Savannah's Fate [short story]

Chapter 4: Seeing Savannah

Chapter 4:

After breakfast, Cole headed for the door. "Hey, pa, I'm going with Elijah to check fencing," he called. "We're also gonna check in on The Strip to make sure the Tyders are keeping off of it."

"Sure, I'll be here," his pa answered. "I've got to work out that timber contract. But don't get into any trouble, now. Leave the Tyders be."

Cole nodded. He strapped on his gun belt and looked towards Elijah. "Ready?"

Elijah nodded, eyeing his brother's belt.

Cole tousled his hair. "You'll get your belt soon enough, little brother."

He glared up at him in return. "I'm almost 14 but you still treat me like a child."

"Ah, come on, Lije. You're not little, you just aren't a big enough yet, either."

Elijah scoffed. "Come on, then. Least I can ride a horse better."

Cole laughed. "You're right there, Lije."

Both boys laughed and headed out to the barn. They grabbed their saddle and bridle, walking over to their horses.

"You think the Tyders will keep off our land?" Elijah asked.

Cole looked up at Elijah as threw the blanket over his palomino horse. "Sure," he replied. "What are they gonna do on the land anyway? They got no reason for needing the land."

"I guess that's true." Elijah heaved the saddle over his sorrel horse. "But what about the horses?"

Cole grinned. "Well, the only one in that herd worth anything is Night Sky, but I'd doubt they'd take a crack at him. He's one of the meanest and wildest horses I've ever seen."

Elijah sighed, looking at the ceiling of the barn. "I'm gonna break that horse someday. I will."

"No you won't. Horses like Night Sky don't break. That horse is meant to stay on that little strip."

Elijah mounted his horse, then Cole did the same. "You're probably right," he muttered.

Cole grinned that lopsided grin. "I know I'm right."

Elijah scoffed and kicked his horse, making it jog out of the barn. Cole followed him, and then they were galloping off towards The Strip.

Both horses jogged down the path. The boys admired their "empire," as their pa called it. As far as the eye could see, that was their land. Cole looked at the sparkling lake as they rode past it. He'd rode this path hundreds of times, but still, every time, the beauty of it all always got to him. This was all theirs.

 But then his thoughts drifted to the Tyders, and the amount of land they had. The Tyders only owned maybe half of what the Hudsons owned. So why was there such a fight for land that the Hudsons didn't even need? Cole swallowed. For the first time, he was beginning to question the feud.

He sighed and kicked his horse to go faster. He couldn't think such thoughts.

-{-}-

By the time they reached The Strip, almost an hour had passed. They both stopped on the edge of the land, looking out at the expanse.

Wildflowers dotted the grass. It was a valley, rich with groundwater and beautiful horses. Cole wondered if that's what this whole feud had been about. Had it really all been about the water?

"We'd better check that all the stock is here," Elijah said.

"Sure."

They rode in opposite directions: Elijah towards the creek, Cole towards the tree line.

Cole spotted the horses first. They stood grazing near the big oak tree on the edge of the property. They all looked like they were present, but he couldn't be sure. Cole rode in closer.

A voice broke through the quiet. His hand instinctively rested on his gun as he slowly moved towards the herd.

The Tyders, he thought.

 It had to be the Tyders. Cole knew he had to be ready. He almost called out as he moved closer, but then he saw the voice.

It was a girl, probably about 17, with long locks of brown hair and a flowing white dress. One hand was resting on the horse's muzzle, and the other was cradling a book. She was speaking to the horse, talking as if it was her only friend. Cole didn't know where she came from, or what she was talking about, but he just stood there, stunned. It was if he was in a dream. There stood a beautiful girl, glowing in a white dress on their land. He didn't know whether to slip away or to run her off. But all he did was stare.

———-

As I said, they're switched around. Sorry again...hope it was still enjoyable. It's only a quirky short story to fill in while I research.

Thanks for reading!