Chapter Ten: Partners

I was sitting on Ocean, squeezing hard with my legs to keep my balance as Ocean ran beneath me. He was moving so fast that life appeared as just a blur of colors. Spinning endlessly away from me as I wished desperately for Ocean to stop and let me off. I reached desperately for the reins on his neck but just as I was about to touch them Ocean lowered and shook his head, causing the reins to slip down to his ears. I leaned forward further, reaching desperately for the reins as we approached a fallen tree.

"Ocean!" I screamed, "stop! You have to stop! Please!" His hooves continued to speed up. "Ocean!" I called out one last time when we were about ten feet from the fallen tree. I closed my eyes bracing for impact.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I gasped sitting up as I worriedly glanced around. What a weird dream, I thought, I should go and check on Ocean. I stood up and got ready for the day as quickly as possible, grabbing an apple on my way out the door for breakfast. I walked straight to the stables outside the round pen in which he was kept.

I wandered into the building, instantly spotting the bucket of brushes the villagers used before taking horses up. I picked it up, wandering down the aisle in search of Ocean. Just as I expected he was in the very last stall, with about five empty stalls between him and the other horses. I grinned upon seeing him.

"Hey Ocean," I spoke softly as I slid his stall open, "I'm just going to bring some brushes in here for you. I slid the door shut behind me, noting that his reins were tied loosely to a pole by his hay so that he couldn't even attempt to escape. I sighed, sending him the image of me unwrapping the reins, silently questioning what he would do. His response came instantly, he sent an image of him just standing as I brushed him. I smiled softly at him, undoing his reins from the pole and flipping them over his head.

He shook his head and snorted, closing his eyes as if to go to sleep. I reached down and picked out a curry comb from the brushes to began brushing. I slowly worked the curry comb in circles in his fur, bringing loose fur and shavings in his fur to the surface. As soon as that was done I grabbed a dandy brush to brush out the fur and shavings the curry had loosened. Ocean hadn't moved or even opened his eyes until I got out the face brush and began to rub it on his head. His eyes remained closed but he lowered his head and leaned into the brush.

"Does that feel good?" I asked giggling.

"He really likes you," Shar said approaching the closed gate. She slid the door open causing his head to snap up as he opened his eyes in search of danger. Shar tilted her head at him, still in the doorway, "do you mind if I come in?" Ocean lowered his head and closed his eyes once more, which she immediately took as a yes. She slid the door shut behind her before turning to face me.

"You know I'm here to train him not hurt him, right?" She asked causing my teeth to clench together in anger, they all want him to be forced under their control, not simply befriend him. "Mind if I help brush him?"

"I really couldn't stop you if you wanted to," I replied shortly. She bit her lip, bending down to grab a hoof pick from the box. Just as she started cleaning the first hoof, I grabbed a brush for his mane and tail and began brushing and braiding. We worked in silence for while with Shar occasionally saying things like "pick it up," when she was lifting a new hoof, "hold it," whenever he tried to put his foot down before she was done, "put it down," when she had finished, and "good boy," when she completely finished one hoof and was moving to the next.

I finished braiding just as Shar finished cleaning his hooves, "I suppose you have to train him now that we're done?"

"Technically," she responded dropping the hoof pick into the bucket, "this was a part of the training."

"No 'technically' this is part of the basic upkeep of a horse in captivity."

"Technically, it's also a part of trust-building which is what most of his training will entail for awhile."

"You wouldn't need to gain his trust if he was still running around wild and free."

"Look I didn't come here to argue with you!"

"What did you come here for I wonder... Oh, wait I've got it! To force the infamous Kelpie into your control, to prove you are the best trainer to walk the Earth. To prove you are something your not."

"I came here," she replied slowly and quietly, "so that these people would give the Kelpie a chance to live, without being hunted or threatened. Maybe, he misses his Herd but-"

"But nothing!" I exploded, "they were his family! He protected them and we forced them, all of them, to watch as their Herd was torn apart. And now, Ocean is separated further away from the Herd then any of the others..."

"It's like that for a reason... Listen, I believe what Hebalist Hardandra was talking about yesterday. About the Spirit Bonds and all that?"

"What about it?"

"It is obvious you share a bond with Ocean and Vise Versa."

"So?"

"So I have seen the way you act around each other! Look at him! With you around, no one has to control him with enchanted reins!"

"I asked him what he would do before I took them off," I whispered.

"Exactly! If you helped me, no one would ever be able to force Ocean into doing something he won't do because you could ask him first! You could explain to him everything you're doing and he would trust you completely and absolutely!" I closed my eyes, thinking back to my dream. That couldn't happen if someone else was around to help, I thought, so it may be the safer way to go.

"Fine but if and only if you never do anything that Ocean doesn't like and trust me I'll know."

"Deal! Oh and uh, I passed by Hunter Ryan... I think that's what he said his name was... Anyway! He wanted me to ask you if you would pass a message along for her?" I straightened up, immediately interested.

"What's the message and to whom would I be delivering it too?"

"Uhhh he said if you go visit the Herbalist today, which everyone is kind of expecting you to..."

"The message?"

"Oh! Yeah! He was investigating what happened to Mister Smokes and had a pretty good idea of who did it, which everyone kind of already knows anyway. The only problem was he couldn't find physical evidence that said person had done it so after a while of searching for some form of evidence he decided to take a break."

"Where is this going?"

"I'm getting there! He walked further than he meant to and stumbled upon a hidden cabin in the woods! And wait for it... The entire cabin is filled with things that show someone was planning on the attack on Mister Smokes for awhile. He's going to go through it tomorrow and if and when the Herbalist is ready she can join Hunter Ryan in going through the cabin."

"I can't believe he found something! I have to pass the news to Hardandra as soon as possible!" I slid the door open just enough to slide out, "bye Shar, bye Ocean!" I called out sliding the door shut again behind me before taking off towards Hardandra's house.