Cloud Riders(16)

Much of their time on the property they spent outdoors, like today. It’d been a nice day. Kayden had taken Cassie for a ride on his horse, Zoltan, for a couple of hours. They stopped near a lovely stream that flowed with fresh, cold water so the stallion could have a drink. Kayden left Zoltan by the water’s edge and walked Cassie over to a log to sit and enjoy the view. They both laughed at Zoltan who seemed to be making a big deal about how to get close enough to drink without getting his hooves muddy. Finally, he drank the water and settled down. Kayden had only just begun to broach the subject of Cassie’s unusual gift when a sound by the river stopped him in mid-sentence. Both swung their heads toward the noise.

A pack of wild dogs had advanced on Zoltan while he drank. They were creeping up and around him, poised and ready to attack. A large, black, longhaired mutt came from behind a bush and snarled. With the pack leader making his move, the others closed in on Zoltan. Frightened, the steed made a loud noise and reared up, thrashing his hooves in their direction. Kayden had already jumped up and let out a call to scare the dogs and at the same time, ran towards Zoltan.

Cassie’s senses came alive with the danger. Without thinking she threw up her hands aiming them towards the pack. The impact of the power she sent towards the snarling animals hit them like bricks, hurling them backwards, slamming them into the trees and bushes over the other side of the stream.

They made yelping, painful sounds, leaving her feeling bad as they scurried off. The ones on the other side of Zoltan ran from the fear that they felt from the rest of the pack’s agonising howls.

Kayden already at his horse and Cassie noted his speed was so much faster than a normal human’s or maybe in the confusion it just seemed that way because she was shocked. She had gone and used her power again when she knew it was bad to do so. Yet as it did prevent the attack, she thought Kayden might not be too cross with her.

Cassie was shaking and rocking, waiting for the punishment she usually received from her parents for using the curse she had been born with. Instead, Kayden shocked her by picking her up and swinging her around. ‘You little powerhouse! Remind me never to stir you up and get you angry at me.’

‘You’re not mad?’ Cassie felt stunned by his reaction.

‘Mad? I’ve been waiting to see what you could do and I was starting to think your altercation with Jason was a fluke. That was excellent!’ Kayden hugged her before hoisting her back onto his horse. ‘Let’s get Zoltan out of here before the mutts come back,’ he said, still excited at what he had just witnessed.

Cassie was still dumbstruck. Kayden’s reaction was not what she would have expected. She had grown up feeling ashamed of her powers and knew the use of them was forbidden. Yet amazingly enough he wanted her to use them and had actually been waiting patiently to see what she could do.

Kayden’s voice interrupted the thought she was reaching that maybe there were others like her that he knew of; that in this country her curse was normal. ‘Can you use your gift at will or only to defend yourself when you feel threatened?’

She shrugged, not used to talking about it so casually. ‘I have no idea. I was a child last time I tried.’

They stopped again a little further up the track.

‘This spot should do it.’ Kayden helped her off Zoltan.

He chose a spot where soft grass and pretty pink and white wildflowers carpeted the ground. Pulling off his backpack and laid out drinks and snacks for them, chatting as he organised their food. He could see how freaked out she was so made an effort to make her feel comfortable about what she had just done.

It was working. As they ate Cassie told him how she had feared using her ‘gift’, as he kept calling it and how for years it had only brought shame on her folks and given her nothing but grief.

‘You should be proud of who you are, Cassie. Talents such as your’s should never be squashed.’

She smiled. ‘You’re the first person who hasn’t hated me for what I just did.’

‘That’s because you lived with people who obviously had no idea how special you really are, girl.’

Cassie giggled. ‘I think you’re just being kind,’ she said before looking more seriously at him, remembering. ‘You understand because you are a bit like me. Am I correct, Kayden? I just saw how fast you moved to get to Zoltan.’

He nodded. ‘Yes, I too have gifts but your’s absolutely fascinate me.’ He took a swig of his drink and pointed. ‘See that old tree over there? It needs chopping down. Can you knock it down?’ he asked.

She thought about the tree, put her hand up and nothing happened. ‘Nope, looks like you’re just going to have to use an axe,’ she chuckled.