I Will Never Leave You

 by Lyla M., age 14


Note on the names: all Irish names have been researched and the spelling and pronunciation is correct. The meanings for the names are: Aoife- Beauty, Noreen-Honor, Deimne-Sureness, Sean-God is gracious, Maureen-Beloved, Liam-Protection.

   The red hot sun beat down upon the three lone figures that walked across the grassy valley. One was bigger then the other two. It’s once beautiful and flowing midnight black mane and tail were now nests of tangles and dirt, it’s once silver coat a dusty brown.

    The other figures were smaller and more slender. But their hair was also tangled and dirty, their skin sunburned and dusty, their dresses torn.

    The taller one had hair like a red oak trees’ leaves in the fall. Her eyes were the color of a summer sky at noon. Her hands were small, and gentle. But when needed they could be firm.

    The shorter girl’s eyes were also blue, but so dark that unless the sun flashed on them they looked brown. Her hair was brown, like the brown chocolate becomes if it is left in the sun to long.

    The smaller of the two spoke.

    “Aoife, (EE-fa) I’m thirsty.”

    “I know Noreen (naw-REEN). I am too.”

    The small voice came again.

    “Do you think Deimne ( DAY-nee) is thirsty?”

    As if the stallion understood, Deimne nickered and shook his head. Dust flew, then settled onto his back again.

   “There’s your answer,” replied Aoife.

    The Gypsy Cob stallion had been their trusted companion from the day their father had given him to them as a foal. He was steady, and sure, as his name said. He had helped them when the storm came, and, Aoife hoped, he was leading them home, or at least to water.

   The sisters and the horse had been lost on the valley for what seemed to them like forever. Aoife remembered that fateful morning three days ago when she asked her father if she and Noreen could take Deimne exploring around their new home.


 

    They had moved to their aunt and uncles farm about ten miles outside of Fresno, California, only the day before. Before that they lived to the south in the town of Visalia.

    They had moved because their mother was going to have a baby in a month's time, and she was tired of the town and wanted quiet. Father agreed that it was time to move to his brothers farm near Fresno. So they sent word to the man that owned the house they rented that they were moving and were not going to pay rent the next month, and Uncle Sean and sixteen year old Cousin Liam came with two wagons to help them.

One and a half days later they arrived at the farm.  They had spent the rest of the day unpacking, arranging and rearranging in the spare cottage to Mothers satisfaction. They ate supper in the main farmhouse with Uncle Sean, Aunt Maureen, and Liam.

    The next morning, when Aoife asked Father if she and Noreen could go exploring, he said in his thick Irish brogue, “Aye lass, ye may go.” Then he said, shaking his finger at her, “But don’t ya go to far mind ya. There’s wolves and mountain lions out in those hills. And I’d hate to see ya get lost.”

    “Aye Father. We’ll be carful.”

    He smiled, ”Good lass. Go ask your mother for some biscuits and ham to take with ya.” He winked at her. “She might even give ya one or two of those apples she’s been a savin’. If ya ask nicely.” He chuckled and went off to the barn to milk the cows with Uncle Sean and Liam.

    Aoife ran into the house where Mother was organizing the kitchen and said, “Mother, Father said Noreen and I could go exploring. Could we take some ham and biscuits with us?” Then she added hopefully, “And maybe an apple?”

    Mother took a small buckskin bag off a hook on the wall and made four ham biscuits, wrapped them in brown paper, and put them in the bag, saying as she did it, “Why you two girls want to go traipsing around in the woods all day is beyond me. Be careful, and make sure your back by supper time.”

    “We will Mother. May I bring the blanket Cloud Dancing gave me?” Cloud Dancing was a Cheyenne medicine man that was good friends with her father. He had given Aoife the blanket as a parting gift when she and her family had moved from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Visalia, when Noreen was just a baby. Aoife still missed him, and his wife, Snowbird, who had been so kind to her, like she was their own child, as they had no children of their own.

    “Yes you may. Go and get it while I finish your dinner.”

    Aoife was upstairs and down again with the thick Indian blanket in a flash. She took the bag and a canteen of water from her mother and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

    “Love you Mother.”

    “Love you to sweetie. Have fun!”

    “We will!” Aoife called back as she ran out the door. She slung the bag and the canteen across her shoulders and headed to the horse barn, where she found Noreen currying Deimne’s silver buckskin coat to a shine.

    “Father said we could go exploring, and Mother packed us dinner. We just have to be back by supper. Do you want to use the saddle, or bareback, like the Indians?”

    Noreen make a face. “Definitely bareback. It’s so much more comfortable, especially for the person riding on the back.”

   Aoife laughed. Even Noreen was only seven, she was Aoife’s best friend, and very full of opinions and questions.

    “Alright, I’ll go get his bridle.” She went into the tack room and got the leather headstall with long split reins, and the beautiful Indian feathers hanging off the sides. The bridle was also a gift from the Cheyenne, and used to belong to Mother’s mare, Deimne’s dam. She had died giving birth to Deimne. His sire was Aoife’s Father’s horse.

    As she bridled the stallion, Aoife asked, “Which direction should we go?”

    Noreen thought a moment. “I think we should go… west! Maybe we can make it to the Sierra Nevadas by dinner!”

   Aoife was doubtful. “Well, we can try, but Father said not to go to far.”

    They led Deimne out of the barn and Aoife slung the blanket over his withers and pulled herself onto his back, then helped Noreen up behind her. They waved to Father, who was taking two buckets of frothing milk to the house. Aoife gathered the reins and turned Deimne toward the west, and into the woods.

    The sisters explored along various deer trails for the next few hours. When they came to a clearing, they dismounted, hobbled Deimne and removed his bridle so he could graze, and Aoife spread the blanket on the ground and took out their lunch. There was the four ham biscuits, three big red apples, two milk bottles, and a bandanna full of sugar cookies. Since it was only around ten in the morning, she said to Noreen, “We should probably save most of this for later. You can have a little bit of milk and two sugar cookies.”

    “But I’m so hungry!” Seeing her sister’s stern look, she added, “Well, maybe not that hungry.”

    After eating, Aoife packed up the food and took the blanket over to Deimne, slinging it over his withers again. After bridling and unhobbling him she mounted and looked around for Noreen. “Noreen! Time to go!” There was no answer. Louder, she yelled, “Noreen! I said ‘time to go’!”

Still no answer.

She huffed out a breath. “I turn my back for five minutes, and she has to go and get herself lost. Typical little sister.” She turned toward the direction Noreen had gone, urged Deimne into a trot and crossed the clearing. She found Noreen’s trail leading into the woods. After a few minutes she came across Noreen walking down a well traveled deer highway.

    “Noreen!” She turned, saw Deimne coming toward her and laughed!

    “I knew you would find me!”

    “Please Noreen, don’t scare me like that!” After helping her onto the horses back she asked, “Why did you do that?”

    “I wanted to see if you remembered how to track, considering how long we were in town and all.”

    “Oh. Well next time tell me where you’re going.”

    They rode on in silence and didn’t notice the dark clouds covering the sky until a boom of thunder made them jump. They didn’t know where to go to find shelter, but Deimne seemed to. Aoife gave him his head and he took them to a outcropping of rock where they found a cave just big enough for them and Deimne to fit. After making sure it was unoccupied, they went into it and wrapped themselves in the blanket. It started the rain, then to pour.

    Through the  flashes of lightning and the booms of thunder, Aoife thought, I wish we could make a fire. Another thought came into her head. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. The Bible verse out of Hebrews popped up without warning. All right Lord, Aoife prayed, I’ll try. Please just help me take care of Noreen.

    Breaking into her thoughts, Noreen asked, “When do you think the storm will stop?” “I don’t know. But even if it goes on till tomorrow, we still have each other, and Deimne, and God too.” Noreen snuggled closer and fell asleep. Deimne lay down next to the two girls and fell asleep too. Before Aoife did she said, “Lord, please keep us safe and help us get home.”

 


 

    The next day the storm had stopped, but the sky didn’t clear. With no sun to guide them, Aoife looked for the trail they had used. But all she saw were dead trees and fallen branches that had destroyed what trail there might be.

    She gave Deimne his head, hoping he knew the way home. He trotted through the woods, seeming to smell something. A few miles later they came to a small but clear stream. While Deimne and Noreen drank their fill, Aoife filled the canteen and took stock of their supplies. They had two biscuits, a bottle of milk, and two apples. Not much, but she thanked God for it anyway.

    After the stream Aoife gave Deimne his head again and said to Noreen, “Do you remember any Bible verses?”

    “I remember Deuteronomy 31:18. And the LORD, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed.”

    Aoife was quiet a minuet. Then she said, “Thank you Noreen, for reminding me of that. Even if we are lost, God is with us. Let’s pray. Lord, please help us get home, and please keep us safe, and help us to remember that You are always in control. Amen.”

    The trees opened up and before them was a big field, with big cows of various colors dotting it. Beyond that was the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains, dark green against the gray of the sky.

    Aoife turned to Noreen. “We’ll find our way home. These cows must belong to someone.”

   They rode on.


    Two days later they had eaten the last of the food and drunken the last of the water. They had not found a ranch, but the Sierras were a lot closer.

    Aoife was discouraged. She had hoped they would have found something, but they were tired, footsore, and thirsty. And all she saw in front of them was grass and cows.

    They knew Deimne was tired, so they had been walking for the last few hours.

     Noreen broke into her thoughts. “Can we rest a minute? I’m tired, and my feet hurt.”

    “Yes, we can rest,” replied Aoife.

 They sat down on the grass. Aoife plucked some grass and started braiding it into a chain. She didn’t notice Noreen crying until she heard her start the sob.

    “Noreen,” she said scoping her into her arms. “It’ll be ok. We’ll find our way home.”

    Noreen just sobbed harder. “We’ve been lost for three days, Aoife. What if we never get home? I want to be able to see Mothers baby.”

    “Oh, Noreen. We’ll get home. We just need to trust God. Remember that verse? The one that says He’ll never leave us, or forsake us? Let pray again and ask Him to help us.”

    Noreen wiped her tears away. “Ok Aoife.”

    After praying hugged and mounted Deimne again and went on. A while later Deimne stopped at the foot of a small hill, pricked his ears forward, and whinnied!

    “What is it Deimne?” asked Aoife. The two girls and the stallion listened. At first they heard nothing, then the sound of hoof beats. Aoife urged Deimne into a lope. When they crested the top of the hill what they saw made them want to cry and laugh and praise God all at once.

    Before them was a ranch. Not very big, but it seemed to be crawling with people. Really it was only four or five, but after being lost for three days it seemed like a lot.         

    One of the men shouted and pointed at the figures on the hill. In a moment they were running toward the sisters.

    For a second Aoife doubted if they were welcome, and turned Deimne the run back down the hill.

    “Wait!”

    She turned the stallion back.

    The man who had shouted ran up the them.

    “Are your names Aoife and Noreen O’Heily?”

    “Yes sir. How do you know our names?”

    “Your father, Harry O’Heily, put word out that you went missing three days ago. My name is Riley Prescott. Thank God you found our ranch. Please come to the house and have some dinner while I send a man to tell your father.”

    “Thank you so much Mr. Prescott. But first we must see to Deimne. He’s the one who led us here.”

    “Of course Miss. I will have ranch hands see to him.”

    As they went down the hill to the house, Aoife and Noreen hugged each other and said together, “Thank you, Lord, for never leaving us.


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