Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron 2 ~ The Story of Strider

Chapter 1 - Spirit of the West

Chapter 1 ~ Spirit of the West

I jump over a log that lay in my path, tucking my long, slender legs under me as the Indians chased me. They called to me as I ran from them,

“Strider! Strider!” they shouted as I lengthened my stride and pulled even farther ahead of them.

Soon the painted ponies the Indians rode began huffing and puffing and gave up. The Indians spun their horses around and I smirked as I watched them run. I continued on galloping and closed my eyes, feeling the warm wind run through my mane, and listen to the sound of the birds chirping.

I soon slowed as I heard the babble of the river ahead and looked at my reflection in the smooth-going current.

A gleaming black stallion looked back at me. I looked at my coat, not a speck of white anywhere, my long mane and tail flew gently in the wind and my brown eyes were warm and full of trickery. I lowered my black velvet muzzle into the water as my ears swiveled listening to what was around me.

All seemed normal in the grassy plains, all seemed quiet. I walked down the river and felt like there was something watching me, a certain burning in my side. I stopped and turned my ears listening for something, until the rattling of a bush nearby sounds and the padding of paws sounds and a low growl. I turned my head and saw a mountain lioness running towards me; I kicked out with my back legs and nearly grazed the lioness’s skull. She spun to avoid my hooves and then swiped at me with her claws out. I snorted and bared my teeth rearing up and kicking out. The lioness stumbles back as I nearly land by her hind and she swipes at my flank and actually scratches me.

I whinny out in pain and winced but then I kicked out again and landed m y blow right in her chest, causing her to fall and then run away before I struck again.

I pinned my ears and looked at my bleeding wound, four long scratches on my flank. I winced again and walked into the river and found out the more calm the river, the deeper it is, I wasn’t ready for the water to be so deep that it would engulf me fully, I surfaced and whinnied for help, there was no bank to the river, it was just a simple crevice dug into the ground.

No answer to my cry for help and I was swept downstream ever so slowly. Soon I was deposited into a deep lake and swam to the side and when I surfaced I found I was looking straight at a beautiful palomino young mare. She stared at me and whickered a hello.

I was stunned at her beauty, and the sweet tinkling of her whinny. She tilted her elegantly shaped head and snorted at me confused. I whinny a hello finally and try to look away from her beauty radiating off of her golden coat.

She turned her head suddenly as a big creamy white stallion came galloping over, splashing through the knee deep water as I jumped in front of the young mare and bared my teeth at him.

He snorted his nostrils blood red and flared. He bared his teeth and lashed out to bite me. I kicked out and pinned back my ears ads he chased me on land with the beautiful mare whinnying for me to come back.

“You shall not steal my fillies, young rogue!” The stallion said through angry neighs and lashed out at me.

“I wasn’t trying to steal her!” I defend but the stallion kicks out at my flank and I wince, it was still a sore-spot.

I looked back at the mare and galloped away, or so I made the stallion think. I galloped not seventy feet away watching the small herd as the young mare was disheartened at my leaving.

I watched and followed that herd as they left at a safe distance so I wasn’t discovered, but I needed to see that young mare again.

It was like love at first sight.