"run, River, run"
"run, River, run"
A short story
I sometimes don't believe that I deserve to be here. It should have been someone else. But when I remind myself of how hard my friends and family worked to get me here I couldn't ask for more. I sit here now under the shade of a pine on the Cimarron watching my wild companions enjoy the western sunshine.
I can never fully get that place out of my mind. Every time I smell wranglers, see a car—but most of all when I hear the cracking of old timber in the wind. Perhaps my story is worth being told. Few horses have spoken out about their past before they came to live on the Cimarron. The home of the legendary Spirit. But I'm afraid that if I wait to long I'll forget them. The winds shift, the timber groans.
I peeked my eyes open at the sound of the barn door opening. The loud ever familiar cracking sound always set my ears to perking. A skinny man with a long beard led in a limping horse. The world beyond the bran walls was hazy and I could smell the rain as the clouds gathered on the horizon ready to put on a show, a new one every time.
It took me a moment to notice that the limping horse who had been brought in was my very own cousin, Twilight. He had a deep hazy gray coat and a pure white mane and tail. He was a horse for the eyes, even though he wasn't treated like one.
I should probably introduce myself. My name is River, I'm a blue roan colt with deep—almost black stockings and white socks on my hind legs. My sire's name is Deep Shadow and my dam is Lotus. I was born here on Grave Plantation in the early spring. Yes, March had been an incredible month. Now that I'm a whole two years I can understand birth. It's such a breath taking moment, no matter how many times you have seen it. However, I also learned that not all births are equal.
I remember asking my dam why was it that the jays and the sparrows, as well as the wild cats and the rats—could come and go as they pleased but I could not. I was still a foal then and my mother patiently explained: "My dear, we are not all born free. The birds and rats and wild cats…they are all free born. That is why they can come and go."
"What about me?" I had asked. My dam just shook her head and told me she'd explain when I was older.
I soon did learn. I was born a domestic; in short a slave! My master called me by a name that I'd rather not mention. Like most other—slaves I could not read nor write, well there was one word.
I pointed my hoof and carved the letters in the earthen ground. F.R.E.E.D.O.M. Twilight snorted over my shoulder. "Still faking that back injury, are we?" He said. I turned to him shaking my withers. "I'm not faking." I defended myself. Twilight tossed his white mane and snorted a laugh. "Don't try to pull the wool over my eyes. Everyone in this barn knows you as the Great Pretender."
I rolled my eyes. Twilight meant no harm by his words. He always joked about things of the sort with me. I smeared away the letters and bought faced. "What happened to your leg?" I asked nodding to his left front leg. Twilight shook his withers.
"Same as always," he said lazily. "Took on too much weight, went to fast on the rocky road etcetera."
"Did you see my sire?" I asked. My sire had been in pain from a backache for about a week now. Still he went to work every morning till night without complaint. Dam told me how my father was once a brilliant stallion with a shinning coat and a fire in his heart. I asked her what happened, she didn't reply. Now my father was called Bad-Knees by the master. Because his knees were in bad shape, just like his back.
"Uncle Shadow is fine." Twilight shrugged. I furrowed my brow. Twilight was a few years older then me, and a lousy liar.
When the crickets set up their orchestra outside, the barn door opened and in came the day's workers—tired and weak. We weren't starved, for then master Graves would have nothing to slave for him, but neither were we fed. "Dam, dam." I called my dam, whose eternal sentence was to turn a broken windmill. She walked over to me and muzzled my cheek.
After sipping water from a bucket she turned her blue eyes to me. "My sweet River." She said and I allowed for her to rest her heavy head on my back. Seminole a bay stallion eyed us thoughtfully. The horse had once been destined to be great, the master was going to sell him to a wealthy horse trainer. That fell through.
Seminole knew he was one of us, no matter how pure his blood was. He used to look after Fugo a colt that is no longer here. No one knows where he went—neither do we ask. My sire joined us and sipped what was left in the bucket.
On this plantation a horse slept wherever it fell inside the barn. This life…one would think I would have grown accustomed to it and saw it as normal. But it's like Seminole is always telling my little buckskin sister, Yellow-bird. "'Wrong isn't normal.'"
The next morning my game was up. It was back to haling Master's goods across the field. Ocher a tawny filly was with me. She never groaned under the weight, she hardly spoke at all. Ocher was purchased a year after I was born. She was a scrawny horse with eyes as green as envy. He brother was sold to the races she said—she had the misfortune of being sold here.
One of Master's workers walked near to us with a whip. So far I had evaded the black snake. Ocher instructed me how. She was always telling me to do my job and keep safe. Ocher respected me; after all we both had dreadful domestic names. Hers was Scrawny Tawny.
As we neared the dirt patch where the windmill stood my ears shot up. A black colt twisted at the end of a lead rope. Four men fought against him. Hart was the angry offspring of Palmetto and Cleve. I slowed my pace as we neared his scene. The time had come for him to be branded. Ocher nickered to me. I got the message and turned away, minding my own business.
When I looked up I noticed that the windmill had stopped turning. A man on Cleve's back barked orders to two other men. Cleve looked up at me then turned his gray eyes away. That's when I knew it.
Trotting, I made my way to the windmill where my mother lie on her side. I neighed wildly and charged, ignoring Ocher's protest. My dam tried to stand; just the sight of her beautiful paint coat covered in mud enraged me. I reared dumping my load. The sack bust as it hit the ground. I ran at the men. They shouted at me. I stood between them and my mother, shielding her from the whip.
"Fix the windmill and we won't have this problem!" I bellowed, even though the men could not understand me. I was about to repeat myself when the man's whip lashed through the air. I was quick enough to move.
"Beat those horses!" The man on Cleve's back shouted.
"Run, River, run." My dam said weakly.
Ocher would call me a fool. My father would wonder why I had put my life in danger. Twilight, he'll never let me forget my stupidity and everyone else would look upon me with doubt. But I didn't care! This was my dam. Her flaxen forelock clung to her face as she repeatedly told me to run. I was the fastest horse on the plantation, but my mother was the most innocent. She wouldn't hurt a fly. She didn't deserve that whip.
Heart pounding I threw myself over her. The whip came at me—I tensed and closed my eyes. Nothing. Opening my eyes I saw a black flash. It took me a moment to notice Hart making a mad dash for the corral. All the men dropped what they were doing and chased after the mad horse.
I could hear my own heart hammering in my chest. My dam raised her blue eyes to me still in shock at what I had done. Ocher pawed the earth. "You are insane River." She said to me then allowed herself a smile. Ocher had no family here, mine made her feel good inside. My dam and I slowly rose to our hooves. She looked me over. "You've grown up." She said, but her thoughts were on something else.
When the barn fell silent and the moon shown in through the hay loft. My sire nudged me awake. I opened my eyes and met his black blazed face.
"What you did today--" He started but could not finish.
"I'm Sorry sire." I said lowering my head.
"Sorry for sparing your tired mother a lashing, nonsense." He said. I raised my head and my ears. "Now, I don't commend you for what you did, but I'm not going to reprimand you for it either."
He grew quiet and I knew something was weighing on his mind. Had he and my dam been talking? "River," He started. "I never had the chance to become the horse I wanted to be, my dam was born a servant, she pulled carriages for the mistress on the plantation where I was brought up. She wanted her son to be more than just a carriage puller. I failed her miserably."
Yellow-bird stirred and we both turned or attention to her. She was young and already being saddled and bridled. My sire turned back to me. "Sire," I said hating to hear him put himself down. My sire stopped me. "Look at my knees son." He said. The moon was bright enough to see by so I did look. "I don't ever want you to end up with knees like mine, do you understand me?"
I nodded my head. What was he getting at? "I'll try." I said. My father made his voice firm. "No, you'll do more than that." He spoke just above a whisper. "Fugo is not dead, as some may think." He said.
"Seminole made an escape for the colt." I widened my eyes. A tail swished from the other side of the barn and I made sure to speak quietly. "You mean he ran away?"
"Escaped." My sire said. Clearly suggesting it as a better term.
"But—b—but." I stammered.
"Your dam thinks it's the best thing for you, and you are not like the rest of us." I frowned at my sire. I was just like everyone else; he was the one who was different.
"We were all born domestic, but your spirit was born free!"
When the cock crowed I opened my eyes. Today was my last day. My sire and dam told me to keep out of trouble so I did.
I could count on Ocher and Twilight to figure out what was going on with me. Ocher smiled at me to give me courage but said nothing. I was going to miss her sea eyes. I was going to miss everyone. When one of the work men tossed his apple core into the path I picked it up and gave it to Ocher. Goodbye, it said.
Hart was tied up in the corral with Yellow-bird when we retired for the day. Twilight and I were the first in the barn.
"Don't look so down," He said nudging me. I raised my eyes to him and forced a smile. "I'll take good care of Ocher." He added.
He came over to me and I groomed his mane. "You make sure Yellow-bird is treated like the spirit she is." I whispered to him as the other horses came into the barn. I noticed Palmetto was weeping.
"What's wrong?" Twilight asked the sorrel mare. She turned her face from ours. Seminole stepped up. "Hart is being sold." He answered to everyone. The barn rose with murmurs. "Where?" Luna a pale gray mare asked.
"I don't know." Seminole said.
"No one ever knows." Said Cleve, Hart's sire. My sire and dam looked at me. Now I understood how important my freedom was. As the crickets began to sing I closed my eyes.
Goodbye. I said. Good bye Sire, dam, Twilight. So long Ocher, Luna, Yellow-bird. Farwell Palmetto and Cleve and Seminole and Hart.
I must have drifted off because my sire awoke me telling me it was time. We snuck out of the barn, avoiding the hounds.
"Keep to the side of the road, in the shadows. A friend of mine, Mercury, will meet you at the fork in the road as soon as the sun comes up."
We stopped at the gate and he embraced me. Sharp barks came from the house. "Run," said my sire. "River, run!" He dashed back toward the barn. I hauled myself over the fence then dashed into the fields. The Dog's barking grew louder and louder as I ran and ran and ran.
"River," Someone was calling me in the sun light. I opened my heavy eye lids. I'd been traveling all night long and my mind had fallen asleep long ago.
"Are you River?" The voice now asked. I nodded my head before seeing the face. "Up here." It said. I looked up and saw the fork in the road.
"Are you…" I started.
"Mercury." The falcon said. She was clutching a bag in her talons. Flapping her wings she left the fork and perched on my back. As if she had done it many times, she fastened the bag to me.
"So River, have you ever heard about the Hidden Track?" She asked me. I shook my head no. "Well we're on it." Mercury said. "I'm your escort and I'm taking you to freedom."
I felt my heart jump. "Is there really such a place?" I stuttered each word. Mercury smiled and I knew she could be trusted. "I guess we'll just have to find out." She flew into the air and spun around. I took her answer as a yes and smiled. Swishing my tail I fallowed Mercury away from the roadside and into the surrounding woods.
Freedom, despite the word it doesn't come cheap. My stomach growled and there wasn't anything to eat hardly. Mercury told me that the biscuits in my bag were payments for the services that we would be provided.
On the ninth day, the ninth, it poured rain. Time was going by so fast. Mercury told me that I still had long ways to go. I dug my hoofs into the ground and scratched out F.R.E.E.D.O.M.
"What's that you got there?" Mercury asked from above head. "Freedom." She read. Looking up at me she asked, "Do you like to read?" I was shocked she asked me such a question.
"I'm sure I would," I said. "If I could. Mercury looked down at me with a blank expression. "Well I guess, I'll have to teach you." She said and smiled.
"You'd do that?" I asked. Mercury shrugged as if I shouldn't be surprised at all. "We'll start with you name." She said and joined me on the ground. "R." She said. Do you know what sound it makes?" I knew that from writing Freedom.
"River begins with the letter R." Mercury instructed. I carved a R in the dirt and leaves beneath FREEDOM. Presently I spelt out my whole name and read it over. Then I read both words together. "Freedom River." Placing a wing over D.O.M Mercury told me to read again. "Free River." I said. Mercury looked up at me and smiled. "That's just what I'm going to do."
Over the days I had learned Mercury was born free. I figured so. She had been all around the world and to many different places. She once raced a hawk from coast to coast. After explaining to me what a coast was, she told me about a city that we were nearing. Where I would meet my first ally—partner in the Hidden Trek.
Before entering the city Mercury flew off to find food. I was to look alone for the lab named Ike who would give me my next directions.
They say that the city of Chicago had the most beautiful skyline. Mercury could argue that. The tall spires of Jacksonville reached into the sky as if trying to contact an unseen force that wasn't there.
I stood in a filthy alley trying to figure out how I was going to find my ally without being seen by too many people. I was watching a passing car when I heard a raspy voice from up high. "Up here." It said. I looked up at a street sign above my head and saw a pigeon. "You the run away colt?" He asked me. I nodded my head then cleared my throat. "Pardon, but I'm looking for a dog named Ike, he's supposed to help me."
"Yeah, yeah sure," said the pigeon. "I' know him, I'll take you there, but labor doesn't come cheap." The pigeon nodded to my back. "Alright," I said after hesitation. "Half now, half when you take me to him." Mercury told me to watch out for con-artist and the city was over flowing with them.
The pigeon kept his word and led me to the dog named Ike. Ike's alley was even more polluted than the first. I waited until the dog appeared limping. I stared at his missing leg until he glared up at me. "Well are you going to stare all day or are you going to listen?" he asked me.
"I'll listen sir." I said. Ike whistled to the pigeon, which flew over to us with a sheet of paper in his claws. "Your next ally will be about four days from here." Ike explained.
"Can you read colt?" He asked me sizing me up.
"No sir," I replied politely. "But my partner can." Ike scoffed and he and the pigeon exchanged glances. "Country folk." I heard the pigeon murmur under his breath.
With a nod of his head Ike sent the pigeon to place the directions in my saddlebag. The pigeon slipped the paper in and then helped himself to some biscuits.
He tossed one to Ike who ate it greedily. After smacking his lips the dog looked up at me. "Go one," He said. "Get out of here." I turned away from the two animals and made my way back to the place I had departed with Mercury.
As the rains poured down that night Mercury and I took shelter in an old shed. It reeked of mold and rotten wood and I could hear the rats gnawing away in the dark corners. I shook my mane and tail sending droplets of water everywhere.
Thunder clapped outside the shed. Through the gapped side boards I could see the violent flashes lightening as the storm ripped apart the sky.
I closed my eyes, trying to find sleep, trying—with all my might to keep a positive attitude. The wind screamed loudly and the rickety shed door slammed shut the flew open again. I backed into a corner an shut my eyes tightly. Swishing my tail I looked up at Mercury who was sleeping soundly on the support beams over head. It was then that I heard a loud creaking sound fallowed my a blunt crack which woke Mercury.
"What—what is it?" She woke saying. After remembering where she was she looked down at me. The door swung open and rammed into the side of the shed. I felt something crawl over my leg which caused me to look down.
About a dozen or so rats were scrambling for the back of the shed. "Excuse me." one said and squeezed out of a small dark hole with the rest.
The beams over head groaned. Mercury looked up and in the same fluid motion spread he wings. "Looks like this storm has it in for us!" She said and flew toward the door. "Hurry!" She called to me and I dashed after her. Rain pelted me in the face as I stumbled into the grass.
Looking over my shoulder I saw the roof of the shed cave in. Mercury lighted down on my back and sighed relief. I looked around in the stormy night for a new place to take shelter. "There," Mercury said pointing a talon. I looked across the way and saw what looked to be a giant can from afar. "That's 17 silo, I know that place." Mercury finished.
With drenched Mercury on my back I trotted up to 17 silo. The old silo was abandoned—left to the crows and other wild animals. The side of the silo had been gashed open my some man made object, it was an opening big enough for a horse my size.
Mercury hopped down from my back and waddled inside. Presently I fallowed. The hole was smaller than I thought and I had to jostle my body in order to fit. I heard Mercury ruffle her feathers in the darkness and felt the tiny drops of water on my body.
Blinking the water out of my eyes that drained from my forelock I looked back at her. "Do think this place will hold in the storm?" I asked her.
"Get some sleep River." She replied. I tried to deafen my ears to the howling wind but it was futile. There was a hole in the roof of the silo and the little rain that did slip in made a rhythmic pattering sound on the earth at my hooves. I closed my eyes, searching for sleep.
A picture of my dam strolled across my mind. "It's alright," she said. "Everything is going to my okay." I believed her and sleep found me.
When Mercury awoke me the following morning my mouth was dry and I was in dire need for a drink of water. Mercury led me down to a small pond she had seen earlier that morning while out hunting so I could refresh.
As I was slurping up the cold water something caught my eye. "Would you look at that," A voice said from the fog. Mercury raised her head and looked around. Suddenly the fog parted and a bird with a black face and a long neck came floating our way. It apparently hadn't been talking to us because it looked over it's shoulder and started to speak with another bird just like it.
"I take it you've never seen geese." Said Mercury. I shook my head no. Mercury laughed a bit then nodded to the pond. "Go on," she said. "They won't mind."
There were few animals other than horses that I knew of. It seemed to me that no one wanted to come near Grave's plantation.
Mercury and I continued on our trek. To help pass the time she called out different objects and asked me to spell them out. Sometimes she'd spell them out and I had to figure out what word it was.
The sun came and went, the moon rose and fell. The days rolled by and Mercury and I walked and walked. The Hidden Trek was longer than I had anticipated and by the 30th day I was near starving. Mercury never abandoned me. Not even when the sky turned black and wind pulled down whole trees. She stayed with me when food ran scarce. She was there with me, to guide me to lead me to my allies—to teach me to read.
I had been through a great number of allies; each one viewing me and a different way. I collected certain details from each one—limps, a bad eye, a fluffy tail. At the crack of dawn Mercury and I stumbled upon a farm. With great persuasion she convinced me to fallow her down to it.
She flew right up to the barn as if she had been here many times—then again maybe she had. I waited outside the barn for Mercury nibbling on strains of hey and shoots of grass.
Presently Mercury returned with a mouse in her talons. As I looked up at her, her eyes drifted behind me. Turning around I came face to with a donkey. "Don't be afraid River," said Mercury. "Sweet Pea is here to help."
We stayed a whole day on the farm. At night when all the animals had been put into their pens a mare was kind enough to give my some food for the road. "So what's your name?" A piglet asked.
"River." I replied.
A pony frowned. "River," He snorted "that doesn't sound like a domestic name."
I swished my tale. "My dam named me that." I said. Suddenly the barn erupted with laughter. "Don't be ridiculous," said the pony.
"Yeah," said a sheep. "Everyone knows that it's the master who does the naming."
"Alright leave the colt alone he's had a long day." Said Sweet pea. A mule stiffed a laugh and looked sideways at me. Mercury flew down and landed on the sheep's pen. "You laugh, but River is about to be free." She said. Again the animals laughed.
"This is the worst case yet," said the pony. "Sweet pea, look at what Mercury has drug in, a colt as thin as a twig who claims that his sire, and dam named him." The animals in the barn laughed again.
"What," I said looking around. "Don't any of you want to be free? To run where you want—to sleep where you want—to lie in a green pasture with nothing but sky between you and the sun?"
The mare tossed her mane. "Honey, we get everything we need right here." She said. "But-
I went to say.
"We don't need to be in the wild with the wolves and bears." Said another sheep.
"Here we are loved, fed, cared for; why would we leave." Said a tabby.
"But people-
I said.
"Not all people are bad River. I don't know what made you want to be free, but here we are happy." Sweet pea said. The other animals nodded in agreement. I couldn't understand it, what could be better than pure freedom.
Mercury smiled at me as the other animals began to drift of into their own conversations. "Go to sleep River." She said. I yawned and closed my eyes, but my dreams were filled with the taunting laughter.
Just before sunrise Sweet pea and Mercury led me to the edge of the farm. Sweet pea gave us specific instructions then he added more food to my bag. Mercury and I turned away from our ally as we had done so many times and pressed on.
Mercury flew high overhead I trotted in her direction with the wind stirring in my mane. "How much farther do you think we still have to go?" I looked up and asked. Mercury circled back and looked down at me. "We'll be there before you know it River." Mercury smiled. "Will you stay there with me?" I asked. "When we get there I mean."
"I have a never ending career. So long as there are horses trying to escape I'll be traveling the country."
We traveled a full day then rested. Before the sun, we were up again and meeting another ally; an owl with a white face. I noticed that the animals were getting wilder.
Mercury and I adapted to the rhythm of our travel. Sleeping when it was too hot, eating when the journey permitted, hiding from the sight of any human.
Early one morning Mercury led me through a filed of golden grass. Picking up her speed she urged me to run. Rearing up I dashed after her mane and tail flying. Mercury screeched and shot by over head. Tossing my head I bolted across the field toward the gray-blue horizon. Mercury vanished into the clouds then reappeared.
We slowed where the earth was hard and I reared up. Mercury circled back laughing out loud. "You are cut out to be free." She said. I tossed my head.
"You'll love it in Zephyr's homeland River, you just wait and see."
"So I'll get to meet other horses?" I asked.
Mercury nodded.
"Wild ones, some just like yourself."
Mercury stopped circling and we continued on. Just as I took one step a sound, one that I'd heard many times burst in my ears. Just as the sound split the peaceful morning Mercury dropped. I rushed up to her as human voices reached my ear. Mercury met my stare with a apologetic look in her eyes. "Mercury are you alright?" I asked her. She groaned and her head rolled to the side.
The voices grew louder. Gently I picked her up and took cover into the surrounding forest. I lie Mercury down in the dank leaves. Her eyes looked so cold as she looked up at me. "Oh, River," she said trying to smile. "I must leave you so soon."
"Don't say that!" I cried. "You're going to be fine." Mercury shook her head and choked, "I can see it in you face—I'm done in." I shook my head wildly.
"We'll make it together." I said and smoothed down her feathers. "Don't die Mercury…I can't do it on my own."
Mercury's brows furrowed. "Don't be that way," she scolded me. "You can make it right on you own, you hear." I started to cry and she touched my face with her wing. "There, there my colt, you'll be alright. I promise." I nodded my head and closed my eyes.
Mercury nodded slowly then said softly, "Run River, run." Her wing fell from my face and she closed her eyes. "Mercury? Mercury!" I cried. When she did not respond I broke down in tears.
Burring Mercury—my dearest companion was the hardest thing that I'd ever do. The earth was hard and as I stuck it with me hooves my eyes blurred with tears. Afterward I stood at Mercury's grave for a moment. The sun was white behind the clouds. The rays danced down on the golden grass. A loon sung from the brown water on the distant pound and thunder clouds pitched their tents over the woodland
I glanced back in the direction from which I had come. Longing for the ones that I left behind. The wind pulled at my mane, beckoning me to continue in the opposite direction as thunder applauded at the velocity of the storm.
I stomped my hoof angrily. My sire's and dam's efforts would not be futile. Mercury didn't die for me to go back. I'd come too far. I tossed my head and charged, the storm keeping after me. My heart pounded in my chest I wasn't stopping, not even when the heavy rains pelted down.
I found myself standing at a stream looking down at my reflection. I had lost track of the days. Lost track of allies. All faded to black after Mercury died, only my will was strong now.
I was standing at the stream when another reflection appeared at my side. I turned around and looked up at a large buckskin stallion. "You must be lost." He said kindly. I didn't bother to speak, I had long ago lost my voice. "Do you have a name?" He asked. I nodded my head. "Are you hurt?"
I shook my head, my wounds could not be heeled. "Well I'm Zephyr, I watch over these parts. If you'll come with me you can eat and sleep, if you wish."
I nodded my head and fallowed the stallion. He led me away to a bright pasture. My ears went up and I looked around. Horses, young and old galloped and whinnied and splashed and played. "A sanctuary," said Zephyr. "for us horses." This was Mercury's Zephyr. This was the freedom land that she had spoken off.
"Mercury." I said in a raspy voice. Zephyr looked at me curiously.
"Of course, you must be the new colt!" He said with a grin. "Where is Mercury has she gone back?" He asked. I shook my head and Zephyr stopped talking.
After a few days I came to accept the company of the other horses. I'd made it. I'd become what my sire and dam wanted. I was free. I knew in my heart that most likely I would never see them again. Unless of course, something was done. I had a sudden vision of my old friends toiling in the sun. I pointed my hoof and carved into the earth. F.R.E.E.D.O.M.
I made up my mind that I would free the horses of Grave Plantation. After all they had freed me—kept me from the whip and kept me going strong. Closing my eyes I raised my head toward the sky. The wind swept down and whispered into my ear, "Be free River, be free."
--This is a story I did in my writing class, but because this if Fanfiction I added reference to Spirit. It's a short story based on the Underground Railroad. One of the things I like to do is write in fiction format, actuall events uing animals other than people. I hope you liked it.