Dec 15, 2015 19:32:49 GMT -5
Cavallo, S u N f r O s T ~, and 1 more like this
Post by LK on Dec 15, 2015 19:32:49 GMT -5
Felicity paced nervously at the entrance to the barn while her husband, Blake, sat on a hay bale and leaned into the metal siding of the barn. She was focused on the entrance to the driveway a half mile to the east. Any second now she expected the large horse van to turn the corner but she had been expecting it to for the last ten minutes. Restlessly she checked her phone for the umpteenth time, worried she missed a call.
"Fell, quit it. They will get here when they get here. If you don't stop checking your phone I will take it away from you." Blake smiled at her from his perch, then coaxed her to come over a sit down next to him. Felicity was obliged to do so as her husband knew how to get her to calm down, even on one of the most exciting days of her life. All she could think about was the two horses that fell into her lap earlier in the week. As if her barn hadn't been full enough as is, an offer came to her that she didn't even think twice about before handing the money over. It could be Oceanic View's big break, a way to get their name even more known on the track. Sure, they were pretty well off as is, but this was something she had been searching for, for a long time. Finding Out of the Darkness had filled the hole she felt in her chest but it wasn't quite enough to make her feel better. Leaving the racing world before had been hard but leaving her barn full of racers behind had been the hardest part. Since returning Fell had searched for a way to satisfy her mind, to make her feel better about leaving the first time.
The approaching roar of a semi caught her attention and she strained from her spot to see it climbing the hill down the road. Felicity checked the time on her phone; thirty minutes since they first called her. It took twenty minutes to get from the highway to the barn. What had taken them so long? The white truck and trailer pulled into the driveway, barely clearing the large archway labeled "Oceanic View Stables" above it. Felicity walked down the walkway to where the truck was approaching. She could clearly see the large company logo on the side of huge horse trailer it was pulling. Finally satisfied it wasn't some client coming to pick up another one of their leases, she turned and grinned at her husband who was still seated in his spot.
With a loud burst of air the semi came to a stop in front of her. The driver jumped out of the cab and approached her with a clipboard, reading over the paperwork one last time before gesturing to the passenger. Only once he got the okay did the passenger, a younger man, climb down and retreat to one of the access doors on the side of the trailer.
"Felicity Chay, I suppose?" The driver was an older man with a scruffy beard and trucking hat on his salt-and-pepper hair. Felicity guessed he had been driving trucks most of his life, but she wasn't about to get into that conversation. She peered around him to see where the other man had gone but no longer saw him in the door way of the white trailer. From inside she could vaguely hear the distinctive thumping of horse hooves impatiently banging on the sides.
"Yes, that would be me." She turned back to the man as he flipped the pages back and fourth on the clip board.
"You had two horses, correct? A bay weanling and a black two year old?" The driver ripped two pages from the clip and handed them over to her, motioning that she check to make sure they were correct.
By now Blake had wandered over to the trailer and stuck his head inside. He talked to the man inside before climbing on board. In a few seconds a long and wide ramp had descended onto the ground. Blake walked down the sturdy ramp and lifted two slats up to form a chute off of the trailer. He turned and looked at Felicity, winking before he disappeared inside once again.
Felicity turned her attention back to the papers, checking the names and dates of birth over with her own information she had written down. Everything seemed to match so she signed the bottom of each page and promptly gave them back to the driver. He mumbled his assent before walking back to the truck. Now that she had that taken care of, Felicity approached the ramp of the trailer, her curiosity about to get the better of her. She didn't have to wait long, though, because the first horse clattered down the ramp. The black filly was eager to get out of the large box she had spent many days in. Once outside she stopped abruptly and immediately thrust her dark nose into the air. Taking in the salty air she flared her nostrils once or twice before letting out a long whinny. From inside the barn Felicity could hear a few responses from the horses left inside. A few curious onlookers stopped to take in the lean filly. She was stunning. Her black coat glistened in the sun and her eyes were wide with wonder. She snorted and strained against the lead line, desperate to stretch her legs after being confined. Felicity noticed Sawyer standing nearby and motioned to him to come over, quickly.
"Help him get her into the large round pen. She's dying to run. Make sure she doesn't touch noses with anyone on the way, we don't want to have to quarantine anyone else." Sawyer nodded and trotted over to the man from the company. He offered to take the lead but the passenger shook his head, he seemed compliant to take her wherever she needed to go.
Another clatter of hooves commanded her attention back at the ramp. This time a wryly bay colt danced his way down to the dirt. He, too, paused for a second to take in his surroundings before resuming his debacle. Blake was on the other end of the lead this time, and he laughed as the colt swung his hind around, attempting to escape but finding it harder than he thought.
"This one's going to be a real handful Felicity! But you know that already."
She joined her husband and his walk to the second, smaller, round pen with the colt. Once inside Blake un-clasped the halter and away the weanling went. With wonder she watched as he kicked up his feet and whinnied on his circle around the pen. Next door the filly answered her travelling companion. Sawyer was just hanging her halter on the gate before coming over to inspect the younger racer with them.
"So, you managed to find one, didn't you?" Sawyer nodded towards the bay.
Felicity smiled and responded, "yes, I did. I thought it would be impossible but come to find out, they thought that combo was a good one. There's a full blooded filly that's a year older than him now. Dark Sparrow could be racing her if she turns out to be a good turf runner." She watched the black filly trot around the pen next door.
"Just to think, you had True Enough and Out of the Darkness running against each other once before. Now you have their full siblings that will potentially be running against each other. I would call you brilliant but now I think you might be crazy." Blake grinned at her before returning to the barn, leaving her to observe the two horses by herself.
(Dark Sparrow, full sibling to Out of the Darkness, on the day of her arrival)
(Enough Said, full sibling to True Enough)
"Fell, quit it. They will get here when they get here. If you don't stop checking your phone I will take it away from you." Blake smiled at her from his perch, then coaxed her to come over a sit down next to him. Felicity was obliged to do so as her husband knew how to get her to calm down, even on one of the most exciting days of her life. All she could think about was the two horses that fell into her lap earlier in the week. As if her barn hadn't been full enough as is, an offer came to her that she didn't even think twice about before handing the money over. It could be Oceanic View's big break, a way to get their name even more known on the track. Sure, they were pretty well off as is, but this was something she had been searching for, for a long time. Finding Out of the Darkness had filled the hole she felt in her chest but it wasn't quite enough to make her feel better. Leaving the racing world before had been hard but leaving her barn full of racers behind had been the hardest part. Since returning Fell had searched for a way to satisfy her mind, to make her feel better about leaving the first time.
The approaching roar of a semi caught her attention and she strained from her spot to see it climbing the hill down the road. Felicity checked the time on her phone; thirty minutes since they first called her. It took twenty minutes to get from the highway to the barn. What had taken them so long? The white truck and trailer pulled into the driveway, barely clearing the large archway labeled "Oceanic View Stables" above it. Felicity walked down the walkway to where the truck was approaching. She could clearly see the large company logo on the side of huge horse trailer it was pulling. Finally satisfied it wasn't some client coming to pick up another one of their leases, she turned and grinned at her husband who was still seated in his spot.
With a loud burst of air the semi came to a stop in front of her. The driver jumped out of the cab and approached her with a clipboard, reading over the paperwork one last time before gesturing to the passenger. Only once he got the okay did the passenger, a younger man, climb down and retreat to one of the access doors on the side of the trailer.
"Felicity Chay, I suppose?" The driver was an older man with a scruffy beard and trucking hat on his salt-and-pepper hair. Felicity guessed he had been driving trucks most of his life, but she wasn't about to get into that conversation. She peered around him to see where the other man had gone but no longer saw him in the door way of the white trailer. From inside she could vaguely hear the distinctive thumping of horse hooves impatiently banging on the sides.
"Yes, that would be me." She turned back to the man as he flipped the pages back and fourth on the clip board.
"You had two horses, correct? A bay weanling and a black two year old?" The driver ripped two pages from the clip and handed them over to her, motioning that she check to make sure they were correct.
By now Blake had wandered over to the trailer and stuck his head inside. He talked to the man inside before climbing on board. In a few seconds a long and wide ramp had descended onto the ground. Blake walked down the sturdy ramp and lifted two slats up to form a chute off of the trailer. He turned and looked at Felicity, winking before he disappeared inside once again.
Felicity turned her attention back to the papers, checking the names and dates of birth over with her own information she had written down. Everything seemed to match so she signed the bottom of each page and promptly gave them back to the driver. He mumbled his assent before walking back to the truck. Now that she had that taken care of, Felicity approached the ramp of the trailer, her curiosity about to get the better of her. She didn't have to wait long, though, because the first horse clattered down the ramp. The black filly was eager to get out of the large box she had spent many days in. Once outside she stopped abruptly and immediately thrust her dark nose into the air. Taking in the salty air she flared her nostrils once or twice before letting out a long whinny. From inside the barn Felicity could hear a few responses from the horses left inside. A few curious onlookers stopped to take in the lean filly. She was stunning. Her black coat glistened in the sun and her eyes were wide with wonder. She snorted and strained against the lead line, desperate to stretch her legs after being confined. Felicity noticed Sawyer standing nearby and motioned to him to come over, quickly.
"Help him get her into the large round pen. She's dying to run. Make sure she doesn't touch noses with anyone on the way, we don't want to have to quarantine anyone else." Sawyer nodded and trotted over to the man from the company. He offered to take the lead but the passenger shook his head, he seemed compliant to take her wherever she needed to go.
Another clatter of hooves commanded her attention back at the ramp. This time a wryly bay colt danced his way down to the dirt. He, too, paused for a second to take in his surroundings before resuming his debacle. Blake was on the other end of the lead this time, and he laughed as the colt swung his hind around, attempting to escape but finding it harder than he thought.
"This one's going to be a real handful Felicity! But you know that already."
She joined her husband and his walk to the second, smaller, round pen with the colt. Once inside Blake un-clasped the halter and away the weanling went. With wonder she watched as he kicked up his feet and whinnied on his circle around the pen. Next door the filly answered her travelling companion. Sawyer was just hanging her halter on the gate before coming over to inspect the younger racer with them.
"So, you managed to find one, didn't you?" Sawyer nodded towards the bay.
Felicity smiled and responded, "yes, I did. I thought it would be impossible but come to find out, they thought that combo was a good one. There's a full blooded filly that's a year older than him now. Dark Sparrow could be racing her if she turns out to be a good turf runner." She watched the black filly trot around the pen next door.
"Just to think, you had True Enough and Out of the Darkness running against each other once before. Now you have their full siblings that will potentially be running against each other. I would call you brilliant but now I think you might be crazy." Blake grinned at her before returning to the barn, leaving her to observe the two horses by herself.
(Dark Sparrow, full sibling to Out of the Darkness, on the day of her arrival)
(Enough Said, full sibling to True Enough)
