July 2009 Story Contest

I wrote a story for the June contest called Tally’s Nightly Adventure. If you weren’t able to read it, this is Tally’s best friend Allison’s story, told from the view of her horse Teddy. Also many thanks to Lpetz23 and Chanel (her horse at camp). Their experiences at horse camp gave me the base for this story. Enjoy! – Skyrider94

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Greatheart: A Journey of Courage and Devotion by skyrider94 and Excalibur         age 16

“Morning, Teddy!” My beloved owner’s voice floated down the barn aisle. I eagerly thrust my head out of the stall and trumpeted joyfully. Allison laughed. “I guess you’re in high spirits today, huh, boy?” I bobbed my head in agreement, but only succeeded in throw my mane all over my eyes. Embarrassed, I shook my mane out of my face and eagerly tried to dig into Allison’s pockets for treats while she filled my hay net. “Hey!” she said giggling, “We’ll go out for a trail ride soon okay? Mrs. Harper says it’s a free day today so we finally have the chance to go explore.” I snorted. Mrs. Harper was the horse instructor at the horse camp in Colorado we had decided to go to. Or rather, Allison decided. But I still didn’t like the looks of that lady. She just reeked of trouble. I wasn’t sure what kind exactly, but I was going to find out. While I was woolgathering, Allison had gotten my tack and was ready to put it on me. I tried to hold still for her, but my excitement bled through, all thoughts of that nasty Mrs. Harper forgotten. On accident, I knocked Allison in the head while she was fastening my girth. She came up laughing, much to the relief of my anxious and apologetic whicker. “All right, all right! We’re going already!” She led me out of the stall and mounted. Then we were off! I eagerly broke into a fast canter, wanting to stretch my legs. Smiling, Allison gave a gentle touch on the reins and I slowed to head down the new trail she wanted to explore. The gentle thud of my hooves blended into the cheerful songs of the birds. “Oh, Teddy, its beautiful here!” Allison breathed. I had to agree. Graceful woodland trees lined the well-worn path while colorful flowers and singing birds dotted the landscape. The canopy of the trees dipped to show a spectacular view of the tall, imperious mountains ahead. The trail abruptly fell off to run dangerously close to a steep decline. I looked at my feet to carefully place them on the treacherous turf. Allison kept sighing at the beautiful scenery, not caring where I wandered. I was so busy looking at my feet that I failed to notice when, what I had thought was a small branch in the path, became a snake that jumped with hissing fangs for my nose. Startled, I reared and stumbled backwards. Allison yelled. My back hooves fumbled for footing but couldn’t find it. My eyes rolled in my head as I realized that Allison and I were going to fall, straight down the decline. We hit the ground with a thud. I heard Allison give a cry as her leg was pinned under my side. I couldn’t get up. The slippery gravel on the decline offered me no hold so I was forced to stay struggling on my weak side with all four legs in the air. I heard Allison scream with unshakeable terror. I managed to raise my head just enough to see what laid in wait for us at the bottom. Jagged boulders rose from the ground at an angle that pointed straight towards us. I then realized what had made Allison scream. With her leg pinned underneath me, she couldn’t move out of the way and was going to crash head first into the rocks. I couldn’t let that happen! Gathering every last bit of strength I had within me, I gave a tremendous heave and flipped to my other side, saving Allison, but now putting my legs as the first thing to hit the jagged teeth. I braced myself for the impact as much I could. POW! We slammed into the rock with a sickening thud. I groaned. My legs hurt as if they were shattered like a jigsaw puzzle. I heard Allison whimper above me. I raised my head and looked to see what was wrong. She looked back at me with pain-filled eyes. As a warm sticky wetness seeped onto my shoulder, I realized that she had not only broken her leg from when I fell on it, but had sustained several deep cuts from smaller boulders farther up the decline I hadn’t noticed before. Then Allison looked at me with tear-filled eyes. I didn’t understand. Why was she crying and looking at me like that? “Teddy, you gotta get up! Teddy, please get up! Please!” she sobbed brokenly. I then realized I had gone limp and that she was crying because she thought I was hurt. I gave a soft snort. Me? Huh, granted I felt horrible, but I was okay. I gave another groan and hauled my self up to my feet. Immediately, I felt as if my left foreleg was punctured by one of those weird-smelling vets’ needles. It hurt horribly. I gingerly set it down. Allison cried out as me standing jostled her bad leg. I whickered anxiously over my shoulder at her. Grimacing, Allison told me “Teddy, we’ve got to get help, so go home boy! Go home!” I tossed my head. Home? Home was back in Texas. But I figured going back to the horse camp was just as good as going home. Limping badly because of my leg, I hobbled into the thickets surrounding the area. The branches scraped along my sides, but I kept going. Somewhere in there, I felt Allison collapse against my neck. Looking over my shoulder, I saw that she had passed out; whether from shock or pain I couldn’t tell. Luckily enough, we soon broke out into a meadow. I turned to head back in the general direction we had come from. A loud rumble thundered above me. I looked up to find that the sky had darkened to an almost black color and was rumbling like a lion. I knew that a bad storm was coming. I could feel it; the wind picking up speed while taking wisps of my mane with it, the temperature had dropped a little bit and it was noticeably cooler as it always is before a rain, and the scent of it heavy in the thick air. However, it was the howling winds gusting at billowing speeds that tipped me off. I had only ever been in one other storm like this before. It had been in my colt hood, long before I had met Allison. I had been with my mother in a field that contained only a small outbuilding for shelter. I had wandered off, despite my mother’s warnings that a bad storm was coming. I found a new cave to play in the day before so it was sheltered during the long and terrible storm. Later when I came out, I saw whole trees pulled out of the ground and pieces of tin and wood from our barn. I looked to see if our barn was all right and only found a slab of cement in its place. I never found my mother among the wreckage. It was the last I ever saw of her. I had heard later that the fearsome storm that stole my mother from me was called a tornado. I had realized that now, years later, another one like it was approaching. I knew I had to get Allison and myself out of the storm. Cantering, I headed towards the mountains, certain I’d find another cave like the one I hid in so long ago there. I could hear the storm picking up behind me. Rolling my eyes, I nervously threw myself into a gallop, trying to outrun the storm. Judging by the noise that sounded similar to a train rumbling closer still behind me, I wasn’t succeeding. Angry with my self, I redoubled my efforts, flinging every ounce of my legs into the furious pace that was closer to flying than a gallop. Suddenly, I saw it. A small dark hole that signified the cave I had been frantically searching for. I quickly ducked into it, going the farthest end of the cave to wait it out. I waited there, trembling, hoping, that we would make it back okay. After what seemed an eternity, the winds gentled into a soft breeze. I cautiously crept out. The dirt of the meadow had been plowed up in great clods and the trees had once again been torn up. Looking back over my shoulder, I saw that Allison was still passed out, but her cuts were still bleeding. With a great sigh, I began the long trudge back to the camp, carefully dodging trees the whole while. When I reached the top of a hill, I looked down to see the barn and everyone running around in the yard frantically. I didn’t stop to think why they were doing that, only that I was back, and Allison safe and sound with me. I let out a tremendous whinny and began to heavily limp as fast as I could towards the warm stall and oats that awaited me. The people looked up at my whinny and began to run towards me in relief. I trembled to a stop as they crowded close to reach Allison. Mrs. Harper surprised me. She instantly commandeered everything, calling the camp doctor and vet and getting me and Allison snuggled into the warm barn, which was only missing a few shingles after the tornado. I guess I was wrong; there never was anything bad about that lady. Allison came to as they set her down outside my stall. “Ugh, what? Where am I? Teddy? Oh my gosh! Teddy! Is he okay? Where is he?” she frantically began asking. I whickered gently at her in response. Allison sighed in relief. “Allison,” the camp doctor asked her, “What happened?” “Well, we went on a new trail and it was okay until Teddy got scared by a snake and we fell into a ravine. I should’ve prevented it, but I wasn’t watching where he went. He managed to save me from hitting the rocks at the bottom. I guess he must’ve carried me back here.” She said, looking at me with amazement at the last bit. “Well,” the doctor told her, “ I think you just dislocated your knee, thankfully, and these cuts will heal very soon.” Everyone looked up then as the vet came out of my stall with the x-rays of my leg he took while they were talking. “Allison, it looks like Teddy’s going to be alright. That fall really bruised up his legs, but thankfully no real damage was done. Just don’t ride him for a week. You’ll be busy anyway watching his legs for swelling and soaking his legs in cool water then applying this healing poultice. After the week is up, I’ll come again to check him once more and if he’s sound, you can start working him back up to scratch with light lunging.” “’Kay.” Allison replied. She looked up at me with tender eyes. “Thank you, Teddy. You’re my hero. I’ll never do anything to hurt you ever again!” I shook my mane out of my eyes, but again, I didn’t succeed and only embarrassed myself. But, for once it didn’t matter. I was Allison’s hero and that’s what mattered most. I lived and was loved in her heart, just as she was in mine. Huffing softly, I stretched my head down and returned the hug waiting for me with love. After all the troubles and worries of the day, I knew that it was supposed to end like this. I had struggled through trials that other horses never had nor never will experience. But at the end of that tunnel of obstacles was a bright ray of light that became the finish line, telling me that this was exactly where I needed to be forevermore.

The End