Sam's War (I changed the title!) Updated May 3rd, 2011

This is part of a story I am making up. I love horses!



Chapter One~“Come Quickly Sir Taff!”



“Sir Taff, Sir Taff!” called a small but excited voice. “What is it Julian?” called a deeper voice. “The mare, the mare, come quickly Sir Taff!” Julian was Sir Taff’s stable boy. He had a light build, and was small for his age, but he knew horses well. He had short, chestnut colored hair, and dark brown eyes to match. When Julian called for Sir Taff, he flew to the barn, dropping his maps in his haste. Sir Taff had dark red hair with many streaks of gray through it. He always kept his hair loosely pulled back. Steely blue eyes were set deep in his rugged face. He was a forty-one years old, a retired knight, and had a reputation for a bad temper. He did though, have an excellent reputation in breeding war horses. His war horses were some of the best in the kingdom! Sir Taff’s barn was also one of the most sanitary. Airy windows and sliding doors ensured clean air. Hay, feed, and tack had their own little rooms where they were stored. A broom in the corner removed cob-webs often. Each horse had it’s own individual stall that led into a small, grassy enclosure. All of Sir Taff’s horses were currently in training except for Sirah, the mare that was foaling, Fury, one of Sir Taff’s fully trained breeding stallions, and Rapid, Sir Taff’s old war horse. Rapid had been Sir Taff’s constant companion in his glory days, and Sir Taff felt that he should keep him as long as he could. So far, Rapid had produced some fine offspring. “Well Sirah, what have we here?” cooed Taff, as he stroked the mare’s neck. Going to give me another nice horse I hope?” he smiled. “There now, come on.” Within the hour, Sir Taff had a shiny black colt.


Sam blinked. “Where am I? And what is going on? I’m cold!” thought the black foal. “What? What is that?” he said to himself as a warm and gentle object moved across his back. Sirah was licking him with her soft washcloth of a tongue. He turned to see and for the first time, saw his mother. “Why, Who are you!?” exclaimed Sam. Sirah was a mostly black mare with a white star on her forehead. She was fairly young, around seven or eight years old, but had always been gentle and calm. Sirah had one stocking on her back left hoof, and a sock on her front right. “I am your mother.” Sirah replied softly. After a few minutes of bonding time, Sirah introduced Sam to his keepers. “That is Sir Taff, our owner.” “He knows our language well and always helps us when we need him.” “The small boy beside him is Julian, the stable hand.” “Julian is the one who feeds all the horses in the barn and takes care of us.” “Now, try to stand up for Sir Taff.” She said as she nudged him gently with her velvety nose. Sam tried to stand, but it was so hard! His legs kept getting tangled up. After numerous tries and lots of hard work, he was able to stand and nurse. “ There we go.” He heard Sir Taff say. In a little while, Sir Taff and Julian left. “Mother,” Sam began, “Where are they going and who is that horse who keeps sticking his head over the stall and talking to you?” “They are going back to the house. “Why? Sam questioned. To eat their supper and go to bed.” “What is supper, and what is bed? “Supper is a meal you eat and going to bed means you get in your own place and sleep.” “The horse that keeps talking to me is your father, Fury.” Sam gazed up at the powerful black stallion. “Hello Sam.” Fury soothed, “Don’t be scared, I know I seem like a giant to you, but you will be almost as big as me one day.” Fury was not kidding when he said he seemed like a giant, for it was true. Some medieval war horses reached the size of twenty hands high, ( One hand is four inches!”) and that’s how big Fury was. “Your father is one of Sir Taff’s finest stallions.” “Momma?” Sam asked, “What is a finest stallion?” “It means that your poppa is one of the best!” Sirah said with pride. “Go to sleep now.” She said gently. As Sam went to bed, he heard his parents talking about how Sir Taff planned to sell him as soon as he could be weaned. His parents had said it was because he was good stock. “What is stock?” he wondered. “A type of fur?” The horrible thought of leaving his parents haunted him and caused him to have nightmares. One of his nightmares was of a big burly man lashing him with a long thing that looked like a piece of hay from his bed. Another pictured Sam being torn from his mother. “Ahhh!!!!” Sam woke up with a cry. “Shhh, shhh, there now darling.” Sirah softly said, “What’s the matter? Have you been having nightmares?” “Yes momma!!!” He cried. “They are so scary and real!” Sam told his mother of the horrible nightmares and how he had overheard Sirah and Fury talking of his future. “Is it true momma!?” Sam exclaimed. Sirah sighed. “I don’t know dear…. But I hope not.




Chapter 2~Growing Up





“As the days, weeks, and months went by, my mother taught me everything a horse needs to know.” “When I was three months old, Sir Taff and Julian came to catch me and all the other foals to be weaned.” “It was so scary.” We tried to run, but they were too quick. “When they finally got a rope around my neck, I bucked and bucked until I thought I would collapse!” “Easy, easy.” Sir Taff encouraged. As I looked back, I called to my mother. “Momma!!! I’m scared!!! ” “It’s ok Sam!” Sirah called with just a hint of sadness in her voice, “We will see each other again!” “Momma!” I whinnied frantically. It’s ok!” was her reply. Julian and Sir Taff put all the foals in a square pen. The pen had a soft dirt floor with patches of grass here and there. There was a water bucket in one corner, and a pile of hay for sleeping on in another. There was another bucket beside the water that had little pieces of brown stuff in it. I think Sir Taff said it was horse feed. When I first took a bite, all the little pieces fell right out of my mouth! They were so slippery! I eventually got the hang of it, but it took some trying! When I tried to drink the water, I spit it out almost immediately. “Yuck!” I thought, “This is nothing like Momma’s milk!” There were seven foals in all. There was Buttercup, a palomino foal, Zip, a chestnut foal, Crary and Nutmeg, two bay foals, and Randy, and Dizzo, my two best friends who were both black. I remember when I first met those guys. Randy was so, playful, yet serious! Dizzo was just a goofy little guy who was always making up corny jokes.” Now, some of his jokes were funny, like the one about the field mouse, but that’s beside the point. Buttercup was always so bossy! She would make Zip and Crary fluff up her hay every night! Nutmeg was her personal maid. She was always doing something for Her royal highness queen Buttercup. Poor Nutmeg was the smallest foal and was one of my good friends. I always felt sorry for her. Zip and Crary thought they were some good! Of course, they were Sir Taff’s finest colts, but that didn’t make them leaders. “That night, I don’t think a single one of us had any rest. Poor Dizzo shivered and cried all night long! I think he missed his mother. Although I tried to hide it from Randy, I couldn’t help but cry. I missed momma so terribly! The next day, Randy told me that I had cried out for my mom in the middle of the night. I didn’t have much trouble believing him. I was so sad! That morning, Sir Taff came for an unknown reason. Dizzo slunk away to the back of the fence. Most of us followed suite. Zip and Crary stood in front of us. They said “We won’t let him lay a hand on you guys!” But as soon as Sir Taff had entered the pen, they scampered back behind the other colts. I was going to tease them about it, but Sir Taff was already coming after me. “Help guys!” I cried as I ran, but they were too petrified with fear to help. “Whoa there Sam.” He soothed. I avoided Sir Taff as long as I could, but he soon had a rope halter around my head, and started to lead me away. “Sam!” Randy called, “Come back!” “I can’t!” I replied sadly. I reluctantly followed Sir Taff to the main courtyard, where a burly bear of a man was standing. “What does this mean?” I thought frantically as I tugged at the lead rope. “What does he want!?” The man had greasy black hair and deep gray eyes. He had a sword on his belt, and had the looks of a knight. His horse was as darker than coal, and gave me a look of disgust. “My master wants to buy you!?” he laughed evilly. “You are skinnier than a minnow!” I was going to ask him what a minnow was, but harsh words from the big man stopped me. “This is your best?” the man sneered, obviously annoyed and surprised. “You expect me to believe that this is your best!?” He huffed angrily. “Why, if this is your best, then I might just leave!” The big man started toward his horse. “No, Sir Cresan,” Sir Taff returned calmly, as he stared at the man with his piercing gaze. “He is not my best, but he will be a fine war horse for you.” “Bah!” he roared, “You say that shrimp of a colt will be a fine war horse!?” “Yes Cresan, but do not be deceived, for most of the foals I raise are small when young, but grow to be some of the finest and largest war horses around!” “Come back in a month or two” he continued, “and I will show you what I mean.” I watched fearfully as the giant man swung into the saddle of his mount. “I may or may not be back Taff!” he thundered angrily as his horse began to leave. “Do you not want to see the rest of the foals!?” Sir Taff called. “Another time!!!!!” he exploded rudely, “I must leave!” Sir Taff gazed after the man as he rode out the gate. “Well Sam,” he said, “that was interesting….” As soon as Sir Taff put me back into the pen, I rushed back to the rest of the herd.





Chapter 3~Disturbing News




After a month in the square pen, we didn’t miss our mothers as badly as we had before. I still missed Momma a little, but not near as much as I had when we were first separated. Pretty soon, Sir Taff carefully introduced us to last springs yearlings, and in a little while, we were put in the pasture with them. The pasture was wide and grassy. A small spring ran through the middle of it, and a big oak tree resided by the spring. Champ, and Rashta were the two oldest of the yearlings. The other horses were Nina, Spin, and Lily. Nina was as sweet as honey! She was a pretty palomino color, and answered all of my questions. “Nina,” I asked her one day, “Will you tell me about all the yearlings? “Sure Sam!” she said with a smile. “Where do you want me to start?” “Wherever you want to, I guess.” Came my reply. “Well, my mother’s name was Taleea. She looks just like me! My father’s name is Chonee. He is chestnut colored. Chonee is Champ and Spin’s dad too, so they are my half brothers.” “Champ’s mom’s name is Sarah, and Spin’s mom is Sheronee.” “Their dad’s name is Chron” “He is bay, just like them!.” “Nina, I asked, “Were there any other yearlings that were sold before we were put here?” Nina hesitated, then took a deep breath. “There were two others, Rono, and Jace.” She finally said. “Rono was a fine steed, and was sold quickly. He now lives with a handsome young knight called Sir Worner.” “Sir Worner is a kind man, and is often seen around here.” “He likes to purchase his horses from Sir Taff.” She smiled briefly, then continued. “Jace was a different story…..” Her voice trailed off as she looked into the distance. “He, he was sold to Sir Cresan.” She said sadly. “He is now his official war horse, and is very arrogant and prideful.” “The horse that Sir Cresan rode here, the day he came to look at you. That was Jace.” Nina’s voice cracked. “He was my friend, or so I thought, but now he has turned into a selfish, cold-hearted, beast!” “ I cannot believe what has happened. Sir Cresan is so cruel to everyone but Jace, and now he has corrupted him!” By now, tears were flowing freely down her face. “I miss the old Jace!” I tried to calm her down, but she just shook her head. “There is one more thing you should know.” She looked up with tearful eyes. “He was your brother!” I backed away as finished her sentence. “You can’t mean that Nina!” I said shakily. “I am so sorry I had to tell you!” she exclaimed, “But I felt I must!” I couldn’t believe what she was saying! “Jace is my brother!?” I said to myself. After a few moments of silence, Nina spoke. “Well it does not matter.” “He never cared about us anyway, and was always picking on Spin and Lily and sometimes, me. “None of us liked him.” She finished. “So, how do you like this pasture?” Nina said as she abruptly changed the subject. “It’s ok.” I mumbled as I started to walk away. “Where are you going?” Nina called after me. “To the old oak tree so I can think!” I returned as I walked on. When I got to the tree, I plopped down on the soft grass and rolled. “Mmmmmm….” I said as I sat upright. As soon as I had positioned myself in a comfortable spot, I began to think about what Nina had told me. “Jace is my brother?” I couldn’t believe it! “When I see Momma again,” I thought, “I’ll ask her if that is true.” “I don’t know if I want to believe Nina.” “It just doesn’t make sense!” Suddenly, I realized something. I ran across the pasture to Nina as fast as I could. “Nina! Nina!” I yelled. Nina’s head popped up from grazing as I stopped in front of her, breathless. “What is it Sam!?” she exclaimed. “That day Sir Cresan came, why did he want to look at me?” “Well, I guess it was because he….” Nina’s voice trailed off as she quickly turned to stare me in the eye.” “Since you’re Jace’s brother, and Jace is really good stock,” Nina paused and gasped, “ I think he wants to buy you!!!” My heart skipped a beat. “Oh no!!!” I exclaimed. “I’ve got to talk to Momma!” I said as I looked around frantically. “Do you know where she is!?” I questioned. “I think Sir Taff put her in the pasture over there.” Nina said as she motioned her head to the right.” “Thanks Nina!” I said as I took off. As I galloped toward the fence, I thought about the shock on Nina’s face as she had said that Sir Cresan wanted to buy me. I couldn’t believe it! Momma would know what to do. Or so I hoped……






Chapter 4~Answers



“Finally!” I thought as I neared the fence. “I made it!” “Now, where’s Momma?” I said out loud. “Momma!” I yelled. “Momma!” No answer… I sighed. “ I guess she’s not here.” I said sadly. “Well, this is urgent, so I guess I should try again…..” “Sam!?” I heard a familiar voice call. “Hello?” I returned. Silence…. Then, I suddenly heard galloping hoof beats, and a familiar form came into sight. “Momma!” I exclaimed as Sirah crested the hill. “Sam!” She charged down the hill toward the fence. “Oh Sam!” Oh, I missed you so much!” “Momma!” I cried joyfully. “I missed you too!” Even though we were separated by the fence, it was great to see each other again! “Sam, how did you find me?” Sirah questioned. “One of the yearlings told me that Sir Taff put you here!” I exclaimed. “I have some urgent questions to ask you and some urgent news to tell you!” “Ok…” Sirah said slowly. I took a deep breath. “Nina, the yearling who showed me where you were, told me about something disturbing.” I paused and looked Momma in the eye. “She told me about Jace.” Sirah gasped. “Sam, why!?” It’s my fault!” I exclaimed sadly. “I asked her if there were any other yearlings that were sold before we were put in the pasture!” “I’m sorry Momma!” I cried guiltily. “Shhh, Shhh, there now, it’s ok.” “What all did she say?” Sirah asked. I then told my mother about everything Nina had said. “I think it was hard for her to have all the bad memories flood back.” When I finished, she took a deep breath, then let out a sigh. “Sam, I know that was hard for you learn.” “I had never intended for you to know!” “I am sorry you had to hear that!” “I would have found out anyway.” I mumbled. “What do you mean!?” Sirah asked, somewhat fearfully. “Sir Cresan came to look at me!” I blurted out. “What!!!!????” she exclaimed. “When this happen, and what did he say!?” “He came about a month ago,” I returned, “He thought I was a shrimp, but Sir Taff told him to come back and a month or two so he could see how much I’ve grown!” Sirah now appeared to be deep in thought. “That means he could be here anywhere from tomorrow, to the next day, to a month!” she exclaimed. Sirah then got a very serious expression on her face. “Sam, whatever happens, stay strong. Do not become corrupt as your brother has. Please promise me Sam!” she pleaded. “Yes Momma!” I cried as I snuggled as close to her as I could through the wooden bars of the fence. “Why does Sir Cresan want me?” I asked after a moment. Sirah sighed sadly. “Most likely for his back-up war horse.” She said. “W-what does that mean?” I questioned. “It means if anything happens to any of his other horses, you will be there for him to use.” “But Momma! I don’t want to be Sir Cresan’s back-up horse!” “I know dear, I don’t want you to either, but life isn’t always fair.” Sirah paused and smiled. “Besides,” she continued, “He might change his mind.” “I hope so Momma!” I cried. “But what if he doesn’t!?” She turned and stared him in the eye. “Remember your promise to me.” She said solemly. “I will Momma!” I cried for a second time. “I will always stay true!” “Or at least,” I looked at the ground, “I will at least do my best!” “Sirah reached her neck down to look him in the eye. “That’s all I can ask of you Sam.” I looked back up into her sweet face. “I love you Momma!” “I love you to Sam!” Suddenly, we heard a shrill whistle. “Sirah!” “Here girl!” As soon as Sir Taff saw me, he stopped right where he was and smiled.” He remained silent as he walked down the hill toward us. “Don’t be afraid Sam.” Sirah said gently as Sir Taff reached them. “Well Sirah,” he said softly, “Looks as if you found your young’un.” “Hey Sam.” He called gently, “Are you glad to see your momma again?” I pranced around as if to say, “Yes I am!” Sir Taff laughed loudly. “Looks as if you have a lively one Sirah!” “Sir Cresan loves lively ones!” At those words, I stopped and stared at Sir Taff. He laughed again. “Sir Cresan will like you!” “He’s coming tomorrow you know.” “Well, goodnight Sirah!” “Enjoy your last night with Sam!” As Sir Taff turned to go, I sped back over to the fence that separated Momma and I. “Momma! Did you hear what he said!?” “Sir Cresan is coming tomorrow!!!” Sirah looked as if she was about to faint. “Oh Sam!” “It can’t be!” “I never thought…..” Sirah voice trailed off. She sighed. “Sam, I have taught you everything that you need to know. Do not be afraid!” “Oh Momma!” was the only thing I could say through the huge flood of tears and sorrow. When darkness set in, Momma and I got as close to each other as we could through the bars of the fence for one final night together.




Chapter 5~Change




Sam opened his eyes. “Where am I?” he questioned aloud as he looked around. “You are in Sir Cresan’s barn.” Said an evil voice. “Ahh!” I screamed. I jerked around and found that I was in a dark and musty stall. There were no lamps, no windows, no momma. “Momma!” I cried. “Your momma is not here fool!” the evil voice spat. “Wh-who are you?” I asked timildly. “Who are you?” the voice slithered back through the darkness. I was so scared that I exclaimed “I’m Sam!” without even thinking. “Sam…” the awful sound repeated my name in a way that sent chills up and down my spine. There was a pause. “Your name will no longer matter!” it suddenly exploded. “You are mine now…” He chuckled evilly. “Mine, mine, mine!” “Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!” I woke up with a cry. “Momma, help!” I looked around. The sun was peeking over the hill. “Phew!” I thought “It wasn’t real..” “What is it Sam?” Sirah said sleepily. “Are you ok?” “Yeah, I’m fine.” “ It was all just a dream.” I replied. “Alright.” She returned. Sirah and Sam stood up. Waves of sadness rushed over me as I remembered that this was my last day with momma. “Are you ready for your new life Sam?” Sirah said solemly. I sighed sadly. “I guess.” Momma looked me in the eye. “If you have that attitude, you will be weak and will become corrupt like your brother easily.” She paused and turned to stare me in the eye. “You are strong in the ways of kindness Sam.” “You are stronger than Jace ever was.” “Plus.” She smiled. “You have my support.” “I don’t think I’m ready Momma.” I cried. “Do you think I’m ready?” Sirah sighed. “Only you can decide that Sam.”

An hour later, Sir Taff appeared in the yearling pasture. When he reached me, I hugged the fence so tight that I got the imprint of the board in my fur! “Easy boy.” Sir Taff soothed. “Sir Cresan is coming to look at you in a little while.” He said. At those words, I tossed and shook my head wildly. “There now, easy Sam” was his reply. “Let’s get you to the barn for some grooming.” He suggested. Sir Taff then tried to put a halter on me. “Momma, help!” I called frantically. Sirah desperately tried to get to me through the fence, but to no avail. “Momma!” I called again. “I’m sorry Sam!” she cried sadly. “I cannot help!” “I love you!” Sir Taff finally managed to get the halter around my head. He started to lead me away. “Momma!” was my tearful cry as Sirah disappeared into the distance behind me. At the barn, Sir Taff clipped chains to each side of my halter, holding me in place for grooming. He then went into a small room to get some brushes. “I miss Momma already!” I thought sadly as Sir Taff returned. “Well now Sam.” He said, “Ready to get cleaned up?” I snorted angrily. “Most certainly not!” “Hey now.” He stared me in the eye. “You watch it mister.” Sir Taff warned. I arched my neck as high as it would go. “Tough guy eh?” Sir Taff questioned. “We’ll see about that!” he said as he started to brush my tangled mane. I tried to toss my head, but the chains on my halter made it difficult. “Cross ties make it hard to be naughty, don’t they?” he said. Sir Taff was known for his ability to train colts out of their bad behavior. “Why do I have to be groomed anyway?” I thought. “I’m clean enough as it is!” Just as Sir Taff finished brushing my short little tail, I heard a familiar whinny. “Randy?” I called, “Is that you?” “Sam!” came the reply. I heard galloping hoof beats, then Randy burst around the corner, lead rope trailing behind. “Whoa Randy!” Sir Taff exclaimed as he reached out to grab my best friend by the halter. Sir Taff reined Randy in, just as Julian rounded the corner. He was filthy, sweaty, and out of breath. “Julian!” Sir Taff exclaimed angrily. “What happened?” “He got away from me!” Julian explained. Julian glanced over at Randy and I as we touched noses. “I guess he got a whiff of Sam.” “Yes well,” Sir Taff said. “ Sir Cresan will be here soon to look at them and Randy is a filthy, muddy, mess.” “I need you to clean him.’’ He said. “Aye aye captain!” Julian said as he saluted. He led Randy to another set of cross ties and hooked the chains to his halter. “Randy!” I exclaimed as Sir Taff began to brush my body. “What are you doing here!?” “Well,” he replied, “It seems as if this guy called Sir Cresan wants to buy me!” he said, “I’m so excited!” I’ve been looking forward to this day for ages!” “But when did he come to look at you?” I asked in confusion. “Oh, he came about a week ago.” “You were on the other side of the hill with Nina.” “He paused to look at me. “What are you doing here?” “Sir Cresan wants to buy me too.” I said sadly. “Whoopee!!!!!” he exclaimed. As you can imagine, this scared Julian quite a bit! “We’ll live together at the same place!” Randy yelled. I could tell he was quite excited. “I guess he doesn’t know about Jace.” I thought. “But won’t you miss your mom?” I asked him. “Not really…” Julian said. “I want to grow up and be in charge of myself!” “Randy,” I began, “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” “What!?” Randy exclaimed. “I can take care of my self!” he said angrily. “I know Randy, but…” Suddenly, we heard a mix of hoof beats and foot steps and then Sir Cresan and Jace appeared in the doorway.


Chapter 6~ A Whole New World



“Sir Cresan!” Sir Taff exclaimed. “Welcome back!” “Here are the colts you wanted to see.” he said, pointing at Randy and I. Sir Cresan came over to look at me. “You were right Taff, he is bigger now.” Sir Cresan said. “He looked me over from head to tail. “Fine muscles too.” He commented. Then he walked over to Randy. “He’s a big one!” Sir Cresan exclaimed. “And look at his build!” Randy arched his neck at this high comment. “How much for them?” “Well now…..” Sir Taff said as a slightly greedy smile formed on his face. “How about five bales of hay, two bridles, a saddle, some flour, three blankets, two full sets of horse armor, about four swords…” “Hold on now Taff!” Sir Cresan bellowed angrily, “That’s too much!” “Too much?” Sir Taff said slyly. “Alright, let’s make a deal.” Sir Taff said as they walked off down the barn isle, Julian trailing behind. “Sam!” Randy yelled happily, “Sir Cresan said I had a great build!” “Man, what a compliment!” I rolled my eyes. “That’s great Randy,” I replied hurriedly, “We’ve got to get out of here!” I said as I pulled at my chains. “But Sam!” Randy exclaimed, “We get to live together and be awesome war horses!” “We get to be trained by the Sir Cresan!” “Randy you don’t understand!” “Sir Cresan is evil!” “What!?” Randy said. He laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I frowned. “I’m not kidding Randy!” “That big black horse over there, you know, Sir Cresan’s horse, he’s my brother!” Randy opened his mouth to speak, but before he could utter another word, I told him all about Jace. When I finished, he looked at me with a surprised expression on his face. “You’re not kidding, are you?” “No! I’m not kidding at all!” I exclaimed “Well, If you’re sure,” Randy began. “Of course I’m sure!” I exploded. “Anyway….” Randy continued as he started to pull on his chains, “Julian didn’t fasten these clips to well.” He tugged some more. “Yes!” He cried as they came free. “Wha Hoo!!!!” he hollered as he pranced around. “I’m free!!!” “Great job Randy!” I said. “See if you can get me loose!” Randy tried to kick the chains out of the wall but to no avail. “I’m sorry Sam!” He cried sadly, “I can’t get you out!” All of a sudden, voices came drifting down the aisle. “So it’s settled then.” Sir Cresan was saying. “Quite!” Sir Taff replied happily. “Oh-no!” I yelled. “You’ve got to get out of here Randy!” “Save yourself!” “Oh Sam!” He cried. “I don’t want to leave you!” “Go Randy! Now’s you’re chance!” Randy took off toward the open barn doors, just as the two knights rounded the corner. “Hey!” Sir Taff bellowed as Randy disappeared into the crisp morning. “JULIAN!!!!!!!” Sir Taff screamed at the top of his lungs. “Yes sir?” Julian replied meekly. Sir Taff grabbed Julian by his shirt collar and lifted him off the ground. “What did you do!?” He hissed through clenched teeth. “W-well I g-guess I, you see I..” “Fool!!!!!” Sir Taff exploded. “Get my horse!” “W-which one sir?” Julian asked. “Get Chron! Now!” Came the harsh reply. Julian ran off to the horses’ stall as fast as he could. “How did that horse escape?” Sir Cresan asked. “Julian didn’t latch the cross ties on right.” Sir Taff muttered angrily. “At least this one didn’t get away.” Sir Cresan said, coming up so close to me that I could smell his repulsive breath. “Bleh!” I thought as I backed away and sneezed, covering his face in horse slobber. “Wretched beast!” Sir Cresan roared, slapping me on the side in the process. I was quite unfamiliar with this kind of behavior and started to buck. Even though the cross ties made it difficult, I managed to land a hoof squarely on Sir Cresan’s back end. “You horrid animal!” Sir Cresan thundered, backing away towards Sir Taff. “Feisty one isn’t he?” Sir Taff questioned. “Humph!” Came the reply. “Here’s Chron!” Julian said as he came back, leading the powerful steed behind him. As soon as Sir Taff was on Chron’s back, he kicked him into a full gallop, disappearing into the fog in pursuit the brave escapee. After a few minutes of uncomfortable waiting beside Sir Cresan, Sir Taff and Chron appeared, with a exhausted Randy in tow. “Let’s see you get away this time!” Sir Taff said with gusto as he hooked the cross ties back on Randy. “Julian!” He called. “Put Chron back in his stall.” “Yes sir!” was his reply as he came to retrieve the horse. “Now!” Sir Taff questioned, “When will the payment be delivered?” “It will arrive day after tomorrow.” Came the reply. “Alright then!” Sir Taff exclaimed happily as Sir Cresan tied Randy and I to Jace’s saddle. As soon as we were on the road, I took one last look at my birthplace, my home. “Oh Momma!” I thought sadly, “How will I ever live without you?” Randy looked down right fatigued. “How did you get caught?” I asked. Randy sighed. “I ran and ran as fast as I could, but I am so small and Chron was so big!” I decided to try again. “So, how did they find you?” “I mean, you got such a big head start!” “Well, when I first came out of the barn, I saw that I could go three ways, the main road, the yearling pasture, or the house.” “I decided that the main road would be a good idea, because Sir Taff would probably have a lot of difficulty tracking me there.” “It turned out,” he continued, “That there were lots of people on the main road, and I was in such a hurry that I didn’t see the peasant woman step in front of me.” “She grabbed my halter and pulled me to a stop, just as Sir Taff rode up beside us.” “Sir Taff gave her a coin, then took me back to the barn.” He sighed sadly as he finished his story. “I’m so sorry Randy!” I said. “It’s ok.” He replied. “Sir Taff probably would have found me anyway.” Suddenly, we heard lots of barking, and three vicious dogs came at us from under a black fence. They were huge, and each one had a frayed piece of thick rope around it’s neck. Just as they were about to bite me in the leg, Sir Cresan yelled at them. “Borg!” “Ceaser!” “Dilmon!” “Back to the barn!” He bellowed. The three massive canines obeyed him without question. Randy and I watched them slink back to a dreary looking excuse for a stable. The “barn” was an enormous wooden structure. It was partially rotted, blackened by soot, and the roof leaked badly. “Welcome to your new home boys!” Sir Cresan exclaimed with an evil laugh.



Chapter 7~Meeting the gang


“This is our new home?” I thought as we entered the “barn”. “Why, It’s no better than a pig pen!” The inside was dark and damp, except for a few tiny beams of light that shone through the roof. There were eight stalls, but only three of them were occupied. The barn smelled nasty, but I eventually got used to it. The one comfort that I found in the barn was that the stalls were nice and dry. “Here’s your bed Randy.” Sir Cresan said as he opened the door to one of the stalls. “Sam!” he cried fearfully, “It’s really dark in here and I’m scared to go in!” Before I could reply, Sir Cresan slapped Randy on the rear, sending him flying into the stall. “Get in there!” he bellowed. He then proceeded down the aisle, leading me to my own stall. As soon as he opened the door, I rushed in, hoping to avoid a hard smack from Sir Cresan’s rough hand. When he had closed the door and taken care of Jace, he exited the barn. “You better get acquainted with your new surroundings fast, because training starts tomorrow!” he said as he shut the barn door.


“Sam?” Randy called fearfully through the darkness. “Are you there?”
“I’m here Randy! Just a couple stalls down!” I called back. All of a sudden, and eerie voice slithered through the darkness. “Welcome, fools!” At this, I jumped, startled by the evil sound that seemed to go straight to my heart. “W-who’s there?” I returned. “Well, since you are going to live here, I suppose you should know who I am, shouldn’t you?” I heard. “The name is, Jace.” “Jace! I should have known you by the evil hint in your voice! How could you have been so cruel to Nina!?” I blurted without thinking. There was silence for a moment, then Jace spoke with a fury. “You will not talk about that horse in my presence!” he roared. “Oh yeah?” I demanded, “And who’s going to stop me?” After this I paused, surprised by my boldness. “Borg!” Jace exclaimed, “Show him how we deal with, the disrespectful ones.” Suddenly I heard the sound of padded feet running, then a massive hound flew over the door of the stall, landing right in front of me. The beast growled, then made it’s move. It all happened so fast, that I didn’t know what was happening. All I saw was a dark shadow flying at me, then sharp teeth tore into my shoulder, wounding it mildly. Then, as quickly as it had come, it was gone. As I leaned over to inspect the cuts, Jace’s voice slithered through the darkness again. “Now you know my power over you, and will hopefully not be as quick to challenge it.” he said. “Sam! Are you okay!? What happened?” Randy called fearfully. “I’m alright Randy! One of Sir Cresan’s dogs just attacked me is all!” was my strained reply. “Silence!” Jace’s voice boomed through the darkness. “Let me introduce you to my minions.” He said. “The dog that attacked you was Borg. His comrades are Ceaser and Dilmon. All three of them used to belong to an atheist duke, known as Duke Safron. He trained them as war dogs. You know, the kind that are capable of bringing down a whole horse and his rider.” Jace explained in a way that sent shivers down my spine. “Sir Cresan uses them when we go into battle against those pitiful Followers of Christ!” Jace said with hate in his voice. “What are those?” I asked, not sure what he meant. “The, Followers of Christ,” Jace explained, “Are the ones that we are currently fighting.” He said. “We are almost constantly traveling to battles against them.” “Oh!” I said, getting the picture. “But who are we?” I questioned. “We are…. The Kingdom of Darkness.” “And tomorrow,” Jace said, “Your training, begins.”





Part Two


Ten years later……..















Chapter 8~Battle



“Whoosh!” An arrow whizzed past my head, and the brown and white hawk feathers on the end just barely grazing my ear. I pranced in place, excited and full of energy in the rage of the battle. “Ho Sam!” Sir Cresan called, trying to calm me down. I can’t calm down. I love battle! The ‘whoosh’ of arrows as they fly, the yelling of orders, the clashing of swords. It’s the life for me!

Suddenly, Sir Cresan calls, “Press forward!” This is what I’ve been waiting for! I charge forward, mane and tail flying, heart beating fast. I jump over a fallen log, weave through trees, and cross a small spring. I hear the thundering of hoofbeats behind us, knowing that our troops are close behind. The enemy is in full retreat.

This is one of my favorite parts of the battle, capturing prisoners. We had an, interesting way of doing things. We would chase the enemy until they were exhausted, then we would, shall we say, lassoe them with rope. Then we would load them into prisoner carts and carry them back to headquarters for questioning. After that, I don’t know what happens to them.

“Finally!” I thought, “They are tiring!” We had been chasing after the prisoners for an hour now, and I was getting pretty tired myself. Sir Cresan brought out a thick piece of rope, and I knew it was time. He directed me over to a small group of soldiers that had separated off from the others. I began to circle them while Sir Cresan chose the one he wanted. As soon as I was close enough, he threw the rope over my head, landing around one of the larger men. Even though the he was tired, he put up quite a fight. I later learned that he was one of the generals, and might provide some helpful information. We eventually loaded him in one of the many prisoner carts, where Sir Cresan locked him with a couple other captives.

“Phew!” I thought as we began our journey back to headquarters. “What a day!” Sir Cresan and I had caught a total of six soldiers, a general, three enemy horses, and an enemy wagon. It had been hard, but it was worth it.

A high whinny pierced the air. “Randy!” I thought joyfully. I turned around, and there was my good old buddy. “Randy!” I called out loud this time. “Sam!” he exclaimed. He came trotting up behind me, a big smile on his face. “So, how many did you fish in this time?” he asked me. “A wagon, three horses, six foot soldiers, and a general.” I said with pride in my voice. “No way man!” Randy said excitedly. “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I shook my head from side to side. “I’m not kidding. You could ask Jace if you want.” “No way buddy!” Randy said, not wanting to go near Jace. “I’ll take your word for it."

I jerked out of my sleep. Something was moving in the blackness. I immediately began to sweep the area with my eyes, searching the dark for whatever was out there. Finally, I see something. It’s a person, and it’s coming right for me.




Chapter 9~Something New

I snort, warning the intruder that they have been detected. I continue to follow them with my eyes, taking in their every move. “Hey boy.” A deep voice calls. It’s coming from the person. It’s a man, I can tell by his build. He is within seven feet of me now. Closer, closer, closer he comes. Finally he reaches me, and a gentle hand touches my shoulder. I pull away, not knowing what he wants. “Easy.” He soothes. He touches me again, and this time, I don’t pull away. This isn’t Sir Cresan. This is one of the prisoners. “How did he get away!?” I thought frantically as he began to untie me. “And what does he want?” As if sensing my thoughts the man said, “I’m going to use you to escape this place so I can get back to my family.” “Whoa now! What are you doing?” I neighed as I pawed the ground. The man swung up on my back with no trouble. “On boy!” he said. I stood my ground, not sure if this was the best idea. Suddenly, cries of “General Crain has escaped!” rang throughout the camp. As the man on my back tensed up, I realized that he must be General Crain, and that he was trying to escape on me. “Come on boy, let’s get out of here!” The man said, urgency in his voice. I didn’t budge. “Yah!” he yelled. From the distance I could hear someone calling, “He’s trying to escape on one of the horses!” This made General Crain even more tense. “Go!” he exclaimed, slapping me as hard as he could on the rump. I lept forward into the forest as fast as I could. General Crain leaned down low on my neck, urging me to go faster. As we tore through the woods, I heard the thundering of many horses behind us. In the dim light of dawn, I could just see the mouth of a canyon. And we were headed right for it. “What should I do?” I thought as I ran. With every stride the canyon entrance came closer and closer. “ What would Sir Cresan say?” I thought as we galloped under the high arch of rock, I had just enough time to catch a glimpse of Sir Cresan’s face, curled in an evil snarl. “Would he kill me just to get a hold of the general?” I wondered. My thoughts were interrupted by a fiery arrow. It sped right by me, lighting the dry brush on the canyon walls into a roaring fire. The fire spread quickly, and soon we were surrounded by flames. I reared up, frightened by the red and orange wall that seemed to be everywhere. There seemed to be no escape. I could barely make out Sir Cresan’s figure through the flames. “Give us the information of your camp’s whereabouts, or die!” he called. After a brief pause, General Hadrian replied saying, “I would rather die then betray my friends!” This scared me. “Does this mean I will die too?” I began to pace frantically. “Suit yourself!”
Sir Cresan said as he turned to leave. “ Have a nice, shall we say, ‘death’ Follower of Christ! ” he spat as he kicked his steed into a full gallop. We heard hoofbeats thundering away, then silence. Hadrian slid of my back and onto the ground. He walked a few paces away, kneeled, and looked up into the bright sunrise as he began to pray. “Dear Lord!” he cried. “Save me this day, that I might continue to serve you in this time of great trail and suffering! For you are Almighty God, Savior and King over the whole world! You have the power to save me from anything Lord! And as your servant, I ask you to preserve me this day! Amen.” Just as he rose from his knees, we heard a whinny. We turned to look, and there, just eighteen paces away, was a rider on a beautiful bay mare. He was pointing to a small gap in the wall of flames. Hadrian scrambled on my back as fast as he could, and off we went as fast as we could. We burst through the hole, just as it started to close. “Follow me!” the man exclaimed as he cantered off down the canyon. We followed him for some distance until we saw an opening in the rocks. We trotted through it to find ourselves behind a waterfall in the woods. The cold water roared down the side of the canyon, and the spray refreshed my sweating body. There was a path that led into a cave, and that was where we were heading.



After you've read this, PLEASE let me know your opinion, and let me know if any of the grammar needs to be changed!

That is such a awesome horse story! I love stories where its in the horses view! I cant wait to read more!

Great job Hannah, your writing has really improved lately!

I love it!!!!!!!!! I love horses, and medival stories! That's awesome! You're a really talented writer! Great job, can't wait to read more!

Thanks for posting everyone! Please say with you think about the UPDATED version!!!

You are doing great Hannah! Keep up the good work!

I love it!!! I can't wait to read more!

I can't wait to read the rest!!

Aww! Poor Sam and Sirah!! I hope Sam doesnt get sold!

I should have the next chapter or two on in the next few days! Thanks for all the replys! It helps me keep going!

Im really enjoying this stroy Hannakin! I love reading horse stories from the horses point of view!

Poor Sam! I feel so bad for him. You're doing a great job Hannahkin! Post more soon!

My story is updated! Yays!

I can't wait to read part two!!! Keep up the awesome work!!!

Thanks Rex's Girl! I'm going to post more as soon as I can.

I'm loving this story!!! Post more soon!

Your welcome!

UPDATED! The first chapter of part 2 is up!!!!! Yippee!!!!!

I really am enjoying this story!!!