Snowfire by Terri Farley Read Free Book Online Page A

trailer.”
    â€œShe woulda hated it either way.” Kit sounded hypnotized, and he still hadn’t greeted his girlfriend. He watched Medusa.
    The mare’s coat was nearly black with sweat. Clots of foam coated her mouth and muzzle.
    â€œLet’s get her outta there,” Kit said.
    The mare wore a lightweight halter, and ropes came away from it on each side.
    â€œIf we hadn’t cross-tied her, she would’ve climbed out,” Cricket said.
    Kit gestured for Cade to take the far rope while he untied the near one.
    Without Kit’s instructions, Cricket moved to the critical position behind the mare to open the trailer door. Darby and Megan stood by, but they backed up to give the others room.
    Since the mare’s kicks were already resounding against the metal, Cricket didn’t get too close until Cade and Kit had dodged Medusa’s teeth and grabbed the ropes on either side of her halter.
    â€œPoor girl,” Darby murmured.
    â€œI don’t even want to see her legs.” Megan winced, then noticed Jonah walking in their direction from the tack shed. “Here comes Jonah with the first-aid kit, but I don’t know how they’re going to get close enough to use it.”
    Medusa’s neck curved toward Cade. She stood for a moment, then lunged with bared teeth for his hand. As he jumped back, Cade inadvertently gave the mare a little more rope. Instantly she took up the slack by bending like a dog after its tail.
    â€œShe’s trying to turn,” Cade said. He shortened thelength of rope once more, but Medusa was determined to leave the trailer headfirst instead of backing out.
    â€œShe just doesn’t get it,” Darby said.
    â€œCan she make it if I slack off on this side? It looks like she can.” Kit kept his voice level.
    Cade bobbed into range of the mare, checking to see whether there was space enough for her to escape the trailer frontward.
    The mare’s open mouth went for his head.
    Cade’s hala hat spun off as he ducked and said, “Think so.”
    Cricket nodded at Kit, who gave Medusa the rope she needed to turn around. Holding the trailer door open, Cricket dodged behind it, shielding herself from Medusa.
    â€œI’m okay,” Cricket reassured Kit.
    With the way clear before her, the mare charged out toward Sun House.
    Her legs were bleeding. Darby heard Cricket’s frustrated grunt. Even as Medusa hit the end of the twin ropes restraining her, Cricket was walking around the mare, trying to study her legs.
    Megan gasped at Cricket’s bravery, then said, “She totally trusts those guys to hold on.”
    Shining with sweat, the gray mare gave short dolphin leaps forward, dragging Cade and Kit.
    â€œShe’s reopened some stitches.” Cricket sounded both sad and disgusted.
    During the tsunami, Darby had watched onhorseback with Kit and Cade as Black Lava and Medusa swam their herd out to a lava spit for safety. But once the storm was over, the horses had been coaxed back to land. Only Medusa had refused to follow.
    Kit had used his bronc-riding skills to climb onto the mare’s back and stuff cotton into her ears to dull the roar of helicopters overhead. Only when the mare had swum ashore and stood shivering beneath a sodden black mane had they noticed her legs, bleeding from cuts on the lava rock.
    â€œShe’s all yours,” Cricket joked feebly.
    â€œIdeas?” Kit grunted as the mare made another hop, pulling his boot heels through the dirt.
    â€œLet her up.”
    Darby sucked in a breath, pretty sure Cricket wanted to calm the mare with fewer restrictions. But they couldn’t let her get away. Running with trailing ropes and bleeding legs would be disastrous.
    As Medusa reared, pawing the air with outrage, Kit and Cade let out the ropes. Confused by her head’s freedom, the mare touched her front hooves down, tossed her mane and forelock from her face, then reared again.
    Foam flew