{00.01}
"What the hell is Alpha thinking? Tommy and Dahlia are gonna fall off the side of that cliff if they aren't careful, and he knows they aren't! I'm gonna go up to the front and ask if he can keep an eye on the foals." I shook my head and passed Tilly to catch up to Alpha. The eldest of our pack were all trotting up near Alpha. They were all fairly far ahead so I had enough room to gallop down the trail and up to Kenai.
"Kenai, do you know where we're going? The little ones are playing and I'm worried. They're still young and unaware of their surroundings and this path is dangerous!" I explained. He kept his head forward, his hooves making the quiet clicking noise that came from all of our hooves.
"I have no idea, all Alpha said was we were leaving the valley for a couple months because of predators, which is understandable, but it is a pretty dangerous path." He agreed. I nodded and squeezed past him and a few others until I was trotting beside Alpha.
"Alpha, um, where are we going?" my hands twisted together in front of my belly.
"There is a large valley near the canyon, another herd resides there but their Alpha is kind and accepts that we cannot stay in our home for now. So we are staying with them for a few months." I nodded and looked down at my hands, then back up at him.
"You see, the little ones are playing and the path isn't safe for roughhousing. I'm just worried about one of them getting hurt." Alpha nodded and halted, I did the same along with the others around us. He turned around and galloped through us and down the path to where some mares and foals were trotting and either chatting or chasing each other.
"Enough. Now, this path is incredibly steep and incredibly dangerous if you were to lose your footing. There will be no more chasing each other or pushing barrels or pulling tails, and especially no tripping others. I have eyes Tommy, I know you do it. Let's all head up to the front, there isn't much of this path left so let's just canter the rest of it. Everyone! Canter!" It starts with Alpha so he can get to the head of the pack, next go Alphas family, then the stallions, and in the rear are the mares and foals. I am the one exception in our pack. Unless I choose to stay back with Tilly, I am in the front with Alpha. Tilly began chatting with another young mare so I slipped quickly past the stallions and up beside Alpha. He glanced over at me before facing forward again. I am to be the next Alpha, once Will can no longer lead the herd, I will step in and become Alpha.
"Ho! Sig!" Alpha cried out over the thunder of hooves hitting the ground. I shook my head and looked beside me, Alpha had wide eyes and his hands were beside his head. I frowned and looked around; we were off the path at last. I slowed to a slow trot.
"What happened? You were totally out of it and just took off down the trail; goddamn you're too young and fast for me. How old are you anyway? Ten?" I giggled and halted.
"Eight actually, how long was I going? I don't see anybody?" I turned around and began walking back towards the path.
"I told everyone to just walk while I went to go get you." I laughed again and reared. My front hooves still in the air, I laughed and pawed the air before setting them back on the ground.
"Race ya Will!" I barely got the words out before I took off towards the herd. I could hear him catching up, or trying to. I was large for my age, with the energy of a young stallion. I was a big black filly with long legs. The human parts of me were cream colored, with a thick curly mess of long black hair on top of my head. Instead of being bred I was raised to protect. I wore a bow over my shoulder and kept a sword at my hip. I was easily the fastest centaur in our entire herd.
"Ha! Beat you! Again!" I laughed and reared and bucked along with Tommy.
"Alright, we're gonna canter to the end of the trail. Don't go disappearing on me now." Alpha winked and nudged me. I smiled back.
"Let's go." Alpha went up ahead of me and began going faster, so I followed. We were hitting the ground three beats at a time.
"Ooh man I can't wait to meet the new herd. I really hope they have some filly's my age, there's only Tilly and Brian in ours." I mumbled excitedly. I began to recognize the foliage and squealed.
"We're almost there!" I began to go faster, but remembered the herd and kept my pace. We thundered forward for a few minutes before I spotted the area where Will had stopped me, nothing could hold me back, I took off flying towards the open fields. I could hear Will calling me but I was focused on getting out of there. Suddenly I was five feet away from the end of the path. I came to a halt just before I came of the path and sat back on my haunches. I stretched my arms and yawned.
"Really Sig! Just because you are fast, doesn't mean you HAVE to go fast. Up, come on, let's go. You can go as fast as you want in the fields." I grinned and rose to all fours. The others were waiting patiently behind us.
"Really! I can?" I stamped my foot.
"You may as well get it out now while it's just us." He sighed; I squealed and took off through the field. Tilly came galloping up behind me, but couldn't quite catch up.
"YAHOO!" I screamed and bucked.