Astra

by Chris Platt

  “Jasper’s looking great.” Lily offered the bay gelding a treat from her pocket. “The spring rides will be here soon. I think he’ll be ready.”

  “I can’t wait!” Meloney said. “It’s going to be so much fun.” She paused. “I’m sorry, Lily. It’s not fair for me to be so excited when you can’t go.”

  Lily shrugged. “It’s okay. I’m happy for you. You’re going to have a great time.” She ran her fingers through Jasper’s forelock, straightening the black strands so they centered on his broad forehead. “Besides, I’ll be part of your race crew, if my dad will let me. It’ll be my job to make sure you and the horses have food and water during the race. I just won’t be out on the trails with you, that’s all.”

  She swallowed hard, forcing the bitter lump of longing down her throat. Maybe someday her father would see how much endurance riding meant to her and let her compete with everyone else.

  Charlie poked his head out the tack room door. The powdered sugar from the donut he’d devoured was sprinkled down his shirtfront. “Hey, Lil-Pill, got my horse tacked yet? My dad and Jill are almost ready.”

  Lily frowned. She hated it when he called her that name.

  “Just ignore him,” Meloney said in a low voice. “In a way, you’re lucky you’re not riding with us. I’ve got to listen to Charlie brag for the next three hours.”

  “Hi, Melody.” Charlie brushed the donut crumbs off his shirt and gave her a powdery grin.

  Meloney frowned. “You know that’s not my name, Charlie. You’ve known me since third grade.” She unsnapped Jasper from the cross ties and checked her saddle girth.

  “Oh, yeah,” he said. “I forgot. Here, let me hold your horse for you while you get on.” He followed her out the barn door.

  Lily shook her head. She couldn’t quite figure Charlie out. He liked to tease her and Meloney, and she thought that maybe he liked them both. But sometimes he was just nasty and rude.

  She gathered Astra, made a last check of the equipment, and led the horse outside to the mounting block to wait for Charlie. It was a perfect day for a winter ride. The sun had been up about an hour and the frost was melting off the fences and the brown winter grass. She could still see her breath on the air and her fingers felt cold. But it would be nice weather for the horses. They wouldn’t get too hot during their long workout.

  She inhaled deeply, taking in the fresh, clean scent of the tall ponderosa pine trees. She loved living here. Everywhere she looked, for as far as she could see, there were mountains and rolling hills dotted with pines and covered in wild grasses, sagebrush, and manzanita.

  “Guess we’re out of here, Lily. See you later.” Meloney turned her horse and joined Mr. Henley and Jill as they started down the driveway.

  “Hey, wait for me.” Charlie put his foot in the stirrup and swung onto Astra’s back. He gave her a boot with his heels, and the mare tossed her head in mild protest before trotting down the gravel driveway.

  “Not on the rocks!” Lily hollered after him. Astra was prone to sore feet. If they wanted to keep her sound for the race season, Charlie needed to keep the mare on soft dirt as much as possible. That’s how her mother had kept the horse sound through all those races.

  Astra stumbled and took a few short steps. Lily shook her head. Charlie wouldn’t listen to anyone. He always did as he pleased. What she didn’t understand was why Mr. Henley didn’t step in and say something to him. The kid knew better. Her mother had had many talks with him about what it would take to keep Astra sound.

  But Mr. H. didn’t see any point in pampering the horses. He didn’t believe in padding their feet if they were tender-footed or wrapping their legs with liniment after a hard ride. He had the good fortune to ride a strong, good-legged horse. Contina never had problems. And Mr. Henley expected the rest of his stock to be just as tough.

  When the four riders reached the end of the driveway, Meloney turned in her saddle and waved. Lily sighed, wishing she were going with them. She waved back and turned toward the barn. There were stalls to clean and water buckets to fill. Thomas, the barn manager, would keep her busy until the riders returned.

  An hour into her cleaning duties, she heard the familiar sound of her father’s old pickup pulling into the stable yard. She leaned her cleaning rake against the wall and went to greet him.

  “Hi, Dad.” Lily walked to the side door of the rusted-out truck and accepted the thermos of hot chocolate and the peanut butter sandwich he handed out the window.

  “Good morning, Flower,” her father said with a grin. “Working hard?”

  Lily shared a quick laugh with her dad. Her elderly grade-school teacher, Mrs. Smith, could never remember which flower she was named for. After repeatedly going through the list of possibilities—Rose, Petunia, Daisy, Iris—the confused teacher had given up and started calling her Flower. It had become a private joke between Lily and her dad.

  She studied her father. When had the gray hair crept into the edges of his dark hair and the worry lines into his face? He looked tired. She knew he’d been working extra hours to pay off some of their bills. Her mother’s funeral and the time her father had taken off to mourn and take care of Lily had set them back a bit. But he never complained.

  “What’s the matter, honey?”

  “Nothing.” Lily shrugged.

  Mr. O’Neil rubbed a calloused hand through his short hair and frowned. “I know you’d love to be out there on the trails with your friends, kiddo, but I can’t let you do it. It’s too dangerous, and it’s too soon. Maybe in a couple of years I’ll reconsider.”

  Lily bit her lip. She would have liked to be preparing for a race season like the rest of them, of course, but her main concern at the moment was her dad. He looked old and worn out. But she didn’t dare say anything. When she’d tried in the past to discuss her fears, he’d told her it was none of her concern.

  It was her concern, though. Her father probably thought he was protecting her. He didn’t understand that shutting her out wasn’t helping anything. It just made her worry more.

  Her dad started the old truck and put it in gear. “I’m heading to the next valley over for a plumbing job. You be good and help your grandma with dinner. I’ll be home by the time it’s on the table.”

  Lily leaned through the truck window and gave her father a peck on the cheek. “Aren’t I always good?” she teased.

  Her father nodded. “For now, but I’m sure the time’s coming.” He winked and backed out of the driveway, waving as he sped down the road.

  Lily went back to work. Thomas kept her occupied scrubbing water buckets and filling hay nets. Before she knew it, the horses and riders returned.

  She could always tell when they were coming down the mountain. It started with a single whinny from one of the horses in a distant field. As the racers got closer, several more neighs of greeting rang out from surrounding pastures. By the time the group reached the one-mile stretch of dirt road leading home, all the pastured horses cantered down the fence line to meet them. Lily could feel the vibration from the hoofbeats as they tore single file down the pasture trail to escort the riders back to the barn.

  Finishing the last of the hay nets, Lily went to meet the returning riders. She was surprised to see Charlie walking up the driveway on foot, leading Astra by her reins. The mare had a bit of a limp in her right front leg and she was walking with her head low. It seemed as if the mare was in pain.

  Lily jogged down the driveway. “What’s wrong with Astra?”

  Charlie shrugged. “I didn’t do anything. Don’t look at me like that.”

  “You rode her on the rocks, didn’t you?” Lily sighed in exasperation.

  Charlie looked away. “Everyone else rides on the rocks. What’s your problem?”

  “You know Astra needs to be in the soft dirt,” she scolded in a low voice. She didn’t want Mr. Henley to hear her overstepping her bounds and acting like Astra’s trainer.

  “Here.” Charlie handed her the reins. “If
you know so much, you take her!”

  Mr. Henley looked down from the back of his horse. “Charlie, mind your manners. Take your own horse back to the barn and give her a good brushing. I’m sure she’ll be fine by tonight.” He turned to Lily. “I’m afraid Charlie let her eat the old dead grass down by the marsh. I’ve told him a million times not to do that, but he doesn’t listen.”

  “I couldn’t stop her,” Charlie protested. “She practically dragged me over to it and started pigging out. Now she’s got a bellyache and it’s her own fault.” He tried handing the reins to Lily again.

  “You’ll cool this mare out yourself, son,” Mr. Henley said in a stern voice. “Maybe next time you’ll do what you’re told. Let’s go.” He turned his horse toward the barn.

  Meloney stepped off Jasper and walked beside Lily. “Charlie’s so lazy,” she said. “He didn’t want the hassle of fighting with her.”

  “You mean, he just let her drop her head and eat?” Lily said, horrified.

  “It sure looked like it.” Meloney reined Jasper in a half circle. “Listen, I’ve got to head home, but I’m a little worried about Astra. That grass in the marsh is really bad. It’s growing in stagnant water. I heard some other horses have gotten sick after eating there.”

  No, Lily thought, feeling a bit sick herself. That can’t happen to Astra.

  “They say it’s a colic that comes on pretty quickly,” Meloney went on. “I’ll call you later to find out how she’s doing.”

  Lily followed the Henleys back to the barn. In spite of Mr. Henley’s warning that Charlie was responsible for cooling out Astra, Lily did all she could to help. While he brushed the mare, she got out the iodine and painted the bottoms of her hooves. Her mother used to do that to take out the sting and toughen them up. She offered Astra one of the mare’s favorite molasses treats, but the horse only lipped it.

  “I think she’s got colic coming on,” Lily told Mr. Henley when he came by to check on the mare. “Maybe we should keep her up in a stall for a few hours so we can check on her? I can call my grandma and tell her I’ll be late for dinner.”

  “No need for that,” Mr. Henley said. “I’m turning this bunch out in the pasture next to the house. I’ll keep an eye on her. I’m sure she’ll come out of this in an hour or two. She’s got a little bit of indigestion, that’s all. She’ll be back in her stall tonight.”

  Lily had no choice but to stand back. As she watched her favorite horse walk off with her head drooped, she knew something was very wrong.

  Three

  Lily went back to Whispering Pines Ranch after dinner that night. She found Mr. Henley inside Astra’s stall giving her a dose of bute to make her more comfortable.

  “Is she any better?” Lily asked.

  Mr. Henley put the nozzle of the dosage syringe into Astra’s mouth and pushed the plunger, then held her chin high so she wouldn’t spit out the bitter, aspirin-like paste. “She’s about the same. Maybe a little worse.” He took off her halter and gave her a sympathetic pat. “I’ve got the vet coming out in the morning to take a look at her. Something is definitely wrong, but she’s not sick enough for it to be anything serious. I think she just ate something that didn’t agree with her.”

  The full hay net and the leftover grain in the feeder told Lily all she needed to know. She tried to convince herself it was just a mild bellyache, but Astra never left food in her feeder—especially grain.

  “You go home and get some rest, Lily,” Mr. Henley advised. “Dr. Tison will be here at nine tomorrow morning if you want to come by to watch him examine her. I know this horse means a lot to you. We’ll take good care of her, and I’ll tell Thomas to check on her during the night.”

  “Can I spend a few minutes with her before I go?” Lily asked.

  Mr. Henley nodded. He walked out of the enclosure and held the door for Lily to enter. “Just make sure you lock up before you go. You know what an escape artist she is.”

  Lily walked quietly to the corner where Astra stood with her head down and her back leg cocked. The horse shifted uncomfortably from one leg to the other. “You okay, girl?” She took Astra’s head in her hands, rubbing her large cheekbones and staring into her soft brown eyes. “That medicine will help you. And if you still feel bad in the morning, Dr. Tison will be out to see you.”

  If anyone could help Astra get better, it was Dr. Tison, the kind young veterinarian. He’d come to their town after graduating from vet school and had built a thriving practice in only a few years. Then his National Guard unit got called overseas. He’d just recently returned home to his veterinarian job.

  Dr. Tison had been the vet on duty when her mother and Astra had the accident. He’d been the one to help the medics with her mother as well as the mare. He knew Lily’s story. He didn’t think she was weird for being so attached to the gray Arabian mare. You and your mom both believed in Astra’s ability, and maybe you feel closer to your mother through this horse, Dr. Tison had once told her. After giving it some thought, Lily had decided he was right.

  Now she threw her arms around Astra’s neck, holding on for several moments, seeking comfort in the horse’s warmth and presence. Dr. Tison was totally right. When she spent time with Astra, she did feel a connection with her mom. It was the same way she’d felt the first time she sneaked into her mother’s clothes closet after her dad went to work.

  Every once in a while, she loved to worm her way between the hanging clothes and breathe in the wonderful scent of horses and wildflowers. It was probably just the lingering perfume of her mother’s shampoo, but still, it was something left of her—and it smelled wonderful.

  Lily always held onto that feeling, treasuring it and soaking out every last bit of warm, fuzzy emotion she could get. What if the day came when she couldn’t feel her mother’s presence anymore? That thought scared her senseless.

  Astra shifted and Lily released her hold. “Get better, pretty. I’ll be over to see you in the morning.” Quietly, she let herself out of the stall and closed the door behind her.

  Her father’s truck was in the driveway by the time she got home. He hadn’t made it back before dinner like he’d hoped. Even though it was his day off, he’d put in a full day of work. Before she went up to bed, Gram O’Neil had fixed him a plate of roast beef for supper and left it in the refrigerator for him to reheat when he got home. Lily took it out and popped it in the microwave, then sat down to tell her father about Astra.

  “Lily, honey,” Mr. O’Neil said, placing his large, work-calloused hand on top of her own. “I know that’s your favorite horse, but she’s no concern of mine. You know how I feel about horses, and that one in particular.”

  The bell on the microwave timer went off, saving Lily from an uncomfortable discussion—or a huge gap of silence. She put her father’s dinner in front of him and said good night. She wanted to go to bed so she could get up early and make it to the ranch in time to talk to the vet. She kissed her dad and climbed the old wooden stairs to her room. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, she crawled into her warm bed and thought about the day’s events.

  It was strange how being around Astra made her feel closer to her mom, and yet the mare just reminded her dad of their loss. How could she make her father understand how much she loved this mare?

  Lily woke to the sound of a vehicle coming up the road. She heard it hit the giant pothole in front of their house, bumping hard and grinding tires. She rolled over and looked at the alarm clock. Five thirty? The sun wouldn’t be up for another hour at least. She wondered who would be traveling the back roads at this hour, and where the driver was headed. There were only a few more ranches on this road.

  She tossed the covers back, noting that the house was much warmer than it had been yesterday morning. She peeked out the window and followed the receding taillights as they approached Whispering Pines Ranch. Her heart beat a little faster when she noticed several lights on in the barn. The Henleys usually didn’t feed their horses until about eight
o’clock. With a sinking feeling, Lily realized that the vehicle belonged to Dr. Tison.

  Astra!

  She scrambled into her clothing, almost tripping and falling when she couldn’t get her foot into her pant leg. It could only mean one thing if the vet had been called at this hour of the morning…Astra had taken a turn for the worse.

  She opened her bedroom door and tiptoed down the stairs, pausing in the living room to see if anyone was stirring. She thought about waking her dad to tell him where she was going. His room was just next door. But Lily knew he’d probably say she couldn’t go. If he woke up to find her gone, he’d be worried and she’d probably be in big trouble when she got home. Maybe she should leave a note? She hesitated, unsure of what to do. All she knew was that Astra was in trouble and needed her.

  “Lily?” Her grandmother’s voice echoed from the stairwell. “Is everything okay? What are you doing up at this hour?”

  “I’m okay, Grams.” Lily could hear her grandmother’s slippers pad down the stairs and swish toward her across the hardwood floor. In the darkness Lily could smell the familiar baby-powder scent that was purely Grandma O’Neil.

  “The vet just pulled into the Henley place,” Lily said. “He’s not supposed to be there until nine. Something’s wrong and I think it’s Astra. I’ve got to get over there.”

  “Have you asked your father?” Grams pulled her robe tightly about her to ward off the night chill.

  “No!” Lily held her breath, hoping the hastily blurted word didn’t wake him. She could hear the question in her grandmother’s sudden silence. “I’m afraid he’ll say no if I ask. You know how he feels about Astra. But I think she’s in real trouble, Grams. Why else would the vet be there at this hour?”

  “But it’s dark outside,” her grandmother said. “You can’t ride your bike over there now. What if there’s a bear or a mountain lion out there?”