Chapter 2
Dasha first thought that she must have been sick, because she was outside lying on Rachel's lawn, staring at the sky, which looked unusually bright and free from the cities polluted smog. Tom had probably brought her out for some fresh air after she passed out. Dash struggled to get to her feet; they did anything but what she wanted them to do and when she was finally up she struggled to choke back frightened tears.
She wasn't in Rachel's backyard at all, in fact in front of her was a thick dark forest and as she looked behind her beyond a small prairie her eyes fell on a range of massive snow capped mountains. Yes, this was very far from where she had been a small while ago. And she was afraid that her surroundings weren't the only thing that had changed.
For the past minutes in her surveiance of her surroundings she had come to the realization that her body didn't feel the same, her breaths were loud, she felt stronger, more powerful then before but somehow a whole lot more uncoordinated. Her eyesight had broadened but she seemed short sighted, she wanted to run, jump and…. Eat the grass! As soon as her eyes caught sight of the grass at her feet her head was buried in it and she savored every mouthful. What was going on?! Then Dasha saw her legs, flame red, hoofed and undeniably the shape of a horses.
No. This was not happening. It just wasn't. She had been lying on the lounge room floor a few hours ago! Or was it days ago? None of this was making any sense. No one passed out and woke up in the wilderness as a horse. Maybe she was going crazy. That was it. She was going crazy. Dasha looked towards the forest and then back to the mountains, taking in her surroundings.
Although her stomach was twisted in fear she managed to keep herself from loosing control of her emotions because the thought of her going crazy let her believe that one day she'd wake up from this dream. A life here on the open prairie eating the delicious grass seemed simpler then her life at home anyway.
With her fear nearly diminished and her stomach twisted in hunger pains Dasha settled herself in a sunny spot where the grass tasted best. For hours Dasha kept eating. Her stomach was like a bottomless pit that wouldn't end no matter how much she ate. She was beginning to get sleepy with a nearly satisfied stomach and the sun warming her back when she smelt an odd smell and a noise in the long grass.
Her body went rigid and her instincts screamed at her to run, run as fast as she could without even knowing what she was running from in the first place. Instead she spun around to face the attacker; in time to see an almost entirely black wolf, teeth bared, coil and spring. Dash swung her hinds around and bucked, hoping against all odds she would connect. There was a small yelp as her hooves connected with the side of his hip. But he recovered quicker then she could react and he was on her, his teeth sunk excruciatingly into her hip and his nails hooked into her flesh. Dasha buck again, this time uncontrolled and couldn't help but spiral into a terrified frenzy. She let out a choked cry, somewhere between a horsy squeal and cry for help. Dropping to her feet she suddenly rolled and the wolf was dislodged. In an instant he sprung back to his feet and Dasha was off, galloping.
Dasha galloped along the outskirts of the forest, not daring to enter because she preferred to see her predator and it seemed it had been the smarter option for he, the wolf, had disappeared. Hope surged. Surely she had injured the wolf when she rolled? She didn't wait to find out, for she was galloping as fast as her sleek legs would carry her, quite unaware of how majestic she, a beautiful chestnut mare looked as she thundered her long mane and tail streamed out behind her.
And this was the exact moment that a farsighted elf from beyond the doors of Moria on the borders of Lorien spotted a most stunning flame hued horse galloping for its life, with no predator or herd in sight. When he explained all he saw to the dwarf that stood beside him - the dwarf grumbled.
"Strange things are abroad. Evil. This land reeks of it. And magic - elf magic."
The group was hurried on, they needed to reach the safety of the forest before nightfall, but the elf could not forget the vision of the magnificent flamed mare.