Quietly, I slip through the twisted mass of trees which tower above me like sleeping sentinels; tiny hooves imprint, but barely make a sound when pressed into the soft white soot that falls in an endless torrent around my gangly frame. This soft infant body shivers as a cool breeze kisses my shoulders and spine. Suddenly yearn for the long haired warmth of my Momma’s belly, and debate on turning around to quench my desire. She has velvet covering every inch, warm velvet, soft velvet, thickly coated—it would glistened when wet; water seemed to repel magically from an adult body that was protected by a hefty undercoat.

I wasn’t quite old enough to grow an undercoat, or feathering. My ebony nose has a thin trail of liquid running from each nostril, I sniffed every so often—this would cause a tickling sensation in the back of my throat that was all together unpleasant, and then I would snort and wheeze. Soundless of course, I simply blew air and snot in all directions as a warm mist flooded my vision ahead.
A call, unfamiliar and certainly not my Momma’s sweet voice startles me unintentionally. My head jerks toward the bugle of its own accord, eyes widen to dish shape and my steps are frozen. One forelimb hangs uselessly instead of taking the next step forward. Of course, I’m frightened at first and then I felt as children tend to—that growing seed of curiosity. Why would someone bellow so loudly this early in the morning?

The answer came quickly enough, horses (I could smell them long before I saw them), more than I had seen at one time…they suddenly began to pop out of the forest like flowers in the snow. I hung back, retreating to the shadows (even though it would be hard if not impossible to hide something unnaturally colored with darkness.) Luckily, my coat is wet; and because of this it is also darker. Perhaps I would mingle easier. Eventually my shrinking self sums up enough courage to follow these strangers; they don’t realized that a purple shadow is trailing their bodies silently (or so I guessed). None turned, nor did anyone pay me any attention. Talking, lots of talking that went through one ear and back out the other. I half listen and say nothing. What could a child answer to this anyways? .