Owner: |Dαяκ•Кιℓℓjøγ|
Name: Kodiak (Koda for short)
Age: 8
Height: 20.1 hh
Story: 760 words
Koda's hooves sunk into the crispy snow, each hoof-fall leaving a deeper indentation in the carpet of white. The stallion kept his ears pinned back, and head low, as the Northern wind whipped past; sweeping the surface of the snow and rippling along Koda's thick pelt. His forelock lashed over his face, falling in loose tendrils around his lethal horn.
It was hard to tell whether it was day or night. Koda had been travelling for days; the entire horizon submerged in the hazy twilight-blue of a Polar night. Surrounding him was fields of white, the peaks barely distinguishable from the snow flats.
Koda inhaled, grinding to a halt. His feathers were deep in the snow, matting over his feet. The stallion shut his eyes, falling to his knees; before rolling onto his side. The snow chilled his side, even through his thick pelt. Koda was so tired. Days without food, days without water. Dehydration had racked his body, until he could continue no more. He dropped his head, resting his soft muzzle lightly on the snow. His mind began to drift back; drifting back to the snowstorm.
He was travelling with a small herd; his mate and his foal amongst them. They had been travelling in the peaks, making their way to lower land. The wind was picking up and lashing the land, sweeping snow from the drifts and bombarding them on all sides. As the sun began to set, the wind increased, until they found themselves engulfed in a hurricane of white. Koda fought to stay with his family, however they became separated. He managed to find shelter in an ice cave, forced to fight with a polar bear. He quickly dispatched the bear with his horn, gaining a few deep cuts on his hindquarters. In the morning, Koda awoke. The storm had subsided. He galloped out, plowing through the drifts with his strong forelegs. He searched and searched. Gradually, his gallop turned to a canter, then a trot, then a walk. He felt desperation seep in. Koda would not give up on his herd. The stallion spent another two nights in the ice cave; spending his days searching for his herd. Hunger panged his stomach; however he ignored the urge.
At the dawn of the fourth day, a feeling of grave acceptance overwhelmed him. His herd was gone. Slowly, he began to make his way West, following the Sun as it made its way across the sky. It wasn't long before his hooves started to drag. Koda spent what seemed like days tirelessly walking, desperately searching for food, water; even some shelter. The midnight sun beat down on him, reflecting off the sheet white surroundings. Walking and walking, breathing and breathing.
Squaw! Squaw!
Koda's eyes snapped open and he lifted his heavy head. That sound; any sound was a saviour but that...that was a Gull. Hope filled Koda's heart. He'd given up. He was ready to go to sleep and never awaken. Koda pulled himself to his hooves, his legs shaky. There, circling above him was a white speck, squawking in the sky. It flew and circled, before turning and disappearing beyond a ridge. Koda's ears flicked forward and he took a deep intake of breath. The stallion was never sure how he managed to delve out his last bit of strength, but he did.
The stallion sprang forward, hooves barely touching the compacted snow as he followed the sound of hope. His mane flew out behind him as Koda propelled himself faster. As he neared the ridge, he skidded to a halt, his eyes alight at what lay beneath him.
Stretched out, as far as the eye could see was plains of tundra. Shrubs erupted through the snow cover, along with tufts of Arctic grasses. Birds nestled in the bare rock faces, swooping down and fishing the the small stream of running water that ran down to touch the seafront. Koda glanced up. The sky was illuminated, making this simple paradise even more magical. Ribbons of light painted the twilight sky. Streaks of crimson, green and violet flitted through the sky; twirling around eachother and dancing like twinkling rainbows. The northern lights.
Koda drew his attention back to the valley, watching as a small herd of caribou lumbered their way further down. A new sense of determination filled him. This was the start. He may not have found his herd, but this was only the beginning. He knew they were out there somewhere. They were alive. And wherever they were, he would find them. Someday.[/quote]