Starting Out

The buckskin stallion stood watch as his small herd grazed. They weren’t much of a herd really. Just himself and two mares he’d recently stumbled across who were also alone in the world. They’d fled from a nasty stallion further east. Scout himself had been chased from his herd after a stronger stallion had killed his father. He didn’t understand the bloodthirsty desire that monster had possessed and had no intention of sticking around to be his next victim. He’d been on his own for a month now, but he still jumped at the smallest things, fearing that the stallion had come after him.

“Scout?”

He startled, whipping his head towards the voice. His gaze landed on Winter, the white mare, several years older than her companion.

She looked at him with concern, even Wren lifted her head from grazing at his sudden movement. Winter spoke gently, “Are you okay? I don’t want you neglecting yourself because of us.”

“No no. I’m fine,” he tried to assure them. “Nothing to be worried about.”

“Just don’t forget to eat. You don’t need to be on watch all day and all night.”

“I know that.” He leaned down to grab some grass. “I’m just being cautious. We can’t be too careful.” He chewed on his mouthful. “We don’t know what might be out there.”

Wren nervously shifted closer to Winter. “What do you mean by that?”

"Nothing," Winter assured the younger mare. "We don't have anything to worry about."

Scout held his tongue and went back to grazing. There was far too much to worry about. Stallions. Storms. Predators. Humans. And those were just several of the many things that could cross their path and cause them trouble. He could go on all day about what might happen.

Wren didn’t look convinced, but she also returned to her meal, sticking perhaps a bit closer to Winter than before.

The day rolled on and the small herd slowly headed west while they grazed. The sun drifted across the sky, morning shifting into afternoon, and though Scout tried, he found that he could not relax. When it was just himself that he needed to look out for, he didn’t worry. Anything he came across, he would deal with it, or run away. Yet now he had two mares to care for, he felt like their lives were in his hooves. He felt responsible for their safety. It didn’t matter so much when it was just him. Especially when he’d just lost his family. Whether he lived or died hadn’t been a big deal. But now there were other lives depending on him. He couldn’t let them down.

Looking ahead toward the horizon, Scout realised that he didn’t know what their next step was. When he was on his own, it was easy to just take it one day at a time. He could wander wherever his hooves took him. Where he went didn’t matter. He would graze as he travelled, often moving about aimlessly as he dealt with the grief of losing his family. He didn’t have that luxury now. The mare’s were relying on him, but he didn’t know what to do.

He flicked his ear as hoofsteps approached. He turned to see Winter walk up beside him. Wren was still grazing a little further away. Looking away from her, he focused on the horizon again.

Winter didn’t say anything for some time. They stood without a word, Scout growing awkward at the silence between. She glanced at him with a smirk. “It’s okay not to know what you’re doing,” she told him. “And stop thinking of it like we’re your responsibility. We can mostly take care of ourselves. We’re in this together, Scout. And so you know, Wren and I didn’t ask to join you because you’re a stallion.”

He glanced at her, confused. “Then why?”

She smiled, looking back at the horizon. “We asked because you looked lost.”

He blinked in surprise. They could tell he’d been aimless? He felt strangely vulnerable, but also comforted. They hadn’t spoken much about each other’s pasts, and he supposed he had thought that they had joined solely for themselves. Yet perhaps they had really united to help each other.

“Thank you,” he said after a moment, truly grateful they were there.

“We take care of each other now,” she said. “You don’t have to carry your burdens alone any longer.”

Wren trotted up on his other side. “Is he feeling better now? Did you tell him that you want to head south closer to your homeland?”

“No, I hadn’t got there yet,” Winter replied.

“You lived further south?” Scout’s ears perked curiously.

“I did. I was going to suggest that we travel that way in search of safer pastures. Perhaps there we can find someplace for us all to live and leave our memories behind.”

“I think that’s as good an idea as any,” Scout admitted and trotted off. “Let’s go.”

“Right now?” Wren asked, stepping after him.

“Why not? We have full stomachs and there’s still daylight.”

Winter chuckled. “Alright then. I, for one, am happy to face the future head on.”

Scout paused to look back at the pair, heart swelling in love for his two new friends. After losing his herd, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to fit in with other horses again. But favour had shone upon him and he’d been blessed with two mares to help him find his way. He couldn’t be more thankful.