Crows Don't Fly Through Autumn Rain
Unspoken
Dakota leaned up against the barn door as she watched Aubrey greet her parents. A young woman stood next to Aubrey, gazing around the barn yard with a doubtful expression.
"I wonder if she's from around here," Dakota muttered to Tammy, who was trying to pet Dakota's dog, Leroy. The border collie was bounding around Tammy playfully, ducking away as she reached out to pat him.
"I haven't seen her before," Tammy mumbled thoughtfully as she glanced up to the group standing in the driveway. They spent so much time in the show circuit they knew almost everyone that competed around here. "Leroy!"
Dakota glanced up quickly as she saw the black and white blur of her young dog suddenly take off towards the group of people as if just noticing their presence now. Cursing under her breath she ran after him, knowing the easily excited dog would be jumping up all around Aubrey and her client.
The girl standing with Aubrey shrieked when Leroy bounded up to her, attempting to lick her face. Mr. Kendall stepped forwards quickly and grabbed Leroy's collar, looking up with Dakota ran over to take her dog away.
"Sorry," Dakota apologized quickly, feeling her cheeks redden as she attempted to lead the excited dog away. She paused when she heard Aubrey acknowledge her.
"I thought I recognized that pony. It's Danielle, right?" Aubrey spoke smoothly, reaching forwards to carefully pat Leroy on the head before straightening up and gazing towards Dakota, who felt that her face was so hot she would be camouflaged if she stood next to a fire truck.
"Er..no, it's Dakota," Dakota replied nervously, glancing between the angry looking girl and Aubrey. Neither her parents nor Aubrey offered an introduction so she stepped away, leading Leroy back to the barn. To make sure he wouldn't cause anymore trouble, she took him into the tack room with Tammy following.
"Your face is so red," Tammy said with a slight smirk as she followed, stating the obvious. She closed the door behind them once they reached the tack room, grabbing an empty bucket to fill with water at the sink for Leroy. Stepping over a bridle on the floor as she crossed the room, she filled up the bucket with water at the sink before putting it down for Leroy to drink from.
"Well, let's go see what's going on," Dakota suggested reluctantly after making sure Leroy was taking a drink before they slipped out of the tack room. Hearing voices coming from around the barn near the arena, they exited the barn.
Aubrey and her client were standing in the arena with her parents, who were holding the lead line of one of the mare's they were selling, Nevarra. The young woman was standing back and nodding at whatever Mr. Kendall was saying while Aubrey circled the mare, looking over her conformation.
Dakota wondered if the woman would buy Nevarra. The mare is only nine years old and has quite a bit of training. She also has good bloodlines. She also had a very quite temperament and very willing. If they did buy Nevarra, Dakota would miss her.
Tammy and Dakota climbed up on the arena fence and sat on the top rails as they watched. Mrs. Kendall slipped back into the barn, returning a few minutes later carrying an english saddle and bridle.
"They must be interested in buying her," Dakota mumbled to Tammy, although the fact that Aubrey or the woman was going to ride the mare meant nothing. They could easily try her out and then decide against buying her.
It didn't take long for them to saddle and bridle the mare, who stood quietly. Aubrey stepped back and looked over the mare with a critical eye before taking the reins, checking the girth and mounting. She adjusted the stirrups before riding the mare along the rail of the arena at a walk.
"She is such a good rider," Tammy muttered to Dakota, apparently in awe as they watched Aubrey take Nevarra through a few different exercises at a walk and trot to warm her up. The mare responded eagerly to Aubrey and although the woman rode without any expression, Dakota had a feeling she liked her.
After riding the mare for another fifteen minutes or so, Aubrey finally halted her next to Mr. Kendall and dismounted. "I'll take her," Aubrey announced, running up the stirrups and letting out the girth a few holes.
"I thought the client was looking to buy?" Dakota asked, no longer bothering to keep her voice down since they were across the arena now.
"Don't complain. Aubrey's still buying her," Tammy replied, frowning slightly as she glanced to Dakota.
"I wasn't complaining! I was just saying," Dakota protested, climbing off the fence. "I'm going to go check on Leroy and make sure he's not getting into trouble now, I'll be back in a few minutes." Dakota hurried off back into the barn, knowing that if her dog didn't calm down in the tack room he would end up making more of a mess of the room then it actually was.
"I wonder if she's from around here," Dakota muttered to Tammy, who was trying to pet Dakota's dog, Leroy. The border collie was bounding around Tammy playfully, ducking away as she reached out to pat him.
"I haven't seen her before," Tammy mumbled thoughtfully as she glanced up to the group standing in the driveway. They spent so much time in the show circuit they knew almost everyone that competed around here. "Leroy!"
Dakota glanced up quickly as she saw the black and white blur of her young dog suddenly take off towards the group of people as if just noticing their presence now. Cursing under her breath she ran after him, knowing the easily excited dog would be jumping up all around Aubrey and her client.
The girl standing with Aubrey shrieked when Leroy bounded up to her, attempting to lick her face. Mr. Kendall stepped forwards quickly and grabbed Leroy's collar, looking up with Dakota ran over to take her dog away.
"Sorry," Dakota apologized quickly, feeling her cheeks redden as she attempted to lead the excited dog away. She paused when she heard Aubrey acknowledge her.
"I thought I recognized that pony. It's Danielle, right?" Aubrey spoke smoothly, reaching forwards to carefully pat Leroy on the head before straightening up and gazing towards Dakota, who felt that her face was so hot she would be camouflaged if she stood next to a fire truck.
"Er..no, it's Dakota," Dakota replied nervously, glancing between the angry looking girl and Aubrey. Neither her parents nor Aubrey offered an introduction so she stepped away, leading Leroy back to the barn. To make sure he wouldn't cause anymore trouble, she took him into the tack room with Tammy following.
"Your face is so red," Tammy said with a slight smirk as she followed, stating the obvious. She closed the door behind them once they reached the tack room, grabbing an empty bucket to fill with water at the sink for Leroy. Stepping over a bridle on the floor as she crossed the room, she filled up the bucket with water at the sink before putting it down for Leroy to drink from.
"Well, let's go see what's going on," Dakota suggested reluctantly after making sure Leroy was taking a drink before they slipped out of the tack room. Hearing voices coming from around the barn near the arena, they exited the barn.
Aubrey and her client were standing in the arena with her parents, who were holding the lead line of one of the mare's they were selling, Nevarra. The young woman was standing back and nodding at whatever Mr. Kendall was saying while Aubrey circled the mare, looking over her conformation.
Dakota wondered if the woman would buy Nevarra. The mare is only nine years old and has quite a bit of training. She also has good bloodlines. She also had a very quite temperament and very willing. If they did buy Nevarra, Dakota would miss her.
Tammy and Dakota climbed up on the arena fence and sat on the top rails as they watched. Mrs. Kendall slipped back into the barn, returning a few minutes later carrying an english saddle and bridle.
"They must be interested in buying her," Dakota mumbled to Tammy, although the fact that Aubrey or the woman was going to ride the mare meant nothing. They could easily try her out and then decide against buying her.
It didn't take long for them to saddle and bridle the mare, who stood quietly. Aubrey stepped back and looked over the mare with a critical eye before taking the reins, checking the girth and mounting. She adjusted the stirrups before riding the mare along the rail of the arena at a walk.
"She is such a good rider," Tammy muttered to Dakota, apparently in awe as they watched Aubrey take Nevarra through a few different exercises at a walk and trot to warm her up. The mare responded eagerly to Aubrey and although the woman rode without any expression, Dakota had a feeling she liked her.
After riding the mare for another fifteen minutes or so, Aubrey finally halted her next to Mr. Kendall and dismounted. "I'll take her," Aubrey announced, running up the stirrups and letting out the girth a few holes.
"I thought the client was looking to buy?" Dakota asked, no longer bothering to keep her voice down since they were across the arena now.
"Don't complain. Aubrey's still buying her," Tammy replied, frowning slightly as she glanced to Dakota.
"I wasn't complaining! I was just saying," Dakota protested, climbing off the fence. "I'm going to go check on Leroy and make sure he's not getting into trouble now, I'll be back in a few minutes." Dakota hurried off back into the barn, knowing that if her dog didn't calm down in the tack room he would end up making more of a mess of the room then it actually was.