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           Otter, the Sloppy Track King 

            The sea had been rough that night. The sky was a nasty thick black and flashed angrily with lightning. Thunder rolled off the waves with a rumble and the surf hissed with each lick of the sand. A mile off the hissing sand in a white, wooden barn, a mare laid on her side, a damp sweat making her dark hair curl and froth at her flanks. Her labor intensified like the storm outside. Just as the wind howled furiously, the mare gave a final groan and a slick, dark, body appeared in the straw. The mare gave a large sigh before making quick work of drying the dark, inky body. The foal’s nostrils flared a delicate pink and his wet eyes blinked rapidly. His mama let out a low, deep nicker.

            The violent storm had left its mark on the land. The sky was still dark with looming ferocity, even days later. However, the small, inky colt has now on his feet. The owners were thrilled to his small little body flying over the pastures. The pastures were dead and the sea grass shriveled under enormous puddles, but it didn’t stop the colt from tearing through them. It was one of his favorite things. The colt was drawn to the water. The humans would watch from the fence line as the colt pawed and danced with glee in the large puddles. His mama would be grazing several paces away.

            Just two weeks later, the sky still gray, the owners had snapped a lead onto the mare’s thick leather halter and walked out of the paddock. The colt, still unnamed, jigged by his mama’s side. The man led the mare down a hill of dead sea grass. As the colt neared the hill he stopped. The colt’s eyes grew wide, his stomach quivered, and his nostrils flared. Just beyond the hill was the dark, churning ocean. It was water! So much water! The man continued further down the hill, not realizing the colt had stopped. The mare had. She whipped her head back and called to him, her post pregnancy belly shaking as she did. The colt scrambled down the bank and skittered to a halt next to his mama. The man led the mare closer to the surf. The colt followed. The waves hissed as they kissed the shore. The colt splayed out his legs and lowered his head, his tiny muzzle grazing the damp sand. With a squeal the colt leapt from the wet sand and plunged into the waves.

            The man, still holding the mare, doubled over in laughter. His eyes were watering and his cheeks were a blush pink. “Now that is no horse, that there is an otter.” Still laughing the man patted the mare’s neck affectionately, all the while watching the colt’s coat turn inky black from the frothy, white surf. The colt surged through the waves, squealing with delight.

--

             Three years had passed. The evening was as dark and gloomy as the night he was born. The turf was sloppy from the torrential downpour. Otter was squeezed into a metal chute. His muscles quivered with anticipation. The young stallion’s ears were pointed straight ahead. His left front leg pawed at the mushy, brown goo that barely passed as turf. “Easy.” A rough voice commented form above. Perched on the stallion’s back. With a clang the last horse entered his shoot. There was a brief pause in the gates. Silence.

            With the shrill ring of the bell the horses exploded onto the sloppy track. Otter surged ahead. Mud flew every which way as thousands of pounds of horse flesh took off for the wire. The rain made the ground soup. The mud sloshed under their hooves. Many of the horses straggled behind, the mud deterring them from their usual gates. Otter continued to fight through the mud. There was no difference between the surf and sad he had grown up in. The colt lived for these conditions!

            The furlongs melted away as the backstretch came into view. There was nothing standing in the way of Otter’s lanky brown legs. The horse and jockey were covered in mud, sweat, and rain as they surged across the finish line, five furlongs ahead of any other competitor. The stallion loped towards the winner circle with just the whites of his eyes showing under the blanket of mud that covered both him and his jockey. A top him the jockey laughed. Never had he ridden a horse who loved a sloppy track as much as Otter. There was never a horse who loved water as much as Otter.

Irma #301265

In September of 2017, a huge storm was brewing over the ocean.  As it crept closer to florida mandatory evacuations were ordered and supplies began to run low.  Information about the hurricane could be found on every weather channel and news station as well as local radio stations.  The weather progressively got worse and the animals could tell. The sky grew dark with rain clouds and the wind picked up speed, but there was still a little time to prepare.  Horses were being tagged and painted with their owner’s information in case the worst happens and they get lost. Others were being moved inland or upstate to avoid possible flooding and dangerous conditions.  

When the storm finally hit it brought endless rain and terrible wind.  Things that hadn’t been secured down had become debris lifted up by the wind carried who knows where.  Roads and pastures quickly became flooded. For some there was no place to go, horses locked in pastures were trying to find high ground to escape the encroaching floodwater.  The crack of thunder, howling wind, and pounding rain became the soundtrack for this hurricane and lasted for 3 days.

Eventually the storm passed and people began to return to discover what had become of their homes and family/pets that were left behind.  Fences were toppled, barns were damaged, and some animals were lost in the aftermath. One of those was a young gray horse found wandering in a flooded field.  She was understandably spooked and proved tough to catch. Eventually she was enticed with some food into the waiting hands of a rescue group. There she began to recover; her injuries were bandaged and treated, she had a dry stall, and plenty of food and water.  After careful checking the rescuers found no trace of who she belonged to. There was no tag braided in her hair or number painted on her to identify who her owner was. Flyers were placed in local stores and posted on the internet to hopefully reunite her with her owner.  A week passed and still no one stepped up to claim her.

The rescuers best guess was that she got spooked during the storm and escaped but from where they don’t know.  A few weeks had gone by with no hint of who this horse was, where she came from, or who she belonged to. Without a name to call her by the rescuers had christened her “Irma” after she was found in the wreckage of the storm.  And what a fitting name it was. She became a feisty and powerful mare and was a favorite among the staff and volunteers. But enough time had passed and she needed to find a new home. She was put up for adoption and soon found a home with one of the volunteers.

They may never find out where she came from or what her history is but she has a home for life now.  Irma is truly a diamond in the rough.

^{_{**Thanks for taking the time to read this if you did and vote for Irma!**}}

"And From the box a glimmer came. He knew whatever was in it would be enough to vanquish these chains that bound him as well as the evil being who had banished him here".

Fire is where it all began and Fire is where it will all end…..

A long time ago in a land far far away there stood mountain where the gods themselves could be found. On this mountain there stood a stable where an unknown mare was giving birth to a colt grullo overo in color with silver hair and a keen eye. For now he was nothing, a peasant even. But one day in the not so distant future he would rise to greatness and give to the world one of the greatest gifts they could ever hope to receive. For you see as much as he was not of noble lineage he was still blessed with certain attributes that would help him along his path. The main of which were his hooves which were made of iron pyrite.  

When he was 3 he was out for a forage with some other colts when they stumbled upon Zeus's private garden. Little benounced to them Zeus was out for a leisurely graze and noticed them on the far side of the garden. Now Zeus he was a very grumpy god who had a tendency to look down upon the peasant horses. "Hey" he shouted, "You colts best scatter before I unleash my lightning rod on you".  And with that the colts fled.

Back to the village they ran and when they crossed the rock strewn river bed something very peculiar had happened, something very peculiar indeed. Sparks begin to fly off of Prometheus's hooves. That was strange he thinks, Without fully understanding what had caused sparks to fly from his feet.

A few days later all was quiet in the village when suddenly Zeus barges in through the gate. "Hephaestus" he bellows "You have been charged with the crime of producing a staff with a crack in it do you deny it?" Hephaestus cannot express the words to say "No you broke it yourself you bully", Which is enough for Zeus to tell his guards to arrest that colt. And with that guards swarm in from all directions and drag Hephaestus away in chains.

Prometheus was shocked at this and decided to follow the guards and try to rescue his friend. He sees the guards lock his friend in a cave by Zeus's castle by rolling a giant boulder in front of the cave door. Oh no he thinks how will I ever move that. As the guards walk away Prometheus goes up to the door to investigate when the coast is clear. He leans into the rock with his shoulder and pushes, but the rock doesn't budge. He decides to rear up and try to push the top of the rock with his hooves. As he does this one of his hooves slips on the rock and from his hoof comes a spark. He finally figures out his hooves cause sparks when they strike rock and with that decides he will get his friend out by heating the rock up and then giving it a swift kick.

So he begins by gathering some dried twigs and branches from a group of trees nearby and placing them around the base of the rock. He then strikes the rock repeatedly with his hooves until a sufficient amount of sparks ignite the brush pile. After the pile burns for a while the rock is glowing red. This is when Prometheus strikes the rock which causes it to shatter and crumble to the ground. From behind a tree Zeus is watching this smart colt. "HALT" he screams just as the final few rocks hit the ground, and with that three of his guards come running. "Prometheus you have been charged with the act of using magic! Nobody but me is allowed to use magic and by order of me I sentence you to a life of misery chained to a rocky cliff indefinitely".  And with that the guards swarm in and arrest Prometheus.

They drag him up atop a cliff by Zeus's castle and chain him there by his fetlocks so he may not strike the earth and make fire. He lives like that many moons and wonders how someone could possibly be so cruel. Every day Zeus has ordered the young Pandora to deliver him only enough food and water to get by.

            Every day Pandora comes and every day she feels worse and worse. How would she ever help this poor colt break free. Suddenly an idea comes to her mind what if she takes a rock and places it in a box then he may ignite the rock and escape?

    The next day with his breakfast she delivers the rock in a box just as she had planned. Prometheus had no idea what was inside the box but decides to push it slightly which causes the lid to open a bit. And From the box a glimmer came. He knew whatever was in it would be enough to vanquish these chains that bound him as well as the evil being who had banished him here.  He further pushes the lid off the box and what he sees is a magnificent white stone. He now knows just what to do he will strike the stone with his hooves and ignite the chain that binds him. Then he will go to Zeus and vanquish him once and for all.

    He does these things and with that he is the savior of the village.

                                             The End

Zeus

Zeus was the youngest child of the Titans Kronos and Rheia. Kronos devoured each of his children as they were born so they wouldn’t challenge him for his thrown. Zeus escaped this fate when his mother spirited him away, handing the Titan a stone substitute wrapped in swaddling cloth.

The god was raised in secrecy on Mount Dikte in Krete where he was nursed by nymphs on the milk of the goat Amaltheia and guarded by the warrior Kouretes who drowned out the sound of his crying with their shield-clashing battle-dance. Upon coming of age Zeus recruited the goddess Metis to his cause. She served the Titan Kronos a magical draught which caused him to disgorge the young gods he had devoured.

Zeus liberated the six giant-sons of Heaven from the pit of Tartaros. In gratitude the Cyclopes armed him with lightning-bolts and the Hundred-Handed aided him in his assault on the Titanes with volleys of thrown boulders. Kronos and his allies were eventually defeated and banished to a prison beneath the earth.

After the fall of the Titan-gods, Zeus and his brothers drew lots to divide rule of the cosmos - Zeus won the heavens, Poseidon the sea and Haides the underworld. Zeus devoured the pregnant goddess Metis when an oracle revealed that her son was destined to replace him as King of the Gods. Their child, Athena, was subsequently born in his belly and birthed directly from his head.

Zeus married his sister Hera, queen of the heavens, after seducing her in the guise of a cuckoo-bird. But this union of ever quarreling sky-god and sky-goddess proved not to be a match made in heaven!

Prometheus crafted the race of man and gave them fire stolen from the gods of heaven. Zeus punished this act by ordering the creation of the first woman, Pandora, and sent her to earth with a vessel full of troubles to plague mankind. Prometheus himself was arrested and chained to a mountain with an eagle set to torment him.

The early generations of man descended into wickedness and corruption and Zeus decided to wipe them from the face of the earth with a great deluge. One virtuous couple, Deukalion and Pyrrha, were spared and afterwards allowed to repopulate the world with the casting of stones which transformed into men.

The earth-goddess Gaia, angered by the imprisonment of the Titanes, urged the Giants to rise up against the gods of Olympos. They laid siege to the heavenly fortress but Zeus laid low their king and many others with his deadly lightning-bolts.

Gaia produced one more giant, Typhoeus, the most monstrous of his kind and set him upon Olympos. The rest of the gods fled in horror and Zeus himself was defeated in combat with the monster tearing the sinews from his limbs rendering him helpless. Pan later stole back the god's strength and Zeus defeated the giant in a rematch and bound him beneath Mount Etna.

Zeus seduced many mortal woman including Leda in the guise of a swan, Europa as a bull, Danae as a shower of gold, Alkmene as her own husband, Kallisto as the goddess Artemis, and Antiope as a satyr. Zeus punished the worst villians of myth for their impiety and crimes against the gods.

The Tale of Maugris

Long, long ago, in a  world before there were mere mortals; Mages, Elves and many other mystical creatures lived in peaceful harmony. 

For centuries, the mages and elves lived and worked among one another, building magical cities, and aiding the growth of the land making it prosperous and beautiful. They were in fact considered to be the closest of friends.

The peacefulness, as magical as it seemed, all came to a dreary end when a mage by the name of Atlantes, became consumed with his power and began to see elves as being lowly beings that did not deserve to live among the mages.

Atlantes was pronounced the king by those who began to follow in his lunatic notions and war soon followed. Mages and Elves that once were the closest and dearest of friends, began fighting amongst one another. The elves, with their peaceful nature, did not want to see the world that had built become a dead-land and soon began to leave the cities that they helped build. This time was from then on known as the Great Division. 

Atlantes power continued to consume his mind and he began sending soldiers to collect all of the different creatures that lived in his lands for his own personal gain. He believed that he could control all things, and with the control would come more power.

Among the many creatures the king was capturing, were the most unique creatures of all. They were horse like animals with horns on their heads, and with these horns came their own great powers! The king was in awe at such beauty and power that he proclaimed them sacred creatures of the kingdom. These creatures were soon known as Unicorns!

In the beginning Atlantes was careful and used his powers to heal and replenish the lands that he was destroying, but over the years he became blind to the results of his destruction. As the years went on from the time of the Great Division, the lands became more barren and more desolate.

On a blistery cold night, one of the kingdom’s most sacred unicorns, had a colt that was like no other unicorn the king had ever seen before. Where all of the other unicorns were white or grey with white horns, this colt was born black with a golden horn. The king named this magnificent colt Maugris!

From the time Maugris was very young, he showed signs of having greater powers than the king had ever seen in another unicorn and that began to scare the king. With the slightest touch of his horn, Maugris was able to heal dying grass, plants, and even trees back to their flourishing nature. When the Atlantes saw that Maugris had these kind of powers, he forbid them from ever being used, in fear that this would show the lands that he was not the most powerful being.  

Maugris, as all young unicorns are, became very curious of what he was fully capable of. With his sire, Bayard, being the king’s personal unicorn that he rode into battle, Maugris knew that the only way he could be his true self, would be to one day leave the kingdom. You see, he was not like the other unicorns and did not understand why they remained within the kingdom and under Atlantes rule, when he was consumed with power and was destroying all the lands. 

Maugris began to sneak far outside of the walls of the kingdom at night to practice his magic, and soon learned just how much he was capable of. With each night of practice, his powers became stronger and stronger, and soon, he had a small forest full of vegetation and re-growth that he had created. It was at that moment that he knew he could no longer stay within the walls of the kingdom and be forbidden to use his magic for the good it could do.

On one of his nightly outings, he ventured further from the kingdom than he ever had before. There was something in the air that called to him, and who was he to ignore the calling? After traveling many miles and into the next morning, he began to see what appeared to be a lush forrest, but how could that be when Atlantes and his men had destroyed all of the lands?

As he got closer, he couldn’t believe his eyes and he began to gallop for he had to be certain that what he was seeing was not a mirage. What lay in front of him, was the most spectacular forest he had ever seen. The grass was nearly as tall as his under belly, the tress were so tall he could not see the tops, and there were flowers everywhere. 

As he began to wander through the forest in pure amazement, he heard something in the near distance that caught his curiosity. He started to follow the sounds and it led him to a running stream. He had heard stories of streams growing up, but had never seen one as they had all dried up along with everything else under Atlantes reign. 

As he was resting and enjoying the serenity of the beautiful place he had stumbled on, across the stream he saw the most stunning mare he had ever laid eyes upon. Sure she was white, like the others in the kingdom, but she was so much more. She had purple highlights in her mane and tail, flowers were somehow intwined within her hair, and she had a golden horn as he did. He was completely in awe and couldn’t help but to stare. 

It felt like an eternity before she noticed him across the stream, even though he started to make a little ruckus hoping to catch her attention, without being to obvious of course. When she finally noticed him, she gave him a sly smile, and began to walk away into the forest. Without knowing what he was doing, he leaped across the stream and went after her. When he caught up to her, she simply looked over at him, with another one of those smiles, and continued to walk in silence. He began to speak, and then realized that he was enjoying this silent company too much to ruin the moment with simple words. 

As they walked, he began to notice that she was observing and tending to the forest as they walked. She also had healing powers just as he did! For a moment he just stopped walking and watched her work her magic. it must have been she, who had created this incredible forest and all of its wonders. She turned when she noticed he was just watching her, and finally spoke. “If you think this is something, you should really come see the rest”, she gave him one of her signature smiles and continued to walk once again. 

He started to follow her, and then realized how long he had been gone from the kingdom, and started to call after her to say his goodbyes. He knew his father would be furious and not understand why he had left the kingdom in the first place, but there was something that called him to this place, and to her. He had been telling himself he would leave the kingdom hadn’t he? What was there really to go back to? 

It was in that moment that Maugris made up his mind that he would never return to the kingdom and would remain here, if she would allow him to. He had to trot to catch up to her, and once he had, he realized just how relaxing it was being in her company, with no words needing to be spoken. With her taking time along the way, to tend to the forest, it was a couple hours and early afternoon, before he saw they were coming to a clearing in the forest. 

As they approached the clearing she stopped and looked over at him with one of her smiles, thinking to herself just how handsome he was. He was young, as she was, yet there was a maturity in him that she didn’t quite understand. He held himself in a very proper manor, and wasn’t trying to make a fool of himself to get her attention. He seemed content just being in her company and not looking for more; for the time being. All of the other colts growing up had made such fools of themselves trying to win her affection and attention that she had given up hope of ever finding someone who truly understood her and she had become a loner, but here he was. And it was then that she realized, she didn’t know who “he” was, or where he came from, but when she saw him across the stream, she knew he belonged here. 

Maugris stood at the opening to the clearing just staring in awe. Before him, was the most beautiful village he had ever seen, or for that matter dreamt of. There were homes and shops scattered through out the clearing all mixed in with grass, flowers, and a running stream right through the middle of the town. Wandering through the village were what he could only believe were the creatures he had learned as a child, known as elves. 

Maugris looked over at his new friend, smiled and then said “this is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen”. She smiled back, and replied with “it truly is beautiful, isn’t it?” He decided it was time that he learned her name, and started by taking a step towards her and introducing himself “I’m Maugris, son of Bayard”. 

Taken by surprise at his sudden step towards her, she realized they were closer than they had been the entire day, and it was there again, and stronger, the same pull as earlier as if she were right where she was meant to be, with him. “I’m Marlowe”. 

She found it a little strange that he introduced himself as son of Bayard. Who did that, and what did it mean? She knew that when someone mentioned their father, the person was in a high position, but how could he be in a high position, when people of high positions were from the kingdom, and nobody ever left the kingdom, did they? She considered that it would be rude to ask him, but then decided that since she showed him her world, he could at least provide her with that much.

“Son of Bayard?” she asked. “What are you, some kind of a soldier?” Although they were many miles from the kingdom, and it had been years since the last battle, she knew of them, and the devastation that followed.

Now it was Maugris’ turn to give a sly smile, “not quite” he replied, “I’m more of a prince.” 

Of course! thought Marlowe. She knew the name Bayard sounded familiar but she could not place it until now. She had heard the stories of the king’s stallion, whom was fearless in battle, and would charge into the most dangerous situations without a second thought. And wasn’t it just her luck to have stumbled upon his son. 

“What is a prince doing all the way out here, so far from the beloved kingdom?” Marlowe asked.

“I never belonged there, not really” Maugris stated, “I knew I was going to leave that place, and find where I did belong someday, I just never knew where that place would be, or when, until today”. He looked over at her with nothing but pure sincerity, “I felt as if I was being pulled here by some unknown force, to be right here, next to you, in this amazing paradise”.

Marlowe wanted to be stunned by his response, but how could she be, when she herself had felt that same exact pull, and that’s exactly what drew her so far from the village and to that part of the stream that morning. She decided honestly was the best way to begin any new friendship, or more perhaps one day, so she looked over at him and simply said “I know exactly how you feel, I felt the same calling this morning when I saw you across the stream. Welcome home Maugris”. 

Faster than either of them could have imagined, Maugris and Marlowe fell in love, and were the happiest either one of them had been in years. They lived along side of the elves as friends, and would venture far distances to help create new forests and heal the lands. Allowing for the first time, in a great long time, for other elf villages to once again exist without fear of Atlantes and his power, and be prosperous. It was a time of new beginnings.

The End

Gwendolyn

Gwendolyn was a very unique unicorn, that also happened to be the princess. Some would consider her to be a liver chestnut in color, while others simply stated that she was like no color they had ever seen before. She was a distinct color of brown mixed with red and four white socks and a blaze that ran down the full length of her face. He father always said she looked so much like her mother, but Gwendolyn never had the chance to get to know her. Her mother had passed shortly after giving birth and her father, the king, raised her on his own. 

Although Gwendolyn was a princess, she never felt as such. She hated the feeling of the whole kingdom having its eyes on her and watching every move she made. She was the happiest out in the woods, away from all responsibilities and crowds. Where she was free to run as fast as her legs would carry her without a trouble or worry in the world. But this was not the case as of late.

As her birthday was fast approaching, her father decided it was past time to find the perfect stallion to match her up with. No matter how much Gwendolyn told and begged her father to let her just be herself, he wouldn’t listen, “it is important that our lineage continue”, he would always state simply.

Her heart however was not so simple. Gwendolyn wanted to find a true love, where she would be happy, and where she could be herself, not the stuck up heiress that everyone expects from a princess, who one day will become queen. The thought alone made Gwendolyn shiver. She didn’t need anyone and was perfectly content being on her own. 

In their kingdom, there are two different regions; one of which was always in the state of late fall and early frosted winter, while her own was always in the transition from spring to summer. Of course with the different seasons always touching one another, they required the gifted unicorns, such as herself, to patrol the boarders, and maintain the season within its region. Of course the kingdom had specialized soldiers for this work, but Gwendolyn always insisted she complete a section herself.

Gwendolyn has a warming touch when she touches her horn to the earth, that would thaw even the hardest of frosts to help new growth emerge with strength. This is one of the reasons her father has felt secure in naming her the heir to his throne. She is kind, gentle, and has such strength within.That is why today, the morning of the Showcase of the Suitors, that she was out in the woods trying to convince herself this is what is best for everyone. 

Walking along lost in her thoughts while thawing the last of the frost within their region, she was suddenly jolted back to reality when she heard hooves thundering in the near distance. Where most horses would be timid and worried at the sound of thundering hooves, it excited Gwendolyn. 

She started moving closer to the region border and the thundering hooves, and what she saw next took her breath away. Galloping down the path at full speed with a plume of kicked up snow behind him was the most beautiful stallion Gwendolyn had ever laid eyes upon. He was a stele grey in color with white dapples covering his body, a silver horn, and a mane that was flowing in the wind as if it had a mind of its own. 

She was in such awe of what she was seeing that she stood there like a fool just watching him get closer and closer. It wasn’t until he was about 20 yards from her that she noticed he had slowed down to a trot and was making direct eye contact with her. Under his gaze she began to get a little fidgety and began wondering if she should turn and run back to the kingdom as fast as she could. After all, it was starting to get near the afternoon, and her father had asked her not to be too long. 

With his eyes piercing into what seemed her soul, she was unable to get her feet to move, even though she was telling them to. She wasn’t afraid of this stranger, which was odd at how powerful he was and the stare that he continued to hold, but rather she felt drawn to him. 

“Hello there” the stranger said with a smile on his face, but Gwendolyn was frozen in what seemed like a trance and couldn’t get her lips to move to respond. 

The stranger tried again, “I haven’t seen you around here before, what’s your name?”

Finally she was able to shake the trance and speak at last, “Aspen” she replied in a lie, not wanting to reveal too much as her father has always warned her about strangers.

“Aspen”, the stranger repeated, “that’s a nice name”, “and what brings you all the way out here….Aspen?”

The pause did not go without her notice, and she thought he already knew she was lying. Not wanting to give too much away, but also without any prior preparation for a situation like this, she decided she could be more truthful, without giving too much away,  “Just trying to clear my mind” Gwendolyn responded.

“But I really must get going now”. She began to turn away when he suddenly stepped in daringly close to her. As he did, a strange breeze seemed to pick up ruffling their manes as they were all of a sudden encompassed with a large cloud of swirling snow. The snow was not landing on either of them, but was more of a snow globe effect just blowing around them, separating them from the rest of the world.

“When can I see you again? The stranger asked, and Gwendolyn, for the second time today, found herself breathless. 

“I don’t think that is going to happen, I will be betrothed by the end of tonight.” 

As soon as the words left her lips, she knew it was a mistake, she had just given everything away.

“Betrothed?” replied the stranger seeming nearly insulted, “Isn’t that a word that is used for royalty?”

“I really must be on my way, it was a pleasure to meet you……..”

The silent question hung in the air for what seemed like an eternity, before the stranger finally replied simply with “Valiant.”

With that he turned and took off again at a gallop and soon disappeared into the forest.

Gwendolyn stood there for a moment just trying to catch her breath again. How could someone who just walked into her life, have that much power over her? 

She began walking back to the kingdom, and the entire way, her mind was on a silver stallion with eyes that held so much promise. She knew she had to clear her mind, and be everything her father needs her to be for tonight, so she tried fiercely to put this silver stranger out of her mind, though she knew it was going to be of little use.

When she got back to the kingdom the time went by in a blur and before she knew it, she was getting ready to walk through the archway into the Showcase of the Suitors, and took a deep breath to try to help calm her nerves. She knew it was hopeless, but told herself that it was possible Valiant would be here tonight, and would be presented as a suitor for her. She knew it sounded crazy, and she had just met him for a brief moment in the woods, but what she felt being in his presence was unlike anything she had ever felt before.

It wasn’t long from the time she entered the room that all of those who believed they were worthy began introducing themselves to Gwendolyn and her father as potential suitors. She was trying to have an open mind, and trying to appease her father’s wishes, but how could she spend the rest of her life with any of these stallions when she felt absolutely nothing at all?

As the last of the suitors made his leave, the door at the back of the room opened and in walked a herd of magnificent horses. With each step they took, frost was left on the floor. Gwendolyn did not have to look up to feel his presence in the room, she knew in that moment that her silver stranger had come. But what she didn’t know, is why he was there, and she soon began to scan the herd to look for him. He was walking in the middle of the herd, with guards on all sides of him, but she could see him clearly as he stood at least 2 hands taller than any of the soldiers. 

The herd stopped and spread apart so he could pass through and approach the king. He walked with purpose and without any hesitation as all eyes on the kingdom were on him, towards the front of the room, and to her. He knew from the moment he saw her standing in the woods, the she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He had always made fun of those who said there was such a thing as love at first sight, but today, he found out first hand, that such a thing truly exists. 

“Your Majesty”, He took a bow and and then stood tall making direct eye contact with the king. Showing that he was worthy of his daughter, and he was strong, unlike the other “suitors” that had been presented. “My name is Valiant, Prince of the Northern region, and I would like to ask permission to take…….Gwen…., as my wife. I will honor and cherish her, and we will lead the kingdom with kindness and understanding, as I know your family has done for many generations.”

Gwendolyn was once again speechless and couldn’t believe what she had just heard. He’s the prince of the Northern region, how could she not have known when she saw him in the woods today?

Her father simply smiled and looked over at his daughter, “The choice is yours my dear.”

With that, Gwendolyn just nodded and moved forward to be close to Valiant, to feel that power and purpose that she felt earlier. As soon as she was near him, the snow and clouds began to swirl again.

It was that moment that Gwen knew she had found her one true love and they lived happily ever after 

The End

Longing

Before the war, he had a home. Before the war, he had parents and a sister and friends, most importantly, his best friend Steve. He had a life. After Azzano, after he’s captured, he spends decades being told to forget them, to forget his former life and become a soldier. It’s for the greater good, he’s told, he can save the world. Except he’s on the wrong side of it, even if he doesn’t know it. His enemies have become his friends, and even if he could long for the life he used to have, he doesn’t know he should.

Rusted

On March 10th, he turns 101 years old. And while the years show in how he’s outlived all his family and friends – save for one – no one knows it by looking at him. He looks young, robust, not a day over thirty, and if it weren’t for the metal arm he carries, the cool, calculated way he approaches life, no one would know he’s different. He’s been kept new, kept shiny and fresh, for centuries, and all thanks to those he once used to hate. Hydra lever lets him rust, and even though he hates them, he knows without them he wouldn’t be here.

Furnace

He gets brief flashes of memory to his time with Hydra. Most of it’s all a blank – stretches of time when he was in cryostasis, in the empty darkness remembering nothing and seeing nothing. Some used to think you’d dream in cryo sleep, but the Soldier doesn’t. He remembers nothing. Nothing, save for the flames turning hot metal a burning red, shaping to become something he’d lost in his fall. There’s a bright red star on the shoulder – a mark of his ownership, and it reminds him every time he looks down. The flames gave the Soldier a weapon, and the makers tell him how to use it.

Daybreak

Getting away from Hydra feels like a second chance, like being reborn into a new world, a new person. He’s still the Soldier, but he gets choices now – where to go, what to do, what big metropolis in Romania to squat until his memories stop jumbling together and become something he can think through. It’s a breath of fresh air, to be in control of himself for the first time since before the war. And he never wants it to end.

Seventeen

March 10, 1917.

Benign

Although the Soldier has done many things in his life, his biggest legacies are maybe the stretches of time in which he does nothing. While the world ages around him, the Soldier stays static. He doesn’t age, doesn’t think, doesn’t move. Cryo lets the world change, while the Soldier stays the same. Some might call it a miracle, to be born before the roaring twenties, and make it to the next century without age wreaking havoc. But it’s not a miracle to the Soldier, it’s a curse.

Nine

For most of his life, the Soldier knows he belongs to Hydra. Hydra tells him where to go and who to confront, what to do and how to do it. He’s mindless, a drone, doing as he’s told because there’s nothing else he can do. He can’t fight back, doesn’t know he’s supposed to want to. All he knows is that there are nine heads of Hydra, and someone’s always watching. And even if he tries to eliminate one, another two will just replace it.

Homecoming

The Soldier doesn’t realize, at first, where he knows that face from. Something about him seems familiar, makes him think of days spent running around Brooklyn chasing after something – or someone. Even a few well-placed punches don’t make him remember, and it’s only when he hears the words – I’m with you ‘til the end of the line – that he knows. And suddenly, he’s home.

One

He’s not the only Winter Soldier, but he is the first. The program was conducted in secret, hidden in the walls of reputable scientists and, later, S.H.I.E.L.D. itself. It continued after the Soldier is made, dozens of projects filling Hydra’s ranks. But he was the first.

Freight Car

As the memories come back to him, slowly and one by one, there’s one memory that makes him stop and fall the day it arrives. It’s the face of his friend, his Steve, reaching out with a hand to pull him back onto the train. But he doesn’t make it, can’t reach out in time to take his arm. And it’s that fall that sends him ricocheting into Hydra’s waiting arms, changing the projector of his life forever.