Hey guys - this is Aislinn, and this is my new story, Heart of Flame. The summary is below.
This is just the prologue, I'm not sure how long chapters are going to be for this story but definitely longer than the prologue. I may or may not update this regularly as I have an original story on fictionpress which I am working on also. Anyway, please read and review - regarding reviews, I appreciate constructive criticism, not just "Great, update soon."
I hope you enjoy this story!
Heart of Flame
Summary
Sometimes things can't always go back to the way they were. Sometimes a horse can't be healed fully. Sometimes, things have to change.
Jazz and Flame were champion eventers. Once. Now Flame is traumatised, unable to accept the way his owner has changed. Jazz is surly and uncooperative as well.
And Amy has to help them.
Heart of Flame – Prologue
"Please. Don't." She whispered quietly, but her voice was loud across the chasm that had opened between them. The acrid smell of blood hung in the air, and her hands were wet and sticky where she had touched her back.
The man stared back at her, so much pain and anger in his face that there was no way it could be measured. He hadn't meant to cause such grief and destruction. But the madness that tinged his eyes had overcome him.
The horse stood, in between them. The girl could see that the horse's eyes were wide with fear, fear of the stench and the scene of carnage around them. Though he wanted to flee, he couldn't. Trapped inside a stable, his only way out was to jump. But the man – and the girl – made him freeze, so different from what they were normally like. So scared.
"Don't." Her voice rang again, thick with tears and horror.
There was a sudden shot. Then another. Then he tumbled into blackness, disappearing from her sight, as all the others had. A blackness from which they could never return. Only the horse was left.
She couldn't feel anything. There was nothing but a blur of faces and sound and white in front of her. A kind, older woman, arms open for a hug. Sculpted, high cheekbones of a pretty teenage girl. The cheeky grin of a young boy. The crazed, high whinny of a horse.
Her eyes snapped open, and she uttered single word. "Flame!"
She couldn't see properly, everything was distorted. Where am I? What happened? Kind, soothing voices filled her ears, and the razor-sharp prick of a needle made her senses clear for a moment. Then, everything faded back into the background, and there was nothing but that same sweet darkness and pain.
The horse's ears were back, eyes weary. Nothing was the same. Everything was different – different faces, voices, sounds. There was only one face he wanted to see, one voice he wanted to hear. His chestnut coat glowed with good health, his body muscled and fit – but his face was full of the dejectedness of a horse that has been abandoned, and his eyes were dull and tired.
Someone opened the stall door, and his ears pricked for a moment, anticipating, hoping wildly that it was her. But no such luck – a different, male voice crooned his name softly, and a tall boy with blonde hair of about sixteen came in. He placed a saddle gently onto the horse's back, tightening the girth and then coaxing his mouth to accept the bit. This he could handle.
Then the boy led him out of the stable. The horse was wary, as if waiting for something. He jumped as another horse snorted and pawed at the metal of a water trough, startling at the crack of a brush being dropped on the ground.
He tensed, all of him stiff and ready to flee, as the boy shortened his reins and placed his foot in the stirrup. "Easy, Flame, easy ..."
As he swung himself up into the saddle, the horse snorted and swung his quarters around. The boy kept his balance and landed lightly in the saddle, clucking gently to tell the horse to go forward. Legs splayed apart, snatching at the bit, the horse didn't move. The boy squeezed his sides lightly. This, the horse could not handle. This was not right and good and normal. He went crazy.
All four legs left the ground as the horse bucked and snorted, reared and rolled his eyes, fear so openly displayed that all who witnessed the display knew that this was not simply a horse being naughty.
Finally, the horse gave up. Both of them were breathing heavily, the horse's head hanging low, defeated. The boy slid off his back slowly, and once on the ground, wrapped his arms around the horse's neck. He shied away, still nervous.
Tears slid down the boy's face silently as he moved away, giving the horse space. His hands shook on the reins as he spoke softly, defeat in his voice. "They're not coming back, Flame. Not ever."
Hope you enjoyed it! PLEASE, PLEASE review .. and check out my other story, Summercoast, if you enjoy my writing so far - I can't paste a link here but there is one in my account, or you can just go into the profile of VinnyRoxyFrankie on fictionpress.
Ais