Louise stroked Honey’s nose as Patti banged her fist on the mare’s rump a few times before inserting the needle. “She didn’t even notice. You must be used to doing that.”
Patti replaced the cap on the needle before throwing the disposable syringe in a bin outside the yard. “I should teach you to do these things. Looking after horses is more than mucking out, feeding, and riding.”
Wanting to learn everything she could, Louise agreed. “There’s only a few weeks before we leave for Africa. I don’t know how much I can do. Mum and Dad didn’t like your plan to breed at first. I’m glad you talked them round. Thanks again for helping with her not having to be sold.”
Patti gathered her own tack as Louise carried her saddle and bridle out to her mare. “I’ve been thinking again about that.”
Louise stopped. “What? Surely you don’t think I should sell her after all?”
Raising her eyebrows, Patti shook her head. “Of course not. I meant about you going to Africa. I’ll really miss your help around here. It occurred to me that maybe you could stay with me. That way you could finish your schooling at Crowhurst.”
Initially excited, Louise slumped. “My parents would never agree. They’re determined all four of us should experience a different culture and see more of the world.”
“Why don’t you ask them anyway? It’s a bad time for you to be changing schools. This way you could work with the horses after school as well as every weekend. Perhaps you could visit Africa in the holidays instead?” Patti pushed the door shut behind her with her foot and headed down the central yard to the end stable.
Stopping next to Honey, Louise propped her saddle on the ground. She called after Patti. “I love the idea. I’ll definitely ask. Thanks.”
Her mind whirling with possibilities for the future, the ride around Willowlea passed without Louise thinking about the plight of the mountain brumbies or cattle being permitted back in the park. Seeing where Robert Smythe-Waters had trapped the grey stallion’s herd the previous year by tempting them in with hay and repairing the fence behind them usually made her fume. The memory of the landholder trying to thwart her and Ben’s attempts to muster brumbies before that always made her hot with anger. Today her mind was occupied with the idea of living with Patti instead of moving to Africa. Was there any chance her parents would agree? One moment she thought they might, the next she knew they wouldn’t.
Honey trotted along on a loose rein, familiar with the track to Mirraburra. Louise guided her without thinking, using her body to change direction or alter her speed. Riding her mare had become as familiar as her bike these days, with no need to think about every action. She thought it possible her body reacted to Honey’s movements without her brain consciously detecting the need to do so, such as steadying her balance when her horse stumbled or shied.
She knew her riding had improved over the last two years, both from the experience of riding different horses and breaking in her own brumby. The lessons with Patti had also made a huge difference. Her relationship with horses these days was very different from before she moved to Crowhurst, when she rode once a week at a riding school on the outskirts of the city.
A flash of orange darted across Louise’s peripheral vision, startling her back to the present. “A fox! What’s he been eating?”
Louise guessed that the feral animal had been feasting on a carcase when she disturbed it, as it was unusual to see one out in the open during the day. She rode over to where it had sprung from the ground, expecting to see a rabbit, or perhaps a young wallaby.
Before she could make out what animal the fox had been feeding on the smell of rotting flesh made Louise gag. Honey snorted and baulked, not wanting to approach the rotting mound. As Louise pushed her forwards the bloated body of a horse appeared behind a boulder.
Maggots squirmed across the chewed flesh. Hollow eye sockets gaped at the sky. One hind leg stuck up in the air, distended with gases. Allowing her horse to spin away Louise choked, tears welling. “Let’s get out of here, Honey. There’s nothing we can do for him now.”
In the brief glimpse she had Louise saw the horse had been shot in the spine. His head appeared undamaged apart from where the birds had pecked at his eyes and lips. From the gouge marks in the dirt Louise suspected the brumby had struggled to rise for a long time. His hind legs must have been paralysed as the ground showed no disturbance near his rear end. Louise’s stomach threatened to rise into her throat.
As Louise rode into the yard at Tumbleford Farm, Ben slid the latch of Brandy’s door closed behind him. Leaping off her mare Louise loosened the girth and led her to the water trough. “Where do you want me to put her?”
Ben strode over, brushing hay off his shirt and jeans. “Wash her down and let her have a roll in the round yard. We can introduce her to Brandy once she’s settled.”
Louise accepted the headcollar that Ben handed to her, slipping Honey’s bridle off with the lead rope dangling round the mare’s neck. “How’s his leg today?”
“Heaps better. No heat at all. I’ll give him a couple more days off. Hopefully he’ll be okay for the race.” Ben’s voice sounded chirpy for the first time in ages.
Not wanting to spoil Ben’s good mood Louise hesitated to tell him about the horror she had encountered on her ride over. After settling Honey she peered over the stable door at the brumby stallion. His liver chestnut coat gleamed. Whickering, he came over and nibbled at her fingers. She teased his lips, playing with his muzzle. As he tried to nip her she tapped him on the nose and stepped back. “Behave yourself.”
Ben chuckled at their play. “Let’s get Ned and Eve.”
Following Ben into the hay barn Louise almost fell over as Snifter bounded up to greet her. “Hello, boy. You’re bouncy today.”
The blue heeler licked her arms as he pawed at her with his one front leg. Distracted by the dog she failed to notice the horses until she staggered with a butt to her other side. “Hey! What’s happening?”
Eve smacked her head against Louise’s thigh. She couldn’t believe this was the brumby foal that hadn’t been able to stand on her own when they found her. The filly skittered backwards and forwards, tossing her head and squealing.
Laughing, Ben slipped a headcollar on Ned. “That’s her way of saying she wants a bucket of milk. She’ll have to wait until later.”
“She looks fantastic. That moth-eaten look has gone. You can see her new coat coming through.” Louise tried to stroke the foal as she bounded around. The little horse didn’t stay in one place long enough.
“You get the door and I’ll lead Ned out. I’m sure she’ll follow.”
Louise walked ahead of Ben and the horses to open the gate into Shadow’s paddock. The old stockhorse rested at the far side under a tree. Peach lay in the long grass, curled up asleep. “I bet she wakes up soon.”
Before Ben had finished unhaltering Ned, Shadow trotted across to see what was going on. As she reached Ned she snorted and struck out with her foreleg. The gelding lowered his head and yawned, showing respect. Content that Ned held no threat, Shadow nibbled his mane in greeting. Leaning on the open gate, Louise thought the mare looked pleased to have another adult horse for company.
At that moment Eve cavorted through the gateway. Shadow threw up her head and bent her neck to look around to where her own foal lay. Peach struggled to her feet, blinking. Stretching her nose forward to sniff Eve, Shadow snorted. Eve dashed to the mare’s flanks and thrust her head beneath Shadow’s hind legs. Shadow didn’t want her trying to drink. Spinning on her front legs, she lashed out with her rear hooves, sending the foal sprawling in the dirt.
“Stop her, Ben! She’ll hurt her.” Louise clanged the gate shut, not believing that Ben could stand there and watch without intervening.
“They’ve got to sort themselves out. She’ll be alright.”
Ned walked off to graze, more interested in the grass than the antics of mare and foal. In his wandering he sauntered towards Peach. Shadow chased after him, whinnying. As she neared the gelding she opened her mouth and lunged to take a chunk out of his rump. Ned flinched and trotted away from the onslaught.
Concerned that having the horses together wasn’t working, Louise looked to Ben. “Should we catch him again?”
Ben shook his head. “Give them a while. Once Honey joins them they’ll feel more like a herd. No need to guess who’ll be boss mare.”
As Ben predicted Shadow settled down. Keeping herself between Peach and Ned, she nibbled at the grass, her ears swivelling to check where everyone was. After her initial attempt to suckle, Eve avoided the mare, finding solace with Ned.
Intrigued, Louise watched Peach observing the other horses. At first the other filly obeyed her dam’s instructions to stay away. As she became bolder she manoeuvred so that she closed in on Eve. She’d stop to graze for a few mouthfuls before walking a few steps more, all the time watching her mother out of one eye. Another few steps brought her nearer the orphan brumby. She nibbled another couple of mouthfuls of grass before moving again. Eve did the same until the two foals stood only a metre apart.
Peach reached out her head. Eve did the same. Stretching their necks rather than moving their feet they touched muzzles. Squealing, they leaped backwards before stretching forward again. After a couple more sniffs they raced off, galloping around the paddock and kicking up their heels.
“Look at them go!”
Patti’s voice startled Louise. “I didn’t hear you drive in.”
Patti joined Louise and Ben where they leant on the gate. “You were too fascinated by the youngsters. I don’t blame you, they’re gorgeous. How did your ride over go?”
Louise’s joy at watching the foals dissipated like water down a drain. “It was awful. I came across a dead stallion being eaten by a fox.”
Ben quizzed her about what she had seen. “Do you think it was shot as part of the cull? I haven’t heard any planes.”
Remembering the gory details, Louise explained what she found. “What’s worse, I’m sure it was the grey stallion, the guardian of the brumby herd. I recognised him despite his awful state.”
“No way! That stinks. Why won’t the ranger stop this?” Ben threw the headcollar he’d been holding onto the ground.
Patti frowned. “I’ve heard a lot of helicopters over my way recently. I didn’t realise that’s what they were doing. I know the stallion you mean. There’s no reason to cull a fine animal like that. They’re only supposed to shoot the old or injured.”
“What can we do? Nobody will listen to us.” Louise turned to see Eve where she had stopped gambolling to graze alongside Peach. She wondered how many more orphan foals may be dying in the park.
“I’ll talk to Adam. We must find a way to stop the cull.” Patti said goodbye and returned to her ute, leaving Louise’s bike propped against the fence.
Ben collected the headcollar he’d thrown down and dusted it off. “I hope it’s not too late. How many horses have already been killed?”
The mellow tones of a clarinet carried on the breeze to Louise as she neared home. Her emotions continued to roller coaster between excitement and sadness. Butterflies settled in her stomach as her encounter with her mother approached. After locking her bike in the garage Louise guzzled a glass of water as she went to her room to change.
“Is that you, Louise?”
“Yes, Mum.” Louise changed direction and headed for the music room, steeling herself for the confrontation.
Mrs Hardy placed her clarinet in its case and snapped closed the brass latches. “How about a cup of tea? You look parched. How was Honey?”
Louise led the way to the kitchen and organised biscuits on a plate as her mother filled the kettle. “She was great. But I found a horse that had been shot. It was horrible. I don’t know why the ranger allows the brumbies to suffer.”
“I’m sure Mr Cartwright knows what he’s doing. Get a third cup out will you? Dean’s home.”
At the mention of his name, Louise’s brother poked his head around the kitchen door. “No thanks, I’m not stopping. I just came to pack up my gear.”
Mrs Naylor looked surprised. “Where are you going? I didn’t think you had a gig tonight.”
Dean leant in the doorway with his thumbs hooked into the pockets of his jeans. “I don’t. We’re going to Melbourne. Nigel’s mate has a flat there which we’re going to share.”
Louise watched her mother stiffen. Trying to keep the atmosphere calm she pried for more information. “How long are you going for?”
“As long as we want. There’s more opportunity for the band in the city. We’ve got a few bookings already.” Dean made to turn and leave, hanging on the half open door.
Mrs Naylor stepped across the room and grabbed her son’s arm, swinging him back towards her. “Not so fast. What do you mean? We’re leaving for Africa soon, though the date has slipped a bit.”
Dean stood his ground. “I’m not going. There’s no future for me in wherever it is Dad’s got a job. I’m going south with the band.”
“We’ll see what your father has to say about that!” Mrs Naylor released Dean’s arm and backed off.
“I’m going, regardless. I’m eighteen. You can’t stop me. I can look after myself.”
Louise watched her brother disappear down the hallway to his room. Her throat doubled its efforts to strangle her. Would Dean’s leaving help or hinder her desire to move in with Patti? Was now the right time to raise the issue?
She decided she may as well say what she wanted. “Actually, Mum, I don’t want to go either.”
Mrs Naylor plopped down on a kitchen chair and swept her hair behind her ears. “Ridiculous! Of course you do. You can’t let one horse stop you from experiencing the world. Anyway, where on earth would you go? You can’t run off to Melbourne like your brother.”
Louise made the tea and poured her mother a cup before she said any more. “Patti offered to let me live with her so I can finish school in Crowhurst. It will be really awkward to go to a new place with my exams this year.”
“Patti? You shouldn’t have asked such a big thing of her. Whatever will she think? That we can’t look after our own family?” Mrs Naylor stirred her tea as if it had six spoonfuls of sugar in it rather than a mere splash of milk.
Louise answered through a mouthful of biscuit crumbs. “I didn’t ask, she offered. I think it’s a great idea. I could come out and see you and Dad in the holidays. Patti says she’ll miss my help, and that way I can be there when Honey has her foal.”
“I knew letting you get that mare pregnant was a mistake. The answer’s no. Tell Patti thank you for the offer, but you’re going to Africa. Isn’t it bad enough that it seems we won’t all be going, without your father and I having to leave you both behind?”