A Colt's Tale

by my_little_medic

Into the Forest

There was only the slightest breeze through the thick trunks of the forest trees. The leaves of the trees rustled up above as the wind blew along their tops. But down on the forest floor the wind couldn't reach it's full potential. The forest floor was damp and it seemed like every other step I took, I ended up with mud caked in one of my hooves. I tried to be careful and watch where I was walking because the forest was absolutely packed full of thick bramble bushes and overgrown shrubbery.

I tried to make a mental map of the forest as I walked through it but I quickly forgot most of what I had tried using as landmarks. I was trying to find two things; water, and a way out of this creepy forest. I listened for the faintest sound of running water but all I could hear were the sounds of the forest insects and the birds up in the tree tops. At one time I heard some rustling from a bush behind me and when I turned around to look a rabbit had come out and quickly ran away. I slowly began to walk backwards from where I had seen the rabbit, only to step on my tail and trip. Frustrated, I stood back up only to realize that my white fur was quickly becoming covered with mud and debris from the forest floor.

I kept walking through the forest for what seemed like hours. Finally, up ahead through the thick trees, I could see an opening with sunlight shining in. As I approached the area, I was greeted by an amazingly clear blue lake that was reflecting the sun's rays. There were flocks of birds flying overhead singing merrily and across the lake I could see several woodland critters enjoying the fresh water. I walked up to the edge of the lake and dropped onto my stomach. Taking a deep breath, I plunged my face into the cool water, slurping greedily as it soothed my dry mouth and upset stomach. The wind had warmed up considerably as it blew through my mud caked fur and across the top of the water.

I raised my face from the water, my thirst effectively quenched. I looked back down at the surface of the water as the ripples I had made slowed. There, staring back at me, was the reflection of a little white colt with bright blue eyes and a bright red mane with strips of yellow through it. I must have stared at my reflection for a good ten minutes before my expression slowly changed from that of astonishment to one of sadness and I watched as my ears fell limp to the sides of my face.

"Why has this happened to me...?" I asked in a sad tone.

Suddenly I brought myself back to attention. As I looked around the lake, I noticed that all of the critters that were there a moment ago had disappeared. The birds were no longer flying around overhead either. As I looked around, I noticed that there wasn't even the chirp of a bird to be heard. The forest had gone completely silent.

My heart leaped into my throat as I heard a very low menacing growl from behind me. I quickly snapped my head around to see what it was. There next to a large bramble bush were two sickly, green glowing eyes.

Fear overwhelmed me, I couldn't move. I could only watch as the green eyes slowly approached and what they belonged to revealed itself. A wolf materialized from out of the bramble bush, but it appeared to be made of sticks and tree branches. This however made it appear even more menacing. As it took another step towards me it growled, curling it's lips up to reveal it's sharp wooden teeth. The sounds of the twigs and branches snapping and bending as the wolf moved were sickening.

Slowly I was able to regain some muscle control in my body. Without taking my eyes off of the wolf I slowly got my hooves underneath me. It took everything in me to get my muscles to bring me up till I was standing. The sudden fear had left me so shaky that I if moved the wrong hoof I thought I would end up on the ground again. I took several slow steps backward along the edge of the lake, trying to figure out how I was going to come away from this alive. The wolf stood there watching intently. I took one more step backward and suddenly felt a sharp pain in my rump. It made me jump suddenly and I realized that I had stepped on my tail again. This was the signal that the wolf was waiting for. The creature sprang into a sudden sprint directly at me.

I let out a scream of pure terror with my childish voice as I quickly turned and took off running. Now I had not practiced running or even given it a try up to this point. My body had now taken over out of pure instinct and was on autopilot. The only objective was to survive.

I could hear and feel the wolf running behind me as his wooden paws hit the ground. I was running blind, trying in vain to put as much distance between me and the fast approaching predator as I could. I ran straight through overgrown bramble bushes and shrubberies. They cut into my flesh with their large thorns and left my fur stuck to my body with sap. However, nothing worked to increase our distance and with each passing moment I could hear the creatures steps getting closer.

My little legs were burning and I just couldn't get anymore stride out of them than what I was already managing.

'Wait! That's it! I'm small and he's large!' The thought suddenly occurring to me.

I frantically looked around as the wolf was closing his distance on me. There just ahead was a mass of tangled trees that held a small opening just above the ground. I really wasn't sure if I was going to fit but it was the best chance I had at survival at this point. I made a straight line sprint for the tiny opening in the tree mess, I was just going to clear it. I couldn't tell if I felt the wolf's breath on the back of my rump or if it was just my fear playing on my senses. I closed my eyes as I ran through the tiny opening at full throttle.

'SNAP!' The feeling was absolutely sickening and the pain was so intense that it made my footing slip and I went tumbling, coming to a stop flat on my belly. The pain in my back was so intense that I let out a blood curdling scream. I stood up slowly and looked back at the little hole in the trees I had run through. There above the entrance was a mess of bloody white feathers that were slowly falling to the ground. I looked up at the wings on my back. My heart sank and my eyes began watering as I saw a bloody mess of feathers and twisted bones.

'I destroyed my wings!' Was all I could think.

I had forgotten I had them when sizing up the entrance through the tree mess.

A loud yelp and the sound of snapping twigs and branches quickly brought my attention back to the predator that had been chasing me. The wolf had crashed face first into the trees.

This was my chance to get away. I turned and took off at a gallop again, trying to put as much distance between me and my assailant.

The pain from my wings surged through my body everytime a hoof hit the ground. I could feel warm liquid flowing across my back from my wings and cooling as the wind hit it. I knew I was bleeding. The tears were free flowing now, the wind from my running blowing them back along my face.

From behind me I heard a loud howl in the distance and took a look over my shoulder. The wolf was nowhere to be found.

'Is that it? Does that mean he's given up?' I hoped.

But, my hopes were dashed as the familiar sounds of snapping twigs and bending branches came from ahead of me. I barely had time to skid to a stop as another wolf jumped from out of nowhere. I skidded to a stop and quickly tried to get my footing back to take off at another run, but it was in vain.

'The bastard was calling for help!'

As I got my footing, the wolf lunged at me. He came up just short of landing on top of me but managed to bring his claws down on my left flank. I let out another screeching cry as I felt the claws tearing into me. I rolled off to the side and dove head first into a thick bush that was off to my right. The pain in my flank was almost as intense as the one coming from my destroyed wings and between the two, I was beginning to get dizzy. I felt the hot life sustaining liquid from within me leaking away through the deep gashes in my flank. I decided it best not to look at the damage yet. If I survived this bout with the timberwolves, I could worry about trying to bandage myself up later.

I regained my composure and peeked through a small opening in the bush. The timberwolf was upright now and looking around for his lost prey.

'I've got some time!'

The timberwolf put his wooden nose to the ground and began tracking the bleeding pegasus' scent, heading right towards his hiding spot.

'But not much!'

I looked around frantically trying to figure out where my next move would take me. I spotted it about one hundred yards away. A burrow that some critter had made out of the base of a tree. It looked like it was deep enough for me to get into and away from any stray fangs or claws.

I took several deep breaths before bolting at a dead run out of the bush and towards the burrow. The wound to my left flank almost made me trip and go rolling. The wolf must have cut me down to the muscle, it felt like my back leg could fold on me at any moment.

A deep and sudden growl alerted me that the wolf had spotted me and was back on the chase.

'Don't look back, just go for it!' I screamed in my head.

I was running as fast as my stubby legs could go and trying desperately to keep the coordination in my injured back leg. I put the pain to the back of my mind as I eyed my target. I heard a sudden growl off to my right which caught my attention. I turned my head to see that the wolf from earlier had rejoined the hunt.

'That's not fair!' I thought as hot tears began to stream from my eyes again. 'I'm so close!'

The wolf to my right turned and sprang into a lunge directly in my path. He was trying to intercept me.

'Maybe I can beat him at his own game!' I thought as I gritted me teeth.

I watched as the wolf slowly came down in my path. With a mere twenty yards left to go to safety, I closed my eyes and put everything I had left to give into my back legs. I coiled my back legs underneath me and sprang into a leap, my injured back leg protesting with agonizing pain. I opened my eyes as I went airborne and looked down as I passed over the timberwolf.

'I did it!' I triumphed.

I looked forward towards the burrow I was aiming for and realized I was overshooting it by a lot. I was heading straight into the trunk of the tree the burrow was built in.

'How did I miscalculate so badly?! There's NO WAY I'm that light is there?!'

'CRASH!' I collided head first with the trunk of the tree and fell to the ground. As I hit the ground I landed on my stomach which effectively knocked all of the wind out of my lungs. Choking for breath and opening my eyes to nothing but blurred shapes and colors, I could hear the two timberwolves growling as they quickly got their bearings and found where their prey had landed. I stood up as best I could and turned to find the dark entrance of the tiny burrow right in front of me. Without wasting another second I squeezed into the burrow and pushed myself back as far as the little tunnel would allow.

I looked back at the entrance with my vision blurred and my head throbbing from my crash into the tree. I could feel the blood oozing down my face. I had to shut my right eye as the blood trickled into it and made it sting. I could see the shape of a timberwolf trying to force his head into the opening. I curled my tattered body into a ball in the back of the burrow and watched, hoping and praying that they wouldn't be able to find a way in.

The timberwolf let out a loud yelp as an aggravated growl from beyond the entrance told me that his partner was growing impatient. A few short bursts of growls and yelps along with the sound of breaking branches and sticks informed me that a fight must have ensued between the two.

'Probably due to neither one being able to eat tonight.' I concluded.

I listened carefully from inside my burrow as the two of them ran off in different directions.

"Safe...." I said in an exhausted voice.

As my adrenaline began wearing off, the pain of all my injuries came flooding in ten fold. It was too much for me to deal with and my brain knew it. The only thing I remember before fading out of consciousness was wondering if I'd survive through the night.

Comments

[omega-ze-wargod]

dude.....atleast you didnt pass out like all the other stories do so soon

[Ellington]

Wait a minute...this guy jumped 20 yards?

[Cold Spike]

You write amazing action scenes dude, nice job!

[RemareShadows]

Da pain, she is here!

[Dragonin]

Quick note, depth perception would be off for awhile, he will have to adjust to a new size as well as new eyes

[Traintrack to Nowhere]

3030887 ...pegasus colt. Makes enough sense to me by itself.