A determined heart | Wild Ballator Capture Attempt

Literature Text

Riley stepped into the farmhouse, the door swinging closed behind her. Her boots, covered in mud and muck, had been left outside and her feet were now adorned in her colourful pink socks. She drew a hand through her dark brown hair, smoothing it out only to find yet another leaf tangled in her locks. She grinned and tossed it out the door. A single glance down at her clothes made it obvious that she had been outside all day. There were traces of dirt on her shirt and a few twigs still stuck in her jacket. Stubborn grass seeds clung to her clothes, having hitched a ride back all the way from the glade she had been scouting out all day. The sun was setting across the horizon now, bathing the farmhouse in its last warm rays of the day. Uncle Tim appeared from within the kitchen, brows raised in curiosity, “Empty handed, eh?” Riley’s eyes lit up and she skipped into the kitchen, “You won’t believe it, uncle! I saw the golden horse! It’s real!” Uncle Tim chuckled at her infectious excitement. “Is that so?” Riley’s eyes lit up as she informed him of everything that had happened that day. She told him about how she spotted the golden horse early in the morning, her hands waving about as she gestured, explaining how beautiful the creature had been. Uncle Tim listened with the ears of a father figure, nodding and responding every so often. “…but I only saw him that once! He is so intelligent! He knew exactly where I had been hiding out! Gosh Uncle, he is so beautiful! His coat shimmers like the sun itself.” Uncle Tim chuckled once more then gestured to the table that was already set. “Quite the hunter eh? Come let’s have dinner.”
They sat down at the table and Uncle Tim dished the food. For the remainder of the meal Riley kept talking about the beautiful golden horse, unable to contain her excitement. “Tomorrow I’m going back there! I’m not giving up!” Uncle Tim smiled once more, “Well then why not take Walter with you?” Walter, an old basset hound, lifted his head, ears pricking up at the sound of his name, tongue lolling out to pant. Riley giggled and petted the hound on his head. “That’s a great idea!”
That night Riley tossed and turned in her bed, struggling for some time to fall asleep. When sleep finally came she dreamt of horses and rolling hills and an elusive golden stallion. Her alarm intruded upon her dreams and she mumbled, rolling out of bed. It felt as if she had slept only a few minutes. She stumbled from her room and set to work on her morning routine, brushing teeth, getting dressed, taming her hair.
She slipped out the door to find Walter waiting outside, tail wagging. She chuckled, slinging her bag of belongings onto her back and then scratching the old dog’s ears. “You ready Walter?” Walter barked in response.
Once again Riley set off in the direction of the forest. The sun loomed above the horizon, warm and welcoming. Riley glanced up. A few clouds dotted the sky, gathering in a manner that made her wary. There was a small possibility of rain, but the clouds were still light grey and not enough had gathered. She figured she’d be alright. Walter bounded beside her, happy to be heading out. Once they reached the forest path the hound took the lead, his nose gliding across the ground, sniffing. Although the forest had a knack for confusing travellers, Riley knew the general direction and kept to it. A breeze picked up, whistling through the leaves and bringing more clouds to gather. The fresh smell of earth and possible rain lingered in the air. Birds were still singing and fluttering about their morning routines, proof that the rain would not yet fall. Birds always fell silent before the rain.
An hour later her surroundings became even more familiar. The trees became less densely packed. Riley grinned at herself. The glade would be right up ahead. Sure enough the sun filtered through the opening the trees left, bathing the soft meadow in warm light. Riley almost expected to see the stallion immediately, but the glade was empty. She sneaked forward. Walter, sensing her change in demeanour, dropped low, sneaking as well. For a few moments Riley kept her eyes on the glade, listening for any proof of the stallion’s presence. A snort suddenly resounded behind her. Riley gasped and spun around. Walter went into a barking fit. Right behind her, with a grin and a daring look upon his smug face was the golden stallion. He was staring straight at her. Riley stared in wonder and shock, having forgotten how to breathe for a moment. The stallion bobbed his head, unfazed by the barking dog, almost beckoning. Riley half expected the lithe creature to take off running, but it only stood there. She slowly inched forward. Still no movement. She reached out a hand, Walter stopped barking and the stallion’s eyes flicked to her outstretched hand. Within it she held a small piece of jerky. The stallion’s ears flicked, nostrils glaring as he breathed in, then stepped closer, neck outstretched as he investigated her meagre offering. “Hi there.” She didn’t know why she was speaking to the stallion, but it felt natural. Her sense were alight and her heart was pounding in her own ears. She was well aware of how dangerous Ballators were. This one didn’t seem to mean her any direct harm. His velvety lips flickered over her hand, grabbing and claiming the piece of dried meat and chewing on it. “I have something even better in my pack.” Riley slowly lowered her pack from her back, slipping her hand into it. Inside was a prime cut piece of raw meat. She pulled it out slowly and presented it to the stallion. The golden creature glanced at her, debating. With yet another flash of gold and flowing tail, the stallion set off at a gallop, hooves thundering through the forest, a strong whinny echoing from its maw, resembling a laugh. Riley stood back up, slinging the pack onto her back and stepped into the glade. This time she was going to take a more straightforward approach. She sat down in the middle of the clearing, laying out the piece of meat before her as Walter came to lie down by her side. She took out a book and paged through, finding her place. She could still hear the stallion’s footfalls. He was circling the glade, curiosity keeping him close as he eyed her. Riley was effectively ignoring him, nose stuck into her book as she continued from where she had left off previously. She took a deep breath, her free hand caressing Walter’s head at her side, eyes darting across the pages.

Link to Wild Ballator: www.deviantart.com/equusballat…
    Ballator: N/A
    Items Used: N/A
    Previous Entries: www.deviantart.com/kxtt/art/Lo…
    Word Count: 1152
    Stat Breakdown:
     +5 (1000 Words)
     +2 Extra Characters (Midas)
    Hunting Tracker: www.deviantart.com/kxtt/journa…
    Forfeit Win: No

 © 2020 - 2022 pinkermellow

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Comments2

 Newest 

sketchesofcolor

Mar 22, 2020

UGH!!! It's so fun reading your writing, makes me want to cryyyyy!! Just the imagery and the wholesomeness! Once again, amazing work! Can't wait to read more

pinkermellow

Mar 23, 2020

Thank you so very much <3 <3 <3

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