Spirit Animals Vol. 1

|Chp. 15: Faster Ways of Moving|

I stood there in shock staring at what the lions had come here with. I could hear the twig snaps as Quinn came closer. "What's the matter Silver?" Quinn asked coming into view and I pointed right in front of me and Quinn looked.

Quinn went quiet at what he was seeing as well. In front of us stood four horses. Three of them had saddles on them with horns in the center. Quinn stared at them and the saddle looking bags on three of them. The other one had mostly bags on it.

The first horse was a white color with red spots all over it. That horse was tall and from here I could tell it was a mare. The mare had a mane that looked like it was trying to grow out, but never accomplished growing. The horse was also very thick.

The next horse was a dark bay color. A very dark brown with the legs being black. The head curved in just a little. Not much, but still did. Another mare and she had a long mane that was black and very pretty. She wasn't very tall like the other one, but was a good size.

The other horse with the saddle was a short but very muscled big horse

The last one didn't look like a horse. It was a dark brown nearly black with very big pointed ears. It had a blanket over it synched at the bottom with all sorts of bags hanging from it.

The equine animal had a halter on with a rope hooked to it and the rope was attached to the horn of the spotted mare's saddle. "What is that one?" I asked Quinn looking at the weird animal. "A mule, a donkey mixed with a horse. A big draft probably from it's big size." Quinn said.

I nodded. The 'mule' was very thick and was tall. "We're taking them." Quinn said before going up and untying the reins of them from the tree. Quinn handed me the reins of the tall appaloosa which I accepted. "We'll go through the bags when we get back." Quinn said and I nodded.

Quinn took the other two horses while I led the appaloosa who led the mule who was attached to her. We had just acquired three horses and a mule. Quinn moved the bushes for us and let the horses through before keeping it open for me.

The bears were taking things from the body when we came. Erick looked over and his eyes widened when he saw the horses as Quinn came over and tied them up near one of the trees and patted them. "Where'd you find horses?" Erick asked as I tied up the mare.

"It's how these lions got here. I'm taking a guess they came here to hunt us. They brought a packhorse. Three horses. All of them look very healthy." Quinn said as I came over. "It's probably how they got here so smoothly." Quinn said and Erick nodded.

"Are we going to keep them?" Erick asked. Quinn looked at me and I smiled. "Yes, they'll be useful when we move around. It's a much faster way of moving then just walking. Our spirit animals can keep up with us. It'll also make it easier to travel and keep our energy up." Quinn said.

"And I bet they have some food with them as well. And horses in the wild know what to eat so they'll keep themselves up to par. But they will be useful a lot for when we leave here." Quinn said. "And the mule can carry things." Quinn said.

"It does look strong." Erick said. "Yes, it's probably mixed with a draft horse. Which gives it the strength to carry and pull things." Quinn said. If we had a cart man, we'd be all set. Just hook all four up and they'd pull us and we'd keep the baggage in there.

But then it'd be easier to maneuver the woods without a cart. Erick nodded before looking at the bears. "When do you want to move out?" Erick asked Quinn who looked around. "Sundown. We'll get everything packed before traveling for a few hours until we are nice distance from here then we'll rest." Quinn said.

Erick nodded. Quinn turned to me. "I'll get some things ready why you pack up our tent." Quinn said and I nodded as Quinn walked off. I looked at the horses and I knew what Quinn said was right. These horses would be very useful.

With that I walked over to the tent where Lupa was in. 'What'd you guys find?' Lupa asked. "Horses." I told her and Lupa's ears perked up. "We are keeping them to travel with." I told Lupa. 'So a faster way of moving when we travel?' Lupa asked and I nodded.

That thought made Lupa happy as I began packing things away in the bags. I put some things on me that I could as I packed one bag full of furs and the pillows. I also put all of Quinn and I's clothes in one bag which got heavy in the middle.

The bears could also carry things to help. And with Erick, Hiro, Raegan, and Ruby we could bring more things. So I didn't like them, but they had shown to be quite useful. I mean Erick wasn't that bad. But they were bears and that's what Quinn was.

Minus that fact they were different species of bears. I shook my head before going back to packing everything up. Soon I had practically everything in the tent packed before putting the bags out and looking at the tent and going to dissembling it. I kept the rope of course as rope was useful.

After that I looked around as the other four bears took everything they could from the now destroyed tent. Quinn was going through the bags and keeping some things and throwing the rest in the fire. Quinn found some dried meat and water cans which he rinsed out before filling up once more. He put most of the things in our bags as ours were bigger and carried more while keeping the others as backup in the end. It turned out they had a small first aid bag. He was quick to get some ointment and bandages out and then go to treat Eden and Lupa's wounds. I looked at the bags before heading towards the horses and the large spotted one looked up at me and I smiled some.

I attached two small bags to the horses and let the mule take the brunt of the force. They were grazing all the grass that was around here. Which was good meaning they'd replenish their strength for when we started out on our journey to find a new place to settle in.

Far away from this city and all the animals that hunted us and tried to kill us. Far away from here. I watched as Quinn patched up Eden and put the ointments on Lupa who gave him this irritated look making me smile at him as Lupa kept her typical attitude.

I patted the horses neck before walking over to where Quinn was sitting now bandaging up Eden's wounds. Eden looked quite irritated at his wounds being checked. He never really liked his wounds being treated. To him it was irritating and itchy, but Quinn forced him to let his wounds be treated.

Quinn was all about the safety that treating wounds provided. Even if his own spirit animal didn't even like it, Quinn would still do it. 'It is better to be safe and uncomfortable, then injured, dead and sorry.' That's what he told me the first time I complained.

And he did that often if I complained even more when my wounds were being treated so I just gave up complaining as he would constantly find a way to counteract me. I gave some protest before just stopping in general and letting Quinn treat Lupa and I's wounds.

It was easier that way to just let him treat them and go on with our life then to protest constantly and then get scolded. I looked over as Erick came over holding the bags of the bears. "This is all our important stuff that we need or want for the room that we had." Erick said.

Quinn looked at them and nodded. "We'll divide everything with the horses saddle bags, and the mules bags that he can carry and we'll carry the rest." Quinn said standing up and putting the medical supplies away in the bag as Eden stood up and gave Quinn a dirty look.

Erick nodded before heading off. "Are we going to ride the horses?" I asked staring at them. "Yes we can, do you have one you want to ride?" Quinn asked with a small smile. "I like the tall spotted one." I told Quinn and he nodded.

"Well she'll be able to carry heavier taller people, so I can see if we can get you on her. We'll just have to divide it. But I can see." Quinn said and I nodded. "If not you'll be fine riding the other ones right?" Quinn asked and I nodded at that.

"Good, come on let's make sure we got everything before we head off." Quinn said and I nodded as he went to looking to make sure we got everything we needed. Quinn decided that if it got cold that we'd wrap the spare furs around the horses.

He also decided to tie some things up to the bears and have them help out. Lupa was going to help with one of my smaller bags as she knew how to carry things in her mouth or have it tied to her. I looked at the horses and then back at camp. They'd be a faster way of moving for us.

And we needed to move fast.

1707. The next few chapters I plan to be of them on the move and bonding some. And we get to meet another minor character, he, he. They'll appear once then be mentioned later and appear way later into the volumes. * * *