The bidding went back and forth for what felt like a long time, and over the course of that time I was finally caught and cornered, but not before biting a few people. I gave a desperate whinny when a man started to lead me and I planted my feet, refusing to move.
The red head who'd looked at me before in my pen came running out and shooed away the man holding my lead rope, then she held it and looked at me. "You look like a princess." She said gently, holding out her hand. In the palm of her hand were a few orange things and a white cube. They smelled amazing, but I remembered the beatings from the many men who'd held my rope just like she was doing.
I remained suspicious, but she turned around and started to walk. "Come on, Princess." She said in a gentle voice. I looked back at the men gathered behind me and pinned my ears, then followed behind the red head. Her mother was waiting outside the ring with her arms crossed. "You could have been kicked, Annie. You saw how she was with those stewards."
"She's a good horse!" Annie protested. "Just underfed and under valued!"
"Very underfed." Annie's mom commented, looking at my ribs and jutting hips.
"But look, Mom! She looks like a princess!"
"A princess who was locked in a tower with no food or water for a few years." I pinned my ears at this remark and Mom shouted: "Watch!" and pushed Annie away from my head.
"Hey!" Annie protested. "She wouldn't bite me!"
"We'll see about that, now let's get home, it's almost six."
"Okay!" She lead me towards a large stock trailer attached to a red truck. The scents of two other horses drifted towards me but they didn't smell like they were alarmed. One was especially strong, and when Mom opened the trailer door a cherry bay gelding whinnied at me.
"Hey, Vikingo!" Annie sang. "We've got you a new friend!" I had stopped dead outside the trailer, trembling. I hated trailers. "Come on, girl!" Annie said, hopping into the trailer and tugging on my lead rope. "You're alright! We'll fatten you up back home and you'll be a real princess!"
"Assuming Paloma hasn't already taken that role." Mom said tiredly, offering Vikingo a bucket of water. I couldn't remember the last time I had fresh water so I shoved past Annie and clambered onto the trailer. I pinned my ears and Vikingo, stunned, he could only watch as I dipped my muzzle in the cool water and drank. I'd drank half the bucket before I realized Annie had tied my lead rope to the trailer wall. I pulled back and rolled my eyes in fear. "Easy, easy." Vikingo nickered. "They're good people and they won't hurt you."
"Heard that before!" I snorted, calming down as Annie let the slip knot loose and I was no longer attached to the wall. Mom sighed and herded Annie out of the trailer. The door shut and Vikingo and I were encased in darkness. We drove for hours and didn't talk much, I was too focused on not falling.
When the truck finally turned off the main road I looked out the window and saw a freshly painted sign that said "Diamond Creek Stables". I heard a door slam and running foot steps. The door to the trailer opened and I shot out, breathing hard. When I looked around I was in a large pasture with white fencing that lead into a quaint red barn. I whinnied and a small voice whinnied back. I turned my head in that direction and watched a grulla mare trot from a spot in the darkness.
She trotted around me, her eyes hard and judging. She snapped at me and I squealed, rearing up and returning the nip. She squealed and turned around, backing into me. I mirrored her and when our hindquarters touched we both squealed and kicked out.
"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Mom called, swinging the lead rope at the grulla. She took off at a high stepping trot, snorting and blowing. Annie laughed and swung herself over the white fence, trotting up to Mom.
"Ha! Look at her, she won't take any crap from Paloma!"
"That may not be a good thing." Mom said, turning away. I saw Vikingo and Paloma eating hay and trotted over, chasing Vikingo from his pile. He settled with another pile beside Paloma who pinned her ears and lifted a hind leg. He, however, ignored her completely and instead chose to eat on in silence.
That was how we spent our first few days, then Mom came out one day with Annie trailing behind. I kept my distance, hovering in the back of the field as Vikingo and Paloma trotted up. Mom stopped and gave them treats but Annie continued doggedly on in my direction.
"Hey, princess!" She called, holding out her hand. I flicked my ears, trusting her was still difficult for me. She came up to me and clipped on my lead rope, leading me towards the barn. I balked at going inside but Mom helped coax me in. Annie led me into a ring and made me move around her in a circle, asking me for a walk, trot, and canter. However, I didn't feel like listening, so I took off at a gallop, bucking and squealing.
Annie asked me to walk several times, but I ignored her, galloping on. Finally she tugged the lunge line so I was forced to come to a stop and face her. I was breathing hard and she looked me right in the eye, her green eyes staring deep into my brown eyes.
"You can still be the princess, but I'm the queen."
YOU ARE READING
Heart and Soul
General FictionI'm a Thoroughbred, born, bred, and bought to run. For a long time this was my only propose, my only job, but I couldn't help thinking: is there more to life? And boy did I learn that, there's a lot more. And not all of it's good... My name is Charm...
