regaining control, Lisa brought Prancer to a stop in the middle of a clearing, then slid off. She calmed Prancer with her hands and voice for a few minutes. When she was sure the mare was perfectly calm, she checked her carefully for injury, paying particular attention to Prancer’sweak leg. Aside from some nicks and scratches from stinging branches, Lisa couldn’t find any problems.
When she had finally convinced herself that the mare was unhurt, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. They had been lucky this time. Then she glanced back the way they had come. The underbrush was trampled flat, showing where they had passed.
“At least you left us a clear trail to follow back,” Lisa commented with relief. Even though she knew they couldn’t be far from Pine Hollow, Lisa also knew that it was all too easy to get lost in these woods if you didn’t know where you were going. Prancer could easily find her own way back, but her instincts would lead her to travel as the crow flies. Anything from perilous rocky areas to impassable thickets to deep sections of Willow Creek might lie between the horse and the stable at this point. There was even a bog somewhere in these woods, Lisa knew. She didn’t want to deal with those sorts of barriers if she didn’t have to. It would be safer simply to follow the trail they’d made, even if it wasn’t the most direct route.
At that moment Lisa felt a heavy drop of rain hit her arm. She glanced up, and another droplet hit her square on the forehead. The rain that had been threatening all day was finally starting.
“Uh-oh,” she said.
The drops started coming harder and faster, beating a steady staccato against the piles of dead autumn leaves that coated the ground. But then another noise became audible—hoofbeatsapproaching. Seconds later Nero and Dinah emerged from the woods.
Lisa’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe Dinah had followed Prancer. In her place, Lisa herself would have returned to Pine Hollow for help. That was the most sensible course of action, since there was no way Nero would have been able to catch up to the fleet former racehorse. Luckily, since both Lisa and Prancer were unhurt, there was no harm done. Still, Lisa couldn’t help being more annoyed with Dinah than ever. Didn’t she ever stop to think before she acted?
“Are you okay?” Dinah called when she spotted Lisa.
Lisa nodded. “I think so,” she said, trying not to sound as upset as she felt. The wild ride had unnerved her—the last thing she felt like doing right now was chatting with Dinah. “Prancer is, too.”
“That’s good,” Dinah replied, dismounting and glancing at Prancer. “Boy, can she run. I can’t believe you stayed on her.”
That was all Lisa could take. “Oh, really?” she cried, her voice uncharacteristically loud and shrill. “Well, believe it, okay? I know I haven’t been riding as long as you have, but you don’t have to act all surprised and make a big deal out of it every time I do something right!”
Dinah looked surprised for a moment, then angry. “Hey, don’t yell at me,” she said sharply. “I was trying to compliment you. What’s your problem?”
“What’s
my
problem?” Lisa shrieked in disbelief. Nowthat she had started, all her pent-up anger from the past few days came flooding out. She blinked to clear the raindrops from her eyes. The rain was gaining strength and intensity along with her anger. “What’s
my
problem? You should ask yourself that same question! All you’ve done since you got here is insult me and make fun of me in front of my best friends!”
“What?” Dinah exclaimed, her face reddening. She took a step forward, slipping and almost falling on the leaves, which were becoming slick and soggy in the rain. “Don’t blame me just because you can’t take a joke!”
“Oh yeah?” Lisa yelled back. “Well if you ask me,
you’re
the joke. All you can do is make fun of everything and everybody. You don’t ever stop joking
When she had finally convinced herself that the mare was unhurt, Lisa breathed a sigh of relief. They had been lucky this time. Then she glanced back the way they had come. The underbrush was trampled flat, showing where they had passed.
“At least you left us a clear trail to follow back,” Lisa commented with relief. Even though she knew they couldn’t be far from Pine Hollow, Lisa also knew that it was all too easy to get lost in these woods if you didn’t know where you were going. Prancer could easily find her own way back, but her instincts would lead her to travel as the crow flies. Anything from perilous rocky areas to impassable thickets to deep sections of Willow Creek might lie between the horse and the stable at this point. There was even a bog somewhere in these woods, Lisa knew. She didn’t want to deal with those sorts of barriers if she didn’t have to. It would be safer simply to follow the trail they’d made, even if it wasn’t the most direct route.
At that moment Lisa felt a heavy drop of rain hit her arm. She glanced up, and another droplet hit her square on the forehead. The rain that had been threatening all day was finally starting.
“Uh-oh,” she said.
The drops started coming harder and faster, beating a steady staccato against the piles of dead autumn leaves that coated the ground. But then another noise became audible—hoofbeatsapproaching. Seconds later Nero and Dinah emerged from the woods.
Lisa’s jaw dropped. She couldn’t believe Dinah had followed Prancer. In her place, Lisa herself would have returned to Pine Hollow for help. That was the most sensible course of action, since there was no way Nero would have been able to catch up to the fleet former racehorse. Luckily, since both Lisa and Prancer were unhurt, there was no harm done. Still, Lisa couldn’t help being more annoyed with Dinah than ever. Didn’t she ever stop to think before she acted?
“Are you okay?” Dinah called when she spotted Lisa.
Lisa nodded. “I think so,” she said, trying not to sound as upset as she felt. The wild ride had unnerved her—the last thing she felt like doing right now was chatting with Dinah. “Prancer is, too.”
“That’s good,” Dinah replied, dismounting and glancing at Prancer. “Boy, can she run. I can’t believe you stayed on her.”
That was all Lisa could take. “Oh, really?” she cried, her voice uncharacteristically loud and shrill. “Well, believe it, okay? I know I haven’t been riding as long as you have, but you don’t have to act all surprised and make a big deal out of it every time I do something right!”
Dinah looked surprised for a moment, then angry. “Hey, don’t yell at me,” she said sharply. “I was trying to compliment you. What’s your problem?”
“What’s
my
problem?” Lisa shrieked in disbelief. Nowthat she had started, all her pent-up anger from the past few days came flooding out. She blinked to clear the raindrops from her eyes. The rain was gaining strength and intensity along with her anger. “What’s
my
problem? You should ask yourself that same question! All you’ve done since you got here is insult me and make fun of me in front of my best friends!”
“What?” Dinah exclaimed, her face reddening. She took a step forward, slipping and almost falling on the leaves, which were becoming slick and soggy in the rain. “Don’t blame me just because you can’t take a joke!”
“Oh yeah?” Lisa yelled back. “Well if you ask me,
you’re
the joke. All you can do is make fun of everything and everybody. You don’t ever stop joking
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