First Touch
((I own Chasa now, and both Vio and I agreed that it would be good to re-train her, due to her trust issues))
Sometimes dreams do come true - even dreams you didn't know you had - and when you realize what's happened, it can be pretty hard to believe. The first time I knew what it felt like was when I found Sam (or when he'd found me, depending on you point of view) and I felt it again when I was able to buy Pennyroyal. A dream come true is a sweet kind of overwhelming joy that creeps up from the pit of your stomach and sticks in your throat, tickling slightly and choking off your words, before it rushes upward in one big burst that makes you feel lightheaded and just about knocks you off your feet. It's kind of like getting struck by lightning. And just about as common. Thus I was flabbergasted when I was lucky enough to have Ikelos born onto my farm - it was the third time lightning struck. And Monk... Monk was the fourth. While buying Molly was the fifth. Thus I've been incredibly lucky over the past few years, when it comes to Neravontii, and I had no right to expect such a thing to happen to me ever again. Surely I'd used up all my good fortune? Especially since the Neravontii Agency which had been responsible for all this had gone and shuttered its windows. Yet just as I settled down with my herd - 13 strong - and began to accept the death of what had once been a thriving community, I found out that life still had a couple more surprises in store for me.
It helps when you can make your own luck... or at least help your luck along....
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It all started ages and ages ago when a farm was discovered; A very run-down, disgusting,
unkempt farm on which many Nera had been living for far too long in silent squalor and misery. Unfortunately I had too much on my plate at the time to help out with any of the proceedings. I had been unable to open my arms to any of the Nera being rescued from the farm. Thus, after months of following the news and cheering from the sidelines, all I was left with when the affair concluded was a bitter taste in my mouth and a manic desire to make my own herd as happy as I possibly could.
For the longest time, that was the end of it. The news picked up more mundane stories. Every last one of my Nera gained two or three pounds thanks to all the treats I'd been feeding them. And life returned to normal. At least until over a year later, when I decided to follow up on a couple of the rescue Nera. Yes, on a whim, out of the blue, I decided to root through my old papers and figure out who had gone where, so I could reach out and see all the happy endings. Maybe I was just tired of not knowing. Maybe I felt like I needed cheering up. Maybe I was bored. Or maybe I just couldn't get those old pictures out of my head, and wanted something to replace them with...
Whatever the reason, I was a person on a mission.
Unfortunately, I quickly learned that this wasn't going to be as easy as I'd thought it would be. Many of the numbers I tried had been disconnected. Others, when the phone was answered, turned out to belong to people who had moved onto their properties AFTER the whole rescue affair. The original owners and their Nera were long gone. Thus, after nearly exhausting my list of leads, I was beginning to become discouraged.
Then, just as I was starting to think I should throw in the towel, someone picked up the receiver. A complete stranger who hadn't moved, and hadn't changed their number. They seemed surprised when I explained why I was calling, after all this time, but willing enough to deal with me and to answer whatever questions they could. Especially after I explained that I wasn't with the press or anything. When I discovered they were actually the owner of one of the rescue Nera, I was overjoyed. This joy only multiplied itself when, after much chatting about this and that, the person on the other end of the line expressed a willingness to arrange a meeting with me so I could be introduced to Chasa. Chasa... the name rang a bell. After grinning my way through the rest of the conversation and replacing the receiver, I fell on the papers scattered across my desk like a person possessed. It didn't take me very long to find what I was after, either.
The newspaper clipping was stapled to a sheet of construction paper to keep it from getting torn up or misplaced, and featured a big colour shot of two Nera that had just been brought back to the Agency. Mares both, they had been captured in time as they stood side-by-side, rake thin and looking as close to shell-shocked as it was possible for a big alien equid to look. The one in the foreground was nearly pure white. The other, half hidden behind her friend, was very dark overall, but sported stunningly bright and contrasting markings that made her look like some sort of glowing deep-sea creature. A quick glance at the photo's caption assured me that I was correct. This latter mare, her ears pinned back and her head held low as if she were bracing herself for whatever horrible things she feared were about to be inflicted upon her... was Chasa.
My head spinning, I spent the rest of the morning reading the article and following up my other leads. Though no one else ever picked up the phone.
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Three weeks and several phone-calls later found me in the company of Chasa's owner: Meera Thompson. Before taking me out to the barn, we'd talked at length about the mare's journey from cast-off bit of garbage to fully trained showstopper, going over each bump in the road anew and once more appreciating the role of their dog in getting her to come out of her shell. Though she was still shy and slow to trust, she had gained much confidence over the year she'd lived here. She'd even begun to mingle with a few of DS's more mellow Nera! Since I wasn't technically a human, though (I may be built in the image of one, but burlap, titanium, sawdust and wire smell nothing like flesh and bone!), neither of us knew how Chasa would react to to ME. Therefore, to avoid stressing her out too badly, we both agreed that DS should go in first and distract the mare while I followed behind and kept my distance. It would be up to
her to come over and say 'hi' to
me. Assuming she wanted to.
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The first resident I met was Pupadou - Meera's dog - who came running up to us as we entered the barnyard and frisked about our legs as we walked. When we neared the barn and DS momentarily left me to go on ahead and fetch Chasa from her stall, the dog hung back in favor of giving me a thorough sniffing. Then Meera was back, motioning me forward through the barn and out to their arena, where they'd turned Chasa loose. It provided us with a controlled environment that nevertheless allowed the mare to feel as if she could get away from me if she wanted to. Yet the moment I clapped eyes on her, trotting over to greet her beloved owner, I fervently hoped she wouldn't want to.
Time had worked its wonders.
Gone for good was the dull and bony wretch from the old photograph - in her place was a lively young mare with a glistening coat and markings that practically glowed when the sun hit them. Her scars were barely visible. In fact, if I hadn't known the story of her life, I never would have guessed that this beautiful creature had ever known anything but happiness. Her strong muscles that rippled lithely underneath her skin with every movement, her delicate feet skimmed over the ground as if floating on air, her large ears were alert and swiveling around to take in the sounds of her world.
Despite my burning desire to go over and stroke the mare's nose, I held my ground as instructed and did my best not to twitch. I stood several yards away from where Chasa and her owner exchanged their greetings, arms still at my side, feet slightly apart, eyes glued on the sight before me. She hadn't spotted me yet.
It seemed like forever before Meera gave the mare a pat on the neck and stepped back to give her a bit of space. It was only then that she seemed to notice me. Instantly her head went up and her ears went back, all her happiness evaporating in the blink of an eye, to be replaced with a visible anxiety and uncertainty. As if seeking reassurance, she stepped close to Meera again. Though she didn't take her heat sensors off me. Trying to reassure her, Meera stroked the mare's shoulder and spoke softly to her, though I couldn't hear what they said. I was too busy trying to look like part of the scenery. When her owner took another step backward and gently pushed Chasa away from them, she looked confused. For a moment she didn't do anything other than stand there and look back and forth between Meera and I. Then she took half a step backwards. I was sure she was going to make a B-line for the other end of the arena. So was her owner. They even shot me an apologetic smile and shrugged slightly, as if to say 'Sorry - we did our best! - but Chasa's the boss!'. I could feel my own shoulders beginning to sag with disappointment.
Then I felt something warm against my leg. Risking a glance downward, I spotted Pupadou, Meera's loyal dog, leaning up against me. His ears were perked forward and his was tongue lolling in utter joy and contentment. Apparently he'd snuck into the arena through the slats of the fence. When Chasa spotted him, she stopped inching backward and perked her own ears forward. She also let out a curious little whoop. Pupadou answered her with a bark of his own, and began to wag his tail. At this point he nosed my hand. Then he looked at Chasa again. And nosed my hand again. On impulse, I bent down and began rubbing the dog's ears. When he practically melted with pleasure, flopping down onto his back and begging for belly-rubs, I grinned and obliged him. It had been a long time since I'd had a dog around, and I'd forgotten how adorable they could be. Next thing I knew, Meera was calling my name. I looked up to see what they wanted, then followed their line of sight to Chasa - who had reversed herself and was now creeping slowly
toward me. Apparently Pupadou's easy acceptance had, at the very least, piqued her interest enough to overcome part of her fear. Who/what was this
thing that her dear friend found so interesting? If he wasn't afraid, why should she be?
I continued to rub the dog's stomach, watching Chasa from the corner of my eye. I also took a moment to flash a grin at Meera. They looked as pleased as I did. Pupadou chose this moment to roll back over and lick my fingers, before getting to his paws and trotting over to frisk between Chasa's legs. She stopped inching and nuzzled him fondly, then watched as he came back over to me and sat practically in my lap. When she started forward again, she was taking normal-sized steps, and while she was still being cautious, her ears were perked forward curiously.
Before I knew it, our noses were practically touching. I could feel her hot breath on my face and the desire to reach out and touch her was stronger than ever. But I grit my teeth and kept stroking Pupadou. I knew that if I did something to surprise her now, I'd lose her for good. She was too close to take chances! So I held my ground and waited. And waited. And waited...
Then, ever so slowly, Chasa brought her face down and nudged the hand I was using to pet her friend. When I didn't move it, she nudged me more forcefully. This time I took it away and let it fall to my side. Now the mare nudged Pupadou directly, her lips playing over his fur as if she were grooming him. The dog closed his eyes, clearly enjoying the treatment. Then, suddenly, he jumped up and took off across the arena, Chasa in hot pursuit. I was left alone, sitting in the dust of the arena floor, laughing heartily and feeling lucky to have gotten as close to the nervous mare as I had. I felt honored. Not to mention lucky that Pupadou had chosen to act as ambassador!
Meera came over then and helped me to my feet. They had a broad smile on their face, and as we left the arena together, I told them how impressed I was with Chasa's progress. They shrugged it off, chalking it up to a lot of patience, the mare's own determination, and Pupadou - the cheerful little mutt who moved mountains. I laughed at this, still feeling high, and thanked them heartily for this opportunity. I may not have been able to track down any of the other rescue Nera, but if they'd gotten homes half as good as Chasa had, I knew they had to be doing well, wherever they were.
This little trip had brought me closure. I'd also made a couple of new friends. So as I left, headed back to my own little corner of reality, I felt that it had been time well spent. Little did I know, I'd be seeing Meera and Chasa again very soon....
