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The sun had just set on the cavalry post. It was one of those cloudless nights, where you could look up and see just about any star between Earth and Pluto. The moon was full, adding to the beauty of it all. Lamps were lit around the post, so that we could actually see. It got real dark at night, back in my day. Without the lamps, you could hardly see your own hand in front of your face, and that was on a clear night. Those of you who have gone camping out in the wilderness may have an idea of what I am talking about.
I was leaning against the railing of the arena, since I'd just finished my jobs for that day. I was the stable boy at the post, therefore my day consisted of mucking dung, filling food bowls, occasionally grooming if I was lucky (someone else usually groomed them), then mucking more dung. It wasn't the best job in the world, nor did it pay very much, but I had my reasons for taking it.
I saw Murphy, the groomer and farrier, walking towards me with his shoulders squared, head up facing the world. His bandaged head stood out in the moonlight, and I could see his newly blackened eye. He seemed irritated, but I couldn't blame him. I would be to if I'd been the one trying to groom that mustang. He leaned against the fence next to me and ran a hand over his face. I wanted to talk about the mustang they'd brought in—every time I thought about him, I got excited. He was the first mustang I'd seen since I came here—but I figured it wouldn't be such a great idea. I figured it would make Murphy even more irritated.
To my surprise, and my delight, Murphy was the one who brought him up by saying, "So, sonny, how 'bout that mustang?" I looked up at him, eye shining.
"He's a handsome one," I said, "and spirited. I'm not sure if I've seen one that wild." Murphy looked amused.
"Have you even seen one before this one?" he asked me. I shrugged.
"Well, yeah, sort of. I've seen ones that weren't completely broke. None of them are like this one though!" Murphy rolled his eyes at me and chuckled.
"He's not gonna be broke in a couple days. I hear your father's going to break him." My smile disappeared. Something about this horse being broken didn't really appeal to me right then. Murphy frowned too, and studied my face, not understanding my reaction. I didn't fully understand it either.
"Oh, yeah. I forgot about that," I said. I pinched the bridge of my nose slightly, then looked up at him and smiled. "He'll break him real good." Murphy smiled too.
"After what that stallion did to me, I should hope so," he said. I sighed and gripped the fence, staring out at the stallion tied to the post in the coral. He looked up dully, his eyes wandering around the cavalry post then his eyes met mine. My breath caught, and I wished that he'd take the same interest in me that I had in him, but he just looked down again and rested his head against the post. I sighed and looked down at my hands. I then realized that Murphy was still watching me.
He didn't say anything, just gripped my shoulder for a second with his hand, turned, and then walked away. I gave him a half hearted smile before looking back out at the mustang. He was magnificent. Tall and proud, he had this air of freedom that followed him. He was a Kiger mustang, with the perfect buckskin coloring. I sighed. And in a few days, he'd never be that same tall, proud, spirited horse.
I wasn't sure how long I stood there for, taking in the way he looked that night, but suddenly I felt another hand on my shoulder. I looked up into the eyes of my father. He stared at me sternly, and I felt myself duck slightly. But then he smiled softly, and his eyes turned warm. I couldn't help but smile back. He gently steered me away from the corral, and towards the sleeping areas. None of the men got to see this side of my father. I felt honored and lucky because of that fact, but most of all I just felt warm. No one would think my father to be a good parent. They would think him to be stern, cold, and unloving. They might still think that by watching us, but my father shows love in a different, quieter sort of way.
I turned back and smiled at him before I entered the sleeping area. He gave a small smile back and nodded at me. Neither of us could have possibly known how the following days would impact our lives.