My hooves clatter on the thick clay that covers the land. They fling the hard, crusty soil into the air and create plumes of sand that billow out behind my powerful legs. Lather soaks my chest and splatters my neck as I give it all I've got. I hurdle forwards, my stride lengthening until I finally catch up the large dun stallion ahead of me. He lifts his head and releases a sharp whinny that splits the air. He glances back at me, a smile lighting up his face. I snort and plunge forward once more until I'm running abreast to him. He slows into a fast canter as I struggle to keep up. We pull up to a halt together, the sand and clay reaching for the sky as they are blown up into the air. I nicker as I step backwards, watching the clouds of dirt flurry into the air. They quickly dissolve and I become uninterested.
The dun stallion calls to me. His neck arched, he looks at me. He tosses his head before returning his look to me. He's calling me to come. I let out a half-rear, my forelegs flailing in the air, my mane blowing in the fierce wind. My legs spring forth and I'm chasing the black and golden horse again. His strong muscles bulge from under his perfect, flawless skin. His tail whips at his hindquarters as he braces himself for a full-out sprint. I watch him gallop off, the trail of dust behind him vanishing way before I can reach it. Practically panting for breath I slow into a nice, leisurely trot. I raise my muzzle into the sky as I let out a whinny.
The strong answering of the stallion is clear. He's coming back. I flick my small tail as I see the silhouette of the dun appear on the horizon. He barrels forward, his legs outstretched as he sprints towards me. He skids to a stop, his hooves searching the ground for some sort of stopper. A rock, a minute hill, anything. Five feet past me, he finally halts. His forelock hangs over his face, plastered to his forehead with sweat.
"You gave me a run, little one," he says with a small nicker of a laugh.
"What do you mean?" I ask, my eyes glinting with contentment, my legs trembling with exhaustion. "I didn't even put up a fight against you."
"But you're good for your age. Fastest colt I've seen," he comments.
"I guess so," I respond, doubting that he's telling the truth.
"You'll get better," he winks. The dun stallion then adds, "Come on back to the herd. It's time we get something to eat and drink before nightfall." Not about to put down the chance of a good meal, I saunter behind the horse as he leads me to his home. My home. The herd's home.
|15 Minute Time Skip|
I drift into the frigid water. My mind says no, it could be dangerous, but it feels too good on my heated skin to resist. The white lather that had clung to my chest now vanishes into the water and spreads along the surface, slowly breaking into such small pieces that it seems to disintegrate in the hydrogen and oxygen compound. I dunk my neck into the water and let the bottom of my chin soak in the water. The liquid seeps into my mouth and I drink it down thirstily, my brown eyes closed as I lavish the moment. The sudden pull of the water causes me to flash my eyes open, my heart pounding in fear. I look up just in time to see a wave. It curves and collapses on top of me. Bubbles push their way out of my mouth as I scramble to the surface. My hind hoofs find a stable surface. I push up and emerge from the water, my mouth open as I gasp for air.
"Byro!" I yell. But I'm just joking with the colt. He's my buddy; I'd never be mad at him for something so silly. The bay smiles and wades through the water towards me. His blaze-covered head raises in a high whinny.
"Where'd you go this morning? Even Rain didn't know. She's your mother, bro, she should at least have an idea at where you are! We went searching everywhere," the young stallion exaggerates.
"Blame my father," I say. "He said he told her."
"He's in for it now," Byro squawks. His ears press flat against his head as he lifts his leg half-way out of the water and slams it down, tossing his head upwards as he laughs. As the waters calm, Byro and I raise our pointed ears until they're straight up. The sound of my mother scolding my father reaches us. Their voices fade. Byro turns to me, his eyes telling his thoughts. He thinks it's funny. Sure, I guess. My dam and sire never stay angry, anyways. Barely ever are. But it isn't funny. Byro snickers as he lowers his head, trying to hold his uncontrollable laughter. I flatten my ears and stomp my front hoof as I turn on Byro.
"Bro, calm down," Byro whinnies. I rear and crash down into the water. Small ripples splash against the bay colt's chest. "Cool it," he squeals as he trips backwards into the shallow water and rolls onto his back. His eyes wide in fear, he jumps up and shies towards the grass that coats the land along the basin.
The thundering sound of a horse's hooves echo as the noise bounces along the small walls of the watering hole. My father, the dun stallion, appears on a small hill. He snorts, his ears pinned back.
"What is happening here?" he demands shrilly, his head bent as he glares down at the two of us. His eyes study us. They follow along our legs and up our necks. Then he meets my eyes. "What's going on?" he asks more calmly as he slides down the hill. His black tail held high, he steps toward us. His onyx colored forelock drapes over the right side of his face. He places his right foreleg down and then pauses, waiting for one of us to answer. I don't want to tell him, but something in my chest urges me to do so. I try my best to overcome the lump in my throat that holds the words down.
Then I hear the voice of Byro.
"Sorry, Sir. We were just messing around. We—we didn't mean to be so rowdy. It won't happen again," he promises as he lowers his head towards the water, trying to avoid my father's gaze. "May I go back to my dam?" he asks timidly. The dun stallion nods slowly. Thoughtfully. My hind leg tremors as his gaze falls on me.
"Yes. Go on, Byro," he says. My friend scampers up the small hill and vanishes from sight.
"So what really happened?" the dun interrogates once more. I lower my ears. Not angrily, but in slight fear.
"I don't know, Dad," I whinny softly. His chocolatey brown eyes search me for the real answers.
"As long as there isn't a fight, it's all right," he sighs. "Come on back to the herd. Your mother has been worried." The stallion leaps up onto the flat surface of the plains. I follow suite, my cantering uncertain and ungainly as I lope behind my father. The leader of the Cimarron Herd. Maybe I'll be in his hoofs one day. One day.
|5 Minute Time Skip|
I race to my dam, my neck outstretched as I run full-throttle. My black, slender legs lock and press the dirt into a mist of brown that floats into the sky. Her white and light brown face turns to me as I appear around the hill that my father stands on to watch over the herd. I regain my footing as I recover from the sudden halt. Shaking my coal-black head, I prance down the hill, my nostrils quivering as the warm, comforting scent of my mother reaches my nostrils.
I throw my head up to the sky and let out a faltering whinny. She looks up, her mouth full with grass. She begins to chew as she sees me come nearer. Her white tail swishes at the flies that hover around her hind quarters. Her delicate, yellow hooves glide over the land as she swallows her mouthful of grass and begins to canter to me. I stand up on my hind legs and place my front two on her shoulder. My muzzle digs into her soft, yellow-tinged mane.
"Where were you this morning?" she asks placidly, her blue eyes glittering. As if she doesn't know.
"I was out with Dad! We raced," I say as I begin to trot around my dam. She follows me with her tender, caring eyes.
"Did you win?" she questions. She seems so uninterested in the fact that my father didn't tell her where we'd gone.
"No," I answer, a little disappointed with myself. But he was a full grown stallion. I was just a little colt; I shouldn't compare myself to him. Eyes flashing up to meet my mother's, my lips flicker into a smile. "Wanna race?" Maybe I could win just this once!
"I suppose," she nickers. "Ready?" I nod. "Go!" she calls. I immediately begin to struggle to keep up with the pinto mare, but I try my hardest. Neck and neck, we race through the green valley. We weave between the grazing herd members and leap over twigs, bushes, and scarce logs that spot the area like the dots on an Appaloosa. I thrust forward, my midnight hooves devouring the land, my mane and tail blowing violently in the wind. I look over at my mother. She smiles at me as she begins to fall back ever so slightly. With another burst of speed, I'm up by a nose! I begin to slowly edge forward, lather building on my chest. I hold myself back as a steep downhill appears only several meters away. I glissade down the slick grass. My exhausted legs welcome the flat land at the bottom. But the level surface doesn't last long. My eyes study the inclines of the hills that merge into the mountains forested with trees.
I lay down, my chest heaving as I catch my breath. My mother will catch up soon. Closing my eyes to catch a quick snooze, I lay my head down onto the grass and stretch out in the small valley-like area. I let out a breathy sigh from my nostrils and grunt as I close my eyes, my body relaxing.
Suddenly there is a noise from the forest. I lean up, my head held high in alertness, my ears perked. My eyes gaze across the shrubbery that creates a barrier between the wild beyond and my homeland. I squint, trying to see what's there. Two yellow eyes stare back at me. The creatures ears lay flat, and its lips are pulled back into a nasty growl. Whiskers fan from its nose, and dull golden fur lines its body.
Cougar.
A/N: I hope you've enjoyed the first chapter of Shield: The Colt of Spirit.
Thank you for reading and don't forget to leave a review!