The next day Kid nursed the few bites she'd recieved and was recovering fairly fast. She was, after all, from the future. Although, she never said this. Something deep inside her knew that it would make her sound out of her mind. She knew this was not where she had come from. There were no walls keeping her, and no scientists toying with her body and, possiabley, her mind. She was free to do what she would here. And the horses! She saw herds in the distance almost every day. No dome, Kougar had told her in a serious tone, had ever held more than two herds, due to the endangered population of horses from the almost complete wipe of all other wilderness and animal save for man and his stone forests. At least, that's what he learned from the few words he could understand of the orentations that passed outside his dome every now and then, when new people from colleges came in and gawked at the half-metal horse and her clone companion.
That night, a mare and a stallion appeared. The stallion was a sleek paint of black and white with blue eyes that seemed to stick out among the usual brown and black of the other equines. The group later learned that they were brother and sister, the stallion being older. The mare, meanwhile, was a bark brown with two white socks and a blaze sloping down her face. The stallion was too small and looked a little sick. He looked to hae difficulty swallowing. His sister had simpley lost her herd in an avalanche with her brother. She was perfectly healthy, but had no other companions and was worried about her brother. The other herds seemed to think him likely to die and would not take him, but she had grown attached to him more than usual for a sister and brother and refused to leave him. And so they had come.
"My name's Popa. This is Wilen," said the mare in a hushed tone. "His throat hurts him too much to speak, so do not mind if I do the talking for him. I'm sure with protection and rest, he'll recover soon and we can leave." She smiled reassuringly at Raider.
So now Kid was not the newest any longer. But she didn't mind as much as Cinder seemed to have cared. She was pleased to see that the spotlight had shifted from her, and was concerned for poor Wilen and his illness. The new horses settled in and peace reigned once more for two whole days. It seemed impossiable that just 36 hours ago, Kid had been fleeing in the night when new friends and good times were shining so brightly!
But, as we know, peace is never one to stay for long, before discord enters our lives once again, and scrambles things. Sometimes it is not as bad as we might think it is, and at others is can be more terrible than we had ever dreamed. Tragedy could strike when you least expected it, or else something of great suprise, but not all that displeasing, could occur. A new day might dawn, or the current one could end. When one door opens, another will close. Or was it visa versa? Either way, soon Kid's happiness was shattered again.
A new form appeared on the horizon. It seemed impossiable for her to describe how she felt when she first saw him. Except an incredible uneasiness.
He was huge. She'd never seen any equine so big. All the other horses here were around her size or smaller. But he was monsterously huge! He was broad showered, thick kneed, large hooved, and tall. In truth, this was no native to the land, as she was not. She might later learn the true way he'd come here. It, fortunately, was not as strange as her trip to the past.
Raider seemed startled to see him as the rest of the group. Wilen uneasily hid behind Popa and peered with uncertainty, his sick head low and blue eyes glancing about. Cinder stood firm, but her eyes betrayed her fear. Kid shrunk away and looked for somewhere to hide. He made her nervous. But it was just flat, open fields. It was the first time she wished for the little forest in her habitat so she could slip in and get lost in the shadows. She'd done it often to run from Kougar when he did something to upset her, which was fairly rare.
"Hello there" called Raider in a cheerful voice, though they knew he was faking. That creature was just far too big!
"I am Goliath," said the large black stallion, peering proudly down at Raider.
"I am Raider. And this is my little help group" he peered back at the mares and the sick young Wilen.
"I know," said Goliath coldly, now not even looking at Raider but his powerful gaze sweeping the mares. "I've come because I hear you often rejected mares of...weakness."
Cinders nostrils flared, and she spoke angrily. "Who are you calling weak?" And then she coughed a little. The great stallion smirked. Poor Maple cowered beneath her mother, her tiny body shaking as she looked fearfully at the giant beast.
"I am new to these lands, and I do not care to kill some headstrong stallion for his mares. I'd rather take my pick from here, thank you." And then he lumbered straight past Raider and among the mares.
The black mammoth muttered a little under his breath as his gaze drifted from one to the other. "That one, too firey and stringy. This one looks good, but no...she's small. And look at how she sticks to the weak stallion. Ah, the palomino. She's fine, but scarred. No, and tainted as well. Already has a wee daughter with her. Oooooh." He stopped before Kid and seemed to blink rapidly.
The great beast stared at her, and made her feel quite uncomfertable. She wished she could tell what he was thinking, and she wished desprately he'd move away. But instead, he questioned her in a most strange tone. "What is your name, miss?" His voice had gone softer than that harshness of his spoken notes and the shouldered way he'd handled Raider.
"Everyone calls me Kid," she said in a quiet voice.
"Ah. But is that your birth calling? What did your mother call you?"
She seemed startled. It was as if he knew. "I never knew my mother. She never had a chance to give me a name." She spoke carefully. The truth was far too terrible for any of them to comprehend. That she had been taken from her mother because she would of died otherwise. And then, she was kept for continued testing.
The great stallion dipped his head slightly, as if mourning for the experience she would never know. "I am sorry to hear that. Perhaps...you should have a name not given to you by another? From what I know, 'Kid' is something you call a child. And you are far to lovely to be a child."
Kid was becoming more and more uneasy at this. Lovely? Her? Had he looked at her face lately? "Well...I'm not sure of what a proper name would be."
Goliath considered this. Everyone was watching and it made Kid flush red. Finally he smiled and nodded to himself. "Yes. I believe I have a good name that would match you perfectly. Sapphire. A lovely gem."
Sapphire? She was suprised. She never thought an equine knew what this was besides her. The others looked puzzled. She'd heard of it from Kougar. In fact, most everything she knew had been taught to her by him.
"Come, my new Sapphire. I think I shall have you." And then he did what she'd seen happen to happened to her friend Soot. He lowered his great head rigidly and gentley bit into her hindquarters, though it had been a little jolted. Goliath had avoided biting the wound she'd gotton from the wolves.
With a small squeak she bolted away, fear burning in her heart. She looked over her shoulder to see the massive black brute barreling behind her. Beyond, she could see Raider standing with a most neutrel expression. She gave him a pleading look. Oh wouldn't he save her? Didn't he know that the two of them had to stick togother? She couldn't forget him and go off with this monster!
But it was too late. Soon she was herded away. A yearning overtook her, and she felt like crying. Her eyes glistened and seemed to well. But, a horse cannot cry. And so, though a wrenching sorrow filled the mare, the poor girl could not shed a single tear.