The Hunt for the White Stallion

 by Cari Legere

Photo Prompt: Andi and Silverado

Summer, 1882

Chapter 1

Fourteen-year-old Andrea “Andi” Carter stretched and yawned. It felt like an ordinary Saturday, but for her, it wasn’t. She, along with her brothers, was going to hunt for the elusive White Stallion.

Rumors about this majestic beast had circled all over the Circle C, piquing her excitement. And the best part? After a good deal of begging, she’d finally convinced Chad and Mitch to take her up to the mountains so she could see this wild stallion for herself. Oh, and she could also bring Taffy, which, to her, seemed like the best part of the deal.

Making her bed as neatly as possible, she rushed to her vanity, splashed some water on her face, and hurriedly braided her long dark brown hair. Then she rushed down the stairs, taking them two at time.

She then pulled up breathlessly at the breakfast table and plopped herself into a chair. “Good morning, Mother! Good morning, Chad, Mitch, Melinda!”

Justin was away working on a case in San Francisco.

“Good morning, Andrea,” Elizabeth Carter said with a smile. Her voice was warm and calm.

“Morning, little sister.” Chad grinned. “You seem mighty eager to get going. Why don’t you eat first, and then we can gather some supplies and saddle the horses.”

That seemed like a good idea to her. She politely requested the eggs to be passed and loaded her plate with them. Then she grabbed a couple of bacon strips. Her stomach growled.

Okay, I should really try not to rush through breakfast. That stallion’s probably still going to be roaming the frontier whether I take my time or not. She giggled to herself.

“I still can’t believe you and the boys are going to hunt for that horse,” Melinda sighed. “For all you know, it’s just a made-up story.”

That wasn’t a surprise coming from Melinda. Unlike Andi, she was more interested in sewing and beaus than spending the day getting sweaty and dirty while searching for what she thought was nothing but a tall tale.

“What can I say, sis? When Andi promised to actually do her chores for the next month, she won us over.” Mitch threw his hands up in mock surrender. It was no secret he’d helped Andi with her chores more than once. “Besides, it’s going to be fun.”

Melinda just rolled her eyes. Andi shook her head and wondered how in the world she and her sister were even related.

“Are you going to even touch your breakfast, little sis?” Chad asked.

Andi mumbled an apology, picked up her silverware, and began to eat. She had to admit everything tasted delicious. Or maybe she was just hungry. Either way, she finished up quickly. Draining her glass of milk, she requested to be excused. Upon receiving her mother’s approval, she sprinted out the door and headed for the stables. As she searched for Taffy’s stall, she slowed her pace to a brisk walk. Having a day trip with her brothers was quite rare, so she decided to make this trip worthwhile. Soon she reached the golden palomino mare’s stall.

“Hey, girl,” she murmured.

Taffy nickered back and stuck out her creamy nose, which caused Andi to giggle.

She began to rub the mare’s nose. “Are you as excited as I am? I hope so! It’s been forever since an opportunity like this came up.”

Taffy was her equine best friend and consort. The two had been inseparable since Andi was six years old.

“Andi!” Mitch called suddenly. “I’m getting the supplies ready. Are you going to help?”

“I’m coming!” she yelled back. “Goodbye, Taffy.”

She rushed out of the barn and into the yard. Her brothers needed her aid in putting the supplies in their horses’ saddlebags. Andi complied. Soon, the work was done, and she ran back to the barn to tack up her mare.

The preparations were finished some time later. By then, the energetic teenager had already swung herself into the saddle, her trusty lasso looped around the saddle horn. She was ready.

“All right, everything seems to be in order.” Chad surveyed his siblings and their horses. “Let’s go.”

Urging their mounts into a walk, they set off.

Chapter 2

A few hours in, Andi had seen not a single trace of the stallion.

Why does he have to be so hard to find?

“Chad? Mitch? Where was the White Stallion last seen?” she wondered.

Chad was the first to respond. “Up in the mountains. We’ve got a few more hours of riding before we reach the area.”

Andi slumped a bit in the saddle before straightening herself. She was fourteen. She could handle the wait.

*****

At last, the three siblings reached the mountains. What a change had occurred during the several-hours-long ride. Gone was the desert landscape. It was now replaced with towering pines and green. The weather had become cool and crisp, and a breeze blew some loose strands of hair in her face. Some clouds were rolling in, but not enough to worry her.

While she could’ve stayed there forever, she understood she was there for a reason—either confirm or debunk the rumors about the White Stallion. Oh, and if possible, also add the stallion to the Circle C’s stock.

But as for the time being, Andi was ready for a break. “Can we stop and eat right now?” she begged.

The brothers looked at each other. Mitch shrugged. “Sure, why not?”

The three unloaded the saddle bags and enjoyed a light lunch of sandwiches and sugar cookies. They were about to mount up again when Andi spotted a flash of white in a clump of trees.

Could it be?

“Chad! Mitch! I think I saw him!” she burst out.

“You did, sis?” Chad’s voice expressed doubt.

“Well…I saw a flash of white in that clump of trees over there.” She pointed to them. “But I’m not exactly sure.”

“Your eyes were just playing tricks on you.” Mitch shook his head. “C’mon, let’s mount up. Maybe we’ll actually see the White Stallion in a bit.”

Dejected, Andi remounted Taffy. “I’m honestly starting to doubt he exists, girl. But we’ll make the best of it, won’t we?”

Chapter 3

As the three Carter siblings rode deeper into the mountains, Andi wondered if she’d truly gotten a glimpse of that elusive, all-white steed.

I bet he’s probably hiding ‘cuz he knows we’re after him.

More clouds were gathering.

Lord, please don’t let it rain! We’ve got a long ride back home, and rain would be disastrous.

   She shivered, regretting not bringing warmer clothes. Just then, she sighted a white horse galloping through some thick vegetation to her right. Andi’s heart soared. In an instinctive movement, she felt her saddle horn to assure herself her lasso had remained there. It would’ve been disastrous if she’d lost it.

   “I saw him!” she called out.

“Where?” Chad shaded his eyes for a better look.

“Over there!” She pointed to the exact spot she’d last viewed the horse. To her dismay, he’d vanished again.

If I ever catch you, White Stallion, I’m going to call you White Flash.

“Let me guess: he escaped again?” Chad said with a teasing gleam in his blue eyes.

Andi nodded her head. “I’ll keep a better lookout. But this time I know I saw him.”

I’m never going to catch him at this pace. I’m going to end up having to split from my brothers. Her conscience stung her, but she chose to ignore it. Not right now, of course. Later.

“If we don’t find this horse of yours, Andi, within the next couple of hours,” Mitch started, “we’ll head home. I, for one, would prefer to be back on the ranch before sundown.”

It was a beautiful afternoon. Birds were chirping in the trees, and occasionally a squirrel would scamper up a tree. However, what stood out to the teenager the most was the silence.

Lord, thank you for this opportunity.

The breeze had picked up to a mild wind, and the sky was turning darker.

“Looks like rain,” Mitch commented. “Maybe we should start heading home now?”

“No, please, Mitch! It’s just really cloudy, that’s all!” Andi pleaded.

Chad let out a breath. “I don’t know about that, sis. But the storm’s too far away right now to cause us much harm. Let’s keep on going for an hour at least.”

Mitch agreed and urged his horse into a brisk walk. Chad and Andi did the same. They rode along in silence, each one keeping a lookout for the White Stallion. A couple of times, she thought she’d seen the horse’s iconic white coat, but it turned out to just be a bird or her imagination.

Gazing up at the sky for a moment, Andi let out a startled little gasp. The once-cloudless sky had transformed into layer after layer of dark gray. Definitely not a good sign.

No, no, no! We can’t leave now!

A horse’s neigh interrupted her thoughts. Only a few feet away in some bushes from her stood the White Stallion himself placidly munching away.

Chapter 4

Andi turned Taffy in the direction of the bushes with skillful ease.

“Where are you going?” Mitch hollered, concern evident in his voice.

Andi put a finger to her lips. The White Stallion—no, White Flash—would surely spook and then her caution would be all for nothing. To her surprise, he didn’t. He lifted his head, realized nothing was wrong, and returned to grazing. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Quietly, Taffy entered the bushes. Andi’s heart beat rapidly. She was so close to the stallion. So close that if she leaned forward just a bit, she could stroke his gleaming white coat. “Easy, boy,” she whispered.

Cautiously, she began to unwind her lasso from the saddle horn. White Flash didn’t notice a thing. Right when she’d almost finished the task, thunder boomed.

She let out a desperate cry. “NO!”

The stallion had spooked. With a panicked scream, he galloped at full speed away from the horse and rider.

Andi, though, wasn’t going to quit. “Come on, Taffy, give me all the speed you got. We’re going to need it, girl.”

She kicked the mare’s sides. Taffy took off at a full gallop. Horse and rider at that moment became one. Andi’s braid streamed out behind her like a banner in the wind. More thunder rumbled, this time louder.

Andi kicked again. “Please, Taffy, keep it up! Just imagine we’re racing Cory and Flash.”

The mare’s pace quickened. Her rider clung for dear life, cold sweat streaming down her forehead. White Flash had gained about fifty feet since they’d started.

Maybe, just maybe, I could try to rope him at this point.

She twirled the lariat around her head and in a swift movement tossed it neatly…over nothing. He was too far. She screamed in desperation.

“Go, Taffy, go! You can do this, girl. Just catch him enough so I can toss the lasso over his head.

Gathering the rope, she continued to cling to the mare’s back. The thunder sounded much closer this time. Then lightning flashed.

No rain yet. I’m hoping it stays like that.

Little by little, the courageous duo was gaining on the wild horse. Forty feet, then thirty, then twenty. And that was when the rain began. In an instant, she was soaked to the bone. Water steamed out of her hair and onto her shirt, yet she kept on riding.

“I am not a quitter!” she declared through gritted teeth.

Even though the rain poured in sheets, she dug her heels into Taffy’s side. They were at most likely fifteen feet by now. Taffy lunged forward, spurred onwards by the squeezing of Andi’s legs. A lightning bolt flashed only a few feet from where she was riding.

“Ten feet, nine feet, eight feet…”  she counted.

White Flash’s pace began to slow.

He’s tiring! I just need a couple more feet, and I’ll be able to rope him easy as pie! Lord, you know how much this horse means to me. Please help me catch him. In Your name, amen.

Five feet! Andi prepared to lasso the beast once again despite the heavy rain. This shot would either result in victory or defeat. Following the same procedure, she whirled the lariat around her head, aimed, and successfully landed it around his neck!

“Yee-haw! Gotcha, boy!” she whooped.

Chapter 5

“Andi?” a concerned male voice called. “Is that you?” It was Mitch!

“Yes, it’s me!” she answered.

Chad rode up beside Mitch. Both of the brothers expressed their concern for their sister and how glad they were to see her.

“You got that stallion good, little sis,” Chad praised. “Your lassoing skills have drastically improved.”

Andi just blushed. “Let’s head home. Mother’s probably worried sick about us.”

*****

It was late evening when the Carter siblings halted their horses in front of the Circle C Ranch. As Andi had predicted, Elizabeth was indeed worried sick.

“Oh my, I was so worried about you,” she confessed once the three were safe and warm inside the ranch house. “I thought something terrible had happened to you!”

“Nothing really terrible happened,” Chad assured her. “This was surprisingly tame for Andi.”

“Oh, Andrea.” She shook her head. “You worry me so much.”

“Sorry, Mother.” Andi hung her head in shame.

“Well, what’s done is done. Why don’t we go take a look at the stallion you brought home? Sweetheart, I’d like you to stay inside. You need to change into some dry clothes.”

Soon, Andi was happily seated at the table recounting the hunt for the White Stallion. Melinda, of course, sighed when the part about lassoing the stallion was mentioned.

“Well, what are you going to name him?” Mitch wanted to know.

“White Flash,” Andi announced.

The Carter family chuckled at this. Andi grinned. Despite the stress and worry it had caused her, she believed the escapade was one hundred percent worth it.

I am never going to forget this, she thought. This has been the best day ever!