A Twist of Fate


Chapter 17

Flight Angel warily trailed behind the roan stallion. They had been walking for hours across a deep, winding valley, and surely were the only living things for miles. This wide space, with no security of fences or warm, cozy barns left Flight Angel with a feeling of foreboding; and although she somewhat feared the untamed stud to walk beside him, she followed closely.

Never before in her life had she seen such an example of masculinity in an animal of her kind. The thoroughbreds off the track were sleek and aerodynamic, with firm rippling muscles designed specifically for speed. But Sage was different. He too had the rippling, sleek muscles, but instead of being built up by training, they had been etched out of necessity and  the hardship of living in the wild. She traced with her eyes the long, curving contours of his coat and shivered as the scars on his flanks reminded her of how many times he must have had to use those very muscles in order to stay alive.

Sage also had a look in his eyes Flight Angel had never seen up to this point. The were full of fire and wildness she had yet to witness in even the most high-strung of thoroughbreds. But along with that ferocity, there was also cautiousness.  It reflected itself to her in the whites of his eyes and his careful, purposeful steps. Any second he could be in severe danger, and she wondered how he could ever sleep at night knowing that any minute could be his last.

“Is there something wrong?”

Flight Angel’s eyes quickly caught Sage’s gaze as she stopped abruptly. Without even knowing it, she had been staring at him, and with a self-satisfying grin, he knew it.

“Uh no, not at all,” She stuttered quickly. “I’ve never seen a wild horse that’s all. I was trying to figure out what makes you so much different from me.”

Sage chuckled deep in his throat as he picked up his slow, prodding pace again. “Nothing makes me different from you. We’re horses, drinkers of the wind, thunder of the earth.” He tossed his head sending his billowing black mane high into the air. “Only you like to run in circles.”

He turned his head slightly to smile at her, and beside herself she blushed.

With a hint of defensiveness Flight Angel questioned. “What would you know about ‘running in circles’ anyway?”

The handsome stallion breathed a deep sigh, and turned to face her. Behind him, the sun had begun to set in brilliant shades of orange and red. They colors reached tenderly across the Western sky, and painted themselves like a dancing bonfire on the cliffs before their meandering path. What the wild lacked in security, it certainly made up for in flawless beauty.

“My mother was a racehorse, believe it or not,” Sage smiled. “And a good one at that, until my father convinced her to leap from her paddock and join his band. They were in love at one time.”

Flight Angel cocked her head with curiosity. “What happened to them?”

“I don’t know, I haven’t seen them since I was chased from my home herd. But I like to think they are still together somewhere. My father was an excellent stallion, he took wonderful care of his mares.”

Flight angel nodded, and they continued their trek towards their destination, except this time, Flight Angel walked beside him. For a few minutes they remained silent, each thinking fondly of their childhood and upbringing, until Flight Angel spoke again.

“Sage, is that why that grey stallion wanted me? To be a part of his herd?”

Sage’s eyes grew wide with surprise, but he answered her softly. “Yes, ever since he lost his herd he has been looking to start a new one. Preferably with my mares, if he can steal them.” The roan stallion winked and gave her an impressive grin. She returned the favor, but then her face returned to it’s former seriousness.

“How did he loose his herd?”

Sage sighed, the pain from his memories catching in his breath. “Not all stallions are good Angel, and he treated his mares with a cold heart. That is until I stole his band a few years back, which is the same band that I watch over now.
It was winter, two feet of snow covered the ground in one of the worst snow storms this area has ever seen in my time. Slate refused to let his mares shelter in the pine grove where we are headed, and so all their young colts and fillies froze to death in the snow. None of the mares ever forgave him, and when the storm let up and the sun shone again, they rebelled. There was a particular filly, too young to have a foal of her own, that eventually challenged him in the end.”

Flight Angel’s mouth hung open with awe. It was like the stories her mother used to tell her of the wild ones when she would have trouble sleeping at night, except this, was real. Bursting with excitement like a yearling and completely entranced with the story, she pressed him further. “What happened?”

Sage laughed softly at her enthusiasm, and happily continued. “Well, I don’t know exactly how it started, but it just so happens that I was close enough to hear the battle ensue and galloped over to see if I could join in. I was a bachelor then, and in my mind I could conquer the world, I was ready for anything, until I came upon the scene and saw a  tiny mare fighting a stallion in his prime. I doubt I will ever see that again in my lifetime, but Windrunner was a fiery little thing.” He paused for a moment to recollect his thoughts.

“I’ve never seen a filly fight so hard before, but she had good reason, the blizzard had killed her poor old mother as well as her younger sister. And in my astonishment, she actually knocked him off his feet. But when he got back up, I knew no matter how hard of a fighter she was, he would of killed her right then and there. Which is when I stepped in. And ran him out.”

Sage lifted his head with pride. “And the herd I fought for so many years ago, is the one I keep now. Although it’s becomes Slate’s lifelong goal to make my life a living hell for stealing his herd, but I don’t mind. It was more than worth it.”

Flight Angel locked her gaze upon the ground, her mind whirling with so many thoughts. It had been the first time in what seemed like years that she had forgotten the terrible events of the night before. And her eyes lit up with happiness for the first time since she had met him.

“This Windrunner, will I meet her when we find your herd?” She questioned hopefully. What an honor it would be to meet such a filly as this one Sage spoke about with such fondness! Never in her life had she even heard of a mare fighting a stallion, it was almost too exciting for her to handle. But much to her surprise, Sage’s face twisted with pain and he cantered ahead.

“We’re almost there, c’mon it’s just a little further.”

Flight Angel, with a pause of confusion, quickly cantered to meet him. Just over the next rise, a small, shady grove of pine trees stood sheltered against the wall of a rocky gorge. The moon, now bursting in its fullness above them, sent white beams of light filtering through their magnificent branches. It was other worldly, and Angel didn’t mind at all following her companion into the otherwise, spooky darkness.

After a moment Sage disappeared, nickering with worry. When he got no response, he picked his way through the frosty boughs with an easy familiarity. Flight Angel stood in a shaft of moonlight to wait for him, and whickered happily when he finally did appear to her. Stepping into the pool of light, he tossed his finely-sculpted head.

“Raina must of taken them across the river,” he explained. “When I went to investigate the scent of fire, I instructed her to do so if I did not return immediately. She’s a smart mare that Raina.” Sage smiled with satisfaction at her loyalty.

“Who is Raina?” Flight Angel asked with confusion.

“Ahh,” Sage reminisced. “My lead mare, she’s a pretty appaloosa with a lot of sense. You’ll meet her tomorrow probably. It’s too dark to cross the river now, we’ll find them tomorrow. Tonight we’ll stay here, wolves will be on the prowl.”

“Wolves?” Flight Angel gasped with fear. She could feel the fur on the back of her neck prickling with terror. She had never seen a wolf, but the yearlings used to scare the young fillies with stories of their ferocity. From what she remembered, wolves could tear horses apart limb from limb while they were still very alive, and whether it was true or not, it completely terrified her.

Sage laughed under his breath. “No need to worry young filly. I’ll keep watch. You catch up on some sleep, you’ll need it.” And with a flick of his tail he disappeared into the miniature forest again, to stand guard at it’s entrance.

With caution she spun around, looking in every shadow for a wolves hungry eyes, and listening for any hint of their menacing, bone-chilling howl. After she was satisfied that she was indeed the only creature within the pines, she lowered onto her knees, and plopped with a grunt upon her side. She thought quietly as her breathing slowed with drowsiness, of the fearless mare who challenged a ruthless stallion and wondered if someday she could ever possess that kind of courage.

At that moment she looked upwards, her glossy, blue eyes gazing at the vastest expanse of stars she had ever seen in her short lifetime. She wondered deep in her heart, if somehow, somewhere, Blackbird was looking at the same stars and thinking of her. For an unknown reason she felt guilty, very guilty although the source remained illusive. Slowly, her eyes closed as the thought of him comforted her, and in her dreams, she galloped with him across the brilliant sky.