The rain slapped the mares body and head, forcing her to keep her eyes half-shut. She clambered down the rocky path leading from the grassy Colorado Plateau and to the caverns under it. Her pelt was drenched to her bones and she sneezed. As rocks clattered down the pathway, she made it to the bottom. The caverns were so close, and she smiled as she stumbled towards them.

She made it under just as she felt a contraction. She laid down, and her bulging sides forced her to lay on her side, and then it started. It came like a hurricane, the contractions and the kicks. She whinnied with the pain, as it lasted for more than a good 5 hours, and finally, as the sun was coming out, a little brown chestnut colt lay beside the mare. It had warmed considerably as she licked his small body.

His markings shown as she cleaned him up, he had a beautiful white blaze, no muzzle, just blaze. He also had 4 white socks with a black strip just above the white on one front leg. He also had the most beautiful deep brown eyes. She noticed as he blinked up at her. She nuzzled her son as they both settled down, he lay beside her, too tired to try walking.

The sun shone through the small entrances to the caverns where the colt and his mother lay. He blinked open his eyes and looked up, and then let out a sneeze, which awakend his dam who glanced around, looking at first him, then everywhere else. The little colt yawned and his mother itched to get up, which she did. Her son still needed to nurse from her. With that knowledge in mind, she bumped his side as she got up.

He squealed in protest as to the fact that he had to get up. He brought his back legs under him and made it to the sitting position. He focused on standing and rose half-way, before tumbling to the soft dirt ground of the cavern. He tried again, and again, and again. Each time, he would get half-way or more, then fall over. The last time though, he had made it up and walked a few steps, then fell down.

HIs mother laughed as she watched him. Feeling humilated the colt finally made it to his hooves and swished his little tail in triumph. He walked over to his mother and took his first drink. It was yummy! He thought, as he stood there, nursing away. His mother lowered her head to graze on the little patch of grass there was. He was full as the colt backed away and looked up at the sky.

"Ma.Ma.Mama?" He stuttered, turning his head to look at his mother. She smiled, pleased her son was speaking already. "W,What is this place?" He asked her.

"This is the Colarado, and this is the Colarado Plateau, or the underside of it. She said, gesturing upwards. The Plateau is up there" She explained as he gazed up in awe.

"W,When will we be going up there?" He asked her, walking over to her and nuzzling into her side. 

"Now if you want" She said, turning her head to look at him. He nodded and she nudged him towards the path, "I'll be right behind you my son" She told the colt, which didn't stop his shakes. He carefully picked his way up and watched his step. Every once and a while, he would trip, but his mother was there, helping him back. Soon they made it to the top of the path and onto the plateau.

A year had passed and as it went, Bolt grew from a curious 3 month old, to a running and racing yearling. When he turned 5 months of age, he learned of his father. His mother told him many a story, and when he turned 1, his mother weaned him off her milk, and he tried grass. He decided after a month of eating grass, he had to find his father.

"Good-bye mother" He said. She shook her head

"No, my son, please, your much too young" She pleaded, trying to get her son to stay with her. He shook his head and sighed "Mother, I have to go" He said, he couldn't live without knowing, meeting and seeing his father, Book It. He sighed and reared onto his hind legs. 

He leaped into the air as he galloped away. He ran steadily for most of the day, slowing down to a walk at night. He walked through dirt and sighed, shaking his mane. Dust rose as he walked, the dryness got into his nose and he sneezed. He wondered how much longer before he would reach the fort. He spent the better part of the first month traveling. Spending only a few hours every other day sleeping. When the second month of searching, he started seeing grass, water, and other things.

He was halluncinating and hated it, pulling the same schecdule this month, he was sure if the grass and water he saw after the second month was real or not. He had most no energy. He made it to the water and grass and filled up, happy it was real. He stayed there for a good month, getting his energy back. He spied a buckskin stallion being dragged by humans and followed behind, a good distance away. It was few days before he stopped. His eyes widened as he took in each board, and watched as the buckskin was brought in. 

He kept his distance as he stood there, looking at every detail and all the dust. He couldn't believe it, he was there. His father was inside there, he just couldn't, it was breathtaking, what humans can build. He couldn't move for a while, waiting for the thought to register. He had made it.

He was at the fort.

Cover Photo (c) AniutqaDA