The Longest Winter
Chapter 2
Night had come and gone as the sun began to peek over the mountain backdrop beyond the village. Smoke had begun to rise from the houses and buildings as the town awoke for a new day. The frost that had settled on the small town overnight quickly began to melt.
The new mother mare awoke under the now warm porch, surprised that she had slept the whole night without waking once. The birthing process had left her exhausted enough to sleep soundly for several hours. She quickly checked on her babies, feeling them squirming against her. She could already tell that they had gotten stronger after a good night’s rest.
They were eager to feed, pushing and shoving their way towards her teats, eagerly sucking on her chapped nipples, only to find them devoid of milk. Her heart sunk as she listened to their tiny peeps and chirps go from eager and happy to confused and desperate. They pushed against her fluff sniffing around for an alternative source of milk as the mother wondered what she could do for food.
Suddenly she heard a noise. A car door followed by footsteps approaching the house. She curled around her babies and covered them with her tail. They were too young to understand the importance of being quiet to remain undetected. She pushed them into her fluff to muffle their tiny squeals, her ears perked up so she could hear.
It was the young man coming with his weekly delivery. He had two bags of groceries in his arms. He set them down on the porch and got out his keys to unlock the door. The mare peeked up at him through the cracks between the floorboards of the porch. He opened the door and stepped inside. She could hear the two humans talking.
“Here you go, Ms. Ruth.” Said the young man. “I got all your favorites; baking supplies, cereal, some veggies, and your medicine. I’ll go get the firewood now.”
“Thank you, Jeremy.” The old woman replied.
The mare remained as still as she could while doing her best to contain her squirming foals. The green earthy male was especially strong for his size. The mother had to pin him under her arm to keep him from escaping. Meanwhile the man walked back to his car and grabbed two large bundles of firewood from the trunk. He brought them inside and set them down with a loud thump.
“That should be enough for the week. Is your water heater doing ok?” He asked with a worried tone. Much like the woman and her cottage, the water heater was quite old.
“It’s fine Jeremy!” She said with a laugh. “It takes a while to get goin’ but it works just fine.”
“Ok then.” He said with a sigh. “Well just call the shop if you need anything. I’ll be by again next week.”
“You want some tea before you go?” Ruth asked with hope in her voice. “Why don’t you tell me about that new baby of yours, and how’s your wife doin’?”
“I’m sorry Ms. Ruth, but I’ve got a lot of orders at the shop today. Everyone wants stuff fixed before winter sets in. I’ll see you next week, ok?” The man was talking as he stepped out the door.
“Alright then, thanks as always.” The woman said with a sigh. She shut the door behind him and in a few minutes he and his car were headed back into town.
The old woman made a few noises putting things away in the cottage before settling down. She turned on the radio for her favorite program, Jazz Talk, the news, and the weather. She got a fire going and fell asleep in her rocking chair. The sun was above the mountains now. The day had officially begun.
The mare finally was able to relax. She loosened the grip on her foals and allowed them to explore around her. They were hungry and continued to move about her fluff looking for milk.
She looked behind her to see that the stillborn foal was still there laying lifeless on the ground. She was sad that it had not survived and wondered what to do with it. It would begin to rot soon. She considered eating it, but couldn’t bring herself to do it.
Instead she dug a hole in the far corner of the porch and placed the dead foal inside. She bit her lip and held back tears as she pushed the dirt over the child she would never know. She packed the dirt down and swallowed the lump in her throat. It was done. She placed the chicken bone, her only possession, on top of the fresh grave as a reminder of all she had lost. But that was enough time spent being sad. Her other foals needed her now.
She decided it was time to get out and look for food. She was not going to waste a warm fall day as it may be the last time she gets a chance before the cold sets in permanently.
She placed her peeping foals on her back, feeling them instinctively nuzzle into her thick fluff. After they settled she peeked out of the hole in the porch to make sure that the coast was clear. She didn’t see anything dangerous, just a few birds pecking at the lawn. She cautiously walked out into the sun and felt it warm her fur. Her babies might be hungry, but at least they would be warm today.
She looked towards the mountains to get her bearings. Nestled at their base was the small village where she was born, abandoned, and struggled to survive. She had a nice view from the hill where the cottage rested on the outskirts of town. She then turned around to look at the woods behind the cottage. They were mostly pine trees and dead leaves but she might be able to find some food. It was a safer option when compared to the dangerous back alleys of the village where the humans were apt to find her. She feared for her foals’ safety and decided the woods would suffice.
She walked behind the cottage, sniffing the ground and listening carefully in case the old woman woke up. She checked the trash cans first in case some scraps had been dropped, but as usual the metal cans were sealed tight and smelled mostly of paper and other miscellaneous waste. She then headed towards the woods.