Derby Dreams (Acropolis #1)

Chapter 6

Kat arrived home to England an groaned.
"Why does it always rain?" she asked the mares as she walked through the Hera barn. In true keeping with the name The Acropolis all the barns were named after Greek gods. For the broodmares it was the Greek goddesses that began with H.
"Good question." Mr Hart, the old, grey foaling manager, appeared, "And I've lived here for a good deal longer than you have." Kat smirked and walked along the aisle. She stopped it when she came to one stall and her expression became guarded.
"How's Willow?" she asked as the petite black mare threw here head over the door and snorted loudly, snuffling Kat's hair.
"She's fine." Mr Hart replied softly. They gazed at the black mare. Willow gazed back with peaceful eyes. Weeping Willow was Primrose's half sister and thought to be the greater of the pair. She's been retired this year and bred to Mischief Mayhem and unfortunately it didn't look good for her.
"Hey girl." Kat murmured, running a hand over Willow's silky neck. Willow was six and Kat had been her exercise rider up until her retirement last year. She adored the mare and the news they'd received in October had broken her heart. Willow was pregnant but unfortunately she was pregnant with twins. They hadn't been detected at first and then, when they finally were, the vet had made the assumption that one of the pregnancies would naturally abort. It hadn't. Willow was pregnant with twins and for a horse that was a death sentence.
"How long till her due date?" Kat asked.
"Three months or there abouts." Mr Hart said solemnly as the mare chewed on some hay.
"Three months, it's not very long." Kat sighed.
"She is a miracle, Catherine. If any mare could pull this off," he sighed, "she can."
"I know." Kat looked at the little, black mare, "do you know where Hana is?"

Kat moved quietly along the paths between rolling paddocks. In each field the mares were quietly grazing, wrapped up against the warmth in thick blankets. Kat stopped when she came to the paddock she was looking for.
"Hey Hana!" she yelled across the paddock. The bay mare who was grazing lifted her head. She was one of four in the paddock and they all turned to stare. Kat sighed and climbed over the fence, hopping off and walking towards the bay mare. Hana's Lightning was Dove's dam. She was a beautiful mare, a champion racehorse as well as being a legendary broodmare. She had already raised two Derby winners and currently was pregnant with a foal that everyone hoped would be another. What's more, Hana had been Kat's mother's champion racehorse. Athena Forest had adored the filly from the moment she was born. Hana had certainly stood out. She was a beautiful, mahogany baby with a certain star quality about her. But what made her stand out was the tiny lightning bolt shaped star on her forehead. That was how she earned her name. Hana swished her tail moodily, she hadn't been the same mare since Athena's death. Kat offered a polo to the mare. Hana swished her tail and turned away, presenting Kat with her large hindquarters. The polo was untouched.
"Okay Hana, come grab it." Strictly speaking Hana's Lightning was Hana II. Her dam, Princess Hana, was the original Hana. She was a broad, tall chestnut and she darted her head out and munched up the polo in seconds. Kat snorted with laughter and rubbed the mare's nose.
Kat made her way back up the hill to Forest House, knowing there was only one more stop. The stallions.

"Hey Missy!" Kat yelled from the fenceline as she came to the only paddock which still had a horse in it. The stallion grazing flung up his head. He gave a loud whinny and reared up, legs clawing at the sky. In the evening sun he looked fantastic. His golden coat shone and his black tail streamed like smoke behind him as he took off at a gallop. He bolted towards the fence, bucking and leaping.
"Whoa!" Kat called from where she sat on the fence. Barely in time, Mischief skittered to a halt.
"What've you done with your rug?" Kat asked the stallion, "and your halter?" Mischief was renowned for being able to escape any piece of tack. After all he'd slipped off his bridle to go to the sandpit when he was two. Kat could see his rug, flapping on the floor. She looked at the cheeky stallion. He snorted back at her.
"You suit your name." she told him. She slipped off the fence and into the paddock. Mischief snuffled her coat, grabbing at her pockets.
"Oi!" she yelled as he grabbed hold of the polos from her pocket. Mischief gave a triumphant snort and bolted off, the polos held between his teeth. Kat shook her head in disbelief. She trudged over to the massive turnout rug and hauled it up off the ground. Mischief had blearly used something to undo the buckles on his rug. Probably the fence or his teeth. Beside the rug was his halter. Well, his turnout halter. He had to have two different ones because the halter he used in his paddock was covered in his teeth marks. Kat picked up the dented leather and shook her head at the stallion.
"You are a health and safety hazard all by yourself." Kat told Mischief. Mischief blew back at her and followed her as she carried the rug and his halter to the fence. He was now a well known sire, even if he only had one son, and there was a lot of interest in him. However, right now the stallion looked like a devoted pony to Kat.

Dappled Dove limped off the horse lorry and looked around. She thrust her bony roman nose up in the air and looked around.
"Dove, you've grown." Kat joked to the filly. Whenever Dove arrived somewhere she looked massive. At seventeen three she was one of the biggest horses in the stables and everyone hoped she was done growing. Already her bridle had been specially made to accomodate her massive head. Dove snorted and arched her neck, putting in an over excited prance.
"Easy Dove." Terry said to the filly, she still had heavy bandages around her injured leg. Dove snorted back in reply.
"Hello little lady." James appeared and nodded his head to Dove. Dove bobbed her head back. Now Dove was quiet Terry handed the lead rein to Kat. Kat took it and lead the filly across the drive to the fillies yard. Dove whinnied when she saw her old friends.
"Easy missy!" came the gentle murmurs from her handlers as she was led to her old stall. Kat led the filly in and loosened the sweat rug from her back.
"Here's our girl!" Brooke, one of the grooms, appeared at the door. She was carrying Dove's night rug and she left it hung over the door as she crouched to remove the bandages wrapped around Dove's long legs.Kat held the eager filly still as she snorted and tossed her silky mane in excitement.
"I know it's exciting baby, I know." Kat murmured as she watched Brooke's meticulous work.
"She wants to get running again." Brooke grinned as she removed the outer bandage of Dove's injured leg. There was still a surgical wrapping on it, protecting it.
"She will but not yet. Patience is the best cure." Kat ran one hand over Dove's velvety muzzle, "but once you're better we're gonna show them how it's done!"