The Broken Ones
After suffering horrific abuse at the hands of his foster mum, Billy Higgs finally finds peace with his adopted parents. Margaret and Walter Dawson own a ranch in Montana and have nursed Billy through the worst of his trauma. At the Dawson ranch Billy is introduced to a genuine wild mustang called Ronin, a lifelong friendship and love of horses is born. With his past seemingly behind him Billy enrols in college, meets and falls in love with Samantha. Tragedy befalls him again and Billy’s insecurities and fears are brought to the surface. He moves back home to the ranch and buries his heartache working the land and training horses. Fifteen years pass and Billy is now a well known and respected horseman with a natural gift for working with troubled souls. In a chance meeting with an old friend Billy’s life is set on a new path with a new outlook which takes him to the highlands of Scotland. This is a story of loss, redemption and love which will lead you on an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.
Fisher King Publishing Ltd.
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FIRST CHAPTER
The Broken Ones
Part One
Chapter One
The dun mare has been in labour for ten hours, having gone off on her own, away from the main herd, to have her foal. Now, in the final stages of conceiving, she paws at the ground frantically in discomfort. The foal’s head begins to appear, with a last hard push the amniotic sack, containing the new life, falls to the ground with a heavy thud.
The mare immediately begins consuming the protective cocoon, whilst licking her offspring to life. Like a moth emerging from its chrysalis, the young horse finds the strength to push himself up onto his back legs, all the time being encouraged by the mare. He stumbled around for thirty minutes, eventually getting onto all fours, albeit gingerly. His mother encourages him to take his first milk, nuzzling around with his mouth he connects with her teat and eagerly consumes the colostrum which is essential to his wellbeing. As he suckles, the mare continually nuzzles him, forcing the precious milk to flow even faster.
In the morning they return to the herd, his mother keeps him safe, she chases off the older colts that come too close while seeking the comfort of her sisters and other mares. They are a fifteen-strong mix of mares, young colts and stallion, who’s main function is to protect the herd and reproduce. The one in overall charge is usually an older mare, the matriarch, she is the one who knows where the best grazing is, at any time of the year, along with the water sources and mineral deposits. Luckily for the young colt, his mother is that lead mare, she commands respect from the others, even the stallion.
The weeks and months passed, the foal grows stronger, he learns his place in the herd. It is a confusing time for the youngster who up until this point has done whatever he pleased regardless of the consequences. Now he would spend more time with the other young colts, where their play-fighting will hone the skills needed for them to survive in the years to come.
In spring, the bigger herds would move into the area and can disrupt a small herd’s dynamic. The stronger invading stallions will drive out the male colts, dethroning the lead stallion and take his hareem. There is of course the constant threat of predators such as: bears, mountain lions and even wolves in some parts, always on the lookout for an easy meal.
At this time of year resources are plentiful, life is generally peaceful, sometimes, at night, the herd would hear strange sounds off in the distance; the screeching of a coyote or a noise like a sharp clap of thunderstorm in the distance. They would move off, to put some distance between themselves and the worrying sounds.
Spring rolls into summer, all the time the young colt was learning how to stay safe in his environment, while becoming more independent. His mother, now in foal, still looks after him when he needs comfort. Their range, at this time of year, is the high prairie, although hot, there is plenty of grazing and water which sometimes they share with the herds of bison that passed through.
After one particularly humid day, they spend the night on a high hill overlooking the vast prairie below. A weather front comes in from the west, large thunderheads at its leading edge. The storm is massive: wave after wave of thunderclaps followed by sky-splitting bolts of lightning. The horses are on edge, they stayed together. Crack! A bolt of lightning splits the herd, it sends them down to the prairie in panic.
In the morning, something in the air smells different, the colt follows a scent trail until he finds its source, his dead mother’s corpse. Her body lies bloating in the morning sun, the victim of a lightning strike. He nuzzles her body, eventually nature takes over telling him to move on.
Not long after, the colt is pushed out of the herd, left to fend for himself in the harsh, unforgiving Wyoming wilderness.