Chapter 2
La Nieve
Albany couldn't remember how long he had been running, but at this point, he couldn't care less. His lungs were on fire from the cold air and his muscles ached from prolonged strain. The stallion tried to push these thoughts out of his mind, keeping his head on a swivel as he plowed through the thick snow. It had begun to come down quite a bit harder than before, obscuring his vision at times. This only heightened his anxiety, almost certain the warriors would soon descend upon him from the growing shadows, hoping to finish him off.
He pushes on, working himself so hard he can begin to feel a few beads of sweat form on his coat. If I keep this up, I'll die from exhaustion, he thinks to himself wearily, I need to calm down. Albany slowly brings himself to a halt in a clearing, panting hard, his legs feeling as though they'd collapse out from under him at any moment. Regaining control of his breathing was proving difficult, thanks to the icy air all around him. Stopping, there would finally be a moment to sit and think.
A pang of guilt shot through his chest at his recent display. When things had gotten too much to handle, he'd gotten spooked and run like a helpless foal, abandoning the only family he'd ever had to their gruesome fates. Closing his eyes and hanging his head in shame, thinking of how terrified his owner's tiny daughter must have been in her final, violent moments. The flurry of snow swirling around as he stands in silence for a time.
Soon, another worrying problem shoots into his mind. I've never been alone in my life, especially not in a place like this. He realizes, gazing at the unfamiliar area around him. Looking down to his hooves, he notices the snow had slowly been piling up all day, almost past his knees now in most places. The sun had begun to lower in the sky, casting longer and longer shadows from the mountains and trees. The snowfall had only intensified and showed no signs of stopping in the near future. One things for certain, he reckoned, I will need some shelter.
He began to move along, trudging through the packed snow, his breath fogging in the frigid air. His mind was still clouded though, elsewhere with thoughts of his current situation. Alright, I need to stay focused for now, food, water, shelter. Those are all I need to think about. Food, water, shelter, he repeated to himself. It had become apparent how parched he was, looking for some source that would satisfy his thirst. Albany was in luck. As he pushed on, he heard a new sound over the whistling wind, the trickling of a brook.
Looking around the area he was able to find the source, the small body nearly frozen over with only a few small streams cutting through the ice. Relieved to find some water, the young horse trots over and lowers his head to the surface. The water was cool and clean, he stood drinking until his thirst is sated. Finished, he raised his head from the stream, feeling a little more confident about his predicament. Now, to find something to eat, he thinks to himself, leaving the brook behind him.
Squinting his eyes from the snowfall, Albany searches for any parting in the thick blanket coating the ground. Upon combing the forest, the stallion finds several sturdy oaks without much of a pile surrounding their base; perfect for rooting around. Shoving his muzzle into the packed snow, he pushes what he can out of the way, revealing the brown, shriveled grass below. It wasn't much, but it beat going hungry. He pulls up the dead blades, chewing and swallowing them hungrily. Repeating the process around the other trees until his stomach no longer demanded to be filled. Things didn't seem so bad with a full belly.
By now, the snow was coming down even harder, rapidly making vision harder and harder to maintain. Albany felt a shiver convulse his body, the cold was starting to get to him, he needed out of this weather. Okay Al, nothing to worry about. He assures himself, finding a place for night, no sweat. The day grew darker and the gale grew stronger as the horse pushed himself forward to look for somewhere, anywhere to stay.
An hour passed. Nothing.
The wind grew louder, screaming past his ears, fluttering his mane and tail.
Another hour.
The sun was minutes from setting, almost too dark for him to see more than a few feet in front of his nose. This didn't bother him though, an exhausted smile coming to his face. I think this'll do well enough for tonight, my hooves feel like they're frozen solid! He sighed, walking on toward shelter. If he were lucky, he wouldn't die and get a little rest till morning.