Hi readers!
Sorry it's been a while! A lot's been happenin' with me but anyway, here you are with the next chapter! Enjoy!
The two humans stayed and made camp for the night next to their herd of horses and mules. After starting a fire and roasting a bit of what they had in their saddle bags, they ate and went strait to sleep. All the while Breeze stayed ever watchful and skeptical of what these strange creatures intentions were. However, they seemed to pay little, if any, attention to her, and instead busied themselves with going about their own business. This didn't make Breeze feel any less weary though. She kept on high alert, even while she familiarized herself with the other horses and half breeds. Most of the horses were chestnuts, all looking the same, but each had totally different personalities. One of which, the clearly most dominant of the odd herd was a male which the two-leggeds called Red. Following Red in the pecking order was his half brother named Swish. Breeze assumed he got the name from the humans because every time the walked around him, he smacked them playfully with the hard swish of his tail. Aside from these two horses, all the rest were half breeds, the mules. Most were mares, save for the one male who had come to her help in the desert. He was called Jack.
As far as Breeze was concerned, all of her new companion's names were very odd but who was she to judge? Besides, she wasn't about to run out on this small group when they were welcoming her, letting her eat and drink with them, and most importantly, she felt relatively safe... when the two-leggeds weren't too close for comfort that was. During the next set of days, life finally seemed to settle down and fall once again into a comfortable pattern. The canyon was no great green valley, like Breeze was used to, but she was once again under the safety of a reliable stallion and she had a herd, of sorts. The humans had a general routine of waking up early and heading off with two of the mules further down the canyons and below into a deep, dark cavern where they stayed all day until the afternoon where they would come back with the two mule's packed with full bags on their backs. Breeze wasn't sure what they did all day, but she didn't really care considering when they were gone she felt altogether more relaxed and comfortable.
One morning, rather than the humans leaving for a long day of doing who knew what, Breeze noted that they had begun to start slinging packs all up on the other horses and mules as well. On Red and Swish they put strange seat looking things which they jumped up into and used to sit in and secure them. The peg-legged one, who was called Jim, had the strangest way of getting around and practically threw himself on top of Swish, wiggling around like he was trying to wrestle the horse even though he stood perfectly still. When finally Jim had found his seat he lifted a hand with a bottle and he declared,
"Onward!" and slapped his legs against Swish's sides. Breeze stared at the scene, wondering why Swish didn't just throw the man off his back altogether, but Swish seemed quite tolerant. Instead he walked forward as the man's flapping legs were apparently urging him to do, and sighed through his nostrils. Breeze snorted herself in amusement and then pricked her ears followed as the rest of the mules and Red followed in pursuit. Where were they going?!
Breeze stood with a dilemma at her hooves. Her herd was leaving but she wasn't so sure where it was going or if she should follow... Red hadn't nipped her to follow, and the one mule mare in the group hadn't taken the lead mare's position. In fact, that had left Breeze thinking that she then should fill the role. But... the herd was going without her and she hadn't said it was time to move! There was still good water, good grass and weeds growing around, and they were perfectly safe! Why at the urge of these two-leggeds did their comfort have to be disrupted? The clatter of hooves as the herd fell in line one behind the other, each with pack or human aboard its back, echoed as they made their way deeper through the canyon pass. Breeze just watched in perplexity. Why was it that she was the one having to make all these decisions? Breeze much preferred being told what to do, so on impulse she pinned her ears irritatedly and moved into a quick paced trot to follow after the leaving line in tow of the humans.
She wasn't sure how long into the day it was before the humans decided to stop walking and let the herd rest, but Breeze was thankful when they did. She stood, breathing a bit shallow, in want of water, but none to be seen. How were the rest of the mules and horses going to have something to drink? Then the two-leggeds dismounted and started untying a few packs on several of the mules standing. That was when Breeze heard it... the sloshing of water. Water were in some of those packs! Suddenly she was excited, though not excited enough to approach the rest of the herd and the strange humans without considering first. They unfastened a few bottles and in turn began giving drink to each of the mules in line then to Red and Swish. Breeze watched curiously, wondering if it was safe for when she had a turn. Slowly but surely, Jim began waddling towards her and Breeze was made nervous all over again; fear prickling down her spine, eyes wide and nose flared. The peg legged human didn't approach further, but instead, turned around, holding the water in his hands behind his back, aiming at her directly.
Well... the human wasn't looking at her, maybe she could tip toe forward and take a drink while he wasn't looking? Breeze decided it would be worth a try. So, very carefully, she came forward and stretched out her nose. The man did not turn, just stayed right where he was, perfectly still with the water behind his back. Satisfied, Breeze let her lips plunge into the water and began sucking it down into her dried throat, the coolness sweeping delightfully into her belly. She took a long drink before deeming she'd had enough and picked her head back up from the bucket to prick her ears. The man was turning his head slightly over his shoulder now, he didn't look her in the eye though, he was looking down at the ground. Breeze became suddenly very comfortable. She was this close to one of the two-leggeds and he wasn't harming her. She was still alive, and he was letting her drink from his bucket. Maybe humans weren't that bad... Then she heard it. The sound of rustling in the far off trees. She swept her head around, eyes searching when she suddenly saw the glint of something shining in the sun. And that was when a loud CRACK resounded through the air!
Dun Dun dunn...
AHH! what's that Crack?! Any guesses? Lol, next part will be up within the week! Let me know if you're still enjoying the story!