True Friends 

I’m running; pushing my legs as hard as they can go. My long powerful strides carry me faster and faster. My hooves pound the ground, shaking the hard earth below me. Gently flying in the breeze is my long flowing mane, falling gracefully from my neck. Each shiny hair composes my brilliant coat that reflects the golden sunshine. I am a wild horse. They call me a mustang. I am the best of the best; a playful untamed spirit daring temptation and seeking adventure. The open land begs for exploration that conceals dangers around every bend. It is my home; it’s what they call the “wild”. But the wild would be of no such name without the essence of its prized and magnificent wild horses.

ऀI hear the rumbling of many footsteps following close behind me. I am the proud stallion in the lead of my pack. We are all one in the same, bound together by the strength of a family. We run free and fearless. The sound of our storming heard breaks the deafening silence brought forth from the calm peacefulness of the open land. We are hidden in the vast plains of a large valley surrounded by towering mountains that were blanketed by a heavily wooded forest. Eagles soar above us accompanied by the small birds chirping from the treetops. The fresh pine sent lingered in the air as the sun’s warm rays beamed down heating the earth. The slight calm breeze rustled the rolling sea of tall wild grass. Blossoming flowers added a dash of color to the lush green landscape.

ऀOur herd stopped at the creek bed to take a drink. We then roamed around grazing on the fresh grass. I sniffed the ground with my nose searching for a treat to nibble on, when suddenly a sharp pain struck me in the mussel. It sent a wave of reacting nerves shooting through my body. I screeched in terror; my shrill sound echoed threw the valley bouncing violently off the tree barriers. It was then when I took off at a bolt, and it was also then when I spent my last few seconds of freedom as a wild horse sprinting away.

ऀI kept running for what felt like eternity. I went deeper and deeper into the forest. I had thought I was running so long that I about to drop off the end of the earth, until I had gone so far that I reached a clearing. The thick trees were behind me and a meadow lay out in front of me. I had thought the woods went on forever, touching the end of the earth, but I had run clear past them and exceeded their little known limits. I had not the slightest idea where I was located but I was escaping the terrible thing that behind me that sent me into a whirl wind of agonizing hurt and fear all in a few short moments. I had no doubt in the world of what caused this pain upon me; I had been bit by a rattlesnake. The vicious venom was seeping through my blood. I had seen this happen once before to a horse from my herd. He had not made it through the struggle for his life, but that was not me, I was going to fight of the pain no matter how hard it was. The pain grew stronger with each step and it seemed to continue to consume my whole body until, finally, I was overcome. I became extremely faint and weak, everything around me spun in circles as if I was being suck into a vortex. The pounding in my ears soon were matching by a horrible ringing making my body feeling numb and paralyzed. The last thing I remember, I was consumed by unwelcoming black darkness. Then the world slipped out from under me.

ऀNothing filled my brain, nothing was conscious to me. I lay, sprawled out on the soft ground in the middle of the unknown meadow. My pain was subsided as I remained disconnected with the world until I woke up to a cold hand stoking my neck. The abrupt awakening startled me back into reality. I burst open my eyes only to have the flood of sudden light momentarily blind me. As my eyes readjusted to the daylight, the world around me unfolded once again. I frantically glanced around realizing that where I was, was a completely unfamiliar place to me. I was trapped in some sort of barn, lying on a squishy mat. The sent was potent and foreign. Walls surrounded me from every side; it felt as though I was locked in a cage. There were ropes around my head and mussel. I heard strange noises and voices echoing through the building. To add to the shock of the moment I caught the eye of a human standing above me, its gaze pierced straight through me.

ऀNever had I ever been in the same proximity as an actual human. I had only heard stories of their existence and built up the fear of the possibility of them taking me captive as they had done to so many of my kind. My nightmare was now to come true. I was under the possession of a human being now. At the thought of this I sprung up to my feet finding an outburst of strength. There were several people around me and they held me tight and continued to observe me.

They made comments to each other. “I think he’s going to make it” spoke one of the strange humans. “He’s a strong fighter,” said another. I began to rise up in a furry hoping to scare off the human and break free. I reared and kicked but they only held me tighter, I realized my escaping was not likely at this time so I held still for the rest of their medical pressures for it was no use wasting the little energy I did have.

I listened to their alarming voices. “This stallion got one nasty rattlesnake bit. He’s lucky we found him when we did,” a deep man’s voice spoke.

“It was such a miracle that we happened to be roping cattle in the exact area where this horse collapsed.” I heard a soft women’s voice say.

“Yeah I saw him running out from the midst of the forest. The wild thing looked like he had just seen a ghost. That rattlesnake must had scared him pretty bad,” answered the man.

“We sucked a lot of venom out of that horse. It must have been one big snake. Let’s put him in a stall for the night so he can rest a bit. We’ll check on him in the morning. Its late lets go inside and tell Kamya about our new mustang she should be home by now,” the women said. The two of the led me through the barn locked me in and even smaller cage and threw me some hay which I protested against with a loud snort. And it was here were I was left by myself in my strange new home.

I soon discovered I was trapped in this enclosing stall also. My chances of ever escaping continued to diminish. I stood still and firm waiting for what was to come next. I wondered what these new owners of mine were planning on doing with me. I was a mustang. I was wild and I was tame less. But it was not before long that my whole view of myself and the world was changed all because of one person. One person that I never thought I could love so deeply.

It all started from the moment after I was placed in my stall awaiting my doom. The door to the large empty barn opened and out stepped a human. I closely inspected this small human as it meekly walked towards me. It was a young girl, petite in stature. I prepared to resent her as I did all humans but in that instant that she looked into my eyes and spoke, I stopped in my tracks. Her sweet, soft voice soothed me. It was the first time I had felt the slightest ounce of comfort in the entire day I had been here. I stared her down, trying to shake off the feeling of affection. I stomped my feet and reared up with dominancy. She remained in her position and continued to speak smoothly to me. I tried all I could but the girl seemed unfrightened of me and determined to stand her ground. And for this I gained respect for the girl. She stood at my stall door for a while longer and then left the barn to leave me in silence for the rest of the night.

The days went on and I got accustomed to the daily routine. In the morning I was given oats that tasted like sweet treats, in the afternoon I was turned out to the paddock to run and play as I pleased, and at night I was given more oats and hay, and then locked in my stall until morning came again. All this was done in persistent rebellion. I grabbed every chance I could get to return back to the wild for the pride within had not disappeared, but was merely covered up by something much stronger and it grew day after day. The only reason why I stayed content in my new home was because of the girl. The girl came to see me every day. She took care of me and fed me. Her name was Kamya. I had met her the night of my arrival and she had changed my life. Every day she worked with me, and made me calmer and calmer. She brushed my bright orange coat until it shone like a copper penny. She soothed me and respected me as I respected her. She did not let me get away with anything wrong and she protected me. She gave me a name, Blaze, in which I could go by. I went from a spirit of the wild to Blaze, a horse of a girl’s. Although I was stubborn to realize it, this human was taming me.

She soon became my best friend. She looked deep past my eyes and spoke to my soul. She knew how to speak to me without using words. And my sense of pride now was in her. She was my owner and I would do anything for her. Our bondage grew so strong that we almost became as one, and what I thought would never possibly happen to me, did. I had found love for a human, Kamya. All of my past drifted away from me. I no longer had the urge to return to the wild, for there was nothing for me there. The empty longing within me had been filled. I had all I needed now. I had a home and I had a true friend.