In Times of Trouble |A Heartland Fanfiction

Chapter Two

Turning Spartan so that he was clear of the group Amy watched as Lisa prepared to mount. Sable was a sweet little mare, but she had been through a lot, and Amy still wasn't sure what kept setting her back. She knew Lisa could ride, and that her grandpa would be watching for problems; Grandpa and Buddy had helped Sable make a lot of progress. But even so, if the partnership didn't work there weren't a lot of options when they were out here.

"They'll be fine." Ty glanced at her, able to tell exactly where her mind was. "Lisa will give her a chance, that's what she really needs."

She nodded, turning her attention to the bush, as they put a little distance between each other and swept through their area; she could hear other searchers calling the kids names as well.

Her chest felt tight, she knew what it felt like to hear that a child was lost but as a parent it was more intense; even if her daughter was safe at home. They had fanned out from a trail and moved through the trees, she watched Spartan's ears, he would be aware of the kids, or anything else nearby well before she was.

The ground was soft from the spring rain, but she didn't see any footprints, or signs of the kids; though there were some other tracks. The afternoon wore on and she began to hope the radio would chirp, that someone had found the kids before they lost the light.

Cresting a rise Georgie pointed down towards the river and through the trees she spotted Grandpa and Lisa, her grandpa leaned forward in his saddle, one arm resting on the horn; they were already at the trail that marked the end of their search grid. Georgie and Phoenix picked their way down, calling for Cyla and Abraham again as she and Ty followed.

Amy had let the teenager do most of the yelling, she had been watching Spartan and the landscape around them; looking for any signs that someone had already been through here. As they approached, she turned Spartan in next to Sable, glancing at Lisa.

The woman's tack was a bit of a mix given the mare didn't neck rein yet but for this terrain Grandpa had wanted Lisa in a western saddle. "How is she doing?"

"Good." Lisa replied, but her tone was a little tight, even as she patted the horse's shoulder. "You guys didn't see any sign of them?"

Amy only shook her head, but their section was only the riverbank; a small section of the area. Grandpa had got his hands on a map of the park somehow and Ty had eased in beside him, she missed what had been said but she knew both of those men; they were worried about something.

"We saw a lot of tracks, something is coming down to drink at the river." Lisa murmured quietly, and Amy felt her gut tighten, she had seen tracks too and thought they were wolf; maybe it would be better if the kids were out here alone.

"We don't have much light left." Grandpa sighed, it had taken several hours to sweep this section and as if on cue the radio chirped; calling for searchers to head in. "Let's shift over and we'll do another pass as we head in."

"We can't just go back." Georgie protested. "We have to..."

"We can't stay out here after dark, we would be putting ourselves and the horses in danger." But by his face she knew her grandpa didn't like it anymore than Georgie did.

As they headed in Georgie shifted to join Grandpa and Lisa, so she stayed close to Ty. They picked their way slowly through the trees, Amy felt her hopes jump as Spartan's ears started going, listening to something on the right and trying to get a look.

"Ty, over here." Were the kids hiding from all the strangers' voices calling for them or afraid that they would be in trouble?

Her husband swung down tying his horse to a nearby tree as he went to investigate, Spartan shifted as she followed, eyes still wide and ears swiveling. Amy called out their names again as she started up the hill, her own eyes scanning, there were so many places for them to be.