Born Free

Part One: Chapter 1

My long legs take me across the meadow, trying to catch up to the three other horses racing. I go a horselengths away from a bay mare, she being unable to nip me. We all cross the pawed up, line of dirt, a grey stallion winning, and an erupt of neighs and whinnies come from the forest line.

" Get off the field!" A horse neighs to me. I prance around once before being chased off into our part of the forest. I hide behind some bushes and watch as the stallion gets awarded with a small amount of a field nearby. Oh, how I would love to race! Winning especially.

I lope back home just in time to see my mother trot out of our sleep area underneath some large trees. I graze near where I came out of and mother comes to join me. I try to slow my breathing, but there's no hiding my sweat caked neck and legs.

" Aurora. Where were you?" She looks down at me, being taller than me.

" Umm... Just down at the river." I look up at her one blue eye. She sniffs me and snorts.

" I told you! No racing with older horses! Now, go clean yourself off and rid you from that stench!" She nudges me to the river, eyeing me from grazing. I roll in the shallow part and snort, getting the water out of my nose. I've gotten used to lying in the rock of the river bed, but I still feel them.

I shake and trot over to mother and graze beside her. Soon, father trots out and nuzzles mom good morning.

" Good morning, Aurora." My mother eyes him and whispers something I know that he won't like.

" What?! We have told you no more racing! You aren't even old enough! The next time either of us find you racing or just pick up any race horses smell, you will be under Red's supervision for one week." I snort and walk past them.

" Good morning to you too." I wake up Thunderstorm and he prances ahead of me. He nickers and bolts ahead, challenging me in a race. We jump the small creek, and make our way around the big tree, galloping back to the herd. He wins by a half a horselength, rubbing it in my face. As always.

" Ha! I win! I won," he trots up to his mom, Jass.

" I won! I win! Ha!" I playfully nip his ear and walk over to the creek, taking gulps of the cool water. As I am drinking, I watch it go brown and I shoot my head up, seeing a big, bay stallion. I switch my glance behind me and notice that I am the only one at the creek. He picks his head up from the creek as I take one step back and he starts pinning his ears. I bow my head, respectfully. He steps towards me and I feel my heart beating faster than ever. He sniffs me cautiously and then all of a sudden, Willow breaks out in between us and squeals at him, tossing her tail side to side.

" Kayne," she growls.

" what are you doing here? And near my foal?!" She paws the ground, ears back, and hiding me from behind her tail. I look over at the herd, who is watching us very carefully. Thunderstorm whinnies to me before being nipped by Tallon, his sire.

Wildfire is standing the nearest, but far. His nostrils flare, his ears pricked forwards. Dad is not happy.

" Wow. You actually remember me." He says in disbelief. She snorts.

" You were one of the two stallions who tried to herd me away from my foal's father. How could I not remember you?" I tug on her tail and quietly nicker, asking to go back. As she is looking at me, I feel warm breath on my left side barrel, and I hear Wildfire snort and paw at the dirt. I turn my head, face to face with Kayne. My mother turns her head back to where the stallion back was, and starts backing up, almost over me.

" Stay away from her!" And at that moment, I never knew how strong, ruthless and fierce my mother was.