Spirit, Riding Free: Lucky and Her Adventurous and Mysterious Cousin Sasha

Chapter Four

After Sasha had gotten settled in her new bedroom, she was told that she was going on a tour with her Lucky and Lucky's friends. She met everyone at the front porch, Sasha was a little confused about seeing a little redhead boy and twin dark-haired girls with a muscular teenage boy with a brown donkey, a saddled and bridled chestnut brown horse, and a reined slender brown Appaloosa stallion pulling a small wagon behind him.
"Um, hi?" Sasha walked down the steps and looked at them in confusion.
"Hi, I'm Tero." said the teenage boy. "You must be Sasha Alma Prescott." His brown Appaloosa gently nudged him and looked back at Sasha. "And this is my horse, Junipero."
Sasha cringed slightly at her full name, her parents usually call her by her first full name when angered. She smiled and started petting Junipero.
"I'm Bianca," said the twin girl with blue boots.
"And I'm Mary Pat," said the twin girl with brown boots. "This is our horse, Tugaboo." Their chestnut horse let out a soft neigh and nuzzled Sasha's face. Sasha chuckled and gently pushed away the horse.
"You must be Snips, Abigail's little brother." Sasha said with a smile to the redhead boy.
"Yeah, this is Señor Carrots." Snips said as he hugged his pet donkey's neck. The donkey looked up at her and stood up on his hind legs, like an eager puppy. Sasha chuckled softly and petted the donkey's soft brown fur. "He likes you." commented Snips, struggling sitting on Señor Carrots before he went back on all fours.
"Well, it's nice to meet all of you." Sasha nodded as Lucky and Spirit both came towards them. Lucky whispered something to the little kids and Tero. They all nodded, Snips and the twins rode off somewhere.
Sasha was unsure where they all are going. Lucky nodded to Tero, who got onto the front seat of the wagon. Spirit helped Lucky up to his back.
"Are you ready to check out the town Sasha?" Lucky asked her with bright hazel eyes.
"I guess so," said Sasha with a small smile.
Tero helped Sasha into the wagon, but she snook a pat on Junipero's nose. Junipero gave an excited neigh and started to move as soon as Sasha had gotten into the wagon.
A wide dirt road ran the length of Miradero, which was just two city blocks. Buildings lined both sides of the road. The architecture was a hodgepodge of design, from Spanish stucco, to Western facades, to traditional brick. It was so quiet compared to the city. There were no crowds, no city noise (Sasha felt slightly relieved about that). Only a few people walked between the stores. The closest store had a display of cowboy hats in the window. Behind them loomed a large building at the end of the street, decorated with Greek columns and a bell tower.
Junipero took a left at the town hall, then turned again and slowed as they made their way up a hill, past from Miradero's main street, between the red and white schoolhouse and Sasha's new home. She soon saw a shed sitting behind the barn, and two round brown fenced-in horse pens are nearby to the right and left of the barn, along with a larger, square, fenced-in horse yard to the left of the barn.
The barn was dark from the inside. Probably from a single burnt electric light over the front door, figured Sasha.
But she remained confused. What is going on here? Is this normal for a newbie coming to town? Is this her granduncle's doing? Or all of her friends' doing? Is there a special surprise for her?
"Come on." Lucky's voice snapped her out of her thinking and realized that they had stopped.
"Where are we going?" Sasha got out of the wagon and followed Lucky's lead. Tero had untied Junipero from the wagon and took him to the other side of the barn.
"You'll see," Lucky said mysteriously with a small smile and sparkling hazel eyes.
Sasha felt something that was long forgotten to her. It felt fierce and strong, like the sun when it rises from the eastern skies. Was it longing? Fear? Or hope? Was she hoping something special to happen? But why was she feeling it now? Today of all days? Was something special going to happen?
Lucky opened the barn door for Sasha, and Sasha walked into the barn, still feeling uncertain and confused as she entered the barn.
The light soon lit up, startling Sasha out of her wits when she heard her family's and friends' voices called out, "Welcome to Miradero Sasha!"
Sasha saw Mr and Mrs Granger with Pru, next to Chica Linda's stall. Mr and Mrs Stone with Abigail and Snips standing between Boomerang and Señor Carrots' stalls. Uncle Jim and Aunt Kate standing next to Spirit's stall. Aunt Cora was holding a white and gray-tipped goose, she stood next to the haystacks with Granduncle James Sr. While Tero was standing next to Junipero. Maricela was standing next to Mystery by the door. There was Bianca and Mary Pat, both standing next to Tugabuo. Lastly, there's the same woman that had thirteen horses, who was standing next her adoptive granduncle.
"Wow," breathed Sasha before she looked at everyone with a warm smile. "Thank you everyone. It was an amazing surprise party for me."
"Oh wait," Granduncle James Sr. stepped out of the way of a opened stall. "There's more."
He soon revealed a beautiful and familiar horse. It was the same feisty mare that she had seen at the train station.
The mare's golden palomino pinto coat sparkled in the light. Her long, graceful muscles gleamed in the amber light. Her white pinto splotches were contrasts to her golden coat. Her eyes sparkled with their warm amber glow. Her creamy white mane and tail flowed over her neck and ankles, like pale sunbeams. Her hooves are sparkly and polished light brown.
"It's her," whispered Sasha as she approached the mare with one hand stretched out in front of her.
The mare looked so slender with her long, strong legs and her graceful face, but her muscles danced underneath her skin showed her hidden strength. She nudged her nose up under Sasha's hand and Sasha threw her arms around the mare's neck, feeling an instant bond with the gorgeous horse.
"The two of you had just met, and you are both getting along very well?" asked the woman.
"She is quite a beauty." Sasha petted the mare's forehead and the mare nickered softly as she nuzzled Sasha. "With a similar spirit that reminded me of Wind's spirit."
"Sasha, this is Mrs Kayla Johnson," said Granduncle James Sr.
"Hello, Mrs Johnson." Sasha greeted with a shy smile.
"Greetings, young Sasha." Mrs Johnson stood next to the frisky golden pinto mustang mare. "She doesn't cooperate with just anyone. She is very honorable. I never thought she'll ever get along with anyone. But I am glad that she had chosen you my dear, something tells me that you two will get along just fine. I hope she is dear to you like Wind was dear to you."
Sasha looked at Mrs Johnson with a surprised look, followed by a slight grieving expression.
"I knew Wind," said Mrs Johnson. "She was this young mare's mother. I had noticed that this young mare had also grieved before she had met you."
Sasha gave a small smile and she started to pet the mare's right cheek, the mare nickered softly and nuzzled Sasha's shoulder.
"What are you going to name her?" Lucky asked Sasha.
Sasha looked into the mare's warm and sparkly amber eyes. She's very fierce, feisty, and adventurous. Sasha felt completed with the golden pinto mare.
"It almost feels like a new change to our destinies." Sasha felt a new idea light in her mind. She soon looked back at the golden pinto mare. "That's it. Your name is now Destiny."
The golden pinto mare lifted her head and neighed agreeably. She soon returned nuzzling Sasha. Destiny it is! Both of their destinies had began!