Millie gazed out beyond the pasture, where the distant hills and mountains rolled over the horizon. The green forests, the calm meadows, and the gentle rivers were kept from her. A wooden fence kept her caged inside Ashwood Ranch.
But the ranch wasn't so bad. The barn was small, but there were merely three horses living inside. The oats were delicious, the farmer would always get the best brand. None of the other horses were interesting, they were all cranky mules with short tempers. Which was why Millie was here in the first place. The farmer's daughter had grown of age, now she could ride one of them. But due to the fear that the others being too rough for the little human, the farmer had bought Millie from her home. Away from her mother and the other fillies.
Millie had a beige muzzle and little specks of spots on her back. Her long mane was a cinnamon color, as was her tail too. Her glossy coat was a dark chocolate brown, but during the day it was a milk chocolate tint. Millie was about a year old since she was brought here.
The Master's child was still five years old, that was what Millie was told, and she was reckless as a newborn colt. Millie didn't really blame the other horses, she had seen the young human pulling their tails and ears. She was surprised that the young one hadn't been kicked yet.
Now she was six, and she was ready to saddle her first horse.
Millie had never been ridden before. And by the looks of the tight saddle strapped around her stomach and a bridle to put in her mouth, it didn't seem so comfortable. But the others reassured her that she'd get used to the metal bite in the bridle and the tight squeeze from the saddle. To Millie, that didn't seem likely.
"Eek!"
Millie pricked her ears and turned her head around to look at the barn behind her. A little girl was walking out of the open barn door, a saddle in her tiny arms. Millie snorted and tossed her head around. She knew what was coming. The little girl was the master's daughter, Roxanne. She wore a pink top with long black pants. Her ginger hair was pulled up, a black riding helmet on top of it. Her little face was turning red, the saddle was way to heavy for a little girl as herself.
"Blimey, she's going to tucker herself out before she even gets the saddle on me." Millie commented to herself. Then she turned her body around so her chest was facing the barn.
Finally, Roxanne made her way to the old wooden fence. She took in a deep breath and heave the saddle on the fence. Millie watched the girl pant, she was only a few feet from the fence. Once she caught her breath, Roxanne straightened her riding helmet and crawled under the fence. When she was on the other side, Roxanne stood up and wiped her knees clean. Millie moved her head up and down, her tail swinging around, anxiously.
Roxanne lifted her blue gaze towards the Percheron horse. The two made eye contact for a while then Roxanne patted the saddle with her right hand while gesturing Millie to come towards her with her other. "Come here, Millie!" She said, eagerly. Millie twitched her ears back with a snort. Roxanne had a dumbfounded look on her face as if she was surprised that Millie didn't follow her command.
"Come on, Millie. Come here girl!" She called again, then pressing her lips together she made several clicking noises.
Millie turned her head to the side, so only her left side of her face was facing Roxanne. Her ears were pricked towards the young human, slightly interested by the sounds clicking from the girl's lips. Roxanne moved her hand from the saddle and began patting her legs. "Come here, Millie! Come here!" Roxanne said in a high, excited voice. The horse narrowed her eyes, the girl was talking to her as if Millie was a dog. Millie was no small creature, she could crush Roxanne with one hoof if she wanted to.
Then Roxanne's eyes dropped, her hands too. "Fine, I'll come to you then." Millie raised her head to her full height as the girl came walking towards her. She began pawing the grass with her right hoof, anxiously. The little girl lifted her hands, showing that she had no intentions to harm Millie. "Easy, girl. I just wanna lead you to the fence." Millie c***ed her head to the side, looking down at the tiny human. Up close, she realized how much larger she was compared to Roxanne. The child barely reached her strong, muscled chest.
Roxanne walked over to Lillie's speckled flank, making sure that Millie could still see her. Cautiously, the child touched Millie's stomach, her little arms couldn't reach her chocolate colored flank.. "Yeah... That's a good girl! Okay, let's go to the fence." Millie continued to look forward, keeping Roxanne in the corner of her eye.
"Millie, come on! I wanna impress my dad when he gets home. If he sees me riding you without his help, he'll finally trust me with the horses!" Millie snorted in response. The master hadn't broken Millie's filly spirit yet, Roxanne riding her wouldn't be a good idea. "Come on..." Roxanne began pushing at Millie's stomach, digging her pink riding boots into the dirt. Millie flicked her ear back toward Roxanne and watched the girl struggle, trying to make her move. With a grunt, Millie moved to the side, causing Roxanne to tumble down into the grass with a thud.
"Oft!"
The girl was face planted on the pasture grass. Millie swung her tail around while trotting in front of the child. The mare waited for the girl to get back up. But she didn't. Millie waited a while longer, pawing at the grass, nervously. Roxanne still didn't get up. She pricked her ears forward, realization sweeping over her. Had she harmed the child? Giving an anxious snort, Millie trotted closer to the child. lowering her head so her beige muzzle was an inch away from Roxanne's riding helmet.
She sniffed the human, no scent of death.
Millie c***ed her head in confusion. What was wrong with the child? Giving a whine, Millie nudged the helmet.
"Boo!" Suddenly, Roxanne's head swung up. Millie yelped and immediately lifted her head away from the child. Roxanne giggled and rolled over on her back. "I spooked ya! Hehehehehe!"
Millie narrowed her eyes and stomped the ground. "How dare you? That was not funny!" She snorted, angrily. Roxanne stopped laughing and gazed up at Millie in surprise.
"Did.... Did you just talk?" The human asked.
Millie shook out her mane so the locks were out from her eyes. "Of course I did! All horses can speak, child!" Roxanne's blue eyes widen and she quickly got up on her two legs. "Whoa! You're actually talking words! Not saying neigh and stuff, you're actually speaking English!" Millie tilted her head at the child. "Heavens child, what on Earth are you talking about? Can't all humans understand us?"
Roxanne shook her head. "No. All I hear is neigh, snort, whine, and pffff!" the last part she blew her lips up-an-down, making a soft purring noise. "But not you! You're actually talking real words!!!"
Millie blinked. "Hmm... Very peculiar..." She mumbled. Roxanne smiled up at the horse. "And you've got an British accent. Cool!" Millie couldn't believe it, she was that first ever talking horse?!
"No, I can't be only one. Maybe when your father comes back, I can ask him." Then Millie turned away to trot over to the fence.
"Wait, you can't!" Roxanne ran after her.
"Why not?" Millie stopped so that Roxanne was by her side.
Roxanne touched Millie's chest, "if you do, he'll tell the press! Then they'll come here and take photos of you! Then everyone will know about you! And some bad people might try to take you or my dad might sell you for billions of dollars!" Millie flicked her ears back. She didn't want to admit it, but the girl was right.
"Oh dear... Then that means I need to keep my mouth sealed forever...." Roxanne shook her head, "no. You can talk to me. I'll keep this a secret, okay?" Millie gazed down at the tiny child. Roxanne was gazing back at her with her big blue eyes. Millie's mane drooped down her neck and forehead, the wind blowing it to the side.
"All right, I see nothing bad about that." The horse finally agreed. Roxanne giggled and hugged Millie's leg. "Yes! We're gonna be the best friends ever!" Millie pricked her ears forward, swinging her tail around. "Roxanne, about riding me... You should probably wait until your father breaks me before riding me." Roxanne gave her a sad look, "but... You won't be too rough, right? We're friends!"
"Yes dear, but I've never been ridden. I don't want to hurt you by accident." Roxanne gave a sad sigh and rest her cheek on Millie's leg. "Aww... Okay, I'll wait." Millie nuzzled Roxanne's head, "don't worry. Eventually you will be able to ride me, Roxanne." The girl looked up at her, "you can call me, Rox. That's my nickname."
Millie chuckled and shook her mane again, "all right, Rox."