Untamable

Chapter Thirteen I Will Always Return

After Saber reaches us Wild Face swings on my back. He knows what an honor this is and that he will be the only pale face ever to ride me. Saber is panting but his eyes are bright. He knows that only distance keeps us from our home, no ropes, no Bee Hives, no Bees. Just the wind in my mane. Wild Face is howling with joy and I lift my head and whinny with him. Soon Saber joins me as we gallop through the landscape, which has changed from a desert like rock surface to dry grass and I can see Wild Face's hollow far off. We gallop because we are indeed injured but nothing can keep us from going home now. Saber looks at me questioningly when I do not follow the path straight home and I neigh,

"He made sure I could get home this is the least I can do. Besides, I would like to say a free farewell to the Native Horse herd."

"What about that black horse you were with?" Saber neighs looking at me cautiously.

"You killed him." I neigh trying to keep anger out of my whinny but I canter ahead ignoring my limb's protest.

He gives me my space and I know that deep down I will never be able to forgive him for this one crime. Wild Face is tense as we near his camp. I slow to a gallop without meaning to even though I know he will want to go faster. There is smoke from a wood fire obscuring the walk way through the new camp that was rebuilt after the attack. I slow to a halt and hang my head as Wild Face slides off my back and a women and two little identical girls all with long dark braids eyes and skin. But their faces are warm and loving as they surround him. Wild Face kisses everyone of them and then turns to me his eyes wet. He lifts his fingers to his lips and gives his summoning whistle.

I close my eyes turning my head away as I don't have the energy to fight this battle in my heart now. Even after my enormous victory, slowly I look back at the smoke and open my eyes. Then I narrow them, what is that? I think as dark figures appear blurred at the edges their manes appearing to float in the light breeze. First Sapphire appears, then Blind Falcon, followed by the entire herd of Native American horses. I hold my ground as the sun glistens off my buckskin pelt. My heart aches with loss as I lower my head.

Suddenly there is another figure, a one so dark it seems they embody a storm in the night. I take a step forward my heart beat racing.

"Storm?" I whisper then shake my head, no why are you torturing me so? He is dead, he was shot by Queen Bee and I will never see him again. I think but the figure is growing clearer,

"Lila?!" The figure rumbles stepping forward into the sun.

It is him! It is Storm! I whinny with joy and prance toward him feeling as though nothing could ever possibly go wrong in the world as long as he is near.

"Storm!" I cry and wrap my neck around his and we stand there for a moment.

"I thought you were dead!" I whinny not letting go of him.

"It will take more than a gunshot to finish me off. I thought you would never come back." He nickered nibbling my upper shoulder blade even though I had not told him why it comforts me he still noticed Wild Face doing it.

"I almost didn't." I whinny breathing in his scent of heather and herbal smoke.

"Ummm Lila, we have to go." says Saber shifting his weight between his hooves and looking down.

"You are right Saber, Storm are you coming or not?" I ask but then I add on,"I've never loved a horse like I love you and I could never be happy without you near."

I don't notice it but Saber looks up sharply and glares at Storm his ears pinned back to his head with hostility.

"You saved me and I would love to go to your homeland. I have already said goodbye to my herd." He neighs looking back at little Blind Falcon who is being stroked by the Leader of their Tribe. "Blind Falcon has been chosen by the Leader to be his own horse. All is well here and they all wish me to follow you."