A Warrior Falls

A Warrior Falls- Chapter 4- What are those things?

Chapter 4 - What are those things?

    “You’re a live!” Marcus breathed. The bay stallion leaped off the ground, bracing his crested neck against the young colts back to help him to roll onto is stomach. The dapple colt coughed, breathing hard as he tried to regain his bareings.

    “You... saved me...” He looked towards Marcus in amazement. The bay stallion looked confused at once.

    “Of course I saved you! You’re my son!” He looked astounded and pushed him once more. “Come on now, get up, the more you lay here, the weaker you’ll get...” He was careful not to touch the open wounds that he knew would be slow to heal. The young colt would have a long road ahead of him for his gashes were deep and his eyes were dull. “You are not allowed to die.” He told him fiercely and waited for the colt to look at him before he confirmed he’d been understood. Verando shakily got to his leg, wincing as his injured tendons strained. “Can you walk?” Marcus breathed, voice quivering with tension and fear. Verando just slowly straightened, holding his head up high.

    “Of course I can walk.” His voice rang clear and he nodded to himself before he began the slow walk back to the herd, doing his best not to show the agony in his steps or the pain in his eyes.

    Healing was a long, slow process. Many horses thought that the young, dappled colt wouldn't survive. They doubted his strength, they wanted him dead. Life had just doubled its burden on little Verando. Times were hard as winter was approaching. Kavanza moved the herd over vast distances and half the time it was all Verando could do to keep up. The herd had to keep moving, the grass grew shorter and more sparse every day and he knew the herd could not afford to wait for him. He laid his ears back, listening to the taunting lectures of his father. Of how weak he was, how Kavanza was so burdened and how Verando was slowing down the whole herd. Even if his legs hurt, his back ached and his wounds oozed and bled, Verando refused to utter one word of agony.    

    "Can you keep up?" Marcus would ask as he watched Verando wince at every step. Verando would put his head up and trot defiantly forward.

    "Most definently Marcus, I'm actually being burdened by the slow pace of this herd...." he'd respond.

    Marcus didn't like the fact Verando didn't show the pain he was in but he admired the young colts courage about the matter. Marcus allowed his velvety muzzle to touch Verando's. "Don't push yourself so hard..." he warned gently before he sighed and walked on with the rest of the herd. Verando sauntering behind him, bleeding and in pain but not showing the least sign of it. At times like this, Marcus worried about Verando but he knew the colt would be alright, it was pointless to worry. Verando showed no signs of illness or of weakness. He grinned and resumed the daily march. What a colt.

    With Gunshy ever loyal to him, Verando was now on month two of his healing. He had grown thin in his lack of food and weakened but he was alive and looking as healthy as a starving colt could. Gunshy worried for her shrinking friend. "Stop your watching and eat something. You look as if you are stricken with parasite!" she mummbled when she finally caught up to him as he stopped to rest. His wound's scabbed over, his pains long forgotten. He was sure they were still there, they just ceased to bother him. Verando glanced at her out of the corner of his eye,

    "I'm not hungry Gun..." he responded dully.

    "How could you not be hungry?! Your skin and bones!" She snorted, looking even more angry when his stomach gurgled a complaint. Verando winced and sighed softly.

     "Alright... I'll admit I'm quiet famished... but.... I don't want to eat, I know it'll just make me look weaker." he snapped. Gun's eyes softened, she exstended her muzzle and touched his cheek with such compassion he had to stop and give her his attention.