Treachery: Day 7

Word Count: 42,011

Summary of Events:

Edward got into a physical fight with Richard Jr. before Adeline stopped him and he went out to vent his frustrations with the ranch hands. Adeline watched Edward give his colt a fresh bandage before going to see Mr. Leonard's colt, whom he found had a sprain and a stone bruise on the same leg, and went to tell Mr. Leonard, despite the fact that Mr. Leonard had company; he and Richard Jr. got into another set of fisticuffs over Edward's choice of words. Edward iced the colt's sprain and then watched as Adeline stroked the colt . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

"The colt lifted his head, ears pricked forward for a moment before his eyes rolled and his ears snapped back over his head. He stepped back quickly and she stepped away from the colt worriedly.

Edward put a hand on the colt's shoulder gently and started stroking it. He had a feeling the colt was hearing the dog, even though he couldn't, and he didn't want to chase the colt down again if he didn't have to.

"Go see if you can see that dog," Edward said.

She started forward quickly and crawled out of the fence. Edward stood by the colt and stroked him gently. He didn't have the colt's halter, and being as the colt hadn't been backed before he knew that he wasn't going to be able to climb on and stop the colt. If anything, getting on to him would make it worse.

Shortly she returned. "I can see him, they're coming this way."

"Get the halter," Edward ordered.

She disappeared again and Edward continued to stroke the colt with as much confidence as possible. The more confident he was the more confident the colt would be, although he was certain that as soon as the dog saw the colt the dog would want to chase him, and that would lead to the colt jumping the fence.

Popping over the fence, she strode across the pasture briskly with the halter and Edward swiftly put it around the colt's head before continuing to stroke him.

The dog rounded the corner and quickly came forward, crawled under the fence, and then started forward, but silently. The colt flipped his ears back and stepped back quickly, raising his head, the whites of his eyes showing.

Putting his head down by Edward's boot, the dog sniffed, then whined and cowered before veritably crawling out of the pasture and back over to his master's side.

Edward smiled. It appeared the dog remembered what had happened last time he'd seen Edward, and had no intent of repeating it. Edward reached around and stroke the colt gently, affirming that the colt had done a good job of not panicking with the dog's approach.

He looked over at her and saw she was walking over to the colt with a handful of something. He saw it to be oats when she got closer. The colt eagerly ate the treat off of her hand before snorting and shaking his head.

"That dog remembers you," she said.

Edward nodded. "Unfortunately I ain't stayin' around."

She nodded as well, looking saddened. "He's such a fine horse, it's a shame to see him so frightened."

"It's a shame to see any horse mistreated," Edward said quietly.

"Anything mistreated," she whispered."