Born Free

Chapter 21

Two days go by without any sign of Thunder, and my belly is only getting heavier. The pen beside me is still empty, the hay on the ground soaking up all the moisture in the sand. I wobble over to my water trough and gulp it down, nearly emptying it. It refills slowly, it's dripping sound halted when it fills to the top. I hear the gate to my pen open and see Nick standing in the Path of the open gate. Surprised at his antics, I want to burst out of this pen, but my legs barely move. Another sedative? That's why the water was slightly cloudy! I stomp my foot weakly and he hushes me, walking up to my neck and stroking me.

" Easy, girl. I'm just going to take you for a walk, outside." My heart brightens. Outside?! Oh, how I've wished to go outside for months! I nudge his hand lightly, and he giggles.

" Wow, okay. You've come a long way from when you got here," He says quietly, putting the soft halter over my head. My breath catches as something goes around my throat.

" It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. I can save you." That word triggers something under my skin. Save. How can he save me if he keeps me trapped here? I tense up, my ears thrusting up into the air and my eyes wide. Nick stops, the halter slips off and he looks around.

" Woah, girl. What's spooking ya?" I snort and start to back up, only stepping a couple steps back until I hit the wall. He picks up the halter and slumps away, closing the gate slowly. It's clanking noise echoes through my head as I watch him stare at me.

" I thought you were ready. To go outside, see the new sprouts of spring, even drink from the creek. But I was obviously wrong." His face falls to his hand that holds the dark green halter, his eyes scanning over top of it. And with a sigh, he hangs it up against the fence and walks back to the barn, leaving me with the halter. My inner curious self comes out and I step toward it, snorting loudly. I feel my heart hammer against my chest, and I watch it, waiting for it to move. It doesn't, so I sniff it carefully, it's strange smell traveling up my nostrils. Resisting as I nudge it softly, it moves from under my movement and falls into my pen. Spooked, I stumble back. Calming myself as I walk around it and to my hay, I eye the arena frame, watching for Nick's return.
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Two more days that add on to my ever working head. Nick has left me alone and I've only heard the voices of passing by humans. If they think leaving me alone is what I need, then they are dead wrong. I've been going crazy, pacing my pen, neighing out at any sound, and practically attacking my fences. I haven't heard from Thunder and no more horses have entered the ring since Thor. My belly probably weighs as much as my water trough, which is full and made of this thick rubber. The foal will be here soon.

As I hang my head, from tiredness, I hear a pair of fast-paced hoofbeats coming from the barn. Alerted by the horses presence, I stand up straight, ears fixed on the frame of the door. A handler pops through, tugging a tall horse behind him. All it looks like is a lead rope attached to a wall, because the horse won't go a step forwards. The man stops pulling and the horse lunges forwards, a tall stallion with a roan like pattern. Thunder? No, it can't be. I watch with my chest pressed against the fence and my neck extended over it. The stallion puts up a tough fight, rearing and bucking with all his might. He starts loping away and passes me, stopping abruptly shortly after my pen. He spins on his heels and trots up to me and inhales my scent, nudging my neck.

" Aurora!" And before I can sniff him back, the human spooks the both of us, sending Thunder loping into the pen beside me. Once he's in and turning around, the man slams the gate shut, breathing heavily. Thunder's dark red lead rope swings under his head, ending just below his knee. As the human slumps away, holding his arm, I trot up to the fence that separates the two pens. He rushes up to the fence, squealing loudly at my presence.

" Thunder! You were right, you really did change." I study his coat, which grew longer through the winter months and darker, highlighting his speckles on his body.

" Yes, and you have too! Your mane and tail grew, your coat is much brighter, and my, my. Your belly is wider than mine!" He nickers amusingly. I stamp my hoof, tossing my mane.

" Hey, that's our foal you're talking about." He buries his muzzle in my mane and wiggles his top lip, massaging my neck. He stops to nuzzle my nose, grunting softly.

" I've missed you, more than you know. And it was killing me not to see you." I nuzzle him back affectionately, looking at his shoulder and seeing patches of hair missing. 

" Where have you been the past few days, Thunder? Where did you go?" He turns just enough so I can see a bare stripe running up his girth area, another patch on his withers. I look back, into his eyes. Oh, how I missed those glossy, brown eyes.

" What did they do to you?! Why are you-" He snorts, turning his flank from me. 

" It's nothing, I just gave them a hard time. They tried riding me, but when the sedative ran off, I turned from an old gelding to a wild and raging bronc." I cock my head in question.

" What's a bronc?" I ask, watching him closely. 

" It's a wild horse they use in rodeo's, they ride the horse only to get bucked off." I snort, stomping my hoof with force.

" I hate humans..." I grumble quietly and turn my tail to Thunder, returning to my pile of hay.