FSE

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The sun above bathed the herd in warmth and life as they grazed in the wide open plain. Horses of varying colors and sizes milled about under the watchful eye of their shepherd. Sundancer gazed out at her wards, mesmerized by their movements and captivated by their whinnies and nickers to each other as they grazed.

She brushed a hand back through her tan hair and breathed a contented sigh. She shifted her weight and leaned her shoulder against the long staff she carried. She loved being out here. Many in her village thought it was a boring chore, and it was compared to hunting the buffalo that roamed the plains with them. Even foraging for berries or wild onions and the like was debatably more interesting than this.

Sundancer enjoyed herding the horses so much simply because for most of the day, she didn’t have to deal with anybody, she didn’t have to do anything, all she was required to do was stay with the herd and watch over them. Not like any of them would stray too far away. Horses are social animals and would much rather group together than explore on their own.

The only real effort, or trouble if it could be called that, was when mares started to give birth. Then Sundancer had to actually work, but it was something she loved! Helping new mothers bring life to their foals was so magical, an act she almost wished she could aid in more often. But then she’d eventually have more horses than she could tend to alone and she would be forced to bring someone out here with her.

And that would not do.

The elders wanted her to have someone else with her at all times, a different hunter or warrior every day, or something. She would have none of it! There was no reason. She could fend off any of the predators stupid enough to try to attack the herd! Horses were far from helpless anyway, and more often than not, the entire herd would stand together against any threat to their safety.

As if to spite her, a whoop echoed over the gentle rise of what could be considered a “hill” to her right. Sundancer rolled her eyes and slowly turned, stepping with heavy hooves toward the sound of the whoop. Another echoed over the hill. Then another holler went up. Her brow met and her eyes narrowed. Why were the elders sending so many and why were they giving a warcry? They would spook the herd!

Unless that was exactly what they were trying to do. Sundancer’s heart began thundering in her barrel. Heavy hoof beats grew louder and louder as a dozen tops of heads began to appear over the top of the gentle hill. Moments later, she saw the heads of as many horse heads directly in front of the more recognizable faces. These weren’t centaur at all!

She lifted her free arm up over her bare breast and stuck two fingers past her lips. She gave a loud, shrill whistle then began to wave her staff about. She whooped and hollered, prancing and bucking frantically. “Hey horses! Hey horses!” She yelled, getting the herd’s attention. They all lifted their heads and started to slowly move away from her nervously.

Her eyes darted over her shoulder. The men on horseback were rushing forward, their own tomahawks and spears waving wildly as they began to split into two groups and rush toward either side of the herd. By the ancestors, this was not good! Suddenly, she wished she did have a warrior there with her.

“Go horses!” She yelled, starting to get the herd moving. “Go horses! Hyah!”

The whooping men sounded loudly on either side of her and she whipped her head from side to side. They were herding her herd, wheeling them around to head the other direction! “NO! She yelled, trying to get ahead of the herd before they turned around too quickly. “Go horses!” She yelled, but her voice was getting more and more drowned out by the heavy thunder of hooves and the loud calls of the men sprinting around her on the backs of their own horses.

Something heavy landed on her back and she reflexively began to buck. She looked over her shoulder and saw one of the men on her back! He was clambering to stay on top of her, even as she bucked frantically up and down!

“Get off!” She yelled, then started to run as fast as she could over the relatively flat plain. She felt the man shifting on her back, then slide to one side. Good! He was about to-…

The copper skinned man slid from her back and wrapped himself around one of her front legs! Unable to properly step, she fell forward and rolled onto her side. She tumbled and fell, thankfully pitching the man off of herself as she tumbled to a stop.

She rolled and clambered back up onto her hooves, but the man was already there in front of her, tomahawk in hand. Two more men on horses flanked her quickly, spears pointed dangerously at her.

The man who had tripped her barked something she could not understand. He spoke in a tongue she had never before heard.

“Please don’t take my horses-…”

The man brandished his weapon at her and snapped sharply.

She stiffened and squared her shoulders. The man walked around her slowly, looking her every inch up and down. Sundancer had the distinct impression she was being sized up and judged whether or not it would be worth it to cut her up and eat her.

One of the men on horseback nudged his mount close to her and reached down to wretch both of her arms behind her back. She whimpered in pain at the sudden jerk at both her limbs and tried to pull away. The man was strong and pulled her arms back, then tied them together with a bit of leather.