by Dark Mill South » Mon Dec 23, 2024 10:03 am
Username: Harm&Ease
Name: Castle Rock's Calico Creek | Calico
Gender: Mare
Prompt: This Mustang was queen of her home. Her hooves thundered across the sun-baked earth, her spirit as wild and free as the wind that whipped through her tail. But even the wildest mustang needs a friend, and Calico's was unusual, to say the least. His name was Pip, and he was a badger. Not a particularly large or ferocious badger, mind you. Pip was small, round, and possessed a perpetually worried expression. His black and white stripes seemed permanently smudged with dirt. Yet, he was Calico’s most trusted confidant.
Their friendship had begun years ago, when Calico was just a filly, separated from her herd during a flash flood. Lost and terrified, he’d stumbled upon Pip’s burrow, huddled beneath the roots of an ancient cottonwood. Pip, despite his initial apprehension at the sight of the large, trembling creature, had offered her shelter.
Now, years later, their bond was unbreakable. Calico would graze near Pip’s burrow, sharing the choicest patches of clover. Pip, in turn, would warn her of approaching storms, his sensitive nose picking up the change in the air long before the clouds gathered.
One scorching summer, a severe drought gripped the plains. The once lush grasslands turned to brittle straw, and the watering holes dried up. Fear gnawed at the hearts of all the creatures. Calico, strong as she was, felt his strength waning.
“The Whispering River is our only hope,” Pip declared one dusty evening, his voice unusually grave. “It flows beyond the jagged rocks, in the Shadow Canyon.”
The Shadow Canyon was a treacherous place, a maze of sharp rocks and deep ravines. No horse had ever dared venture there. But Calico knew Pip was right. “We’ll go together,” she said, nudging Pip gently with her muzzle.
The journey was arduous. Calico carefully picked her way through the rocky terrain, while Pip, surprisingly agile, scurried ahead, scouting the safest paths. They faced crumbling ledges, narrow passes, and the constant threat of falling rocks.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they heard it: the faint, soothing sound of rushing water. They emerged from the canyon’s mouth to find the Whispering River, a ribbon of cool, clear water snaking through the parched landscape.
Calico drank deeply, feeling life surge back into her weary body. She then watched as other animals, drawn by the scent of water, began to arrive: deer, pronghorn, even a lone coyote; all friends of Calico's from longtime ago, nickering to the new arrivals and respectfully bowing her head to them all as they shared the cool water.
Pip, perched on a small rock, watched the scene with a rare smile. “We did it, Calico,” he said. “We saved the plains and all the animals.”
Calico lowered her head and nuzzled her small friend. She knew that without Pip’s wisdom and courage, she would never have found the river. She knew that friendship wasn't about size or species, but about loyalty, trust, and the unwavering support of a true friend, even if that friend happened to be a small, worried badger. The only loose end now was to double back and make it back to the rest of her friends, the herd she had (briefly) abandoned to scout out the new water supply, but with all of her friends there, she knew she could make it.
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canada ''───────────────────
