Raven: Stallion of the North - PART 1

by Evangeline
(Anchorage, Alaska)

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED TO JACK, THE REAL RAVEN.

The day I was born it was like the sun was taken out of view,or so my mother said. She had wanted a filly, but got a colt, and one as black as the Northern nights, at that. So she named me after the dark, sly bird: Raven.

My mother always looked down on me, always wasting milk on the other foals when their mothers could not give any. But from me no complaint was heard, for i knew that if i wanted to be a leader like my sire i would have to face many hard things.

A YEAR LATER

Now that I was 2 I was supposed to be learning ways to survive from my mother, but had to eavesdrop on others lessons. I was much disliked, for my coloring worried most, and my name confirmed their fears. I was, as the elders said, a bad omen, as sly and dark as my name sake. The other foals feared me. Except for one .A brave, light bay filly named Birch. She was my playmate and a special friend. But her mother did not approve of her daughter's "friend", and we were separated.

2 YEARS LATER

Then came winter and since I was 4 and able to handle a small group, my sire banished me from the herd. For weeks and weeks and weeks I lived off of bark and dry grass. And then one day i saw a group of I think was bachelors and I decided to join them.

2 WEEKS LATER

I am making many friends in the bachelor group. There is:

Looking Glass, Polar, Fox, and my one enemy - Thor.

MONTHS LATER

Thor has vanished. I wonder were he went? Will we meet again one day?

FIND OUT IN PART 2!!!!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

EVANGELINE IS 10 AND 3/4, LIVES IN ANCHORAGE ALASKA AND IS COMPLETELY HORSE MAD. SHE IS A TOTAL BOOKWORM AND LOVES THE NORTH. WHAT GAVE HER THE IDEA FOR THIS STORY WAS WHEN SHE LIVED IN DUTCH HARBOR AND THERE WAS ALWAYS A BAND OF WILD HORSES. SHE AND HER FAMILY WOULD TAKE TREATS TO THE HORSES.

(I'll try to get in a picture of that on part 2!)

Raven: Stallion of the north - Part 2

by Evangeline
(Anchorage AK)

This is dedicated to Ezet: the real Birch.

Fox was excited about something, he was neighing to wake the dead. I looked up. A feeling of awe passed over me. The sky was alight with the aurora. The lights in which some said the spirits of horses passed on danced within. It was beautiful.

A COUPLE DAYS LATER...

One day as the sun was casting russet shadows over the sky we were grazing in a field surrounded by brush. Then I heard it. The sound of light hoof beats. Only one horse's, and too light to be males.

And... Birch burst out of the tall aspens. Birch! I welcomed her with whinnies. Then behind her out burst Thor. THOR. He had Birch! I felt anger boiling up inside.

First, he steals from my father, the strongest stallion I have heard of, then takes Birch against her will, and now comes to mock me of it. Wait. He was signaling (another mare?) to hurry up. And a few seconds later__________ burst in.

FIND OUT WHO IN PART 3!!!!!!!!

Raven: Stallion of the north - PART 3

by Evangeline
(Anchorage, Alaska)

MY MOTHER

***********************THE BATTLE******************


That was the last straw. I shrieked and reared, challenging him to a battle. He accepted. My mother and Birch snorted, cheering me on. I lunged. Struck flesh! The wound bled openly.

He reared and started towards my neck. I was too fast, I pulled up into a rear. WHAT?! He was behind me! I tried to buck... he stopped me by biting my rump and I whirled around and blindly thrashed him with my hooves.

He wasn't bleeding anywhere but his eyes looked strangely crimson and evil. He screamed and lunged at me but swerved at a spot about 2 feet away. I stood aghast. His crimson eyes were not just a trick of light! I had damaged his right eye!

I suddenly had an idea.

FIND OUT THE IDEA IN PART 4!!!!!!!
(I AM FINDING IT FUN TO HAVE YOU GUYS ON THE EDGES OF YOUR SEATS!)

Raven: Wild Stallion of the north - PART 4

by Evangeline
(Anchorage, Alaska)

***********************THE BATTLE***********************
(CONTINUED)

THOR DIES:

There was a lake, not far from here. I will damage his legs, I thought. So I reared as high as I could....BLAM! And I came crashing down on his legs.

One mother had once told her child that that would strain another stallion's legs, not breaking them but making almost impossible to swim. He screamed but because of his stubborn nature he still chased me.

I galloped over the field. Through trees, their branches scraped my coat, but I did not care. Soon, soon I would have my revenge. Yes! I could see the lake now! Thor did not see anything, just my attempt to escape with his good left eye. The lake was on his right so he couldn't see it.

I PLUNGED into the icy water with Thor just a tail's length behind me. I swam as quickly as I could (for horses cannot swim very fast) towards the middle, keeping my head above the churning water. I turned in the middle. Thor's head was still above water but it was clear that he was struggling.

I swam to the muddy bank. Thor was near the middle now. His head was going under water... I scrambled up the bank and galloped across the field, to mother... to Birch! Leaving Thor's piercing screams behind me...

The foal was a filly. Mother loved her like her own even though she was only the grandmother. Birch spent time teaching her and being my lead mare as those days after Thor was gone stretched into weeks, months, years and decades.

LIFE WAS GOOD.