Untamable

Chapter Nine Friend Fights Friend

A whole winter has passed, bringing the tribe into a late spring. My mane is much fuller erasing all signs of my time in The Hive, to a horse who had not seen me in my herd self like Storm. He is by my side now, his dark pelt shinning in the sunlight. His coat looks best in moonlight, mine looks best in direct sunlight. Now the sun is reflected in my soft yellow hair, shadows from my muscles that are as pronounced as ever cast over my shoulders and all other edges of my body. My mane and tail hair's dark strands are wild, but so am I. Storm takes me to the lake that I first drank from when they took me to their camp. The ropes are still around our necks, but we are connected by more than ropes. I nudge him playfully and launch myself into the lake, he jumps with me. We land with a splash and whinny together as the ripples from the clear water splash over the opposite bank.

We wade into the deepest water, the clear liquid laps over my back and high on my neck, my soft yellow hair is now brown and Storm's is just as pitch black as usual. My mane and tail flow behind me and so do Storm's. I stroke the water and propel myself forward and circle Storm. He circles me too, and it is blissful oblivion. Too good to be true, too good to last. I push the fact that I have to leave Storm behind away. "So Surging Storm." I nicker as we get out of the lake our pelts dripping from the water.
"Yes Untamable Lila." He nickers back in his deep rumble dark brown eyes fixed on my soft ones.
"I would like you to come home with me." I nicker stepping closer to him so our muzzles touch.
"I would like that very much." He nickers wrapping his neck around mine.
"Maybe no foals, but they can't stop me loving you." I nicker returning the hug-like embrace.
"If it is possible, I have always dreamed of having a foal of my own." He whinnies nervously the fear that I will reject the entire offer clearly etched in his voice.
"Not possible, the Chief must always be on high alert." I neigh releasing him,"and if you want foals as a condition I will have to say no to the whole thing."
"Then no foals." He neighs and then looks at the sky,"but lets live in the now, and run with the breeze in our manes."
"I doubt you can keep up." I nicker glad that he accepts that foals are not possible.

He looks at me sarcastically and then I neigh,"I am the fastest of our herd. We are known for our speed."
"Oh really." He teases nipping at me, but it is all lip and no teeth hit my flesh.
I whinny and rear up hit the ground cantering and I prove him wrong as the rope stretches to it's longest length. I look back at Storm who is panting far behind me. His large hooves thundering at the ground not nearly as graceful and flowing as mine he panted out,"I.........eh heh...... Believe...... Eh heh..... You..... Eh heh..... Slow... Down!"
I nicker and slow to his pace, his pace also slows so I'm barely above a lope for my standards. "You win." He sighed.
"Yes I win." I nicker nibbling him playfully on the ear.

We roam like that for the whole day, simply being with each other. Not disturbed, simply together. When we return to the paddock it is midnight. A Native One is not there to untie us so we sleep tied together. I rest my head on his shoulder and he sets his on a post padded with light grey wolf fur. The stars shine over us, the same stars the herd sees back home. I still feel their pull, but now a different note plays in the song of my return. It sings of Storm.

The next day dawns lighting up the sky with soft orange, yellow, red, and pink streaks. I still call Owl's Call Wild Face because that is his name to me. Wild Face is approaching and he coons to Storm stroking his neck. He gives me an apple and rubs my upper shoulder blade like Alita and Thunder uses to do. He has discovered this is my favorite spot, but of course he cannot know why. He clicks his tongue to me and offers me another apple but when I step forward to get it he steps back. I nicker at him and follow him as he steps back farther and farther. Finally he gives me the apple and only then do I remember he was making his whistling summoning noise like he does for Storm. I let him rub my ears so he thinks he has done well. I have grown fond of him like a pale face would a pet domestic wolf.