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Melissa Good
It was her dream, one of them. One of those strange ones, where she clearly remembered resting in a quiet glade not too different from this one, with the soft sound of water and the smell of the forest around them. She’d been leaning on a rock, her arm wrapped around a warm, somnolent body, whose fingers had gently traced across her thigh just...
Exactly...
As they were now.
Dar shivered in pure reflex, her eyes opening, as a silver hued image of the dream flashed through her mind.
”Hey?” Kerry turned to look up at her. ”What’s wrong?”
A soft exhale. ”Just a bit of, I don’t know, déjà vu, I guess.” She forced a laugh. ”Or something from a dream I—”
Kerry's eyebrows knit. ”You know, I get that a lot around you,” she commented casually. ”Or, I have these weird dreams where you and I are doing really strange stuff.”
Dar gazed at her. ”Me too,” she admitted softly. ”Like just now.”
Her eyes shifted. ”I think I had a dream a lot like this, trees, water, you and I lying like this. I was holding onto you.” She paused, considering.
”Weird.”
Kerry shrugged. ”It happens. I used to have dreams like that when I was in school, about stuff going on there. It’s just your brain cleaning house.”
”Yeah,” Dar agreed, feeling a sense of relief. ”You’re right. Hey.”
She picked up a flat stone and flipped it towards the spring. ”Can you do that?”
”Oh god, I’ve always wanted to, figures you can.” Kerry dug into the ground next to them and came up with a couple more relatively flat stones. ”Here, teach me.”
With a tender smile, Dar reached and arm around her and guided her arm, feeling a sweet echo in her words. ”Okay, like this, sideways.”
They spent a very pleasant hour just tossing rocks and snuggling in the sun, as the horses contentedly cropped grass, and the sun rose over head. Finally Dar patted her leg.” You ready to head back?”
”Mm.” Kerry had her head pillowed in Dar’s lap, and was stretching her legs out in lazy bliss. ”At least we get to sit down this afternoon. Are you up for some sailing?”
”Sure,” Dar agreed readily. ”I’ve never been on one of those small boats. The big ones you just keep out of the way of the crew. I’m looking forward to it.” She tickled Kerry’s ear. ”C’mon, let’s get going.”
They stood and gathered their things, with Dar packing everything neatly back inside the lunch pack while Kerry wandered over to the spring and tasted its water. ”Hey that’s not bad.” She grinned at Dar.
”It’s sweet.”
Dar glanced over. ”Yeah, watch it. Looks like there’s a beehive over there. Be careful.”
Kerry blinked. ”Oh, thanks.” She carefully skirted the spot and Hurricane Watch
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walked over to where her mare was, untying her and gathering up the reins. ”Okay, girl. What’s your name again? Cookie?”
”Brownie,” Dar supplied wryly. ”But you were close.” She got up into her saddle and settled her knees, tucking her reins in one hand as she half turned the stallion towards Kerry's horse.
”Yeah, yeah, what’s his name, Silver?” Kerry put a foot in the stirrup and hoisted herself up, feeling the mare shift under her. ”Ah ah, none of that.”
”Smokey,” Dar replied amiably. ”Careful.”
Kerry slid forward a little in the saddle and tried to find a comfortable place for her knees to grip. They were still a little sore and she shifted, then half turned. ”Do yo...whoa!”
The mare had stepped sideways, and one hoof caught on a root.
With a snort, the horse crab hopped sideways, bucking a little and almost throwing Kerry off. ”Whoa!” The blonde woman hung on, though, and pulled the mare’s head around, grabbing tight as she jumped up out of the little hollow she’d moved into and bolted towards the stream for a few steps.
Enough to bring her right up against the bush with the beehive, her hindquarters brushing its outer leaves, and disturbing the sluggish insects.
”Kerry, uh.” Dar’s eyes widened a little. ” Be careful there. I...”
”I am being careful,” Kerry complained, trying to get the mare straightened out. ”C’mon, you... a...holy— Whoa,whoa! Shit!”
The mare snorted as several bees settled and stung her, then she squealed and bolted, jerking the reins out of Kerry’s hands as she headed out and down the long, sloping path. ”Hey! Hey! Slow down!”
”Son of —” Dar slapped her stallion on the side, kicking him into a run as she gave chase. ”Kerry!”
I’M IN TROUBLE. Kerry hung on to the front of the saddle, watching the reins fly uselessly near the ground. Shit. ”Hey, c’mon, c’mon slow down!” She called to the mare, who was snorting. Both back heels kicked up, almost tossing Kerry over the horse's head, and she gripped the saddle frantically. ”Okay, okay.”
The mare whinnied, and bucked, then chose a cedared path down the hillside, shaking her head as the reins irritated her. Kerry heard hoof beats catching up, and she half turned to see the gray stallion bearing down on her, Dar’s body pressed to his back, one hand free, the other clenching leather reins.
Cursing, she turned around, and leaned forward, trying to grab one of the flapping pieces of leather, which flicked annoyingly just out of her reach.
”Hang on, Kerry,” Dar yelled as she closed in, her horse snorting as his nose neared the mare’s flying tail.
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Melissa Good
Unfortunately, this only scared the already terrified mare, who redoubled her pace, slipping a little in the cedar chips. ”Whoa, whoa!”
Kerry yelled, her eyes widening as she saw a bend coming up. ”Whoa, take it easy, wh—” The horse spun, and kicked, and she lost her grip, her body going the opposite direction and flying through the air.
The mare got around the bend and took off running, as her former rider slammed unceremoniously against a tree trunk, then dropped to the ground with a leaf scattering thump.
Oh my god. Kerry just lay there for a long moment trying to get air back into her lungs, almost not hearing the rapidly slowing hoof beats, and the thump as something large hit the ground running, scattering cedar chips all over her as the steps came skidding to a halt at her side.
Hands touched her, and then Dar’s urgent voice reached her ears.
”Don’t move.”
”Couldn’t if I wanted to,” she murmured, counting the stars circling her head. ”Ow. Damn that hurt.”
”Where did you hit?” the low voice asked. ”You got any shooting pain anywhere? How about your neck?”
Kerry had to think about it. ”My shoulder.” She flexed her hands a little. ”Fortunately it was my butt that hit the ground. I’m sure I didn’t take any damage there.” The numbness was wearing off, replaced by aching. ”Whoo.”
”Can you feel everything?” Dar asked nervously. ”Your hands, feet, no numbness?”
Fingers, toes, eyelashes.” Yeah, ” Kerry sighed, moving her head a little. ”It’s all there. It just hurts. I think I just got the wind knocked out of me,” she told her companion. ”We weren’t going that fast.”
Dar sat down heavily next to her. ”Jesus.” She gently eased Kerry back from her curled up position, examining her carefully. Her sweater and heavy jeans had protected her from the tree bark and she appeared relatively unharmed. ”You scared the hell out of me.”
Kerry managed a grin. ”Me too. What on earth happened?” She moved her arms and legs, shifting her feet to a more comfortable position, and took a deep breath. ”Did that horse go nuts, or what?”