Sapphire: New Horizons

by Heather Brooks

She sighed and patted his nose. “Okay, but swear you won’t tell, okay?”

  He bobbed his head as if in agreement, then started munching on his hay while she finished tightening the girth. Then she took hold of the bridle, and he stood patiently while she slipped it on, unlike Moondance.

  She grabbed her helmet, put on her leather riding gloves, then peered out the door, her heart pounding with excitement and nervousness.

  No one was around. Everyone from the barn was still at the reception.

  As she led him out the door of the stall, the plop of his iron-shod feet on the cement sounded loudly. Emily winced with each step, glancing nervously around to see if anyone had come running.

  But no one appeared as they reached the door to the outside. She led Sapphire up to the ring, gathered the reins, then climbed on the middle fence rail so she could reach the stirrup.

  She paused with her toe in the stirrup. Was she really going to do this? She’d never blatantly broken a rule before.

  Sapphire swung his head around to look at her, his white blaze bright in the afternoon sunshine. Then he stomped his foot impatiently.

  “Okay, I’m coming.” She took a deep breath then swung her other leg over his back.

  She grinned as she settled into the saddle, feeling his massive body underneath her. He was all muscle and strength and beauty.

  And for this moment, he was hers.

  10

  The moment they were out of sight of the house, Emily nudged Sapphire into a trot. He obliged immediately, sliding into the smoothest trot she’d ever experienced. He moved like silk, his gait effortless and powerful.

  She sighed with delight as she sank deeper into the saddle, feeling each step he took, listening to the sounds of his hooves as they thudded softly into the grass. His muscles rippled under his coat, and sun reflected off him, making him glisten. The sun beat down on her arms, and she could practically smell it heating up the earth, filling her with light.

  A bird flew in front of Sapphire, and he jerked his head up in surprise, jarring her. But she patted his neck, and he settled right down, giving her time to look around at the woods and fields surrounding them as far as she could see.

  Surrounded only by nature and the smell of wetness and spring, no one could tell either of them what to do.

  She lifted her arms toward the sky and raised her face to the warm sun. “I’m free!” she shouted to the world. “Free!”

  Sapphire broke into a canter, and she let him, basking in the feel of his body coiling beneath her. He was solid power, unlike Rhapsody, who was more like refined elegance and grace. Sapphire was—

  He squealed suddenly and bolted.

  Emily yelped and grabbed for his mane as she almost fell off, barely managing to right herself as he galloped across the fields. His head was extended, his ears back against the wind, his feet pounding on the dirt.

  Emily caught her balance, then moved into a half-seat and stretched out low across his neck, the wind whipping her face and nearly taking her breath away. Exhilaration rushed through her and she started laughing, overwhelmed by the sheer power and freedom of the experience. This was her moment. Pure joy.

  Sapphire stretched even farther as he increased his speed, and she clung to him, not even trying to control him or slow him down. Just letting him take her for the most amazing ride of her life. Running from what they’d left behind, running toward whatever surprises awaited them. No plans, no rules, no feeling bad. Just completely in the moment.

  “Woo-hoo!” She let her cry disappear into the wind, absorbed by nature and the fresh air filling her lungs with freedom and energy.

  They ran, nothing in the world but the two of them and the wind, the thud of Sapphire’s hooves on the damp earth, the sound of his breathing as he raced the wind.

  Finally, Sapphire began to slow to a less frenzied gallop, and she sank back into the saddle, breathing almost as hard as he was. She leaned forward and draped herself across his neck, wrapping her arms around his muscled neck as far as she could reach, pressing her face against his sweaty coat, bouncing with each stride. “Thank you for letting me come along. Now I know why you escape so much. It’s brilliant out here.” She nuzzled his mane. “Don’t tell Aunt Debby, but I love you.”

  He snorted and shied sideways, and she grinned, knowing that they would forever have the bond of this ride, of sharing the flight from reality to a world where they weren’t bound by anyone or anything. “I can’t imagine how I’ll ever go back to dressage after this,” she told him. “This is what riding is all about.”

  She realized they were heading toward some woods, so she sat back in the saddle a bit and took up a firmer hold on the reins. She didn’t want him to gallop into the woods and run into a tree, but she also wasn’t ready to turn around yet.

  She had a feeling she’d never be ready to go back.

  He slowed to an easy canter, and she sighed with delight as she settled into the saddle. He was so comfortable, his gait so smooth that her upper body barely moved with his rhythm.

  She noticed a small stream in front of them, and started to slow Sapphire to a trot so they could cross it without falling on the rocks. But Sapphire grabbed the bit from her and increased his speed as his ears pricked forward, toward the stream.

  “Easy, boy,” she crooned. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” she softly chanted to him as she tugged the reins, trying to coax him into slowing down. He didn’t, and at the last second, she realized he was going to jump the stream.

  Excitement shot through her, and she gave him his head, rising into her half-seat as his feet took off.

  “Ack!” He exploded into the air, and she got left behind, totally not prepared for the powerful lurch of his body as he leaped forward. She lost her grip on the reins, and her feet flew out of the stirrups. Then he landed with a thump that jarred her forward onto his neck. She grabbed for his mane as she started to slide down his neck toward the ground, her heart racing as Sapphire increased his speed.

  Then he dropped his head and did a little buck, and she catapulted off him onto the ground. She threw up her arms to brace herself and crashed hard. Pain shot up her ankle and shattered through her body.

  She groaned as she rolled to a stop, unable to move through the pain. The thud of Sapphire’s hooves faded and her heart dropped as she opened her eyes and looked around.

  He was gone.

  11

  Panic shot through her and she rolled to her stomach, yelping as fresh pain exploded in her ankle. “Sapphire!”

  Nothing but the rustle of leaves and the trickle of water.

  “Sapphire!” She grabbed a small tree and pulled herself to her feet, standing on one foot as she scanned the woods for a black horse. “Sapphire!”

  No response. He was gone, just as he’d taken off those other times.

  Tears filled her eyes. “Sapphire,” she begged. “Please come back.”

  A squirrel ran partway down a tree trunk, chattering at her while his little tail twitched, as if he were laughing.

  “Go away,” she muttered, clenching her teeth against the pain as she hopped toward the stream and back the way they’d come.

  She didn’t want to go home without him, but she didn’t know what else to do. Maybe she’d find him on the way.

  She made it to the edge of the water, then frowned at the smooth rocks under the surface. No way could she hop across those. She touched the toe of her injured foot to the ground, then winced and yanked it back.

  She looked around and saw a large stick nearby. She crawled over to it, then used it to leverage herself to her feet again. Using the stick for balance and support, she hopped back over to the stream and wedged the stick down between the rocks.

  She leaned on it carefully, testing it. When it didn’t slip, she put all her weight on it and then hopped into the water, landing on a round rock just beneath the surface. The cold seeped in through her boots, her muscles tightened to keep her balance, and she hopped again. And again.

/>   Then she moved the stick forward a few feet, wedged it tightly between two rocks, and hopped again. The stick slipped and flew out of her hand, and she screeched as she fell into the cold water, her ankle screaming with pain as she smacked it against a rock.

  Water streaming down her face, she managed to haul herself back up to her knees and crawl out of the stream, the rocks digging into her knees and hands.

  She pulled herself up the bank, unable to keep the tears from creeping out of her eyes, and flopped down on her belly on the grass, her body shaking with exhaustion and pain.

  A minute of rest. That was all she needed.

  Just a minute and then she’d keep going.

  By six o’clock that evening, the farm was in chaos.

  Caitlyn and Kyle reported Emily had gone missing when the adults arrived home, and Emily’s dad had been the one to realize that Sapphire was also gone. Aunt Debby had been furious and worried that Emily was going to be in trouble riding Sapphire out in the woods.

  Emily’s dad had spent the next hour trying to calm his sister down, taking responsibility for allowing Emily to do whatever she wanted, and reassuring her that Emily was a great rider, even if she wasn’t experienced at jumping. But after four hours had passed with no sign of either of them, even he had started to get worried.

  By six fifteen, they’d assembled on horses in the driveway with walkie-talkies, since cell phones didn’t work that far out from town. Emily’s dad, Alison, Aunt Debby, and even Uncle Rick, who had canceled his last appointments for the day, all mounted. A girl from the barn named Meredith joined them.

  Aunt Debby gave instructions. “Meredith and Alison, you two stay together and once it starts to get dark, you both head home. I want your horses in their stalls before dark, okay?”

  The girls nodded, and Aunt Debby turned to the adults. “The rest of us will split up.” She created search parameters for everyone.

  Aunt Debby patted Emily’s dad’s arm as she swung her mount past him. “We’ll find her.” Then she whirled her horse and bolted up the path toward the extensive lands behind the barn. Emily’s dad nudged his horse into action and tore after her, his throat dry.

  Emily groaned and rolled onto her back in the field, too tired to crawl any farther, and she’d lost track of which way was home. When Sapphire had bolted, she’d stopped paying attention and just enjoyed the ride.

  Not her smartest move.

  All she was hoping for at this point was a road, so she could flag down a car, but there weren’t even any roads. The vast expanse of fields that yesterday had seemed so beautiful just seemed huge and scary now. And lonely.

  She pressed her hands to her face against the swell of tears. She was wet and cold, and in so much pain she’d taken off her sweatshirt and tied it around her ankle to try to immobilize it and cushion it from getting knocked.

  It had helped a little bit but not enough.

  She stared up at the sky, realizing the sun was beginning to set, and she shuddered. Alone out here in the dark? She moaned and rolled back to her knees and started to crawl again, then heard a faint noise. Had that been someone yelling her name? She jumped up, careful to not put any weight on her injured foot, her heart pounding with hope.

  She held her breath and listened intently.

  Silence.

  Her throat tightened, and she was just about to give up when she heard it again. It was definitely someone yelling her name. “I’m here!” she shouted. “I’m right here!” She waved her arms, not knowing what direction to face. “I’m here! Help!”

  She kept turning around as someone yelled her name again, and then she saw it. A silhouetted figure on a horse at the other end of the field. “Right here!” It was too far away to tell who it was, and she didn’t even care if it was Aunt Debby. “Here!” Waving her arms, she hopped toward the horse, then stopped when the horse spun in her direction and started galloping toward her.

  Relief made tears well in her eyes, and her legs gave out. She plunked down on her butt, unable to stop crying as Uncle Rick reined in beside her and vaulted off his horse, a liver chestnut she recognized from the farm as Mystic, a full sister to Moondance. “Emily! Are you all right?”

  She tried to answer, but she was crying too hard, so she just nodded and pointed to her ankle. Uncle Rick ignored the ankle and swept her up in a giant hug, and she hugged him back as tightly as she could. After a minute, he pulled back slightly so he could look at her face. “You’re okay?”

  “I hurt my ankle.”

  “Other than that?”

  “I’m wet.”

  He grinned and sat her back on the grass. “Well, I think we can probably take care of both of those problems.” He paused to pull a walkie-talkie off his belt and reported in that he’d found her and she was fine.

  Her dad was so panicked that he made her talk into the walkie-talkie before he’d believe Uncle Rick, and Emily felt guilty, realizing how much she’d upset him. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “No, hon, I’m just glad you’re safe.” His voice was trembling, and Emily felt awful.

  “I miss you, Dad.”

  “Oh, hon, I miss you, too. You’re really okay?”

  “I’m really okay.”

  “Thank God.” There was a scuffling noise, then her dad said, “Aunt Debby wants to talk to you.”

  “No, wait—”

  “Is Sapphire okay?”

  Emily felt her cheeks turn red, and she stared at the ground. “I fell off,” she mumbled. “He ran away.”

  “What?” Aunt Debby’s voice crackled over the walkie-talkie. “I can’t hear you.”

  Uncle Rick put his hand on Emily’s head and gently patted it as he took the walkie-talkie from her hand. “Sapphire took off,” he told his wife. “You and Scott should keep looking for him. I’ll take care of Emily.”

  He signed off after agreeing to keep in touch and then unwrapped the sweatshirt from Emily’s ankle, his touch so gentle it barely hurt.

  “I’m in trouble, aren’t I?”

  He glanced at her, his face kind. “Aunt Debby just worries about your safety. That’s all. She knows what can happen around horses.”

  “It was a onetime thing. It’s not like I fall off all the time—”

  Uncle Rick raised his brows. “Let’s concentrate on your ankle first, okay? We’ll talk about the rest when everyone’s back at the farm.”

  “Can’t we stay out here all night?” Now that Uncle Rick was with her, it seemed like a better place to be than back at the house getting in trouble.

  Uncle Rick laughed. “It won’t be that bad, I promise.”

  “I’ll be grounded, though.” Her eyes started to fill up again at the thought.

  “Very possible,” he agreed, then he set his fingers on her ankle and began to probe.

  For the next five minutes, she forgot about everything except how much her ankle hurt.

  Ten minutes later, Rick sat back on his heels after rewrapping her ankle with white tape he’d brought along in his emergency medical kit. “I’d have to take X-rays, but I think it’s just sprained.”

  “Just? It kills.”

  He nodded. “Sprains can hurt more than broken ankles.” He stood up. “Let’s get you home.”

  Emily couldn’t go yet. She had to ask. “Are you still mad about Sapphire escaping before the funeral?” She swallowed. “I’m really sorry.”

  Uncle Rick ruffled her hair. “Oh, Emily, no one’s mad at you for that. It happens. The timing was bad, so maybe we got more upset than we would have otherwise.” He squatted in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Look at me.”

  She dragged her gaze off the ground and focused on his face.

  He smiled. “I promise you, no one’s mad about Sapphire escaping. It happens, especially with him. Okay?”

  She felt her shoulders sag, and her belly began to uncurl. “Okay.”

  “Good.” He bent to sweep her up in his arms. “Come on. You can
ride with me, and we’ll get you home, where I can do a better job on that ankle.”

  She stifled a squawk of pain as he helped her slide into the saddle, then swung up behind her, the two of them barely fitting in the saddle. He wrapped one arm around her to steady her, then eased Mystic into a gentle canter, heading in the complete opposite direction she’d been going in, and she realized she’d been heading away from the farm instead of toward it. She shuddered at the thought of what would have happened if Uncle Rick hadn’t found her—

  “Rick!” Aunt Debby’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. “We’ve got an emergency! Horse down! We’re about a mile west, by the old sawmill. Get over here now!”

  Emily tensed as she jerked upright. “Horse down? Sapphire’s hurt?” Oh, no! What had she done?

  “I’m on my way.” Uncle Rick whirled Mystic around and urged her into a gallop, his arm tight around Emily to keep her from falling off as Mystic bounded across the uneven ground.

  Emily clutched tight to him, feeling sick at the thought of Sapphire down. Hurt.

  Because of her.

  Then they got to the top of a hill, she saw Aunt Debby and her dad, and she realized she’d been totally wrong.

  12

  It wasn’t Sapphire who was hurt, she realized with a sob of relief.

  Sapphire was standing over a dark bay horse that was on his belly. The injured horse had his front legs out in front as he tried to pull himself to his feet. He had a big blaze down the front of his face and two white rear socks.

  Aunt Debby was holding the injured horse’s halter, and her dad was shoving at his butt, both of them trying to help the horse stand.

  Mystic thundered down the hill just as the horse managed to stagger to his feet, rocking dangerously back and forth once he made it.

  Aunt Debby shouted, and Emily’s dad brought his horse, which she realized was Moondance, around to the side, using her as a brace to hold up the other horse. Moondance planted her feet and leaned into the injured horse, clearly accustomed to being used to do exactly that.