Age of the Creatures

Chapter 12

He had the boy come over and climb onto my back. It was sudden and I flinched. A quick glare froze me in place. 

"Click your tongue and she'll walk forward if she know's what's good for her," He told the boy as his arm holding the lead tightened its grip.

The boy made a soft clicking voice from my back. I had my ears pinned back and was focused on the trainer so I barely noticed it. The trainer let out a whistle and out ran the dogs. I reared at the sight of them, ripping the lead from his hands, the boy's weight threw me off balance. I bucked once my front hooves touched the ground and he flew off, landing with a thud a few feet away. 

The dogs fell silent and paused before running over to the boy. He groaned weakly trying to push himself up and failing. A small cloud of dust was sent up as he fell back down. The trainer walked over and lifted him onto his feet.

"Get back on that animal," His voice was cold as he watched the boy clumsily get onto my back.

I was sorry.

For once in my life after all the horrid things these humans had done to me, the horrors they had caused, I was sorry one of them had been hurt. Had it been any other one I might have nickered at even the thought but this one, this one was just a foal. He was young and hurt.

This time when he clicked it was barely audible but I was ready. I walked forward. When he pulled the reins I turned, when he whooed I stopped. By the end of the riding session I had done everything he told me to do and had not been punished, save the first mistake.

The trainer looked displeased as the boy slide off my back, almost as though he took pleasure from pain. I shivered at the thought. He took the saddle off my back and passed it off to the boy.

"Get that put away and then feed the winged creatures before you finish work for the night," He commanded the boy before yanking on my lead rope and walking away.

He turned me out into my cage and I watched him warily as he left. As soon as I could no longer hear his steps echoing back to me I plunged my muzzle into the water. It was cold and I was thirsty after all the effort I had put into that training. I chewed grass and fell asleep exhausted under the tree.

That night I dreamed, not terrifying nightmares but sweet dreams, like the stories mothers tell their foals before bed. In my dream there was a lush field full of flowers and bees. I heard bird calls and felt a slight weight on my back. It was the boy but he looked different, the corners of his mouth were turned up in a smile, and as I began to canter through the field he threw his head back and laughed. There were no walls here and I could run as far and as fast as I liked.

I didn't want the dream to end but it did and I awoke to the cage, not a field. I sighed but turned my head quickly at a sound from behind me. It was the boy filling my feed trough with hay. I watched him for a few minutes before he realized I was awake.

"Oh, sorry if I-I didn't want to-mean to wake you," He stammered. "Just filling-getting you more food." 

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