She closed the door against the wind, spied the pen and pad of paper on the telephone desk under the clock, and scrawled, “Back soon. Call my cell. xo”
She glanced up at the clock. It was almost midnight.
Bird opened the door again and stepped outside. Stinging ice pellets hit her cheeks. She pulled her turtleneck collar over her nose and looked around for Cody.
Here, Bird girl. Follow me.
The coyote appeared from under a bush that sagged to the ground under a burden of ice. Cody looked thinner. Even in the dim light, she could see that his coat was dull. He walked toward her with a stiff gait.
Cody, are you all right?
Yes, Bird girl. We must hurry.
She’d ask Paul to take a look at him. Where are we going?
To the Good Lady’s farm.
Cody called Laura Pierson “the Good Lady.” She was quite elderly. Her husband, Pete, had died the year before. Cody had called him, “the Good Man.” Now Mrs. Pierson lived alone on their farm called Merry Fields, just down the road.
That’s a really long walk in this storm, Cody.
She needs help. Now.
What’s wrong?
I must show you.
I’ll get Hannah. We’ll drive. Bird turned to go back into the house.
No! The road cannot let a car pass.
What? Sometimes it was hard to understand what Cody meant.
There is a big tree where a car would travel.
Oh.
Come with me, now!
Bird thought for a second. If Mrs. Pierson was in danger, she needed to get there fast. It would take too long by foot, and it was too icy to ride a bike.
I’ll get Sunny. He’ll save us a lot of time.
If you wish. But hurry.
Bird began to run to the barn, but with her first step she slid on a thin cover of ice on the driveway and landed on her bottom. Ice was everywhere. Would Sundancer be able to get down the lane, let alone all the way to Mrs. Pierson’s farm?
She tested the thickness of the ice on top of the snow on the side by thumping it with her heel. She found she could break it easily. No problem for a horse’s hooves to cut through the ice, she thought, but there was only one way to find out.
Bird very carefully made her way up the edge of the driveway to the barn and pulled open the door. She felt along the wall for the light switch and flicked it on.
Nothing but darkness. The power was out.
Bird stood in the middle of the aisle. Sundancer’s stall was two down on the right.
Sunny?
Is that Santa Claus already?
It’s me. I need your help.
You’ve got to be kidding.
Cody says Mrs. Pierson is in danger.
I’m waiting for Santa. It’s cold and dark and scary out there. It’s nighttime, and I want to sleep like all the other horses.
Those are a lot of excuses.
Another voice reached Bird.
I’ll help! It was Tall Sox. You helped me, and I’ll help you anytime you ask.
Thank you, Sox!
Amigo piped up. Anything you ask, it is my duty.
And me. I’ll help you! The transmission came from Charlie, the old black gelding. I’m ready to go!
You are the best. Thank you, Sox, Amigo, and Charlie.
Sunny piped in. No way! If any horse helps Bird, it’s me. Get me outta this stall!
Bird chuckled to herself. Just like Sundancer. She felt along the wall until she got to his stall. She grabbed his halter from its hook, opened the latch, and stepped inside with her arms out, feeling for her horse. He stood at the very back of the stall, making her go the whole way.
Got you. We’re going to do it the quick way, Sunny. No time for tack. Your stable blanket stays on.
This better be worthwhile. A horse needs his sleep.
She put his halter over his head, fastened a rope to either side of it to make reins, then led him outside. She slid the door closed as she messaged to the barn filled with curious horses, Good night, all. We have a job to do, but we’ll be back soon.
Bird led him to the mounting block outside the barn door and scrambled onto his back. Be very careful, Sunny. It’s icy.
You don’t say.
Take a step and see …
They slid several feet until Sundancer found a snow bank where he could get purchase.
So, what’s the plan, Bird? Skate until I break all my legs?
I thought your hooves would go through the ice and get a grip on the snow.
Because snow isn’t slippery? Really?
Look, smarty, we need to help Mrs. Pierson. You don’t like my ideas, so do you have any of your own?
It wasn’t my idea to do this at all!
Okay, okay. Can we try to go cross-country?
Let me try it off the driveway. If it’s bad, I’m not going. Sunny trod slowly and cautiously until he got to the edge of the lane, then stepped over the ice-encrusted bank onto the flat expanse of the field. His hooves cut through the thin layer of ice, and he relaxed. Much better.
Good, Sunny! Can we do this?
Just watch me.
Good boy!
I’m not a dog.
Sorry.
Sunny walked a few paces. The snow was heavy and deep. He had to bend his knees high to pick up his hooves before putting them down squarely again.
Not nice, Bird. Not nice at all.
But is it possible?
Possible, but every step is tough work. Sunny picked up a slow, high-stepping trot across the paddock to the gate into the woods. Bird kicked the ice off the latch and opened it, glad that the gate was hung high enough off the ground to be clear of the snow.
Once through the gate, they walked attentively along the trails. On top of the treacherous footing, it was pitch-dark. She longed to hurry, but if Bird were to be any help at all to Mrs. Pierson, she’d have to get to Merry Fields in one piece.
She noted that the conical shape of the fir trees on either side of the path allowed the snow and ice to slide off without breaking branches. Deciduous trees, like the big maple outside Bird’s window, had the opposite shape and split with too much extra weight. Interesting, thought Bird.
These firs sheltered the trail from the full force of the gale, and as Bird and Sunny travelled along, they were glad for all the protection they could get.
By the time they emerged from the woods, Sundancer was sweating. Each step had been a big effort. They crossed a narrow clearing and found themselves at the road.
Sunny’s sides heaved. This is no picnic.
We don’t have far to go from here, Sunny.
The road looks crazy.
Bird had to agree. Sleet was blowing almost horizontal by the force of the wind, and garbage from a rolling bin was gusting around like it was in an anti-gravity machine. Just as plastic