Astra

by Chris Platt

  Meloney finished currying her side of the horse and motioned for Lily to hand her a soft brush. “I still don’t get it. I thought you wanted to learn.”

  “I don’t know,” Lily said. “I guess I’m afraid.”

  “Afraid of what?” Meloney stopped her brush mid-stroke. “Mr. Henley? He’s harmless.”

  “I know it’s going to be a long haul getting Astra ready,” Lily said. “But she’s getting better and better. What if I bring her up to race shape and Mr. Henley takes her back? He only gave her to me because he thought she wasn’t going to make it.”

  “But he already told you that he was going to let you keep her.”

  Lily frowned. “Yeah, but that was when Astra was still really weak. Everyone thought she’d never amount to anything more than a pasture ornament. And my dad would be only too happy to let her go. He’s already suggested I give her back.”

  “Hmm…I see why you’re worried,” Meloney said. “But hey, that doesn’t mean it’s going to happen. If it were up to me, I’d ask Mr. Henley for help. But if you want to try to do this yourself, I’ll help anyway I can.”

  Lily smiled at her friend. “Thanks, Mel.” The sound of truck tires on gravel caught the girls’ attention. Both of them turned to see Dr. Dale pull into the small barnyard. The vet got out of his truck and waved. “Lily, just the person I wanted to see,” he said. He handed her a large plastic bag. “Here are some vitamin samples and a couple of containers of supplements. They’re close to the expiration date, but still good. I’m sure Astra can use them.”

  “Thanks, Dr. Dale!” Lily said. She couldn’t afford to feed her horse the high-powered, high-priced vitamins they had at the feed stores. The free stuff Dr. Dale had brought would help supplement the meager grain supply she was able to buy.

  “Astra’s looking good.” The vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the mare’s heart and lungs. “Her heart rate is up a bit,” he said, sounding concerned.

  “That’s because we just finished ponying her out on the trails,” Lily said. “Devin and Meloney took her out for an easy three-mile trot and some walking.”

  “Good.” Dr. Dale put his stethoscope away. “You’re doing the right thing. Since Astra’s feeling better, we should make sure she gets a little more exercise.”

  “Hey, Lily, I’ve got an idea.” Meloney clapped her hands in excitement. “Maybe you can ask Dr. Dale to write you a program for Astra’s training. He’s the official vet on a lot of the local rides. I bet he knows what to do.”

  “A program for what?” the vet asked.

  Lily hesitated. “Ask him,” Meloney urged. “Or I will.”

  Dr. Dale looked from one girl to the other. “What’s the big secret?”

  “I want to train Astra for endurance racing again,” Lily said.

  Dr. Dale didn’t answer right away. Uh-oh, Lily thought. He doesn’t think that’s a good idea.

  The vet studied Astra for another moment, then nodded. “Sure. I don’t see any reason why you can’t. Her blood work has been back to normal levels for a month now. As long as you realize that you’re going to have to take it easy with her to begin with, she should be okay. Once she gains her strength back, I bet she’ll be a competitor to reckon with.”

  Lily smiled. “Then you’ll write me a training program for Astra?”

  Dr. Dale put his hands up in surrender. “Wait just a minute there, young lady. I can give you some suggestions to get you started, but Steven Henley is the best trainer in the area. I’m sure he’d be happy to help.”

  “See, I told you,” Meloney said, with a smirk.

  Lily gave her friend a light elbow in the ribs, but she knew that she would put it off as long as possible. She didn’t want to risk Mr. Henley asking for his horse back.

  “I’d keep her with some light ponying if your friends are willing to help,” Dr. Dale suggested. “Gradually work her up in miles. Then, when she gets stronger, you’ll need to get someone on her so she’s used to carrying the weight over those miles.” He glanced toward the house. “I don’t suppose your dad has had a change of heart?”

  Lily shook her head.

  “That’s too bad,” Dr. Dale said. “But maybe someday he’ll let you ride. How about your training? Are you in pretty good running shape?”

  Lily’s head snapped up in surprise. “Me?”

  Meloney laughed. “Yep. A lot of riders get off and run beside their horses for a while to give them a break. It took me forever to be able to do it without feeling like I was going to keel over. You’d better start getting in shape now.”

  “Oh,” Lily said, feeling a little doubtful. “Right.”

  “Maybe it would be best if you only ponied Astra every other workout,” Dr. Dale said. “Then you could intersperse that with some short jogs with you,” Dr. Dale said. “You’ll have to build yourself up just like this mare. You need to learn all the ins and outs of endurance racing. Even if your dad won’t let you ride, you could still be a good trainer.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Meloney volunteered. “It’ll be fun. Besides, I could use the extra workouts.”

  Lily rolled her eyes. “Yeah, it sounds like real fun. Trying to keep up with a four-legged Arabian that’s raring to go.”

  They all had a good laugh. Dr. Dale finished his visit by giving Astra her spring vaccinations and waved good-bye.

  “I’ve got to go, too,” Meloney said as she gathered up Jasper’s bridle and headed to the paddock. “I’ll be over tomorrow after school and we’ll get started with our horse jogs.”

  After her friend had left, Lily fed Astra, then went into the house to wash up for dinner. She couldn’t believe that her plans were finally starting to take form.

  “Better hurry,” her grandmother warned when Lily came into the kitchen. “Dinner’s already on the table and your father is ready to eat.”

  Lily quickly washed her hands and took her seat at the table. “Mmmm, lasagna and garlic bread.” She waited until after her father said grace, then dug into the delicious-smelling meal.

  “Three pieces of garlic bread? You’re eating like a horse,” her father teased.

  Her grandmother passed the salad, giving her the eye until Lily had sufficient greens on her plate. “You look awfully excited about something,” Grams said.

  Lily finished chewing a mouthful of the gooey, cheesy lasagna and washed it down with a gulp of milk. “Did Dad tell you that I want to start training Astra to race again?” She waited until her grandmother nodded. “Well, today, Dr. Dale stopped by and gave me some suggestions for the next few weeks of training.”

  She saw her grandmother glance at her father and guessed that the look on his face was less than pleased. “Oh, I won’t be riding her, Grams. Mel and Devin are going to pony her for the longer work, and Mel and I are going to do some jogging with the horses so we can get in shape, too.”

  “Jogging?” Her grandmother looked confused.

  Daniel O’Neil set down his fork, a faraway look in his eyes. “Your mother used to come home from those races so tired. Tired, but happy.” He smiled. “The horse would run fifty miles, but sometimes, if she was riding one of the younger horses, she’d end up running about five or six miles beside them.”

  Lily watched in amazement as the tight lines that wrinkled her father’s face seemed to smooth out and relax. Her heart ached for him. It was so easy to get caught up in her own sorrow at having lost her mother that she sometimes forgot how much her father must miss the love of his life.

  The lasagna suddenly felt like a brick in her stomach. She reached out and placed her hand over his, trying to comfort him. Suddenly her father snatched his hand from beneath hers and turned a hard glare in her direction, the worry lines back in his face. Lily sucked in a surprised breath.

  “Just don’t get any ideas about riding that mare once you’re out on the trails and out of everyone’s sight,” her father warned. “I said no riding, and I meant it.” He tossed his napkin onto the table an
d pushed back his chair. Without another word, he abruptly stood up and walked away.

  Lily traded pained looks with her grandmother while they listened to the sound of her father’s angry footsteps echoing down the hall.

  “What did I do wrong?” Lily asked, the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes.

  “Nothing, dear,” her grandmother said. “Your father’s just having a very tough time right now. You go right on ahead and train that horse like you planned.” She got up from her chair and walked around to Lily’s side of the table, enfolding her in a big hug. “Your mother would be very proud of you, Lily. I know how hard this is for you and how much you love that horse. Hopefully, your father will soon come to terms with all this, and quit making both of your lives miserable.”

  Lily folded her hands in her lap. Her meal was only half finished, but she had no appetite for more. She wanted to believe that her grandma was right about her dad—that someday he’d give permission for her to follow in her mother’s footsteps.

  But for now, that dream seemed hopeless. She had seen it in his eyes. Her father would never relent.

  Fourteen

  Lily’s lungs were on fire and her legs felt as if they weighed a hundred pounds apiece. She leaned her weight into the lead rope, hoping to slow down Astra’s trot, but also trying to shift some of the work to the horse so she could have a chance to catch her breath.

  “Are you okay?” Meloney looked over her shoulder as she and Jasper pounded down the dirt path ahead of them.

  Lily took a big gulp of air so she could get the whole sentence out in one breath. “How far have we gone?”

  “About a half mile,” Meloney answered.

  “You’re kidding. That’s all?” Lily managed to squeak out between gasps for air. She couldn’t believe how easy it seemed for Mel. Her friend was as fleet of foot as her horse.

  The green grass waved in the warm breeze and wildflowers dotted the trail. It really was a beautiful landscape, but all Lily could think of was how miserable she felt. Drops of sweat trickled down her back, making her feel as if a spider were sliding down her spine. “I’ve got to stop,” she gasped, hoping her words were loud enough to carry on the wind.

  Meloney slowed Jasper to a walk and edged off the trail to make room for Lily and Astra to come abreast. “Wow, you’re really sweating. Maybe that’s all we should do for today. You don’t want to push yourself too hard in the beginning. You might hurt yourself.”

  Lily handed her rope to Meloney and bent over to place her hands on her knees. She breathed hard, wheezing in and out. Strands of her hair had come loose from her ponytail and they stuck to the sides of her hot, sweaty face. “I can’t believe how easy this is for you,” Lily huffed. “How long did it take you to get in such good shape?”

  “It took a while, and you have to keep it up, or you lose it. But you’ll get there, Lily. You’re tough.” Meloney turned Jasper around, heading back toward their houses. “Come on, start walking,” she advised with a chuckle. “If you don’t, you might tie up and colic like Astra did.”

  “Very funny.” Lily straightened and followed her friend. “It’s really hard running with Astra. I’ve jogged for PE class at school and it was never this difficult.”

  Meloney nodded. “Yeah, it can be really hard to learn how to run in stride with your horse. Their legs are longer than ours. You’ll both have to find a pace you can live with. Remember, the reason we’re getting off their backs and running with them during the race is so they can get a break from carrying us. Slow her down if you need to.”

  Lily heard hoofbeats behind them and turned to see Devin and Jericho trotting up the trail. Great, she thought. I look like a red-faced blowfish and here comes one of the cutest guys in school. His timing was perfect.

  “Hey, Dev.” Meloney waved as he trotted up beside them and pulled Jericho down to a walk.

  Lily nodded, afraid of what her voice might sound like if she tried to speak. She felt Devin’s stare.

  “So, how’s the training going, Lily?” Devin asked with a grin that brought out a dimple in his right cheek.

  Lily tried to speak in a normal tone, but she was still nervous around the cute boy. “I’m getting there.”

  “Great,” Devin said. “I’m heading over to the Henleys’ place to ride with Charlie and Jill. Our first race is coming up, but I don’t think Jericho is ready for it. I’ll see you guys at school tomorrow.” He looked back over his shoulder. “Keep up the good work, Lily.” He winked at her, then squeezed Jericho’s sides and trotted down the path ahead of them.

  “I think he likes you,” Meloney said, lifting her long blonde hair off her neck to catch the breeze.

  Lily snorted. “Yeah, I’m sure Devin likes sweaty, smelly girls who can’t even make a half-mile run.”

  Meloney laughed. “I wouldn’t bet on that. He’s always smiling at you, and he asks questions about you when we’re out on our training rides.”

  “Really?” Lily’s heart skipped a beat.

  “Really.”

  Lily stood up a little straighter and matched her walk to Astra’s. She’d been thinking that today had been a total waste. But now, it might just be worthwhile.

  Meloney was right about one thing. A couple of weeks after she’d first started jogging with her horse, Lily felt much better. Now she could actually make it a whole mile without stopping to rest—as long as Astra kept her trot slow and Lily leaned on the lead rope to help pull herself along. In another few weeks, she’d be able to make it two miles.

  Today she’d put training aside. It was the first race of the season for the Henleys and Meloney, who was riding with her aunt. Devin had decided not to enter Jericho until the next race. He and Lily would be crewing for the five horses and riders in a fifty-mile race in the hills outside of Sacramento. Lily couldn’t wait.

  She sat in the cab of Mr. Henley’s truck, watching the early dawn scenery go by as they made their way to the starting point of the race. She and Devin would be responsible for making sure the horses had food, water, and electrolytes, and that they were cleaned and brushed when they came in from the first thirty-mile loop.

  After the horses passed the vet inspection to make sure their heart rates were stable and they were traveling soundly, Lily and Devin would have lunch ready for the riders and care for the horses. They wouldn’t have much time before the race would continue, so every minute counted.

  Devin, who was riding in the truck and trailer behind them with Meloney and her aunt, had been in multiple races and crewed for several big trainers. He’d already told Lily that their part in the race would consist of short periods of frenzied work followed by long periods of sitting around, waiting for the horses and riders to return. Sometimes the races started in one spot and ended fifty miles later in another spot. In that case, an adult needed to drive the horse trailers down to the next break area. But today’s race would begin and end in the same location.

  Lily was glad to have Devin there for her first time crewing. Actually, she was happy to be around Devin any time at all.

  “Here we are.” Mr. Henley pulled into a large field where at least fifty horse trailers were parked.

  In the back of the truck, Charlie and Jill had been talking excitedly about the coming race. Now they waved to people they recognized who already had their horses out and saddled. Others milled around the ride camp, filling water buckets, brushing horses, and adjusting equipment.

  Lily felt a surge of anticipation. No wonder her mother was always so excited about the races! The truck came to a stop and she piled out with Charlie and Jill.

  “Okay, let’s get the horses out.” Mr. Henley issued orders while everyone unpacked saddles and bridles and went about brushing horses and putting support wraps on their legs.

  Lily finished saddling Mr. Henley’s mare, then took a minute to stand back and take in the sights and sounds of race preparation. There was a bit of a nip in the early morning air. They had parked in a flat field next to a
stand of large, leafy trees. Contestants who had arrived early parked under them so that their horses would have shade in the later hours of the day when the sun grew warm.

  Horses whinnied to each other and pawed anxiously at the ground, ready to be off. People wandered about, making last-minute preparations and packing snacks for themselves and carrots for their horses to eat along the way. Fifty miles was a long way to go, and both horses and riders needed to eat to keep up their strength for the race.

  Lily noticed that the dark-haired lady next to them kept looking at her watch and frowning down the road. Beside her stood a beautiful chestnut gelding with two white hind socks and a blaze. Finally, with one last look down the road, the woman shook her head and picked up her brush bucket from the ground.

  “Good morning, Sharon,” Mr. Henley called to her. “Everything okay?”

  Sharon shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m in a bit of a mess this morning. I seem to have forgotten to pack my bridle, and the kid I hired to crew for me hasn’t shown up.” She laughed ruefully. “Guess maybe I’m just not supposed to race today. Fate seems to be against me, I’m afraid.”

  Lily felt badly for the woman. She knew how much work it took to get a horse ready for a race. Sharon had to be really disappointed.

  “I’ve got a bridle you can borrow,” Mr. Henley offered. “I’ve been in that position before, so I always pack extra equipment. Here you go.” He held out the bridle and the lady accepted it gratefully.

  “I guess I can crew for myself,” Sharon said. “Taking care of my horse is the most important thing. I can always rest after the race is over and eat my lunch on the trail.”

  “I’ll help,” Lily volunteered, looking to Mr. Henley to make sure it was okay. After all, he’d hired her to work for him.

  He gave her an approving nod. “That’s very nice of you, Lily. You’ll be crazy busy, but if you’re willing to do it, I’m sure Sharon could really use the help.”

  “I’ll pay you,” Sharon insisted.

  Lily shook her head. “No, thanks, that’s okay. I’m happy to do it. I’ve heard that I’m going to spend a lot of hours being bored while we’re waiting for you guys to come in, so I’m sure I’ll be ready to work hard when you get here.”