Ronata's room at the walker farm

Jack might have been ready to write it all off, but Steven really did need to grow up. Love or not, that was no excuse for actually hurting someone over some harmless teasing. Her father was right. Steven's temper was getting him into trouble all the time, and she was as sick of it as her father and Brian were. Angry, she went downstairs and started to clean up lunch. These babies had thrown their temper tantrums over lunch, and a good portion of what she had made was still sitting on the table. She took the dishes and the leftovers to the kitchen and started to clean up the dining room and the kitchen. What a waste of wonderful gourmet food! Well, they could order out for their next meal. She wasn't cooking tonight. She was done with it for today.

She went upstairs and changed her clothes quickly into jeans, western boots and a soft, white cotton shirt, rolling up the sleeves. She added her white Stetson hat and went downstairs. She saw Brian coming into the room. "Where are you going?" he frowned. "I need some air," she said. "I'm taking Archangel and we're going to go down to the barn and get a horse and go riding."

"Oh. Okay. You need me to saddle your horse for you?"

"No. I can manage. It can't be that hard. "

"Oh, by the way, there are 6 horses down there now. There is a big white stallion there. His name is Ghost. He is a magnificent animal. He's huge and strong, and well trained. Take him. He's yours."

"Thanks, "she gave him a soft smile. She went outside and watched Ronata and Steven playing in the pool as if nothing had happened. That made her even angrier. Archangel picked up on Khaat's mood and followed her down to the barn. Perhaps a few minutes alone would clear her head.

Brian sighed heavily. This whole thing was just not good.

From the pool steven saw Khaat frown sighing he moved to teh edge and dried orff "Ronata i think i'd beter do some damage control" he said as he helped her from the pool hearing ehr say he had better or she would not speack to him ever again. He nodded he understood and moved inside to dress as he passed the spare room he saw Jack asleep Robert ahd mended his arm but he still had to slep so it could repair it.

Moving down he stoped at the kitchen grabbing a cup of coffee then biteing the bulett he moved to Brian and waited he would not speack and he would take what ever he had to say or do. ut he turned and sat down as he waited watching Ronata move from the pool to wrap the sarong around her again then walk past to dress.

"She's gone out riding to clear her thoughts," Brian told him quietly. "She does not want to be angry with you, so she wanted some time alone. I presume you already know what I'm thinking, don't you?" He did not want to have to repeat the obvious. He didn't want to make this unnecessarily painful for either of them.

Meanwhile, Khaat muscled a blanket and saddle onto the enormous horse. She put a bridle onto the horse, and, as small as she was, she had to work to mount. This stallion was huge, but young and muscular and good spirited. She took him from the barn and rode him away onto the grounds, towards the woods. It felt good to ride again. It made her feel free and carefree.

She rode for a long time, thinking things through, sometimes talking to Ghost and working at befriending him. Her ride took her though a lightly wooded field. She began to feel raindrops. She looked up. The sky was dark as pitch and the wind was stirring up. They were in for a severe storm. She didn't even see Archangel anymore. She knew well that he would have gone back to the house. Thunder began to roll, and the rain and the wind began to beat down on her and her horse. She turned around and began to head back, having to go slowly and steadily because of the sudden blinding rain.

Suddenly a bolt of lightning hit a tree next to them. Ghost reared up and threw her off to the ground. The tree trunk fell straight on Khaat, right across her. She felt pain, and she heard Ghost running off in utter terror. The pain overtook her, and she fell unconscious, knowing she had been much too far from home for anyone to ever find her easily.

Steven was abouit to say he did when he saw a horse cantering back riderless "isn't that ghost ?" he said heading out as he felt the first drops of rain "Ronata get inside it looks like its going to storm" he said watching her dive inside safe , quickly he moved to the barn and cheched out Ghost who was soaked "looks like hes come threw the storm she must have been some why out , hes scared keeps taking about light from the sky , hes not much good " steven checked him out finding long gfrass and red mud in the horses hoofs "do you have any where thats got long grass ?" he asked thinking after that was daft question since every where around his farm did. He dove back inside puling amap from abook shelf he ahd seen several days earlier spreading it out he drew a cercle around the hose "ok this is the search area , Ronata stay here if she comes back she may be hurt" he said and turned to Brian stopping for a second "if thats all right with you , sir" he said looking right in his eyes.

Brian's blood ran cold when he saw Ghost come back without her. Ghost was a very calm and gentle beast, and he would have never left Khaat if something dire had not happened. He went over to the fireplace and called through the floo for Robert to come back quickly.

Robert and Katherine came at once. Robert had his bag, and they had worn brought rain repellant cloaks. "Khaat's hurt," Robert said, "I can feel it. Where is she? Tell me she's not out in this storm." He paused, looking for her energies in the house. "She's not here," he said, now more concerned. "She is out there. What do you know? Where did she go?" Robert moved over to the table and looked at the map. "That is a huge search area," he sighed. "Let us hope that time is not of the essence. This is going to take awhile."

Meanwhile, Khaat faded in and out of semi-consciousness. She found herself laying in a ditch that apparently had been a creekbed. It was starting already to fill up with water. And she was trapped beneath a gread tree trunk, her arms and torso trapped under the tree. It kept her from casting any magic whatsoever, even if she had been fully conscious. She hurt. She really hurt. She kept wishing for one of her father's pain potions. She was quickly becoming filty dirty--muddy, and she feared that the old creekbed would fill up with water before anyone would find her.

Ronata looked at every one as she ran back down from upstairs now dressed in jeans and a jumper and along scarf "I want to help to " she asked looking at the map then at Robert "I have talents that could come in useful " she said not elaberating on anything but her eyes rested more on Steven as she took his hand knowing he felt guilty for this having fought with jack earlier. She owed Khaat that much to not try and help andshe owed the people around her the life she had now.

"Don't worry," Brian said. "We'll find her. I swear. Archangel!" He called. The great bird came over and perched at once on Brian's shoulder. "Archangel, where's Khaat? Where is he, boy?" The bird cocked his head to the side, studying Brian as if he did not understand why Brian thought she was lost. He took a piece of paper and handed it to him. "Go! To Khaat! Take it to Khaat!" The bird looked at Brian like Brian was crazy if he thought any eagle would be stupid enough to fly in a lightning storm.

"Brian," Robert laughed. "Forget it. He's not going."

"Let me try," Katherine said. She walked over to Archangel and communicated with him for a long moment.
Then she said, "He thinks we're stupid if we think we can get him to go flying in a lightning storm. We're on our own. However. He keeps saying something about the water in the south. Brian, Robert and I know this land. There is no water in the south, except the pool, and she clearly is not in the pool."

"Well, we do have a direction, then. We go south," Brian said. "Someone has to stay here in case she manages to come back or in case we get more information. We also need someone to make sure Jack doesn't think he's going to join us. Robert and Steven, you both come with me. Ronata and Katherine, one of you needs to stay behind, please."

Ronata loked at the new woman dn shok her head "No no, im am going to help " she said and folded her arms across her chest as she looked at them all now diging her toes in " Arch angel can't fly but i know a way" she said and moved to the doorway just as lightning flashed in the sky. She paused for amomet looking back at them both as she slowly steped out into the rain focusing her breathing she used the air to lift her from the ground . "I will search to the east" she shouted over the thunder but she loked at the waiting for some one to say something .

"No," Brian called to her. "South! Archangel told Katherine about water to the south. Go south! Fire sparks with your wand if you find her!" He watched her disappear. Robert gave them different directions. He suggested that Steven follow Ronata's path, and he said he would search southwest, and suggested Brian search southeast. Robert kissed Kate's forehead, "Don't worry. She's alive. I can feel it. We'll find her--I promise."

Robert and Brian took off separate directions and began to search. The sound of the storm and the blinding rain made hearing or seeing anything exceptionally difficult. Besides that, the sky was almost as dark as night. That didn't help either. Robert knew they would all soon be using Lumos spells to light the way.

Khaat found mind was becoming numb and she was having odd thoughts. She began to think she saw..was it Rob? Had he come to rescue her? Apologize and come back home? He looked so loving and like the man she had fallen in love with. And he had someone with him...wait. Who was it? She struggled to focus. It was..Remus. Remus? That could not possibly be right. She tried to reason with herself. She was either dead or losing her mind. The last she knew Rob wasn't dead, but Remus was. She called to Remus. She begged him to take her with him. He began slowly shaking his head, saying, "Not yet. Not yet...." She groaned and everything faded again.

ronsata heard his words "south right " she said and flew in that direction she was battered from the winds and the driving rain made it impossible for her to see anything but Steven below her folowing close behind . She could feel the cold rain dig into her skin as she flew.

Almost an hour had passed now and Ronata started to fail she slowly sank to the ground exauisted. it was then she spotted somthing sticking out of a mess of tree in a ditch. painfully she stood and walked over the closer she came the more she saw it ewas afoot she dove around "Khaat ,its me Ronata please wake up" she said raising her wand she fired a spark into the air not just once but twice as she rested Khaats head on her knees out of the now wet mud she was glad of the rian as it his the tears she now shed as she brushed Khaats hair from her face