~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~!~ The day is bright, warm, brimming with life and happiness, the air surrounding you almost smiling. Moving forward, motion smooth and undisturbed by any distractions, you decide to take a turn down a different path in the woods, this one more dense and heavily vegetated, thick with desert foliage. But something shrieks, swooping past you in a flurry of dark wings, and started, you take off at a terrified, lopsided gallop. Charging violently down and away from whatever had frightened you, you storm onward, pulling as far as you dare before slowing. Heart slowly returning to normal as you come to your senses, you pause, looking around with worry. You have strayed far... This land is strange to you... you are all alone. Anxious perspiration beading your forehead, dampening your sticky forelock, you scuttle sideways, the barren desert looking so strange and frightening. Bumping into a large bush, you step the other way, finding yourself trapped between this scraggly brush and another exactly like it on your other side - leaving you no other choice but to move forward. And as you do so, light finds you, and you emerge into a large clearing, spacious and teeming with life – an absolute oasis in the middle of the most horrid, empty desert, sand stretching for miles in all directions. Through the prickly cacti and dry, brittle brush, a drop comes in the lively clearing, falling away into a shallow canyon, a brilliant, steady stream breaking the monotony of sand around you to make this hot place habitable. Shaded with a few sparse, ratty trees, tall but sheltering the land well, you smile a little, feeling somewhat relieved – this was not the greatest home ever, but certainly was not half bad. A few horses pressed nearby the stream, anchored like flowers, hang like gems in the bright, golden light, coats brilliant with life. One lanky, tenderly red figure breaks away from the group, jigsawing towards you, young and carefree, rich coat glinting with the love of life. Pausing, so young, but so bold, he eyes your tattered wardrobe, worried eye, and smiles happily. Saying nothing, spinning on heel, he accepts you, leaving you to do as you please - go back into the brush, or stay and discover what treasure might be buried somewhere in this land, in this young stud... After all, if life could be found in the desert, could love not be found in this playful young steed? ~!~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Herd Members ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Back to Just Beyond The Horizon!