Author's Note: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Been kinda busy- this and that. Anyway, here's Ch. 4 without further ado! Enjoy!
Alec stared at the marsh in disbelief. Just a minute ago the land was dry, firm and green! Alec thought. Now…
"How are we going to get through this, boy?" Alec asked his friend. Black tossed his mane and pawed the earth, anxious to be getting a move on. Alec stroked his neck, calming him. Alec sighed and turned around to his horse.
"Let's see that foot, boy." The black was favoring his left foreleg. He had it up in the air and refused to put it down. Alec wondered what had caused the foreleg to injure so easily. The Black really had to be running to get hurt
Alec ran an expert eye over the Black's left foreleg. He couldn't see any swelling. Alec gently ran his hand over the leg. The next thing Alec knew, he was flying backwards, the Black scream tearing through the foggy air.
"Easy boy!" Alec jumped up, frantically trying to soothe his maddened horse. "Easy! That's a boy! Steady…" The Black rose skyward, pawing at the air. Only his right foreleg was striking out, though, so Alec knew the Black had really hurt his leg. Somehow.
The Black came down to earth, snorting. A sweat had broken out on his dark, glistening body. Alec dared a bit closer, ever wary of his horse's movements. For the first time in his life, Alec was beginning to feel scared of his horse.
"Easy, boy…" Alec murmured. The Black tossed his and pranced, remaining where he was. Alec stretched out his hand, his body trembling. He didn't know whether it was from fear or the chill that was coming with the rapidly appearing mist.
"'Atta boy." Alec patted the Black's satiny neck, breathing a sigh of relief. He stroked his horse while he examined the leg. Alec could see no odd marks or features that might tell him that the leg was injured. He shook his head, turning his thoughts to the other task that lay before him.
Alec peered through the swirling mists, listening to the croaking frogs and swatting at the swarming gnats. He looked behind him and saw that the Black's newly won herd was only a few yards behind him. They're starting to become a bother, Alec thought, annoyed.
Alec turned back to the Black. He led him around a ways- there was no sign at all of injury. "You rascal!" Alec growled playfully at the Black, "You tricked me!" The Black whinnied and shook his mane, agreeing completely.
Alec laughed at his horse's antics. "You're a sly one, you are." Alec told his horse. The Black's proud head bobbed. Alec laughed again, happiness filling him.
The boy turned back, deciding that returning to the plains behind him was better than trying to survive through this. But all that was in front of him was an empty, dull blackness. The sight confused Alec- but then he remembered it was a dream.
"Looks like we really don't have a choice, Black." Alec sighed. He took a hesitant step forward. He heard a faint splashing sound, and Alec yanked his foot out of the marsh's searching grip. He tried again, this time to the left.
Alec felt firm, hard ground beneath his foot. He cautiously placed his other foot next to his left foot. He didn't start sinking. Alec took a few more steps forward, a fear building up in mid-step and dying as his foot hit dry land. Now for the hard part, Alec thought.
"Come on, boy." Alec coaxed the Black along. Out of the corner of his eye, Alec saw his stallion's band follow at a distance. He decided to ignore them form that point on- he needed to concentrate on getting himself and the Black through alive.
The time sluggishly crept by. The Black was becoming more and more prone to slipping. Alec found that he was, too. His entire body was sore from tensing his muscles again and again, scrabbling around when he hit marsh instead of ground, and from helping the Black along.
Alec craned his head around and glanced behind him. He was overjoyed to see that a green plain under a perfect blue sky was only a few feet away. He quickened his pace as much as possible- he was sick of the marsh.
The Black sensed the boy's eagerness and tried harder, eager to run. Alec only slipped one more time before he reached the solid, wonderful grass.
"We made it!" Alec cried to the heavens. He ran and leaped and rolled for joy. The Black ran about, alternating between whistling for the boy he loved and neighing for the fresh green grass. He pranced and galloped around like a frisk young colt- almost exactly like the six that were headed right for the Black and Alec.