The next night he called but could only talk for a minute. Then he didn’t call for two nights after that. When Lauren phoned him, there was no answer. She left messages on his machine, but even then he took three days before he phoned back. And again, he didn’t have time to talk. Lauren thought of approaching Aunt April and asking her whom she thought the stranger was, but then decided against it. She didn’t want to get Aunt April in trouble with her dad and she knew her aunt probably wouldn’t tell her anyway. If it hadn’t been for Trooper and the time they spent together, Lauren was sure she would’ve gone insane with worry and frustration. Grown-ups could be so irritating!

She rode Trooper with Charity and Kjerstina every day, even when it rained. As her skill increased, the three girls rode farther and farther. They discovered new trails through the woods, creeks that bubbled magically from the undergrowth, and a hidden meadow along the shore of one of the small crystal clear lakes near the larger Misty Lake.

Lauren took a riding lesson with Lisa, her cousins’ riding instructor, and was happy to hear that Lisa thought she was a natural rider. After the lesson, she was so excited she couldn’t wait to talk to her dad. But all she got was the answering machine. Again.

After Lauren had been in Misty Lake for almost two weeks, Aunt April drove her to the local tack store while Charity and Kjerstina were visiting friends. Lauren bought hoof glitter and some spray that promised to add super shine to a horse’s mane and tail. When she got back, Lauren ran to the barn to try the new purchases on Trooper. After an enjoyable hour, experimenting in the barn, she led Trooper into the sunlight.

“Wow,” she whispered when the sun caught Trooper’s mane and tail. The long hair glistened midnight blue. His hooves shone in the light like rainbows. Lauren turned him loose in the paddock and Trooper pranced across the grass. Lauren ran after him, exalting in the wind in her face. She spun in a circle in the middle of the field and fell backwards, her face to the sky.

Trooper walked up to her and snorted into her face. Lauren couldn’t stop from laughing out loud. “It’s a glorious day, isn’t it?” she said to the buckskin. “We should go for a ride.”

Lauren jumped to her feet and clipped the lead rope back onto Trooper’s halter. She led him back to the barn and tied him with a double knot, then ran to the house.

“Aunt April, is it okay if I go riding by myself?” she asked hopefully.

Her aunt turned from the sink where she was washing dishes. “Where do you want to go?” she asked. “I wouldn’t like you to go too far if you’re going to be alone.”

“Can I go to the little warm spring in the woods? That’s not too far, and I promise I won’t be gone long,” Lauren replied.

“Okay,” agreed Aunt April. “But be back before six. That’s an hour and a half.”

“Thanks, Aunt April,” said Lauren. She flashed a smile at her aunt before racing out the door and back to the barn.

In a few minutes, Trooper was saddled and bridled. Lauren led him to the gate and undid the special chain and clip. She took him through and latched the gate, then climbed into the saddle.

“Let’s go, boy,” she said in an excited voice and squeezed Trooper’s sides. This was the first time Lauren had been riding by herself and she was looking forward to it. There was no one to remind her of how elusive her dad was being, no one to theorize on what was happening back home. Lauren didn’t blame Charity and Kjerstina. She knew they couldn’t help it. She knew her cousins just thought of the whole situation as an intriguing mystery to be solved. But it hurt Lauren to think of how her dad was avoiding her.

I’m just going to have fun and forget about Dad for the rest of the day, she decided and patted Trooper on his neck. Trooper was excited to be out and stepped forward eagerly. Soon they came to the break in the trees where the trail started and Lauren turned him into the woods.

The whole world changed when they stepped into the forest. Almost immediately the sound of traffic from the road was shut out. It was so quiet. So still. Lauren knew she should probably make some noise to alert any wild animals to their presence, but she couldn’t stand the thought of breaking the peaceful atmosphere. The needles strewn on the trail muffled Trooper's glittering hooves and Lauren noticed that even the sound of their breathing was easy to hear. I’ll let Trooper take care of me, she decided. He’ll keep me safe.

Soon they came to where the tiny trail to the warm spring branched off the main trail. Lauren turned Trooper toward the spring. In the clearing, she slipped from the saddle and pulled Trooper’s reins over his head. Then she sat down and removed her shoes and socks. The warm bubbling water felt so good on her feet. Lauren wished the pool was big enough that she could just climb in. She needed to relax. All this stuff with her dad was driving her nuts.

“But I decided not to think about that, didn’t I?” she said to her horse. Trooper pulled on the reins in her hand and Lauren turned to look at him. “Hey boy, what’s up? You don’t want to stand around and wait for me?” Trooper tugged again and nickered to Lauren.

“Okay, okay,” she finally said. Reluctantly, she pulled her feet from the water. “We’ll go do something fun. I don’t need to relax anyway. I just need to toughen up.” Trooper nickered again and Lauren laughed. “You’re not supposed to agree,” she protested.

When she was securely in the saddle, she directed Trooper back the way they had come. They reached the main trail again and Lauren reined the horse to the left, away from Aunt April’s house. “Let’s go exploring a bit, okay, buddy?” she said.

Past the turnoff to the spring, the trail wasn’t as well developed. It looked as if it was only used by wild animals, all of which were shorter than Trooper, and Lauren kept having to push branches out of her way. After a stretch of ducking branches and pulling fir and pine twigs from her hair, Lauren was relieved when the trail began to climb higher. She clung to the saddle as Trooper lurched higher and higher up the rocky hillside. The trees grew farther apart on the hillside, and the agile gelding wove between the trunks with ease. When they reached a flat place, Lauren reined him around to look back the way they had come.

The view was breathtaking. Multiple greens lay over the land like a carpet, dotted with small topaz and aquamarine lakes. The larger Misty Lake lay behind them like a giant sapphire. From this height, she could see why it was called Misty Lake. A thin, white veil wisped around the edge of the gigantic lake.

“Wow,” Lauren whispered. She looked to where she expected her aunt and uncle’s house to be, but couldn’t see it. They weren’t high enough to see the things closer to the foot of the mountain. “Let’s go higher, Trooper,” she said and turned him away from the beautiful scene. They climbed until they hit a rock wall. Lauren directed Trooper along the cliff, searching for a path they could use to climb higher. The trail they had been following was long gone.

We’re bushwhacking, thought Lauren, thinking of a phrase her Uncle Chris used that she always thought was funny. I’m a bushwhacker. Just wait until I tell Dad.

As they rode along the bottom of the rock wall, Lauren noticed they were being forced to go downhill. Lauren thought of turning Trooper around, but she didn’t want to go back yet. There was still time before her hour and a half was up.

“I love exploring,” she said aloud to the buckskin gelding. Trooper looked back at her and nickered. “You too?” asked Lauren and leaned forward to pat his neck. Again she marvelled that she was riding her very own horse, his step eager and springy, his ears forward and eyes bright. Trooper was the perfect horse for her.

When Trooper first turned away from the rock wall to scoot down a steep section, Lauren was surprised. She hadn’t asked him to turn, and wondered if she should rein him back the way they had come. The forests were endless and they could easily get lost. She looked back to see the iron gray rock bluff behind her.

As long as I can see that, I’m okay, she reasoned. And Trooper seems to know exactly where he’s going. I wonder if he’s been here before. The gelding was almost trotting now. Lauren clutched the reins a little tighter and Trooper slid down another short, steep section.

Lauren pulled him to a stop. They were on an overgrown road. The little hill Trooper had slid down was the upper embankment.

“Where are we, boy?” she asked and wished he could answer her. The road was overgrown with bushes and young saplings. Lauren looked both ways. The brushy road twisted out of sight in both directions.

“Let’s go to the right, Troops. I’m sure it’ll come out at the road that goes in front of Aunt April’s if we do,” said Lauren. She glanced at her wristwatch. “It’s probably faster than going back, and we’ve got to hurry now if we want to make it in time. She reined Trooper to the right and squeezed her calves against his side, but Trooper turned to the left and strode along the overgrown road.

“Whoa,” Lauren said and pulled back on the reins. Trooper stopped and Lauren laid the reins against his neck to turn him around. But instead of turning back the way he came, Trooper turned in a complete circle. He took two steps forward before Lauren stopped him again.

“What are you doing, Trooper?” she asked, exasperated. “I don’t want to go this way. We don’t have time to explore any more. Aunt April’s going to be worried if we’re late.” She tried to turn him, but again Trooper turned in a complete circle. And again. Now they were even farther along the overgrown road, in the wrong direction.

“Trooper,” she said, her voice on the edge of panic. “Turn around. This isn’t the right way!” She tried turning the horse again and, once more, he slowly and deliberately turned in a complete circle and eagerly stepped in the wrong direction.

She remembered what Lisa said about being the boss of the horse. Up until now, Trooper had been perfect. He had never tried to take advantage of her inexperience. I need to be firm, she remembered, and gentle at the same time.

She turned Trooper toward Aunt April’s house and, when he kept turning in a full circle, she didn’t stop him. Instead she kept turning him. They spun in circles in the middle of the road until Lauren grew dizzy and Trooper finally stopped, facing the right direction.

“Good boy,” said Lauren and Trooper snorted in resignation. She squeezed his sides and he reluctantly stepped forward. “Good boy,” Lauren repeated and stroked him. Lisa had said to reward the horse when he did the right thing.

After a few steps, Trooper regained his good temper and Lauren relaxed a bit. Trooper seemed to forget their disagreement and stepped forward with a springy step and ears perked forward. He was eager to please her again, so Lauren let him trot along the clearer sections of the brushy road. The fresh breeze against her face helped to blow away some of her confusion. They had only gone a short distance when Lauren heard the sounds of traffic. The old road did meet up with the highway. She breathed a sigh of relief.

The brush next to the highway was an impenetrable mass and Lauren had to ride Trooper off the old road and into the ancient forest to get around it. When she broke out of the trees, she looked back. The old road was completely hidden by vegetation.

“We’ll come back some other day and explore, Trooper. I promise,” she said and patted the gelding on the neck. “And I forgive you for wanting to go the wrong direction. I know you were just having fun too, and didn’t want to go home yet. Right?”

Trooper snorted in response and looked longingly toward the hidden road. Then he drew a deep sigh and stepped toward Aunt April’s.