The Dark Ages of the Synakoy; The Past Forgotten, Wolfheart [top ebook reader .txt] 📗

that mother wasn’t sane, but what did he know?”
Fury crept into her voice.
“A man like him didn’t understand mother. He was always telling me that mother wasn’t right in the head. He abandoned us after she died!”
“He did leave us everything he had, though; horses and a huge property with land. We have all the money we need, and now we never have to tell the police he’s ever here because you’re nineteen. I mean, we aren’t completely forsaken …” Ivory began. Her voice was excited, not debating. This was a story to the fifteen year old.
“Yes, you’re right. He isn’t heartless. Actually, I know it’s the other way around. He left because he broke down and couldn’t raise us; we all look similar to mother in our own way. After all, I’m slight and intelligent like her. Kai has her long, gorgeous red hair and Ivory has her blue eyes.”
“Was he noble too?”
“In his love, yes, father was noble. He was very poor when I was born. Our house was very small. For the four years without you, mother and father lived in need all the time. Then I remember mother having you, and suddenly everything changed. Father quit drinking. We moved here…”
“What did he look like?”
Kiyoshi opened her mouth to answer, but before a word came out, there was a vibration in her pocket. Tempest snorted and his ears twitched. Reaching into her pocket, Ky grabbed her phone. She unlocked it to read the text:
Levin
1-828-342-0989
“Thunder is injured; he ran off last night and must have tripped up. Come help me fix him up?”
“What’s up?” Kai asked.
“Levin’s pinto stallion Thunder has gotten out. He’s hurt himself again.”
“Do we need gauze?”
“I’m sure he’s gotten some. I think he just needs me to keep the horse calm. That stallion has the temper of a mountain lion.”
“I’ll bet. That’s the third time this week.” Kai answered.
“Let’s run the horses there. They’re getting bored.”
“No, Ivory, you’re getting bored.” Kiyoshi laughed. “but let’s run them anyway; he’ll need us before he does something stupid and one of them gets hurt.”
She kicked Tempest hard, letting the reigns slack and loosening her grip with her knees. He gave a feral neigh and broke out into a full gallop. Soon the wind was blowing through her hair and the horses’ thundering hooves was only thing she could hear.

When they burst from the forest trail, the world suddenly gave way to a ravine, ending in a twisting, foaming river on their right. To their left was a wall of stone, clay and tree roots. Blazing on, they followed the trail as it became a solid road. They raced the stallions on. Before them, rolling hills appeared. On one of the hills was a large building of wood and stone. A stable was to the left, with an extensive corral and fenced pasture. The fence was too high for the average horse to jump, but there was a massive gap of broken boards barely the size of horse.
They slowed their horses into a canter, then into a trot. By the time they reached the fence, they saw a man in his mid-twenties wearing black jeans and a white-and-black plaid T-shirt. He donned cowboy boots and a fedora. He held the reigns of a frantic pinto stallion, doing everything in his power to evade the stallion’s colossal hooves. No matter what he did – patting the horse, speaking softly – Thunder wasn’t quieting. He was attempting to put blinders over his eyes, but the horse wouldn’t let him touch his head. It didn’t help that it was nearly dark.
Leaping off their horses, the three of them approached the man. Even with the urgency of the situation, Kiyoshi made sure they went slowly. She didn’t want to send the horse into an unbridled panic; it could seriously injure both of them. As they approached, Ivory gasped. Kiyoshi saw it too; there was a gash in the stallion’s knee that could easily reach the bone. The only thing keeping him from rearing or bucking was that injury; there was no way he would be able to put weight on it.
Kiyoshi approached the stallion from his left, away from the injury. She soothed and patted his shoulder, whispering softly to him. Ivory took the other side of the reigns and helped still the brute’s head long enough for Kai to put the blinders on. Slowly, the stallion calmed down. The man fed him oats as Kiyoshi looked over the wounds and Ivory went to fetch bandages.
“Should we call a vet?” The man asked nervously.
“No; they aren’t open after six here, and it’s nearly seven. It’s not infected, and I know a good way to make sure it doesn’t get that way. You can do everything else. I’ll apply the herbs.”
“Herbs?” He sounded doubtful. "Don't you have real medicine?"
"Yes. Herbs are

real medicine. A mixture of comfrey and horsetail will do great for this. I’ll put some marigold in there just in case becomes infected. You can stop the bleeding with the bandages, and you know how to sew better than I do.”
“You want me to stitch him up?” Levin asked.
“Why shouldn't you? You know how.”
He sighed. “Alright; I don’t like it, but it’ll have to do until tomorrow.”
“Aren’t you confident in yourself by now?” She asked, frowning. “Uncle did it all the time.”
“But dad and I never got along very well. He may have treated them, but he never liked animals one bit. It was all money-money-money.”
“I know, but Levin, you’ve done it to Risk.”
“Risk is a retriever, not a stubborn stallion with a ripped knee.”
She shook her head and stood up. This bickering was only going to make Thunder nervous. “Never mind, Levin; take him to the vet tomorrow for all I care.”
Ivory got back with the bandages, a needle and thread.
“How am I supposed to sew him up with him wide awake?”
“I have tranquilizers.” Kai said, removing some from her saddle bag. Kiyoshi spotted a small pistol.
“Hunting again, Kai?” She asked, shocked. “What have I told you about that?”
She growled. “Don’t worry, Ky. I haven’t hunted anything that eats meat. No bears, foxes, possums or raccoons. The only coyotes I kill are the ones that attack me first. That’s why I carry the tranquilizers now, though.”
Kiyoshi relaxed. “Thank you.”
“No problem. I didn’t like hunting the canines anyway.”
“It’s so wrong.” Ivory agreed. “I hated it when you brought that fox back.”
Kai handed Levin the shot. “It goes in the shoulder or hip muscle.” She corrected as he prepared to inject it into the stallion’s stomach. “That way it works quickly and doesn’t hurt the horse.”
“You would know, wouldn’t you?” Kiyoshi hissed through gritted teeth.
She looked at her feet. “When a bear spooks a horse…and takes after you…well…things get hairy.”
“You injected that into a bear?”
“That one’s for a horse. I swear.”
Ignoring the girls, Levin injected the horse. As they waited for him to calm down, Kiyoshi prepared the herbs. She always brought them with her. She examined the tattered satchel again. It was real fur, with small hollowed stones on leather straps. It was as beautiful as it was useful. Somebody she couldn’t recall very well had given this to her…
She put it down and began to work; mincing leaves and roots into a thick paste with the help of some water; she kept it on her at all times for herself, Tempest and emergencies like this. She lathered the bandages in the pulp.
“He’s ready.” Ivory remarked. Just as she knew he would, Levin sewed the wound perfectly – with the light from one of Kai’s night hunting flashlights. Kiyoshi then plastered the bandages on it. The horse blindly followed Kai into his stall, where he was tied firmly. It was completely dark.
“Stable your horses here and stay tonight.” Levin suggested quietly.
“Sure.” Kiyoshi went out to of the stable and gave a sharp whistle. All three horses, led by Tempest, came trotting up to them, nickering to Thunder and their riders.
“I’ll blanket them and give them grain.” She offered. “You three go in; I’ll meet you there when I’m finished.”
The three of them left, Levin in the lead. He was big enough to pick the girls up and carry them into the house, and attempted to. His chivalry got him a sock in the chin from Ivory and a kick in the gut from Kai.
“Damnit Lykaios!” He grunted. “That hurt!”
“Don’t call me that!” She growled. “I hate my full name!”
He sighed. “I'm sor-ry, Kia.” He shook his head, standing up right again. “You really think I adore being kicked in the gut and socked in the chin?!”
“Enough!” Kiyoshi called to them. “Or we’ll go home right now! Squabbling will ruin the night!”
They shut up.
For being the eldest, he sure is a bother sometimes.

Kiyoshi turned and stable the three in the largest stall. A blue heeler looked up at her from a pile of hay and wagged her tail.
“Hey pooch.” She noticed there was no collar. "What’s your name?”
That's odd. Is she new? I’ve never seen a heeler here before.

The dog sighed. Smiling, the girl bent down and stroked the sleepy dog’s head.
The pooch licked her hand in surprise. When Kiyoshi got up and blanketed the horses, the dog followed her. The dog kept at her heel all around the stable as she fetched water and oats, as well as a brush. Then the pooch sat and watched Ky care for the horses. Once Kiyoshi was finished, she headed for the house. With perfect manners, the dog followed at her heel to the house. The heeler came right in behind her, as if it weren’t a big deal.
She came into the kitchen, where everybody was gathered around pizza.
“You got pizza again?”
“Yeah; I didn’t want to cook. It’s been a week since I had Domino’s.”
Levin turned around to correct her and paused, his mouth open. He looked down at the dog and frowned.
“I’m sorry, Ky, but your dog can’t come in the house. Is she a new bitch? I don’t recall her being at your place last night when I stopped by…”
Ky frowned. “She’s not mine, Levin. She was in your stable on your hay. I figured she was a new herding dog. Your father did say something about Riley getting old.”
“She’s a stray from the other farms or the woods, then. You need to get her out of the house; mother will be furious if she comes home and sees those paws on her tile.”
Ky looked down and saw a trail of thick clay mud all over the tile and the dog’s paws.
If she didn’t get that from working their sheep then she must be from the woods.

“She doesn’t work your sheep?”
“Nope; we got a Scottish Heeler for that. He’s still young, too. She’s looking a little skinny and definitely older than I’d like – she’s probably never herded in her life, and can't be a day younger than five.”
“She followed me like she’s known me her entire life.”
“Then keep her. Most dogs like that come from the valley farms. They never keep their dogs on leashes, and don’t care if they run off and get hit. They’re mean to their dogs.”
“She’s cute, though, isn’t she?” Kai cooed.