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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 3:36 pm
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Posted: Thu Aug 20, 2020 4:39 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2020 7:29 pm
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Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2020 8:28 pm
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Posted: Sun Aug 23, 2020 6:51 pm
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Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:10 pm
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As the sun began to set a light fog descended upon the marsh. Cooling the air but making it feel even more moist. Water dripped from the willow’s leaves. A soft pat, pat, pat noise as it hit the soft ground around Firefly. Suddenly one fell on her nose and she started awake. It was cold and sudden. Her eyes flew open fear pulsing through her.
She had fallen into the river again!
Her heart raced as she jumped to her hooves spinning in a circle. Eyes blinking wearily in the darkness she had to stop herself from calling out for help but she couldn’t.
Or no....wait...
Perking her ears Firefly listened as her heart pounded in her ears. In the distance she could hear someone calling for help. It was faint but it was there. Taking a guess at the direction of the call she stepped off the island, the swampy marsh slowing her pace as water and mud sucked at her hooves. A few times she thought perhaps she would be stuck but the desperate calls gave her strength.
“Heeeeellllpppp!” The cry was frantic now. Fear and helplessness drenched the word as it was called.
“I’m coming!” She called back. Which way? Again the cry came. “This way....hang on!”;Bursting through a barrier of gorse bushes her eyes widened. “River Ripple!”
The young colt was frantically running along the edge or what looked like a pond of wet sand. At the call of his name he dashed up to Firefly, tears in his green eyes as well as panic. “Please! You must help Slate she’s the only one I have!” He wailed.
Peering around him she saw the dark grey filly half buried in the wet sand. Her breathing was labored as she struggled against being pulled beneath the surface. When she saw Firefly she once again thrashed about but only managed to sink deeper.
“Stop moving you’ll only sink deeper!” Running to the edge of the sand she looked around spotting a long vine wrapped around a tree. Quickly she ran over and ripped it down, gathering it in her teeth she ran back over to River Ripple. “Hold this end.”once the colt took hold she tossed the other end towards Slate.
Please let this reach her!
It landed close but not as far are Firefly would have liked. “Slate grab it!”
The filly was exhausted she could tell. Taking a deep breath she pulled herself up, flailing against the moving sand as she struggled to reach the vine. At the last second she finally grasped it in her teeth before her head sunk beneath the surface.
“Pull!” Grasping the vine in her own teeth Firefly pulled with the help of River Ripple. It was like pulling a sack of rocks. She prayed to her ancestors that they were making progress. As the end of the vine drew nearer Slate’s head resurfaced still clenching the vine in her teeth. Together Firefly and River Ripple were able to pull Slate out of the sand and back on to the bank.
Releasing the vine Slate lay on the ground unmoving. River Ripple ran over to her. “She’s not breathing!” Another wail came from the colt before Slate took a rasping breath. Her small body convulsion as she spit out sand. It flowed from her mouth, ears and nose. Her amber eyes were red from all the sand in them and she rubbed a foreleg against her face to clear them.
“Slate!” The colt cried with joy as her licked her ears and pranced around her, flopping down next to her he pressed his slightly larger body against her’s. “I’m so happy!” He whickered.
Slate coughed roughly, obviously exhausted and not up for River Ripple’s ear licks. But when he flopped next to her she leaned against him. Her gaze turning to Firefly. “You helped me...why?”
Firefly was a little taken aback. Surely the filly should be grateful for being rescued right? “Because if it were one of my filly I would hope someone would be kind enough to save their lives too.”
The filly turned her head away sharply. “No one feels that way for me.” Her disposition becoming cold and hard just like the stone she was named for.
Firefly’s gaze softened.“Surely your moth-“
“Our mothers are dead....” Came River Ripple’s reply. “But if Slate won’t say it I’m thankful you saved her.” He nuzzled Slate.
They are orphans.
The truth hit Firefly like a ton of bricks. These foals had no one to care for them. No one to worry about them if they never came home. She should have figured when she had first met them when there was no adult with them. And she had just left them behind without a second thought. Her heart broke for them. What kind of mother was she if she could not see their plight outside of her own calling?
“It’s too late for foals to be running around this marsh in the dark. Why don’t you two come back to where I am staying at least until dawn when it’s easier to see?” She hoped they would not decline.
The two foals looked at each other warily. Exchanging glances before they climbed to their hooves. Slate’s body trembled as she leaned against River Ripple. “Ok....just till dawn.” The colt finally replied.
Firefly was thankful that they seemed understanding at least. Without another word she turned to head back to the willow tree. Glancing back to make sure the two were still behind her. As they finally reached the tree she sank to the ground with a hefty sigh, the two foals did the same a few feet away. Slate shooting suspicious glances her way but Firefly was too exhausted to care. The chirping of crickets soon lured her into a calm ease as she watched the two with mild curiosity.
Who were they and where did they come from?
River Ripple was already asleep and snoring loudly while Slate continued to glare at her as Firefly began to doze once more.
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2020 12:32 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 09, 2020 4:14 pm
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