Running Free

Chp 3

A/N so I decided to dedicate the last chapter to Lunalightshow for voting on chapter 1. If your reading this, I appreciate it! I love feedback

After Scott revealed the name Raven gave me I allowed Ray to take me inside but refused to eat the hay or the mushy stuff they put in a separate bucket. Luckily Ray was true to his word and I got a small paddock, about fifteen by ten feet, attached to my stall and it had ankle deep grass.

I instantly began eating, enjoying the satisfying crunching of the food I survived off of for a year. The latch to the stall door clicked and Raven approached me with a smile.
"Hey girl," he started, stroking my muzzle. I blew through my nostrils and into his face playfully and nudged his shoulder.
"You're clearly around my age." He laughed.
"Once you're used to us a little more we can play in the pasture." He promised me, offering an apple. I took it gratefully before resting my head on his shoulder like a horsey hug.

"You're a bit too heavy girl, I can't be a head rest sorry." He apologized with a grunt, trying to push my head off his shoulder. I just nickered in response and kept my head on his shoulder as my eyelids drooped.
"Hey! Raven get out of there!" Ray shouted, yanking open my stall door and rushing in. A panicked squeal escaped my mouth as shied away, accidentally kicking Ravens leg in the process. He cried out and fell to the ground, tears slid down his cheeks as his sire squat beside him and examined his leg.

After a moment of studying it Ray picked his son up, shot me a glare the wouldve sent me six feet under and left, calling for someone to call the 'auctioneer'. They soon disappeared and left me alone to worry about the only boy who brought me comfort.

~~~~

I woke up the next morning to shouting and crashing.
"Get her in the trailer now, Ray doesn't want her around no more thanks to the broken bone she caused." Scott's voice ordered, shocking me.

I broke Ravens bone?! I knew it was a bad idea to trust people...

Soon enough three men charged into my stall, all of them had halters and leads. I backed into the corner and whinnied, tossing my head and looking towards the porch where Raven sat on one of the things the humans called a chair, his leg wrapped up.
In my moment of distraction the men put the halter and lead on my and dragged me towards the trailer where a large man stood. He was balding and he had a scar that ran down his cheek to his chin and his dark brown eyes looked harsh and unforgiving.

"I'm sure the dogs will enjoy her." He muttered, taking my lead from the man and yanked it forward, jerking my head towards the trailer.
"Jewel!" Raven called frantically, trying to rush down the porch steps.
I looked over and let out a sorrow filled neigh before the evil man pulled me into the trailer and slammed the door shut.

"Dad please! Don't let him take her, it was just an accident you spooked her!" I heard Raven beg his father as the truck started up, the loud roar of the engine startling me. I lashed out and kicked at the trailer wall, even as we began driving and Ravens pleas grew quiet. I stuck my nose to the window in front of me and closed my eyes, remembering the times when life was simple and I lived with my dam.

I took a deep breath to breathe in the fresh, crisp air before letting it out and deciding to take a nap since we didn't seem to be stopping any time soon.

When I woke up it was past dark outside and we were still driving down a long albeit bumpy road. I huffed before taking a whiff of the outside world, only to panic as I realized I didn't recognize the smell at all.
After a few more moments the truck slowed down and pulled to a stop, loud bangs, neighs and shouts filling the air around me. The evil man opened up the trailer and backed me out before bringing me into a barn that reeked of urine and manure. Three or four horses each shared one stall, manure and several other horses lined the isle and every breath I breathed a fly went up my nose.

I sneezed and planted my hooves into the floor as the man continued to try and pull me into a stall with two other horses already occupying it. "Move your fat rear you stubborn mule or you'll be fed to the dogs a lot sooner than I'd planned!" He threatened, pulling me completely into the stall before slamming the door shut behind me and leaving, not even bothering to give any of us food or water.

Hours went by, or maybe even days. There were no windows in this barn and the men never came in to feed or water us. I could feel the dehydration setting in and even a couple of my ribs were showing. I was beginning to lose any and all energy I had tried to save and from the time I got here two horses have already fallen dead and are starting to make it smell like rotting flesh in here.
"Do they ever come in to feed or water us?" I asked, my throat scratchy and parched.
"Sometimes," an older mare nickered from across the aisle.
"Usually once a week and that's also when they remove anyone who... didn't make it."
"How long have you been here?" I heard that curiosity killed the cat, but according to my dam satisfaction brought it back.

"Oh my dear, you're curious aren't you? I've been here since I was a foal. Living off of the manure and the occasional rain water that leaks through the roof. Sure the taste isn't great but it keeps me alive, and it helps keep my foal alive." She replied, nudging her foal that she had shortly after I'd arrived.
"What's his name?" I asked softly, reaching my head over the stall door to get a better look at him. A little golden champagne colt suckled from his dam as we talked.
"His name is Solaris, meaning One Who Is Of The Sun." She replied with a soft sigh.
"He grow slightly darker as he ages and he'll look more orange once he sheds his foal coat." She explains, nuzzling her baby.
(Pic of Sol/Solaris and his dam Golden Champion above)

"I like it, it suits him." One of the other horses in my stall snorted at our talking and flicked her tail.
"Star I have something to ask if you." The older mare started, staring at me and begging me to take this seriously.
"What is it?" I asked, worried something was wrong. I didn't like her tone at all, I was worried Solaris would understand her and get worried. No foal should have to worry about its dam and sire.

"If something we're to happen to me, I want you to take Solaris with you." She muttered so softly I almost didn't hear her.
"But... if he's not weaned I have no way to feed him. What would I do?"
"I believe you will have a way to provide for him no matter how old he is, please. Just promise me you'll keep him safe if something happens." She begged quietly, desperate to make sure her foal will be safe.
"Ok, I promise. I'll keep him safe until the day I die." I promised, bobbing my head to seal the deal before I drifted off to sleep.

I awoke late into the night a few days later to loud crashing and panicked neighs from my barn mates. I vaguely heard the men shouting outside as smoke began to fill my nostrils, making me and several others cough.
"Fire!" My only friend -who's name is Golden Champion- squealed, kicking at her stall door to escape while Solaris panicked beside her.
I turned as best as I could and kicked the stall door out before going to Gold's and doing the same.

"Come on!" I demanded, leaded the way through the horses in the aisle and kicking down a couple doors along the way. The fire crackled behind us and began swallowing anyone who was too slow, which, scarily, included Solaris.
I fell back behind him and pushed his rump to get him to move, ignoring the panicked whinnies and neighs of the horses as they struggled to break down the big barn door.

I heard a crack from above and a large piece of wood fell on top of Gold, trapping her as the fire consumed the wood.
"Keep Sol safe!" Was her last plea before she was devoured by the flames. Sol and I let out similar sorrow-filled whinnies before a piece of wood crashed down and landed on my shoulder.
I squealed as the fire licked upwards toward my neck and shoved Sol forward with my head as the barn door creaked and fell to the ground and the horses rushed out. I bolted with Solaris close behind and immediately went to a puddle of mud, where I rolled and extinguished the flames the burnt my coat and left a splotch of white, a scar.

I stood and began trotting away from the horrid place, glancing back occasionally to make sure Sol was following.
"Momma!" He wailed, looking back at the fire that was once his home.
"Oh Sol," I mumbled, nuzzling his shoulder.
"Your momma is watching you I promise, but we have to get moving ok?" He bobbed his head as his lips quivered and followed behind me as i led the way down the bumpy road of arrived on, not sure what I was going to do.