5Hooves thundered as they hit the ground, brilliant reddish brown horse hide shimmered in the sun. A horse ran through the woods, it's coat glossy and beautiful, it's legs long, lean and slim. Stunningly white stockings reach about half way below the knees on it's front legs and halfway up the back legs. A white blaze stretched from it's forehead to muzzle. It's reddish brown mane and tail flapped in the wind as it ran.
Annabel enjoyed her midmorning runs, her speed and freedom were some of the few things she enjoyed about her new form. How log had she been like this? A year? More or less...the amount of time didn't matter though, she was stuck like this for almost forever.
Coming out of her reverie Belle slowed to a trot and took in the peaceful forest, suddenly she heard rustling and something caught her eye. She froze and stared at the man, knowing she would immediately blend into the forest, due to her coloring, the fact she was in the shade, and a little of something she still couldn't understand.
Alick made his way through the forest, his bow in hand and his arrows strapped to his back. He wore brown pants and a light green top that matched his dark green eyes and black hair. A shimmer of brown brought him into a ready stance, arrow drown and ready to shoot, what he did not expect was what looked like a horse, a beautiful one at that.
Alick moved to put the arrow back in it's bag and moved a bush by accident, in an instant the horse was gone, leaving Alick to wonder if he had even seen it at all. He had spent his entire life living in luxury, he had seen the finest horses and from the look he got at this wild horse, it was far better.
Then again Alick knew that fine horses could be the worst, and wild ones were known to be dangerous. He owned a former wild stallion names Silver, a sensible name for a dapple grey horse, Silver was getting old and although there were a few other horses he owned he knew he couldn't ride any of them.
Lilly was a purebred, she had a solid bay coat, and a bad temperament, he hated riding her. Smoke was a wild black stallion that was never to be ridden, he ruled the small herd made up of his horses. Ginger was a sweat old Palomino mare, she is his mother's favorite hiking horse, she is quite wild for her age and only allows the queen to pet her. Freedom is a buckskin yearling that is to be broken and ridden by Alick's younger brother, Ralph. Then there was Star, Alick's older sister, Seara's painted horse. Star was one of two black and white horses, there was only one more painted horse, Sarge, a brown and white gelding owned by his father, the king. There were a few more event riding horses in the herd, that he never knew the name of.
Belle gave a sigh 'that was too close.' This happened from time to time, men would spot her hunting but then she would disappear into the shadows, they had come to call her the ghost of the forest. A whole legend surrounded her, when the town was built and the trees cut down the forest became angry, When the castle expanded it's land not to long ago it got fed up, creating a spirit, or ghost. This ghost horse was said to haunt the forest and spook the people, coming to town from time to time to steal for the people who stole from it.
There was some truth to the myth, sure Belle was a horse now but that did not mean she ate like a horse, sure she chewed on straw every once in a while and nibbled on a leaf now and then but she mainly ate the royal wheat plants that bordered with the forest. A few times a weak she would sneak into the crops and steal a carrot or some lettuce and at times she was known to steal a peace of a pie cooling on an open window.
Belled sniffed the air, she could smell pasta coming from a nearby house 'pasta? Wait I know this house, there is always someone waiting for me, hiding, trying to catch me there, do I dare? It's pasta! Of course I do!"
She watched from behind a tree, she couldn't sense anyone, that was another off things she couldn't explain, she could sense people, it wasn't an instinct for something special. Seeing no threat Belled stepped out of the woods and walked across the small yard to the window, she could escape easily with a leap or too and the pasta was on a counter right infront of the window.
Belle was about to stick her head in the window when a little girl popped out of a bush next to her "Aha! No you don't you silly horse!" She said it in a soft and yet scolding tone then giggled.
'I, I was caught! I have never been caught before!' Her eyes went wide and she made to run.
"You don't have to run horsey I won't tell, my name is Amelia, or Amy for short, would you like some pasta?" Amy looked up at the horse and saw Belle's ear perk forward, she walked carefully around the horse and went into the house. A few moments later she came back with a wooden bowl full of pasta. "Most horses don't like pasta and I know it's not good for them but you aren't any normal horsy now are you?" Amy giggled.
Belle gratefully munched on the pasta, while inspecting the girl, she had to be about seven, she had long back hair and a small face. Amy smiled at the horse "You seem really nice for a wild horse, I bet you are the spirit of the forest! You are smart too huh? Well let's see how smart! I'm eight, how old are you?" Belle looked at her quizzically "Ok if it has two numbers tell me ok? With a nod, I can count up to twenty so I am sure I can tell how old you are!."
Belle was amused by the girls rambling but nonetheless nodded "Really? I didn't think you would be that old...Ok what is the first digit?" She stomped her foot and licked her lips having finished the pasta "One, ok what's the other digit?" Belle stomped her foot seven times "seventeen? Isn't that old for a horse?" She nodded "but you're young, huh?" She gave a quiet neigh.
"Amelia! You can stop guarding the pasta from the forest and bring it in to eat please!" Belle bolted into the forest.
"Bye...hope to see you again." Amy called then turned and ran into the house "I still don't get why I have to watch the food Mama, we haven't had anything stolen yet..." Her voice faded as Belle ran off.
"Alick? Alick?! ALICK!" Seara yelled.
"Wha? What? What happened?" Alick looked around frantically.
"You were staring off into space again and I was trying to invite you on a ride to town." She glared at him.
"Sorry I was thinking about something...Won't Thomas get mad? I thought he wanted us to help him decorate the ball room, you wouldn't want to miss that would you?" He spoke sarcastically for Thomas, or Tom for short, was the eldest and snottiest out of the four siblings.
"Oh come on!" Seara got up and walked off and Alick followed.
Once at the pasture Alick leaned against the fence and watched the horses, in his hands was a lead rope for Star "Seara, have you ever seen the ghost of the forest?"
His sister stared at him "The horse? No, why have you?"
"I saw a horse, from the glance I got it was one of the most beautiful creatures in the world...I spotted it in the forest while hunting, and then it just, vanished into thin air." Alick shook his head.
"Probably a run away." Seara said and unlatched the gate and Alick stepped in, Star ran circles around him before Seara commanded her to calm down.
Annabel walked leisurely through the forest, she was headed torwards to palace ground but that didn't matter to her until she spotted two horses coming down the path, one was a grey horse with the guy from earlier and another a painted one with a black haired, blue eyed woman riding side saddle.
Listening carefully and following silently in the woods Belle heard them talking about her, she couldn't stop listening or take her eyes off of them. Suddenly an idea popped into her head.
Alick heard a rustling and then the horse came into view, it's sleek reddish brown body glistened, her slim white splashed legs danced, in a matter of seconds it was gone but just that glance showed him it's true beauty.
"Oh my god she's beautiful Alick! Gorgeous! The way she ran, her build, and then she just vanished into the woods!" Seara smiled brightly.
"She?"
"Yes she, I know these things and that was a mare."