Kicking Up Your Heels

By Donna and Abby

"Rise and shine, boys!" called out Con as he stuck his head in the bunkhouse where the Pony Express Riders lived. When the only response was a few muffled groans, he took a spoon and started banging on a large metal pot. "Up and at'em! There are chores to be done! Horses to be fed! Stalls to be mucked! Mail to be delivered! Get yer lazy tails up! Just ‘cos you stayed up half the night playing cards doesn't mean you get to sleep in!" Seeing that some of them were actually starting to stumble out of bed, Con turned and left to go do his own morning chores. 

"Where the hell is Mr. Spoon?" asked Cody, running his hand through his hair. 

"He an' Lou went off a week or so ago and I haven't seen 'em since," said The Kid with a lovelorn look. Only he knew that Lou was really a girl. 

Ike didn't say anything, because Ike could not speak!  But he went outside, after Con, and was the first to see two new horses standing calmly under an ash tree.  Because Buck was not there, and Buck was the best at interpreting Ike's hand signals, he finally found Con washing his face in a nearby basin and pointed the horses out to him.  Obviously Con was in charge while Teaspoon Hunter was away. 

"Where did those pretty little fillies come from?" Con said with a low whistle. "I've never seen them before!" And they were pretty. One was a golden palomino with snow white mane and tail, while the other one was what was known as a buttermilk buckskin, her cream colored skin set off nicely by her coal black mane, tail, and legs. "Ike, go get the boys out here, pronto! If they are wild, we will need their help rounding them up." 

Ike nodded, grinning - no one was better with horses than he was - and ran into the bunkhouse.  Cody, The Kid, and Jimmy Hickok were coming out at the same moment, and the four young men collided.  Of course, Ike did not have to "tell" them about the horses, because they could see them just fine from there. 

"Ooh, golly!" said Cody.  "I want that buckskin!" 

As if she understood what he said, the filly in question snorted and shook her head, making her long forelock rest over one of her large, beautiful brown eyes. She turned to the palomino and nuzzled her for a moment, before turning to watch the men that were fanning out around them both. 

The Kid ran to jump on the back of his favorite - though pregnant - mare Katie, while the other boys surrounded the horses on foot.  But Katie stopped just as she got to the ash tree no one later could remember having seen there before.  Spooked, the mare reared, and dumped her master in the dirt.  He was not hurt, but was astounded by her behavior.  Katie never did that to him before! 

The fillies watched this of course, nickering softly at Katie as if to reassure her that everything was ok. By this time, Cody was getting closer to the buckskin, a pail of tempting oats in one hand, and a halter and rope in the other. The filly snorted at him, stretching out her neck as far as she could to sniff at the offered treat. But as soon as he reached up to try to put the rope around her neck, she squealed and reared as she wheeled around on her back legs. Cody ducked as her heels came up fast, just barely missing him as she sent the pail full of oats flying through the air! 

Jimmy laughed. "She's not such an easy catch, Cody!" he snickered.  

The blonde young man wrinkled his nose at his friend and indicated the palomino, which Jimmy of course was after. "Try her. Bet you don't have any better luck!" 

Meanwhile, The Kid was getting up and dusting himself off.  As he passed the tree, however, he found the branches reaching out to hold him back! 

"What the...," he gasped, watching as the buckskin danced around the tree a few times, as if showing off her gaits. Stopping at the dented pail that one of her hooves had connected with, she nosed the scattered oats around and started to nibble on them. 

The boys were actually looking at the still captured Kid, until Ike pointed to the buckskin. Then they turned to watch *her*.  And when every head turned, the tree "let go" of its prisoner, throwing Kid forward into the dirt.  The boys looked back, their necks swinging to and fro like a tennis match.  The palomino reared back, kicked her front hooves in the air, and whinnied.  It was like she was laughing at them! 

"I need a rope," growled Cody. "All I need to do is get a loop around her neck! Then she will be mine!" 

"Just like having a ring around a girl’s finger?" one of the other boys teased. "That will be the day!" 

Meanwhile, while no one was looking at her, Katie went into the bunkhouse!  Coming out with several pairs of jeans and old work shirts over her back (which she had taken from their trunks with her mouth), she went to stand by the ash tree.  When she did, the fillies stopped playing with the boys, and went behind her to stand under the tree again.  As soon as they were lost from view, there was a sudden shimmering light, and when it faded, the tree was gone!  Left were three pair of shapely legs and three pretty faces.  Three sets of hands reached for the clothing on Katie's back, and while the boys watched, open-mouthed and unable to move, the three new fae put on the jeans and shirts, shielded wonderfully by the pregnant paint mare! 

"Thank you, Katie," one of the girls said once she was dressed. "You are a dear!" The girl had thick black hair that framed an exotic, almost oriental face. 

There were two others, one with blonde hair, and one with dark brown corkscrew curls.  All three smiled at the boys.  "What fun," said the blonde, as the curly haired one went to help The Kid stand.  

"You could see under Katie's belly," she accused, making him blush.  But she only laughed it off. 

"Still want to put a rope around my neck?" the black haired girl teased as she walked up to Cody, a coy smile on her face. The shirt that she was wearing was missing several buttons on top, exposing her cleavage to his view. "My name is Kishori, by the way." 

The blond Rider looked at her with large blue eyes dilated by lust.  "Well, nice ta meetcha Kishori!" he said.  "An' no, Ah'm not inta that kinda thing as a rule."  He smiled his most dazzling grin at her, hoping it would do him good. 

Meanwhile the blonde who had once been a palomino was walking around Jimmy Hickock.  After looking him up and down she said, "Maybe I should've let you catch me.  You look like you might be fun." 

"It was fun watchin' this rodeo," Con laughed from where he was standing, brushing one of the big horses he used to pull the stage. "Now, play time is over! There are horses..." 

"Horses to be fed, stalls to be cleaned, mail to be delivered! We know!" the riders all cried out in unison. 

"Let us help!" said the girls.  

"Help!  How can you help?" scoffed Jimmy. 

"Hell," smiled the blond, who later introduced herself as Rohan, "who knows better than us how to care for a horse?  Right Katie?" she asked as she stroked the mare.  The horse responded with an appropriate whinny, making everyone laugh. 

"All right," sighed Jimmy.  "I know when I'm licked!" 

Rohan winked.  "Maybe later," she said.  "We've got horses to see to now!"