Home for the weekend

[Casandra Lightheart]

Casandra picked her children up at school and hugged them tightly. She had a huge smile and kiss for each of them.
"Come on we are going home for the weekend."

She was sure that the children would see her sadness but that was ok, she could deal with that later. She picked up Natalie and put her on Rider's back before handing the second horse off to DJ.

"I think that it is time each of you got your own horse, I thought we could spend the weekend picking the right one."

She was speaking as she swung herself up into the saddle careful not to kick Natalie.

[Natalie]

Natalie was the first to see her mom when the twins came out of the building. She wrapped her small arms around her mother neck and smiled.

"I love you mommie."

Nat saw that her mom looked a little sad. but then she was being lifted into Rider's saddle and she heard her mother's words.

"Really my own horse?"

She was excited. She wrapped her arms around her mother as they rode off to Claremount.

[DJ]

DJ hugged him mom and smiled at her till he saw her eyes. He took the reigns of the second horse and pulled himself up into the saddle.

"Thanks mom my own horse would be great."

He led the horse to follow Rider to home. Did he say anything or did he just let it go. No he was going to ask.

"Mom are you ok? You look sad."

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas smiled she was glad that the the children were excited to be getting horses. It was time, and their birthday was coming soon. felt Natalie's little arms come around her and led the way to the first portal to get home.

Hearing DJ she looked back at him.

"Senor Stry is back at the Inn and he has a lot of things on his mind, I feel more for him than he does for me, so for now and probably forever, we are just going to be friends."

It was an honest answer and one that did not paint the Marques in a bad light. He had done nothing wrong.

"Enough about that, this weekend is for us and picking you two your own horse."

[DJ]

DJ looked at his mom and frowned. He didn't like to see her sad but she had said enough of that, she was not going to talk to them about it further. They were going home and even if it was just for the weekend it would be fun.

He smiled at his mom.

"It's ok mom, you still have us."

He than urged the horse he was riding into a trot moving out a head of his mother.

[Natalie]

Natalie wrapped her arms aroung her mom tighter and hugged her laying her head against her mother's back. She was sorry her mom was sad.

"I love you mommie"

She looked down and saw Kjay running right beside them. Kjay was one male that would always be with her mother.

"Can I have a white horse?"

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cassie looked at her children and than down at Kjay. She was a very lucky woman. She had her children she had Kjay she had her friends and she had her horses. She didn't need anything else, it may have been nice for her to have, but she didn't need it.

She was going to miss Amadeo but he never had been the center of her world. What matered most to her was with her right now.

"I love you too Nat, as for a white horse, they are rare, I only have two. If one of them likes you you may have it."

She urged Rider into a run to catch up with DJ. then slowed to a trot keeping pace beside him.

"What about you DJ what color horse do you want?"

[DJ]

DJ looked at his mom and smiled as she road up beside him. She had asked him a question and it made him think.

"Can I have a black horse like Rider, he is a beautiful animal."

He hoped she said yes. He knew that Rider was special, pure black horses like him were even more rare than the white horse his sister wanted.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas looked at DJ and frowned.

"DJ I don't have another horse like Rider. He was a gift for me from Amorenth five years back. I am not sure you remember him. Rider is a Highlands horse, he was bread for endurance and speed. He has made Claremount horses better."

The conversation between the three of them kept up the whole ride to Claremount.

[Natalie]

Natalie thought she saw something in the trees watching them before they hit the first portal to Claremount but when she looked there was nothig there. She shruged it off as her imagination.

When they reached the stables Ryan was there. She smiled at him as he reached up to take her down off Rider.

"Hi Ryan, guess what mommie said we are getting our own horses."

Ryan looked at her and smiled.

"That is a very special gift for her to give you."

He put Natalie on the ground and smiled at DJ as he slid down off the horse.

[DJ]

DJ smiled at Ryan and led the horse he was riding into an empty stall.

"Ryan can you help me take the saddle off him."

Ryan nodded at DJ and came to the stall to remove the saddle from the horse.

"There you go DJ. Do you want help grooming him or can you do it yourself?"

DJ looked at him and laughed.

"Maybe a bucket so I can reach his back."

Ryan smiled and brought a bucket into the stall and set it on the ground by the horse and waited for DJ to take the rest of the tack off so that he could put it away.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas looked at DJ and smiled, she was beaming with pride. She had never sugested to her son that he needed to groom the horse. It made her happy to see that he already had a good work ethic.

She led Rider to his stall and began taking the tack off him.

Ryan came over to her to take Rider's tack.

"Welcome home Casandra, it is good to see you and the twins."

He knew better then to offer to help Casandra with Rider. She never accepted it.

Cas looked to Ryan with a smile.

"It is good to be home. I will be spending a lot more time here soon as the twins will be out of school by the end of the month. It is also almost time for the foals to be born."

She started to knock the dust off Rider with a sackcloth rag to get most of it off him before switching to a brush.

Ryan stood there filling her in on how the horses were doing, and named off three horses that were ready to breed. One of the mares was Riders daughter so she had already been bred to one of the other non related stallions.

"Have the other two mares brought in from the pastures. They will be bred before I leave Sunday evening."

Ryan nodded and left to go get the mares in question.

[Natalie]

Nat was all smiles as she followed her mom into Rider's stall. She picked up a comb and began to brush Rider's tail. When Ryan walked away Natalie looked at her mother.

"Mommie does breeding mean what I think it means?"

She was a very inquisitive young lady.

[DJ]

DJ hear his sisters question from the nearby stall where he was combing out the horse's tail. The rest of the grooming had been done except the hooves. He started busting up lauging.

"Natie it means that they mate and mom hopes the female becomes pregnant and gives birth to a heathy baby."

He put the comb down and picked up the hoof pick. He ran his hand down the horses leg till he picked it up and cleaned out his hoof. one at a time.

That done he refilled the water bucket in the stall threww in some hay and put a few scoops of grain into the bucket. He closed the stall door and sat down on the foot locker waiting for his mom.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas looked at Natalie, she was trying to think about how best to answer her, the twins were geting to that age where they were going to need to have that talk. That was when she heard DJ's reply.

She looked to him as she was putting grain into Rider's feed bucket.

"That is exactly what it is."

She was not sure weather to be shocked or happy about it. At least this was going to make having the discussion a lot easier.

[Natalie]

Nat's lips made the O shape but she didn't make a sound. she moved on to something else. She closed Rider's stall when her mom finished with him.

"Mom can we look at the horses now?"

She was really excited that she was going to get her own horse. She wanted to see the two white ones right now. She looked up at her mom with thoes deep blue eyes. She hopped she would say yes.

[DJ]

DJ looked at Nat and rolled his eyes.

"I'm hungry it's past dinnertime can't you wait till tomorrow?"

He knew she was excited he was too but the horses would be there in the morning and he wanted to eat now.

"We can see them after breakfast?"

[Natalie]

Natalie looked at DJ she was about to say no she didn't want to wait when her stomach growled. She started laughing.

"Ok I guess we need to go eat, the horses can wait."

She held her hand up to her mom and smiled.

"Can I bring some apples with me in the morning mommie?"

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas took Nat's hand into her own.

"Dinner sounds good, it is getting late, we can eat and go to sleep before working with the horses tomorrow. As for apples the cook will give you a few if you ask nicely."

She headed around to the kitchen door and sat down at the table in the kitchen. They were all greeted warmly by the staff as plates were quickly fixed. Roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, and green beans

Kjay came in right behind his human looking around the kitchen. He wagged his tale as a dish of water and a plate of scraps was set down for him.

They talked while eating and when dinner was finished the plates were cleared and there was apple pie set before them. Cas watched as the twins ate all the pie on her plate. She ate a couple bites and than gave the rest of hers to Kjay.

Kjay walked over to his human as she sat the plate down for him. He ate the pie and then laid back down in the floor.

Cas picked the plate up off the floor and handed it back to the kitchen staff. She smiled at them some of them had been here since before she became Lady of Claremount, she loved them like her own family. They respected her because of where she came from.

She waited for her children to finish the juice that had been given to them and then took them upstairs and tucked them in.

"When you get up go get some apples and breakfast from the kitchen and meet mt in the stables."

She looked at Nat.

"Properly bathed and dressed."

She then went to her own room and shut the door after Kjay was in. She moved over to the desk and sat down to write a letter to Venis. It explained everything and that she would be back Sunday night or Monday morning. She sent a messenger with it right away.

Kjay laid down on the floor at her feet till she stood from the chair. Then he followed her keeping back just enough to give her room to move and change.

Cas put on a long silk nightgown. Her hand moved to the heart around her neck. She reached up and took it off and put it into the jewelry box on her dresser. The tears fell again as she climbed into her bed and looked at Kjay.

"Well boy it seems as if I am to be forever without a man. I guess I will become resigned to that."

Kjay was beside the bed his head resting on it by her hand. He whimpered and licked her hand.

Cas patted the bed by her feet.

"Come on boy it looks like you are going to be the only male in my bed."

Kjay looked confused. He had never been invited into the bed before. He was also not one to refuse a request from his human. He jumped up onto the bed at the foot of it and laid down. He curled up so that his head was on her shins.

Cas reached down to pet Kjay before she lay down and cried herself to sleep.

It was not yet dawn when she woke the next morning to shower and dress. When she left her room her ever present protector was by her side. She went to the kitchen to get breakfast and several apples. The twins would find her side by side with the stable hands cleaning stalls and grooming horses.

[Natalie]

Natalie woke next she was so excited she jumped out of bed and was halfway down the stairs before she remembered her mother had said properly bathed and dressed.

She ran back up the stairs and took a shower, brushed her teeth, and comed her hair. She went to her dresser and got dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.

She then ran into the kitchen and asked for several apples.

"Slow down young one, you need to eat too."

Knowing that the child was in a hury the cook put down a bowl of oatmeal with maple syrup and brown sugar.

She laughed as she saw Nat eat it as quickly as possible then picked up her apples and ran out to the stables.

Nat found her mom in one of the back stalls just putting the feed into the bucket.

"Now mommie, is it time now?"

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas had been in the barn working quickly she was letting the work make her mind blank so that she didn't have to think or feel.

Kjay was laying at the end of the shed row and when he saw Nat he jumped up and ran over to her licking her face. He waited till she pet him and then layed back down out of the way.

Cas heard Nat and smiled brightly at her, she would force the pain deep down inside till she was alone. The children deserved to see her happy, not sad, and feeling alone.

She looked around her, she would never be alone, she was surounded by people who loved and respected her. She had the twins and Kjay, all she had to do was keep reminding herself of that. She also had V and her other friends.

She hugged Nat tightly.

"Yes hun we can go look at the horses now."

She took her daughter by the hand and let her into the covered padock. She called Ryan over.

"Ryan, can you bring out the white stallion and mare, and the small gray filly?"

Ryan smiled at Lady Casandra, that little filly would be a perfect match for her daughter. She was smaller than the other fillies her age but she had a lot of speed and spirit; just like young Nat.

"Right away Casandra."

He left and came back leading the small gray filly. Behind him were two other stable hands leading the white stalion and mare.

[DJ]

DJ was fond of sleeping in in the morning on weekends, but even he was up at around eight am. He took his time to shower and dress. He wore jeans and a t-shirt as well.

He made his way to the kitchen and sat down on a stool at the counter. He ate the oatmeal that was put in front of him and had a bannana to go with it.

When he was finished eating he picked out a couple apples and went to the stables to find his mom.

He heard his mom's voice coming from the padock and walked into it. He saw his sister on a white mare riding it around his mom in a circle. He walked over to Cas and gave her a hug watching his sister and the horse.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas placed her arm around her son's shoulders and watched her daughter on the mare. She sat well enough on the horse but the mare was jumping around a bit.

"Ok Nat stop her I want to try the stalion, I can't trust you on her if she is going to be jumpy here inside. She's not the horse for you."

She helped Nat down as the stable hand came up and led the mare off. The second stable hand brought the stallion forward. Cas helped Natalie up into the saddle. He was so wide across the back that she coulden't sit right on him.

"Sorry Nat, no white horse for you. The stalion is just to big."

She helped her back off and waited for him to be led off. Ryan brought the gray filly up.

[Natalie]

Nat was a bit bumped around on the mare, she didn't feel like she was going to fall off but she did feal like she would loose controle of the mare if she got spooked. She needed a stronger rider.

She heard her mom calling for her to stop. She frowned as she was helped down.

"She needs a stronger rider mommie."

She watched as the mare was led away and the stallion brought forward. He was beautiful, but when she was helped up she couldn't even sit right on him he was so big, her legs were just to short. She let herself be helped back to the ground and watched as Ryan brought up the little gray filly.

"Mommie she's so small."

The little gray walked right up to Nat and nuzzled at the bag over her shoulder that had the apples in it. Nat laughed as she brought one out and held it out for her. The little gray took it gently from her hand and chomped a few times till it was gone.

She let her mom help her up and then took hold of her reigns and began to ride her around. The moment the filly began to move Nat's eyes lit up, the movement was perfect. The horse and rider were in unison.

She urged the horse into a run and was laughing as the wind caught her hair, she was fast and Nat liked her. She brought her to a stop in front of her mom and started to slide off.

"Mommie did you see, she's fast and she didn't jump around. She is a bit small but so am I."

Her eyes were sparkling as she looked at the small filly and fed her another apple from her bag.

"What's her name?"

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas watched Nat's reaction to the gray and had to stop herself from frowning. A smile came across her face when she watched walk right up to Nat and ask for an apple out of the bag.

She helped her up and watched as she led the little gray around the padock. She had been right she looked to Ryan with a smile that got even bigger as Nat got her up to a run.

When she stopped her infront of them and began siding off she knelt down so she was eye level with her daughter.

"Yes she is small, and you two looked perfect riding togeather. Her name is Wind's Tainted Angel. I just call her Angel."

[Sponsored content]