I'LL MISS YOU

Caspian

All that I've been able to Binkley about is that call.

I told Karter, Waylon, ans Kili, all about it.

We decided to go for a ride all together plus Damian.

I need a refresher.

I sigh as I set into the stirup and pillmysrlf into the saddle. Everyone's ready and were taking a new trail none of us have taken before.

I take out the map on my phone and make sure I have it down before we start out.

Kiki, trotts uo to us leaving the three boys to themselves, i was purposely ahead a bit.

"You okay?" She asks genuinely.

I shake my head yes.

I mean I think I am, soemthing just feels like it's pulling me back down.

I don't know what.

"Okay, but really tell me if your not kjay?" She says to be with a serious face.

"Promise." I say and she teunes back forward and we continue on.

***
30 minutes later weren't the small creek at the spot I got lost in a fee nights ago, ghe trail dead ended a couple minutes sin so we turned around and started out here.

We tied the horses to a tree and were sitting by the creek.

"I'm gonna check on the horses." I say.

I walk the 20 feet back to the horses and I'm shocked when i get there.

The bay roan is there nose to nose with Bullet.

She locks eye contact with me pricks her ears up and runs.

Into the forest.

I look at the mare th as ts jogging away and I don't know what demonic position took over me but I get one Bullet and rake off yelling at my friends to stay were they are.

I follow the mare, keeping a distance. She knows we're there. I know ot.

I watch her intently, till she comes to a stop.

She looks back over to us and continues, she moves to the side walking around an old cabin.

It's got grass around the outer walls with poppys mixed in.

The mare trotts to the front and I got off Bullet following.

I see the front with a window and a screen door the other door is open and I can see in.

There's a old man leaning over a sink seemingly washing dishes.

He hears us and his body straightens.

He tenxes and turns looking at us we make direct eye contact.

"Who are you!" He says with a loud voice and worried tone.

"Dalila?" I say more like a question.

"You, your the girl on the phone!" He says stopping over to the door and opening it.

"I don't want to talk to you I don't know how you found me but I don't want you here!" He says stepping out fo the house.

"I know sir but I was going forna ride and saw this mare I followed her, I've seen he-" I was cut off by the old man.

He walled up to Bullet like he's amazed.

His eyes are wide and his mouth is open a bit, he seems shocked he gently sets a hand on his jaw and his muzzle.

"You." He semi whispers.

"What?"

"Caspian." he deadpans.

His eyes that seemed to empty are full of light and his voice is creaky.

The old name kneels down, and I'm afraid he might not be able to get back up.

I look to Bullet and he seems so relaxed.

The name looks right under his chest at his stomach and gasps.

"It's you." He gets back uo and stares at me.

"Whats going on?" I ask.

I'm so confused.

"You" he says pointing to me.

"How did you get this horse!" He says raising his voice.

"Well it's a long story but I saw his owner drop him off and abandon him after I spent months training him."

"I can belive it." He says.

"What, what can't you belive?" I ask.

"7 years ago, Alya, went into labor." He says point to the now grazing mare.

"It was the middle of the night and she was having trouble, I came out to help her, he was stuck and she was laying down and couldn't get up."

"After hours he fianlly came out, he had a twin. He was frail and weak, it look him three hours just to stand up and me and...my wife thought he was gonna die, his twin was happy and healthy."

"But he didn't, he fought, and when they were three weeks old they were roaming never going far from there mom and a mountain lion attacked them, he killed Harley, his twin, and cut his chest open." He pointed to his chest.

He had a big scar under neath. I never payed any attention to it I figured he probably got into a fight or maybe got caught in wire.

"His mom has a scar too."

"They recovered but my wife was heart broken from theost of Harley, he was supposed to be her horse when they got older. After a while we all coped and a month later she was out feeding and Caspian struck her in the head. He was just playing, but his playing cost her, her life."

I could see tears welling in his eyes.

"I couldn't bear the lost and sold eveyone but Alya. I used to bread congress champions. But I sold it all."

He sounded so sad.

Heart broken.

"I just couldn't cope and I never thought I'd see him again."

He sniffled and wipes away the tears with a tissue in his pocket.

I was heart broken just by the story.

I was speechless.

"I got him as a client horse. He was so scared, I helped him, but I had to let him go back, it broke my heart. But I found him one day after his owner left his tied to a post with cuts." I took him feeling like it needed to be said.

He unexpectedly leaned in a hugged me.

***
We talked for a couple more minutes exchanged number and I promised I would mean up with him weakly and we'd go for rides.