Siset, Run Afar

Siset couldn’t any longer stand her so called family. They were too small, she too big. She couldn’t shelter with them or even communicate. Ants were terrible horses.

After settling down in a misty valley for a couple season, Siset had to find herself a band: a male that’d take her in. Being alone shall drive her to insanity.

What have I done for my dam to abandon me so? [/i]she wailed to herself. She lowered her dark head to the water strewn grass. The ants she had called as her own stayed inside their nest, for today was more humid than most. Dark gray clouds covered the sun’s friendly rays and rain threatened the animals below. The only thunder present came from a waterfall beside the lone horse.

With a cloudy snort from her nostrils, Si began to move her hooves. Every time she lifted one from the ground, she left behind a spot of crunched greenery. Si enjoyed the potential pain she caused the plants; it felt as if she were getting revenge.

As a foal Siset had been alone. She never knew her dam or sire. No other horses had stayed around long enough to quench Si’s burning desire to be a part of something larger and more important than herself. They claimed she was too young and would become a liability to them. Siset’s heart instantly sank. She had heard those words too often....

Soon Si’s walk had turned to a faster gait; the earlier she could leave behind this beautiful, yet menacing prison, the better. Si had never had a childhood here.

In a gallop, Siset’s limbs carried her far. Thick, green lush became rocky as the mountains grew larger, more dangerous. Windy paths sometimes merged with streams. As Si soared over them, she kicked up beads of moisture in a mist, leaving behind a rainbow. It was a mysterious sight, following a near black filly, surrounded by waning and patchy clouds.

Si ran from morning to dusk, slowing only for obstacles in her path. As the sun was saying farewell to the sky, and kissed the mountainous land, Siset glowed a crimson red. It was almost like a bloody cell of sweat running down a mountain’s brow.

As the inky black of night spread over the sky blanket, Si finally slowed. Her chest heaved and breath came thick from her exertion. She had left her bindings, but no longer had a place to call home.

A tear blinked down from her orb. She felt so more alone than she ever had before. What would her Pish Band of ants think? How much would they miss the protection of such a majestic and find leadmare called Siset? A new question formed into her now alien mind: What was she now to do?

*****

With the rising of the new sun, Siset rose grudgingly to her feet. She glanced backwards to where she had come and forwards to her final destination. With a painful sigh she guided her sore hooves in the direction of no promise: to a land she’d never seen before.

Her pace began slowly, but quickly gained momentum. She found when she stretched out her legs, she did so to her consciences, too. Her body and soul were all powerful; better than any ant that’d ever life, or ever lived. She was the almighty mustang, king of all horse breeds.

By the end of the second day of her journey, she had reached the end of the mountains, and came up on greener and more kind land. Steep mountain sides still hung over the land, giving it a dark and formidable feel. Before Si descended in the space, she slept.

*****

On the morning of the third day, Siset waited for the sun to rise. The orange ball of fire and power shone over the earth’s land, but couldn’t reach the land of darkness very well. Organisms of boldness and power most likely live there, she thought to herself. With that single thought in mind, Siset began the trip into the abyss.

All licks of sun soon disappeared, leaving Siset in complete darkness. She couldn’t very well see, but her senses told her she was between two mountain walls, forming some sort of open-roofed cave. Although greens and other plants draped over the top, making it seem as if a ceiling was present.

With a slow pace, Siset walked through the mountain to find herself in a bowl of rocks. Tall, jutting rocks surrounded a glade, with a nice sized pond to Siset’s right. Standing on the edge of the water, was a stallion.

The stallion was a mustang, too. He was a piebald, with white covering his legs, face and chest. Black completely covered his spine and intermixed with the white. He held a fresh scar across his side, and he seemed to be seething with anger.

Siset wasn’t completely sure of what to do. This moment seemed to her like the edge of death and life. If she disturbed this male, what would he do to her? With a deep intake of air, Si decided to find out.

With weary steps, Siset walked across the firm land of grass. She felt as if the trees were laughing at her and the rock walls were threatening to cave in on her. She lowered her head until it was level with her back. "Hello?" she asked softly.

The stallion's head whipped around to meet Siset’s pathetic form. He maneuvered his body so he his body was in-line with Siset’s. "What are you doing here?" he growled.

Siset recoiled at his sour tone. "I…" she began, but found her voice too weak to express her thoughts.

"Speak!" he growled.

Gathering up her courage, Siset finally spit out what she wanted to say: "I traveled from a far distance to find a stallion that would take me in as their own, and let me join their band. That is the reason why I stand before your hooves and walk over your land."

The stallion’s face suddenly became blank, and no longer held the anger it had before. Siset wasn’t too sure, but she thought that he was deciding whether or not to have her join his one-horse band. Patiently she waited, until the sun was directly before their heads. Siset didn’t move one inch in the time lapse; the stallion did.

Finally his voice met Siset’s ears again. "Once you give me your name, you may join me in my band."

"I’m called Siset," she said, dipping her head respectfully. She waited for his name, but he turned around and said nothing. Not sure what to do, Siset walked around the glade and familiarized herself with the terrain. The grass smelled sweat, and tasted well nourished. The water was clean, and was as cold as if it were from the heavens above.

After her exploration, she turned to look back at the stallion. He was studying her with a look in his eyes that Siset couldn’t explain. He seemed to realize she was looking back at him, so he lifted his head high and snorted. With his right hoof he beat the ground twice. The display showed how strong his muscles were, and how unafraid he was. Siset shivered and looked away submissively.

*****

For the first week in the stallion’s band, Siset noticed he avoided her, but wasn’t afraid to show his superiority. He appears to enjoy owning me, she finally concluded. But she shook her head every time the thought came to mind; he just was uncomfortable with the fact he was leadstallion.

Finally he came up to her. "You do as I say, and nothing else," he spat. Si nodded in agreement, not sure what else to say. "Good." Siset waited for more, but he stayed silent. After a long moment he added, "This is the Mfaroi Band, and I’m leadstallion. You’re nothing. Tsathbar is the king here."

Siset brightened a little at hearing his name, but didn’t show it. "Yes," she agreed aloud. The dead air carried her voice through the territory.

"Good," he repeated, turning back around.

Suddenly furious she jumped ahead of him. "How can you expect to create a good band when you avoid the only horse in your band?" she demanded. "You push me away as if I’m a possession of yours!"

Anger flashed in Tsathbar’s eyes like fire. "You dare stand up to me?" he cried. "How dare you question my opinion when what I say is fact! You are nothing! You will never be anything!"

Siset back away from the stallion. "If that’s the way you view me…." She turned around and headed for the egress.

Before she could make it far, Tsathbar moved in front of her and blocked the entrance. "You are nothing and you only do as I say. You cannot leave my band."

"I don’t think I’m bound to you," Siset sneered.

"You gave your word," Tsathbar roared.

Thinking his anger might exceed his self-control, Siset backed off the matter. She lowered her head and retreated to the pond. She looked back to Tsathbar and saw him smirking by the cave. Si turned her head quickly so she didn’t have to see his stupid face; it irked her to end now.

Two more days passed before Siset even wanted to make contact with the stallion. Every time he came near she drew away from his figure and slunk away. The only reason she came approached him was because someone new entered the valley.

She was a young mare, but not a foal like Siset. Her coat was of red dun with very prominent primitive markings on her legs. She, like Tsathbar, held her head high and had an air of superiority.

"Tsathbar?" she cried incredulously when she first saw him. "I thought I’d never see you again!"

"Moonla!" he shouted and galloped up to meet her. "Why’d you break away?"

"They treated me like dung," she spat angrily. "You’re the only one who understood me." She glanced over to Siset, as if first placing eye on her. "And who’s your friend?"

"This is…" Tsathbar stumbled over her name, "Siset? She joined my band."

Moonla bobbed her head in acknowledgment, but turned her attention back to Tsathbar. "I am, too."

Tsathbar brightened up at her proposal. "Thank-you, Moonla," he said quietly.

Siset turned away in disgust. She didn’t like the idea of being shunned by two horses, and not being able to flee. These two wouldn’t let her have what she wanted, but wouldn’t let her leave.

Waves of affection came from the two horses, which bother Siset even further. If these two horses could love each other, why couldn’t they leave room even to show Siset they knew she existed?

Siset sniffed the air. This Moonla figure was in estrus, and she was pretty sure Tsathbar knew it, too. Breeding season sucked, in Si’s perspective. She was too young, and didn’t have a mate.

"Can I at least go stretch my legs?" she asked, butting into the two’s conversation.

Tsathbar hesitated, so Moonla answered for him: "Yes. But hurry back, please."

Siset cocked her head to the side, and wondered why this mare would want her back so quickly, when she didn’t even like her. She shouldered it aside, because she felt the freedom ahead of her, just past the drooping tunnels.

In her haste she kicked some tufts of grass up behind her and galloped off. Even with the sound of her thundering hooves she heard Tsathbar asking Moonla why she accepted Si’s request. Siset was too far away to hear Moonla’s retort.

It took only seconds for Siset to burst out of the tunnel and into a less stuffy land. Rain clouds formed over her head as she galloped onward. After she felt substantially better she turned her progress around and headed back toward her band. She didn’t approve of Tsathbar’s ways, but she thought that he might possibly be able to hold love or even notice of her if he could love some horse else.

Upon entering Si noticed the air crackling with tension. She slowed her pace once the sky was visible once again. She opened her mouth to speak, but Moonla was faster. "Tsathbar…." She quit the sentence she was about to begin. "How old are you?"

Siset had to think. Her legs ceased her advancement as she brooded upon the question. "I remember… two summers, I think."

"She’s at the very least twenty-four moons, T-bar," she pointed out. "Do you...?"

"Only to extend my herd," Tsathbar sighed. Without glamour he covered the one he loved, but didn’t do anything, so much as glance at her, to Siset. "You aren’t in estrus yet," he explained bluntly.

As if it were a job he loathed! Siset said to herself.

*****

With a sinking heart, Siset finally noticed that Tsathbar’s interest in her increased. She wasn’t sure the reason, whether it be Moonla or just that she had… changed. She had her answer quickly enough.

"Will you grant me access?" he asked. "If you foal one healthy offspring of mine," he paused and took a deep breath, "I’ll let you go."

As a response Siset held her tail to the side and got into a steady stance. It’s the circle of life, she thought to herself, one life is created by intercourse, another destroyed. And so it goes on. Life is only reproduction and death.

Trying to block Tsathbar out of her mind, as he did as instinct and nature called upon him, she thought of actually foaling a foal. What would it feel like to be a dam?

*****

In the nine months of her gestation period, Siset had a twister forming in her mind. One wind said one thing, another said something completely the opposite. In the time the foal grew, she felt her feelings more soft for Tsathbar. After he showed his ‘weaker’ side, his block-headedness and virtuosity didn’t matter anymore; he wasn’t a rock.

Summer turned to fall, which gradually became winter. Winter soon melted into spring, and then the period of waiting was over. Siset cringed as the first spasm occurred.

"What was that?" she shouted, squeezing her orbs shut. "Is it supposed to hurt?" she asked Moonla, who had already had a grulla piebald colt.

"Yes," she said reluctantly and quickly added, "but it’s worth it."

Siset cringed as another contraction moved her mentally and a little physically. For the rest of the day she had the pains, until they progressively became worse. Just before the sun set below the cliffs, the foal was born.

With maternal instincts taking over, Siset licked the sack off the body and warmed it up. Before long it was able to stand on wobbly legs and work its way to Si’s milk.

"Light bay filly," Moonla commented. "She almost looks like a miniature you, except a lot lighter."

Siset lowered her head to the grass and absently ripped a few stalks from the earth. "Yes, I’d guess."

Moonla flicked her head at Siset’s shyness. "Common! You can’t guess. Look at you, then at your filly."

"This feels weird," Siset burst. "I don’t think I can take it!"

"You have to, unless you want it to… die," Moonla said quietly. "Remember, once she’s no longer dependent upon you, Tsathbar will grant you leave."

"I don’t think I can leave," Siset admitted. She looked around for Tsathbar, but couldn’t find him anywhere near. "I wouldn’t be able to leave her, and you two’ve grown on me."

"Why thank-you," Moonla said sincerely. "You’re not bad yourself. Whaddya naming her?" she asked, jerking her head to the filly.

"Ah…" Siset sighed. "Good question. How about…" She paused for a great moment before shooting out a name. "Sunqueen."

"Sunqueen," Moonla repeated. "Very nice."

Siset felt something settle inside her head. Moonla was a lot more nice than she first thought. She almost saw Siset as an equal. And because of that she decided to stay with the Mfaroi band, with Sunqueen, Tsathbar and Moonla. She was sure that this was the right choice, and she believed that, too. Finally, her freedom was at hand; even if being bound to a band.