Week 10: Barbie Stattman- The Knight and His Horse go up the Mountain

Full Prompt: “The knight and his horse go up the mountain”

Story:

“I have your back.” 

The knight stated as he patted his horse’s neck. 

“It’s only a while longer.” 

The steed and the knight together stared up the long and winding path. As far as the eye could see was rock and vertical climb. The peak of the mountain was still days away. 

They had already traveled so far, journeyed over much terrain. They had fought many battles and endured so much…

~

The foreign glint of a reflective metal in the mud and grass caught its eye. A knight lay, defeated. Whether or not he was physically able to continue was of no consequence because his morale, his will to go on was no more. Through the slit in his helmet, now bent to his head, he lay looking up at the sky. Clouds were moving in. He watched as the first drops of rain fell from the heavens. He heard the metallic “ping,” “ping” as they bounced off his armor. The knight closed his eyes, listening to the rain and began to fade away. Suddenly, through his closed eyes, he perceived the sky had grown even darker. Curious as to how, he opened them only to find the face of a juvenile horse, peering at him even curiouser. He lay motionless, staring at the horse. It nudged him with its snout. He didn’t move. The horse nudged him harder, still the knight did not move. He had seen battle and loss. He was leaderless, without comrade, without a land, without a purpose. The horse now stretched its head closer to the knight’s, curled its lips back and clacked its teeth together. At the sight, the knight let out a chuckle. 

“Okay.” The knight said. “You’re not going to let me die are you?”

In response the horse clopped its two front hooves in the dirt. 

It had been years since the nameless knight had been left for dead- when his best friend had rescued him. Since that day the knight and the horse had never left each other’s side. Once small and awkward, the earthen-brown horse had now grown gallant and strong.  The knight had also grown stronger since that day. In caring for his new friend he had found new purpose. He loved his horse.

::SLASH:: 

Just as soon as the venomous snake had launched itself from behind falling rock, the knight had drawn his sword and cut it down. Nothing would hurt his horse, not while he had a single breath left in his lungs. The horse neighed, mocking the defeated predator and the knight smiled.

“That’s right. You tell ‘em,” the knight reassured the horse.

“Help!” came a cry from the east. 

The heads of both knight and horse shot in the direction of the cry.

“Click-click” sounded the knight, which the horse knew to mean: “let’s go.”

They galloped to the northeast, traversing rough terrain in order to obtain a bird’s eye view of the situation before engaging. Bandits. Bandits were circling a traveling family. The knight drew his sword and the horse lowered its gaze.

“We must help them,” the knight uttered through clenched jaw.

To which the horse curled back its lips and clacked its teeth. 

“HYA!” Cried the knight…

::SLAM:: 

The front door being violently thrown shut brought young Samuel swiftly back to reality. He grabbed his only toy, a horse, and a pillow and clamored underneath his bed to hide. To keep quiet. To keep very quiet. During these times he had learned it was better to stay out of sight. It was even better not to make a sound. Sandwiched between bed plank and floor board he clutched his toy horse and dreamed of adventure. He dreamed of growing up big and strong and that his horse was real. He dreamed of a different life. He dreamed of freedom and the ability to help others and treat them well.

What little Samuel did not know, stowed away under his bed, imagination his only means of escape, is that his small world would one day open up. That these times, frightening they may be, would mold who he was to become. That he would go on to not only own a real horse but an entire stable of them. He would go on to use that stable of horses to help children. He would help children going through similar things that he once did, some even worse. To those children he would be the strongest, bravest person they had ever met. To those children he was nothing short of a knight in shining armor atop a strong and sturdy steed. Little Samuel would go on to become a hero.