Wild and Free #1: Freedom

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: ZEDLY

Sable disappears into the southern section of the forest, hoping that he doesn't get lost again. "Just in case I do get lost," he says to himself aloud, "I just have to remember the path that I take." He looks around him for something unusual to help him remember where he has already been. "That tree stump looks sort of like a chair," Sable tells himself, "So I'll know that if I see the chair, then I'm close to the herd."

"What's a chair?" A voice behind Sable says. He turns around, and to his relief he sees Marista coming out of the bushes that he has just walked through.

"It's just something that humans sit on to rest," Sable replies, "But, what are you doing here? I thought you said I was supposed to do this b-by myself."

"You didn't think I was serious, did you?" Marista asks. "I couldn't leave you out here alone, with no experience. I just had to say that so that Zanzeph didn't find out about your previous home."

"How would he have discovered my secret by me not going to look for this foal alone?" Sable asks.

"Any time something like this happens, the leader of the herd always goes alone," Marista explains. "Except for when someone else's help is needed. Everyone in the wild knows that, even the new leaders. So if you didn't know that, it would have revealed that you're not from here."

Sable nods his head understandingly.

There is a short pause as the two continue to walk through the forest, until Sable breaks the silence by saying, "This sure is going to be tough on me. Some of these horses here have really different names than what I'm used to back home. It's going to be difficult to remember them all!"

"Don't worry, I'll give you as much help as you need!" Marista replies. "But right now, let's just focus on finding Zedly."

Sable and Marista look everywhere. Well, everywhere they can without getting lost. They just keep following the paths that other animals have created.

At one point, they come to a fork in the path. It branches off to the right on one side, and then to the left on the other. Sable begins to take the left path, unsure of where else to go.

"No, wait!" Marista shouts suddenly.

Sable stops immediately.

"Let's take the right path," Marista suggests.

"Why? What's on the left path?" Sable asks. He sees the same look in Marista's eyes that he saw a few days ago, when Jerrist was moving the herd because someone saw a bear. It is a look as if she is trying to hide a secret, even from Sable. It makes him wonder if Marista was hiding this secret from her father, too.

"Oh, it's nothing," Marista replies. But he can tell that she is lying. "I just have a good feeling about the right path, that's all."

Sable is a bit confused, and a little suspicious, but he decides to let Marista keep her secret, whatever it is. He doesn't even give any indication that he knows she is keeping something from him.

The two horses follow the right path for while, as the sun begins to rise higher and higher into the sky.

"It's already midday," Marista says sadly. "I hope nothing awful has happened to Zedly!"

"So, can you tell me more about this kid?" Sable asks. "Does anyone know how his mother died?"

"Not that I know of," Marista replies. "Three days before you came, Zedly came running out of the forest shouting that his mother had fallen down, and when my father went to see what was going on, she was already dead. There were no visible scratches or bites, at least from what we could see." Marista pauses for a moment, then adds, "And I should warn you, that ever since his mother died, Zedly hasn't been..." She stops to think for a moment.

"What?" Sable asks.

"Well, I'll just say that he doesn't have the best behavior," Marista replies. "He's not the easiest foal to handle."

Sable gives a short, nervous laugh. "No foal will be easy for me to handle," he tells Marista. "The only foal I've known was myself, when I was a foal!"

Suddenly, Marista stops in her tracks.

"What is it?" Sable asks, surprised.

"Shh," Marista whispers, "I heard something."

After a moment of silence, the bush next to Sable begins to shake, causing him to jump. Startled, he lets out a small, frightened neigh, and then runs behind Marista, ducks his head down, and closes his eyes, as if she will somehow be able to protect him from whatever is in that bush.

But when he hears laughter, he looks back up. There, in front of him and Marista, is a foal who looks about three months old. He is solid black with a large, white spot on his back, and two white "socks" above his two front hooves. He is rolling on the ground, laughing up a storm.

"Some new leader!" This foal is barely able to speak because he is laughing so hard. "Afraid of a little rustling bush!"

Marista is relieved when she sees this foal. "There you are, Zedly!" She says excitedly with a smile. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

But then her smile fades away. Her relieved look turns stern.

"It was very disrespectful of you to scare Sable like that. He is still the leader, and as such you are to respect him," she scolds.

"Oh please, him a leader?" Zedly replies scornfully. "I don't think that this chicken could lead a colony of ants!"

Sable is shocked at how rude this colt is being. He is so stunned, that he doesn't even know how to respond.

So Marista continues to speak. "Now Zedly," she says to the foal sharply. "You are not going to talk like that to the new leader."

"Come on," Zedly replies, still in his same scornful tone of voice. "This guy is nothing like Jerrist was! You of all people should know that, with Jerrist being your father and all."

"That may be true," Marista says, since Sable is still at a loss for words. "But at least Sable is trying!"

Zedly gives Marista a mean look, sticks his tongue out at Sable, and then pouts as he walks away.

Marista and Sable look at each other in disbelief, and then follow the foal. Eventually, they all meet back up with the herd.