The Aegis of Noah Hart

11-Back Home

"Good job Benny!"

Katie Knone leans her body over the length of the horse's neck to "hug" him. She quickly scratches his ears then sits back up in her saddle. The proud chestnut thoroughbred bobs his head in approval.

"Nice work dear! 3'6"!"

Mrs. Marshall starts to adjust the bar in the jump in the middle of her arena.

"Shall we try then for 3'9"?"

"OH! I want to, but then maybe next time? I'm feeling confident right now, but my knee is still burning."

"Right, right. You are one tough cookie Katie! HA! You might want to ice that knee and elevate it tonight just for safe measure."

Katie remembers track and field training right after school. She had felt confident as ever running laps around her teammates for warm up, but then Coach Ralston had the team do a hurdle workout today. She managed to get through the whole routine but when she came over the last stand a sharp pain ached the area just above her right knee. Ralston had already told her to go home and rest it with ice though the petite student managed to leave that detail out when she told the story to her hunter/jumper trainer.

"Ah, I was thinking that...but it's not like I fell on it or anything. It just sort of throbs."

"Could be a gait issue."

Gait issue? What she really means is that I probably overworked myself on the hurdles because I'm so frickin short! I guess I should be glad I didn't pull my hamstring or something worse than a sore knee and...my hurt pride.

"Could be..."

Katie takes hold of the leather saddle with her hands as she sweeps her right leg over the back of the horse until it comes around to her left. Her black boots touching for a moment, she drops her right leg to the ground then the left. The brunette bends over to pat the dust off her silver leggings and navy blue t-shirt, her usual outfit for riding. Grabbing hold of the reigns that hang from Benny's white streaked face, Katie turns to face the gate. Her squatty brunette teacher adjusts the straps on her overalls as she turns the latch so that gate can open.

"Katie, you should let the track coach know. Maybe take a day off riding, too."

"Hmph. I'll think about that!"

Take a day off from riding? I already take Wednesday's off for church, plus the Marshalls are going to be out of town the next few weekends. I don't want to miss more than I have to, but I'll bring that up later.

Katie walks Benny through the gate then stops to close the latch behind them. As she follows her trainer back to the house, the young rider pauses to soak in the view of the rolling hills before her. To her left grows the lush Oak and Tulip trees, her right some of the white flowered Dogwoods, and all along the field below shines with the dark purple Dame's Rocket.

The Marshall farm only has a few tan cows as well as one black and white one. A trio of Corgis chase after the sole cat on the property or the occasional chicken. But none of these animals hardly catch her attention.

No, for Katie it's all about the horses. Lucy Marshall owns about a half dozen thoroughbreds herself, mostly brown ones save a pale horse named Rocket. The owner also allows for clients like Katie to board their diverse steeds on the property bringing the total of horses up to twenty two. Whether solid or paint, pony or even a mule, Katie could watch them trot and graze on this land for hours. It's always difficult for her to leave.

"So then you have to rush home to give your sister-in-law some cupcakes?"

"Actually they're for a classmate and his family."