Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron 2 ~ The Story of Strider

Chapter 9 ~ Help

Chapter 9 ~ Help

I was pacing in the enclosure, feeling panicked, the walls seemed to be closing in on me, separating me from where I belonged, on the range. These walls mocked me, keeping me away from my herd. I looked up at the stars and then at the moon, full tonight that shown down in my closure. I whinnied out to it, as if it would tell me where my dear Esperanza was, or if she could hear me.

“I’m coming! I swear it.” The last part was quiet as I lowered my head again and my heart ached in my chest.

“Hush, stallion!” A voice whickers to me.

I turn my head and face the owner of the voice to see the little native from before on the back of a rather young filly. The boy, Little Creek I recalled, was standing on the black and white spotted filly with kind brown eyes.

“Please be quiet, we are going to set you free.” The filly says, her ears pricked to me.

“Horsey…” Little Creek murmured as he jumped down from his horse and ran over to me, hugging one of my legs.

I was rigid but remembered how kind and innocent this little one was, I leaned down and put my chin on his back, giving him some sort of hug. He giggled and hugged my muzzle. I lift him up once and set him back down as he then let’s go and begins taking off the leather cage around my face, and the nasty thing in my mouth, throwing them on the floor. He went under me and undid a thing holding the seat to my back and I had to lie down on my knees to let him get the rest off and shove it to the floor.

He scurried back to his filly and opened the gate wide.

“Horsey, follow?” Little Creek says.

The filly nickers, “We can get you out without alerting the dogs.”

The spotted filly had paint on her eye and on her shoulder, and unlike how the other natives perched on the horses backs, Little Creek was riding without a saddle and without a bridle, bareback he sat on her and hung onto her little black and white mane. If only all natives would ride like this.

I bob my head up and down and the filly nickers quietly and begins leading me through the camp. Fires were extinguished, smoke rising up to the sky and all their housing was quiet. The domed things had paintings and markings like the horses, it smelled like the buffalo that roam but I stopped getting distracted and focused on following the painted pony and the little native boy. Soon we reached a clearing and I stood next to the small horse.

“Do you mind if I take Little Creek for a run with the wild for a few moments?” I ask her, nickering. “I’ll bring him back quickly, I just want to thank him.”

The filly nodded and shook her head, telling Little Creek to get off by stamping her foot.

“Soot Runner, what is wrong?” He asks slipping down and rubbing her muzzle, concerned.

I then lay down and roll in the grass, making Little Creek laugh at my colt-like antics.

“Strider… what are you doing?” He laughed.

The boy knew my infamous name as well. I snorted and whinnied happily as I nosed him towards my back.

Little Creek looked thrilled as he climbs on my back and I stand up, He holds onto my mane, keeping balance. I rear up a bit and take off. Little Creek leans low, using my neck as a wind breaker and was as gentle as could be with his tiny fists knotted in my long mane.

I gallop around the trees, across the plain and have fun as he soon sits up and puts his arms in the air, doing some sort of a cheer sounding like a wolf howl.

Afterwards I returned him to his grazing pony and he stopped me before I was about to gallop off. He pulled something little out of his boot and rubbed his fingers in it. I smell berries and something bitter, I lower my head and he feeds me some dried berries as he paints a circle around my eye. I look at him and he smiles bright, vivid even in the night.

“Be a good horse, now go!” he says and I nicker, rearing up for him, then galloping off, following my heart to where I thought Esperanza would be.

I’d tell her the tale of how I dislodged Broken Twig from my back, and how nice Little Creek and Soot Runner were. I’d tell her the natives could be nice, but, I had to find her first. Following the moon, I hoped I’d find her.