Camio
I stroll along the road, watching the horses wander down the same road, accompanied by their riders holding their leashes. Alkaline Stables is always beautiful, but especially in Autumn, as the world just rolls by. I continue down until I reach the stable-house, where the picturesque horses are all lined up in their stables. In Spring, many young horses will have reached a year of age, and are now being sold out to racers, show-riders, and anyone who will buy them. Additionally, older horses who need new homes are being sold off as veterans and often get more offers than the younger unproven horses. I’m always on the lookout for new horses, and I pop in to look at any youngsters that catch my eye. I wander down the Right Hall, where the ones for sale stand happily in their little pens. I stroll past palomino Pinto Horses, deep chestnut Clydesdales and ginger Appaloosas, before I stop in my tracks. I can see out through the doorway, into one of the circular outside enclosures, where a black white-striped horse is galloping around, chased by two men in tartan shirts. I head closer, tilting my head to the side in confusion. A young woman stands at the sidelines, watching with a disappointed look on her face. I wander up to her and fold my arms, watching the horse desperately running away from the two men. It has a beautiful white mane, which catches my eye the most.
“That mare will never sell.” The woman mutters under her breath. She has long black hair that stretched halfway down her torso and has a black leather jacket on. She has a light beige woollen jumper on underneath with a darker beige star in the middle. She also has denim ripped jeans on, with a white belt and grey metal buckle around her waist. I look at the horse sprinting around. “A feral thing. Too aggressive, too scared. She’ll end up in that animal shelter down the road.” The woman continues to herself. She glances to her side and sees me, startling a little. “Oh, didn’t see you there. First person we’ve had come and look at her, other than to say to me, ‘that horse will never sell’. Heck, I’ve been saying it myself these past few days.” She turns to me and extends her hand. “Name’s Anna Schmidt. Once was a professional horse racer, but I’m in the private business now. Breeding any horses that come my way. Usually keep the aggressive ones, but this one’s shown no interest in settling down with a herd.” She says, in a rather gruff voice. I shake her hand.
“She’s a dangerous one?” I ask. She stares at me for a moment, then laughs.
“God no, scared as anything. But she does bite the horses if they get too close. Ate one of my rabbits last week, too – omnivorous in diet, but prefers meat to hay and grass. That’s what you get when you have a hellhound-horse crossbreed. Barely heard of the species till her mother showed up in the veterinary centre after an encounter with a poaching group.” She moans, turning back to the horse and folding her arms. I watch as the two men give up and leave the pen. The horse stands still for a moment, and I can catch her features. She’s like no other horse. Where other horses have a long face, she has a tiger’s, and where other horses have one set of eyes, she has two, glistening jade with slits for pupils. She has large tiger-like ears, and big white fangs that protrude from her muzzle. She has a rope around her mouth to keep it shut, that is connected to a post in the centre of the pen.
“That must be painful!” I gasp, pointing out the rope. Anna shrugs.
“Only a minor sting when she tries to open her mouth. The other horses deal with it. She’s a lively one, though. Shakes it off if she has a chance.” She replies. I watch the horse hiss and snarl at the men, before retreating to the centre and laying down in the grass. Immediately I feel a connection with her. It’s almost like Lightning, but my connection with Lightning is a lifelong one, one that's been nurtured over years. I wander closer to the fence, peering in at the mare. “I’d like to see her inside, please.”
Blossom
The mean female joins the two males as they lead me to the stable, and into an enclosure, tying my tethering ropes to the posts on either side. I see another female approaching, one I’ve never seen before. Why’s she looking at me like that? She’s talking about me with the mean female. She seems friendly enough, but so did the mean female, at first glance. Maybe this new female is just like the mean female, and the two males. I wish I could trust that she’s a good person, but with the mean female in her company? It’s unlikely, at best. I watch as the new female moves closer to me, and back away. I hiss at her, trying to get her to go away. She doesn’t. I hiss again, and when that doesn’t work, I roar at her. She grabs the tethering ropes near my mouth and unties them. I blink, surprised. I hiss a little, but I realise it’s less aggressive. I can’t fall in! I can’t trust her! I think, hissing again, vicious once more. The new female steps back a little, but she doesn’t seem very terrified. She reaches a hand out and strokes my muzzle. I shake it off, roaring. Her hand retreats back and into a pouch in her light blue leg-hide. She has a blonde mane that reaches to her waist, and a smile on her muzzle. She has a different body-hide to her leg-hide, like most humans, but it is a similar colour of blue, just a little darker, and the same texture. Unlike some humans, it shows her underbelly, which is bright pink. It is a very unusual colour for an underbelly, but her fur is her fur, and I will not question it. Perhaps she will change it like the other humans, whose fur changes from day to day. She says something to the mean female, who walks off. She leads me to the yard outside, where I back into the corner, shying away from her. She stands very still and watches me with bright blue eyes.
Camio
“Hey there. I’m not going to hurt you. My name’s Camio.” I whisper to the horse, snapping my fingers a few times, wishing I had my clicker like when I was training Lightning. The mare seems more alert as I do so. She hisses again, like before, and shakes her head. “Shh. I won’t hurt you.” I reach for a stick with a nice brush on the end and run it over her head. She closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them again and paws the ground, hoof scraping against the dirt. She looks nervous, so I give her another scratch. She blinks, and stares at me, moving a little closer. A noise distracts her, and her head twirls towards it, but I press my clicker again, and she instinctively moves closer. I give her another scratch with the stick. She growls a little, pawing the ground, and I continue scratching. Her head tilts to the side and she flaps her ears as I scratch, obviously enjoying it. Anna watches from the side, a look of surprise on her face as the horse comes closer, and closer, until I can touch her with my hand. I run my hand over her nose and muzzle, stroking her, and she neighs gently, her breath moving my fringe. I giggle, a bright and joyful noise that I haven’t heard since Lightning. Since she left the racing business. Retired.
I stop my thoughts, frowning. I'm not meant to go back there again. It was a dark day, a life-threatening injury. The horse makes an anxious noise and moves towards me again. I smile, and rest my head against hers, closing my eyes. She lowers herself down and looks at me. She doesn’t have a saddle on her back, but I climb on anyway. I grip her bridle as she stands again and stays still for a moment. Then she jumpstarts up to 60, galloping over the fence at full speed, clearing an astonished Anna with ease. She soars almost like a falcon for a few precious seconds, before hitting the earth again and continuing onwards to the wilderness just beyond Alkaline Stables. I can feel her power, her muscles underneath me, surging forward and reaching halfway past Alkaline Lake in no time. Her energy knows no limitations, reaching up the mountain and to the edge of the waterfall. She stands against the current, showing me the world around her. I can see much further than the stables, far to the city in the East, and the Alkaline Woodland of the West. I can see little ant cars driving around the roads, and fields filled with cattle. I reach forward, hugging the mare’s neck. I remember I haven’t named her yet. I gasp, shocked with myself for forgetting. She shuffles anxiously at my surprise.
“What shall I call you, huh?” I whisper to her. She snorts a little. “What about Rose?” I question. She growls, evidently showing her disapproval. I think for a moment. “Maybe Moonie?” I ask. She shakes her head. “Ok… Alana?” She hisses, becoming frustrated with all these names. “Kenna?” She huffs and begins to shake her body a little. “Ok, ok! I got that one wrong. Maybe Sophie?” I ask. There’s no response. She doesn’t hate it but doesn’t like it either. “Umm… What about Rihanna?” Another head shake. “Hm. That’s a no." I look around for inspiration, my eyes settling on a beautiful Japanese tree. "Look at that cherry blossom, so beautiful.” I think aloud. She perks up, neighing her approval. I light up. “You like that one, huh? Alright, Blossom it is.” We begin to trot down the mountain again, less fast-paced, and I wonder if it’s really like Lightning again.
Blossom
This female is very nice. From what people keep talking about, I think her name is ‘Camio’. I often see her head look towards someone when they say Camio. I don’t know what the other words mean, but they must mean something to her. At least that mean female is no longer nearby.
It’s been a few weeks now, and I am returning to her barn for the first time. A horse awaits me that makes me shiver. It’s an angelic unicorn, golden lines decorated along it’s body, golden horn terrifying. It has a glowing halo around its head, and yellow eyes that watch me. It doesn’t seem to attack me though, instead coming over and nuzzling me, making peaceful chuffing noises. I mimic them, and it bows, showing no harm. I swish my tail from side to side, almost in a flirtatious manner, which it seems pleased by. It calls to me, telling me her name, Lightning. She’s a mare too, and much older than me. I see one of her legs limps a little, her front left. She walks around in the home stable, and I settle in the corner. The human, Camio, comes over with some meat, which she throws to me. I pounce on it, hungrily digging my muzzle into the fresh carcass. I spot she then passes some milk in a bowl to Lightning, who slurps it down and stands up with a bright neigh, appearing less old and frail than she seemed before.
The home is brown, and made of wood, with little white bits at the edges, showing it’s outline. The stable area is sheltered with wooden sides and wood on top, but it is exposed to the elements, meaning I must snuggle up to Lightning for warmth. I don’t like the cold, I’m not used to it - I enjoy warmth, and I perform best in the warm summer days. I see Camio through some invisible substance that I cannot move through, watching her use a variety of metal things and fire to make some meat turn deep brown, which she cuts with some more metal things and eats. I wonder why she needs so many metal things to cut her food. Like I expected, each day she changes her fur. Today she has the same leg-hide and body-hide, but her underbelly is bright yellow, with green and dark yellow lines crossing through it in different places. It’s very strange. I watch her for a while, before she goes up a strange ramp with lots of sharp edges and moves away so I cannot see her. I settle back down next to Lightning, and as the world becomes darker and fades into black, I close my eyes, enjoying the peace.
Hannah
I arrive on Monday, greeting Blossom and showing her I’m friendly. On Tuesday, we begin some trust exercises, and some jumping exercises. On Thursday, we prepare for her first race.
It’s Saturday. The first Amateur Tier race of the season. 17th May.
I walk with Blossom’s leash in my hand as we head towards the racing track. There isn’t a huge crowd there, but it’s still noisy, and I can tell she’s anxious. I run a hand along her back, soothing her.
“It’ll be fine girl, it’ll be fine.” I whisper to her. I meet Camio along the way, who is riding Lightning for the Veteran Parade, which takes place before the race.
“Is Blossom alright? She’s been a bit jumpy around large groups of people before, I’m not sure she can handle it.” She asks, curious and concerned.
“She’ll be ok. We’ve been training for this.” I reassure her. She wanders off into the crowd, heading towards the barracks where Lightning is being kept. I am worried about something else, though. I haven’t ridden Blossom any faster than trot yet. I don’t know what she’ll do.
As we head into the race area to set up Blossom, I can see the Parade beginning, and Lightning cantering out in front of the other veterans. I secure my black helmet on my head, with white stripes on it, and get on Blossom’s back. It’s rushed. I can already feel anxiety creeping into me. But Blossom neighs a little, which calms me down. I can feel her body tense, ready to move. A man starts calling out the seconds, starting at 10. I settle my feet into the stirrups and brace.
9. Am I really ready?
8. Blossom shuffles a little, calming me down.
7. I can see the other competitors ready to launch.
6. They’re experienced, I can tell. They’ve been in the amateur races for a long time.
5. I haven’t been. Blossom neighs again, and I snap out of my spiral.
4. Then I look over to the side and see the reigning champion of the Amateur Tier, Joana and her horse Becca.
3. It’s too late. We’ll lose. Camio won’t be happy.
2. But maybe not.
1. Blossom paws on the ground, and I brace.
Go.
We take off like a bullet, but it’s still not fast enough. Blossom growls as she takes off, watching the other competitors speed ahead. I can feel myself bouncing up and down, but not very much. We reach the first corner in ninth place, but others take the inside line, galloping past us in a cacophony of hooves. Blossom’s muscles strain to catch up. By the third corner, we’re sixteenth. Last. I watch as we sink further and further behind. Second lap. We’re losing. I look ahead and suddenly I see Becca, streaming ahead of everyone else. Blossom sees her too.
Something changes within her mind. Something ancestral, something fierce.
I feel a sudden rush of wind as she kicks into some other mode, some much faster launch. All of a sudden, we’re fourth, the other competitors surprised as we gallop past them easily. I can feel her muscles, her power, her strength. I’m barely moving up and down, yet rocketing forwards. Blossom acts as if she’s cantering, showing off her best looks as she becomes a blur of movement, taking me with her. I look behind me, and see someone with a green helmet. The only green helmet in the race.
Joana.
We’ve overtaken the six year reigning champion. Six years of being first. Six years of winning every race. And in one race, Blossom has done what so many horses have not.
I’m over the finish line in a second. Blossom slows down so rapidly I feel like I’m going to throw up. Nausea surges through me and bells ring in my ears, eventually stopping. As the world adjusts out of ringing, I hear the commentators in uproar.
“And Hannah Neptune has crossed the line in record time!”
“I think that’s a record, Milo!”
“It sure is, Maria! That’s… OH. MY. GOD.”
“WHAT?”
“That’s FIVE SECONDS FASTER than the last record!”
“You MUST be reading that wrong! Give it to me!”
“But it’s right!”
“My god, it is!”
I can still hear them talking, but it drowns out as Camio sprints over and hugs me as I dismount. We jump up and down. Blossom seems very excited by the whole thing. We head over to the side as everyone else finally crosses the line. It was meant to be a slow race, but still, a whole five seconds faster than the record? That’s impossible. As Blossom is taken care off by the stable hands, we wander over to the cooldown tents, and I begin to process the events of a few moments ago.
“Hannah, you beat a record! You and Blossom did so well!” Camio shouts, practically jumping up and down with glee. I smile.
“It was all her. She had so much determination.” I reply slowly, relaying everything in my head.
“Perhaps she doesn’t belong in the Amateur Tier - maybe jump up a few to the Champions Tier?” She says quietly, letting me think for a moment. There’s a pause.
“I agree. But after some more training. She may be fast, but she lost speed in the turns - if we can maximise her potential… I can only dream of how far she’ll go.” I reply. There is more silence. But I know there’s something in Blossom there isn’t in any other horse.
Blossom
I’m so happy with that win. I can’t believe we got first place. That female, Hannah, she is so interesting. She always wears a similar hide every day, and it always smells of cats. And Camio - she’s so intriguing, so mysterious. She lives inside the barn, and I don’t see much of her when she’s inside the barn, but I see her eat using the metal things. I talk with Lightning lots, and she shares valuable information about Camio. She never trained with Hannah, but she’s heard of her skills. I wonder if Hannah is the rider I will win with. Since that race, I've started craving the success. She has a beautiful brown mane, and a very pale face and hooves. She always wears blue leg-hides which are hairless in patches, showing pale pink skin underneath. And she has a brown torso-hide, with a blue underbelly that sometimes swaps to yellow, purple, and rainbow colours. Today she’s wearing puddle blue. She comes over to me and hugs me, stroking my mane. I neigh my approval, and flutter my lip, moving her hair about. She laughs, and smiles. She says something, and I don’t understand most of the words, except ‘Blossom’, ‘Win’, and ‘Good girl’. I’m excited with the last two words, but I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because they relate to what happened earlier? I’m not sure. These humans are much nicer than the mean female and the males, I think to myself, watching Hannah walk inside. I peer through the glass as Camio hands her an invisible container, filled with water, which she then drinks. I am surprised by the fact that she doesn’t put her mouth to the water – instead she lifts the water to her mouth. It’s strange, but I remember all humans seem to do that when drinking. Why don’t they drink and eat like us horses? I wonder. But despite these strange things that the humans do, I like their company. They seem wonderful. I curl up in the corner, the hot summer days removing the need to huddle up warm. The sun begins to set again, but it’s very bright inside the human’s house. I guess they have little suns in there, keeping the light on until they want to make it dark. As I suspect, Camio moves a small thing in a wall, and it becomes dark in the barn. She gestures to the long mound they sit on, where Hannah goes, and lays down, pulling a blanket over her. Camio goes up the weird edge-ramp, waving her goodnight to Hannah. I tilt my head in confusion, but then I remember humans are strange anyway, so I settle back down, putting my head on the ground and closing my eyes for sleep.
Camio
The next few weeks go by in a blur. Training, race wins, the lot. But during training, Blossom seems distracted, often. It concerns me, like she doesn’t want to race anymore. I’m snapped out of my thoughts by Hannah, bringing Lightning and Blossom over to me.
“Hey, Camio, can I talk to you for a second?” Hannah asks, giving the horses’ leashes to a stable hand. She walks over to the side of the muddy field, and I follow her.
“It’s about Blossom, isn’t it?” I ask Hannah. She takes a deep breath, then begins her speech.
“I’m worried about her, Camio. She’s beginning to slow down. She often looks out into the wilderness. She enjoys walking out in nature. I mean, hellhound-horses haven’t been properly domesticated yet - I mean, only one's been found in 30 years, so it's no surprise - and she doesn't seem to come from a lineage of domesticated horses. I think maybe… maybe she wants to go home?” Hannah explains. There’s a long pause.
“I’ll think about it. I mean, I want her to be happy, but she loves us, and she loves Lightning - being separated? I’m just not sure if it’s really what’s best for her.” I reply. Hannah nods her head solemnly, and we walk back to my house.
The next day, I wake up with the telephone ringing on the wall. When I pick it up, I can instantly tell it's Hannah. She seems worried.
“It’s Blossom. She’s gone. The gate is open.” She practically shouts down the phone. I instantly sit up.
“W-What?” I stutter, utterly surprised.
“Lightning’s gone too, I think she was following Blossom. She’s left a trail of that weird stardust - if we can follow it, we can reach Blossom.” Hannah quickly says, before hanging up. I swing out of bed, and pop my clothes on, before running out the door and through to the stables. I meet up with Hannah in an instant, and we race towards the wilderness just outside Alkaline Stables.
“Oh, Lightning!” I call out, seeing her standing by the lake. I run up to her and hug her. Then I look around. “Where’s Blossom? Is she okay as well?” I ask her. Hannah comes up beside me, panting, and rests for a moment, catching her breath. When she’s ready, Lightning walks away from us, and we follow her. We skirt round the lake before heading up a path that doesn’t look so worn. It leads up to a cavern in the cliffs nearby the lake, where I find Blossom, laying down and snuggling herself in. Next to her are the remains of a small animal, half eaten. She looks full.
“Blossom?” Hannah asks, cautiously approaching her. The horse looks up at her, and neighs a hello, getting to her feet. She still has her bridle and saddle on from yesterday, black and white colours standing out amongst her earthy surroundings. She comes over to me, flutters her lip and tussles my hair. I smile at her, but my mind is in a jumble. Does she want to leave? Is that why she came here? She looks ready to come back. Maybe we should keep her for a while. Oh, but maybe she really does want to be free… My mind races, before I look at Hannah, and I come to a decision. I rest my forehead against her's as she lowers her head, looking at me at eye level.
“I know you want to be out here. I’m not judging you. I’m not going to make your decisions for you. So, I’m going to let you go.” I whisper to her. I release her bridle, and instantly she understands. I loosen her saddle, removing it from her back. She looks at me for a long time. Then she looks at Hannah, and Lightning. She makes a deep rumble of love in her throat, wagging her tail a little, before she moves towards me again, nudging me. I rest my head against her’s, feeling the love and joy that she feels, mixed with sadness. “Go, Blossom. You deserve what's out there.”
And she goes.
4 Years Later
I trot down the path around Alkaline Lake, on the back of Lightning. As we wander along, I spot something out of the corner of my eye and look to the woods. Lightning stops, watching whatever’s in there. There’s a flash of black and white that catches me. I stare, transfixed, as it makes it’s way towards me, before emerging from a bush. It’s almost familiar. It has white stripes on a background of black, and a unicorn horn protruding from it’s head. It has beautiful jade eyes, and two sets, not just one. It watches me knowingly. I don’t recognise it, but it feels like seeing a long lost friend. It has large fangs on its mouth. Suddenly I remember it.
“Blossom?” I manage to say. The horse’s ears do not prick up when hearing it’s name, but something else stirs in the forest. The creature looks back, where a much larger version of it appears. It does not have the horn, but has the same eyes, same pattern, and it has large tiger-like ears that prick up when I call out Blossom again. “You’re – You’re really here.” I stutter, tears beginning to form. I rest my head against hers, and we both close our eyes.
“She’s been missing you.” A familiar voice speaks out. I lift up and open my eyes to see Hannah, walking alongside. “Her and her foal.” I look down at the younger one, who seems obviously the same species as Blossom.
“You’ve been looking after her?” I ask, amazed.
“Yeah. I missed her so much. She’s missed us too. They’re going to the mountains soon, to a wild population of horses - some species that we've never seen before, from what I've seen, but it's hard to reach them. It's far away from you and I. But they wanted to say goodbye, for the final time.” She explains. I lock eyes with Blossom, then the younger one. Then I look back up at Blossom.
“I've not seen you in so long, but it feels like you've never been gone. I know how much this means to you, to be part of a herd out there in the wild. I promise that I'll find a way to visit you. You're so strong, and so is your foal. Go, be free with the others. I’ll miss you forever.” I whisper. Blossom flutters her lip, tussling my hair like she always used to. Then she gallops off, followed by her youngster, into the great unknown.
“I’ll see you one day again.”