A horse named Bear

~ Chapter 1 ~

~ Chapter 1 ~

The silence of the night was all that was able to be heard from the small ranch house where Kiana lived. Crickets chirped occasionally followed by the sound of a horse. But besides that, silence.

I waste no time as I prepare for my night ride. Reaching into my closet I quickly grab my riding boots, slipping them onto my feet and then slipping a thick red sweat shirt over my shoulders. Without hesitation, I grab a large red apple from my nightstand and silently open my window. Taking a deep breath, I leap from my window and fall into a large pile of fresh hay. Smiling and turning towards a large red barn located just a couple of yards from the house, I stand and run across the dry land I call home.

Horses whinny in greetings as I move effortlessly past their stalls, just as I have done so many times before. There has to be over twenty, if not thirty of them. And that's not even counting the ones that roam freely over the Ranch's land. Finally coming to a stall that holds a large chestnut stallion, I laugh and pull the apple from my pocket.

"Hey Bear!" I say excitedly, my brown eyes locked with his.

Bear is my horse. A three year old thoroughbred stallion. He was very big; bigger than most stallions. He is chestnut with three socks; one on both his front legs and one on his right back leg. He also has a white marking on his forelock. Originally a champion racehorse, Bear suffered a terrible break when he was two and has been retired ever since.

After he eats the apple, I grab his blue lead and hook it to his halter, unlatching his stall door and leading him over to the cross ties. Bear nickers in happiness, knowing exactly where we were heading. However, when I turn around to grab his saddle, I notice that it's gone. Along with his reins. Anger eats away at me when I realize that my mother had probably hid them, fore she knew about these forbidden rides. Heaving a large sigh, I rest my hand on Bear's side and a smile quickly spreads across my face.

"I guess we're going bareback boy." I say as I begin tying the opposite side of the lead rope to the other side of the halter, making a substitute for reins.

Quickly moving the large stallion over to the mounting block I had sitting beside a stall holding a frisky black mustang mare, I manage to climb up onto his back. Not without a struggle, that is."

"Good boy." I whisper, giving his sides a quick kick that sends the two of us bolting out of the barn.

The Speed that Bear maintains is unexplainable, He just moves effortlessly through the land. As we run out of sight from the ranch house, the sight of some of the rank horses quickly catches my attention, however they disappear within seconds. The fact that Bear is still retired amazes me to this day. His speed, the way he can make it seem as though you are flying, it is everything that a champion racehorse today needs.

"Whoa boy, easy." I sooth as he becomes startled at the sudden cry of a crow.

Pulling on the lead rope just a bit, I take another deep breath and listen to the sound of his mighty hooves thundering against the earth. Peace eases my mind as the darkness seems to swallow us both. It seems like we were riding for hours, however I never wanted this time to end. The feeling of the cold winds blowing against my face and the sound of the waking birds make this place feel like heaven. It all seems too good to be real, however this was no dream.

"Easy Bear..." I speak slowly, pulling on the lead rope and slowing the stallion to a stop.

Taking a look down into the rushing river that I had stopped before, I narrow my eyes and see a bunch of small fish swimming in the water below. Leaping down from Bear's back, I sit down on the bank and sigh, swirling my finger in the waters and scaring away the small fish. Suddenly, the happiness and peace I had been feeling just minutes earlier vanishes, replaced with stress and anxiousness. It had been weeks since I had sent out an application to Pine Ridge Academy, and I still hadn't heard anything back from them. The least they could do was send a letter telling me I hadn't gotten in. Shaking my head, I stand up and walk over to Bear, who was nibbling at the grass.

"Oh Bear, wouldn't it be wonderful if we got in? I hear they have the best racing trainers there are." I laugh a bit as I speak, resting my head on his forelock.

Suddenly, the sun catches my attention. My eyes widen as I look at it rising above the mountains, realizing that my parents would be up any minute now. My mother probably couldn't care less, however my father was a different story.

"Come on boy!" I shout, stepping onto a fallen tree and lifting myself back onto his back. Kicking his sides, I brace myself for his sudden jolt of speed. As Bear turns around and races back the way we came, the two of us disappear into the darkness.