The Blessed Friends

Chapter 8

Kristie's POV:

I don't know when I fell asleep, or how long I was asleep for, but I woke up to Caleb tapping my shoulder and kissing my forehead.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Why don't you sit up and look?" He replied. I sat up and saw a big wooden sign.

WILD HORSE RESCUE

I couldn't believe that we were here. I didn't know why we were here, I'm guessing he remembered I loved horses and riding. He truly made me feel special. As we all got out of the car, I heard Becca and Jasper whispering and giggling. What were they up to? I was about to ask whats going on when a sweet old lady came out from the barn house in front of the property.

"Hello, you must be Caleb. My name is Cindy. I am so excited you chose us to adopt from us!" She squealed. I looked at Caleb with a shocked look.

"I'm guessing I just ruined the surprise. I am so sorry!"

"It's okay, I was just about to tell her before you came out. Would you like to show us around?" Caleb said.

"It would be my pleasure!" She squealed again.

"I can't believe you are getting me a horse, but we don't have a place to put him or her. I don't even have a stable or barn." I was starting to get sad because I knew getting a horse wasn't possible.

"I already took care of everything. So cheer up. The barn and everything your horse will need is already set up in Georgia. If you are still wanting to go with me." Caleb said.

"Of course I do! We are in this together right? And besides, you technically need me with you. And I have nothing here." I said.

"Uhm, excuse me? What about me?" Becca yelled.

"You are stuck with me. We go everywhere together. If you went, I would. And if I went, you would too. Besides, you have Jasper and he is Calebs right hand and brother." I replied.

She shook her head and laughed. Cindy showed us around and we looked at over thirty different horses. I didn't feel a connection with any of them and I was getting discouraged. Caleb looked at me defeated.

"We will keep looking. I promise." I gave him a kiss and we headed back to the car. As we were walking, I saw a small stable off to the left in the woods with a small pasture attached.

"Is there a horse over there? Why didn't we look at that one?" I said curiously.

"I didn't take you over there because that horse is very dangerous. I haven't been able to even go in the gate with him. He has no social skills with people, he isn't halter broken and has never had someone on him." Cindy said.

I looked at Caleb and gave him a grin.

"I don't like that look." He said. Before he could say anything else, I took off and ran towards the stable. Something was pulling me to him, like he was calling out to me.

"Babe, wait!" Caleb yelled running after me, with Cindy and the others not far behind. I stopped at the gate and waited. I heard the others coming up behind me.

"Stop! Do not come closer then where you are. This is between me and him." I don't know where this confidence was coming from, but I liked it. I unlocked the gate and started to move in.

"Sweetie, please don't! He will kill you!" Cindy yelled, but I didn't care.

"She has dealt with crazier animals then this. I wouldn't be too worried. I mean, she..." Becca began to speak, but she froze when she saw the huge horse come out from the barn. I turned my attention to him and was blown away by his size. He was atleast 16 or 17 hands high, I was only 5'2 so getting on him would be a challenge enough, let alone getting him to trust someone. I was taking this horse one way or another. He was beautiful. He was pure black, his coated shimmered in the sunlight. His mane and tail were a bright red color, which I had never seen before on a horse of that color.

I stood my ground and looked directly in his eyes. His ears went back and he charged me. I stayed where I was and he came to full stop inches from my body. He put his head down and smelled my arms, my stomach and face. Then we made eye contact again. This time, I saw something in them. I felt something click and I hesitantly reached my hand out, hearing gasps escape Cindy's mouth.

He pushed his nose into my hand and I knew he was mine. He pulled back and turned sideways in front of me, like he was asking for me to get on.

"Go ahead and sign the paperwork Caleb, this guy is mine. His name will be Blaze." I smiled and saw them walk back and go into an office beside the barn. I turned back to Blaze.

"So what do you think, you wanna be my boy?" As if he understood, he shook his head up and down.

"Did y'all see that? Or am I just being crazy?" I asked Becca and Jasper. They stayed with me incase something happened.

"I did, but I don't think it meant anything Thumper." She said while laughing.

"Alright Bambi, go get on a horse then."

She quickly stopped laughing and watched quietly. She was scared of horses, but I was determined to help her get over her fear. I turned back to Blaze again when I saw Caleb and Cindy coming back to us.

"Seems you found the right one for you. I didn't expect this to happen, but I'm happy you went with your gut." Cindy said. Caleb just looked at me with a huge smile.

"So they say you aren't broken, but I don't believe that. Maybe you are a bareback type of horse." He shook his head up and down again and I looked back at the group. They were starting to become confused.

"Kristie, try and get on him!" Becca yelled.

"Sweetie, that is too dangerous. I can't be held liable if something happens to you." I looked back at Blaze again and he looked like he was grinning.

"Let's prove them wrong boy." With that, he laid down on his stomach and looked at me like he was waiting. I looked at the group of people who were frozen. They couldn't truly believe this horse understood me. He kept looking at me, and I slowly climbed on top of him. He waited for me get comfortable and quickly stood up. He looked back at me and then at his mane.

"You want me to hold your mane like reigns?" He shook his up and down again.

"Well, okay." I grabbed on to his whithers and he began walking. Within five minutes, we were up to a trot doing perfect circles in the pasture. Cindy was crying full tears. I decided to push my luck and see if he would go up to a canter.

"Come on boy, lets get some speed." He picked up a canter easily and we were going like we were the only two things in the world. He came to a full stop and looked at the gate.

"Open the gate please. I think he wants to actually go." I smiled while rubbing his neck.

"I can't let him out of the gate unless you are loading him up." Cindy said.

"She's right babe, the trailer wont be here for another twenty minutes or so." Caleb replied.

Blaze turned back and looked at me. I grinned at him and whispered, "Do you think you can jump it?"

He whipped his head around and took off full speed. I held on as tight as I could as he jumped over the gate and took off straight for the woods. I could hear everyone screaming behind me.

"We will be back soon!" I yelled as we took off through the trees. Blaze was running like his life depended on it, but he never let me fall off. We ran for almost twenty minutes before he came to a small pond and stopped. He knelt his head down to drink some water and laid down. He turned back to me and made eye contact. He looked at the ground then back at me. I quickly knew what he meant and I slid off of him.

He stood up and shaked off his body and went down into the water. He completly submerged his body and head underwater and was under for a while. I began to freak out, and I jumped in after him. The water was crystal clear and the bottom had white sand so why couldn't I see him? I came up to the top for air and looked around. Blaze was running along the side of the pond looking for me as well.

"I was worried you big oaf! Don't do that to me!" I yelled at him. He put his head down and came back into the water. He went under again, but came up underneath me and walked back out with me on his back. He shook off again and he started walking. I kept telling him to go back, but he wouldn't listen. He kept walking through the woods. We came to an opening, it was full circle in the woods with no vegetation what so ever. It was like the ground was burning. Blaze started to walk out into it.

"What are you doing? That is hot! I can feel the heat from here! You are going to kill us both!" I yelled. He simply chuffed at me and kept going.

"Alright, I'm outta here. Come on Blaze, this isn't cool." He didn't like that because he picked up speed. He stepped onto the burning dirt and I could see flames starting to rise up from his hooves.

"Blaze, we are going to die! Please stop!" I was crying full tears. I didn't want to die, not like this. I was terrified of fire.

"Kristie, what are you doing!" I heard Caleb yelling.

"He won't stop! Help me!" I was screaming I was so scared. Blaze then stopped and turned towards me again. He looked at with hope. I trusted him in that moment.

"Wait!" I turned and yelled at Caleb, "Just give me a second."

"What are you doing Blaze? I need to understand. I'm scared." He shook his head up and down at my words and turned facing forward again and kept going. I looked back down and saw that the fire was now almost to his stomach. How was he not in any pain? We reached the middle of the circle and he came to a full stop. The flames had stopped right at me and weren't going any further.

"What is happening? What do we do now?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Who is that?" I said outloud to the voice in my head.

"It's me, Blaze. Do you trust me?"

"Do I have a choice?" I said outloud again like I didn't just talk to my horse. He took that a yes I guess because I felt the heat disappear and the flames made their way up my body. I closed my eyes thinking I would start to feel pain and that I was going to die. But that never happened. After about thirty seconds, I opened my eyes and we were already off the dirt circle standing in front of Caleb, Jasper and Becca. All of their mouths were open and they were in complete shock. I looked down and around Blaze and I and saw that we were completely on fire.

"Guys, whats happening? Why don't I feel any heat? Why aren't I burning?"

"I am a fire horse, Kristie. And I can only belong to you. That is why you were drawn to me. I am your protector and I can only communicate when you need me. But I can always understand what you say and think no matter what."

Caleb spoke as Blaze did in my mind, "He is a fire horse."