Wild and Free #1: Freedom

CHAPTER EIGHT: JERRIST DISAPPROVES

"Marista, there you are!" Jerrist shouts when he catches sight of his daughter. "You had me worried sick! What do you think you're doing, running off from the herd at a time like this? Those bears could have..."

The end of his sentence trails off when he sees Sable run up behind Marista. The leader glares at him, and then stares at the mare.

"Marista, come over here with me," he tells his daughter. "I want to talk with you... alone." He glares at Sable again.

Sable gets the idea. He backs away slowly, and watches as Marista follows her father up to the top of the nearest hill.

"What is it now, Daddy?" Marista asks once they are atop the hill.

Jerrist looks at his daughter sternly. "Where were you? Why were you with him?" He asks.

"I was just bored, so I went to my secret spot," Marista replies.

Jerrist's eyes grow wide, partly with shock, and partly with rage.

Realizing her mistake, Marista says, "Let me rephrase. I went to my secret spot alone, when Sable showed up and told me about the bears."

Jerrist sighs with relief, but then he is furious again. "You know his name?" He asks.

"Yeah," Marista replies, her voice rising in frustration. "Unlike you, I'm actually trying to get to know him! I mean, I should at least know his name if he's going to be here for a while."

"Who said that he's going to be here for a while?" Jerrist shouts.

"Well, you obviously won't give him directions home, so it's up to you how long he stays!"

"Sure, trying to find directions home," Jerrist says sarcastically. "Likely story!"

Marista stares at her father for a moment. "Why don't you trust him?" She asks.

"There is just something different about that boy," Jerrist replies, looking down at Sable from atop the hill. The new stallion is now chatting about something with Relment. Well, more like Relment is the one chatting.

"He's just a loner, that's all," Marista says to her father.

"No, there's something else different about him," Jerrist replies. Then he whispers to himself, "And I'm going to find out what it is."

Jerrist now stares at Marista again. "How do you know so much about him, anyway?"

"I've talked to him a little, that's all," Marista replies. She is growing more and more annoyed with the way her father is acting.

"Until I find out more about him, you are not allowed to speak with him!" Jerrist shouts.

"But Daddy, I think he's okay! I mean, he's really nice, and extremely shy."

Jerrist glares at his daughter. "You are especially not allowed to take him to your 'secret spot'!" He says.

"No, Dad, I don't mean it that way," Marista replies. "I just think that he'd be a good friend."

"Not unless I say so!" Jerrist says. With a snort, the leader runs down to join the rest of his herd, leaving Marista alone on top of the hill.

"So, do you really think I could have a chance with Marista?" Sable asks Relment.

"It all depends on her father," Relment replies. "If you can't get to her father, then he won't let you get to her. And your chances don't look so good, judging by the way they were arguing up on the hill just now."

There is a short silence. In that silence, Sable's mind begins to wander to thoughts about his mother, and the stories she used to tell him. The stories of the wild horse Kelay, and her herd of wild horses. Now that he is amongst a herd of wild horses himself, it really gets him thinking. He begins to wonder what the previous leader of this herd was like. Maybe he or she was a bit more like Kelay than Jerrist is! So Sable asks, "Relment, what was your old leader like?"

"Well, I was just a foal when she was here," Relment replies. "But I remember that she was amazing! She would save us from bears, rescue foals from raging rivers..."

That's strange, Sable thinks. That sounds a lot like the 'Kelay' stories Mom used to tell me.

Relment continues: "There was this one great time, when I was about two weeks old, she saved the whole herd from a terrible forest fire!"

Sable's heart skips a beat. Could it be? Could this really be happening? No, it couldn't... those were just stories, right? He listens closely as Relment continues the story.

"We were all lost, gagging on the fumes from the fire. We thought we were all done for. But then our amazing leader, who knew these forests even better than Jerrist does, led us back to the fresh air!"

Sable cannot believe what he is hearing. Could they be true, all those stories his mother had told him when he was little? Could they really be true?

"What was her name?" He asks Relment. This would answer all of his questions.

"I'm pretty sure her name was Kelay," Relment replies.

Sable stares at Relment in shock.

"Are you okay?" Relment asks the surprised horse.

"K-Kelay? B-but how?" Sable stammers, too shocked to speak correctly. He takes a moment to absorb this information, and then is finally able to tell Relment, "I-I think my mother knew Kelay."

"But I don't think that's possible," Relment replies. "I mean, the only way that were possible is if your mother had lived out here with this herd, and then had been captured by humans, allowing you to be born with those creatures. But Kelay was the only horse in our herd to ever have been captured by humans." Relment pauses, then adds, "Like I said before, you should talk to Marista. She could tell you more than I can." He then turns around, and disappears into the midst of the herd.