Born Free

Chapter 20

Two months later...

I walk away from the pile of hay and get a drink of water. The cool water slips down my throat and I look up for a breath of air. The sun is starting to come out more and the fresh air comforts me in the arena. I've only been outside twice, once when I pushed the door open and broke loose, and another where I was drugged again. I got some time to see other horses, but now that it's been around 4 months here, I've gotten used to being alone. As bad and crazy as I feel, I'm almost worn out all the time.

They have penned me off in a far corner in the arena. And have started working with some horses. They have come in with halters and lead ropes, and saddles and bridles. Even Raven showed up with a human on her back. I walk to the wall of the arena and stick my nose out over the top. The crisp air filling my lungs. Suddenly, another nose brushes mine and I jump back with a squeal.

" Woah, sorry." The voice is deep and belongs to a stallion.

" You just scared me, that's all." I say back, ears pricked forwards.

" Wait... Aurora?" I flick my ears back in confusion. I don't know this stallion.

" I'm sorry, but who is that? I can't see you?" A moment of silence passes before he speaks again.

" I-it's Thunderstorm. You know, Thunder?" His voice is laced with sadness. My heart throbs strongly, how could I forget his voice? His smell?

" Oh my... Thunder? Is it really you? Why is your voice so deep?" I pace the wall, pawing at the sand.

" Yes, it's me. We were in the same herd since birth. Your mother's name is Willow," I feel my heart drop. How did I not even recognize him?! My head gets torn in two as thoughts and feeling slash through it.

" And I guess I just got... Older. You should see me now! I've grown and my mane grew in fully. I bet you wouldn't even recognize me!" Excitement fills his voice as mine catch in my throat. What do I say?

" How are you? How's our... Foal?" He asks again, calming down his voice.

" I'm okay, been cooped up in here for way too long though. I've barely seen a horse I know. Raven and I got into a fight, and then earlier she came prancing in here with a human on her back. It's just, I've missed you. I thought you were tamed and left me, or worse. Dead." My thoughts rush back to me from when I had first thought that we really was. The agony I was in, probably wasn't good for the foal.

" Aurora... I missed you too. You know that I would never leave you. Or become a humans slave. Not ever." Our talk gets interrupted by the clanking of a gate. I crane my neck around but it didn't come from the arena. A loud neigh comes from outside the arena and I hear a human shout. Next is silence, the most terrifying thing.

" Thunder?" I call out. No return. A gate is closed outside and a thump comes from behind me. I wheel my heavy body around and come face to face with Nick. He freezes and I do too. I look side to side and without seeing anything that will harm me, I back away a couple steps. He throws in more hay and walks away without a word. Strange. He is usually pretty talkative. He leaves the gate open to the arena and I push at my gate, wanting out. Many more men walk in, carrying one piece of a metal fence in, and set it down by mine. I turn and walk away, getting as far away as I can. I put my tail to the wall and cock one hind leg.

They bring in a couple more fences and a gate, throw some hay in and fill up the water trough that is wedged between my pen and the empty one. When they leave, I walk over to the trough and take a sip of the cool water. It refills automatically and I return to my hay, constantly keeping an eye on the arena door.
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As I doze sleepily, I hear the clip-clopping of hooves echoing through the barn. I prick my ears and open my eyes wide enough to see a tacked up horse and it's smaller rider walk into the arena. The rider throws it's reins over the grey horses head and the horse follows it to a set of stairs. The short rider jumps on the horses back and jabs his heels into its side, the horse trots by me, barely noticing me. I inhale his scent and it has a whiff of stallion, but not purely. It's rider smells like Nick, and its height matches, but I thought his horse was an old one? Nick slows the horse down and stops in front of me. He reaches his nose out and I sniff him, squealing with a paw in the air.

" Sorry." He holds his head back.

" It's fine. I'm Aurora." He relaxes as I do, his hind leg resting on the sand.

" Thor. And before you ask, like every wild horse I've met, I am a gelding. Not a stallion." Nick pats his neck loudly and I spoil, jolting to the side. Nick freezes, slowly sitting back up in the saddle. I look Thor over and take note of the nasty looking bit.

" It doesn't hurt." He huffs, his musty breath filling my nostrils.

" What doesn't? Being a gelding?" I ask with confusion. He blows out his nostrils, ears drooping.

" No, the bit. Or the cinch. Or the crop." He lists effortlessly. Cinch? Crop? What are those things? I look down the saddle and see a strap going across his barrel, just behind his elbow. And in Nick's hand, a stick-like object with frilly ends. That must be the crop?

" How old are ya?" He asks, chewing on the metal bit, as it makes a crunching sound.

" About three. What about you? Twenty?" I ask, listening to the rustle of the grass on the other side of the wall.

" Nineteen. You were off by one year." I nod slightly. Nineteen isn't old, what was Nick talking about? Was it his colour? I won't know until the boy tells me. Nick clicks his mouth like a grasshopper and turns Thor away. And without a word of goodbye, they ride out of the arena.

Authors note-
Sorry this took long:( Was very busy with school related stuff. Thank you so much for reading❤️
-Acacia