Brotherhood

Who Are You? (Band Of Brothers)

Band Of Brothers

Zane scrubbed at the floors in the Kevland Kings throne room. No pony was in there but him, yet he still worked. Afraid of what would happen if he didn't. He dipped the brush into the bucket of soapy water.suddenly the doors flew open. The Kevland King walked aggravated to his throne and sat down. Zane kept cleaning the floors trying not to be noticed.

He could hear screaming from the hall way. He listened while cleaning. The doors opened again. This time with two Kevland Knights dragging a bay Arabian mare covered in chains down the middle of the room toward the king.

Zane recognized her. The mares name was Zelda. She was a Kevland slave like Zane. Not because they did anything wrong, only because they were different. They weren't pure breds. She took care of him when he was stolen from his family. He continued to scrub the floor while listening to what was happening. The king looked at Zelda. Tears streamed down her face, she was mumbling things but Zane could make out a few words that sounded like I'm sorry, please don't...

     "How dare you." The king narrowed his eyes at Zelda. "Thinking you could steal food from the kitchen like you were. Your rations are the only food you will get." Zelda listened to him crying.

     "I'm sorry!" Zelda managed to get out through her tears.

     "You're sorry? This is your third offense Zelda. Sorry is not going to get you any where!" The king stomped his hoof. Zelda flinched.

     Zane knew what happened to horses who had three offenses in the castle. He wanted to kill the king but he was to little. He was still just a foal and the king was a full grown stallion. The guards held onto the chains that were on Zelda. All the slaves had to wear them. It was to show how "inferior" they were to the rest.

The Kevland kind slapped Zelda. She fell down. Crying. She tried to pick her self back up.

"Get up." The king looked at her. She slowly picked herself up. "I said GET UP!" The king shouted and drew his sword. Zelda stood up crying still. The king put his sword sideways to her neck. She kept mouthing please... I'm sorry... The king pushed his sword forward, the edge digging into her neck and dragging it to the side.

Zelda dropped to the floor, blood pouring from her neck. Zane closed his eyes tight wishing he never saw that. He kept scrubbing the floor. The king walked by Zelda with his two guards. He looked at Zane.

"Clean this up." The king walked out with his guards. Zane nodded scared. When the king and his guards left Zane galloped over to Zelda. He looked at her as tears started to fill his eyes. Her head was laying in the pool of her own blood. She was breathing fast and looked at Zane. Her eyes showed her fear.

     "It's gonna be okay..." Tears started to fall down Zane's face. His voice was shaky as he watched his friends life slowly slip away before him.

     "Be brave..." She had to pause between every few words because she couldn't breath. "Run away... My Brother... He... He can get... You out of.... Kevland...." Blood started to trickle in a small steam from Zeldas nose.

     "Okay. What's his name?" Zane sniffles as hot tears poured down his cheeks.

     "He's a... black... colt... His.. Name is... S..." Zeldas life faded from her eyes before she could finish. Zane closed his eyes and bowed his head in respect for his lost friend. He didn't want to clean up his dead friends body because the king killed her. But he did as a last respect for her.

A bell sounded. Curfew. Zane galloped back to his quarters that he shared with four other colts his age. He laid awake through the night but pretended to sleep with the Kevland Knights did their hourly checks on them. Zane narrowed his eyes. He kept saying in his head-

They can't get away with this! It's not fare! He just can't push horses around like he does!

Zane got up. He headed for the door quietly. He looked back at the colts. His only friends. He wanted to tell them he was leaving but he was afraid to. He didn't want them to tell the king or alert the guards. It was best if he just kept to himself.

Zane trotted out of the room. He could hear guards walking around the halls. Zane galloped through the halls of the castle for his life. His little hooves made a lot of noise as he galloped. It caught no guards attention though. He saw the garden. He galloped faster and through the door. He kept galloping when he made it outside.

      An alarm sounded. They knew Zane was gone. Guards all around stood on alert for anything. Zane kept galloping. Scared. He was so close to the wall but five guards were gaining on him fast. He made it to the wall but there was an issue. How was he suppose to get over.

Zane frantically looked around for a way to escape but didn't see anything! He started to panic. Everything bad that could happen if these guards caught him went through his mind. It would be his first offense. But did getting caught trying to escape count as an offense? Or are you shot on site?

Zane noticed something. The wall had been broken in one area but still not fixed. Zane galloped at it. He climbed through the debris. His hoof slipped into a crack in between two stones in the mess of broken wall. The guards were gaining on him. Zane whinnied helplessly.

Out of no where a black shadow flew in front of Zane and stabbed a guard in the chest. He galloped at Zane. Zane stood there scared trying to free his hoof. The jet black colt shoved his golden sword down by Zane's hoof and pushed down on it. The rock lifted up. Zane freed his hoof.

"Follow me!" The colt jumped over the rubble pile and galloped down the hill toward the forest. Zane followed slower but going as fast as he could. The guards chased them. Zane lost sight of the colt. He slowed to a trot looking around. He was breathing hard. Something grabbed his leg and dragged him under a rocky ledge.

     The guards galloped past not knowing that Zane was under there. Once the cost was clear Zane scrambled out. The jet black colt stepped out. Zane got a better look at him. He had a white sock on his front left leg and a small white star in the middle of his forehead.

     "Who are you?" Zane took a step back.

      "My name is Shadow." The colt looked like a thoroughbred. "And this is Tris." A filly stepped out. She was a Clydesdale.

     "I'm Zane... Thank you for saving me back there." Zane smiled a little submissive. Shadow looked at him confused.

     "You're welcome!" Tris smiled. Shadow swished his little tail shooing away flies.

      "Where are you two from?..." Zane looked at the two foals. Shadow looked around.

      "I'm from Ember." Tris smiled. Ember was a small city in the kingdom of Kevland, taken over by guards taking in bastard foals and turning them into slaves. "Shadow is from Metis. But he got out a long time ago. He comes back to try to save other foals from suffering the same fate his sister did..." Zane nodded and looked down.

     "We should get moving... They will be coming back this way soon looking for you. You're lucky you got out." Shadow looked at Zane and started trotting away. Tris followed and so did Zane.