Chapter Three

The tap of hooves could not break the deadness in the streets of Ahvaz. A car, Iranian made, was parked with one front wheel on the curb, it's inside cloaked in darkness. We passed by it unhurried, my eyes lingering on the tinted windows, a potential IED spot.

The Persian word for "closed" was plastered on every storefront. Back home it would be a typical day as the locals went about their business in my small town. Unlike here, civilisation seemed to stop, paused in its purpose until the fighting passed. I felt ashamed to be one of many who had brought war to this place; almost.

The thumping of a 20mm AA went off in the background. Far enough to not be a concern unless it was aiming in our general direction. Falling shells were no joke. I adjusted my seating on Elly's back near her withers. Her ears moved in different directions; often together, sometimes not.

We headed northward guided by the shining north star from its place in the little dipper. Elly walked with certain confidence not seen in other horses. I was worried. If we encountered civilians on the way, they were sure to report an American soldier riding a Belgian mare to the local militia that still held over half of the city, Ahvaz. The northern and central areas were where the militia fortified and dug themselves in deep. The United States Army was content to maneuver around the city and head north on the way to Tehran. Our job, The big red one, 1st Infantry division was to hold the south side and rely on air and artillery to reduce enemy's numbers. So I was told. A week ago, we approached the city and surrounded it for a proper siege.

Who was Elly anyways? She hardly said anything about herself, where she came from and who she was. The only thing she mentioned was the task and who I had to meet who's name I did not recall. If we weren't interrupted I'm sure I could have asked her more questions, if she was willing to answer them.

Her being familiar at the start put me on edge. Paranoia drove me to view it as a trap. But the truth was…that I have seen her before. She was not the same talking horse as she is now. She was an ordinary draft horse in a war that came to the desert outskirts of this besieged Iranian city.

Two weeks ago, I was part of a convoy a mile long heading up a highway leading to the providence capital, Khuzestan Ahvaz. I rode in one of the many Bradley's along with my company. Up ahead enemy contacts had brought the entire column to a dead stop. Listening to the radio, several casualties had occurred. An Improvised Explosive Device blew up the poor men who had been in the vanguard. The first vehicle was flipped in the air, occupants thrown out. The explosion was followed by ambushes on both sides of the column from concealed defensive positions and roaming Technicals. The men in front were taking a beating. The fighting spread from the front of the column down the sides as the long convoy split into a ragged circle staying as close to the road as possible to avoid unseen mines. The wounded headed towards the middle of the column where my company was with horrific casualties. Air support was on the way, Medvac ETA 15 minutes.

Out of the dust, what seemed like a John Wayne movie, rode in Captain Williams on a Belgian mare with a sorrel coat and flaxen mane and tail with four white socks, Elly. He was followed by a few mounted soldiers of his company. They rode up to us on our Bradleys asking for men with riding experience. I volunteered and was given the shortest, scrawniest, Arabian mare I've ever ridden.

Once Captain Williams had the men, we rode off from the column kicking up dust as we took a long way around the Iranians and came up on the flank through a place inaccessible by vehicles. To say they were surprised was an understatement.

We scored several hits using captured rpg's on their trucks. I also saw a soldier and his horse ripped in bloody holes in front of me with a 12.7mm AA quad. Through all the dust and confusion, Williams rode Elly with skills of an expert rider and led us, his band of riders, with his whistle and shouting on top of his lungs. The enemy withdrew, beaten to the west and we gained only a short respite until technicals poured in from the north. One unlucky technical blew up in poofs of dust followed by a great buzzing of a bee. I looked up to the sky and heard the sound of A-10's coming in.

"Say James, do you care for a trot?" Elly's voice interrupted my thoughts.

Ahead lay a downed power pole in the road, its wooden base splintered.

"Not really," I mumbled, wiping my eyelids with one hand.

"I know your ankle is bad yet we need to move away from here. Iranians are all around us still."

"Where?" I asked, reaching for my rifle.

"Listen," Her ears turned to the right.

"Nearby?" My head swiveled from the left to the right.

Elly gave two nods with her mane rising and falling. She stepped over the downed pole giving a slight pause with her long legs. She had to be at least 17 hands from my own eyes.

"How close? I don't hear anything," I relaxed my posture, hand back to her mane.

"They are moving nearby," Her head rose, "Many machines."

"Friendly?" I interjected.

"Nay, Iranians the same."

I was puzzled over the way she said machines. That did not explain what they were. She knew English well but her choice of words seemed different than expected. Did she come from a simpler time? Or was she taught differently? I do not know.

A bright flash erupted in the distance. The flash lit up the neighborhood around us like the fourth of July. Our heads snapped to the direction of the following boom. I listened for the tell-tale sounds of jets.

"We have to move," The mare's horsey accent came back. She jumped into a trot. Grabbing her mane, I grit my teeth and leaned forward.

She trotted down the street sticking to the left side. Her head angled to the right as if she was reading the signs posted on windows. I had no clue if she was, really. Chilly air blew in our faces. I wanted to say something but I held my tongue as the pain shot up my left leg. My fingers found warmth in her mane.

Elly sped up her gait in what I would call a fast trot. The rifle jostled on my back. My ankle screamed in pain. I leaned forward. My hands pushed back to keep myself from falling on her neck. The trotting went on giving me no reprieve. My legs gripped her sides with all they had. Bandaged arm buckled under the strain.

Elly made her way through a sandy intersection kicking up dust clouds. She veered right down a side street with two story houses on either side with no attached garages. The clopping of her shoes were like torture to my soul as her muscles flexed beneath me with every step taken. My downcast eyes were glued to her trotting feet below.

I realized, I would either fall and snap my neck or she would end up breaking me against her body. My bandaged arm, hurt ribs, and bruised ankle didn't stand a chance at this gait. I wanted to yell to slow down and stop but no words uttered from my throat. I slipped even more, my legs slid on her sides despite my gripping legs. I was going to fall. Seeing no chance of recovering I let go of her mane for a split second and threw myself onto her neck. Both arms wrapped around her neck in a death grip. My head slammed into her mane, nails digging into her skin, legs completely slipped and bounced against her ribs like an opened door in the wind. Elly came to an abrupt halt. My body went slack. Relief at last, the ordeal was over.

I relaxed my arms around her neck, catching my breath. Somehow I was holding it in during the whole ride. I glanced up at her ears. They went flat. The next instance her head went down and so did her neck with me on it. I stared at the ground in front of her when she threw her head and neck back up. Arms ripped from their holds, I fell upright on her back. My head tipped back and so did my shoulders. I fell backwards making contact with her boney spine. I saw stars again today for the second time. The rifle clattered on the asphalt.

"James, are you well?" That sweet tone again, "I did not want to hurt you."

No, you wanted to break me.

"I am sorry, we had to move. I did not want to be seen by them. I could not protect you then. Her body shifted. Her nose appeared next to my boots by her withers, "We should be safe here."

Laying there, I saw the north star and the little dipper. My legs were stretched out along her sides. I uttered the worst thing I could say to a mare like her. "I can't move."

"I can," Came her woman-like reply.

I tensed up at her words. I lifted my head to look at my boots before Elly's front dropped and I was thrown upright once more, sliding down her angled back. My legs clamped down on her sides, hands useless. I was seconds away from face planting on the street below. The mare's front came up and I stopped on her withers with the most uncomfortable pain a man could feel right in his balls. I moaned.

"This is much better," She spoke cheerfully.

Scared, terrified and in much worse for wear, I groaned in agony. On second thought, surrendering to the Iranians would be a better idea. What torture they had would never compare to what this mare could do!

My pride broken, I sat on her back hunched, arms slumped to my sides.

"You can rest. I will wait," Elly ears moved from one direction to another. "I do not sense another human nearby."

I glanced at the residents surrounding us, letting the pain in my body fade. The street was filled with numerous potholes, worse than any paved road I've seen back home. The suburb was littered with boarded up two story homes and broken walls. Not a single bit of green was seen. Only a few homes would be considered decent to live in. This was a third world country at war, no doubt about it.

Elly turned herself around and picked up the rifle with her teeth. She handed it or should I say mouthed it back to me. I gingerly slipped it back on my shoulder. There was no pain.

"I'll do anything as long as we don't trot again," I stated my plea.

Elly turned her head to me. "Say?"

I looked away. To our left stood only the blackened skeleton remains of a house.

"Do you not know how to ride a horse bare?" She asked.

Did she mean bareback? If I did, why would I admit that? I do have pride, well at least I did.

"Not one such as yourself," I answered.

I heard a giggle in front of me. I blinked. I didn't know she could do that?

"I do say," She spoke with a certain charm of a high class lady. "Your legs were not in the right place. You choose not to use your knees nor did you bother keeping your balance. You were leaning too far forward and that is why you were all over my back. Then you threw yourself on my neck. Must I say more?"

My shoulders sank, eyes on the ground. -And a bad ankle, battered arm along with bruised balls and pride but you're not mentioning that are you?

"Your nails digging into my neck," The mare continued, shaking her head. "I never had that experience before."

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"Think not of it. I was surprised," She cocked her head. "When a bite never came."

Holding back, I bit my tongue. Regardless, a small noise emitted from my throat. Elly's ears twitched.

"Relax human," She chuckled. " You have no need to worry. You sit where many stallions desire to be."

I groaned. The mare blew up in a horsey laughter. Her hoof pawed the ground as her sides vibrated against my legs. What hell kind of mare is she? I waited until she stopped. My cheeks were hot. The dry air gave no relief.

"Is this amusing?" I asked.

"Quite so. Can you move off my withers? Further down my back. I will let you know when to stop."

I leaned forward, scooting down her back inch by inch using my hands as support.

"There!" She exclaimed.

I stopped and sat up.

"Perfect! Every horse has their own favorite spots. As for you, you have to learn mine."

"I see."

"Yes, it makes things comfortable for me instead of painful. Well I do suggest you learn it." Elly's ears rotated slowly. She paused.

I listened yet heard nothing. If there was something out there it had to be closer for my ears.

"...Now take your legs on my sides and wrap them around me." She continued

My legs dangled before, now wrapped around her sides.

"Get comfortable," She said.

"I am"

Elly paused. She exhaled, her sides constricting. "Now embrace."

I stared at her. "Wh-at?"

"Embrace me."

"I don't know what that means," I said.

"Embrace me like I am your horse. The moment you hopped on my back, we became like a herd, partners in your tongue. We are both one in the same, bound by fate. My back carries you, my legs move us. Your eyes see for me. My ears hear for you. Your legs guide me. My mane, yours to hold. Together, our hearts beat."

"You're asking for too much," I said.

"Am I?" She took a deep breath. "The whole time we were trotting, you were panicking weren't you? Afraid you were going to fall off me, the first horse of my kind you ever met, knowing what I was capable of, you were desperate to stay on my back. Why?"

"I was worried," actually I was terrified.

"Worried? No you were afraid. The moment you slipped, I would have caught you. There was no danger of falling off with me, not on my back," She gloated.

"I didn't think of that at the time."

"Typical male," She snorted and tossed her head. "The moment you got on my back you couldn't think."

I glanced away.

"Do you know why I wanted to meet you?" She stopped on the street. Her head turned my way. Her ears did not.

"I saw you out there, crazed with rage. You took on the enemy alone. I asked myself, who is that human that has no fear? I wanted to know more about him. What made him be that way, even if for a moment. How could he be so fearless and calm in the midst of battle? There are stories that I heard of bravery and courage, but to see it in my lifetime startled me. I did not understand much about your world I was in. I saw you racing your horse alongside that machine. Their weapons would not slow you down. When your horse fell from under you and the machine overturned, still you fought."

Even in the dark, I could see the Arabian mare laying on her side, blood dripping from her neck staining the desert sand. She had passed during the fighting as the soldiers and their horses drove off the enemy leaving bodies, broken horses and smoldering wreckage. I crawled to her side with my bloodied hands after doing what I've done. I don't remember much else except sitting there with my hand on her neck staring into the void. Time stopped. There were no tears, only loneliness.

When Captain Williams rode up on Elly later, he had spoken the words to me.

"Son, what you did here today will make you a hero back home. You should be proud."

Without a word, I turned my gaze to the Arabian mare, my horse.

"What is wrong? You went quiet," Her voice tingled with concern.

I blinked repeatedly then coughed.

"Breathe. Your body is too tense. I can feel it." Her ears swung to me.

I exhaled, arms slumped, legs relaxed.

"Better, much better. I can feel you loosening up."

The air went in and out of my lungs.

"You had me worried. Was it something I spoke?" The mare whispered.

"No, it was nothing," I said.

Elly eyed me. "Now that I said all that. Can you feel me?"

I shot a glance at my legs on her sides.

"Um...how should I embrace you?"

Elly chuckled, looking away. Did I make her blush? She could be hard to read at times. Horses can't blush anyways so scratch that for trying to read her.

"Are your legs around me?" She asked.

"They are."

"Give me a squeeze."

Fully aware of what I was doing, I squeezed.

"More," She said. My eyebrow raised.

I tightened my leg muscles. My ankle began to protest.

"Harder," She demanded.

My legs clamped on her sides. I growled. The pain was beginning to be unbearable.

"Stop." Elly's head moved to her left side. "You are not squeezing me...right."

My jaw dropped as my legs went limp. My ears had to be bright red by now, the same color as my cheeks. Damn this wasn't fair. She could read me while I couldn't even guess what she was thinking or feeling. Mustering all the willpower within, I kept my voice down. "How do you mean?"

"You are squeezing me in the wrong spots. Take your foot and touch me there." She pointed with her nose to a small spot on her left side. My boot moved down her side to the spot.

"Further than that." She said.

"Here?" The side of my boot pressed into the small spot on her ribs.

"Yes that is good." I felt a tiny shiver. What just happened?

"Now the other foot." My right foot did the same on her right.

"Abdous" She blurted out. "Those are my spots. Now using your legs, give me pressure."

I squeezed with my knees, sparing my bad ankle on my lower leg.

"More," She commanded

My knees pressed into her sides.

"A little more."

Gritting my teeth, I squeezed with my lower legs despite the stabbing pain. My thighs and even the muscles in my buttock joined in. Elly's entire body shook. I rocked side to side shifting on her back. This was an improvement if I could say compared to earlier.

"Good, very good. I can feel you sitting better on my back and I thank you for the hug. I will return the favor later," She winked. "You can release me." She pointed her nose at my leg.

She played me like a fool. My cheeks burned. I didn't even know it! This was supposed to help me? Yet here I am giving her a hug with my damn legs. Is this how it is in her culture? Who is she anyways?

I glared around, dreading as if we were being watched from afar. The street was empty, devoid of life. The stillness was deadening except for our breathing. What would they see? How embarrassed I would be if they saw what was going on here? I was being played by this…bold..sharp tongued- sassy mare! She is worse than my platoon.

"Do remember this. It is how you can tell me to go faster without having to kick me, as I suggest you do," Elly spoke as a breeze licked her mane.

"I won't forget," I said.

"Good. Let us try something new. Legs to my sides. Give pressure with both of your knees."

My feet went to her spots without a second thought. It was a mild shock that I didn't fully realize until my legs were in position and knees pressing inward.

Elly's ears twitched. Could that be from me? Interesting.

Elly quietly slipped into a walk. Her own muscles were expanding and contracting against my legs.

"Do you feel my muscles? Can you feel my body as I do this?" She shifted herself beneath me as her legs moved on the dirty, sandy asphalt.

"It feels-" I paused.

"Weird does it not? Now what happens when I do this."

Her muscles twitched a second before she veered to the left.

"I felt that." I said.

"Did you not?" She chuckled. "Yes, now squeeze me a bit."

I squeezed my legs.

Her feet or should I say hooves moved in beats or steps one after another in a pattern. The beat was done like this: left front foot, right hind foot, then right front foot and finally left hind foot. I could count the pattern in my sleep. Seconds past, Elly kept walking, avoiding two pot holes by stepping over them. Her side to side motions rocked me with her hips as they moved up and down to her legs. There was one odd change that I felt vibrate into my bones.

"Did you just hop?" I asked.

"Oh you noticed? We call it kihe. It is a way we horses speak with our riders." Elly swung her head to the side. Her long mane covered her eyes. "I await your reply."

Damn this mare! Why does she keep on teasing me? What does she expect me to do? Embrace her again? Grab her mane? Yank her ears? I don't even speak anything but English. I am a soldier, not a lover. I should just give her a kick and say yeehaw like some tv cowboy. Hell, it would be nice…for a change.

"I don't know what to say. I don't speak horse."

Elly snorted. "Such a shame. You would keep a mare like me waiting."

"What would you have me do?" I asked. "Squeeze my legs again?"

"No"

"Grab your ears?"

Her ears flattened. "I think not."

"Your mane?"

"You already have."

"Kick your sides?" I suggested.

"Can you be more rude?" She shot back.

"I know you are from another world but give me a break. I just met you."

"Tsk," She shook her head disappointedly. "I thought I knew you better."

Elly walked in silence as I pondered. She expected me to do something yet did not mention what it was. Was she baiting me again? Did she have a plan in mind? She did seem to come from a horse culture and was well spoken. Though she did drop back in a horsey accent at times. Even I did that…when I was upset with my Texan accent. Sometimes her accent was thick, other times it was mild.

Why don't I ask her where she is from? What was her world like? Where does she live? Well I would if she let me. I had a feeling, no suspicion, she would avoid my questions. She was too well versed in language for me to even have a chance. For a mare her size, she could sidestep me in any conversation. Was that right? She was playing me for a reason? Was this her way of figuring out what kind of man I was?

If that was true, she was doing it in a sneaky non-obvious way. Just like some girls I knew back in my town. As a horse she sure did act like a woman.

For a split second a smirk came on my face. Elly's head faced forward, her ears angled to me on her back. She was waiting as if to pounce. Good thing she wasn't looking this way. She must think she is clever to have me on her back so no matter what move I make, she would know about it.

For a horse like her, a mare I mean, with the short time I was with her, I never saw her piss or shit in my presence. I had a feeling she would excuse herself and move far enough away to relieve herself. Common decency for a mare like her. She was classy and she was groomed with a long mane and tail in good order. Her tail though? She had kept it down, never lifting it to even pass gas as a horse her size would. There was a reason for that. She was too proper to lift her tail in my presence even for a second. Someone like her...had to be no- aspired to be a high class mare and she was showing off! I smiled. Just like a real high class proper lady would do. I could only grin when an idea popped in my head.

"I grow tired. When are we going to stop?" I complained.

"My presence tires you." Her lady voice was on point and sharp. Could she not be more obvious? I leaned back with my left arm extended behind me. It went slow without her noticing my shifting weight.

"I still await your reply though I fear it will be long delayed," She sang.

I held in a chuckle. She was really drawing this out. I leaned back more.

"I can write you a letter," I said. Could she read? My reasonable guess would be yes, a real Mr. Ed.

"What? That is preposterous. I do think you are pulling my lead." Elly slowed her walk. Her attention drew away to the road ahead. I stretched my arm as far it could go and grabbed something soft then yanked.

Elly jolted in a forward lunge then stopped, her tail clamped down. My upper body fell backwards, nearly hitting my head on her back. I recovered. Her advice kept me from sliding right off her, thank you Elly. My hands gripped her mane. Huffing up a storm, her head swung to me, eyeing me like a wild mustang.

I made a shit-eating grin. "You have such a soft tail," I paused, then said with audacity, "Elly." My legs squeezed together, embracing her for added effect.

A shudder went through her like a wave. Her head turned, dropping low to the ground. Her ears drew away from me. Her sides tensed up shivering against my thighs. I exhaled, relaxing. That did shut her up. I could have peace tonight, a nap if possible.

I stretched out my arms and yawned in an exaggerated manner. Her ears snapped to me but her shivering continued. I must have been right about her.

Somewhere off in another part of the blacked-out city, a mortar fire rained down. It was only met with the occasional small arms. Elly, to my surprise, started moving her feet on a walk. As for me, I was enjoying the quietness and her body heat keeping me warm on this cold night. The war was more distant than ever.

We came to an intersection. Plastic trash littered the sidewalks as we rode by. Elly paused then crossed the intersection, her ears checking to the left and right as she went straight through onto a one way street. Numerous cars were parked on both sides of the road with no clear lane to pass. Elly weaved her way around them, her ears scanning.

Homes sat around us. Unboarded and dark, a few had curtains to block the view from the narrow street. Whispers came from cracked doors. Concerned, I looked to Elly, yet she did not show alarm. We were, after all, an American soldier and a horse just passing by. They could alert the nearby militia. Elly should know that, didn't she? Where was she taking me, her so-called prisoner?

A chilly breeze whirled through the narrow street hitting my exposed skin. Instinctively, my hands slipped into pockets. For being lost and behind enemy lines, I was in good shape considering I had Elly to thank for that. She kept me company, warm and out of danger. Without her I would be in fear for my life, held up somewhere with my finger on the trigger, terrified of being taken alive. At least I felt safe with her despite the wounds I received. Maybe it was worth the price. Her sides ceased shivering minutes ago though she did not attempt to engage me in idle conversation. Was it safe to do so? I should ask something of her.

I tugged her mane as I scanned our surroundings. Worry slipped into my mind.

"Yes?" Came her soft voice.

"Where are we?" I asked.

Her ears drew back to me. "We are close."

"Close…to what?"

"Shelter. I have found it on my way to find you. It has water and I can fit inside."

To the back of her head, I smiled. A straight answer. You're already better than our lieutenant. Fingers played with her mane while my shoulders relaxed.

She must mean a stable where a horse like her could easily feel right at home. I do admit seeing herself maneuver through a doorway meant for a person was humorous if there wasn't a war going on. If I was her, I mean as a horse, I think I would rather wait outside. Why deal with claustrophobia? She didn't have it as it seems.

Peering through the darkness, my eyes caught the sight of a crater ahead of us at least eight feet across. The deep hole punched through asphalt with bits of road, debris, and sewage water floating on the bottom. Glancing about, I searched for another way around the hole. Seeing nothing obvious from my height advantage on Elly, I concluded we would have to turn around and find a new route. That came with questions though.

"Is there another way?" I asked.

"No, too dangerous with those machines around and I cannot risk you being seen.

I will not have you in danger." Her head remained facing forward.

I licked my teeth.

"Are you talking about the local militia around here? What do they call themselves?"

"I know not," She said.

Some islamic volunteers from the middle east, those were the worst I've heard. They wouldn't bother with me one bit. If we encounter them…I'll be hanging somewhere with a sign tied to my chest. That's how my platoon will find me.

She turned to me for the first time in awhile. "Do you know how to jump?"

The grim realization dawned on me. "No but I had been in a rodeo," As a younger kid.

"May I ask what is…ro-d-eo?" She asked.

My right arm slapped my forehead. Pain exploded from the bandaged wound. "Fuck."

"James!" Her head rose. Her blue eyes locked with mine. They held fire within the white globs.

"I will not have you harm yourself for any reason," Her words were sharp and concise, ears pinned back.

Did she really think I was doing it on purpose? Oh damn this mare. Please kill me already.

"Sorry, I am tired. I have been up for the last twenty-four hours and I am hungry. I wasn't thinking."

Her ears rose but didn't twitch. The fire in her eyes began to smother.

"Have your legs around me with pressure, use your knees if you must." Her head turned forward.

I tightened my legs on her sides, mostly using my knees for pressure.

"You are squeezing a bit much," Elly commented.

"I don't want to slide off your back." I replied.

She snorted. Her head turned aside as a hoof stomped the ground. The impact went through her and reached me on her back. She glared at the lifeless, boarded house next to us on the street. Deep breaths went in and out, her sides lifting my legs then contracting. Moments of pure silence passed. I sat awkwardly on her, puzzled. Did I say something?

"Would be a shame if you did." She spoke up, turning her attention back to me.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," She eyed me. "You can squeeze with your legs however you want."

"Thank you," I mumbled.

"To stay on me, a good rider knows to be calm in themselves. Balance is how a rider remains on a horse. Being calm will help you maintain that balance. Since you do not know, I will tell you how to use your body. Consider this your first lesson."

I gulped, reluctantly

"I want you to be calm and use pressure with your legs on my sides. When I jump I want you to look ahead past my ears to the other side and lean forward when my legs push. You will feel it as I do. Hold to my mane and stay in the middle of my back to keep your balance."

She paused, raising her voice, "And do not squeeze me before I jump."

"Yes sir!"

"Ready yourself." Elly started backing up, her muscles working beneath me.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I made this jump twice but not with you on my back." Now she tells me?

"And how did it turn out?" I remarked.

She continued to back up.

Eyes in front, I told myself. Get ready for something I have never done in my life.

Since when does a cowboy have to jump his horse on the rare occasion instead of being smart and going around an obstacle? Why risk injury? My horses' four feet have never left the ground at once, not even two weeks ago and that was FUBAR. My fingers dug into her mane. This is what happens when the horse makes all the decisions. As a rider with no say, I was about to find out.

Elly tossed her head, air rushing out of her nostrils. She stamped her hooves, muscles flexed against my legs. More stomps and she sucked in a large amount of air. Her body froze, standing silent. Her head focused on the eight foot hole, ears forward. Her limbs trembled. She snorted then was silent.

My body swerved backwards as her powerful legs pushed us into a full on gallop. I strained my muscles to stay, my hands gripping her mane with everything I had.

The hole rushed closer. Elly's metal shoes slamming on the ground. Her nose pointed straight ahead fully committed. The hole was in front of us. I leaned forward, straight over her withers. I looked down. The hole passed beneath us. I was weightless and I squeezed with everything I had.

Clunk! Elly's feet hit the other side and her shoes scraped the asphalt till she came to a sliding stop, raising her head and neck that I somehow ended up clinging to.

"Dismount," She said.

She gracefully sank to her knees on the street before the gaping hole. I unhooked my arms from her neck, sliding off and fell to my hands and knees. It was over. I actually did it. I could almost kiss the ground.