Water Lily Read Online Free PDF

vigil, Darby had talked to the horse and sung to her, and somehow attachments had grown between them, mind to mind, heart to heart.
    But Hoku was still wild, and Darby was still new to the world of horses. They were learning together.
    â€œI know you lived through thunderstorms in Nevada,” Darby scolded softly. “And you didn’t have any soft-hearted humans to talk you out of worrying.”
    But she’d had her herd, Darby thought. Mustangs learned when they were shaky-legged foals that safety is always with the herd.
    â€œI’m a pretty sad substitute for a herd, is that what you’re thinking?”
    The filly’s lips and nostrils quivered with a silent neigh as she looked over Darby’s head. Hoku knew ‘Iolani’s saddle horses and broodmares weren’t far away, and no matter how much she loved Darby, Hoku longed to run with others of her kind.
    The filly shied, rolling her eyes white as Megan came rustling up to Darby in her bright yellow slicker.
    â€œShould I do anything?” Darby asked Megan. “She’s scared in there alone but it’s not a big-enough emergency—not like the earthquake—to let her out to be with the others.”
    Jonah had told Darby that isolating Hoku much of the time would help cement the bond between girl and horse. So far, he was right.
    Suddenly, Hoku rocked onto her hind legs, then brought both front hooves down together.
    â€œWhat does that mean?” Darby asked.
    â€œIt’s—” Megan frowned in concentration as the filly repeated the movement. “I have no idea. Does it look to you like she’s smashing something?”
    â€œYeah, but there’s nothing there,” Darby said.
    â€œAnd you’re not picking up any horse charmer vibes?”
    â€œNone,” Darby said flatly.
    They watched the horse until Megan shrugged. “You’re going to get wet anyway. Go in and be her buddy. Here, I got a carrot from the tack room for Pigolo, but it might distract Hoku. I’ll wait for you, but we should get going with those barrels.”
    Darby took the carrot intended for the rescued piglet and stuck it in her pocket. She unlatched the corral gate, slipped inside, and fixed the gate closed behind her.
    â€œWhat’s this?” Darby murmured to her horse.
    Rather than calming Hoku, Darby’s approach made the mustang even more nervous. She circled the corral at a strange gait. Darby had never watched five-gaited horses like American saddlebreds in action, but such energy went into every one of Hoku’s high-stepping moves, she thought this looked something like that gait called a rack.
    The splash of white on the filly’s chest—the mark that had earned her the name Hoku, “star” in Hawaiian—came right at Darby each time Hoku passed.
    Darby tightened her ponytail and finally the filly slid to a stop. The gesture was a secret between them.
    â€œHey, baby, don’t be afraid. I’m here.”
    Hoku’s pinned-back ears flicked forward at the sound of Darby’s voice.
    â€œIt’s okay.” Darby forgot Megan, the weather, everything but this little patch of earth and the calm she hoped Hoku could draw from her.
    â€œGood girl.” She moved close enough to stroke Hoku’s side. “You’re such a good girl.”
    Thunder clapped once again and Hoku shied, bumping Darby almost off her feet. But Darby didn’t move away. She kept talking.
    â€œIt’s a little thunder, no big deal.”
    The filly paced along the fence and Darby stayed with her, humming a medieval-sounding song her mother liked. She didn’t know why it popped into her mind. It could be because it mentioned parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. If she could drift the rangeland smell of sage to her filly’s nostrils, she would have, but even the melody made the filly stop with a lowered head.
    Still humming, Darby listened as the filly’s breathing