Journey to be a Ranger

Chapter Nine

Anna groaned softly. Her whole body ached from the fall. She tried to sit up, pushing with her arm. A small cry escaped her lips as her arm shrieked in pain. Gritting her teeth, Anna tentatively tried using her other arm to help herself get up. Gradually, she got into a sitting position, and looked around. Erak was a couple yards away, looking at her with large brown eyes.

Now why would you do that? He seemed to be asking.

Anna shot a glare at him, "Come here, Erak." She ordered. Obediently, the horse walked over, standing next to her. "Lay down." Again, Erak obeyed, laying next to her. Using her good arm, Anna painfully pulled herself onto the horse. Erak waited a moment to make sure she was steady, and then slowly rose to his feet. Glancing around, Anna located her bow, which she had thrown just before she fell, and her quiver, which was leaning against a tree. Only using her left hand, Anna guided Erak to retrieve both.

Remembering what she had been doing in the first place, Anna quickly looked over at the target. The arrow she had shot was in the very outer ring on the target. Forgetting her pain, Anna whooped, and raised her arms in the air triumphantly. A jerk of pain in her right arm reminded her of her injury, and she quickly put her arms down again. Holding her bow and arrows in her left hand, Anna set Erak into a canter, headed towards the house, trying not to bump her arm around.

She rode to the front of the house, where she had Erak lay down again, and she awkwardly dismounted. "Stay." She told Erak, and Erak chose that time to shake his mane, 'Try to have some faith in me.'

"Well maybe you haven't earned that faith." Anna told him. Erak snorted, and Anna felt, like Will and Halt, that she would never have the last word with her horse.

She limped towards the house, and opening the door with her left, non-injured hand, walked in.

Sylvia was on the couch, knitting, when Anna came in, "Hi, sweetie." She greeted Anna, glancing up.

"Uh... Hi mom... well I, uh..." She stopped, and taking a deep breath she blurted out, "I-was-riding-Erak-and-i-fell-off-and-i-might-have-broken-my-arm."

"WHAT?" Sylvia exclaimed, quickly setting her knitting to one side and going over to Anna, "How? You're an excellent rider."

"Ah, well, I was trying to shoot my bow while galloping." Anna bit her lip.

Sylvia shook her head and rolled her eyes to heaven, releasing a breath, "Well, get in the car, we'll have to go to the hospital." Anna obeyed, going to her room first to put her bow and arrows away.

It was a thirty minute drive to the hospital. When they finally arrived, they went inside, where a doctor took an x-ray of Anna's arm, set it, and placed it in a cast. On the drive home, Sylvia called Doyle, explaining what happened.

As they pulled up into the driveway, the first thing Anna saw was Erak, waiting in the front yard.

I expect two apples for this. Anna sighed quietly, "Okay. I now owe you two apples." Anna muttered under her breath.

 "What?" Sylvia asked, thinking Anna was talking to her.

"Nothing." Anna said, acting nonchalant, but shooting a glare towards Erak. Erak neighed loudly, and it seemed to Anna that he was laughing.

Anna got out of the car, and went straight to Erak, "Thanks for that." she told him sarcastically.

You brought that on yourself.

"Oh, really."

Erak eyed her for a moment, and it seemed to Anna that he raised an eyebrow -if that was possible for a horse- and for the second time that day, Anna noted that she would probably never get the last word with her horse.

Never.

"But I didn't say that out loud!" Anna protested.

If it's in your head, I know it.  And Anna couldn't think of anything to say to that.

667 words!

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<Evara>