Born Free

Part Two: Chapter 1

She rises up on her hind legs, lashing out with her front hooves. Her ears are almost engraved into her neck, she bites at the stallion's shoulder. He tosses his head and swirls around, trying to kick her. She stands too close to him, he being unable to get a good kick at her. She takes a chunk of hair from his rump and he turns around, batting Mom's neck with his hoof. She lunges for his neck, making him fall down into the river.

A high whinny comes from the herd and I carefully inch away, but not wanting to get too far from Mom. I hear hoofbeats behind me and I look up at my Dad, Wildfire, and he takes a step in front of me in protection. I watch from behind my Father and my Mother takes one final kick to the chest to send off the stallion. After it was confirmed that he was gone, I lope back up to her, sniffing her new wounds. Great, more scars for her beautiful coat.

" Mom! Are you okay?" She limps over to Wildfire.

" Yes, Aurora. I am." She looks at me with her beautiful eyes. They have no sign of defeat, but of pain. And I know that stallion, Kayne, hurt her bad. She nuzzles me and the rest of the herd seizes the moment with;

" Are you okay?!" And,

" How did this happen?" A throbbing arises in my throat and I slip away, unnoticed. Or so I thought. I back away from the scene and when I calm down, I but heads with a horse.

" Thunder!" I quietly whinny in surprise. He nickers in amusement, nudging me with his nose.

" Are you okay? What happened?!" He asks. Force a breath out.

" Ugh, you sound just like the herd!" He backs up and his ears swivel down.

" I'm sorry. I'm okay, thanks. Well, me and the stallion sniffed noses, and then Mom got mad." His ears go back to normal as he nuzzles my neck.

" Okay. I'm glad your okay. Now, don't be sniffin' stallions without my permission." I nip his side, playfully.

" Okay. And who are you to be telling me-" I get cut off by Sierra's voice from the meadow.

" Thunderstorm! Aurora! Get back here!" Her calls are somewhat frantic, so we rush back. We burst out of where I came into, crashing together while Sierra and my mother stand, not looking happy. As we lean on each other, Jass tugs on Thunderstorms 'mane' as he calls it. But it isn't long, it's somewhat short, us still being two years old. She shoves him back away and near where they usually sleep, the sky now darkening and filling with the bright, sparkly stars.

As Wildfire walks back from the creek, he checks on Kona and Nico, being the lead stallion comes with responsibilities like that. He nuzzles Willow, then me, turning and watching the herd from where he is standing. My mother pushes me to lay down, so I do. I tuck my head in between my forelegs and shut my eyes, now letting sleep take my body over.
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A nudge wakes me up and I find Lace's greying muzzle rubbing against my neck. She nickers a good morning and I walk over to the creek, taking sips of the flowing water, when something hits my muzzle from the water! I jump back, spooked, then realizing it was just a fish. I hear some footsteps behind me and I peer behind me. The three, old mares, Sierra, Lilly and Lace all stand together with amused faces. I toss my head and trot over to Red.

" Good morning, Red." I say with a mouth of grass.

" Morning, how did you sleep?" My Grandsire asks. I swallow a mouthful, respectively clearing my voice.

" It was good, went by so fast." I mumble. He thumps my neck with his head and walks away. I burst forwards and up a hill that overlooks our big meadow.

I watch as the Lace, Sierra and Lilly take drinks from the creek, Nico and Argo talking by the forest, and see Jass, Willow, Tallon and Thunderstorm all grazing in the grass. I neigh out to them , calling Thunderstorm. His head shoots up, along with Tallon's and my mother's, and comes tearing up the hill.

" What's up?" He says. I toss my mane and nip him.

" Nothing... Race ya!" I call before bolting down the hill and away from the herd. He spins around and tears after me, hot on my tail. I whinny and push my legs to go faster, not noticing how far I'm getting away from him and the herd. I spot my checkpoint, a large pond, about 50 horselengths away. When I get closer, I start to slow, not wanting to crash into the pond.

But, it doesn't help all that much.
As soon as my hoof hits the water, I trip over myself and crash into the water, soaking my coat. I stand and shake, looking around for Thunder. But, one problem, I can't find him. I step out of the pond, ready to bolt at any sudden movement. I proceed around a tree and hear a distant neigh. My ears prick and my legs automatically follow. On my way back up a hill, I spot Thunder walking back up it. I stop beside him and nudge him.

" Hey, did you hear that?"

" Yeah, come on!" He says as his pace picks up to a slow lope. When we breach the hill to the herd's meadow, we see Sierra's black and white body laying next to a red one practically in the forest. I glance at Thunder, he looks at me. We plummet down the hill, rushing up to the the herd. I find Willow at the front, she steps forward to sniff Red, but Sierra nips her cheek. And just as I glance at Red's dark eyes, he breathes once, not letting one in or out for far too long.

A/N
IM SO SORRY! I don't know why I'm so mean😭😭😭
P.S.
The two yearlings up top are; chestnut paint (Aurora), roan (Thunderstorm).