Destiny and Stardust (9 page)

“Aidan!” Issie called back excitedly over her shoulder. “Aidan, we've found the herd!”

As Aidan drew Diablo up next to her, Issie scanned the horses, looking frantically for Blaze. The chestnut mare and the black stallion were nowhere to be seen.

“Aidan. She's not here!” Panic rose in Issie's voice. Where was Blaze? Had something happened to her beloved pony?

“She'll be here. Stay calm,” Aidan said.

Just as he said this, over the brow of the hill came Blaze.

Issie was relieved to see that Tom Avery's much-loved cross-country saddle was still on her back. The saddle had slipped a bit to the left and Blaze's reins were broken and dangling loose around her legs, but otherwise everything looked OK. As for Blaze, she looked just fine. She cantered along with her head held high and called out once more, a high shrill whinny. This time another horse answered her call.

Now the black stallion came into view. His enormous strides swallowed up the ground as he caught up to Blaze. Issie was struck once more by the beauty of the black horse.

“Isn't he beautiful?” Issie said to Aidan.

“I can't believe it. He's just like Avignon – except he's jet black!” Aidan said.

“Do you think so?” Issie said.

“Absolutely. Hester will go wild when she sees him,” Aidan said. He was transfixed by the big black horse and couldn't take his eyes off him.

“What do you mean?” Issie said.

“Come on, Issie. You said yourself that you nearly caught him the other day. And now he's made friends with Blaze it should be easy. You said you wanted to save him, Issie. Well this is your chance. We can do this together. We can bring the black back home. What do you say?”

Issie looked at Aidan. “Do you really mean it?” She said.

Aidan grinned. “Uh-huh!”

Issie grinned back. “Then let's do it!” She felt a tingle of excitement run down her spine. This time they were going to catch the black horse, and she knew it. She had a plan.

There was no time to lose. The horses still hadn't seen them, but to keep the element of surprise on their side they would have to move fast.

“Over there, behind those trees!” Issie instructed Aidan. To their right was a small copse of blackthorn bushes, perfect for hiding out of the stallion's line of sight. Issie and Aidan clucked Diablo and Paris into a canter and within a few strides the horses were behind the trees.

“What now?” Aidan asked.

“Now it's time to get my horse back,” Issie said. She jumped down off Paris and peered through the trees, handing Aidan the reins. Then she cupped her hands around her mouth and blew – a shrill, high-pitched whistle.

Issie and Aidan waited in silence. Nothing.

“Try again,” Aidan said. But before Issie could raise her hands to her mouth, they heard the sound of hoofbeats.

“Blaze,” Issie whispered hoarsely. Her heart was thumping in her chest. She couldn't see a thing from behind these trees. Was Blaze coming to her? She didn't dare stick her head out to look now in case the stallion saw her and spooked again. She cupped her hands once more and gave another low whistle. There was a nicker in reply this time, and then there was Blaze! The mare popped her head tentatively around the corner of the trees and Issie couldn't help but giggle.

“Well, hi there!” She grinned. She dug around in her backpack for a carrot as Blaze came all the way behind the trees to join them, nickering happily as she was reunited with her girl.

“Hey, Blaze, are you OK? I missed you!” Issie hugged her pony tight around the neck, feeding her the carrot and grasping on to the broken reins. She wasn't letting go of those again in a hurry.

Issie stood back for a moment and ran her eyes over the mare. Blaze seemed fine. She ran her hands over her body. There was hardly a mark on her.

“Good girl, I'm so glad you're OK,” Issie cooed. She led her horse back over to where Aidan was holding on to Paris and waiting for them.

Issie quickly undid Blaze's girth and slipped off her cross-country saddle. Then, still holding Blaze's reins with one hand, she reached over and undid Paris' girth and slipped the saddle off the palomino. Compared to Blaze's lightweight saddle, Paris' saddle seemed enormous. It was a stock saddle, big and bulky enough to hold the weight of a rider hanging off the side, perfect for stunt riding. She swung the saddle up into the air, throwing it on to Blaze's back.

“Steady, girl,” Issie said to Blaze as she did up the girth.

“Why are you swapping the saddles over?” Aidan asked as Issie yanked the girth up and checked it one last time.

“Because I need the stock saddle to do the trick of course!” Issie said matter-of-factly to Aidan. “Now I need you to stay here and hold on to Paris. You can put Blaze's saddle on her while I'm gone. Stay hidden unless I call out for you. OK?”

“No. It's not OK!” Aidan said. “First you'd better tell me what's going on. What exactly is this plan of yours?”

“Actually, it's kind of your plan,” Issie said. “I got the idea from watching you do that trick on Diablo on the way here.” She turned to face Aidan. “The black stallion really likes Blaze, right? She's a part of his herd now so she can get right up close to him. But he doesn't trust me just yet. If he sees me on top of her he just might freak out and bolt.” Issie paused. “But what if he didn't see me?”

“I don't understand,” Aidan said. “How can you get near him without him seeing you?”

Issie put her foot in the stirrup now and mounted Blaze. She swung one leg back over the saddle, balancing like a gymnast on one side of the horse, with all her weight in one stirrup. From here, she practised crouching down and hanging off one side of the saddle, just as Aidan had done on Diablo.

“Like this,” she said to Aidan. “I'm going to ride the same trick that you did on Diablo. I can do it on Blaze.”

Issie practised the crouch again, then she swung her leg back up and over so she was sitting in the saddle properly once more.

“Aidan, this will work! If I hang on to the side of the saddle and stay crouched down low, I can ride Blaze up towards the stallion. He won't even know I'm there until we're right up close. Then I can slip a rope around his neck and tether him to Blaze's saddle so he can't get away.”

Aidan said nothing.

“Well? What do you think?”

Issie held her breath as Aidan mulled over the idea. Finally, after a long pause, he said, “I think it sounds like the best plan we've got. You and Blaze have more chance of catching him on your own. If we all charge in there he'll just bolt. Now, let me show you how to hang off the side of your saddle properly. We don't want you getting dragged under Blaze's belly.”

After a quick lesson from Aidan, who also helped fashion a lasso for her to slip over the stallion's neck, Issie mounted up again and got into position.

“Steady, Blaze,” Issie said as she dropped down into a crouch against the mare's left side.

“Are you ready?” Aidan asked.

Issie nodded. She had only been in position for a couple of minutes now but already her arms ached from supporting her body weight. She could feel her fingers cramping from gripping on to the front end of the saddle with one hand and the back end with the other. She needed to do this fast before her arms gave out.

“Trot on, Blaze!” Issie whispered quietly to the mare. Blaze responded instantly to her voice aids, breaking into trot as Issie tugged on the left rein, turning the mare in the direction of the stallion.

As Blaze's trot quickened the ride got bumpier.
Just hang on, not much longer now
… Issie told herself. Her arms really ached. She could feel the fingers of her left hand cramping painfully as she gripped on to the pommel. Her right hand, which was wet with sweat, was beginning to slip off the cantle…

Just as Issie felt like she was losing her grip, Blaze began to slow down and pulled up to a halt. The mare gave a keen nicker and Issie heard the sound of the stallion talking back to her. He was close. Very close. Issie couldn't see where he was, and she was too nervous to lift her head up above the saddle in case he saw her and spooked. She didn't know what to do next. She held her breath, too scared to move at all. This was crazy! She couldn't catch the stallion if she couldn't see him!

Then she realised that she could pull the same trick Aidan had done when he had picked her that flower. If she hung low enough under Blaze's belly then she'd be able to look through the mare's legs and see the stallion on the other side.

As she lowered herself down head first she felt her face flush from the rush of blood. Then, there she was, swinging upside down, dangling with her face precariously close to the ground, with just her right hand gripping the stirrup leather to keep her from falling.

Now that she was down low she could look through Blaze's legs and see the stallion. She was right. He was very close. In fact he was standing right next to Blaze. If she suddenly appeared, the stallion would be spooked for sure. How could she get close enough to slip the rope around his neck without him seeing her? She had to think fast.

Steeling her nerve, Issie unhooked the rope from the saddle and slipped her foot out of the stirrup, dropping silently to the ground. She was still hidden from the stallion's view by Blaze's body. She leant her back against Blaze's belly and took a deep breath. Stay low, that was the way to do it. She dropped into a low crouch on the ground next to Blaze, then crawled under her belly and crouched between her legs. It was a risky place to be and Issie knew it. If Blaze lashed out suddenly or even moved a hoof Issie would get kicked. She had to put her faith in her pony. Blaze knew that Issie was there; she wouldn't hurt her. Blaze didn't move a muscle as Issie edged further under her belly and got into position.

The stallion was right above her now. He was so close that Issie could reach out her hand and touch him. The big black horse lowered his head over the chestnut mare and nibbled affectionately at her shoulder. There wouldn't be a better time to do this. She had to move now!

In one swift motion Issie slipped out from underneath Blaze's belly, quickly throwing the rope around the stallion's neck, grasping the end and looping it back through the lasso.

The black horse felt the rope against his neck and suddenly noticed Issie. Startled, he reared back, taking up the slack. As he did so, Issie hurriedly tied the rope to the pommel of Blaze's saddle. Then she swiftly jammed her foot into the stirrup and threw herself desperately back up on to Blaze's back.

As the stallion reared back and pulled against her, Issie reined Blaze backwards too, asking the mare to hold her ground against the big, black horse. The stallion strained against the rope, shaking his head and trying to free himself. He gave two little bucks, going straight up in the air. But he didn't panic. It was as if he knew that struggling would get him nowhere.

“Clever boy,” Issie said. “You know I've got you, don't you?”

The stallion gave a defiant toss of his head and pulled back against the rope once more, testing his limits. Then he stopped struggling against Blaze's weight and stood still. His body was quivering but he seemed almost resigned to being caught.

“Aidan!” Issie shouted out. “I've got him. Bring the halter.”

Aidan rode up on Diablo, the halter in his hand. He headed towards the stallion but then decided against it and handed the halter over to Issie. “He trusts you and Blaze more than me. You do it!” Aidan instructed.

Issie nodded and rode Blaze forward, pulling up the slack on the rope in her hand as she went. When she finally reached the stallion, she managed to slip the halter quickly over his head.

“Steady boy, I've got you.” She spoke softly to the horse as she refastened the rope from around his neck, attaching it to the halter instead. “All done. We've got him. I don't believe it!” She grinned over at Aidan who was watching the whole thing.

“I don't believe it either!” Aidan shook his head. “Well, well. Aren't you something, Issie Brown?”

Issie looked at the black horse, now standing peacefully beside her. “Did you see that, Aidan? He's so clever. He calmed right down as soon as he knew he was caught.”

Aidan nodded. “He's a smart horse.” Then he smiled at Issie. “I think it helps that he seems to be in love with your mare!”

“I know.” Issie nodded. “He's happy when he's with Blaze, isn't he? I'd better lead him home. Can you ride Diablo and lead Paris?”

“Sure,” Aidan nodded, “whatever you say, horse-whisperer! Let's get him home.”

As they set out along the Coast Road Issie took the lead on Blaze with the stallion trotting along beside her. Issie began to think that Aidan was right. Maybe the stallion was in love with her mare. He trotted along briskly beside her, his head held high, his tail erect.

“He's got a beautiful trot, hasn't he?” Issie shouted back over her shoulder at Aidan, who was riding a few lengths behind her, keeping Diablo and Paris well out of the stallion's reach in case he lashed out.

Aidan nodded. “Floating paces. A classic warmblood – just like Avignon. I can't wait until Hester sees him. I want to see the look on her face.”

The look on Hester's face when they arrived was not at all what they had anticipated. Instead of the beaming smile they had been expecting, Hester turned white with shock. Her eyes welled with tears as she reached Issie's side. She looked up at the black horse and was very quiet for a moment. When she finally spoke her voice was shaky.

“Do you know,” she said, “when I saw you all coming down the driveway just now it was like seeing a ghost. He's the spitting image of my darling Avignon!”

Hester stepped forward, reached out a hand and took the lead rope from Issie, untying it from the saddle. As Issie and Aidan watched, she cooed and clucked softly to the big, black horse. The stallion took a step towards her and Issie marvelled at her aunt's natural ease with the animal. Within moments she was stroking his nose and running her hands down his neck and over his back.

“Steady there, my lovely boy,” she cooed. “You're not a bit wild, are you? Where did you come from?”