Chisel Creek: The Adventures of Stripe and Brady

Together Forever

Brady gripped his legs tight against Loretto's sides and kept a fistful of his mane. The rain was getting worse the longer they rode on, and Brady was having a hard time staying on as his mount's back got slick and slippery. Their path was a steep uphill incline, never going completely flat. Just as Brady thought things couldn't get worse, he saw a flash of lightning followed by a loud clap of thunder. He felt Loretto tense up, but he didn't spook.
It doesn't matter how hard it is or will be, Brady thought, if I turn around, Loretto could end up at a slaughterhouse! I have to protect him!
Loretto's hooves slapped against muddy turf. He tossed his head as his dampened forelock kept getting in his face and eyes. He chewed on the bit, getting anxious but trying to trust that Brady would keep him safe and make the right decisions. He dug his hooves deep into the mud, trying hard to keep his footing, but he found himself struggling nevertheless, so he slowed to a trot.
"C'mon, we have to keep moving!" Brady shouted as he squeezed his legs against the drenched stallion, "I know you're faster than Pocca, and we can't give Stripe the ability to catch up!"
Loretto nervously proceeded on at a fast canter as Brady had asked. After a few more minutes of rain and reaching an even steeper portion of the trail, Loretto found himself slipping almost continuously. Every time he slipped or slowed down, Brady commanded him to keep up his speed, letting his emotions get in the way of safety. Then, despite all efforts to stay upright and steady, Loretto's front hoof caught on an exposed root in the trail, causing him to fall off balance. All four legs slipped out from underneath him as his whole body flung sideways. It took him a moment to finally get up, but when he did, Brady wasn't on his back.
Loretto stood still for a moment, looking at the path behind him. Brady wasn't there. He looked on the path in front of him, up to the sky, in the trees, but still no Brady.
"Loretto, help!"
Brady's voice could be heard from below. Loretto looked down to find that Brady had fallen off of the trail and down a 10-foot drop-off.
Brady kept trying to climb his way up and out, but the only thing to grab onto was wet, slippery rock. If he struggled too much, he might fall even further down the slope.
"Loretto, please!" Brady called, "Do something quick! I'm stuck and can't get out! I'm surrounded on all sides by rocks!"
Loretto put his head down low, trying to evaluate if he could safely get down to Brady. When that didn't work, he started to whinny frantically and pace right above where Brady had fallen. Finally, realizing there was nothing he could do, he shook his head and galloped back in the direction they came from. There was only one thing that could help Brady now.
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Back at the barn, Stripe had finally managed to put some weight on his knee and was hobbling over to get Pocahontas and ride her carefully out to find Brady. Taking it easy on himself, he had his relaxed mare in a halter and reins fashioned out of rope. He was just about to mount up once he heard the sound of large hooves approaching. Had Brady returned on his own?
No. Worse.
Upon seeing the now riderless stallion make a beeline towards him and his mare, Stripe stepped in front of Pocahontas, threw up his arms, and started shouting, "Yah! Get back! Bad boy! What have you done with Brady?!"
Loretto jumped back, frightened by the sight of Stripe's aggressive behavior. Pausing for a moment, he stepped forward again only to be waved and shouted at by Stripe again. The stallion pawed his foot and reared up, spinning toward the direction of the trail. He looked back, trying to get the response he was hoping for this time.
"Do you need me to follow you?" Stripe asked, confused.
Loretto walked a few steps forward, then looked back at Stripe again.
"You are!!" Stripe quickly mounted up on his paint mare and signaled for her to follow Loretto. He went off at speed faster than Pocahontas could keep up with, and Stripe lost sight of him around a few turns. Eventually though, Loretto skid to a stop right where Brady had fallen.
"Good boy, Loretto!" Stripe had said for the first time ever. Untying one end of the rope reins from Pocahontas' halter, he flung it down where Brady had fallen.
"Are you okay? Anything broken or badly hurt?" Stripe called out.
"It hurts a bit, but I think I'm okay," Brady replied, holding onto the rope.
Stripe clung onto the other end of the rope reins so his horse's face didn't have to hold Brady's full weight, but Pocahontas was there in case he needed extra help. Within a few minutes, they were able to get Brady out of the drop-off.
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Stripe tied the reins back onto Pocahontas' halter and made enough room so Brady could mount up right behind him. Instead though, Brady got on Loretto and turned him away from the farm to continue his journey.
"Wait!" Stripe pleaded, "Are you still planning on running away?"
Brady sighed, "As long as he's still going to get sent to that auction, yeah."
"Hear me out," Stripe began, "You don't know that much about riding or caring for horses yet. You weren't even a full mile away before you fell off and needed someone to save you."
"We'll get through it, even if—"
"No, Brady." Stripe interrupted, "I don't want you getting yourself in trouble again. Besides, after what Loretto did just now, leading me to you and letting you ride off on him with no trouble, there's no way I'm sending him off! You just proved to me, much to my annoyance, that I was wrong. Loretto can be trained! As long as you are willing to keep working with him, he has a place here. So, won't you come back?"
Brady smiled, turning Loretto towards the farm and riding back home with Stripe.

Several hours later, once the horses were relaxed, Loretto in his paddock and Pocahontas in her stall, Stripe and Brady were sitting together on the front porch overlooking the whole property. They sat in silence for a long time while Stripe read his newspaper. Brady wasn't sure whether he was going to be in trouble soon, or if Stripe was just trying to relax. Either way, even though this wasn't how he intended to do it, Brady decided he was ready to surprise him.
"I want to make a deal with you," Brady began.
Stripe looked up from his newspaper, interested, "Go on?"
Brady stood up proudly, paws behind his back, "I'm going to do a thing, a cool thing. If you are not impressed by it, nothing happens."
"Okay?"
"BUT, if you ARE impressed by it," Brady jumped with enthusiasm, "then you have to give me Loretto as my horse, just like Pocca is your horse!"
Stripe sat and thought for a moment, then answered, "I'll take you up on that. Go ahead! Try to impress me!"
As stripe sat back in his chair, Brady ran down the hill to Loretto. He put the bridle back on him and trotted the stallion around a bit to warm him up.
"Oh wooowww," Stripe yelled sarcastically, "So amazing, five stars. Well done."
"I'm not ready yet!" Brady replied, annoyed. Once the warm-up was complete, Brady pulled out the jump Stripe had made and set it up. He put the pole up one foot off the ground, but when he looked to the porch, he saw Stripe roll his eyes jokingly. Brady scoffed and set the jump up to two feet, six inches.
Stripe shook his head and said to himself, "That boy's bluffing. No way Loretto can jump that already!"
However, Brady mounting up on his horse proved to Stripe that he fully intended to try to jump that ridiculous height.
"Okay Brady, let's not do that. Hey, Brady!" Stripe called as the smaller cat got lined up to take on the jump.
Brady leaned down and whispered to Loretto, "I know this is higher than we've ever done it before, but if you can do this, you can be mine forever! Please try, even if it's scary."
With that, Brady gave Loretto a squeeze and they took off toward the jump at a canter. Stripe was now out of his rocking chair and running towards the jump, trying to take it down before Loretto could balk at it and throw Brady.
He was too late though, and with only one stride left until the jump, Brady hung on tight, grabbing Loretto's mane and trying as hard as he could to avoid slipping off. Without hesitation, Loretto took himself over the jump, lifting his front legs and using his back legs to spring off the ground. For a split second, the pair was flying together. They landed with a big thud and Brady had to regain his balance for a second. Stripe simply stood, awestruck.
"I take it you're impressed?" Brady giggled.
Stripe smiled, "I guess you have yourself a horse!"
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Late in the night, while Stripe and Brady were asleep, Loretto had once again taken to trying to impress the painted mare just inside the barn. He rushed around the paddock, lifting his tail high and taking long, flashy trot steps.
Pocahontas remained unimpressed, yet again.
The stallion, not wanting to quit so easily, pawed hard at the ground to show his hopefully soon-to-be mate how powerful he was.
Nothing.
Annoyed, but persistent, Loretto reared up to show how large and majestic he was.
Still no response.
Loretto snorted in defeat, wondering what else he could do. Finally, he had an idea. He let out a small, friendly whinny to get Pocahontas' attention. He walked towards her, ears pricked forward in a friendly manner, head down, and strides slow and gentle. He poked his head politely over the fence and gave her a small nod.
Pocahontas nodded back, and for the first time ever, didn't ignore him and go back to eating. Her eyes remained on him. They lightly nickered at one another deep into the night, as though they were having a conversation that only two horses could understand.