The Black Stallion
The wind howled and whistled as though it were breath moving over the top of an empty glass bottle. The gaping mouth of the cave seemed empty, and the fading light of the dying sun caught even the smallest grooves and protuberances, casting long dark shadows. The air smelled of a coming storm, electric and keen. The grass around the cave was tossed violently in the wind. Even the crickets stayed silent.
Not too far off, a pegasus scout stood, the feathers his wings tossed about in the wind, and his mane whipping by his ears. He watched as the last rays of the fallen sun disintegrated into the darkening twilight. The stars began to speckle and dot the heavens, starting first in the east. The moon rose, dominating the horizon. The sun was gone.
The pegasus's honey yellow eyes were skimming the horizon, as well as the area around himself. The area beyond the cave was thick with evergreens. Spruces and other conifers grew like weeds around the clearing. A massive great horned owl watched from a thick branch in the nearer tree, his large golden eyes studying the pegasus. "I would not be you, equine," the old bird said finally. "A nyru has scented you, and is coming."
"Let him come" The pegasus's youth sounded in his voice. His tone was impassive.
"A nyru means death to your kind. Undoubtedly you are aware of this?"
The pegasus glanced to the cave, his eyes calculating. "How far off?"
"As near as death to the flowers in the face of coming winter."
The honey yellow eyes of the pegasus were shut as the equine shook his head in annoyance. Never try to get a straight answer out of a bird. The owl had probably seen nothing, but to be on the safe side…yes, that was best.
The owl flew away silently, only the rustle of the branch on which he had stood gave any indication of his presence. The blowing wind again became the only sound in the clearing.
Not too far off, the black stallion stood in the bushes. His eyes held no emotion, no sense even of awareness of anything but the scene before him. An utter calm possessed him and he stood with an unnatural stillness, without even a twitch of an ear. He was nearby, and that was all that mattered. The pegasus felt that presence like an icy breath on his neck, blowing lightly at his mane. Not yet, he silently pleaded to the stallion, but they were thoughts and nothing more. The black stallion still stood. The owl wasn't lying. A nyru was near.
The pegasus's nostrils and eyes widened, his ears twitching lightly. His heart always felt fear, when the black stallion was close. He wondered who the ebony equine might've come for, but he couldn't think of anyone. But then again, the pegasus knew he was hindered by the fact that he didn't want to think of such a thing. Shaking his head, he tried to banish such thoughts from his mind. Que sera, sera. There was no use in worrying.
The mankrin elders of the tribe often cited that the black stallion was a good friend to the equines. He always stood by, watching with great heart the events of the tribe. Supposedly, the Rainbow appointed him as a guardian to the ponies long ago. He never joined them, only watched. The only time one ever heard his voice was the time of passing. The elders said that his voice was like the comfort of a trusted and consoling friend, one that melted the heart and touched the soul of the listener. Of course they had never heard the voice themselves. They were merely referring to their ancestors' beliefs.
The pegasus knew that the stallion was an omen of pain. He remembered well, when the stallion visited his home. A hoof touched his heart that fated day, and left it bleeding. He winced at the memory. His brother…oh his brother! Winter was a harsh time for most, but for the younger generations, it was a time of survival. Life could be cruel sometimes. Too cruel.
The pegasus debated with himself at abandoning his post at the prospect of the nyru. He could go inside the cave and wait there…but no that would be foolish. He was posted to watch for coming danger, and that definitely qualified. If he ran now, the elders would call him a fool. But the stallion was nearby. The pegasus could feel him. Have you come for me? he silently wondered. No answer, except the wind rustling through the leaves, revealing nothing.
Memories rang through the pegasus's mind. In one, hunger gnawed at his stomach like a mouse grates a cheese, but he knew what he felt could not compare to the hunger of Retari, his younger brother. It was early winter, and food was scarce. His brother laughed it off. Retari had always been clever. Much more clever than most. He constantly was in mischief, but oh! How the pegasus loved him. Brothers and best friends, they were. He smiled to himself at the memory of his brother, but again a small chill touched his heart. A tear fell, wetting the cheek of the pegasus at the next memory.
Coughing. Constantly coughing. Retari was sick. His once clever eyes were now red rimmed, and stared uncaring at the world around him. Firelight flickered, the only source of light in the cave. The walls dimly reflected the orange glow. Although they were in the cool of underground, Retari was uncomfortably hot and feverish. His small frame quivered, and perspiration beaded on his forehead. The elders gathered around him, chanting to release the demons, but their words did little good.
The pegasus watched from the background. He had seen this before, with others of their herd. It was the winter blight that came from too much hunger and cold. Even as young as he was, he knew what would happen. The elders, even in their wisdom, could do nothing. He bit his lip. It was that day that he felt the hated presence of the stallion.
It felt like a breeze passing him by, like ice on already cold skin. The pegasus couldn't see the stallion, but he knew that it was present. The elders knew too. There chanting grew louder, more desperate, but even they knew that they were failing. With hollow sullen eyes, Niseema, the oldest of the elders held up a hoof. Everyone stopped their efforts. Retari was no longer shaking.
Another tear made its way down the pegasus's face, to be absorbed in the dirt. This was no time to evoke such sad memories. He had to remain alert. Breathing deep he let his mind drift to happier memories, but his mind inevitably wandered back to the black stallion.
The pegasus could no longer see the charcoal equine, but he felt that it was still there. He wondered if the black stallion was truly a pony. Unlike any of the ponies of the tribe, time did not touch him, lest not in any ways that the pegasus could understand. The stallion went back as long as the oldest ponies could remember in the tales of their great grandparents.
The pegasus scoffed at himself, when for a moment he wondered whether or not the stallion was or could be lonely. Of course he couldn't be lonely. It was a ridiculous thought. The pegasus couldn't help but remember the tale that the stallion had been appointed to watch over the equines by the Rainbow. The winged equine found this strange because the stallion was black. In the ponies' culture, black foals were despised. The color black was the absence of color, a sign that the Rainbow was not with the child. To have a black body was crime enough, but to have no shred of color on your person like the black stallion was unspeakable. Such an equine was labeled a demon-foal. Most did not survive past foalhood. When they did, they were outcasts. So went the ways of the herds.
The pegasus lost himself completely in thought. He hoped replacements were on their way soon because the boredom and monotony of the post were starting to set in. He wished for a moment that another guard had been posted, for conversation if nothing else, but then remembered why he had taken…no…asked for this post. He had wanted to be alone.
Why alone? The pegasus disliked most people. The only person he had ever been close to was Retari. Retari was dead. The pegasus didn't care much for the company of anyone else. The black stallions presence was loathed. How dare he.
Suddenly the bushes in front of him shook violently as a large creature pushed them apart. From inside the bushes a nyru jumped at him. It's eyes focused in on the pegasus, who reared in fear. There was nowhere to run that the nyru couldn't find him. Nyru were as swift on their feet as an equine. Flying was out of the question.
A voice from behind him called out, "Quick! Over here!" The pegasus turned and followed the sound of that voice. His heart drummed in his ears as he turned. The nyru reached and grazed the pegasus with scythe-like claws. The pegasus gave a hearty kick behind him, and broke into a swift gallop. He felt suddenly as though he were moving through a barrier, as though the air in front of him had been turned to gel. The voice that had called him persisted, "come on! Follow me!" Though, it seemed to the pegasus like slow motion. He pushed hard against the force that felt as though it were holding him back, pulling him toward his foe.
Suddenly, it was as though that barrier was broken. The sound of his heartbeat in his ears died away, replaced by the howling of the wind once more. A feeling of calm serenity oddly filled the pegasus, though he still ran.
"Stop!" The voice commanded.
The pegasus obeyed, though the back of his mind nagged that his enemy was close behind. He was alone in a clearing. No…not alone. Blending well into the shadows of the night, the black stallion watched the pegasus. "You saved me!" the pegasus exclaimed.
"In more ways then you can understand," remarked the stallion. His voice was dry and brittle, as well as a trifle sad. His eyes which watched the pegasus were filled with a sea of emotions. His eyes conveyed a sense of loss and sadness; more tired then sad, and although the pegasus couldn't understand, there was a sense of love as well.
"Where's the nyru? How did you trick it?" The pegasus continued, without regarding the stallions comment. A look of pain crossed the stallions face as he looked out from where the pegasus had entered. The bushes rustled and shook there. The pegasus looked closer.
A nyru was feeding. It was bloodied and violent, tearing at a carcass. The corpse of the pegasus. The pegasus turned away in shock.
"Come. I'll lead you where you wish to go," murmured the stallion. The pegasus made no move to follow. "I can show you a path you've only dreamed of. You've entered the next step on your journey, brother."
The pegasus looked again into the eyes of the stallion. The stallion spoke again, "Do not be afraid."
The pegasus answered, shaky but gaining confidence, "I am not afraid." The words were true. No longer did fear pierce through the heart of the pegasus. He wanted to follow the stallion, wherever he led.
"Come, I'll take you home." The charcoal equine walked on into the night, guiding the pegasus to Retari, and to eternity.
"Home." That word resounded in the pegasus's mind. Yes, he decided. Home is where I belong.
And so he followed….
The wind howled and whistled as though it were breath moving over the top of an empty glass bottle. The gaping mouth of the cave seemed empty, and the fading light of the dying sun caught even the smallest grooves and protuberances, casting long dark shadows. The air smelled of a coming storm, electric and keen. The grass around the cave was tossed violently in the wind. Even the crickets stayed silent.
Not too far off, a pegasus scout stood, the feathers his wings tossed about in the wind, and his mane whipping by his ears. He watched as the last rays of the fallen sun disintegrated into the darkening twilight. The stars began to speckle and dot the heavens, starting first in the east. The moon rose, dominating the horizon. The sun was gone.
The pegasus's honey yellow eyes were skimming the horizon, as well as the area around himself. The area beyond the cave was thick with evergreens. Spruces and other conifers grew like weeds around the clearing. A massive great horned owl watched from a thick branch in the nearer tree, his large golden eyes studying the pegasus. "I would not be you, equine," the old bird said finally. "A nyru has scented you, and is coming."
"Let him come" The pegasus's youth sounded in his voice. His tone was impassive.
"A nyru means death to your kind. Undoubtedly you are aware of this?"
The pegasus glanced to the cave, his eyes calculating. "How far off?"
"As near as death to the flowers in the face of coming winter."
The honey yellow eyes of the pegasus were shut as the equine shook his head in annoyance. Never try to get a straight answer out of a bird. The owl had probably seen nothing, but to be on the safe side…yes, that was best.
The owl flew away silently, only the rustle of the branch on which he had stood gave any indication of his presence. The blowing wind again became the only sound in the clearing.
Not too far off, the black stallion stood in the bushes. His eyes held no emotion, no sense even of awareness of anything but the scene before him. An utter calm possessed him and he stood with an unnatural stillness, without even a twitch of an ear. He was nearby, and that was all that mattered. The pegasus felt that presence like an icy breath on his neck, blowing lightly at his mane. Not yet, he silently pleaded to the stallion, but they were thoughts and nothing more. The black stallion still stood. The owl wasn't lying. A nyru was near.
The pegasus's nostrils and eyes widened, his ears twitching lightly. His heart always felt fear, when the black stallion was close. He wondered who the ebony equine might've come for, but he couldn't think of anyone. But then again, the pegasus knew he was hindered by the fact that he didn't want to think of such a thing. Shaking his head, he tried to banish such thoughts from his mind. Que sera, sera. There was no use in worrying.
The mankrin elders of the tribe often cited that the black stallion was a good friend to the equines. He always stood by, watching with great heart the events of the tribe. Supposedly, the Rainbow appointed him as a guardian to the ponies long ago. He never joined them, only watched. The only time one ever heard his voice was the time of passing. The elders said that his voice was like the comfort of a trusted and consoling friend, one that melted the heart and touched the soul of the listener. Of course they had never heard the voice themselves. They were merely referring to their ancestors' beliefs.
The pegasus knew that the stallion was an omen of pain. He remembered well, when the stallion visited his home. A hoof touched his heart that fated day, and left it bleeding. He winced at the memory. His brother…oh his brother! Winter was a harsh time for most, but for the younger generations, it was a time of survival. Life could be cruel sometimes. Too cruel.
The pegasus debated with himself at abandoning his post at the prospect of the nyru. He could go inside the cave and wait there…but no that would be foolish. He was posted to watch for coming danger, and that definitely qualified. If he ran now, the elders would call him a fool. But the stallion was nearby. The pegasus could feel him. Have you come for me? he silently wondered. No answer, except the wind rustling through the leaves, revealing nothing.
Memories rang through the pegasus's mind. In one, hunger gnawed at his stomach like a mouse grates a cheese, but he knew what he felt could not compare to the hunger of Retari, his younger brother. It was early winter, and food was scarce. His brother laughed it off. Retari had always been clever. Much more clever than most. He constantly was in mischief, but oh! How the pegasus loved him. Brothers and best friends, they were. He smiled to himself at the memory of his brother, but again a small chill touched his heart. A tear fell, wetting the cheek of the pegasus at the next memory.
Coughing. Constantly coughing. Retari was sick. His once clever eyes were now red rimmed, and stared uncaring at the world around him. Firelight flickered, the only source of light in the cave. The walls dimly reflected the orange glow. Although they were in the cool of underground, Retari was uncomfortably hot and feverish. His small frame quivered, and perspiration beaded on his forehead. The elders gathered around him, chanting to release the demons, but their words did little good.
The pegasus watched from the background. He had seen this before, with others of their herd. It was the winter blight that came from too much hunger and cold. Even as young as he was, he knew what would happen. The elders, even in their wisdom, could do nothing. He bit his lip. It was that day that he felt the hated presence of the stallion.
It felt like a breeze passing him by, like ice on already cold skin. The pegasus couldn't see the stallion, but he knew that it was present. The elders knew too. There chanting grew louder, more desperate, but even they knew that they were failing. With hollow sullen eyes, Niseema, the oldest of the elders held up a hoof. Everyone stopped their efforts. Retari was no longer shaking.
Another tear made its way down the pegasus's face, to be absorbed in the dirt. This was no time to evoke such sad memories. He had to remain alert. Breathing deep he let his mind drift to happier memories, but his mind inevitably wandered back to the black stallion.
The pegasus could no longer see the charcoal equine, but he felt that it was still there. He wondered if the black stallion was truly a pony. Unlike any of the ponies of the tribe, time did not touch him, lest not in any ways that the pegasus could understand. The stallion went back as long as the oldest ponies could remember in the tales of their great grandparents.
The pegasus scoffed at himself, when for a moment he wondered whether or not the stallion was or could be lonely. Of course he couldn't be lonely. It was a ridiculous thought. The pegasus couldn't help but remember the tale that the stallion had been appointed to watch over the equines by the Rainbow. The winged equine found this strange because the stallion was black. In the ponies' culture, black foals were despised. The color black was the absence of color, a sign that the Rainbow was not with the child. To have a black body was crime enough, but to have no shred of color on your person like the black stallion was unspeakable. Such an equine was labeled a demon-foal. Most did not survive past foalhood. When they did, they were outcasts. So went the ways of the herds.
The pegasus lost himself completely in thought. He hoped replacements were on their way soon because the boredom and monotony of the post were starting to set in. He wished for a moment that another guard had been posted, for conversation if nothing else, but then remembered why he had taken…no…asked for this post. He had wanted to be alone.
Why alone? The pegasus disliked most people. The only person he had ever been close to was Retari. Retari was dead. The pegasus didn't care much for the company of anyone else. The black stallions presence was loathed. How dare he.
Suddenly the bushes in front of him shook violently as a large creature pushed them apart. From inside the bushes a nyru jumped at him. It's eyes focused in on the pegasus, who reared in fear. There was nowhere to run that the nyru couldn't find him. Nyru were as swift on their feet as an equine. Flying was out of the question.
A voice from behind him called out, "Quick! Over here!" The pegasus turned and followed the sound of that voice. His heart drummed in his ears as he turned. The nyru reached and grazed the pegasus with scythe-like claws. The pegasus gave a hearty kick behind him, and broke into a swift gallop. He felt suddenly as though he were moving through a barrier, as though the air in front of him had been turned to gel. The voice that had called him persisted, "come on! Follow me!" Though, it seemed to the pegasus like slow motion. He pushed hard against the force that felt as though it were holding him back, pulling him toward his foe.
Suddenly, it was as though that barrier was broken. The sound of his heartbeat in his ears died away, replaced by the howling of the wind once more. A feeling of calm serenity oddly filled the pegasus, though he still ran.
"Stop!" The voice commanded.
The pegasus obeyed, though the back of his mind nagged that his enemy was close behind. He was alone in a clearing. No…not alone. Blending well into the shadows of the night, the black stallion watched the pegasus. "You saved me!" the pegasus exclaimed.
"In more ways then you can understand," remarked the stallion. His voice was dry and brittle, as well as a trifle sad. His eyes which watched the pegasus were filled with a sea of emotions. His eyes conveyed a sense of loss and sadness; more tired then sad, and although the pegasus couldn't understand, there was a sense of love as well.
"Where's the nyru? How did you trick it?" The pegasus continued, without regarding the stallions comment. A look of pain crossed the stallions face as he looked out from where the pegasus had entered. The bushes rustled and shook there. The pegasus looked closer.
A nyru was feeding. It was bloodied and violent, tearing at a carcass. The corpse of the pegasus. The pegasus turned away in shock.
"Come. I'll lead you where you wish to go," murmured the stallion. The pegasus made no move to follow. "I can show you a path you've only dreamed of. You've entered the next step on your journey, brother."
The pegasus looked again into the eyes of the stallion. The stallion spoke again, "Do not be afraid."
The pegasus answered, shaky but gaining confidence, "I am not afraid." The words were true. No longer did fear pierce through the heart of the pegasus. He wanted to follow the stallion, wherever he led.
"Come, I'll take you home." The charcoal equine walked on into the night, guiding the pegasus to Retari, and to eternity.
"Home." That word resounded in the pegasus's mind. Yes, he decided. Home is where I belong.
And so he followed….