Good morning Faithful Friday Fiction Fans,
It's a cloudy morning. A bit breezy and 70º. We had some storms last evening. We needed the rain.
This week has been busy.
Sunday I taught in Children's Church for the first time. It was fun. We learned about 5 of the Judges.
On Monday my nieces and nephews were over for the morning and they got to ride bikes and play games.
Tuesday and Wednesday I worked at the County Clerk's office. More filing and voting people.
Yesterday I worked on the plans for this year's Five Fall Favorites party, and on the writing camp website.
So many projects, plans, and ideas. We'll see how much I get done today. I do want to write if I can. Anyway, I know this is short and probably boring, but I'm going to go walk with my sister since it is so nice outside!
Responsibility
Part 3
“You really think she’d try exploring these woods alone?” Preston wondered. “Without permission?”
Levi snorted. “We are talking about Dani, the one who doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything, and doesn’t think about things until afterwards, remember?”
“Where does this trail lead?”
“Oh, it winds through the woods and splits off several times. I’ve been out hunting this way before,” Raymond remarked, looking up at his brothers.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Levi demanded. “Let’s get moving.”
In single file the Perry brother’s headed off into the woods with Raymond in the lead. The shadow of night was already falling under the shelter of the tall trees, even though the sun had not yet set.
“Dani! Dani!” the calls rang out through the woods every few paces, but only the twitter of hidden birds and the soft thud of the horses’ feet answered. The darkness grew deeper and soon the three riders stopped to light lanterns.
“How much longer is this trail, Ray,?” Preston inquired.
Raymond shrugged. “I’ve never reached the end. It splits off soon and then again a little later.”
“Ever reach the end of those trails?” Levi asked.
“Nope.”
On they rode, growing more anxious with each passing minute. Were they even on the right track, Preston wondered? Had she been found and was their mother now worried about them?
“Here’s the fist split,” Raymond remarked, pointing to a path that at first seemed to parallel the one they had been on. “It turns off to the west in a little while.”
“I’ll take it,” Preston said quietly, turning his horse. “Two shots if you find her,” he reminded the others who agreed quickly and were soon lost in the darkness, the thick foliage hiding their lanterns.
“Dani!” Preston shouted into the still night air. “Dani!”
“Help!” The answer was faint but seemed to come from the direction Preston was headed.
Urging his horse forward, he called again. The answer that came was much closer and unmistakably Danielle’s voice. Drawing his pistol, Preston fired two quick shots in the air and hurried on.
The trail twisted and turned and Preston wondered if he’d ever reach his sister, but at last the light of his lantern fell on a well known horse.
“Sundance,” he exclaimed softly. Dismounting quickly, he calmly made his way around the horse to find Danielle lying on the ground near a fallen tree.
“Dani!” he exclaimed, dropping onto the trail beside her and setting the lantern down. “Dani, are you all right?”
For answer, the girl opened her eyes, tried to sit up and fell crying into his arms. “I think so,” she whimpered. “I was afraid you’d never find me.” She sniffed. “I thought I’d die out here.”
From her dramatic way of talking, Preston knew she couldn’t be much hurt and he asked, “What happened? Can you get up?”
Dani shook her head, brushing away her tears. “No, my foot is caught in the tree and I can’t budge it an inch.”
Shouts were heard down the trail and Preston called back. In another minute Levi and Raymond had joined them.
“Just where have you been, young lady,” Levi demanded when she smiled up at him.
“Hold it, Levi,” Preston directed firmly. “Let’s get her free from this tree and home before Mother is beside herself with worry. There’ll be time enough for talk after that.”
It took the combined effort of Raymond and Levi to move the tree enough for Preston to gently pull Danielle’s foot free, and when it was out, Danielle sighed with relief. “Thank you. I just knew some wild animal would have me for his dinner or at least his midnight snack.”
“Why didn’t you send your horse back to the house for help?” Raymond inquired, brushing his hands off.
Rubbing her foot and ankle, Dani replied, “Oh, I couldn’t. Poor Sundance has hurt her foot or her leg. I don’t know which. She started limping and I got off and tried to lead her back and that’s when we got lost and I caught my foot in there,” and she nodded in the direction of the tree.
As soon as she mentioned her horse’s injury, Levi had quickly moved over to Sundance who was patiently standing in the trail. “Which leg?”
“Her right foreleg. She’ll be all right won’t she, Levi?” There was concern in Danielle’s voice as she watched her brother.
His answer wasn’t to her. “Hold a lantern over here, Ray, so I can see.” His strong, knowledgeable hands gently felt the horse’s leg and then he tried to pick up her hoof. “Come on, up,” he spoke firmly and Sundance lifted her foot.
“Well?” Preston queried after Levi and Raymond had examined the leg in question and then straightened.
“Can’t tell for sure, but it looks like it could be just a bruise.”
“Dani,” Raymond asked, “did you try riding Sundance through a stream?”
Dani nodded. “There’s one somewhere along the trail and I thought we’d cross it, but then she wouldn’t go all the way and when I turned her, she started limping.”
“She’s not carrying anyone home,” Levi declared flatly. “Someone will have to walk her back.”
“Speaking of home,” Preston said, offering his hand to his sister to pull her to her feet. “We’d better start back now. Raymond, you think you can find the way out of this tangled patch of trails?”
Levi snorted. “We are talking about Dani, the one who doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything, and doesn’t think about things until afterwards, remember?”
“Where does this trail lead?”
“Oh, it winds through the woods and splits off several times. I’ve been out hunting this way before,” Raymond remarked, looking up at his brothers.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Levi demanded. “Let’s get moving.”
In single file the Perry brother’s headed off into the woods with Raymond in the lead. The shadow of night was already falling under the shelter of the tall trees, even though the sun had not yet set.
“Dani! Dani!” the calls rang out through the woods every few paces, but only the twitter of hidden birds and the soft thud of the horses’ feet answered. The darkness grew deeper and soon the three riders stopped to light lanterns.
“How much longer is this trail, Ray,?” Preston inquired.
Raymond shrugged. “I’ve never reached the end. It splits off soon and then again a little later.”
“Ever reach the end of those trails?” Levi asked.
“Nope.”
On they rode, growing more anxious with each passing minute. Were they even on the right track, Preston wondered? Had she been found and was their mother now worried about them?
“Here’s the fist split,” Raymond remarked, pointing to a path that at first seemed to parallel the one they had been on. “It turns off to the west in a little while.”
“I’ll take it,” Preston said quietly, turning his horse. “Two shots if you find her,” he reminded the others who agreed quickly and were soon lost in the darkness, the thick foliage hiding their lanterns.
“Dani!” Preston shouted into the still night air. “Dani!”
“Help!” The answer was faint but seemed to come from the direction Preston was headed.
Urging his horse forward, he called again. The answer that came was much closer and unmistakably Danielle’s voice. Drawing his pistol, Preston fired two quick shots in the air and hurried on.
The trail twisted and turned and Preston wondered if he’d ever reach his sister, but at last the light of his lantern fell on a well known horse.
“Sundance,” he exclaimed softly. Dismounting quickly, he calmly made his way around the horse to find Danielle lying on the ground near a fallen tree.
“Dani!” he exclaimed, dropping onto the trail beside her and setting the lantern down. “Dani, are you all right?”
For answer, the girl opened her eyes, tried to sit up and fell crying into his arms. “I think so,” she whimpered. “I was afraid you’d never find me.” She sniffed. “I thought I’d die out here.”
From her dramatic way of talking, Preston knew she couldn’t be much hurt and he asked, “What happened? Can you get up?”
Dani shook her head, brushing away her tears. “No, my foot is caught in the tree and I can’t budge it an inch.”
Shouts were heard down the trail and Preston called back. In another minute Levi and Raymond had joined them.
“Just where have you been, young lady,” Levi demanded when she smiled up at him.
“Hold it, Levi,” Preston directed firmly. “Let’s get her free from this tree and home before Mother is beside herself with worry. There’ll be time enough for talk after that.”
It took the combined effort of Raymond and Levi to move the tree enough for Preston to gently pull Danielle’s foot free, and when it was out, Danielle sighed with relief. “Thank you. I just knew some wild animal would have me for his dinner or at least his midnight snack.”
“Why didn’t you send your horse back to the house for help?” Raymond inquired, brushing his hands off.
Rubbing her foot and ankle, Dani replied, “Oh, I couldn’t. Poor Sundance has hurt her foot or her leg. I don’t know which. She started limping and I got off and tried to lead her back and that’s when we got lost and I caught my foot in there,” and she nodded in the direction of the tree.
As soon as she mentioned her horse’s injury, Levi had quickly moved over to Sundance who was patiently standing in the trail. “Which leg?”
“Her right foreleg. She’ll be all right won’t she, Levi?” There was concern in Danielle’s voice as she watched her brother.
His answer wasn’t to her. “Hold a lantern over here, Ray, so I can see.” His strong, knowledgeable hands gently felt the horse’s leg and then he tried to pick up her hoof. “Come on, up,” he spoke firmly and Sundance lifted her foot.
“Well?” Preston queried after Levi and Raymond had examined the leg in question and then straightened.
“Can’t tell for sure, but it looks like it could be just a bruise.”
“Dani,” Raymond asked, “did you try riding Sundance through a stream?”
Dani nodded. “There’s one somewhere along the trail and I thought we’d cross it, but then she wouldn’t go all the way and when I turned her, she started limping.”
“She’s not carrying anyone home,” Levi declared flatly. “Someone will have to walk her back.”
“Speaking of home,” Preston said, offering his hand to his sister to pull her to her feet. “We’d better start back now. Raymond, you think you can find the way out of this tangled patch of trails?”
How was your week?
Do you enjoy summer storms?
Do you enjoy walking?
2 comments:
Fun story!!!
Thanks. :)
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