Blackbird, Horse of Destiny

Chapter 3

My pastures were lush and green and fertile. Tall grass grew up in long stalks in one pasture. Thistle bushes spike in uneven lines in another. Some grassy patches and rocky ones.

Yet I still hated the entire pastures, the bushes, shrubs, fences and all. The grasses were dotted with dewdrops. Those were the dewdrops I wanted to soak Mr. Beibcoc in. They glinted like polished diamonds with flecks of sunlight absorbed in them. The same sunlight I wanted to blind Mr. Beibcoc with.

But that wasn't the whole point of the pasture. There were actually four pastures, not one. They were arranged like a square. They were all connected by four tunnels with bowed metal gates.

The first pasture was the best one by far. I would've loved it if it weren't Mr. Beibcoc's. It was beautiful, from the long ferns of evergreen wisps, to the pink flowers that liked to play tricks on my eyes. The grasses and ferns and stalks were as tall as my long legs. If I crouched low enough, they hid me like a chameleon. When I was a pony with Eve, though she was older, we would hide there. It was our mini world, bent among the plants. She could hide and I when I found her I would chase her.

I thought back to the first time Eve and I had played here. Eve had hidden in the tall grasses. She remained still as I galloped through the thick undergrowth. When I found her, Eve didn't notice me I'd duck down to keep my presence secret. Now that I stared at Eve, her location was manifest. I tucked my head down as I crept up behind Eve. I suddenly whinnied like a weight had been dropped on me.

Eve spun around to make sure it was really me. By that time, I had whipped Eve's tail, classifying her as 'out'.

"Am I just too smart to let you win?" I'd teased. My tail thumped against my side before I let it playfully whack her. I brushed my coat up to hers. At that time, I'd been a stealthy horse, who could recognize Eve from miles away.

Eve got me back with a friendly bump. "You are only starting to think of greatness, Blackbird. You haven't begun to seize it," whined Eve. "Race you to the thorn pasture." That was where my memory blanked. With Eve sprinting away, leaving me sitting in the dust.

The thorn pasture was every horse's least favorite pasture. It's name could tell everyone why. In fact, it was the only pasture with a name. What a waste of a name. What a waste of named pasture.

The thorn pasture was the pasture where Mr. Beibcoc belonged. The awful pasture was like crusted yew berries. They were really beautiful but deadly now. the thorns in this pasture were unbearably sharp and like skin splitting daggers. Each stop in the pasture was pain. Every breath, more splinters dug into my body. The sarpy thistles bordering the outside of the pasture seemed to hiss. So, did the thorny rose bushes that gawked out at nearby horses. Plus, the brambles felt like comfort in the thorn pasture. I always tangled myself in them and watched as my view faded. It was overwhelming yet peaceful too.

I'd only been inside the thorn pasture a few times. All of those times I'd come out with even more scratches. The first time was when Mr. Beibcoc had to punish me for running when he tried to ride me. The second time was when Even had gone in and I was too scared not to follow. The last and most recent time was four days ago, right after Eve left.

I shut down that unhappy memory of scolding myself for being a bad sister right away. I distracted myself with the other pastures.

The third pasture was where I slept. There was a barn built in the center that took up most of the space. Around it were patches of short green grass. There wasn't much else to the pasture. Well, one thing.

The Beibcoc cages. Or at least that's what I called them. Mr. Beicboc encased us in them. They were really called 'stable.' I hated them. One time a few of my friends trapped Mr. Beibcoc in a Beibcoc cage. It was hilarious until he escaped and trapped my friends in the thorn pasture for three days.

The last pasture was for training. It was filled with good memories. One with Eve and I seeing how high we could leap. Another of Eve and I racing. Another with picking at the lock seeing if it would break.

That was the special part about this pasture. It was the only pasture that led to Mr. Beibcoc's den. The way to the forest. The way to Eve. The way to freedom.

But the lock was unbreakable. It took a human thing called a 'key.' I didn't have one. All I had was... what did I have? I had hooved that probably wouldn't work as keys. I thought deeper until I made a list.

I had a heart full of love. I could use this tool to convince other horses of my worth. I could use it to bend the world and future to my will.

The next tool I had was determination. This tool had just one way to be used. It would make me persevere. It would guide me when I was lost.

I had a brain. That was pretty straightforward. I could use it to come up with a plan.

I had a connection to the only horse that had escaped Mr. Beibcoc's farm. She would be my only thought when I was pushing through dark cold days.

And I had a record. I knew how to use this tool. The gates would open and I would run for it.

It was time to come up with a plan.