C. T. Suddeth

This was dying in style. So be it. Oh-see-rah yelled, “AAAAAY!”

Lord of the Caves Part 18

Oh-see-rah clung to the Mare’s mane as she raced through the night and bounced him up and down and all around. Though he couldn’t see the forest because of the dark, the eyes of a thousand night creatures glowed through the swirling mists, the creatures fleeing as if afraid of the Mare.

How would death come? Would she buck and shoot him into the dark? Perhaps into the jaws of a dire wolf. Or she might make him tumble off, circle around and trample him with giant hooves. He smelled water—perhaps she would wade into the lake and shrug him off, let him drown. Though he could swim, she no doubt would hold him under water, let the Lady of the Lake take his body and soul.

The Mare galloped along the Lake’s shoreline. Oh-see-rah had been to this lake a long time ago—it was much bigger than the lake near Tiger Rock Cave. If he could get her into the water, perhaps he could slip into the lake and swim into the dark.

He shook his head. Those were coward’s thoughts. He was a sacrifice and needed to quit thinking about escape. Though he would miss Ee-shee-nah and their offspring, no one lived forever.

The Mare nickered and veered away from the lake, passing through a forest. Oh-see-rah ducked down to avoid being brained by tree limbs. Leaves and twigs caught in his hair—he wished he’d asked Ee-shee-nah to cut his locks. He grinned and spat out leaves. It no longer mattered. His life had but a short span to go.

The trees thinned out and disappeared, a fat moon glowing on him. Distant dark shapes ahead must be hills. The Mare seemed to stretch out and gallop even faster. Oh-see-rah had trouble catching his breath.

The Mare slowed to a trot. Though hills were on both sides of them, Oh-see-rah remained level—they were going through a pass, a gap in the hills. At this point, he just wanted his ordeal over with—his ancestors awaited him.

They entered a fogbound hollow, and she halted. What now? He sniffed—his nostrils filled with the musk of horse sweat, then he realized that beneath him was a mare the size of a hill.

The moon danced away from the clouds, and he blinked. Before him dozens or horses grazed, circled, or gazed back at him. Was she feeding him to her tribe? His belly lurched. He had hoped for a swift death.

A mountain-sized stallion every bit as big as the Mare nickered and pranced to them. This stallion had a chest as wide as a man’s height and was the color of the night. Oh-see-rah took a deep breath—the Mare was going to feed him to the Stallion.

The Mare and Stallion nickered to each other as the other horses watched them. Oh-see-rah believed that this pair was the king and queen of their band.

Then the Stallion turned his attention to Oh-see-rah whose fingers and toes were twitching until he could barely old still.

The Stallion halted beside Oh-see-rah. I stink, don’t eat me, Oh-see-rah wanted to say. The Stallion nickered to him, and he dearly wished he could understand the tongue of horses. As if she were used to this, the Mare moved not a muscle.

The Stallion thrust his head forward and nudged Oh-see-rah’s side just enough to make it tickle. Not knowing what else to do, Oh-see-rah gently rubbed him between the eyes. The Stallion nickered as if he relished the attention. He continued to rub the stallion, moving to his jaw.

The Mare nickered, and the Stallion backed away. Oh-see-rah hoped he had made friends and wouldn’t be eaten.

The Mare whirled around and galloped toward the pass, soon leaving through the pass. Oh-see-rah didn’t understand why he yet lived, but life was good.

Soon she was galloping faster than the wind, the herd far behind. What next? Oh-see-rah wished he could explain to her how waiting to die was torture.

YOWL!

The Mare reared straight up, Oh-see-rah clinging to her mane.

TO BE CONTINUED

Copyright 2021 Charles Suddeth