The Good One

Chapter Four

             Ames felt small hands clutch his shirt tightly. A small whimper escaped Lawson's lips, followed by a gentle hush by Billie. Ames felt a few teardrops on his arm. "Hang in there," he whispered.

              Sweat began to form on Bailey's shoulders. Her breathing became labored as she whinnied in protest. Ames gently brought her to a trot and reached down, patting her. "Thanks, girl," he said, feeling rather out of breath himself.

              The kids remained silent as they pressed on.

              Clouds began to form off in the distance, painting the sky different shades of blue and grey. Thunder rumbled far away. Lawson whimpered once more.

              "You okay?" Ames asked, looking down at the boy.

              Lawson squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. "I hate storms," he said in a small voice.

              "Ah, I see," Ames replied. The camp was still a long ride off, but the storm was rolling in quickly. Ames could feel the cool breeze blowing through the air. "Keep your eyes peeled for any sort of shelter."

              Within the half hour, their clothes were soaked through. The rain poured with ferocity. Billie and Lawson had begun to shiver, and they clung to each other tightly.

             "I see some houses over there," Billie said pointing a few miles off the road. Ames turned his head to find a farmhouse and a few barns scattered nearby. He veered off the road and headed for the back of the barns.

             Ames listened closely. It was difficult to hear over the pelting rain, but the nearest barn seemed quiet. It was small and made of weathered wood. Ames stopped Bailey by the back door and dismounted. He peered inside a crack in the door, finding the inside to be unoccupied except for a few all sheep.

            "Alright, we'll stay here until the storm passes," Ames said as he gently pulled each kid from Bailey's back.

            "Is this your house?" Billie asked, her eyes glancing nervously at the barn.

            "Um, well," Ames began. "Not technically, but we can borrow it for a bit. Just try to keep quiet." He pulled back on the door handle as the door glided open. He motioned for the kids to enter, then led Bailey in behind them. Once they were all inside, he slid the door closed.

            The dirt floor was covered in patches of fresh straw. A pile of hay sat in the middle of the barn, and a trough of water sat in the corner. The sheep munched on the hay, completely ignoring the new guests.

          Ames raked some straw into a pile. "Here, it's better than sitting in the dirt. I don't know how long we'll be here so you might as well get some rest," he said to the children.

         "Are we going to get in trouble for staying here?" Billie asked. She and her brother nestled themselves into the straw, too exhausted to stand.

        "Not if we stay quiet and leave as soon as the rain stops," Ames grumbled as he began to remove the saddle from Bailey's back. He set it on the ground and ran his hands over her coat. "You're a good girl," he said softly. Bailey nuzzled her nose into his chest. He gently combed his fingers through her thick mane to remove any tangles left from their escape.

         Once he was satisfied, he stepped away and let Bailey rest. "I'm going to go see if I can find something for us to eat," he said. There was no reply. Ames quickly turned around in a panic to find that the brother and sister were already fast asleep.