Storm & Fire: Brothers Under The Sun
Prologue
Storm and fire. Fire and storm. They are strong, wild, untamed. Two elements that are so different, yet have so much in common.
The actual story began a few years ago, when I was captured by the humans, and still managed to escape with the help of one. I had gone away a captured horse, but came back free, full of pride and with a new outlook. Yeah, that story never got old, did it?
But that had only been the first chapter, as I would soon come to realize.
A year after I returned to my herd, my mate, who had been named Rain by the human Little Creek, fell pregnant. Before I knew it, she had given birth to two foals; one brown, and one yellow. It had been my first taste of parenthood, and I finally understood what it actually meant. Both of them were certainly a handful, and would always get in trouble no matter where. Still, they managed to charm the hearts of even the most stoic old stallion. Yes, they were our pride and joy.
But, it was not to last.
A season after their birth, and unexpected storm hit our homeland. The horses were evacuated to safety, but I finally realized that my colts were in trouble; they had been left behind. At the insistence of my mate, I ran back to find them caught in the eye of the storm.
I had never really experienced fear before. Okay, that was a lie; I had, once. I can still remember how scared I felt when I thought that Rain would not make it out alive after being shot and falling off a waterfall. But never once had I experienced it with the different elements. I understood a storm. It was wild, untamed and could not be held down. Usually, it was just a strong wind, and usually it was harmless if necessary precautions were taken. I had seen many storms in my life. But I was never afraid of them, ever.
But that was about to change.
For the first time in a long time, I felt fear claw at my heart. I could feel its everlasting presence, pulling at my strings to get me to head back. But I was unwilling to listen. My two colts were in the eye of that storm, and I was never going to stop until they were both safe and by Rain's side.
So, I rushed in myself, desperately calling for them over the howling wind. The wind was harsh today, and like a cougar, it bared its fangs and attacked, whipping past my legs with greater and greater force. It was all I could do to stand my ground. Like the storm, I was also a wild creature, and more importantly, I was a father.
I eventually caught sight of them by the river, and that's when the actual dread crept in. No one knew it better than I; rivers and storms did not mix well.
Indeed, fueled by the fury of the storm, the river was in an equally wild state, thrashing its waves along the banks, taking everything in its hold down with it into the murky depths. It churned and swiveled uneasily, waiting for its next victim. And unfortunately for me, the next victims were my two colts.
I let myself be overtaken with rage and fatherly over protectiveness. I reminded myself that these were my colts. No one could hurt them or even touch them; not if I had anything to say about the matter.
I do not really recall what happened afterwards, but I do know that I ended up seeing one of my colts falling prey to the rivers deathly embrace. And as much as it pained me, I still had one more colt that needed me, and I had to tend to him. These had been my last thoughts as I watched my eldest colt washed away down the rapids.
I do not really know what happened to him, whether he survived or did not make it. But ever since that day there was an emptiness in all our hearts, for we all sensed the absence of one of our family.
Still, we were in the wild, and in the wild, you could not stay in the past. So, with a heavy heart, I turned my attention to my surviving son, teaching him all I knew and all I could. I poured my heart and my soul into him, with the hopes that, one day; he would make it where his brother couldn't.
But to this day, I still wonder what had become of my lost colt. I wondered whether I could've been faster and whether that would've made any difference. However, life goes on, and so must you.
We could only hope for the best, because hope was all we had left.
A/N: Hey guys, long time no see.
Oh, and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
I still have my Lion King story to work on, I know, but this was a very recent idea that I was confident about enough to put it down in words.
If you can't deduce, this prologue is from Spirit's perspective. Chapter 1 onwards will be from a third-person point of view.
Hope you like it. Oh, and the cover for this story was made by me!
Please read and review.