Stillwater Grange - DISCONTINUED

Chapter IV.

It was at some ungodly hour of the morning when my alarm went off, loudly blaring in my ear. I groaned and pulled the blankets higher over my head in a desperate attempt to make the agonizing sound go away.

It didn't.

Besides, I had stuff to do. Resigned to my fate I rolled out of my bed, unceremoniously landing in a heap on the floor. Ow.

Well, I'm up now, I thought as I hauled myself to my feet. Finally my brain sharpened enough to give me to common sense to turn off the infernal sound that was my alarm, and my ears were instantly blessed with the engulfing silence that is unique to five am.

Time to get to work.

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Fifteen minutes later and I'm opening the barn door, flicking on the lights and narrowing my eyes against the blinding assault on my retinas. While my vision adjusted I unlocked the feed room and busied myself preparing the horses' feed for the day.

Finally finished, I separated the large bucket into twenty four smaller ones, twelve of which I set aside for evening. Carefully stacking the other feed buckets, I toed the door open and walked down the stalls, dropping one in each one. I then returned to the feed room and cut open a new hay bale, which I separated and deposited in the stalls. Now with meal prep out of the way, it's time to catch the horde.

Thankfully the horses are all easily to catch, and despite the darkness and cold air, at my call all twelve of them approached the paddock fence to be led to the stable. I opened the paddock gate and they all followed dutifully behind me, with the occasional snort or prancing sidestep. One could argue that their good behavior was due to a 'bond' or whatever between me and the horses. They would be wrong, of course; my life isn't some horse movie after all. They follow me because they know they'll get breakfast faster if they behave. And horses like food.

By the time the sun is grazing above the horizon and all the horses are secured in the stalls eating their breakfast, it is just after six. While the horses eat, I busy myself picking out their hooves and running brushes through their fur. Once they all look like horses again and not overgrown muddy dogs, it's time to start exercising them. One at a time, I slip head collars onto the horses and lead them to the arena where I lunge each one for fifteen minutes. Lunging the horses can get pretty tedious, but at least it keeps them in relatively good shape. Most of them also get ridden a few times a week, but otherwise they have free run of their paddocks. We only stable them in particularly bad weather, or on mornings like this when it's easier to keep them in while I work through them.

The sun had well and truly risen by the time I finished lunging the tenth horse. I was just leading the buckskin mare back to the stall when a shadow appeared in the doorway. I paused and squinted slightly, trying to make out the figure.

"Who's there?" I call out, securely holding the horse's lead rope.

They step into the barn, and no longer silhouetted I can make out their tall frame, square shoulders, blond hair...

Jacob.

"Oh, hey man." I greeted. "Almost didn't recognize you, now that you've gotten some sleep."

Sure enough, he looked a lot better. Like, wayyy better. His hair was shining, skin slightly tanned and blue eyes gleaming in the light. He smiled slightly and I got a glimpse of perfectly white straight teeth.

"Hi..." He trailed off, a slight crease appearing between his eyebrows.

"Mason." I supplied.

"Hi Mason." He said. And then he said no more. I swear these awkward silences are becoming a habit.