Chapter 8
My eyelids felt heavy, but then snapped open.  Something woke me!  I was tense as a board.  I felt the tickling whiskers of another horse sniffing my flank, why was another horse out here?  What shoud I do?
"I know your awake."  A female voice spoke.
I rolled over and jumped to my feet and was face to face with a black filly.  I recognized her as the filly at the slaughter place that escaped before we did!  
"You made it out here?"  I asked, a little confused.  "I thought I may be the only horse out in the wild." The only horse?  Wait!  No, Agnes would be with me too!  
She started to laugh but I interrupted her with "Have you seen another horse out here?" I was scared.  Had I been the only survivor? A lump was threatening to form in mt throat.
"Another horse by the lake?  Nope.  But say, how did you get here?"  Her pretty brown eyes were inquiring.
"Oh no!!"  I started to cry.  I didn't bother to answer her question.  I felt dead.  Dead as a doornail.  I didn't care what happened to me, I was utterly alone. But suddenly, I was interested in my surroundings.  The morning was crisp, I looked up at the purple toned moutain, it towered majesticly above us.  It was such a high mountain that it's peak was engulfed in dark clouds.  I glanced up at the sky and took a deep breath, white clouds were streaked across the sky with birds flying under them, chattering.  I then looked down at what I was standing on, grass!  I immediately started ripping away, it tasted so cool and sweet to my hot tongue.
"Excuse me,"  She tapped me with her foreleg.  "how did you get here again?"
I shot my head up with grass in my mouth.  I felt foolish, like a foal.  I swallowed the remaining grass and answered:  "A rockslide was chasing me down the mountain, I had given myself up for lost but instead jumped off of a precipice and landed in the lake.  I swam to shore and slept till you woke me up."
"Wow, that's interesting.  But here, let's go back to the herd, they are through these woods.  Doubtless they are worried - at least I'm sure Alastair is." 
I turned and followed her, beside the lake was a forest of many trees, cheifly maple.  As we entered the forest I noticed how peaceful it was, airy and bright.  The sun filtered through the auburn leaves and cast twirling shadows on the ground.  The breeze was rustling leaves like skirts, and the birds were flitting through the forest, singing and gossiping.
Ten minutes into this, and I was thoroughly enjoying myself, this was a new experience for me I was used to a poopy paddock, here I was free!  Suddenly I heard a thundering neigh and heavy hoof beats.  I stopped in mid-step, cathcing my breath as a large creamy bay stallion came cantering into view.  He looked annoyed and angry, I shivered.  He obviously was a horse that you didn't want to anger.  I glanced over at the black filly.  Her head was down in shame.  
His hoof beats came closer....and closer.....and closer.  Till he slid to a stop in front of us.  He was very large, but not chunky like a draft horse.  His legs were strong and sinewy, his muscles rippled in the dappled sunlight, and he had a most unusual color!  It was like a bay, but diluted till it was almost a buckskin - but not quite.  Then it was roaned with flecks of dark and light hair.  He had a blaze on his face and a lot of white on his legs.  How handsome!  I was suddenly shy, his presence demanded repect.  
"Ebony!"  He stamped and snorted.  She peeked up for a second then, seeing his burning eyes cast hers down again.  "I'm sorry."  She whispered.
He was barely winded from cantering, I was impressed.  
"Ebony, how coud you?  You've been gone for half an hour!  Where have you been?  It's dangerous for me to leave the rest of the mares alone to search for you. Come on."  He paused then looked at me, the fire out of his eyes.  "And who are you?"  
"Ah - I-I-am uh..."  I forgot my name!  Who was I again? Oh yes!  "Mitty."  I blurted.
His eyes were inquiring.  "I'm Alastair.  Ebony, is this who you went to get?"  
"I -ah found her."  Ebony perked up a bit from being scolded.
"Found her?  Where did you find her?"
Just then a happy voice echoed through the woods "Mitty!"
I turned around and a smile lighted up my face, "Agnes!"  I shot away from Ebony and the stallion towards Agnes!  She was grinning ear to ear and laughing.  We met and nuzzled eachother, so happy.
"Oh Agnes where have you been?"
"I followed you.  But I swam to a different place on the shore.  I thought I heard some horses so I came over here and saw you!  Who are those other horses?"
"They are friends,"  I nickered to Ebony and the Stallion.  I related the whole story to Agnes, and she looked appreciatingly at Alastair.  
Her cheeks were burning I noticed, "Oh Mitty, he's very handsome,"
"Oh, I know!"  We both giggled.
But then I noticed who was with Agnes and my whole time was ruined.  It was Deloras.  She narrowed her gaze, and I lowered my eyes.
"Now come on."  It was Alastair talking. "Let's get back to the herd."  He set the pace at a spanking trot.  As we all trotted through the rest of the woods I whispered to Agnes,  "I didn't realize Deloras was here."
"I know, she's really a pain.  But she stayed by me so I couldn't help her coming."  Agnes looked angrily at the palomino mare that was trotting ahead of us.  
Soon we reached a meadow with some hills and high grass.  There was a herd of about twenty to thirty mares, all of which lifted their heads from grazing and watched us arrive.