A Falling Ember

What I Saw First

I open my eyes. A gray face and big brown eyes peer at me.
"Hello little one. Welcome to the world." The face says. It is my mother. I snort and shift my weight. What are those long dark things curled up underneath me?
"Those are your legs, little one," mother says, sensing my confusion. I struggle to get them out from under me. These "legs" are not cooperating. Suddenly my back end lifts into the air! I glance back and see that my legs are standing upright. After a bit more straining I get my front legs where they are supposed to be and plant them firmly into the ground. I am standing! I notice that mother is standing too and I walk over to her. Wait a second! I walked! I whinny in joy and prance around mother, scampering and spinning around and around.
"Your name is Ember, because you remind of a little falling ember," mother says and nickers me over to her. "Drink some milk now, then you should rest. We have a big day tomorrow. " I stick my head under her belly and drink warm milk, getting it all over my black muzzle and whiskers. Then I plop down into the long grass and close my eyes.
*******
I awake to mother prodding me with her muzzle. "Wake up, it's time to get moving," she says. I jump to my hooves and quickly have a breakfast of warm milk. Then I look around and what I see amazes me. We are in a small meadow ringed by mountains. Yellow things buzz on the wildflowers and I try to eat one. It flies away.
"Where are we going?" I ask.
"To meet the herd." Mother replies.
"What's the Herd?"
"Horses like us, they are your family, and Ember, you shall meet your sire." I am excited even though I still don't know what she means. How could there be more creatures like us? I didn't see any! I turn and see that mother is already trotting towards the mountains. I quickly scamper after her.