The Wild

03

The next thing I know I am crying. How could this happen? Why did this happen? On another note, men so pale. . .

It was scary. Terror flooded my veins.

I heard a neigh and turned my head in the direction of the sound. Quanah is there, rearing and kicking and bucking at everything that tries to harm her. It tears my heart in two to see something so beautiful act like this. . .

I rub at my eyes before running to her. But a hand pulls me back as I see a metal rod blow fire at her. The thing tears into her skin, red coloring her coat. She neighs, and crumples to the ground.

No. . . No, no, no!! I let out a bloodcurdling scream. "Quanah!!!" I scream out to no one. Even from this distance, I can tell that Quanah is no more.

I try to run forward, but that same hand is holding me back, pulling me close. I turn to see who it is, but alas, I cannot see a thing. My tears blur my vision, so I blink as many times as I can manage.

White Man!! He is holding me by the wrist with a sinister smirk on his face. I scream once more, even though my throat is already sore. I thrash. I kick. I hit.

I bite.

Biting gets me somewhere. I bite his hand and he lets me go, and I run. I don't know where. I just run.

At the edge of the village, a horse is struggling against White Man. She is. . . She is Wonder.

Wonder. . .

I have to get her out of here. At least her, at least. I can't let her die like this. I can't let her suffer like this!!

She rears multiple times, and in the end, she gallops off in the opposite direction, right towards me. She is fast.

But not too fast.

Impulsively, I grab onto her mane once she is close enough and pull myself up onto her back. I tighten my hold and make myself smaller, hugging her body with my legs. This only causes her to go faster.

She is the fastest horse I have ever ridden.

We ride on and on, miles away from the village. By this time my tears have dried. I pull on Wonder's mane, and she rears, but stops. I turn her to face the village. Tears begin to well in my eyes once more.

I can still see the fire. The smoke. And when I squint, I can see horses fighting back, arrows being shot, fire being fired.

It is Hell.

I hate that I am running away. But I have to get Wonder out of here. Further away from this madness.

I am surprised she has let me ride her this far. I am surprised she has let me ride her at all. After everything. . .

She is born wild, and now this. I still cannot believe this has happened.

Currently, we rest by a river. When I dismount Wonder, she did not run away. She grew tense, but then relaxed once I was off.

As I lean against a tree, I look up into her eyes. She is continuously looking around, alert and ears pointed. She seems ready to bolt if need be.

I can still see fear in her eyes.

I click my tongue to get her attention. "Wonder," I gently call out as she turns her head towards me. She stares at me for a moment before taking a step forward and pressing her head against my shoulder. I rub her neck comfortingly and coo at her. I pet her for what seems like eternity. The poor creature is still going through shock.

It takes me only a minute to realize that I have no idea where we are.

We sit in a forest with tall trees. I wiggle my toes in the soft soil, and, oddly, Wonder sniffs my feet. I can't help but giggle at the feeling.

And for some reason, laughing reminds me of the village. The Cheyenne people.

Was I the only one to survive? No, I can't be. . . There has to be others!

But to think. . . All of the children, the mothers, the warriors. . . Gone. . .

No! I cannot think negatively! We had to have won! We are stronger than the White Man!

We had to have won. . . Right?