A Falling Ember

Fear

2 years later......

My hooves seem not to touch the  earth as I race toward the grassy hill. I am free. I am wild. And nothing can reign me in.
"I will fly, I will!" I trumpet as I toss my long dark mane. I feel my muscles bunch up and release under my silky coat. Suddenly the top of the hill reaches me and I spring forward. For a few seconds it feels as if I am suspended in the air. But then the disappointment comes surging back and my legs drop to the grass below.
Every day I race against my shadow, come to the hill, and take off. But every day I fall to the ground after only a few seconds. I look to the spotless blue sky in defeat and trot back towards our valley.
Birch runs to greet me as I enter the mountain passageway.
"Patience just had her first grass!" She chimes excitedly. Patience is my new sister. Her coat is as white as snow with dark patches and spots scattered across  it. She has a striking white star in her forehead. I canter to where she and
Mother are grazing. When Patience sees me she lets out a high pitched whinny and prances over to me. I nuzzle her star.
Birch's mom had a new foal as well. His name is Buckle because of his one brown patch that circles around his middle. Luna, River, Dune, and Mystic have little siblings too. Their names are Freedom, Ocean, Petal, and Bramble.

"Ember, where were you?" Mother asks.
"Just running," I reply.
"Well you missed the announcement. It's time to migrate!" Birch informs me. Patience jumps and neighs in excitement. I smile at her enthusiasm. She acts exactly like me when I was a foal.

*****************
We trot happily through the path that we always take to the meadow. Birds tweet from the branches of yellowing trees. The cliffs on one side of us loom above, giving some shade from the midday sun. Walking next to Birch's slender figure, I couldn't be happier.

But then- Something on the wind catches my attention.
It's something different. A smell that reeks of fear and sweat. I nervously stand stock still. The horses around me halt.
"Ember! Come on!" I hear father neigh.  I disobey.
No, it's not just me. Birch whinnies too and looks around her anxiously.
"We need to get out. Now!" I call to the horses around me. Mother looks confused.
And then, it happens.

The ground starts to shake. I let out a strangled neigh and take a few shaky steps in the direction of home. The herd begins to move backwards, faster and faster until we are running. Then a roaring sound surges forward from where we were heading. Father tries to lead us the other way, but a roaring comes from over there too!
The only thought in our heads is fear. We must get away.

The rumbling gets louder and louder as we stand, petrified. Then the source appears. Another herd of wild horses, their bodies slick with sweat, and their eyes wide, sprint past us. Foals struggle to keep up with their mothers and old horses breathe heavily. Fathers rears, let's out a shrill neigh, and turns on his heels after them. We merge, one big mass of racing bodies, not knowing what we are running from but knowing that it is something that we have never seen before.
An enormous shadow zooms over our heads. It's noise is impossibly loud. I look to the sky and a dark grey monster is circling above us! I shriek with fear and pump my legs faster and faster. I can hardly breathe. I vaguely see mother ahead of me. Her eyes are wide with panic and Patience is at her haunches. Birch is leaping behind me like a deer, but we both know that we can't stay this fast forever.
Two more grey monsters, on the ground this time, roll out from behind a grove of trees. The herd lets out a new burst of speed. We are headed in a direction I have never seen before. The grass disappears under our trampling hooves, and is replaced with hard packed dirt. Ahead of us I hear the anguished cries of many more horses.
Soon a structure comes into view. The monsters are still on our heels, we can't stop now. As we grow nearer and nearer I can make out the shapes of horses pressed against a tall, grey, wiry wall.
"Turn around!" A white stallion cries, rearing and pounding his hooves against the wall.
"Go while you still can!" A mare hoarsely neighs. But it's too late. We sprint right into a dirt enclosure.
A piece of the wall slams behind us.
We are trapped.

Hello readers! Sorry I left you on such a cliffhanger! Dun dun duuuuuuuuh! I will update ASAP!