Wild Horses

After that first night on the ranch, Treva made it a habit to stay indoors as much as possible. She would busy herself with house chores in any way possible, be it tidying up a bit or helping with the cooking. She spent a lot of time with her mother and Maria, though found it a bit stifling to only have those two females to talk to. After all, they were adults, and had adult things to discuss.

So Treva stayed on her own. The boys, Zach and Brian, seemed to enjoy spending most of their time out in the barn or with the horses, and there were many days - most days actually - where the only times Treva saw them was during meals and in the evenings once dusk hit. So she couldn't very well spend time with them.

She found quite a few things to do to keep herself busy besides the chores. She discovered the Bakers had a small vegetable garden along the side of the house facing away from the barn and the times she did spend outside, she was tending to the garden, picking ripe vegetables and bringing them inside for Maria. On her first tour of the house that she had taken by herself on the day after her arrival on the ranch, Treva found a bookcase in the sitting room, full of novels and books of poetry, some looking quite tattered and old while others seemed quite new. She had found The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, by Mark Twain, and wondered if it belonged to one of the boys, maybe given to them as a gift. When she had pulled it from the shelf and opened the book, Treva had discovered it was in such new condition that no one had read it before, and she stole away to her room, sitting in the comfortable armchair in the corner, and read for hours.

She had never read the book before, and was intrigued by the adventures and the mischief the characters got into. Leading an uneventful life herself, living out in the wilderness, Treva was able to live through the words written on the pages. All the more reason for her to stay indoors.

When she wasn't reading, Treva would pull out the needlepoint she had been working on back in Manhattan and that she had brought with her, but what she really missed was having a piano around. The Bakers didn't have a piano of their own, and the one the Dawns had was too heavy to be carried in the covered wagon, and had paid off a lot of money when it was sold. So Treva had to go without.

Though she stayed inside, Treva often found herself gazing out a window in her room at the wide world before her. It was such a contrast to the city skyline, but Treva would only be lying to herself if she said the view outside her own window wasn't beautiful. In the distance, touching the horizon, Treva could see the snow-capped peaks of the mountains. She'd never seen a mountain before, at least not in person, and she had to admit they were rather breathtaking, images of purple, gray, and white.

Another thing she had noticed was how the sky was filled with an explosion of stars at night. At home in Manhattan, Treva had never seen stars and never even cared to look because there was so much around her, so much to do. It was beautiful seeing the small flecks of light dotting the sky, and she would sometimes stand out on the veranda and gaze up at the stars.

Little did she know that Zach would watch her silently from inside the sitting room. He had thought things on the ranch would be different, having a girl living with them. But so far, it was like Treva wasn't even there. Both Zach and Brian noticed how little she spent outside, and wondered why she secluded herself so much. Zach was scared that maybe she didn't like living with them, and he decided he was determined to get her to like Montana and like staying at their ranch. He saw how much Clarisse enjoyed living with them, and Zach knew how close his and Treva's mothers were. And despite the fact that he rarely caught a glimpse of Treva unless the two families were sitting down for dinner, Zach couldn't help but see how beautiful Treva was. He didn't see many girls unless he went down into Billings, but there was something about Treva that made her so interesting to him. And he didn't know a single thing about her.

Heading down to the kitchen one evening, Treva was intent on helping Maria begin to prepare the dinner for the night. Maria already had a wooden cutting board and knife out, but Clarisse was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps she was outside - Treva's mother was quite a fan of nature.

"Would you like some help, Maria?" Treva asked, and Maria looked over her shoulder from washing some vegetables with a smile.

"Sure, Treva. You can help me cut these up for the salad."

Nodding, Treva stepped up next to he and took a cucumber, beginning to cut it into thin slices.

"So, how are you enjoying it here so far?" Maria asked, her voice soft.

"It's very nice. Your house is beautiful. I was a little worried on the way here and I know it'll take some getting used to, but it's nice," Treva said, being truthful. Maria smiled and nodded, the two of them working together to make part of the meal. It was quiet for awhile after that, and a question Treva had been meaning to ask finally came to her.

"Maria, are both Zach and Brian your sons? Because they don't look related...."

Maria let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "No, Zachary is my boy, but Brian is not. He and Zach became close friends when they were younger because the Haners, Brian's parents, were the first family we got close to when we moved out here. They even helped build this very house," Maria explained.

"Where are Brian's parents now?" Treva asked, wondering why Brian wasn't with them. Maria heaved a slow sigh before answering.

"About ten years ago, when Brian was only eight years old, there was an attack down in Billings where the Haners lived by the Crow Indians. The Indians are still angry that we've taken their land and built towns and prospered on them while they were pushed away. Brian's parents were unfortunately murdered during the attack. He had nowhere else to go, so he came here to live with us. He's been here so long, Brian's practically like family."

"Oh," Treva said quietly, feeling as if maybe she'd pried too deep into something that personal.

"If you don't mind me asking, Treva... You've all been here a week, and I've noticed you don't go outside much. I mean, I love the help you give around the house, but it is quite nice to go outside here."

"I'm just not used to spending a lot of time outdoors. Back in Manhattan I only ever went out with mother to the store, or to school," Treva said, starting on another cucumber with her knife. "Is there a school in Billings?"

"There is. Both Zach and Brian went there, but they're both too old to go anymore. I feel bad saying this but you might not be able to go. You'd need someone to take you there and back every day, because ever since what happened to the Haners, I don't like anyone traveling alone unless they stay on the ranch. And with all the work we all do, there's just no one to take you," Maria said regretfully, seeing the downcast look on Treva's face. "But, I'm sure the boys could teach you the things you haven't learned yet, if you ask them."

Nodding, Treva looked up and out the window before them, seeing the green rolling hills and the trees marking the forest around the ranch. She let out a sigh, and Maria smiled.

"You really should try and get out a little more, Treva, while it's still nice. The Montana air is good for the soul."