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Description

Don't want to read all those words below? Here's the summary:

Quick Overview
After the kennel burnt down in late December, Orchard Valley has been moving around in search for a new location. Finally, the kennel decided to move in with Rivendell Stables. The group arrived and met Teague's sister, Lyn. During a tour of the property, a few of the dogs introduced the kennel staff to the barn owner, Kyle, by spooking her horse, causing her to fall. Hurray for first impressions!

Story
Teague's silver pick up truck sped down a flat country road, whizzing past fields and farms and forest. Rattling behind the vehicle was the kennel's old dog trailer, filled with all of Orchard Valley's surviving dogs. Months earlier, a fire had destroyed the kennel, taking a handful of lives while leaving the pack and the staff homeless. It was hard finding a hotel that would accept over twenty dogs, so the crew mainly pitched a large tent overnight at the nearest campground. In those situations, some dogs would sleep in the trailer, others in the truck. The remaining dogs where tied outside, while the young dogs slept in the tent with the staff. Thankfully, the huskies had their thick winter coats, and were comfortable sleeping in the bitter cold.
  Garrett and Teague didn't mind the camping; they had done so years prior recreationally...now it was a necessity. Kaia, on the other hand, despised being trapped in a tent. She could always be seen bundled in five-too-many layers, grumbling about the cold and the snow and the wind. She never did like camping. Kaia had been especially cranky since the crew went fishing for food on the Anvik River half a month ago. When fishing for salmon, Kaia had gone off away from the group to seek out a better fishing spot and nearly ran head first into a grizzly bear. Thankfully, about five of the kennel dogs had trailed behind her, including the Northern Jaro, Tess, who had experience in dealing with bears. The dogs, Tess, Farah, Dallas, Pill, and The Sir were able to chase the young bear away. Since then, Kaia had been especially bitter about the woods.

  Garret glanced at his sister in the back, then into the side view mirror. She was rapidly tying together small, colorful strings to make a simple friendship bracelet. Dozens engulfed her wrist. Making them seemed to take her mind off things. Squished in next to her were Tucker, Finn, and Romeo, snoozing peacefully on the car seat. A few of the dogs had to ride in Teague's truck since they couldn't all fit in the dog trailer.

"How much longer, Teague?" Garrett asked, drumming his fingers against the window.

"Not much longer at all." Teague responded, "We should be there in about half an hour."

Thank goodness. They had been driving for months, it seemed. Garrett sighed.

"So tell me again, Teague– what's this place like?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Teague grinned.

  "It's called Rivendell Stables. My sister works with the woman who owns the place. It used to be owned by some elite horse-trainer guy, but I guess his daughter owns it now. The place has slowed down quite a bit, from what I hear. They used to host tons of shows and clinics to barns from across the world, but they stopped for some reason." Teague shrugged. "I've seen pictures and it looks nice. They have a guest barn in addition to their main barn, so they'll have plenty of room for us to stay."
Garrett shifted in his seat, nervously. With nowhere else to turn, Teague's sister invited the kennel to move into Rivendell, insisting there was plenty of room to accommodate not only the dogs, but that staff as well. Garrett was hesitant about the deal. Move into a horse stable? Would the dogs be able to handle that? Would there be room? Resources? Not to mention, Garrett had always been in charge of everything that went on at his old kennel. Now, he'd have to answer to someone else, and that was a thought he didn't like.

  Teague, on the other hand, was beyond thrilled. He was overjoyed at the opportunity to work with his sister at such an elite barn. When they were kids, Teague and his sister, Lyn, used to ride horses together. Lyn was always way more into it than Teague, but he still had a good time working with the horses. Who knew? Maybe he'd decide to get back into riding. Teague grinned at the thought of Garrett being bossed around by Kyle, the barn's owner. He had a feeling their controlling personalities would clash. He reminded himself to catch the first meeting on video in case World War III broke out.

~~~

The truck slowed as it pulled into a long, paved driveway. Decorative trees lined the road, but between the foliage, Teague could see vast, rolling pastures. The truck wound it's way down the scenic drive, and Teague could hear the dogs yipping in excitement from the trailer. In the passenger seat, Garrett shifted nervously.
"I'll do all the talking." Teague suggested. Garrett nodded in agreement, grimacing a bit.
Finally, the trees opened up to reveal a vast meadow with tall, golden grass. The black road sliced gracefully through the prairie, outlined by natural wooden pasture fences on both sides. Horses grazed in the endless meadows, half hidden by the tall grass. In the distance, tall hills outlined the horizon. Teague's eyes widened. This place was even more gorgeous than the pictures had suggested. The truck glided down the lane, until it reached a large stable complex.

The main barn was composed of stone and bricks, while wooden stall doors opened up to the outside. A large entranceway gaped at the truck as it approached. Teague caught a glimpse of the guest barn and indoor arena around back. They were similar in appearance. Off to the side was a large outdoor arena with a light, freshly-groomed footing. In nearby pastures, horses lifted their heads curiously at the approach of the truck, eyeing the trailer with interest.

Teague parked the truck in the lot. He, Garrett, and Kaia emerged from the car, followed by the dogs in the back, who scrabbled eagerly out of the vehicle. Teague heard Garrett sigh.
"I guess we should introduce ourselves." Garrett suggested, unenthusiastically.
"Yea, we should. The girls should be somewhere around here..." Teague had just begun to turn towards the barn when he heard a sharp squeal.
"TEAGUE!" A voice exclaimed. Silhouetted in the barn door was a girl of short stature. She had tan olive skin and dark curly hair which dropped down to her waist.
"LYN!" Teague called back to his sister in excitement. It had been so long since the two had seen each other face to face. In a heartbeat, she had bound out of the barn, down the yard, and to the truck. Teague forgot how quick his sister could be...and how short she was. Lyn threw her arms around Teague, jumping up to reach his shoulders.
"It's been so long! You haven't changed a bit." She grinned, turning to Kaia. "Darling, you look as gorgeous as ever!"
  As Lyn and Kaia shared a freak out moment, Teague glanced over at Garrett, who was leaning against the truck with folded arms. Teague offered a thumbs up, but Garrett just stared back.
"It's nice to see you again as well!" Lyn turned her attention to Garrett. Before he had a chance to stick out his hand as a formal greeting, Lyn had wrapped him into a hug. She was friendly like that. Garrett glanced over at Teague, looking a bit flustered. "You guys must be so tired from traveling around for so long. Come on! I'll show you around the property." She took Garrett's hand and pulled him along, leading the group towards the barn. The three huskies Romeo, Finn, and Tucker followed behind Garrett eagerly. Teague shook his head. He had nearly forgotten how high-energy his sister was.
  "Kyle should be around back, in the outdoor ring. She's the barn owner and my personal best friend." Lyn explained with a quick smile, still dragging behind her a very uncomfortable-looking Garrett. The huskies ran in and out of the fences, happy to stretch their legs. The group was lead around to the back of the stables. Lyn pointed at a building similar to the main stable. "That's the guest barn, where you're dogs will be staying. You guys will share the apartments above the main barn with Kyle and me."

They approached a large arena which contained colorful jumps. Inside, a girl was cantering on large horse. The girl's long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, which bounced with each stride of her horse. The tall stallion was dark black, with a single white stripe. The ground seemed to shake with each of his steps. Occasionally, the pair would swing around and direct themselves at a tall jump. Had Teague stood next to them, the jumps would have reached his shoulders. Yet, the black horse glided effortlessly over the obstacles. Together, the horse and the rider worked in seamless unison.
"Kyle!" Lyn called to the rider, snapping Teague from his thoughts. "They're here."

  Across the ring, the rider slowed her horse to a walk. A plume of dust followed in their wake. As they approached, Teague became aware of the absence of the three huskies that had been following the group. Just as he was about to mention the fact to Garrett, the dogs tore into the arena, barking and howling. They were chasing a jet black cat, who streaked across the ring in terror. The cat cut directly in front of the black horse's path, and the dogs were not far behind its trail. Tucker and Finn cut in front of the horse, while Romeo made the mistake of running beneath it. In a panic, the horse half-reared and skidded to the side, leg's flailing and kicking. The rider was thrown abruptly from her horse and landed with a loud thump on the ground. Her horse rocketed away, tearing around the ring bucking. Unaffected, the dogs were about to disappear under the ring fence after the cat, but Garrett whistled sharply. Reluctantly, they peeled off from the trail of their prey and traveled over to where Garrett stood.
"Lay down, Garrett ordered sharply. Obediently, the dogs slid to the ground in unison, becoming increasingly aware that they had done something upsetting.

  Lyn had jumped the fence and was making her way carefully towards the black horse, who had slowed to a nervous walk. She managed to approach the flighty horse and took hold of the reins, causing him to jerk up his head in fright. Soothing the stallion, Lyn made her way over to Kyle, who was picking herself off the ground.
"Are you okay, Kyle?" Lyn asked with concern, lending a hand to her friend. Kyle stood and brushed off her breeches.
"I'm fine," She responded, waving her wrist dismissively, "Is Hamlin alright?"
"He's okay. Just rattled."
Kyle took the reins from her friend and made her way towards the gate. Lyn followed close behind, looking worried.
"I'm so sorry about that," Garrett began, "They usually never–"
"Look," Kyle cut him off. She was very pretty up close, but her blue eyes were narrowed and her voice was cold, "If you're going to stay here, let's make something very clear. No loose dogs. They can run around as much as they want in the paddocks, but anywhere else on the property, they must be leashed. I won't have a pack of dogs spooking my horses and terrorizing my cats. Someone's bound to get hurt." She marched past the group, adding behind her shoulder. "You may continue the tour, Lyn, and for god's sake, leash those animals."

There was an uncomfortable silence when Kyle left. Lyn and Garrett's faces were matching shades of red.
"Well, isn't she peachy." Garrett huffed.
"She's not normally like that." Lyn cut in defensively, "She was just flustered from the fall." There was more awkward silence.
"Let's go back to the truck," Teague broke the tension. "We can throw the dogs back into the truck and continue the tour." At the suggestion, Lyn nodded rapidly in agreement. Her face was regaining normal color.
"Good plan," She breathed, "Let's go."
The group followed Lyn back the way they came. This time, the dogs marched obediently at Garrett's heels. Teague shook his head. We're off to a great start here. He thought to himself. What was going to happen if Garrett and Kyle couldn't get along? Staying at the stable had to work out.
It was the only option.

Words: 2052

Characters featured:
Humans: Teague, Garrett, Kaia, Lyn, and Kyle
Dogs: Romeo, Finn, Tucker, Pill, Tess, Farah, Dallas, The Sir
Horses: Hamlin

Barn Inspiration:

www.kingbarns.com/Large_Facili…

Other References:
So Many Reference Pictures

Description

Don't want to read all those words below? Here's the summary:

Quick Overview
After the kennel burnt down in late December, Orchard Valley has been moving around in search for a new location. Finally, the kennel decided to move in with Rivendell Stables. The group arrived and met Teague's sister, Lyn. During a tour of the property, a few of the dogs introduced the kennel staff to the barn owner, Kyle, by spooking her horse, causing her to fall. Hurray for first impressions!

Story
Teague's silver pick up truck sped down a flat country road, whizzing past fields and farms and forest. Rattling behind the vehicle was the kennel's old dog trailer, filled with all of Orchard Valley's surviving dogs. Months earlier, a fire had destroyed the kennel, taking a handful of lives while leaving the pack and the staff homeless. It was hard finding a hotel that would accept over twenty dogs, so the crew mainly pitched a large tent overnight at the nearest campground. In those situations, some dogs would sleep in the trailer, others in the truck. The remaining dogs where tied outside, while the young dogs slept in the tent with the staff. Thankfully, the huskies had their thick winter coats, and were comfortable sleeping in the bitter cold.
  Garrett and Teague didn't mind the camping; they had done so years prior recreationally...now it was a necessity. Kaia, on the other hand, despised being trapped in a tent. She could always be seen bundled in five-too-many layers, grumbling about the cold and the snow and the wind. She never did like camping. Kaia had been especially cranky since the crew went fishing for food on the Anvik River half a month ago. When fishing for salmon, Kaia had gone off away from the group to seek out a better fishing spot and nearly ran head first into a grizzly bear. Thankfully, about five of the kennel dogs had trailed behind her, including the Northern Jaro, Tess, who had experience in dealing with bears. The dogs, Tess, Farah, Dallas, Pill, and The Sir were able to chase the young bear away. Since then, Kaia had been especially bitter about the woods.

  Garret glanced at his sister in the back, then into the side view mirror. She was rapidly tying together small, colorful strings to make a simple friendship bracelet. Dozens engulfed her wrist. Making them seemed to take her mind off things. Squished in next to her were Tucker, Finn, and Romeo, snoozing peacefully on the car seat. A few of the dogs had to ride in Teague's truck since they couldn't all fit in the dog trailer.

"How much longer, Teague?" Garrett asked, drumming his fingers against the window.

"Not much longer at all." Teague responded, "We should be there in about half an hour."

Thank goodness. They had been driving for months, it seemed. Garrett sighed.

"So tell me again, Teague– what's this place like?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Teague grinned.

  "It's called Rivendell Stables. My sister works with the woman who owns the place. It used to be owned by some elite horse-trainer guy, but I guess his daughter owns it now. The place has slowed down quite a bit, from what I hear. They used to host tons of shows and clinics to barns from across the world, but they stopped for some reason." Teague shrugged. "I've seen pictures and it looks nice. They have a guest barn in addition to their main barn, so they'll have plenty of room for us to stay."
Garrett shifted in his seat, nervously. With nowhere else to turn, Teague's sister invited the kennel to move into Rivendell, insisting there was plenty of room to accommodate not only the dogs, but that staff as well. Garrett was hesitant about the deal. Move into a horse stable? Would the dogs be able to handle that? Would there be room? Resources? Not to mention, Garrett had always been in charge of everything that went on at his old kennel. Now, he'd have to answer to someone else, and that was a thought he didn't like.

  Teague, on the other hand, was beyond thrilled. He was overjoyed at the opportunity to work with his sister at such an elite barn. When they were kids, Teague and his sister, Lyn, used to ride horses together. Lyn was always way more into it than Teague, but he still had a good time working with the horses. Who knew? Maybe he'd decide to get back into riding. Teague grinned at the thought of Garrett being bossed around by Kyle, the barn's owner. He had a feeling their controlling personalities would clash. He reminded himself to catch the first meeting on video in case World War III broke out.

~~~

The truck slowed as it pulled into a long, paved driveway. Decorative trees lined the road, but between the foliage, Teague could see vast, rolling pastures. The truck wound it's way down the scenic drive, and Teague could hear the dogs yipping in excitement from the trailer. In the passenger seat, Garrett shifted nervously.
"I'll do all the talking." Teague suggested. Garrett nodded in agreement, grimacing a bit.
Finally, the trees opened up to reveal a vast meadow with tall, golden grass. The black road sliced gracefully through the prairie, outlined by natural wooden pasture fences on both sides. Horses grazed in the endless meadows, half hidden by the tall grass. In the distance, tall hills outlined the horizon. Teague's eyes widened. This place was even more gorgeous than the pictures had suggested. The truck glided down the lane, until it reached a large stable complex.

The main barn was composed of stone and bricks, while wooden stall doors opened up to the outside. A large entranceway gaped at the truck as it approached. Teague caught a glimpse of the guest barn and indoor arena around back. They were similar in appearance. Off to the side was a large outdoor arena with a light, freshly-groomed footing. In nearby pastures, horses lifted their heads curiously at the approach of the truck, eyeing the trailer with interest.

Teague parked the truck in the lot. He, Garrett, and Kaia emerged from the car, followed by the dogs in the back, who scrabbled eagerly out of the vehicle. Teague heard Garrett sigh.
"I guess we should introduce ourselves." Garrett suggested, unenthusiastically.
"Yea, we should. The girls should be somewhere around here..." Teague had just begun to turn towards the barn when he heard a sharp squeal.
"TEAGUE!" A voice exclaimed. Silhouetted in the barn door was a girl of short stature. She had tan olive skin and dark curly hair which dropped down to her waist.
"LYN!" Teague called back to his sister in excitement. It had been so long since the two had seen each other face to face. In a heartbeat, she had bound out of the barn, down the yard, and to the truck. Teague forgot how quick his sister could be...and how short she was. Lyn threw her arms around Teague, jumping up to reach his shoulders.
"It's been so long! You haven't changed a bit." She grinned, turning to Kaia. "Darling, you look as gorgeous as ever!"
  As Lyn and Kaia shared a freak out moment, Teague glanced over at Garrett, who was leaning against the truck with folded arms. Teague offered a thumbs up, but Garrett just stared back.
"It's nice to see you again as well!" Lyn turned her attention to Garrett. Before he had a chance to stick out his hand as a formal greeting, Lyn had wrapped him into a hug. She was friendly like that. Garrett glanced over at Teague, looking a bit flustered. "You guys must be so tired from traveling around for so long. Come on! I'll show you around the property." She took Garrett's hand and pulled him along, leading the group towards the barn. The three huskies Romeo, Finn, and Tucker followed behind Garrett eagerly. Teague shook his head. He had nearly forgotten how high-energy his sister was.
  "Kyle should be around back, in the outdoor ring. She's the barn owner and my personal best friend." Lyn explained with a quick smile, still dragging behind her a very uncomfortable-looking Garrett. The huskies ran in and out of the fences, happy to stretch their legs. The group was lead around to the back of the stables. Lyn pointed at a building similar to the main stable. "That's the guest barn, where you're dogs will be staying. You guys will share the apartments above the main barn with Kyle and me."

They approached a large arena which contained colorful jumps. Inside, a girl was cantering on large horse. The girl's long brown hair was pulled into a ponytail, which bounced with each stride of her horse. The tall stallion was dark black, with a single white stripe. The ground seemed to shake with each of his steps. Occasionally, the pair would swing around and direct themselves at a tall jump. Had Teague stood next to them, the jumps would have reached his shoulders. Yet, the black horse glided effortlessly over the obstacles. Together, the horse and the rider worked in seamless unison.
"Kyle!" Lyn called to the rider, snapping Teague from his thoughts. "They're here."

  Across the ring, the rider slowed her horse to a walk. A plume of dust followed in their wake. As they approached, Teague became aware of the absence of the three huskies that had been following the group. Just as he was about to mention the fact to Garrett, the dogs tore into the arena, barking and howling. They were chasing a jet black cat, who streaked across the ring in terror. The cat cut directly in front of the black horse's path, and the dogs were not far behind its trail. Tucker and Finn cut in front of the horse, while Romeo made the mistake of running beneath it. In a panic, the horse half-reared and skidded to the side, leg's flailing and kicking. The rider was thrown abruptly from her horse and landed with a loud thump on the ground. Her horse rocketed away, tearing around the ring bucking. Unaffected, the dogs were about to disappear under the ring fence after the cat, but Garrett whistled sharply. Reluctantly, they peeled off from the trail of their prey and traveled over to where Garrett stood.
"Lay down, Garrett ordered sharply. Obediently, the dogs slid to the ground in unison, becoming increasingly aware that they had done something upsetting.

  Lyn had jumped the fence and was making her way carefully towards the black horse, who had slowed to a nervous walk. She managed to approach the flighty horse and took hold of the reins, causing him to jerk up his head in fright. Soothing the stallion, Lyn made her way over to Kyle, who was picking herself off the ground.
"Are you okay, Kyle?" Lyn asked with concern, lending a hand to her friend. Kyle stood and brushed off her breeches.
"I'm fine," She responded, waving her wrist dismissively, "Is Hamlin alright?"
"He's okay. Just rattled."
Kyle took the reins from her friend and made her way towards the gate. Lyn followed close behind, looking worried.
"I'm so sorry about that," Garrett began, "They usually never–"
"Look," Kyle cut him off. She was very pretty up close, but her blue eyes were narrowed and her voice was cold, "If you're going to stay here, let's make something very clear. No loose dogs. They can run around as much as they want in the paddocks, but anywhere else on the property, they must be leashed. I won't have a pack of dogs spooking my horses and terrorizing my cats. Someone's bound to get hurt." She marched past the group, adding behind her shoulder. "You may continue the tour, Lyn, and for god's sake, leash those animals."

There was an uncomfortable silence when Kyle left. Lyn and Garrett's faces were matching shades of red.
"Well, isn't she peachy." Garrett huffed.
"She's not normally like that." Lyn cut in defensively, "She was just flustered from the fall." There was more awkward silence.
"Let's go back to the truck," Teague broke the tension. "We can throw the dogs back into the truck and continue the tour." At the suggestion, Lyn nodded rapidly in agreement. Her face was regaining normal color.
"Good plan," She breathed, "Let's go."
The group followed Lyn back the way they came. This time, the dogs marched obediently at Garrett's heels. Teague shook his head. We're off to a great start here. He thought to himself. What was going to happen if Garrett and Kyle couldn't get along? Staying at the stable had to work out.
It was the only option.

Words: 2052

Characters featured:
Humans: Teague, Garrett, Kaia, Lyn, and Kyle
Dogs: Romeo, Finn, Tucker, Pill, Tess, Farah, Dallas, The Sir
Horses: Hamlin

Barn Inspiration:

www.kingbarns.com/Large_Facili…

Other References:
So Many Reference Pictures