Filling in the Pieces // Luke Brooks

Chapter 8 - Hunters

        About a week has gone by and everything about the school dance has blown over. Today I was even informed by mom that there will be a riding competition coming up in about a month called the "Freestyle." They will give us the regular course for jumping and cross country, but dressage has to be our own routine. I'm a little nervous about making up my own routine, but I never pass up the opportunity to enter a horse show. 

        Unfortunately, Luke can't join because it's the week that him and Jai leave to go visit his mom in Australia, but he has promised to help me with my dressage routine. Of course, Chelsea will be competing as well, but I really do have a good feeling about this one. For the competition I will be using three separate horses; jumping I will ride Puka, cross country I will ride Kali because I have been working with her a lot and have discovered her new talent, which is stamina and speed. Last but not least for dressage I will use my mother's horse Lila again, but I still daydream about what it would be like to ride Jewels.

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        It's been a couple of days and Luke and I are out on yet another ride through the mountains. When we are not working this is how we like to spend most of our time. It's kind of like our little thing. We started by cutting straight through the forest to get there faster.

        "So are you excited to go see your mom?" I asked, as we rode along the mountain edge.

        "Yeah can't wait-" a loud gunshot then went off in the valley below and both our horses reared with fear.

        "What the fuck was that!" I yelled after we settled our horses and my ears stopped ringing.

        "Kait, I think I figured it out," Luke spoke as he pointed to the field below us.

        There was Jewels running as fast as she could away from a group of hunters, and these weren't some immature kids with bow and arrows. They were hunters who preyed on animals for a living. I had to do something or Jewels would be dead for sure. Without hesitating I raced down the hill on Puka. 

        "Kait no, no, no, what are you doing? Kaitlyn!" Luke screamed, but I didn't stop, causing Luke to follow.

        The hunters had already thrown ropes around her neck, but obviously were not strong enough to hold on. Already being closer to where Jewels was, Luke and I were able to cut the hunters off. The only thing between Jewels living and dying was Luke and I. We continued to go in the direction Jewels had run into the trees, only to soon find her rearing up and down trying to get loose of the ropes that were now snagged on a tree.

        "Dammit!" I said, just loud enough for Luke to hear me.

        "What are we going to do now, the hunters will catch up soon enough!" Luke muttered frantically trying to think of a plan.

        "We wait for them," I raised an eyebrow at him and he stared back at me like I had gone insane.

        Shortly after the five burly men showed up and both Luke and I were stationed directly in front of Jewels.

        "Get out of my way you filthy brats!" One man with a gun in his hand and toothpick in his mouth cussed.

        "If you're going to shoot this animal, you're going to have to shoot me first!" I said without a doubt that the man will walk away. I looked like I was confident and cocky on the outside, but don't get me wrong, on the inside I was freaking out.

He aimed his gun in my direction and I could hear Luke whisper, "Kaitlyn just get out of the way."

        Instead I narrowed my eyes at the disgusting man like I was challenging him. When it comes to standing up for something I'm passionate for, I can get pretty stupid and ballsy. Seconds later the familiar gunshot noise was ringing in my ears, but as I waited for the searing pain to irrupt, nothing happened. I let out a huge breath and looked behind me to see the bullet in the tree just to my right.

        "Consider that as a warning, next time you won't be so lucky and that horse will be mine," he slurred and placed the gun back into his belt. "Let's move out boys," he growled before riding off with the rest of his group.

        I continued to glare at them until they were out of sight. When I knew they were gone I let out a huge sigh of relief, and glanced over at Luke.

His face was as white as a ghost, "Jesus Christ Kait, what's wrong with you? You could have been killed!" He yelled waving his hands everywhere.

        "But I wasn't. Now let's get her home so we can treat her," I responded with a smile.

        "You are absolutely insane. I like someone who is absolutely insane," he frantically said and I froze. Did I just hear what I think I heard? I glanced at him to see him completely blank faced. An awkward silence fell between us, I had no clue what to say.

        "So what do we tell your mom and grandpa?" He asked, still in shock, trying to change the subject.

        "We tell them that we found her in bad shape all wrapped up in a tree, but whatever you do, don't tell them about the hunters," I threatened.

        A long two hours later we finally got Jewels back to the farm after all the kicking, pulling and fighting. We both explained our story and made sure to keep the part about being shot at out of it. I decided to stay with her all night as my grandpa and the vet examined her.