The Life Of A Horse

Chapter 8

Not long after being welcomed by all the members of the herd (besides Willow) we go to sleep. I lay against the cliff side for more protection against the chilling wind and as I fall asleep, small raindrops start falling from the sky. Tonight will be cold.

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A freezing wind is what finally wakes me. After the exhausting events of yesterday I could have slept for two days straight. However the weather has other plans in mind. I walk away from the still sleeping herd to warm up. Yesterday they helped me with the sharp stones in my hooves so I can walk painlessly now.

Immediately an energetic feeling takes over. I fall to the ground in shock and exhaustion. I thought the feelings were over with now that I am cursed to be a horse? I attempt to stand up. It is time to return to either Ashley and Sunstruck or my family. I can be a tame horse at the stables.

Suddenly, I trip and fall forward, but my hands catch me. Hands? I look down to see familiar dirty fingers from horse riding and chipped purple nail polish. I am human?

I sit back down in confusion, tucking my arms as close to my stomach as possible. Messy dark brown hair falls in my face, but I choose to ignore it as I try to unravel this mystery.

I had feelings as a human that led to me being turned into a horse and now the same electricity inside has changed me back to human. Am I dreaming?

I stand up and limp to the huge pile of rocks. Getting home is necessary now. I can explain to my parents what happened and they can hopefully help me. With slow steps I cross the open plain and reach the rockslide.

After struggling for a few minutes, I manage to climb the first rock leading to home. At this rate it will be weeks before I reach even my friends. And even more to make it to my family.

I step forward again, fighting with my desire to lie down and rest. Suddenly the feeling, stronger than before takes over. With a cry of pain, I fall from the rocks to the grassy plain. With one last look at the dark sky glittered with stars, I give up.

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"Dakota!" A voice in the distance. Filled with worry and fear. "Dakota?!" Closer now. I open my eyes weakly. A bright blue sky. The sun hidden behind fluffy white clouds. These two mix together in a hazy blur.

I sit up slightly, balancing on my hands. Again, sounding more desperate; filled with more worry. "Dakota!" With unknown strength I jump up. On human feet! I fall flat to the ground, afraid of being seen.

I hear a surprise gasp. Oh no no. I feel light pounding on the earth, signifying his footsteps toward me. My eyes squeeze shut. I need to think of something fast. An image of Dakota and her, my, brown eyes and smooth fur, forces itself into my mind.

As the only thing I have, I hold onto it tight. Until suddenly it becomes more vivid. Immediately after, it seems to become larger and transform. I feel cracking bones and my body becomes noticeably larger.

Is that how it works? I imagine myself in either form and I change? I become what I picture? Hearing Magic get closer, I automatically jump up, now in horse form.

A sigh of relief escapes him and he smiles happily. "Dakota? What were you doing?"

"Sorry I was just... stretching my legs and fell asleep," I say truthfully. It is not the full truth but it is enough.

We walk back to the herd in a slightly awkward silence. Finally we make it back and he starts to announce to the herd that we are moving again. They have been moving a few miles every week or so to avoid being caught as easily.

Everybody gets a long drink before leaving. He isn't sure how far it is before we reach another pond or other water source. Then we leave.

There aren't many in the herd but they still have their little groups that they talk in. However, because I am new I walk behind Magic in silence while listening to his conversation with Willow.

After about twenty minutes he and Willow are also walking in quiet. "So Dakota," Willow says to start a conversation. I look up from the ground. "Yes?"

"You said you left another herd. Why?"

Time to make up a story.

"Oh um. I left because they weren't treating each other fairly. Everyone was fighting daily and I am just not that type. I want peace."

She stays silent as if not sure of what to say and I am grateful. I wish for the cheerful talking from behind to start up between Magic and Willow instead of this awkward silence, but it does not happen.

After three or four hours of walking we finally stop at a small hill. A small stream rests along the side, making a perfect water source for our herd. "This will be our new home for now," Magic says loudly for all the herd to hear.

I look back in the direction we came from. The only thing that can be seen in all directions is flat land. This prairie stretches for even longer than I knew. Ahead of us and to the sides are definitely many miles before any trees.

After talking to some of the herd members and settling down for a few hours the sun starts to set. I chew on the light green grasses from the earth noticing the difference in flavor from the ones on the mountain. This grass tastes juicy with a more sweet flavoring.

Magic walks up behind me. "How are you doing?" I jump, not expecting him to be there. "I'm... fine."

"Ok well you look kind of jumpy, or uneasy."

I don't answer, thinking about how I might be acting strange to him. Maybe it is because I am a human turned into a horse trying to live as just a normal wild horse. All of this along with the stress of my family and friends. And lastly I can change to human when I want to and I'm trying to figure out why I am not choosing to be a person again.

Of course I can't tell him any of this so I just stay silent while watching his retreating back as he walks away to talk to Willow and check up on any other horses. Why is life so complicated? And why is this MY life?

As the sun finally fades behind the earth until next morning I close my eyes and let nature's soothing silence put me to sleep.

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The first thing I notice in the morning when I wake up is the sun peeking up over the horizon. The soft pinks, yellows, and purples light up the sky with a cheerful glow immediately putting me in a good mood.

The second thing I notice is the still sleeping herd. How do I always wake up before them all? Is it because I am the first asleep?

And lastly, the third thing I notice is the unsettling feeling of being watched. It is the odd feeling that someone is behind you but when you turn around no one is there. It the chilling kind that makes hair stand on end.

Suddenly there is a thundering noise from far off. It shakes the earth beneath us. I look forward in fear, but the hill is in the way so I quickly gallop up the side of the hill to see ahead.

A few hundred yards away is a group of twenty or more horses with riders galloping toward us. I immediately start to panic. My first reaction is to wake the herd, but there is no need. The thundering sound of a couple dozen hooves beating the ground is enough to wake them.

We all start to run frantically in a main direction -the opposite way-

However, I know that only a few miles away is the cliff edge, where we will be caught in a corner, completely at the mercy of these riders.

I attempt to change the direction of the herd, but their panicky state makes them unwilling to listen. As we gallop straight, I know we only have an hour or so. It took a few hours to get here, but we were walking.

At this flat out gallop we will not make it long. We need cover and we are not going to get that in a prairie. The herd needs to calm down and think straight. Every one is going to be caught. I know this for a fact.

It doesn't take as long as I thought for us to tire. With the mountains in eye sight we all slow to a canter. "We need to get up the rock slide!" I yell, knowing the riders wouldn't risk injuring their horses, or would they? Either way it is our only change to get away.

Behind us, the riders and their specially trained horses are still galloping. They are still a couple hundred yards away, though they are gaining quickly on us as we canter as fast as we can.

Immediately when we reach the rocks Magic and I start corralling the herd members up the dangerous slope. I become angry when I see Willow push others out of the way to be up first. What a great lead mare.

I look behind in fear when I see the riders several feet away. Magic and I jump onto the rocks to get away but ropes fly around our necks. We are yanked back to the ground.

One of the riders yells angrily as the rest of the horses make it up the rock slide safely with a few rocks tumbling behind them. So I was right when I said they wouldn't risk taking their horses up the rocks.

Although I am sad to be caught, I am happy the herd got away. Now I just need an escape plan. Quickly.