Storm Circle

Chapter 1

Cloudjumper's POV

The first thing memory I had when I was 3, playing in the pasture with my parents.

I was galloping around as fast as my legs could carry me and having an absolute blast, unintentionally tearing up patches of grass and I ran.

'Cloudy dear, would you stop that! That's no way for you to behave. Now get over here.' my mum snapped. Groaning, I trotted over to her, who was standing next to the fences.

Meet... me. I'm Cloudjumper, a lot of people tend to call me Cloudy for short. I am an andalusian-thoroughbred cross. That was my mum, obviously. She is a thoroughbred. My dad's an andalusian and I have been living at the Silverglade Equestrian Center (SEC)as long as I was born. Was I born here, in Jorvik? I don't really remember. It was rather strange I could remember nothing before I turned one. Other fillies and colts do, I don't.

'Now, that's my girl.' my mother smiled proudly as I watched over colts and fillies play enviously, including my friend Jupiter. Whenever I tried to do something normal with other horses, for instance, play, my parents would jump and yank me away. They would spend another hour tsk-tsking me. Even if they do let me play sometimes, they would always keep a careful eye on me to make sure I don't get into... mischief.

'Now, what is the electronic arrangement of the atom helium, hmm?' asked my mother. I have to rant again. Why does she want me to know human knowledge? It's rather pointless to have me recite the periodic table, the electromagnetic spectrum, right? No other horse, even a fully grown horse, need to do that, so WHY?

'Two electrons, duplet structure.' I muttered. My mum beamed, 'Attagirl! Right, then what's the famous play, Camelot, about?'

It went on for another half an hour. I think you get my point. When I do ask my parents why, they would respond me with something like 'you'll know one day'. Yeah right.

The my dad came back. ' Hello Cloudy, ready to start where we left off?'

'Yeah.' I sighed.

'No, not like that! You're on the wrong lead and off-balance!' my dad yelled as I cantered along the pasture fence. I changed my lead. The other horses in the pasture sighed. They've gotten used to my parents making me do this and that.

One hour later

I was sweaty from all that transitions. Finally it's over, for today. Then tomorrow we do this stuff all over again. Yay.

I trotted to Jupiter. He is a black lusitano standing at 15 hands and he was the friend I mentioned.

'Finally over?' he asked, tearing grass from the pasture. I nodded and rolled in the grass.

Jupiter was not born here. He was from Portugal, his mom died while giving birth, and his dad was not sold to Jorvik like he did. He reminds me that I should be grateful for my parents, no matter how hard they try to educate me, it's because of love.

Jupiter's a little older than me and was already saddle-broken. Turned out he is really good at dressage, which I absolutely suck at. The SEC was already putting up ads for selling him, that had me concerned.

'Wouldn't be cool to have a human of your own? Like a rider who would muck your stall and feed you tasty treats and love you?' sighed Jupiter dreamily, 'I would be the luckiest horse of Jorvik!'

' Yeah I guess. That does sound pretty awesome.' I lied. To be frank, I never wanted to leave Jorvik or SEC.

'Of course, when that day comes, I'll miss you, Cloudy. And that time you tried to eat my fly bonnet.' he joked. I laughed bitterly.