Born Free

Chapter 8

A gentle nudge wakes me up. I notice that lack of light, it not even being dawn. With a slight amount of light just glowing from the crest of a tall mountain. I turn to Thunder, who stands there with a ruffled mane and alert ears. A low nicker from his throat, and he quietly turns, walking away. I hesitate for a second, looking back at my mother and father. My sire and dam. My mother wobbles slightly, before regaining her balance, still sound asleep. I turn back around to Thunder and start to follow his hoof tracks in the mud, knowing that I too am leaving some. We breach the top of the hill that looks over the herd's meadow, I inhale the fresh scent of the grass, the rich smell of the trees and the last sniff I will probably ever get of my family again.
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" Can we stop yet?!" I beg Thunder. He just simply snorts.

" Almost, can you smell that?" He asks. I point my nose into the air and sniff. Water! I pick up my pace, side by side to Thunder now.

" So, how are you?" He asks me with a nudge.

" Well, thirsty, hungry and tired." I slur. We have been walking for a while now, almost 5 hours. My brain restarts, forgetting about my dry mouth and empty stomach, getting focused on the herd. I know that it has happened, but it hasn't hit me yet. What if they go looking for us and get hurt or caught? What if Ash's herd hurts my father real bad.

" I am starting to have second thoughts about this, Thunder." I tell the roan colt. He just snorts, and starts trotting. I follow in a slow lope, hearing what he has. The rush of water. I can see it! I nearly jump into the hock-high water, gulping it down. Thunder looks up and nickers in amusement.

" What?" I ask him. He walks in and paws at the water, drenching my neck and underbelly.

" Well for one, you have sweat lathered over your neck, and two, you just looked funny." I snort and paw the water, soaking his coat. He squeals and half rears, chasing me around in the river. I buck happily, just missing his neck. He snuffles loudly and nips just above my tail, driving me up the hill and into a small patch of trees. The coolness of the shaded trees feels nice on my coat, almost  immediately cooling us down. Thunder sighs, ears and bottom lip drooping.

" You know, if you are going to be this 'herd' stallion, you are going to have to be very alert at all times." I remind him. He picks his head up and walks out, checking for any bachelors. He comes back in and nickers.

" So, now I'm your lead stallion?" He teases. I nudge him with my head, rubbing up against him.

" Not unless you want me to be taken while you sleep. Or... eaten by a mountain lion!" His head raises high, searching the air for one.

" I was just kidding! You worry weasel." He nudges me a couple of times, then whinnies playfully. 

" I am not!" He chases me out into the hot sun. And drives me away from the herd, galloping to the other direction.

Being yearlings, we still have to be careful of other herd stations or older bachelors. And I guess that is why he is still driving us down the mountain. He snakes me to the left and the ground is scattered with rocks and the trees high and dense, making it hard to go fast. I slow to a lope and try to maneuver around the trees. We come to a halt just near some rocky cliffs and graze. The use, green grass tastes so fresh and untouched. Its surprising how you can't see as many as two herds have been here before, being prime mustang county. But something is up. I can smell something very different than normal, but only faintly. Thunder seems to pick up the far away scent, becoming jumpy and watchful. Even a mule deer doe walking by with her fawn made him over protective and nervous, pushing me away. 

" Lets go." He says, lowering his head and pressuring me away. I pick up a fast trot, heading towards the rocks. Picking my head up high, I can see that it is a long ways down and get uneasy, backing away from the cliffs. He keeps walking and starts down the faint pathway made by other animals, as rocky and rough as it is. He cranes his head and gazes at me, whinnying to follow. I toss my head and start walking down, sliding and tripping along the steep path. Along half way, I can hear a small rock tumbling down and just clip the side of my hoof, causing me to bump into Thunders hunches. He kicks out, missing me, but as a warning to stop doing that. So  I keep close to him, but not too close. I look down to the side, seeing the drop off into the eerie rocks below us. I get jittery and nervous, now noticing the very scary cliffs that we are walking upon.

I hear yet another sharp crack coming from behind me. I bend my thin neck around and what I see horrifies me. Stallions 2 to 3 of them following us. They don't seem to know that we are there, that is until might hoof slides off the path, sending down a tiny rockslide. The bulky dark bay leader looks up and sees me, picking up the pace. I, yet, run into Thunder again.

" Stop that!" He squeals.

" No. I mean we have to go faster! Hurry up," He looks back at me, a corner restricting his sight from seeing the bachelors.

" Were being followed. Stallions." I say in a hushed voice. A low grumble gets forced out of his nostrils, as he picks up his pace by a lot.

" Why didn't I go behind you?!" He scolds himself.

" Its a little late for that" I huff.

A/N

OOHH! I've got to say, I'm liking where this is headed. Anyone else??