Miscellaneous Short Stories

Immortal

I don't put all that much effort into it, nor have I looked at it in a while (I wrote it over the summer, I think) and thinking back on it, the idea was kind of ridiculous.

Immortal

"I bet you can't climb to the top of that rock!" nickered a bay filly.

"I bet a can," answered a black colt.

He placed his hooves on the face of the boulder. The odd rock formation was as last twice his height at the highest point, and shaped like two sleeping horses. The smooth, weather worn sides would make it impossible to get a good grip, and there was a good chance he would fall and break something.

But one glance over his should told him that the little filly was staring right at him. He puffed out his chest. He had never backed down from a dare before and he was not about to do so now.

Bunching his legs, he posed to leap.

"Stop! What do you think you're doing?" A broad barreled cream colored mare ambled down the hill. "That's a sacred land mark!"

The black colt rolled his eyes, "Mom, come on. Everything's a sacred landmark to you."

"Get off of there right now. You've got no right to be climbing on something the Spirits thought fit to create."

With an exaggerated sigh, the colt dropped back down to four hooves. "Is this the site of some terrible battle too?"

The mare pinned her ears, glaring at her son, "Yes. But it's not here just because of the battle. Something very powerful happened here, and horsekind must remember it."

The little bay filly spoke up, "Are you going to tell us a story, Briar?"

The colt snorted. "She better n-"

"Shut up. I like her stories."

The colt flinched back, but stayed quiet. Briar shifted her weight and rested a hind foot, eyes taking on a faraway expression.

"What I'm about to tell you is not a story. It is a legend, and legends have truths. You must remember that, younglings"

The filly nodded. The colt jerked his head like he was choking on something.

The mare took a deep breath and begin, "Now, a long time ago, not far from here, there were two horses, very much in love...."

*************

"What are you thinking about?" Rose nibbled affectionately at his ear.

"You," Scorch said.

She butted her head into his shoulder, "Well, they better be happy thoughts."

"Could I think anything else?"

He wrapped his neck around her and she leaned into him. The leaves whispered above them, the heat of the summer dulled by the darkness of night. Scorch could think of no moment more perfect than this, Rose's soft fur pressed against his own, a nightingale calling somewhere in the distance.

Suddenly Rose stiffened and took a shaky breath, "I'm worried."

"About your father?"

She turned away from him, drifting out of the small oak grove to look down on the valley. The moonlight played on her red roan coat, making it look like a raging wildfire.

"He got worse," She whispered, "he can hardly even walk now, his leg is so swollen. At the state he's in, he won't be able to fight off a crow. What if a bear showed up? Or a wolf pack? We're completely unprotected. Mother...Mother moved the herd up to the High Valley. So few creatures even know about it, she hopes that we'll be safe. But there's so little to eat up there, I don't know how long we can last."