Honeysuckle Stables: The Wild Falme and Paruku Island - Book 1

by Hoofbeats
(Australia)

Chapter 1: When starlight falls

Hi! My name is Lisa Hardy and right now I am on a cruise ship bound for Western Australia.

I pushed myself upright from where I was leaning against the railings of the ship called, Emerald. The wind softly blew my long brown waist length hair as I watched the sun set on the horizon.

Soon, made my way from the railings to the stalls for the horses. I walked down the corridor which had stalls on either side. I passed all the stalls while looking at each horse. But only at the last stall the horse that stood there caught my eye as amazing.

There stood a chestnut stallion with white stockings on both front legs and a sock on this right back leg. He stood in the far corner of his stall his head dropped, ears drooping in boredom and tail between his legs.

Suddenly, his head shot up, ears pricked forward and tail up like an Arabian's as he realized that I was there and watching him. I grabbed three sugar cubes and a small piece of carrot out of my jeans pocket and placed them on his stall door. I took a few steps back and soon he stepped forward to lick up the treat that I left him.

“Oi, you! Leave the horse alone! He’s savage ya’ know.” Said a rough voice. I turned around in fright only to face a groom about 30 years old.

I gulped.

“Look Sir. He hasn’t done anything to make him look savage.” I said defending the horse.

“Well I’m his groom and he is completely WILD.” He snorted.

“It depends on the way you treat him.” Yet again I defended the horse.

“Just cut it out!” He snapped.

So I walked in the opposite direction. I knew that it was safest to pretend to agree with crazy people.

I also forgot to mention that I’m an only child. My parents were in Australia, my home-country. I was on my way home from spending two months at my Uncle’s professional stables. He had heaps of top competing showjumpers, too.

While I was there I had met a beautiful Arabian mare called Starlight. Her show name was: When Starlight Falls. I even won a show on her and my uncle said that he would bring her over to be my own horse when he came over in six months time to visit my family and me.

My family owned a horse riding stable called Honeysuckle Stables, because those plants were very commonly grown there. I often helped out teaching in lessons, and doing everyday things you would do around a riding school.

Chapter 2: To his freedom

It was evening as I sat in my cabin writing in my diary about the day’s events. A wild storm raged outside while the wild waves tossed The Emerald well into the night.

I sat on my bed thinking about the chestnut stallion. I had already fallen in love with his beauty and wild spirit that the groom had described to me.

I flicked to a blank page in my diary and started to draw a picture of the stallion. I drew his beautiful Arabian head, with a stunning blaze streaking down the center of his face. I continued to draw his flaring nostrils and the wild look in his eye.

Soon, I had finished his sleek yet beautiful body and his strong and powerful legs. I smiled as I felt the crispness of the page when I fingered it.

Only minutes later I heard the captain shout, “Get the life boats!”

I panicked for a second but I prayed a short prayer to God, “Lord please help me to survive!”

I grabbed my diary and stuffed it into my old and worn satchel that already had a small camera that I quickly slipped into a water proof zip-lock bag and of course a Bible. There were a few small things still in there but I didn’t think about them then.

I zipped my satchel closed and dived under my bed to grab my life jacket.

As soon as I had buckled the straps, I flung my cabin door open. A crowd of screaming people rushed down the hallway like their life depended on it. It did. And so did mine.

The corridor was filling fast with brown, foaming ocean water. I knew screaming wouldn’t help and would only make matters worse. So instead I prayed.

I sloshed my way as fast as I could to where the life boats were being let down.

Suddenly a neigh pierced the night. I dashed to the stall where it came from, which was only ten yards away.

I gasped to see the chestnut stallion rearing and plunging back down again.

Without thinking what I was doing, I found my half numbed fingers working on the stall door’s bolt. Seconds later I flung the stall door open and I let the stallion escape. To his freedom...

Chapter 3: Mystery Boy

The beautiful chestnut stallion skidded on the slippery and slopping deck. He paused for a second and then he kicked up his heels. He jumped over the sagging ship’s railing.

Now the stallion disappeared from view.

Suddenly, I felt strong hands grip my shoulders. I almost screamed. I was half dragged, half carried to a life boat. The last life boat. Seconds later I was flung into midair and I found myself face first in a life boat.

The next half hour to an hour were a blur. I felt seasick for some time then freezing cold. The next minute I felt like I was in the Sahara Desert on a scorching hot day.

What was wrong with me? I probably got conked on the head when I was flung into the life boat.

Suddenly there was someone shaking me, really hard. I woke up from my sleep. All those sea sick feelings etc. must have been a dream.

Being woken fully now, there sat a stout figure. The person gripped me by the shoulders. “Are you O.K.?” Came a voice.

Great. It was a teenager boy. Exactly what I needed.

“Yeah, I think I’m alright.” I said weakly.

The boy shuffled back to the middle of the small life boat. He pulled his weight into the oars. I tried to make up my mind about what to do about this boy when he shouted like we were the best of friends, “I can see land!”

Within minutes the mysterious boy had the life boat pulled up on a beach that stretched into the darkness. I staggered out onto the sand. Firm ground felt weird under my feet.

I don’t know what happened next, but I found myself waking to a bright and magnificent sunrise.

My mouth was half filled with sand. Yuck! My throat stung with sea water and for some reason my head was throbbing like mad. My hand flew to where the pain came from. I felt a massive bump that would soon form into a huge bruise. Great.

Suddenly there was the body of that boy that saved my life that night. Before I knew what I was doing, I was shaking him awake. Within minutes he was sitting up staring at me.

"Who are you?" I managed.

"Chris Hunter." He eyed me with his dark eyes. His jet black hair gleamed from the salt water in it. His shirt had been ripped and half hung on him, revealing his sunburnt brown shoulders.

"I'm Lisa Hardy. Nice to meet you." I introduced myself as I held out my hand for him to take so I could help him up. He grasped it.

"Thank you for saving my life last night." I looked away shyly realizing what I had done.

"No worries," Chris walked past me and pulled up the life boat higher onto the beach. "Now since we have met, let's explore and find some food." He looked over at me as he stood straight up from pulling up the boat.

I picked up my soaked satchel and we ran up the nearest sand dune. He had talked to me like he only wanted to be friends. Not Boyfriend and Girlfriend. This relieved me greatly.

I hope you guys like this! Please comment!

Chapter Four

We walked for what seemed like three hours until we discovered what my whole body screamed for.

A waterhole.

Chris stopped so suddenly that I almost crashed into his sturdy back. He peeked into the clearing that lay before us. I wondered why. He silently stepped out of his covering place. Chris seemed to take forever or maybe it was that crystal clear waterhole laying only about five meters away that forced me to lick my extra dry and cracked lips. He looked over his shoulder and nodded as if to say all was safe.

I couldn't stop myself from running top speed and diving into the pool of refreshing, cool water. Chris looked at me like I was the stupidest fifteen year old girl he had ever seen. But seconds later his face broke into a broad smile and he dived in himself.

We talked yet again some more and I asked him why he had looked into the clearing before entering.

"I was an army cadet before my parents died." Was the simple reply. "At cadets, we were trained in a lot of things, including being on the outlook for snipers. And that was just instinct."

"Oh, I'm sorry about your parents." I showed sympathy. I had only known Chris for a few hours but I had learnt that he only really was a chatterbox when he wanted to be. In other words he usually said simple sentences when he felt like it.

"My parents," he continued, "both died in a boating accident." He told me from where he sat in the shallow water.

Suddenly there was a half-human, half-animal like screech. I felt something, a heavy bonk on my head. The shock left me dizzy and then everything went black...

I like leaving my readers in suspense so please comment if you want to know what happens next. Thanks to all you horse crazy girls. I love ya'll!