No Longer Are We Free

Chapter Twenty Two

Chapter twenty two ~ edited

The float came to a stop and Seth and I got up and quickly shifted. People talked outside, I heard a woman as well as the two guys who loaded us into the float. They opened the float and the woman walked in.

"Fiona. Be careful. She's a bit crazy." Bill said.

"Oh hush! I'll be alright. They hired me to train these two and i'm not afraid of them." The Fiona woman said.

I guessed 'they' was that lady and her daughter. She walked up to me and took my lead. She guided me down the float ramp and led me into a paddock with wooden fences and gate. I looked around. I saw cows, a few other horses, and a dog. It was a labrador. It jumped and ran around, barking as the girl, Stacy, walked out of the house with her mother.

Midnight got unloaded and put in the same paddock. I pranced around and shook my mane. I walked over to Midnight. I rested my head against his neck. I heard two people make an "awww" noise.

"Those two are cute together." Stacy's mother said. I spotted a water trough in the corner. I walked over to it and Midnight followed too. I took a drink. The cool water refreshed me and I felt a bit more comfortable. These people seemed to be good with horses. I listened to the conversation between Fiona and Stacy's mum, Liz.

"Those two were captured together. The guy we bought them off said that the mare wasn't very wild." Liz said.

"It's possible that she was domesticated and she got out and joined the herd. Because as you said, she wasn't wild. She probably wasn't born wild." Fiona said. Partly correct.

"So. Do you think you could finish her training and train her for show jumping?" Liz asked.

"Yeah. It shouldn't be too hard," Fiona looked at Midnight and me. "You know, if these two end up doing well, since they're both spirited, strong and obviously good looking horses, they would make a good breeding pair. I reckon their foal would be good too." I choked on the water I was drinking. I kept coughing. When I stopped, I looked at them. They didn't seem to notice my reaction to what they said. I snorted.

"Yeah. Nice thing for them to say. We just got here!" I complained.

Midnight didn't seem to care. I looked between Midnight and Liz and Fiona. I spotted a yearling in the paddock next to mine. I walked over to it.

"Hi. My name is Fire. What's yours?" I asked.

"Hi. I'm Quest. Are you Stacy's new show jumping horse?" He asked.

"I guess I am. It's nice to meet you." I said. Midnight walked over.

"Nice to meet you too." He said.

"This is Midnight." I told Quest.

"Hi." Midnight said.

"Midnight, this is Quest." I said. Stacy, Fiona, and Liz walked away. They walked into the stable and out of hearing range. Quest and Midnight continued to talk about what it was like here but I zoned out and just thought about my family.

~*~

I watched Liz walk into the stable. She came back out with two leads. She entered the paddock.

"Hey you two. Let's get you in your stalls and fed ay?" She clipped the leads onto our halters and led us into the stable and put us in our stalls.
She brought us our food. Stacy and a younger girl entered the stable. I looked at them then went to eat my food, listening to their conversation.

"Mum, she keeps bugging me to take her on the trail ride with my friends tomorrow. Please tell her she can't go." Stacy complained.

"Tori honey, how about you help me tomorrow with the horses and watch Fiona train the new horses and let your sister spend time with her friends?" Liz asked the little girl, Tori.

Tori whispered a response but I didn't hear what she said. I's only been here a few hours and already I missed Caleb. I wondered what he was going to do now that he hadn't got Midnight and me to train anymore.

I finished my food and took a drink from the pink rubber tub in the right corner of the spacious stall. I walked to the stall door and put my head over it, looking down the aisle at all the horses. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad here. Although I still missed the others. I wondered how they were. Would they get sold? Or would they be stuck there forever? Would they be game enough to execute an escape plan and get out? Or would they get caught?