Chapter One

Mistakes

     Kallik carefully stepped towards her sleeping family.  She tried her best to keep quiet, for if she were caught, she'd be punished brutally, maybe even receive the death penalty.  She had just come back from seeing her lover, Maize.  The two had only met a few months earlier.  It truly was love at first sight.  Their herds had passed, and they caught each other's attention.

However, Kallik's father had a hatred for Maize, for the pitch black stallion had been known to cause trouble.  He forbid his daughter to even speak of his name. 

"But why, Daddy?  He has done no harm to any of us!  And even if so, he's only doing it to protect me!"

"He's dangerous!  You know the damage he's done to other horses.  You're too smart to play dump, Kallik!  My mind is set, and I don't want you near him.  End of discussion.  Period."

She had been angered that day.  Her father was too overprotective.  He was always worried his own daughter would be killed, or beaten, or worse.

What could be worse than being killed?

     The mare cleared her mind, and she focused on remaining silent.  If her father or another herd member were to hear her, she could be in some serious trouble.  Not only had she taken the risk to see him, but, after the events that had just happened earlier, she now had the risk of carrying his foal.  If this was true, not only would her father kill the foal, but maybe even her.

The pinto mare finally made it over to the herd.  She layed her shaking body down, and she rested her head in the soft grass.  Her eyes drooped.  She felt exhausted.  But she seemed too tired to even sleep.  Her mind was heavy with fears.  Finally, her eyes gave way, and she drifted off to sleep.

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     Kallik woke to a pinch on her rump.  She squinted her eyes up, and saw Kylie smiling down at her. 

Kallik and Kylie met when they were just foals.  The grey filly approached her with the same smile she had now.  Kallik was very shy back then, but Kylie had helped her confidence build up.
 

"Girl, wake up before your dad comes and has a cow!  Besides, I want to hear all about last night."

Kallik's sleepy expression turned into a wide awake fear face.  She quickly scrambled to her feet.  "How do you know about that!?"

The grey mare rolled her eyes.  "I saw you sneak off to see him..."

Kallik carefully skimmed around her.  All the other horses were busy attending to their usual routines.  Once she realized it was safe, she slightly bowed her head and whispered to Kylie what happened.

Kylie's expressions changed from smiles, to frowns, to looking like she was about to cry, to anger, to laughter.

"Now, Kyles, you have to promise not to tell anyone, ok?"

Kylie simply nodded her head.  "Pinky swear..."

     Suddenly, all of the horses jerked their heads up.  A hushed silence washed over everyone.  An expression of pain came over Kallik.  She felt shaky in her knees, and her eyes blurred out of focus.

Her father walked slowly but majestically towards his band.  He didn't look like he woke up in a good mood either, by the expression on his face.  He stopped a few feet away and looked over his herd.  "KALLIK!"

Kallik flinched as if she was threatened to be hit.  Her father's voice was harsh and deep.  She lowered her head, flattened her ears, and tucked her tail closely to her rump.  She walked up to her father.  "Y-yes, Daddy?"

**********

     Somehow, the secret had gotten out.  Someone else had seen her sneak off and told her father.  However, this was not why he called her over.  At this point in time, he didn't know...yet.  All he wanted to do was discuss her preparations she needed to take into consideration, since he feared he would not be around much longer.  Kallik felt heart-broken that he was talking like this.  She felt like a terrible person for disobeying him. 

     Finally, he heard the whispers of other horses that his daughter was pregnant.  He was furious.  But he didn't let it show.  He decided to wait until he was cooled off some to talk to her about it.

     A few months later, he confronted her about what she had done.  He was enraged, but he didn't want to execute her, for he had already screwed up with her mother when he found out she had an affair with another stallion.  She was executed by exile though.  Nothing too harsh.  Just total isolation. She tried negotiating with him, but he refused to speak to her.  She died when Kallik was only nine months old. She was said to have died of a broken heart.

     Instead, he told her to just leave.   He said it quietly, as if he really didn't want to do it.  But he had no choice.  He knew of a certain danger the foal could (and would) bring.

      It was now October, and Kallik's foal was due in a few months.  Today was the day Maize was coming to stay the night with her in her little log cave thing. (LOL)

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     Kallik paced eagerly in her hideout.  What was taking him so long?  Maize was pretty good at timing, and he told her he'd be there at sunset.  It was now sunset, and he hadn't show up.  Was he ok?  Did he get into trouble?  She paced quicker at every bad thought.

Her foal kicked hard and sent a sharp pain in her side.  She turned her head to her side.  "Am I stressing you out too?"  The foal squirmed wildly.  Kallik sat down, hoping it would calm her foal.  He (since she thought it was mean to call her foal "it", Maize and she decided to say "he") quickly stopped moving. 

Large, close thuds made Kallik's head turn sharply.  A black horse with an apple in his mouth slowed and entered the dwelling.  Kallik looked at him and smiled. 

"I bwought you somefing."  He bowed his head so she could grab the apple.  The two split the apple, and he layed down beside her.  He kissed her forehead.  "Sorry I didn't show up in time.  The last apple tree was a few skylengths away from here.  I had to get you the last apple of the year!"  Kallik blushed.  "That's ok.  As long as you came..."

     Maize put his head on her stomach.  "Ceres or Dastian....it's me."  He lowered his voice to a much deeper tone.  "I am your father." 

Kallik giggled at his sillienss.

"If you can hear me, ki-" Maize's head jerked up and he grinned at his mate.  "Did you feel that!?" She grinned back at him.  He nodded his head.  "He loves me already!"

To Be Continued...