New Story At Last!

Ok, sorry for the long wait, I've had a really hectic week! Here's the first chapter of my new story!!! I'm sorry it's SO long, gee, you don't need to read it all at once! lol. It's about horses, and it's been a lot of fun to write. (You may notice Kit and I have a lot in common, hehehe, I always wanted to have a main character who was homeschooled and from BIG family) Anyway, tell me what you think! If you have any questions, just feel free to ask, I do use a lot of "horse-languge" in it! So, tell me what you think!!!


It is amazing how one person can touch the lives of so many. Sadly, you don't often notice just how much that one person does, until they are gone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Introduction

Wanted: A young person to work daily as a stable-hand. Must have equestrian experience and good horse skills. Many payment options available. For more information contact Jen Keens at Bunker Hill Stables.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part One: The Early Years
Chapter One: Kit

"Woah, boy, woah." whispered Jen Keens, holding a rope that lay loosely around the neck of a young black stallion "Easy, Bullet, easy now..." She reached her hand out the froth-covered horse. All morning Jen had been fighting him, now, at last, it looked like she might have won. "Easy now..." she whispered, looking into the horse's dark eyes "Steady..."

Then, suddenly, there was a loud call of, "Jen! Jen!"

The horse's eyes widened, he squealed and reared. Jen's grip on the rope slipped, and in a flash the unbroken horse galloped away, jumping the corral fence.

Jen groaned. Hadn't she asked for time alone to work the stallion? Who had called her? And why?

Now, Bullet was loose in the barnyard. It would take hours to catch him, if they ever did.

Jen sighed, and coiled up the rope before swinging it over her shoulder. Then she ducked under the fence to go see who had need of her and what they wanted.

Jen was the owner of Bunker Hill Stables, a boarding house for horses. All her life Jen had worked with horses and ponies, and she wasn't planning to ever stop. Her husband, John, also loved them, and worked as the farrier for Harrisbrough New Hampshire. Their two daughters, Maggie and Becca, loved horses as much as their parents, and lived at the barn more then the house.

Bunker Hill Stables was Jen's pride and joy. It was the finest stable in Harrisbrough New Hampshire, and certainly the most popular, housing thirty-four horses and ponies from all over New England.

Though money was tight, the work long and hard, and life anything but easy, Jen greatly enjoyed every minute of it, and wouldn't have traded places with anyone in the world.

"Jen!" called the voice, coming from the barn "Jen! Come over! Quick!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming." said Jen, hurrying to the barn, wondering what this was all about. She soon saw.

It was Julia, one of Jen's closest friends, and the owner of several of the boarding horses. Julia was a kind lady, who loved children, horses, and helping anyone in need. Julia had one son, Josh, who was also a frequent visitor at the barn.

"You called, Julia?" asked Jen dryly, running her fingers through her graying hair.

"Yes, Jen, I'm so sorry! I know you didn't want to be bothered...but...she's come!"

Jen looked strangely at Julia. " Who? What do you mean?"

"The new stable-girl! Remember that ad you ran in the paper last month? Well, somebody saw it, and now she's here to try out for the job!"

Jen laughed. "You're kidding!"

"No! She's not!" cried another voice. It was Martha, another owner who often stopped by at the stable to help with the daily chores. "I just saw her, she's waiting for you in the drive way."

"I told her you'd be right up." said Julia

Jen nodded. "I'll go right up, but do me a favor will you? Bullet jumped the fence, again, he's running around here somewhere, see if you can catch him, will you?"

"Sure." said Julia, grabbing a rope. "With luck we'll get him by sunset!"

Jen at once started up the path leading the driveway. She was still shocked somebody wanted the job.

Bunker Hill Stables had long been in need of another worker. But good stable-hands were hard to find these days. The work was long and hard, and the pay wasn't very good, kids just didn't jump at a job like that, especially when there were so many other good jobs in the city.

A stable-hand was expected to do anything that needed to be done, from mucking stalls, to breaking horses, to cleaning tack, to giving riding-lessons, and from helping with the haying, to holding a horse steady for the vet or farrier, to exercising a lazy horse, or doing all the grooming, anything that needed to be done.

So, of course, a stable-hand had to be good with horses. Very good. It really took a special person to full-fill the job well.

Jen ran up the path, wondering what the girl would be like. Good country girls were so rare these days! She raced into the dusty drive way and glanced around. It was empty.

"Oh no" thought Jen "She got tired of waiting and left. But I didn't take that long, did I?" Jen looked frantically around. Only her own red pickup and Julia's sports car were in the dirty lot. "Hello?" called Jen. No answer.

Then the sound of a horse snorting made her jump. Jen turned around. Bullet, her wild young stallion was standing on the edge of the driveway, but he wasn't alone.

A little girl, no older then twelve, was standing next to him. She had a handful of his mane in one hand, and was stroking his nose with the other. She was whispering something to him, and he stood still, as if really listening to her. Bullet's ears were relaxed, and his eyes gentle, he was standing perfectly still except for the slow swish of his tail now and then.

Jen was amazed. In the three years she had owned the horse she had almost never touched him. And never once had he stood still for her. And he definitely never let her grab his mane and pet his nose. It was awhile before Jen got herself together to speak.

"Hello there!" she called quietly, so she wouldn't startle either the horse or girl "You've come here for the job haven't you? I'm Jen by the way."

The girl turned, still holding the thick black mane, "Yes! I have! My name is Kit." she paused and nodded toward Bullet "This horse, I suppose he's yours? He was just wandering about the yard, so I started talking to him. He's real nice."

Jen nodded. "Yeah, lets take him the barn shall we? Then you and I can talk."

With ease, Kit led Bullet into his stall, locked the door, and followed Jen down the hallway of the barn to Jen's small office.

"Now then, Kit, why don't you tell me about yourself?"

Kit nodded. "Of course."

Kit entered the little, very cluttered, office and sat down on a barrel of oats. Jen took a long look at Kit, and she liked what she saw. She was short, but very muscular, her dark eyes were full of excitement, and energy seemed to be pouring out of her. Kit at once gave you the feeling that you could trust her with anything.

"I've been riding since I was four, I'm twelve now." she said with a smile.

Jen nodded. "That sounds very good. Where did you ride?"

"Oh, all over the place. But mostly at Cleavland Stables. I was there for four years."

"Cleavland? I never heard of them..."

"Yeah, probably not." said Kit "It's in New York."

"New York?"

"Yes, I just moved from there, I was there four years, and before that I was in Virgina, and before that Pennsylvania, and before that Vermont." said Kit laughing.

"Wow." said Jen "So you've been all over haven't you?"

"Yeah, I guess so." said Kit shrugging

"So, for riding" continued Jen "What do you do?"

"Everything." answered Kit, flashing a smile.

"Everything?" Jen laughed. But Kit seemed quite serious.

"I've had a lot of teachers, I've been to many places, met many different horses and people, so, I learned a lot of different things." she paused, then added shyly, "Everyone said I was a very fast learner."

Jen nodded. "Could you tell me real quick, a few of the things you've learned?"

"Oh sure, I can ride English, Western, and bareback, I can jump, barrel-race*, one teacher taught me some dressage*... I can drive a buggy, and I can also..."

"Ok! Ok!" said Jen laughing "You can ride very well!"

Kit slightly blushed and grinned. "I really like horses." she said quietly.

Jen smiled. "And for work? What can you do for work, Kit?"

Kit's eyes lit up. "Oh, Ma'am, I can work!" she cried earnestly "I never paid for my lessons, I earned them by working, and I've been to so many barns, that, well, I've picked up just about everything."

Jen nodded. It all sounded very good. "Do you have a horse of your own?" she asked the young girl.

Kit's smile faded. "No" she said, shaking her head sadly "I sure wish I did have one though. I'd do just about everything for one."

Jen nodded. "You'll get one someday."

"I don't know..." said Kit shrugging.

Jen changed the subject. "When would you be able to work? I'd want you here every day, except Sunday of course, so what time could you get here?"

"Oh, I can come over anytime." said Kit.

"Well, anytime after school, right?" asked Jen

"No, no" said Kit "I'm homeschooled. I can get my lessons done at any time of day, so, I can come here anytime you need or want me to. I live ten minutes away from here."

Jen took all this in. "You're homeschooled?"

"Yeah! All my brothers and sisters too."

"And how many siblings do you have?" asked Jen

"Ten"

"Ten!" cried Jen, shocked. "Ten?"

"Yeah! I'm the oldest!" cried Kit laughing "Crazy huh?"

Jen nodded. This girl was full of surprises, and Jen found herself liking Kit more and more.

"So, Kit, back to the subject, what would you be wanting for pay?"

Kit shrugged. Well, Ma'am, if you don't mind, could I get to ride instead of getting paid with money?"

Jen looked strangely at the young girl. "What do you mean?"

"Could I get to ride some of your horses instead of money?"

Jen smiled. "Well, of course. If that's what you really want..."

"Yes! It is!"

"Well then, Kit, you're hired." said Jen smiling.

Kit grinned shyly. "Thanks." she whispered.

*Barrel-Race= A race in which horses and riders weave in and out of barrels.
*Dressage= The art of training a horse obedience and perfect movement.