Chapter 1
Born from Flames
If there was a memory Ody could erase from his brain, it would be the day he visited a small herd that lived nestled in a meadow alongside a cliff. That summer had been more dry than others before, the demand of water skyrocketed as rivers began to dry up. He had made a deal earlier in the moon cycle; water and protection from cougars with the promise of food and valuables in return. Once the rain began to refill rivers, Ody revisited the herd to collect payment.
The earth was still dry and crunched under hooves as he greeted the lead stallion of the herd with a nod of his head. Behind Ody, the rest of the Soot Hooves lingered with watchful eyes. The two spoke in low voices, the hair on their spines rising with tension. The expectation was evident in Ody’s gaze as he stared down the grey stallion, who was stubbornly holding his ground. The tension momentarily dissipated as the lead mare trotted up, her rich brown coat shining under the dying light of the sun.
A New Family
Asty often recalls his memory of this fateful day as foggy, confused, and riddled with feelings of fear. It had been as beautiful a day as any other, frolicking and playing with his mother in their slightly dry meadow, the flowers a little wilted under the sun but were still holding onto their colors. While they grazed, his father kept a watch on them from a distance. Mundane, normal, and happy. For a 4-month-old, slightly moldy foal, he at the time may as well have been in heaven, surrounded by love and comfort. And in this comfort the foal lay down to take one of his regularly scheduled naps, his mother gently swishing flies off him with her beautifully bushy tail.
The good day began to turn bad at the drop of an apple. Awoken from his nap suddenly to his mother nudging him, she said in urgent and hushed tones “Asty darling up, quick” The groggy foal did as his mother commanded, a little worry creeping in “Mum, what’s the matter?” The grey mare was quick to soothe his concerns “Nothing sweetie we just have some…. visitors we need to talk with, ok? Would you do mom a favour and move your nap to this bush” The still groggy Asty agreed, he'd like to continue his nap, and happily followed his mom to the bush before crawling in. He glanced back over his shoulder to see his mom having now turned and running back to his dad with a haste Asty wasn't used too. But the bush was comfy, and he quickly drifted back into a comfortable sleep within the shade of the leaves.