Horizon

    Ardhi ran full speed across the African savannah. Dust flew up behind her, the dying sun turning it bright orange and giving it the appearance of glowing. The dark mare’s ears lay flat against her head, and her teeth bared.

    Ukame always had to be the leader! Always had to tell Ardhi what to do! They were the same rank! It wasn’t fair!

    Ardhi faltered in her dead run long enough to kick out into open air. Had anyone been following too close, they would have sustained major injuries.

    Perhaps Ardhi imagined Ukame’s head there. Or perhaps she just needed to kick out to release her anger.

    Ardhi knew that, by morning, they would probably resolve their conflict. That’s what friends did. And Ardhi and Ukame weren’t just friends; they were sisters. Not by blood, by certainly in spirit.

    Now, however, Ukame may as well have been a troublesome stallion. Ardhi didn’t want to be anywhere near her.

    So here she was, racing across the flat plains. No destination. No direction. Just running.

    Ardhi thought back to their fight.

    “Ardhi!” Ukame snarled, looking up from the wounded stallion.

    Ardhi, ears slat, growled, “What? He was getting too close!”

    Ukame pinned her ears as well and bared her teeth. “That was no excuse to kick him in the face!”

    A disdainful sneer curled Ardhi’s lip. Ironic words coming from Ukame. “You would have kicked him too!”

    Ukame’s mane began to twitch and Ardhi heard the faint “rattle”. A subtle yet powerful signal, Ukame was warning Ardhi to stay quiet.

    Ardhi didn’t care to hear it. “Hypocrite!”

    Ukame’s mane rattled louder, and the orange mare leaned forward, teeth bared.

    Jumping out of range of Ukame’s bite, Ardhi turned on her front hooves. She left Ukame and the wounded stallion where they were and raced across the field. Sailing over a pile of logs, she galloped out into the open plains.

    Ardhi changed her path to avoid a large clump of savannah rocks. Coming around the side of the outcrop, a flock of birds screamed in alarm and soared into the sky.

    Needing to sink her teeth into something, else she go crazy, Ardhi sprung into the air. Jaws locking around the neck of a bird, she fell back to the grassy earth.

    The bird hung limp in her jaws.

    She dropped it onto the ground, nostrils flaring, and tore into it. Taking her anger out on the poor bird, the meal was a bit bloodier than normal. But Ardhi didn’t mind.

    After finishing the last of her meal, she glanced down at it. What a mess. Ukame would kill her if she saw the bloody mess at her hooves.

    Ukame, Ardhi thought, glancing back over her shoulder.

    Anger channeled through her teeth into the bird, Ardhi had calmed. Maybe she did overreact. That may have been a gay stallion…

    Which would make it even worse…

    Ardhi groaned. She didn’t want to go back. No longer because of her anger, but because of the hot embarrassment burning her hooves and ear tips. She’s have to apologize to Ukame, and the pride within her forbid Ardhi front doing such a thing.

    But her bond with Ukame told her it was necessary. As did common sense.

    “Not yet,” Ardhi muttered to herself, looking around at the orange tinted grassland in front of her. “Work out some anger.”

    She took off yet again, kicking, bucking, tossing her head, and twisting her body in the air. Occasionally, she’d whinny, snarl, and bellow.

    Running at top speed again, she pulled to a halt abruptly. Rearing up, she tossed her head and struck the air with her front hooves.

    Dropping back to her front hooves, Ardhi stood panting. Her sides heaved, and she found herself opening her mouth to breathe easier.

    That had felt good. She couldn’t remember the last time she had just come out here to run. Usually, it was to hunt game. But never just to run for the sake of running.

    She glanced around. Gently rolling hills in three directions that went on for miles. Tall grass waved gently in the breeze, turned bright orange by the ball of what appeared to be molten metal as it wavered and seared the plains.

    Seeing the clump of boulders far in the distance, Ardhi nickered softly. The sun was setting, and setting quick. She was strong, granted, but it was common sense to get off the open plains at night. Lions were especially nocturnal, and Ardhi did not want to be caught out alone. It was foolish for a Ballator to try to take on a pride of lions in the dark.

    Time to head home.

    Ardhi, still huffing from her run, picked up a slow trot. Her ears swiveled back and forth, trying to catch the sounds of any predator sneaking up on her. She groaned softly.

    Hopefully Ukame wouldn’t lecture her too badly.

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A trade with for some linearts!
This is her character aspi-galou.deviantart.com/art/…!
So for stats!
Drawing :
- Fullbody : 3
- Shading : 1
- Simple background : 2
Lit :
- Word count : 818
- Extra character (Ukame) :+2

Total: 12 stats

For the title, since Ardhi means Earth, and she's reaing here, the earth meets the sky for Horizon!

Check out my Special EB Commissions