Autumn Stroll

The cold weather had come to stay, the deciduous trees having long surrendered their leaves to the season’s quiet and passing demands, painting the ground in all tones of orange, amber, and deep red. Days were becoming shorter, folding themselves into shorter and more appreciated spans of pale, dimmed sunlight. As soon as the sun hid behind the horizon, the cold settled heavily over the pastures and fields, covering them with a thin layer of frost. Despite the cold weather, the Loshenka mare still indulged herself in her usual afternoon stroll, a tradition she guarded with the same attention she gave to her grazing mornings or dozing in the winter sun.

The Loshenka’s grey on bay rabicano’s coat had grown a thick, plush layer of winter hair, protecting her from the cold and any unwelcomed surprises the weather might bring. She was following the sand trails with a slow, rhythmic walk, her neck stretched low and relaxed, enjoying the nice quiet walk in the sunset light as her breath came out in small, warm puffs of air that quickly vanished into the crisp air. The sunset light washed over her back in fading gold rays, giving her coat a fleeting amber-like glow. Everything around her was quiet. Only the soft wind, bringing in the colder temperatures of the night to take hold, disturbed the silence.

The mare enjoyed that particular path because of the silence and stillness it offered. Silence, to her, was not an empty thing, but a calm and quiet companion on her walks. It was gentle, patient, never hurried, and it let her just walk and wander with no apparent destination, for as long as she wanted, with no real purpose, other than taking in the essence of nature. She liked seeing the seasons change, from Spring’s tender, early buds to Winter’s coldest days and deepest frost, with the whole landscape painted in white and soft, muted tones of blue. Despite her appreciation for Winter, Autumn had always been her favorite. There was something comforting in the fiery leaves covering the ground, something that made her whole self warm even when the air grew cold. To her Autumn felt like the Earth’s last smile before Winter’s long slumber.

The Loshenka mare took a deep breath in as she walked, the faint scent of damp earth, fallen leaves, and distant woodsmoke filling her nostrils. Someone, somewhere was already preparing for the long, cold night ahead. She would not take long now to go back and do the same, getting all warm and cozy in her stall as her humans gave them all their last meal for the day. Her ears caught the rustling sound of a bird settling into its nest, followed by the soft thump of a falling acorn. These were the usual sounds of the trails, nothing that would need her direct attention as it posed some kind of peril. The world seemed at peace.

Yet her stroll that day had still a small surprise for her, something that would make it stand out from the ordinary.

Ahead on the path laid a small, dark mound. At first glance, the grey mare thought it was a lump of soil, perhaps kicked loose by a passing deer or a wild boar. Something about it tugged at her curiosity nonetheless. Was it its shape? Its stillness? Or simply its very presence? Her curiosity was an instinct nearly as strong as hunger. So with delicate steps, she approached the dark mound, lowering her head to better inspect the unfamiliar item.

When she exhaled a warm, gentle breath over it, the small creature stirred right under her muzzle.

The mound shifted, a tiny rustle of stiff, sharp-sounding bristles rose like a miniature shield. The mare blinked and tilted her head, her eyes wide open, intrigued. Her rich brown eyes softened with a tinge of concern. Did she waken the creature from a peaceful nap? She hoped she had not, as she never liked disturbing other creatures unless it was absolutely necessary. The little thing continued to move, slowly revealing itself as the mare slowly raised her muzzle, further away from the ground.

A hedgehog! And a very tiny one at that!

The tiny creature  blinked sleepily under the mare, as if the world had just shaken him awake way too fast. With his limited eyesight all he could see was the overall giant frame of the Loshenka standing right next to it. The small creature froze, while the mare looked at it with amusement, her curiosity only growing bigger with every move the hedgehog made. She remained respectful of the small creature’s space, as she understood he would still be quite confused, her ears were perked forwards, kindly, her posture relaxed and reassuring. She kept the short distance that separated them and even slightly increased it, after all, she did not want any of those tiny spikes poking her muzzle in case her tiny friend would think of her as a threat!

The hedgehog’s nose twitched rapidly as it sniffed the air, trying to make sense of that creature that had just awakened him. Meanwhile, the mare was trying to make sense of her new acquaintance as well. She had seen many creatures in her walks: birds, foxes… even the occasional hare surprising her as they crossed the trails. But none had ever been as tiny and spiky as this new creature.

Careful not to startle him, the grey Loshenka mare shifted her weight ever so slightly and moved her muzzle closer to the creature once more, but not too close. She was smart enough to not mess with the spikes. She blew a small, warm huff of air just above the hedgehog, a comforting greeting in the mare’s language, her friendliest way to say hello.

The hedgehog’s bristles ruffled anxiously, finally realising where he had fallen asleep, right out in the open. He puffed himself up, as much out of embarrassment as fear. The mare did not want to scare him out, so she stepped back half a stride. Her eyes reflected empathy towards the tiny fellow, the last thing she wanted was for the small thing to get in danger because he ran off scared of her.

After a few seconds of stillness, the hedgehog seemed to understand that the Loshenka mare meant no harm, so he made a small, determined squeak and shuffled upright on his tiny legs to greet her. The mare did not have time to return the greeting, because the hedgehog began to scurry away towards the side of the path as soon as he bristled his spikes one last time. All she could do was watch the little thing waddle away.

Carefully placing one hoof after the other on the ground, she followed behind the hedgehog. She did not want to startle him, or worse, step on him. Instead, she just wanted to make sure he got somewhere safe. She wondered where he would go, was his cozy home nearby?

When the hedgehog finally disappeared beneath a generous pile of leaves, right at the edge of the woods, the grey Loshenka paused. She stretched her neck toward his hiding place one last time, offering a final warm breath. She then lifted her head with the intention to return to her path. The sun had vanished behind the treeline, and the wind had turned sharper, brushing cold needles down her flanks. She decided it was time to turn back and head home, but her thoughts remained delightfully going around the tiny creature she had met.

Would she see him again tomorrow? Would he remember her? She surely hoped so. The world felt a little brighter when discoveries like him found their way into her day.