Red Rider RIsing: Book 2 of the Red Rider Saga by D.A. Randall (best books to read for beginners .TXT) 📗

And Pierre seemed even happier than usual since the wedding. Over the last few years he had grown stronger, a few inches taller, and far more confident. He had become highly skilled as a blacksmith’s apprentice, but he never even talked about it unless someone needed his assistance. He 111

treated all of our animals well, and he was wonderful for Suzette. I couldn’t think of a single day when he had failed to make her smile.

I lifted Suzette onto Crimson’s back and placed her in front of the saddle. She sucked on her blanket as I hoisted myself up behind her. “Hold on tight,” I said.

I wrapped my arm around her and she coiled her tiny arms around mine. Then she squealed as I urged Crimson forward and we charged at the sheep pen.

The sheep heard us thundering at them and paused, searching all around for the source of the tremors. Spotting us, a few of them panicked and nearly stumbled sideways over one another, while the others kept chewing on their straw.

“Run! Run, sheeps!” Suzette cried. “We’re gonna get you, sheeps!”

“HELENA!”

I yanked on the reins. Crimson skidded to a halt. I clutched Suzette so tight I feared I might cut off her air.

Instead of wheezing, she laughed. I sat up and turned toward Papa’s booming voice. Pierre clenched his teeth, wincing at me.

“Yes, Papa?” I asked in a quiet voice.

Papa stood on the porch, his face flushed around his black frown of a moustache. “What on earth are you doing? You trying to give them a heart attack?”

“Papa, the sheeps are so really funny!”

Suzette giggled.

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His face darkened. “They won’t be so really funny if they’re dead.”

“But, Papa! You should’ve seen how the sheeps –!”

I nudged her. “Hush, Suzette. Trust me, he knows.”

Papa continued to glower at us, until even Crimson looked away. “Helena, I suggest you show more care around our flock, if you plan to join me on the hunt tomorrow.”

“When can I go on a hunt?” Suzette asked.

“I wanna go on a hunt tomorrow, too.”

Papa blinked. “When you’re much older.”

“I’m much older now. I just turned four.

That’s as old as Helena was when it was the first time she hunted.”

“I was nine,” I told her.

“So? I’m almost nine, too.”

I smiled. “Four is not almost nine. Or even close.”

She soured and looked away. “Well, it is to me.”

“All right, girls, get inside,” Papa said, waving us into the house. “It’s almost dark. We don’t want to be caught out after dark.”

I tightened my lips to hold in a laugh.

“Papa!” Suzette called, laughing out loud.

“We were just saying –!”

“Hush, Suzette!” I told her. “Let’s get Crimson bedded and go inside.”

I dismounted and lifted Suzette down, then led Crimson to the stable. It was one of the few times I had to take his reins. He didn’t like being 113

cooped up in the stable, and I hated leaving him there, out in the open air. At least we had a lock on the door.

Pierre joined us with a guilty smile. “Sorry, Red. I was watching you and Suzette ride and suddenly he was right there.” Valiant barked at Pierre’s heels, as if supporting his claim.

“He has a way of doing that. It’s all right.

Papa will forget about it eventually.”

He entered the dusty stable with us. I unsaddled Crimson and stroked his neck to calm him, like always. Crimson fidgeted and kept checking Royale’s stall, as if making certain the horse was still there.

“Is he always this agitated at night?” Pierre asked.

I kept stroking Crimson, speaking in soft tones. “I don’t think he ever got over being trapped in Francois’ stall when the wolves came. He couldn’t do anything to stop it. Just had to stay there and watch, while they –.” I glanced down at Suzette. “Well, Francois’ mare, Lightning, was his mother.”

“Helena, how come I can’t hunt? I’ll be good. I wanna be like you.”

“Oh, you do?” Pierre bent down beside her.

“You wanna shoot rabbits from fifty feet away like Red?”

I blushed. “Pierre. That was only one time.”

He ignored me and dropped to