A Dark Light

Chapter 12 - Sunpearl

Later that afternoon I finally convinced myself I needed to eat. I still couldn't move very fast, but Silverblaze had told me it should only hurt this badly for maybe a week which was good to know. As I grazed I was nervous, and jumped at the slightest sound. I finally made my way over to the river to drink. I looked at the frozen water and smashed it. I fell over in pain, hitting the ice that hard was a bad idea. When I finally managed to get back on my feet I gulped down the cold water, I hadn't realized how thirsty I was. Suddenly Pepper poked my leg wanting my attention, I hadn't even realized he was over here. "Why are you out here?" I asked. "I followed you, the other horses that came in are kinda scary the one palomino keeps looking at me" he said nervously. "Aww it's alright, they won't hurt you" I assured him. At least Sunny had enough sense to know not to mention she was his mom. "Why don't you go back and play with Cinnamon?" I asked him. He brightened up at that. Cinnamon is his best friend. I watched as Pepper cantered back calling out for Cinnamon who quickly answered him. I drank a little more water before making my way back. Just before going in the cave I looked out at the little valley we were in. I suddenly freaked out and practically jumped into the cave. That black horse was watching from on the hill. How long has he been there? I thought frantically. I tried to run deeper into the cave but ended up falling over just in the entrance. When I looked up again the horse was gone. I continued seeing him for the next few weeks, always watching from a distance. Silverblaze believed me even though he never saw the horse, he knew that same horse had been watching us before. I tried to tell Sundancer a few times so she knew and could keep an eye out but she thought I was insane because the one time I tried to show her he was gone when we got there. My ribs healed in this time period and soon I was galloping across the valley with Pepper just for fun. It had snowed and he'd begged me to take him out there. It was harder to find grass in the foot deep snow so I always made sure Pepper ate before me. Whenever I was alone I saw that creepy horse watching. Why he was stalking me I had no idea but honestly I was wondering if I was actually going insane. One day Winter wanted to talk me. I went out into the snow with her where nobody else could hear us. "So Sunpearl, I feel I can trust you to know this and not kill me, but there's this horse in Sundancer's herd named Hawkeye. He's only a year younger then me, and we ran into each other grazing last week and ummm..." She paused for a moment. "I think we're in love" she then finished. "Aw that's great Winter! I'm sure he's a nice guy" "I know he is, but I'm worried about what'll happen if Sundancer catches us" she admitted. She had a point, Sundancer seemed to hate our entire herd. "Well try to keep it from her, but she needs to realize we are all stuck in the same cave this winter, it was bound to happen with somebody" I told. "Alright thanks Sunpearl, I knew you'd understand!" she said before galloping to the river. I noticed another paint horse over there, that was probably Hawkeye. I was happy for her, Winter wasn't very social I was one of the few horses she talked to at all. I turned and trotted back to cave happy to see my friend in such a good mood.