The sun is beginning to slowly rise above the horizon, causing the sky to turn a beautiful assortment of pinks, purples, oranges, and reds. As it gradually ascends higher and higher into the sky, it shines upon the sleeping herd of horses down below.
On the tallest hill nearby the herd lies Sable, who is just waking up. As he stands up and watches the sun, still inching higher in the east, he looks as if he is deep in thought. He turns his attention to the herd at the bottom of the hill. He stands high on his hind legs, and lets out a loud neigh as a wakeup call for the rest of the herd, a job only for the leader.
All the members of the herd lift their heads from their slumber, and some even yawn. Atop the hill, their leader watches proudly. This is more than he could have ever asked for, being the leader of his own herd. He never would have thought that something like this would ever happen to him! It is almost too amazing of a feeling for words.
But as amazing as it is, Sable still can't seem to help but think of Claire this morning. He wants so badly for her to be here with him right now. She would be so proud of him! It is almost unbearable how much he misses that little human girl.
As Sable watches his herd wake up and begin moving about, he hears a voice behind him say, "Good morning, Sable!"
He spins around to face Relment, then replies in a dreary voice, "Hey, Relment."
"What's wrong?" Relment asks his friend, noticing the leader's gloomy tone of voice.
"Nothing really, I guess," Sable replies with a sigh. "I'm just missing Claire, that's all."
Relment smiles sympathetically. "Come on, buck up kid," he says to Sable in his normal, cheerful tone. "You should be happy right now! It's your second day as a leader, and..." Relment pauses, looks down at the herd below them, and then smiles even wider. "And Marista just woke up, so now you can go talk to her."
Sable's eyes sparkle when he hears Marista's name. He looks down and sees her, shaking her mane out and stretching her legs. A morning ray of sunlight seems to shine directly on top of her like a spotlight, causing her beautiful, solid white coat to shine. Sable knows that he hasn't known Marista for long, but he can't help it. It was love at first sight! Well it was for him, anyway.
It has already been two days since Jerrist fell into the raging river, never to be seen again, causing Sable to become the new leader. Being so quiet, mild, and sometimes shy, Sable is still nervous about his new life. The more he thinks about it, he isn't quite sure if he is cut out to be a leader. Marista volunteered to help him when he needs it, but he is still uneasy about this whole situation, especially since he has to hide the fact that he grew up with humans from his own herd. He is just glad that he can be who he really is around Relment and Marista.
He also hopes that someday he will be brave enough to be able to tell Marista how he feels about her, but right now the only one who knows about that is Relment.
"Good morning guys!" Sable hears Marista call. He spins around to see her run up the side of the hill, and then stop right in front of him and Relment.
"Oh, um... g-good morning, Marista," Sable is able to say.
"Ready to get started?" Marista asks him.
"Get started on what?" He asks.
"What do you mean 'on what'?" Marista replies excitedly with a small giggle. "You're the new leader of the herd! There is a lot that needs to be done."
Sable glances over at Relment, who nods his head.
"Alright then," the young leader says, a smile on his face. "I'm ready for anything!"
Marista smiles too, then takes off running.
Sable follows her, but Relment stays behind. "I'll catch up later!" He calls after them.
YOU ARE READING
Wild and Free #1: Freedom
General FictionSable is a young horse who was raised by humans. Claire, the little girl who takes care of him, is his entire world. He can't imagine a life without her by his side! But after a terrifying storm, Sable finds himself lost. After trying and trying to...
