Chapter 1

Rhydian looked out across the yard to the fields. There were two figures on horseback leading four other horses in from the big field on head collars. Both figures were riding bareback, grinning and laughing as they came in. Rhydian shaded his eyes in the August heat to see them both clearer. One was obviously Moreta and Pal's son, he had the same caramel skin and curly dark hair. The other figure was golden brown and sun-bleached under his Stetson.

"Who's that?" Rhydian asked, turning to Moreta as she handed him a cup of tea bearing the legend "Me or the Horse"

"The one on the big palamino is my son Caleb, and that's Sam. They're in charge of all the horses." She took a sip from her own mug, "You'd better drink up if you wanna help with the tack kiddo. Go get to know your horse."

Rhydian gulped down the rest of the tea, handed the mug back to Moreta and sprang down the wooden steps.

"Rhydian!"

He turned in time to catch his boots.

"You can't go riding in socks kiddo."

Rhydian pulled on the cowboy boots as he ran and arrived at the stables in a flurry. There were six horses in moderately sized loose boxes, and the four that had been lead in were hitched up and munching hay quietly. The other two were loose, rubbing each other over their stable wall. Caleb and Sam were nowhere to be seen. Rhydian jumped as three girls in full English riding gear came around the corner into the yard. He caught the very edge of their conversation.

"-really how can someone expect to do any real work on horses like these. They're not pony club trained I'll bet."

Rhydian raised an eyebrow. It took all sorts he supposed to keep a place like this running. Iron Hill Lake was a boarding house specialising to the mad horse crowd. Three meals a day and all the riding you could want. Thirty horses and a sprawling ranch house with converted chalet out-buildings. A passing trade in people travelling with their own horses and people who wanted the full Western riding experience right in the heart of the Northern Californian horse country.

For Rhydian this was not heaven. It should have been, it should have been the beginning of a wonderful summer, but he should have been sharing it. His sister, Claudine, two years older than him, had gotten a job working on her new University campus back home. Spending the summer riding with her little brother had been trumped by early acceptance, earning money and working closely with her new tutor on her thesis. Seventeen year old Rhydian had only been going for her, to keep her company over the long summer. He rocked nervously on his new cowboy boots.

Sam and Caleb appeared in the main stable doorway, big leather saddles over each shoulder.

"Come on then people," Sam called out in his deep southern voice, "Come get 'em." Sam's wide grin made Rhydian shiver, his spine going tingly when Sam spoke. The pair handed the saddles over carefully to the girls, but Caleb practically threw one to Rhydian, and seemed surprised when he staggered.

"Okay then," Caleb took a clipboard off the wall and scanned his assembled party, "Every saddle and bridle and head collar has a brass name tag," he flicked the one on Rhydian's saddle with a calloused finger, "The tack room is through those doors," he pointed down the end of the yard, "There is a saddle peg with a name on, the bridle hangs on the hook to the left of the saddle peg with the head collar below it."

"It's really not that hard," Sam grinned, and Rhydian felt instantly calmer, "So," he grabbed the clipboard from Caleb, "Emma you have Darkie, the little black on in box five. Jen you get Bastion; box four, Charlie is it? Yep, you are riding Philip, the chestnut in box two. These are your horses for the duration of your stay. I see you've all signed up for full duties, which means you are responsible for mucking out, grooming, stabling and the tack. As this is your first ride we'll be with you, but you must sign in and out and take a trail map every time you go out, even if you aren't leaving the farm. You must," he slapped the clipboard against the wall, making all four of them jump, "Go out with someone else if you intended on going off the farm or on the roads. That is not a polite suggestion, that's an order. Go get your horses and tack up."

Caleb turned to Rhydian, and checked the nervous looking boy up and down.

"You must be Rhydian, you get that lovely boy in box ten. He's called Shura. I'm Caleb."

"Thanks," Rhydian shook the proffered hand an turned to the stall where a dapple grey quarter horse, about sixteen hands stood patiently, looking at him with big liquid eyes. Rhydian put the saddle over the stable door like the others had done and went to go and find the bridle.

About ten minutes later Sam found him standing in the loose box, bridle in hand, reins trailing, looking confused.

"You okay there champ?"

"Um..."

Sam slipped into the loose box and deftly un-hitched Shura and took off the head collar, stroking the big horse's face gently.

"You've done this before haven't you? Your booking said you own horses."

"Not without my sister I haven't. It's her horse. I sometimes ride the pony next door with her."

"I can get you a smaller horse, but he's good for your build." Sam took the bridle and began to fiddle with the leather straps, "Okay kiddo, you hold it here. Yep that's right," Sam moved behind him and reached around to get his arm, hands rough but soft on his knuckles, "Put your hand under here. Easy boy," that was to the horse, "Now swap hands, hold his nose just there with two fingers; good; grab the bit and ease it in. Gently now."

Rhydian let the horse take the bit from his hand, Shura was definitely used to the handling, and he was an easy horse to tack up. Rhydian scooped his ears through the bands gently, touching the soft velvet like fuzz of his grey hair. He exhaled deeply.

"Better?" Sam asked, his voice rumbling.

"Yeah, I think so." Rhydian replied. The big shouldered Texan stayed in the stable with him as he tightened the nose band and throat lash. Rhydian did it on the loosest hole, just like at home and turned to the saddle. It was a big western one, mahogany brown and tooled with leaves and flowers. Rhydian folded the square numnah blanket and placed in on Shura's neck, heaved the saddle over and dragged both of them down below the point of the shoulder.

"Good," Sam was smiling at him, fiddling with his hat band, "You're used to lighter saddles huh?" He looked over to the other stables where Caleb was having to do the heavy lifting for the girls.

"Yep." Rhydian struggled about with the girth, trying to make sure not the pinch the horse's sensitive under belly, "You worked here long?"

"I came here two summers ago for a week and never left. You going to be alright now?"

"Yeah."

Sam nipped over the stable door and walked along to his horse, a strong buckskin gelding with a white star and snipe. Rhydian stared as he tacked up the horse. Everything he did seemed soft and slow: he touched the horse, stroked it and spoke to it, but he was still done in less than three minutes. Caleb's horse was a seventeen hand cremello, light golden with four white socks and a flowing mane and tail. Caleb whistled from the door of the tack room.

"Shura's boy!"

Rhydian assumed that was him.

"Come get a hat."

Next the tack room was a slightly messier room full of hats, crops, chaps and riding boots. Rhydian stood and waited patiently as Caleb fitted him for a helmet.

"You don't wear one?" Rhydian wondered aloud, looking at the way Caleb's dark hair curled out from under his grey ten gallon hat.