeth and endured the pain, groaning when he remembered that his parents had left for a few days of vacation. Skylar glanced back to make sure he was alright, worry lines etched on her face.

Destiny was silently grazing when she spotted two horses and riders. She lifted her muzzle and could tell it was her girl and the man that had caught her. The scent of blood was in the air as they neared, causing unease among the horses. Skylar quickly hopped off of the gelding, leading them into an empty pen. Jaden slowly slid off of the stallion, the pain excruciating.

Skylar ran towards her truck, dropping to her knees to find the hidden compartment that held her extra key. Once her fingers found the box and got the key she quickly glanced over at Jaden. The roar of the Dodge caused him to look up, it moved until the passenger side door was just a few feet away from him. Skylar came around and helped him into the truck, making sure that nothing touched the wounds. She rushed back to the driver’s side and slammed the door, quickly clicking her seat belt before hitting the gas, causing the truck to fly down the road and towards the hospital.

Impressum

Texte: Jasper25
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 30.01.2013

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