Untamable

Chapter Two Kill or be Killed

I wake to Alita's soft nudge, "Lila it's nearly sunrise, time to get ready for the race with Saber."
I blink the sleep from my wide deep brown eyes. Stretching up then shaking the sleep from my body,"Okay, will anyone be watching?" I ask refusing to show my nervousness in my voice.
"Just a few of the mares," she says but she doesn't add on. She leans down to eat some grass and I nurse. My young age suddenly very clear to me. There's no way I can beat Saber. I think then my face hardens, but I'm not going to make it easy for him. "I'm going to talk to Rose and Josey Mother," I tell her. She nods, but I notice as I walk to the fillies that Mother follows me. I don't mind though, I don't feel all together comfortable even around the friendly fillies.

"Hello Lila," they say in unison and then give each other a glance of hey I was going to say that!
"Hey, Rose and Josey." I giggle walking closer to them and feeling pride that even though they were nearly a season older than me that I was as big as them. Most of it is leg, horses are born with ninety percent of their legs already there.
"Don't let Saber get you down, he is just a little defensive around new horses. I'm sure he'll lighten up to you." Assures Rose reaching back to try to nip at a fly invading her speckled hindquarters.
"He is all talk," concludes Josey her light brown eyes kind, like I'm about to be fed to the wolves.
"Well he didn't seem that mean, he knows a threat when he sees one," I joke holding my head high and prancing in place. They both laugh and then stop abruptly. I smell him before I saw him, his heathery and piney scent fills my nose. I can't quite decide how to feel about it.
"Are you ready Lila?" He asks and I turn defiantly to look him in the face.
"Yes, I am," I reply even toned as the sun pokes its rays over the near by mountain side.
"Alright let's go," said Saber and he starts to walk and to my surprise, he walks at my pace deeply contradicting his past attitude.

We are just passing over the stream when I stop, admiring the vast territory full of all pigments of flowers swaying in the light sweet smelling breeze. The line of pine trees we use for shelter also tinted on the wind and even though they are a good hour walk away I can smell their sharp crisp sap. I cannot smell the mountain and I wonder if I will be able to after the race. My nose lifting in the air and I close my eyes. I am simply captivated by it all.

I open my eyes and look around my more immediate surroundings my heart gives a jolt, every single mare is here along with a strawberry roan stallion, that must be Razor  I think.
"Gosh, a lot of horses turned up," says Saber and I can hear a note of anxiousness in his voice. That would normally give me a boost but now it just makes me feel even more foolish. That's is when I realize, this is my first chance to prove I'm a better leader than Saber! I think in alarm as I am still very young and I have never run this far before.
"Line up." Orders Razor his shocking blue eyes stern and I make a mental note not to cross him.
Saber and I obey, our front hooves parallel as I brace myself for the easy lope Alita advised.
"On the count of three," says Razor.
"One."
Maybe this was a mistake.
"Two."
What if Saber is really fast?
"Three!"
I launch myself forward but Saber is already way ahead of me, I clear my head, lope, I order to myself. Easing my pace to a lope, my legs bounding smoothly over the ground. But Saber is still far ahead of me. I take a deep breath and push my lope on. The pine is getting closer and Saber is still way ahead of me. 

Our hooves pounding on the ground, short manes flying in the breeze. If this was not a race I could do this for fun all the time. A blue bird flutters down next to me and keeps my pace for a while. I nicker and the bird tweets. Then with a gust of energy the little blue creature races into the sky. My gaze flicks up to the tiny dot in the clear blue sky. I look forward again to see Saber's brown butt shining with sweat.

That's when she comes. A mountain lion, a full grown female mountain lion launches herself at Saber. Powerful muscles rippling beneath the pelt, which is a mountain rock brown. Perfect for stalking prey without a sound. Small agile head with long bared fangs protruding from the pink and white mouth. Small dark eyes glazed with what can only be hunger.