Testing: Day 14

Word Count: 84,021

Summary of Events:

Ivy decided to go and see Thomas' grave one last time, despite the fact that her mother didn't want her to go walking alone. Gabriel had finished his work with Jude for the day and watched as a customer treated the horse he'd rented poorly, prompting the horse to flee; Gabriel then chased the horse down and caught it when it nearly ran Ivy over, returned to town and told his employer, who got into a screaming fight with the customer before the customer attempted to shoot the horse and shot Gabriel instead. Ivy watched the whole thing unfold before heading to the cemetery and seeing Thomas' headstone for herself for the first time. Gabriel was released by the doctor once his arm was treated and saw Ivy in the cemetery, where he went to visit her. Ivy returned home and told her parents and the Bramwells what had happened . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

""So what happened?" Mrs. Bramwell asked.

"Well, a man wanted to rent a horse from the livery stables," Ivy replied. "He asked for a good tempered horse, and was given one, but he treated the horse roughly, and so the horse reacted in an ill tempered way. He tried to beat the horse in reprimand, but the horse escaped him, he then demanded a refund of the liveryman and believed the liveryman had given him an ill tempered horse instead. The liveryman refused to give the refund, saying he'd indeed given a good tempered horse, and the customer merely mistreated it. This point was proved when Mr. Raider brought out the horse in question fully tacked and gave a fine display of its abilities. The sheriff then told the liveryman and the customer that he ruled the liveryman should keep the money as compensation for what the customer did to his horse, and that he was not under obligation to grant the man the horse, lest the man still treat the horse poorly. The man then went to leave, angry with the judgement, but at the sight of the horse he came back with intent to shoot the horse. Mr. Raider, still aboard, manoeuvred the horse to save its life and was in the process struck himself by the shot intended for the horse while the sheriff shot the man in the arm, also to save the horse's life."

"My goodness!" Mrs. Bramwell exclaimed.

Ivy noticed Mother was pale as a bed sheet, her eyes wide.

"Is Mr. Raider alright?" Mr. Bramwell asked, looking alarmed.

"Yes, he's fine," Ivy replied. "It went into his shoulder, I even saw him walking around after having been tended to by the doctor."

Mr. Bramwell sagged back into his seat, relieved.

"Who's this Mr. Raider?" Father asked.

"A friend of the Bramwells," Ivy replied quickly.

"Ah," Father said, while both Mr. and Mrs. Bramwell looked at Ivy with confused expressions.

"You were shot at," Mother whispered, looking on the verge of collapse.

"Not at all," Ivy replied. "I was well away from the shooting."

Away was probably more the truth than well away, she'd probably been fifteen or twenty feet behind the disgruntled customer and about five or ten feet to his right — when he turned around to shoot the horse.

"You were near shooting," Mother whimpered.

"Gladys, it's alright, God kept her safe," Father said.

Ivy nearly lashed out at her father for the comment, but she took a deep breath and let it be. If he wanted to think that then it was all well and good for him. Besides, it would probably help her mother to feel better."