Finding Faith (2)

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Alyssa leads us along a winding, bushy trail, spiralling down towards a river. Jay walks, slightly uneasy. It's not just him though. None of them like the steep descent.

I'm at the very back of the line now, with Tricka following behind me slowly. "Is this safe?" I shout to Alyssa. If I want to be heard, I have to yell.

She stretches up an arm and sticks out her thumb, I'm a thumbs up sign. "I think so!"

"You think?" Ryan chuckles, tightening his reins as Kiss stumbles a little bit, "that doesn't sound very safe," he turns to face me, "should we really entrust her with our lives?"

Laughing, I shake me head. "It may not be the wisest idea."

"I heard that!" Alyssa yells, pretending to be offended.

"Good," Ryan smiles. We reach the bottom of the steep slope, and dismount by the river bank, "finally, some rest!"

Alyssa rolls her eyes, and pulls an apple out of her leather saddle bags. "Oh, come on! We were only riding for what, two and a half hours?"

"Yeah, up and down mountains," Ryan shoots back, "you're crazy, Alyssa."

"I know!" she smiles, eyes twinkling and bites a large chunk out of the juicy red fruit.

I eye it hungrily. "Got anymore of those?" I'm starving. I haven't had anything to eat since breakfast, and with everything that's gone on, I haven't had time to get something to eat.

Alyssa nods, and throws one at me. My reaction time is a little off however, it hits me square on in the chest. Her and Ryan double over laughing, while I pick up the green apple that assaulted me, and viciously bite it. "Sorry, Sadie."

I shrug, brushing off the incident, and fix my cinch. "So where do we go from here? Farther down the river?"

Alyssa shoots me a look like I'm stupid. "No way! We're going across the river, not beside it! What did you think?"

"That you were smart enough not to cross it this time of year," I point out, "Lyss...it could flood, and we'd be stuck."

"Come on, Sadie!" she whines, "where's your adventure?"

I shake my head and climb back onto Jay. "Fine...but if we get stuck on the other side, and starve to death, or get eaten by a pack of hungry wolves, it will so be your fault!"

"And I'd take full blame, but I'd be dead. Now, lets go. Ryan, it's your turn to take Trika," Alyssa orders.

Ryan obliges, and swings aboard Kiss, now in control of the feisty yearling as well. "Let's go then."

For some reason, I'm the one who had to cross the river first. After staring a the swirling blue water, I start to feel kinda sick to my stomach. "Oh come on!" I throw my hands up into the air, "why can't one of you guys do this?"

Alyssa gives me a sweet, puppy dog look. "Because you are just so amazing at riding, and if one of us went first, we'd get swept away. However, if you went first, you'd be able to find a wonderful path for us to follow!"

"Yeah, yeah," I roll my eyes, and turn Jay into the icy water. As soon as he places a hoof into the river, he balks, and tries to back up. I try to heel him forward, but no response. He won't move. Ok, new approach. I take my left rein, and spin him in circles, while moving him sideways, so that he's standing with all four feet in the water. Although he's breathing heavily, and is fairly wide eyed, he stays still.

I can hear Ryan and Alyssa snickering behind me. "Ok, we're coming," Ryan laughs.

It's then though, that a deer feels the need to come by, and completely freak out Trika, triggering a tremor through all the horses. As soon as Trika jumps up, and bucks, Jay decides he has to copy her, and he too, bucks. Then rears. Then balks. Then bucks once more, depositing me in the frigid river.