Miracle Horse

Chapter 12

Survivor*

How!? I'm so scared. This is so different. In a small matter of days I was banished from my homeland, shoved into a dim, shaking box, ( horse float ) released into the hands of a two-legged male who thought nothing more of me and my family as bloody worthless pieces of rubbish. (as he called us many times) Now a female two-legged ( Elisabeth ) locks me into another box, although this one is roomy, light and I can stick my head out. I can't snuggle up beside my dapple-grey twin sister whom the two-legs now call Winter Ripple for she is locked up further down this wooden cave. (Stable)

The two-leggeds are so overpowering.

And I am so frightened.

Elisabeth's POV

I soothed Survivors sores with saline from my SPCA first aid kit for horses. I had decided while I joined up that I would name him Survivor because no matter what, he will survive. Just thinking about what was going to be his fate made my heart burn with hatred. I felt as though my eyes were red and flickering like fire.

Survivor nudged me out of his mighty heads way and gazed longingly at the grey Kaimanawa mare Winter Ripple. "Silly boy!" I giggled, "it's not breeding season yet!" My lips stretched into a loving smile, but was bit by bit, flipped into a troubled look. Survivors eyes held only grief and depression. I swirled my head around so that I could see Winter Ripple. To my surprise she was staring back at Survivor with the same heart-broken look. It was truly a painful scene, yet I still couldn't understand why they stood gazing at each other like this? Before Chester was gelded he would stare down the mares, taking in every millimetre of they're femine bodies, his eyes would show that he was simply being drawn to them by nature.

I untied his lead rope and lead him towards the mares stall.

Survivors ears shot forward, obviously bursting with excitment. He tugged at the lead rope as he trotted forward on his tip hooves. He stuffed his large head into Winters stall and snorted at her. "Woah!" Lucy jumped with fright and whirled around to see Survivor nuzzling her mare. "Golly ! How did you get out of your stall? Where's Elisabeth?" I giggled and peeked out from behind Survivors muscular shoulders. "I'm here! And his name is Survivor, not No Name! He just wanted to see Winter."

"Ha! Stallions!"

She laughed for a couple of seconds, after that an awkward silence.

"What's wrong?" She asked, curious.

"Well he never acted this way towards any of the other mares!"

The two horses had closed eyes and were snorting and grooming each other with such affection, it was as if they were twins! But in the harsh conditions of the Kaimanawa Ranges, twins wouldn't survive birth.

"Hmm, I guess your right, maybe Mike will know! Here, leave No Na... I mean Survivor in Winters stall while we get him!"

Survivors POV

Hurricanes of joy whirled around inside me, the two-legs actually got our message! We lay down in the soft hay and snuggled up as close as possible, like we would always do as foals when it was a storm.

"Hay Survivor, what do you think about the two-legs?"

( Out on the ranges nobody had a certain name, there was no need, we just recognised each other by looks and scent. Although now that we have been given names from the two-legs it's like a privilege! Our own names! )

"I don't know, well some are kind and trustworthy, but others..." I shuddered.

"Yeah. The one that cares for me is not like the male, not one bit. I, I think Lucy is a good one. What's Elisabeth like?"

"I don't really know yet, but I think I can trust her."

Sudden footsteps began seeping into our ears.

"They're coming back." Winter sighed.

Elisabeth's POV

Mike watched with much interest. "Well Winter might've been the lend mare!" Lucy and I exchanged glances of amazement, our mouths dropped. "!" Lucy muttered, her eyes staring at the ground in wonder. "Yes! We get to train them together!" We jumped up and down with exploding excitement. "Let's start now!" Lucy exclaimed, "apsolutely!" We shooed Mike away and clipped the lead ropes around our horses necks. "I think we should get them halter broke first!" I smiled, she nodded in agreement.

Survivor nervously sniffed his black rope halter. Winter Ripple seemed eager to let Lucy work with her, she accepted the halter without a moments hesitation. Survivor gazed at his sister in a is-it-ok expression, Winter replied with a face that read, just-do-it-scaredy-cat! He snorted back at her in annoyance. Finally he allowed me to fasten the halter around his head. "Good boy!" I cooed. I shifted my hand to stroke his cheek, as I did the whites of his eyes appeared. "Hey, it's alright!" I whispered into his grey ears. Bit by bit he began to calm down, "he wouldn't be so easy to train if Winter Ripple wasn't here!" I laughed as Survivor nibbled my ponytail.