WAR

Chapter 6

The 'Hard Way' is 1 meal per day, And no human contact. Easy peasy. Or so I thought.

With no one to talk to it gets boring. And the food here sucks. Peas, Soggy bread. Peaches, and milk. Every hour I get water. My cell is the perfect temperature. Not too hot, but also cold enough to sleep with the blanket. I don't want to give this Percy man satisfaction, but as these days continue I get more and more bored. Even though I rise at the crack of dawn. Well, I can see no dawn. But when my eyes open, I am awake. I run around the cell, over and over and over.

When I feel like giving up I think of, Bell, Butterfly, The colt, the fillies, My horses, Storm, Hurricane, Dot. And all the others. I push myself like my father told me to do. And I sigh. Alright! I say, knowing people are watching me. I will tell you how many pups I have if you bring me five books. Only a few minutes later Percy walks in. I see a dagger on his belt. And I make sure to act like I have not seen it. He carries five books. "Well?" he says. I sigh. "I have 6 pups." Percy nods. He hands me one book. I glare at him. He smiles. Then I smile back. I lunge at him. Snatching the Dagger. He leaps at me. And I kick him, Hard. Hold the dagger right by his neck and I walk forward. I look into the first canma dead on. "Anything happens, ANYTHING, I will kill him." Percy snorts. "Yeah right." he says. I push the dagger a little hard into his neck. Fear flashes across his face. And a little blood comes out.

"Don't Doubt me."

Those little three words are engraved into his mind. "Ok Ok Ok!" he says. What do you want?" I smile. "Freedom. And you are coming with me." Percy says nothing more. And I walk down the hall. With Percy at Dagger point. I reach the stables. And I see a bay mare. I smile to myself. And Open her door. "Hey gal, Wanna come with me? I have another bay that you will be quick friends with. Sugar walks forward quickly. And she kneels for me. I am surprised. But I shove Percy on first and then mount after him. "Don't you dare do anything." I whisper into Percy's ear. He flinches. But says nothing.

Sugar and Percy and I ride about a mile away from the forest. Then I drop Percy in a quicksand pit. "Enjoy!" I yell out to him and ride another mile away from the forest again, then I turn around and make a huge loop toward the forest. So Percy will never think that I went to the woods. I also know that the man who owned Sugar will miss her. "Sugar, do you want to go back home?" Sugar shakes her head no. I laugh. "Ok!". When we reach the forest I dismount and walk toward the forest. Sugar follows me. I left her to walk alone. And I made my way to the pasture with Hermosa. It's late in the day when I reach there. "Hey Hermosa!" I call out. The beautiful bay mare trots up to me. Followed closely by her young colt. "Huh, it's almost time to wean girl." i say. "You know what that means." Every year i rid of all the colts and fillies. Because 1, I don't need any other horses, the few I have are enough. 2, Colts are trouble. 3, I don't want any inbreeding.

I introduce Hermosa and Sugar, which goes really really well. And then as its gets dark I climb a tree and fall asleep. Too tired to walk any further. My eyes drift shut. And i fall asleep to the soft rushing of the waterfall in the distance. It's morning when my eyes open. I yawn. The day's events catching up to me. I sigh, and climb down the tree. I greet my herd, and mount Hermosa. Roping Colt, and the three fillies i have.

The Horses I have......

Hermosa: Female bay mare

Sugar: Female bay mare

Leaf: Female chestnut mare

Willow: Pale moon color mare

Breeze: Brown mare

Jay: Black mare

Heartfelt: Golden mare

Colt: Bay colt

Filly: Golden filly

Filly: Black filly

Filly: Chestnut filly

Leading Colt, Filly, Filly, and Filly away, Hermosa and I break into a canter. The weanlings following us. When I reach the edge of the woods, I slow Hermosa into a trot. The hard fierce sun beats down on us all. And I make my way toward the small village that has been taking my Filly's and Colt's for ages. As Hermosa and my little band of weanling make our way through the village to the town square, people gather all around us. Here, in River's land. The leader, Ava, lets me come and give away my horses.

"Its Her!"

"Omg, Look at that stallion!"

"I want him!"

I smile to myself as people drool over my beautiful weanlings. Hermosa holds her head high as she trots through the crowd. When I reach the middle I look around for Ava. she knows i come around here at this time. Hooves pound the ground, and people start screaming. A little boy runs in front of Colt. Startling him. I grip the halters tight. I could not afford to lose one of these well bred weanlings here. Where they could break a leg or worse. A steady bay mare canters up to me. And I see the frowning face of Ava. "Hello!" i say. She just shakes her head. "Come with me Ray, I need to see that mare." I frown. But follow Ava as she canters Comet away from the commotion. As we pass a group of people, I get a look at what they are huddling over. A body. "What?" I gasp. Ava turns around in her saddle, slowing Comet down with a painful tug. "Ava! Someone is shot!" Ava smiles tightly. "I know." I raise an eyebrow at her. "And?" "And what?" "You're not gonna help them?" Ava shakes her head. "Ray, You need to leave this place and never come back. Percy is making a move. He thinks that one of my women stole his captain's best mare, Sugar." I freeze. Ava sees this. "What did you do Ray?" "Nothing I can't." I snap at her. Ava sighs. "Bring me the mare tomorrow at sundown." I glare at her. "Sugar is mine. She can leave if she wants, but I will not give you a well bred horse in your life again, Not after how you treat Comet." Ava looks down at the horse she is riding. "This is comet?" 

Hey again! How you all doing?