Crows Don't Fly Through Autumn Rain
Into the Nest
Dakota stared moodily out the window where she sat in the back seat of the truck. Deborah and Tammy's excited chatters seemed far off as she watched houses pass by. They were sitting in the front of the truck along with Deborah's father, who was driving. Dakota was surprised they didn't bring a horse trailer with them; they seemed ready to buy one of Aubrey's horses before they even saw them.
"We're here," Tammy said over her shoulder to where Dakota sat in the back sat by herself. She seemed oblivious to Dakota's less than enthusiastic expression as the truck rolled to a stop and they jumped out.
Dakota glanced around the familiar barn yard as she jumped out of the truck after Deborah and Tammy. A Chihuahua barked at them before running in an excited circle around another dog, a golden retriever.
"Hello there," Aubrey called over as she excited the barn nearest to them. She wore clean white breeches and tall English riding boots along with a navy blue jacket with the Crown Nest crest on it.
Dakota lagged behind Deborah and Tammy as they followed Aubrey into the barn to look at her horses for sale. She wondered vaguely if Jalisca had sold at the Sales the other day. At the thought the straightened up, looking into the stalls as they passed hoping to see her.
"This is Orlea, she is fives years old, Dutch Warmblood by Maelso," Aubrey introduced the first horse as they came to a stop at a stall. Dakota glanced at Orlea who had an interesting white marking on her forehead. Aubrey continued talking about the mare and the successful career her sire has had. Growing bored of listening, Dakota wandered over to a nearby stall and peered inside. The bay Warmblood she had seen earlier, Macha, was inside standing at the back.
Upon hearing footsteps she stepped back and glanced down the barn aisle, spotting William hurrying down. He had the usual annoyed expression on his face as he glanced over to them but didn't say a word as he entered Macha's stall with a halter and lead rope.
Biting her lip, she glanced at Aubrey before back to William. Aubrey was busy explaining something about Orlea so she turned to William, although she was half expecting to receive a scowl in response.
"Did Jalisca sell at the Sales?" she asked him, speaking up so he couldn't pretend to not hear and ignore her. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised slightly as he buckled the leather halter on Macha.
"Yes, her new owners will be picking her up in a few days," William replied. He must have noticed her disappointed expression. "Er-were you interested in buying her?"
"Sort of," Dakota replied sheepishly, although she knew she could never afford the mare. Still, it couldn't help to look.
"What's wrong with your pony?" William asked with a smirk as he unlatched the stall door and led Macha out into the barn aisle. He tied up the mare before taking out some brushes and quickly began grooming her.
"Nothing," Dakota replied quickly. "I'm just starting to outgrow him and my parents agreed to start looking for another horse for me."
"William," Aubrey's sharp voice called over suddenly and the group looking at Orlea turned and faced them. "Could you take Orlea out to the ring in a few minutes and lunge her?"
"Of course," William replied with a hint of annoyance as he dropped the body brush back in his grooming kit, glancing to Macha.
"You can work Macha later." Aubrey turned back to the group and they continued to proceed through the barn to look at the next horse.
With a sigh Dakota followed behind Tammy and Deborah as they wandered through the barn. Aubrey introduced them to a couple other horses but then guided them outside to the outdoor ring where William now stood with Orlea clipped to a lunge line.
"You know what to do," Aubrey called to William as they came to a stop at the arena fence. William led the mare out near the middle of the ring before letting her out on the lunge line. He walked, trotted and cantered the mare for several minutes to show off her movement before getting her to go the other way.
"She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Tammy muttered to Dakota as they watched the mare trot around William. "I think Deborah is going to buy her. She's so lucky."
Dakota mumbled an incoherent reply as she leaned up against the fence, gazing off towards the paddocks near the barn. A familiar bay caught her eye, standing next to the fence as she watched the group. Dakota wandered over to the paddock as the others continued to watch Orlea.
"Hey there Jalisca," she said softly to the mare, watching the mare's ears perk forward when she heard her name. She held out her hand for the mare to sniff before she stroked her face. She could hear Aubrey ordering William to fetch her another horse to show Deborah but wasn't all that interested in watching.
Dakota leaned up against the paddock fence, absentmindedly stroking the mare as she watched the next horse enter the arena being led by William. It was a beautiful dapple grey that was quite a lot taller than Orlea. Her thoughts turned to the week that was to come. Her parents mentioned a couple of horses had sold at the auction and that they would be trailing them off to their new owners at the end of the week. Her birthday party was in a few days but she wasn't at all feeling excited for it; most of her friends had gone away for the summer.
Around ten minutes later Dakota could hear Tammy calling for her. She gloomily gave Jalisca one last pat before walking back to the arena where Deborah was making arrangements to come look at Orlea again before buying her.
"We're here," Tammy said over her shoulder to where Dakota sat in the back sat by herself. She seemed oblivious to Dakota's less than enthusiastic expression as the truck rolled to a stop and they jumped out.
Dakota glanced around the familiar barn yard as she jumped out of the truck after Deborah and Tammy. A Chihuahua barked at them before running in an excited circle around another dog, a golden retriever.
"Hello there," Aubrey called over as she excited the barn nearest to them. She wore clean white breeches and tall English riding boots along with a navy blue jacket with the Crown Nest crest on it.
Dakota lagged behind Deborah and Tammy as they followed Aubrey into the barn to look at her horses for sale. She wondered vaguely if Jalisca had sold at the Sales the other day. At the thought the straightened up, looking into the stalls as they passed hoping to see her.
"This is Orlea, she is fives years old, Dutch Warmblood by Maelso," Aubrey introduced the first horse as they came to a stop at a stall. Dakota glanced at Orlea who had an interesting white marking on her forehead. Aubrey continued talking about the mare and the successful career her sire has had. Growing bored of listening, Dakota wandered over to a nearby stall and peered inside. The bay Warmblood she had seen earlier, Macha, was inside standing at the back.
Upon hearing footsteps she stepped back and glanced down the barn aisle, spotting William hurrying down. He had the usual annoyed expression on his face as he glanced over to them but didn't say a word as he entered Macha's stall with a halter and lead rope.
Biting her lip, she glanced at Aubrey before back to William. Aubrey was busy explaining something about Orlea so she turned to William, although she was half expecting to receive a scowl in response.
"Did Jalisca sell at the Sales?" she asked him, speaking up so he couldn't pretend to not hear and ignore her. He glanced over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised slightly as he buckled the leather halter on Macha.
"Yes, her new owners will be picking her up in a few days," William replied. He must have noticed her disappointed expression. "Er-were you interested in buying her?"
"Sort of," Dakota replied sheepishly, although she knew she could never afford the mare. Still, it couldn't help to look.
"What's wrong with your pony?" William asked with a smirk as he unlatched the stall door and led Macha out into the barn aisle. He tied up the mare before taking out some brushes and quickly began grooming her.
"Nothing," Dakota replied quickly. "I'm just starting to outgrow him and my parents agreed to start looking for another horse for me."
"William," Aubrey's sharp voice called over suddenly and the group looking at Orlea turned and faced them. "Could you take Orlea out to the ring in a few minutes and lunge her?"
"Of course," William replied with a hint of annoyance as he dropped the body brush back in his grooming kit, glancing to Macha.
"You can work Macha later." Aubrey turned back to the group and they continued to proceed through the barn to look at the next horse.
With a sigh Dakota followed behind Tammy and Deborah as they wandered through the barn. Aubrey introduced them to a couple other horses but then guided them outside to the outdoor ring where William now stood with Orlea clipped to a lunge line.
"You know what to do," Aubrey called to William as they came to a stop at the arena fence. William led the mare out near the middle of the ring before letting her out on the lunge line. He walked, trotted and cantered the mare for several minutes to show off her movement before getting her to go the other way.
"She's gorgeous, isn't she?" Tammy muttered to Dakota as they watched the mare trot around William. "I think Deborah is going to buy her. She's so lucky."
Dakota mumbled an incoherent reply as she leaned up against the fence, gazing off towards the paddocks near the barn. A familiar bay caught her eye, standing next to the fence as she watched the group. Dakota wandered over to the paddock as the others continued to watch Orlea.
"Hey there Jalisca," she said softly to the mare, watching the mare's ears perk forward when she heard her name. She held out her hand for the mare to sniff before she stroked her face. She could hear Aubrey ordering William to fetch her another horse to show Deborah but wasn't all that interested in watching.
Dakota leaned up against the paddock fence, absentmindedly stroking the mare as she watched the next horse enter the arena being led by William. It was a beautiful dapple grey that was quite a lot taller than Orlea. Her thoughts turned to the week that was to come. Her parents mentioned a couple of horses had sold at the auction and that they would be trailing them off to their new owners at the end of the week. Her birthday party was in a few days but she wasn't at all feeling excited for it; most of her friends had gone away for the summer.
Around ten minutes later Dakota could hear Tammy calling for her. She gloomily gave Jalisca one last pat before walking back to the arena where Deborah was making arrangements to come look at Orlea again before buying her.