House Of Fire

Chapter 5

The cave was dark, moist and freezing. The cold chilled her down to her bones.

Slowly, Raven made her way into the darkness. Out of experience she knew the ground was levelled and even around the edges. A small fire pit nestled in the centre of the small cavern at the end of the narrow tunnel. A stack of dried wood kept for their stays here ready to be used.

Using her keen eyesight and intuition to navigate she quickly organized a small pile. The dried grass laying around came in useful as tinder for the fire.
Within moments Raven produced a matchbox from her bags and lit the fire. The grass caught flames and began to flicker feebly licking the logs above. Ever so slowly the flames grew larger until a steady rush was audible as the flames ate at the wood.

Now as the cave was lit Raven glanced back towards the entrance. A large hulking shape blocked the remainder of a dull glow from the gloom of twilight. Foggy breaths breached the range of the flickering light and the darkness of the horse's coat gleamed a dangerous red.

She waited calmly by the fire. Patience was the key to success after all.

Watching as the horse took a tentative step towards the flames she noted that despite her first impression it only had few similarities with a normal horse.
Apart from having the bulk and legs of one she had failed to note the clawed hooves. On each hoof but the front left a large gleaming dagger protruded from the horn. On each side of the large claw two smaller ones were exposed. Every single dagger was as clear as glass.

Another thing different to a normal horse was the animal's snout. It looked smooth and soft like a horse's but was pointed. The jaw transformed from wide at the cheeks to narrow and sharp at it's point similar to a raven's beak. Yet it was covered in soft fur that glowed red from the flames.

It's ears were like a horse's as was the mane and tail. The eyes though showed a fierce intelligence and knowledge. The creature that was calculatingly watching her was a dangerous opponent if ever provoked.

Her gaze drew back down to the injury. The jagged edge of the broken off claw was leaking a black fluid. Blood. She came to realize.

Raven carefully rose to her feet. Turning towards the creature she took measured steps as she approached. Her hand extended forwards facing palm down towards it. She stopped before the creature, a hand's length separating her from touching it.

She looked into it's eyes. They were a like cold calculating daggers piercing into her own. Without losing eye contact it extended its neck towards her hand. It's muzzle made contact with her hand. She held still as it sniffed her.

Apparently satisfied that she posed no threat to it, the creature gently nudged her fingers.

A small smile grazed her lips and she turned her hand over. Reaching up she started scratching between it's ears. They pricked forward and a warmth seemed to settle in the intelligent eyes.

Raven took a step closer only for the creature to shy away and squeak as pressure was placed on the injured hoof. Not caring about the creatures mistrust of her she was beside it and kneeling in an instant, inspecting the damage.

In the dim light it was hard to see the whole damage done. She probed at the skin above the hoof, relieved when the creature made no reaction of pain or discomfort. She ran her hands down the entire leg and over the crown of the hoof onto the horn. She prodded at the hardness of the hoof but still had no reaction. At last she ran her fingers over the claws. When she touched the broken claw it moved slightly under her probe and seconds later a piercing shriek erupted from the creature.

The nerves were clearly damaged in the hoof and if the broken claw stayed lodged inside then more damage could be done whenever the animal hit an object with it.

Standing back up she studied the scared animal. It had leapt away from her when she had made contact with the wound.

She raised her hands in a sign that she hadn't meant to hurt it.

"I can take it out if you like." She said in a calm voice. The creature, pressed up against the stone wall angled it's head a mistrustful eye on her yet again.

"If it isn't taken out it will cause you more harm than it will do any good. It's broken and bleeding. If it gets infected then there's nothing I can help you with. It's your choice."

The gleam in it's eye seemed to change again. Steely determination now out ruling any pain from before.

It nodded at her as it stepped away from the wall making its way in front of her again.

She nodded at it also and turned towards her bag. Inside she kept her tools for ferrier work.

When a horse's feet were in bad condition they wouldn't be able to traverse the mountain. Hence it was always better to be prepared.

Taking out the big wrench she moved over to the animal. She wrapped her slender hand around the joint above the hoof squeezing it gently. That animal above her turned it's head around to look at her. She was bent over and therefore couldn't see the weird look it was shooting at her butt.

"It means that you should pick your foot off the ground so I can hold it!" She shot at the animal exasperatedly. Huffing in annoyance it moved the weight off the leg and allowed her to pick the hoof off the ground. She moved the leg so it was wedged between her knees. Taking her tool she adjusted it around the claw. Raven could feel the vibration of the pain the pressure on the injury caused the animal.

"This will hurt a lot" She warned the creature. It huffed again and snorted as if to say: Just get it over and done with.

"Okay, on three." Was all Raven said before starting to count. Instantly it's whole body tensed.

"One" Raven said. She was half way through two when she gave her tool a massive yank. The animal screeched in agony and its legs buckled before it came crashing onto the ground of the cave.

Raven had been quick to jump away from the descending body. The animal was a pure mess on the floor. Its head was tucked away under it's wing and the injured leg exposed in front of it.

Moving back to her bag the removed the extracted claw from the wrench. It was only a few centimetres in length but its jagged edge as sharp as broken glass. She placed it into her pack for safekeeping.

Taking out an antiseptic cream that consisted of zinc and iodine and a bandage she approached the crumpled form on the ground.

Kneeling once more beside the injury she took out the cream and applied a hearty amount onto the hole left in the horn of the hoof. She made sure that every piece of exposed flesh was covered. She suspected the animal could heal as fast as her if not faster. Wrapping the hoof in the white bandaging she stood and moved back towards the fire. Taking out a few strips of jerky and the bag of the oats she had packed for her horse she began making food.

As she was making a porridge brew for the animal she was silently chewing on the dried meat strips. When the gruel was ready she took the pot and placed it before the animal in between it's front legs. It didn't stir from it's position.

"Do you have a name?" She asked it. It didn't move. "I'll give you a name then." She was tired of referring to it as exactly that, an it. "I'll call you Fury. It suits your personality."

Satisfied with her handiwork for the moment she took her bedroll out of her pack and slipped in. As the flames licked at the dark stone walls and the wind howled outside without pause she fell into a deep peaceful sleep as darkness welcomed her.

The fire warmed her blankets and it was comfortably warm inside. She finally closed her eyes as darkness overtook her.