The Horse in the Mist

Oh No

Samantha tip-toed down the stairs and outside. When the front door closed Samantha ran. She knew the way. During free period Samantha studied maps and tried recalling everything she said and did the last time she went to the hidden valley. She put it all together and studied it. She slowed down as she crossed the border into the wild. She walked to the last place she "saw" the horse. She stoped went she heard sometime. She heard it again. Louder. She took a small step toward the noise, snapping a twig. She heard a loud powerful neigh ring through the air so close she could feel it. All of a sudden she heard a sharp scream and a crash. Then a soft weak painful neigh and leaves crunching.
"Oh no!" Samantha quietly exclaimed as she stepped around a few trees and saw the magnificent jet black mare laying on the ground. The horse's front left leg curled up towards the horse's body and was softly jerking when ever the mare tried to move it. After a few tries the mare called out in pain and frustration. Samantha notice when the mare sat her head down a fresh cut on the horse's hoof and a older cut on the mare's knee. Samantha guessed what happened is the mare was attacked and hurt her knee, tonight when Samantha startled her she held her ground but she slipped and because of her hurt knee she couldn't catch herself and fell on her leg hurting her hoof. But why wasn't she with her herd this late at night?
"How could I be so dumb!" Samantha whispered slapping her forehead. By the looks of the cut the injury seemed to have happened a week ago. So when Samantha saw her before, by herself, she had been kicked from the herd. She most have fallen behind the herd and when she finally caught up to the herd she wasn't let in because she could attract predators, so she left staying a few miles near. It all made sense. Samantha stepped forward to get a better look at the mare.