The Beginning

Chapter Ⅳ Elliot

The woman started going limp before the horse came charging. I jumped away just in time. The horse glared at me and started asking questions too fast for me to answer. Not that I was paying much attention as the shock of what happened hit me. Again my fear had me short of breath and shaking. The horse had stopped his ranting at some point and had walked towards me. Cat and Regan quickly jumped in front of me, hissing and growling.

"Get away from him!" hissed Cat.

"He didn't mean to. She startled him." growled Reagan.

"Be that as it may, he hurt her and he has the gall to start crying?" raged the horse, stamping his feet.

Crying? I touched my cheek to find it wet. Why? Because, said a voice in the back of my mind, you hurt her for no real reason. She didn't attack you, didn't even try and you hurt her. The pressure was getting to be too much to handle.

"Eli!" cried the kits. I didn't notice that they had come over to me.

"What's wrong?" questioned Storm climbing into my lap. I just picked him up and buried my face in his fur. Everything melted into the background. Reagan's growling and Cat's hissing. That horse's heavy breathing. The only thing I heard was Storm's strong heartbeat. The harder I focused on it the easier it became to breath, the easier it became to think. I started up at a shriek. The horse was bucking around as Cat was stuck on its back, claws dug in. Reagan was trying to help, but couldn't do that and try to keep the rest of us safe. I gently put Storm down and stood up.

"Stop," I said. When that didn't work I shouted. Everyone went still. I went to Cat and unhooked her claws from the horse.

"What is your name?"

"I see no reason as to why I should tell you."

"Well, I can put my friend back on your back or have her nip at you?" I said sweetly, giving it a sweet smile. The horse huffed.

"Very well. I have been given the name Orion."

"A handsome name for a handsome stallion."

"Don't try to sweet talk me. It won't work on me."

"He's not," called Reagan from his perch just above the woman's head.

"That's how he treats everyone around here."

"Not my master." The horse said snidely.

"She scared him. He doesn't usually deal with humans." came Cat, who was sharpening her claws on a nearby tree.

"Stop. It's fine. Orion has a point." I said walking over to the edge of the clearing and finding what I was looking for, picked it up and walked back to the woman.

"I will pay for my mistakes." I said as I swiped some of the smelly red flowers under her nose.