I don't have a title - Chapter 1

by Bec
(NSW, Australia)

I don't have a name for this story. If you have any suggestions for a name or you like this story so far please comment!!!
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Elizabeth sat on the lower branch of the huge oak tree on the hill in one of the top paddocks. She was usually called Eliza as a nickname.

Eliza overlooked her parents breeding and training farm, the farm bred and trained Thoroughbreds as eventers but they also saved horses from being slaughtered. The farm was named after all the Lily's that grew wild over the Ridge so it was named Lily-Ridge Acres.

Eliza sat and looked at the main farm house, made of bricks, and at all the spotless white cottages for the workers who worked full-time there. She looked at the 4 barns all matching the farm house. Then she gazed lovingly at all the sleek Thoroughbreds grazing.

"Wow am I lucky!" She thought happily. Suddenly her father's voice broke into Eliza's content thoughts...

"Elizabeth!" Eliza's father was calling from the back veranda of the house. She knew that John, her father, called her Elizabeth only when she was either in strife or an urgent errand needs running.

Eliza ran up the the back veranda closely followed by Anna her twin sister. Anna was usually called Amy and John had called her Anna when he called her. The two girls sprinted together up to John who looked stern and stiff.

"Girls I would like you to meet Mr Fox, he is interested in our horses and what we do here. Please would show Mr Fox around our grounds girls?"

"Of course!!!"Eliza and Amy chorused.

"Good, thank you Elizabeth, Anna."

Eliza and Amy led Mr. Fox around the barns. They pointed out different horses including Top Hat, one of Eliza's showjumpers, Amy's eventing mare, Princess Jewel and Jasper her showjumper.

Eliza showed Mr. Fox Molly her eventing mare, they pointed out the yearlings and the two year-olds that showed a lot of promise. Finally they showed him Dance Away the farm's prize broodmare. At the moment she was 6 months in foal to Jazzman, the farm's prize stallion.

"Thank you so much Elizabeth, Anna! That tour was wonderful but now I must attend to business in town." Exclaimed Mr. Fox after they'd finished touring the barns.

"You're welcome Mr. Fox!" Eliza and Amy replied in unison. They watched as he climbed into his flashy VW.

"Hmmmmm I wonder why he was so interested in our horses yet he didn't mention buying..." Eliza thought aloud as she and Anna jogged up to the house for dinner.

"Yeah it is very strange, the way he asked questions about the breeding and what pedigree Jazzman is." Anna replied to Eliza, also thinking aloud.

"Amy, Eliza time for dinner!" Joseph - Amy and Eliza's older brother, called from the house. The two girls quickened their pace because they didn't want to be late.

"Hi girls!" Called Eliza and Amy's mother, Hannah.

"Hi Mum!" Replied both girls.

"So what did Mr. Fox say about our stock?" Asked John later at the dinner table.

"Well he just asked about what pedigree Jazzman and the others are..." Started Amy.

"He had to go after we showed him Dance Away because he had business to do in town." Added Eliza.

Knives and forks clinked on plates as the family finished their dinner.

"Can we be excused to go check the horses for the night?" Asked Eliza and Amy.

"Of course you can my dears!!" Replied Hannah, their mum.

"Thanks!!!" Called the girls as they jogged out the front door to check the horses and start preparing them for the show tomorrow.

I don't have a title - Chapter 2

by Bec
(NSW, Australia)

I am still open for suggestions for a good name for my story,thanks for the suggestions so far!
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Beep,beep,beep Amy jerked awake and reached over to turn her alarm off.

"Oh yeah today is the day!!!"Thought Amy as she pulled on some old joddies and a clean shirt.She ran down stairs and saw Eliza already eating her breakfast.

"Hey sleeping beauty!! Today is the Show at Alice Springs!" Eliza looked up as she said it.

"Yeah I can't wait!!" Amy replied eagerly as she made her breakfast.

The two girls ate quickly and ran out to get their horses ready to be loaded in the four-horse van. Today Amy was taking Jasper and Eliza was taking Molly. They groomed and readied the horses for the trip into Alice Springs.

This drive would take about 45 minutes so the girls tried to make the horses as comfortable as possible. Finally the horses and Amy and Eliza were ready. They climbed into the FWD attached to the van and set off.

After an hour they reached Alice Springs Showgrounds. They had stopped twice to check the horses so it took them 15 minutes longer. The float-parking was horrendous!!!

After a lot of driving around they finally found a good spot under a big tree to park the van. The girls each unloaded her horse and started to take off the horses travel equipment so they could tack up the horses in their shiny show gear.

"Wow the horses and you look brilliant girls! Well done!" John came over to admire Amy and Eliza's horses, both wearing shiny bridles and saddles. The only difference was that Molly was wearing a dark pink saddle blanket with matching protective bandages and Jasper was wearing a dark blue saddle blanket with matching protective bandages.

John admired the girls wearing their showgear. Amy wore a showjacket that matched Jasper with cream joddies and black knee-high boots. Eliza wore the same as Amy except her showjacket matched Molly's saddle blanket.

"Well I'm as ready as I'll ever be!" Amy exclaimed as her event was called." I'd better go and do my best performance, wish me luck!" And Amy hurried away. The rest of the family except Eliza hurried off to watch Amy.

Eliza wished she could go and watch but she had to finish off getting ready, all she could do was hope and pray for Amy.

Eliza slipped on some navy riding gloves and clipped on her navy coloured velvet helmet and led Molly towards her first event, Dressage. Then Eliza would go on to Showjumping, both events her family would be watching, she had better do her best ever!

Eliza glanced over at ring 4, Showjumping, she could hear load applauding, and she could just see a horse cantering a victory ride round the ring. She was up next in Dressage.

"And Elizabeth Howard riding Molly's Wonder... She's looking confidant... nearly there," Eliza vaguely heard the announcer's voice drift into her concentration.

She was doing her dressage test beautifully,she was performing a flying change then going to a medium gallop then slowing to a fast canter,she was about to finish and salute the judges.

Molly stopped perfectly, Eliza saluted the judges... the dressage test was over, Phew!!! She was the last to preform and now they were determining a winner. They usually start from 6th place so Eliza hoped to be called 2nd or 3rd.

"And the winner of today's Dressge competition is... Elizabeth Howard riding Molly's Wonder..." The announcer's voice broke into Eliza's thoughts. She automatically urged for Molly to trot up to where a judge waited with a blue ribbon and medal.

Eliza shook the judge's hand and accepted her ribbon and medal in a daze. She urged Molly again into a canter so she could ride a victory ride around the ring. Eliza rode out of the ring with the other dressage participants feeling surprised and happy inside.

Later Eliza met up with her family and Amy,she and Amy exchanged event results.

"I got two firsts, one second and one third, how about you?" Eliza asked Amy.

"Two firsts, two seconds and one third. And one of the 2nds was to you!!!!" Amy replied giggling. They had untacked the horses and loaded them and both girls now wore old joddies with a shirt and paddock boots.

"Ok girls enough chitt-chatter time to go home!" John called from the front seat of the FWD. Eliza and Amy climbed in and buckled in their seat belts ready for a drive home full of talking...

"So Eliza how did your events go?" Asked Hannah as they drove along, the van clinking and clanking behind them.

"Well I..."

"It's not fair she always goes first!" Amy interrupted Eliza.

"You know that Eliza is a bit older then you even if it's only 10 minutes, we will ask you next, be patient and remember it is rude to interrupt Amy." John scolded Amy gently, "Go on Eliza."

"Well I got two firsts,one second and one third." Eliza announced happily.

"Now you Amy..." Hannah said quietly, careful not to take her eyes off the road.

"I got two firsts, two seconds and one third. One of the seconds I got because Eliza beat me!!!" Amy finished, giggling." How was your day Mama, Dad?" Amy asked, she sometimes liked to call Hannah, Mama.

"Well we spent a lot of time sitting down because as you all know Hannah has started to not feel as active as before because of her pregnancy." John answered for Hannah as well as himself.

"Well I could be carrying twins or even triplets!" Hannah joked.

"Yes and we'll soon find out! Aren't you due early next month Mum?" Eliza asked

"Yes 15th January to be precise!" Hannah replied as she maneuvered the FWD and van into the driveway.

"Now girls when we have parked I want you to walk your horses out to the barn and settle them for the night, then go into the house and shower ok girls?" John spoke to the girls in a tone that told the girls' no messing around, Hannah has got to rest'.

Hannah stopped the FWD just beside one of the front paddocks. Eliza and Amy climbed out and helped Lucy, their 2 and a half sister, climb out too. Eliza and Amy walked round to the back of the van and slowly lowered the heavy ramp.The girls each collected her horse and led it back to the barn. As Amy reached the office she gave a scream...

"What is it Amy?" Eliza rushed over to where Amy was standing speechlessly staring at a small blood soaked bundle.

"Lily..." Choked out Amy at last, staring at the un-moving body of her Kelpie cross German Shepard. The puppy had clearly been shot at several times with a gun. Amy moved closer so she could take a good look at the wounds. There were three wounds, all deep, one right in Lily's front right leg, one in her back and one at the base of Lily's neck.

They were all bleeding severely and Lily was scarcely breathing. Eliza ran off to check the other animals on the farm and discovered that two of the yearlings had disappeared. There had clearly been a struggle to get the horses and it explained why Lily was in such a horrible state. Lily had tried to protect the horses and ended up being shot.

Eliza ran back to Amy who had rung the vet and rapped Lily in a clean cotton towel. When Amy saw Eliza approaching she wordlessly handed Eliza a note that had been hidden underneath Lily. Eliza unfolded the scruffy, blood-soaked note and read the words hurriedly scribbled.

IF YOU DARE COME AFTER ME YOU WILL DIE.
Eliza shivered as she read the note.

"Amy we should show this to Mum and Dad don't you think?" Asked Eliza after a while.

"Yes Mum and Dad but maybe not the police just yet..." Amy said quietly as she looked down first at her blood-soaked puppy then at her hand which held the three bullets that Tina the vet had just pulled out.

"Right, now Amy you have to take extremely good care of Lily here, and don't be surprised if Lily dies..." Tina broke into the silent girls thoughts.

"Ok so I should put cream onto all the wounds?" Amy confirmed what Tina had said earlier.

"Yes and make sure she is warm and comfortable,I will be back to check on her in two weeks unless she dies."

The vet strode over to her truck,started the engine and drove away leaving Eliza and Amy speechless.

"Tina doesn't seem to think Lily will make it..." Eliza remarked blinking away tears.

"Yes but I will nurse her back to health whatever I do." Amy replied determination etched on her face. She clearly wasn't going to give up.

"Don't get your heart set on it, Lily will always remind you of her fate she suffered trying to protect our horses, and she will always walk with a limp... besides she may have lost too much blood to be saved..." Eliza was talking the horrid truth and she knew it.

"Eliza GO AWAY! If you are going to talk like that just leave me, it's not like Lily's your dog!" Amy yelled at Eliza.

Just then Lily gave a weak whimper, Amy burst into tears at the sight of her beloved dog in such a horrible state.

"Amy settle down!" Eliza was surprised by Amy's sudden outburst.

"Never, not till you leave me, you're not helping!" Amy was in a terrible state but Eliza thought it was best to leave.