Untamable

Chapter Twelve Leap of Faith

A bang rings through the air and Wild Face cries out in pain. He clutches his ankle and turns to limp away. I turn and run after him, scooping him up his arm wrapped around my neck. Wild Face puts his leg over my back and pulls himself upright and is wincing in pain. Suddenly his eyes widen and he lets out a cry of joy. He lifts his arms and howls with happiness. I raise my head and whinny my mane and tail flying. Another gunshot brings Wild Face's arms down and he leans over my back, his dark face in my flowing mane.

I canter faster my legs flowing over the ground smoothly, my hooves not catching on the rough rock surface. Dust billows behind me as I thunder over the landscape. Wild Face is holding on with all his might, his hands are woven into my mane to keep hold. I leap over a simple stream, landing heavily on the opposite bank. My hoof falls 130 sum pounds heavier than usual with Wild Face on my back. As I land the rock gives a great CRACK! and I fall several inches deeper into the ground. I whinny in surprise and Wild Face yells his. I rapidly canter as the ground beneath my hooves falling into the cave below. Each rock heap that falls makes a great crash that sends terror through me making my pace even faster.

The charging of the Worker Bees and Queen Bee registers in my ears as the tanned to orange rocks crumble beneath my hooves. I strain my front hooves searching for stable ground as my breath tears at my lungs. Wild Face is leaning forward trying to help. However he only adds more weight to my front hooves making the rocks fall faster. More cries from the Worker Bees and Saber's neigh. Suddenly I rocket forward, the cave beneath my hooves is over. I whinny flipping my beautiful buckskin head as we canter off. Wild Face turns to see the Worker Bees but instead of falling into the cliff like stream. They are going around knowing the ground is unfit of travel.

They are gaining on us with Saber and Queen Bee in the lead. As I shift my head to look at him his once warm dark eyes are closed off.

"Saber, you are a wild horse and always will be. Turn back while you still can!" I call knowing all he can see is my flowing tail and shining soft yellow pelt.

"You are wrong Lila, and now I will make you pay for beating me." He roars over the storm of hooves.

"Beating you at what?" I call back outraged but I still canter hard.

"Staying free." He cried back but his voice was closer, the ground beneath my hooves is tilting upward as I look up.

There are great canyons of rock with orange shades and the walls of rock go so high in the sky I cannot see the top. I lean into the slope before replying to Saber,

"I am to be blamed while you can still change your fate."

Saber snorted and the fact that, that low noise registered means he is very close. Wild Face says,"Come on Mustang." and I go faster leaping onto the cliff face. There is a ramp like rock surface. It winds around one mountain of rock. As I turn the next bend my dark tail flashing behind the rock a bullet taking off a few tail hairs. I can hear the brown horses and Saber leap onto the ramp with a great thunder. I push forward onto a straight away and I hear a whip and a brown horse canters to my side as my hoof catches on a rock and I stumble falling down as Wild Face and I look down and see the far drop that would end our lives.

I get up my knees bleeding but it doesn't bother me, no leg injuries my main problem is the brown horse with a blond haired Worker Bee jeering at Wild Face. The Worker Bee shoves Wild Face yells and I feel him slip his legs dangling over the side. I reach back and the brown horse murmurs apologies, and try to keep Wild Face close to my side so he doesn't fall to his death. The Worker Bee laughs but Wild Face finds a rock and swings himself around and smash kicks the blond Worker Bee into the stone wall knocking him out cold. The brown horse lifts his head and whinnies happily as his rider is freed from his back. Wild Face weaves his hands in my mane again.