The Life of a Wild Horse

Chapter 12

Emma came by every day, and I slowly was okay with her touching my sides, neck, and face. One day, she brought that weird contraption that goes on our heads, but it looked different somehow, less mean. "Come on Cole, let me put the halter on you." I gently backed away from her, not wanting to be mean, but not wanting that thing on my face. Then she pulled something, long, and orange like the sunset out of her back pocket. It smelled really good. "If you let me put the halter on, I will give you this treat." She told me, then fed me a small chunk. It was amazing. I let her put the contraption on me, then ate the treat happily.

She practiced these kinds of things with me every day, and soon I knew how to lead. She started brushing me, and the white parts of my fur would gleam in the sunlight. One evening when she was brushing me, when something happened. I heard something. Someone. It was Moondust. I saw the herd running with Wolf, and she had saw me. I whinnied back, and pulled against my rope. She followed my gaze and saw the herd. "You're wild!" she exclaimed. She lead me to the gate, and opened it up. "Goodbye Colebrook, I hope I will get to see you again. A drop of water fell down her cheek. She slipped off my halter, and I realized she was setting me free. "Go!" she yelled when I did not move.

I started running, now three years old, I looked back at Emma. I whinnied to her, telling her that I would never forget her. Then I forced myself to go faster, to help my herd. As I approached Wolf, I saw that he was much smaller, and less muscular than me. He did not see me coming, so I jumped, and knocked him on his side. My front legs were on his mid-section. His dark grey coat now was splattered with blood. "If you survive this Wolf, I would not come back to me, because I will kill you." I told him, and he could tell I meant it. I reared again, and he rolled aside, but I got him again, putting a cut in his hind leg.

Wolf had barely gotten out of sight, when my herd swarmed me, but one mare stood out. One with a dapple grey coat. "Colebrook! You came back! You found us!" Moondust was saying really quickly. "Of course I came back, I told you I would." I responded to her, feeling really happy. Blue had gotten captured by Wolf, and had gotten along great with my old herd.

We started the trek back to our original valley, and I told my herd of my adventures, of the rodeo, of Fred, and of course, Emma. Within a week we had found the valley. We stayed the night just outside of our valley, the stallion inside unaware of us. We bedded down, and I could tell that Moonlight was very happy to have me back.