Disclaimer: I do not own any of Tamora Pierces characters.
A/N: I lost my Lioness Rampant (NOOO!) and I need to know whether the K'miri is in Tusaine or Tyra or what. Please help!
Chapter 2: Horse Valley
It was noon the next day before Onua woke up again. She groaned and sat up. Her body had gone from black and blue to a mottled yellow. Wincing from pain, she stood up unsteadily and staggered to the stream. As she drank from the stream, her mind cleared. With it came the awareness of the hunger gnawing at her belly. Although the valley looked barren of all life, Onua knew there was all kinds of life, if you knew were to look. Since she was a child, Onua has been taught the survival skills needed in order to live in the parched land. Water was scarce, and Onua thanked the Horse Lords that there was a stream. Where there was a stream there were always animals that drank from the stream. And that forest would have herbs, berries and mushrooms. Onua briefly thought about killing a horse, but instantly abandoned that idea. She didn't want to hurt a horse unless she absolutely need to. Something tickled Onua's hand and she absently flicked at it before freezing midway. Looking down she saw an ant. Food! She thought joyously as she popped the ant in her mouth. Crawling on all fours, she looked around and her heart trilled with joy. There, right in front of her, was an ant pile. Her mouth watering, Onua found a stick and stuck it as far as she could down the hole. When she pulled the stick out, it was covered in ant. Onua licked the ants so fast an anteater would have been impressed. Onua did this over and over, until finally she was satisfied. Not full, but at least I have food in my belly Onua thought. Already she could feel energy coursing through her belly. Onua stood up and made a complete circle, taking in the whole valley. Suddenly, a grin lit up her face, the first one she had in a while. I have food, and water and horses Onua thought. For once Onua felt like she was floating, no longer bound by the shackles of duty and marriage. I will survive! Thought Onua.
The hours slowly slipped into days, which in turn slipped into weeks. Spring slowly bled into summer, and the days became warmer. Since that day when she first woke up Onua had made many changes. She set up first a crude shelter made of sticks, then as she made snares and caught rabbits and the occasional fox the shelter became a tent made from various hides. She foraged for food in the forest, and her diet began to vary as she roamed the forest around her small valley. She fished in the stream for trout and set snares for rabbits and birds. She also ate bugs, mainly ants and beetles. After her first month she decided to make a crude bow for herself. After finding the right sized branch, Onua started carving the shape with a crude knife she made for herself. Onua judged it would be done in a couple more days. She had decided to call her valley Horse Valley. But not all the animals in the forest were as harmless as a rabbit or fox. The first night in her shelter, she heard the screech of a mountain lion. After that she spelled her camp nightly. There also was a pack of wolves living in the mountains. The first time she heard them, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. She had grown up taught to fear and hate wolves. They kill livestock and eat human babies.
But as she healed on the outside, her mind was still raw with pain. Every night she had nightmares about her husband, and she would wake up sobbing and soaked with sweat. Onua began to find solace in the herd of horses. She would sit for hours just looking at the horses. Though they were first skeptical of the strange intrusion in their small valley, in the end they saw no harm in her, and ignored her. The stallion that first caught her eye was obviously the leader of the small herd. He clearly stood out with his beautiful black hide and white star on his forehead. Onua decided to name him Bain, after the god of the northerly wind. His main mate was a beautiful white mare. Where Bain was wild and raw, she was calm and gentle, watching over the foals and mares. Onua named her Chavi after the goddess of the west wind. There were also many foals in the herd, most of them sired by Bain. One foal particularly caught Onua's eyes. She was a young mare, with her fathers beautiful coat and Chavi's gentle personality. She was avidly curious of everything, and sometimes ventured close to Onua before she was hustled away from one of the mares. As her connections with the horses deepened, Onua unconsciously started behaving more horse than human. She woke up and slept with the horses. She would often talk with the horses, going through her plans on the future, such as new cloths to replace her worn gear. Sometimes she imagined the horses answered back.
One day, while fetching water to clear out the trench she dug, Onua looked into the water. It was a clear, windless day and her reflection shone back at her. She marveled at the changes a couple of months did on her. Her face was no longer speckled with bruises as it had been when she was married. Her face lost any fat and was thin and sharp. Large gray-green eyes looked solemnly up at her. But was marveled Onua was how free and relaxed her face looked, more than it has been for a long time. Impulsively, she let out a K'miri war whoop, her voice carrying across the small valley. The horses pricked their ears up but said nothing, thay were used to her strange behavior. Onua felt a bubble of laughter rising up in her and she laughed heartedly. Tears streamed out her eyes as she laughed. FREE! She thought I'm finally free!
A/N: Well, that's the end of this chappie. I hoped you enjoyed it. In fact, you enjoyed it so much your going to push that pretty purple button and tell me how much you liked, or hated, it. Please review! .
