JANUARY 6, 1860

Desiree and Ivy walked companionably along the boardwalk toward the livery, both girls were looking forward to going for a ride for the morning. Neither was due to start work until the afternoon, and they hadn�t had much chance to explore yet, so they were taking a letter out to the Pony Express Way Station.

The ride to the station didn�t take very long, both girls chatting happily about their life in town. Ivy was quite happy to ramble on about her childhood and how happy she was that she had a twin sister that she could share everything with. But Desiree didn�t join in with her animated discussion, not wanting to share any of her past with anyone in Dreamville, not even her best friend.

Reining in their horses at the side of the Pony Express Corral both girls dismounted and seeing nobody around they decided to look around. They had almost reached the barn door when a voice from behind startled them.

"Can I help you girls?" Rachel spoke

"Hello!" Desiree spoke her voice a little shaky after being startled. "I would like to post a letter," she answered and held the letter forward.

"C�mon," Rachel smiled. "Maybe you girls would like a cold drink as well before you leave?" She was happy for a bit of company while the riders were all busy, and Teaspoon was in town working.

"Is it alright for me to have a look around, Rachel?" Ivy asked.

"Sure," Rachel nodded. "Come over to the house when you are ready, just be careful of the horses in the next corral. They�re still a little wild."

Ivy walked through the barn patting some of the gentle horses on the nose as she walked. She was surprised to hear a female voice speaking softly behind the barn, so she kept walking to see if she knew this person. However, as she rounded the barn door and moved toward the side of the corral, two hooves flew from nowhere and connected with the top plank of the corral, right where she had just been about to stand.

"Can�t you see that the horse is riled up?" An angry voice called to her from the other side of the corral.

Ivy stood there in silence, stunned by the horse�s movements. "Stupid people! They shouldn�t be anywhere near horses if they don�t know them." The voice continued.

"Well, I�m sorry!" Ivy was ready to turn on her heel and leave. "I didn�t mean any harm." Tears of fright welled in her huge green eyes and she ran back the way she had arrived.

White Wolf sat on the top rail of the corral, she hadn�t meant to upset the visitor, but it had startled her badly when the horses hooves had barely missed the girl. She shook her head gently, thinking of the tragedy that had narrowly been avoided.

Ivy walked through the barn trying to compose herself, however, she was startled to find Desiree already mounted up and waiting for her. Ivy mounted silently beside her friend and they rode for some time before she felt she had composed herself enough to speak.

"I thought we were staying for a cool drink?" Ivy asked frowning slightly.

"I�m sorry, Ivy." Desiree was truly sorry that she had not stayed for her friend�s sake. She knew how much Ivy was trying to fit in, in town, and she had just taken a friend making opportunity from her. But she couldn�t stay, especially after the way she had just treated Rachel. She couldn�t help herself. Rachel had innocently asked her a question about her past and she had just flown off the handle. She and Rachel had fought, not badly of course, but enough for Desiree to be uncomfortable being there so she had immediately made her apologies and returned to their horses, waiting until Ivy returned so they could leave.

"That�s okay, Desi." Ivy shrugged her shoulders more than happy to be away from the angry horses at the rear of the barn, and on her way back to the relative safety of the township.