Majesty

4. Danger

Dark Night opened his eyes suddenly and lifted his gaze to the ebony sky. Stars winked at him through the blackness, teasing. Thousands of glowing horses prancing in the distant sky, far from his reach. The one thing he could not rule. He snorted defiantly in response to their gleeful shine, then shifted his weight and rose to his feet. It was a rare occurrence for him to not remain standing overnight and he felt uneasy as he rose now.

Pacing quietly, he head-counted the horses surrounding him. Several of the yearlings awoke halfway and eyed him groggily before dozing off again. His alpha mare raised her head and perked her ears suddenly. They twitched from side to side as her eyes met with his. He nickered quietly and did the same, listening for a sound to match his instinctive uneasiness.

There was a heaviness in the air that brought a familiar scent to his nostrils. He could sense it clearly now and his muscles tensed.

Danger.

He broke into a gallop and warned the slumbering horses with an echoing whinny that sent them scrambling to their feet. A gunshot sounded. Several horses panicked and bolted, but Dark Night cut them off quickly. Others froze, refusing to move. Working swiftly, he nudged them forward and began circling the herd, rounding the horses into a unified mass. They began to sense it as well. The night air and echoing gunshot seemed to scream the word.

Humans.

He nipped at his horses' heels and they bolted forward, wide-eyed and already sweating. The herd moved as one and galloped with the alpha mare into the distance. Run, run, run, pulsed in their veins. Faster, faster!

The gun went off again and a dozen horses neighed wildly in fear. The bullet grazed Dark Night's ear and he screamed in fury. He lunged forward, every muscle straining in renewed anger. Faster!

Despite the harsh breathing and thundering hoof beats of his own herd, Dark Night could sense the foreign horses behind him as they galloped. He heard a rider shout and another gun go off. The night was dark and heavy, but his coat shone slightly in the faint moonlight. It was evident that the bullets were aimed at him.

His mouth began to foam and sweat trickled down his fur, but still he pushed himself harder, stretching his legs and straining every muscle. He screamed again at his horses and they responded with a surge of energy, legs pumping faster and manes flailing wildly behind them.

When another gunshot sounded, his eyes rolled in his head. That sound was all to familiar and brought back memories of betrayal. When fear and confusion broke the trust he used to have. The stench from the fire that ended his captivity remained burning in his nostrils. The sound still rung in his ears of crackling flames, shouting voices, and the gunshot that turned his heart to stone.