Red

Despite my late night, I was awake before the sun rose, getting around only two hours of sleep. Typical.

Through the tiny crack in my curtains, I could tell that it was indeed still dark out. Early bird gets the worm. I shrugged while getting out of bed.

I went over to my dresser and pulled out some dark scaley pants and a dark tunic, dressing in black attire. Quickly, I ran a brush through my hair and scrubbed my teeth. I pulled my deep red hair into a low ponytail and threw one of my favorite black cloaks over my whole outfit. I topped the whole look off with my typical calf-high leather boots and dark gloves. Before I left my room, I pulled my hood up.

The hallway was quiet and empty, as it usually is around this hour. I silently crept through the hall and down the huge main staircase, just out of habit I suppose.

As I got to the main floor, I heard some sounds coming from the kitchen, the cooks getting ready for the breakfast meal. And though I couldn't see the kitchen, I knew that Rye and Sye were smiling away as they rolled dough.

Who knew that anyone in an assassin manor could find something to smile about? Nevertheless, those two were always smiling. A fact that always irritated Zeke, though he hasn't done away with them yet because they are the best damn cooks in this whole continent.

I slipped out the front door and followed the small stepping stones to the backside of the manor. Which held a decent-sized warehouse-looking building, though that it was not actually a warehouse. But, in fact, it was a stable.

Avoiding the big roll-away doors, I snuck into the stable through the side door.

A smile crept onto my face as I inhaled the distinct horse smell that filled this place.

Despite the nice size of this place, it was rarely full. Typically only filled when Zeke calls a "special" meeting and "companions" from around the continent gathered.

Luckily, Zeke only calls one of those meetings once every two or three years. And we weren't due for another one for a while, thankfully.

I allowed my footsteps to echo on the brick and slate floors, just so I could see his head pop up.

Sure enough, my eyes locked onto his stall just in time to see his head fly up from wherever he had just stuck it. His dark eyes locked onto me and he gave a deep whiny as I approached.

I grinned at him when I reached his stall and he pushed his head into my stomach. Ivar. My Ivar.

My hands flew up to his ears and I scratched them while he pushed his nose against my stomach.

So needy. I chuckled when he pushed hard and I nearly lost my balance.

Ivar brought his head up to eye level and just like always we shared a mutual stare. A deep understanding between human and animal, that he was mine and I was his.

I glanced around, ensuring that we were alone before I took the board down that held him in his stall. Though I'm sure, thanks to his massive size, he could easily break the board.

Ivar took two steps onto the brick before he stretched and made a show of shaking his head and neck. The shake rolled down to his whole body, as he gave a loud huff. Drama queen. I rolled my eyes at his show before putting my hands on my hips, waiting for him to finish. I walked to the rolling door and pushed it open just enough for us to ride out of here.

Once he was settled, he walked up to me and turned his head to me, a sign that he was ready.

Not wasting any time, I stepped up to his massive body, grabbed around his neck, and gracefully slid onto his back.

When I got settled, I lightly squeezed with my legs. Our signal, that he and I both knew very well. He started walking, taking our usual path, a trail behind the huge houses that led us out of the rich neighborhood and into a trail through the forest. I felt lighter and lighter as we got farther and farther away from the city behind us.

After a good twenty-minute walk through the forest, we reached the other side of it. Which opened up into huge plains that stretched for hundreds and hundreds of miles. And although it was still dark, I knew this land like the back of my band.

Ivar stopped on the edge of the forest. He turned his head and I caught the mischievous glint in his dark and intelligent eyes. Wonderful. I rolled my eyes and tightened my grip on his mane. Just in time, as he turned forward and as if a flame was biting his tail, he took off straight into a canter. That shifted into a gallop, and he, finally, broke out into an all-out run.

I couldn't help but smile as the wind danced with his hair and my hair, while my hood dropped. I felt so free on his back.

Between my legs, I felt all of his muscles rippling with each movement. His breath came out in snorts as he raced with the wind.

Ivar kept his pace for as long as he could, before finally slowing to a trot. Automatically, he searched for the nearest stream to drink from. And since I trusted this horse completely I let him do whatever he thought best.

As he grazed in a particularly green spot, I dismounted and found a tree to rest against, just in time too it seemed, as the sun started to peek over the horizon.

Ivar seemed so huge despite the massive field around him, so different from the tiny colt he once was. I smirked as I closed my eyes and remembered how Ivar and I met.

~~×~~

Eight Years Ago

I raced through the trees, horror, and sadness controlling me as branches slapped and cut my face and arms.

Please don't be gone. I begged no one in particular in my head.

A sound from my right had me pausing in my racing. A loud snort. I recognized it as a big creature noise.

I turned and followed where I had heard the noise.

I gasped as I beheld the horrible sight in front of me.

Atreya, my old mare, laid on the ground. Panting and struggling to get up. A cry escaped my throat as I fell to my knees beside her.

Her usually perfectly white coat was covered in dirt and... Blood? I tried to ignore that as I pulled her head into my lap.

And although I didn't want to admit it, I knew it was her time. She was nearly twenty-five and she knew it too as she laid her head completely against me.

She coughed and panted. The sounds causing tears to run down my face.

In the midst of my sadness, I heard a crunch of noise. The sound came from in front of me, I concluded. Atreya didn't even bother to lift her head, her strength leaving her, but I could tell her attention had shifted to whatever made the noise.

Imagine my shock when a beautiful, pitch black, still covered in some afterbirth, colt marched through the bushes.

It took me a few seconds to piece together where he had come from. That explains the blood on Atreya. She had run off to have her baby, and as if she had known, to die alone. I didn't even know she was pregnant.

I wrapped my arms around her beautiful, aged, white head and hugged her as she let out another loud breath.

All the while the colt watched me as if trying to figure out what I was.

Atreya let out a slow painful breath. Her grey eyes flicked to me, then to her colt. And although she couldn't talk, I heard what she was telling me perfectly. Take care of him.

That's exactly what I did too. A while after Atreya breathed her last breath, I held her head, crying and silently begging for her not to be gone. Until the sun started threatening to go down.

The colt watched me as I got up and threw my cloak over his mother. His dark eyes seemed so intelligent, much like his mom.

When I finally stepped away from his mother, he walked up to me. Then he pushed his nose into my stomach, demanding my attention.

And despite the overwhelming sadness at the loss of the only thing my mother had ever given me, I laughed.

He followed me home, jumping at every sound. I decided to name him Ivar The Boneless. And although I had never voiced his name, I had a feeling he knew it.

We arrived back at the Assassins Manor right as the sun disappeared behind the horizon. Though we went straight to the stables.

I quietly snuck into the storage room and made him some milk substitute. Hoping that it was enough to get him through the night.

I put him in the farthest stall and turned to leave. Only to cringe at his high whiny. Once it became clear that he wasn't going to let me leave quietly, I ducked into his stall and laid down in the corner.

Ivar had paced for a little while before he settled down. He surprised me when he strutted over to me and collapsed right next to me. His head in my lap. Just like his mother.

For the next couple of months, I found myself sleeping in his stall nearly every night. Though I had no complaints as I got to watch him grow into the amazing horse his mother had been.

~~~~~~

Thank you for reading Chapter Two. I really hope you like this chapter. I'm so excited to bring my other passion into my writing - horses. It was honestly so much fun to write about Ivar, though I do apologize for the minor sad part. I also apologize if I use some terminology that you don't know, feel free to ask any questions. I love feedback and comments make me happy!!