Wild Horse Island is imaginary. Its history, legends, people, and ecology echo Hawaii's, but my stories and reality are like leaves on the rain-forest floor. They may overlap, but their edges never really match.

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Chapter One

D
arby Carter pressed her legs against her stirrup leathers. The blue roan gelding beneath her stepped out into a jog, just as she'd asked, but the herd of red cattle ahead didn't speed up. They scattered.

Ten cows and eight calves didn't amount to a stampede, but Darby loosened her reins, letting Baxter extend his trot. His sudden speed made her black ponytail snap, but the cattle ignored the horse and rider.

“Get back!” Darby raised her right hand from her reins. She wished she had a hat to wave.

Not that Cade was waving his, she thought, glancing at him. The young Hawaiian cowboy rode at the front of the herd with his hala hat pulled down, almost
covering his short, tight braid. He rode loose and completely relaxed in the saddle.

When they'd first started out, a calfless cow behind Cade had veered away from the bunch. As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Cade had noticed and signaled Hula Girl, the chestnut cutter he rode, to smoothly block the cow.

Darby's job was to watch for stragglers, but Cade hadn't told her the cattle might spread out and stray in all different directions.

She shot another glance up at Cade. He made this chore look easy. If he knew she was entirely messing up her part of moving the cattle to higher pastures, he didn't show it.

Forget riding loose and relaxed,
Darby thought. The only way she could keep the cattle moving forward was by trotting closer to the animals.

Baxter was new at this, but Darby didn't blame the gelding for their awkwardness. Baxter's blueberries-and-cream-colored coat darkened with sweat as he tried to do what she wanted.

As they rode past the broodmare pasture, Darby spotted two foals sparring with each other. First she recognized the tan one, Blue Moon. The foals reared, nipped, and chased each other. As they raced past Lady Wong, the mare's foal, Black Cat, joined the game.

Even though their hooves were so tiny that Darby knew she could enclose one in her hand, the young
horses were swift and agile. They swept near the fence and Darby saw the bay foal playing with them was Luna Dancer, Hula Girl's baby.

“He's Mr. Independence,” Darby told Baxter, because Luna Dancer had weaned himself ahead of most of the year's foals.

Baxter's ears swiveled, but not to listen to Darby. He snorted with excitement as a calf corkscrewed its skinny tail, then straightened it high in the air before bounding away from the herd.

“Oh, no, you don't,” Darby scolded.

The calf actually looked back at her before giving a buck of high spirits. Then he ran.

Should she desert her position at the rear of the herd to pursue the calf?

Baxter flattened his ears and decided for her. As he bolted after the calf, hooves falling in the same dusty zigzag path, Darby crowded against the gelding's neck.

Baxter was so excited, he raced right past the calf. Darby turned him back, trying to block the fugitive calf's escape. Baxter obeyed, making such a tight arc, Darby's left stirrup skidded on dirt.

Her turn wasn't pretty, but it worked. The calf gave a frightened bawl, then ran back to his mother.

Darby gave Baxter's sweaty neck a pat, but the gelding didn't notice. Once more, he was watching the herd.

The cattle mooed, rolled their eyes, and a few
stopped. Others swung their big bodies back toward the ranch.

If the cattle made it back to where they'd started, Darby knew her grandfather, Jonah, and Kimo, a hardworking ranch hand, would turn her lack of skill into a good-natured joke.

What was she doing wrong? She was about to shout her question at Cade when Hula Girl slowed. Leaving the lead to a loud red cow, Cade made his mount drop back along the right side of the herd until she matched steps with Baxter.

“Slow and easy,” Cade told Darby. “And quiet.”

Hula Girl's gait dropped down to a walk, so Darby slowed Baxter.

Amazingly, the cattle moved back into a calm herd and continued their journey toward Upper Sugar Mill pasture. They walked with purpose, swinging their heads at occasional flies, but they looked relaxed, and Darby couldn't figure out why.

“Don't believe the movies.” Cade's voice was so low, Darby strained to hear him.

“Don't believe the movies?” she repeated.

“You could make this herd do what you want them to by sitting over there”âhe nodded toward a cinnamon-colored gouge on a green hill at least a mile awayâ“and raising your hand.”

Maybe you could,
Darby thought, but she just said, “Okay.”

Darby watched Cade ride on back to the head of
the herd, and muffled a cough with her hand. It wasn't her asthma kicking up, just a reaction to the dust, but she was reassured by the feel of her inhaler in her front pocket.

Since she'd come to âIolani Ranch three months ago, her asthma had practically disappeared. The clean ocean air on Moku Lio HihiuâHawaiian for Wild Horse Islandâwas a huge improvement over the pollution and smog of Pacific Pinnacles, California.

Even to herself, she'd stopped calling California home.

Surrounded by flowers and birdsong, Darby drifted into thoughts of how much she loved Hawaii. She was convinced she'd landed in exactly the right place in the world. How many other eighth graders were riding up tropical mountainsides during their study breaks?

As a first-year student at Lehua High School, this was the first time she'd faced two-hour-long final exams. She'd had her last full day of classes on Friday, and today she'd gotten off at noon. Tomorrow was “dead day”âmeaning a full day of study. And Wednesday finals began.

When Baxter tried to lope up the hill, Darby tightened her reins and kept him at a walk.

“To save your legs,” she muttered to the gelding, but that wasn't the only reason. Baxter had to know what was expected of him. She couldn't just be a lump along for the ride.

When they finally reached the entrance to Upper Sugar Mill pasture, Darby smiled. The cattle milled impatiently. They'd recognized the place and bumped against the fence, eager to get inside and sample the fresh pasture.

Darby lifted her shoulder to let her T-shirt blot a drop of sweat that had trailed down her cheek, then sighed and sat back against her saddle cantle. They'd made it.

Cade swung Hula Girl alongside the gate and slid the bolt, opening the gate from the saddle. Then he nodded.

Darby hesitated at his signal, and Cade said, “Take 'em on in.”

With Baxter at a flat-footed walk behind them, the cattle shoved through the opening.

Wide spans of grass rolled over mounds of earth and down slopes, rising and falling in search of the horizon where the Two Sisters volcanoes wore leis of cloud.

Beyond, the grass turned dark emerald as it surrounded Sky Mountain. Today the farthest peak looked like an upside-down golden cone topped with vanilla ice cream.

The cattle had just fanned out and fallen to grazing when Jack and Jill, two of the ranch's five Australian shepherds, trotted over a hillcrest.

Kit must be somewhere nearby,
Darby thought, and then she noticed how quietly the dogs approached.
Even though their mouths widened in canine grins, they didn't agitate the cattle.

“Steady,” Cade told the dogs, and the two let their alert ears fall as they trailed behind Hula Girl and did their best to take no notice of the cattle.

Cade rode around to Darby's side and nodded.

The movement could have meant “nice job.” Cade's compliments were rare. The only thing Darby was sure he didn't mean by the nod was “give me your horse and walk home.”

Instead of gushing her thanks, Darby returned his nod and, once more, congratulated her horse.

“You're just as âcowy' as Jonah thought,” she said, and gave Baxter's withers a little massage.

“Not bad,” Cade agreed, but just as Darby's spirits soared, he added, “At least it wasn't a full-blown wreck.”

In cattlemen's terms, a wreck could be a stampede, a fall from a horse, anything unplanned and disastrous, and even though Cade had said the herd's response to her herding
hadn't
been a wreck, Darby winced.

“You stay relaxed and he'll get the hang of it soon,” Cade said. “More practice and you two'll make a team.”

“Good,” Darby said, but it wasn't Baxter she worried about.

The horse had been bred for cow sense. She hadn't, and she had a lot to learn.

“When you know what you're doing, he'll feel it,”
Cade said. “Baxter's a fast learner.”

“I know
he
is,” Darby said.

According to her grandfather, Darby was a natural rider, but she was unsettled by her mistakes. They weren't too important here on âIolani Ranch, but biting the dust in front of crowded stands at a rodeo was something else.

And that was what she was practicing for: a real rodeo. She'd agreed to compete on Baxter in the
keiki
âHawaiian for “kids”âranch rodeo.

“Speaking of learning,” she said, “I'd better get back to Sun House and hit the books some more. I have finals
and
a presentation this week.”

“Your grades are good.” Cade's tone made fun of her fretting.

“So far,” she admitted, “but that could change if I flunk anything.”

“You won't. You're the girl who loves to read.” Cade turned Hula Girl back toward the house, and Darby followed on Baxter.

“Reading plays and novels is fun,” she said. “Memorizing algebraic formulas and the capitals of major cities isn't. And oral presentations scare me.”

Cade had better not bring up any of her recent adventures like facing a rabid boar or rescuing horses from rising floodwaters. Given a choice between those events and speaking to a class while her hands trembled and her voice shook, she'd pick tusks and tsunamis.

“You're lucky to be earning your diploma by
correspondence,” she told Cade.

He shrugged. “I guess so. There didn't seem to be much sense spending my day in a classroom when I already know what I want to be. And training to be a paniolo with JonahâI'm apprenticed to the best.”

Darby nodded, certain Cade
was
learning from a great horseman.

Those who called Jonah “the horse charmer” knew he wasn't only a superior rider and trainer; he could think like a horse.

“Kit and Kimo, too,” Cade put in. “They might not have the reputation, but they teach me stuff every day.”

Kit Ely was the ranch foreman. A former saddle bronc rodeo rider who'd stopped competing after a broken wrist, he was often mistaken for a Hawaiian. He was really half Shoshone, from Nevada.

Kimo called himself a ranch hand, insisting he was no paniolo because they had to work too hard, but the native Hawaiian, square and solidly built, was an expert horseman.

“What's this presentation?” Cade asked.

“Not sure yet. I'm working with Ann, and our talk is supposed to show off our communication skills.”

Ann Potter was Darby's best friend, and they were excited to be working together, since they were both fanatics about getting good grades.

Darby hoped Ann's liveliness would overcome her own shyness. It should. After all, before coming to
Hawaii Darby had rarely spoken up at all. Now she managed to take a stand when she had to, especially if she was speaking up for horses.

Darby knew the presentation would be okay, but it could be a lot better if she was less distracted by the rodeo.

It wasn't much of a problem to Ann. When Megan, Cade, and Darby had invited her to join them so that they could enter as a four-person team in events like doctoring, sorting, and trailer loading, Ann had been excited, but she'd insisted most of her practice hours would have to happen after finals.

And Ann was already an amazing rider. She'd probably be a winner even without practice, Darby thought. Besides, Ann hadn't made the promises Darby had.

When Darby had slipped and told her mother about the rodeo, Ellen had made Darby promise she wouldn't shortchange her studies. Getting good grades was a condition for Darby staying in Hawaii while her mother, Ellen, an actress, filmed a TV series in Tahiti. Ellen had even implied that if Darby seemed to be doing well when she came back from Tahiti on her next break, she'd consider moving to Hawaii for good.

Darby longed to stay on âIolani Ranch forever. Her mom, who had grown up here, had wanted nothing more than to leave and head for Hollywood to pursue her acting career.

Darby could hardly believe it. Her first steps
on the soil of âIolani Ranch had convinced her that Hawaii had been in her blood all along, just waiting for her to discover it. She might be only part Hawaiian, but she was one hundred percent in love with this island.

Cade walked Hula Girl alongside Baxter and Darby until they reached the gate.

“I'll get it this time,” Darby said, and she celebrated silently when Baxter took her close enough to reach the bolt, then sidestepped away to hold it open.

It was Hula Girl who acted up.

The chestnut mare held her head high and pricked her ears, frozen in place despite Cade's urging. The opening in the fence might have been a steel wall for all the attention she paid it.

A breeze ruffled the ends of Darby's ponytail across her cheek, and she shivered at its tickle as Baxter gave a low, worried whinny.

Cade even clucked his tongue for Hula Girl to move, but she wouldn't. Her ears flattened. Her nostrils closed in an expression between fear and aggression, and she ignored her rider's signal.

“What is it?” Darby asked, and the instant Hula Girl turned her attention on Darby, Cade used his legs and hands to drive the mare through the gate.

Darby closed it quickly and caught up with Cade as he kept the mare moving.

“Maybe she caught a whiff of Luna Dancer.” Cade shrugged and kept the mare in a controlled jog when
she would have gone much faster.

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