The Wolf in the Forest

 by Gabby K.

Andi Carter races to an open field. “TAFFY?!” She calls to her palomino.

A shrill whinny echoes through the chilling wind, sending chills down Andi's spine. “Oh no..” She thinks as she runs to a corner of the field. “Taffy! Are you okay, girl?” She calls.

Another cry for help screams to Andi.

“Taffy! I’m coming!” Andi dashes toward the direction of the woods, the screams getting louder. “Taffy!” She yells in dismay, finding her loveable horse laying in a pile of leaves. Scratches and cuts ran along her legs, stopping at her shoulder. “Oh, Taffy! What happened?! I turn my back for a second and you run away! Why?” Andi says, knowing her horse couldn’t answer.

Just then, growling erupts in the air. Andi scoots backward. The growls grow louder as a big, grey wolf emerges from behind a stand of grass. “Shoo! Get!” Andi cries, flailing her arms about. The wolf draws nearer, snarling and biting at the air as he sets his eyes on Taffy.

Andi stands up and runs into the path of the wolf, stretching her arms out to block Taffy from view. “No! Leave Taffy alone!” She yells.

Taffy nickers and struggles to stand up, a hoof that had gotten badly bruised keeping her down. She rolls onto her belly and sets her front legs in front of her.

The wolf jumps up and bites Andi on the leg. “Ow!” She screams, kicking at the wolf with her good leg. She reaches for a stick and swats at the wolf with it, hitting it on its muzzle.

It yelps and backs away a bit, still growling.

Andi swats at it again, this time hitting it on its chest. The wolf whines and runs away, not looking back. Then Andi turns around. “Good girl!” She says as Taffy rises to her feet. “Looks like we both got hurt, let’s go back. I’m sure Mom can help!”

With that, Andi and Taffy limp towards home, not noticing the grey clouds gathering above. A snowflake lands on Andi's nose and she shivers. “Uh oh! It’s snowing! How will we get back without freezing?”

In less than half an hour, snow covers the ground. The thick, packing kind that’s perfect to build snowmen and women in. But Andi doesn’t want to build a snowman, she wants to get home.

Taffy shakes her mane, snow flying everywhere.

Andi shields her face and shivers. “Let's hurry up now, girl.” She whispers.

Taffy nickers and starts trotting.

“Don’t!” Andi cries, spooking Taffy.

Taffy stops abruptly and stares at Andi, the whites of her eyes showing. She sidesteps.

“Sorry, Taffy! I meant to say ‘Don’t trot!’ because else it would hurt your hoof even more!” Taffy relaxes and walks up to Andi and they continue their long trek toward home.

Andi comes across a particular spot. It has more snow than any surrounding area. Andi decides to cross it and grabs a hold of Taffy's halter. She tugs and asks Taffy to walk. Taffy backs away and shakes her head in an attempt to rid herself of the halter. Andi gives up and steps onto the extra-snowy spot. She takes another step. “See, Taffy? It’s perfectly safe!”

Andi walks for a while until she hears a strange cracking noise. “Ice!” Andi thinks. Then a huge crack splits the ice underneath Andi and the freezing cold water swallows her up. Andi plunges under, the cold embracing around her. She screams, but it comes out in huge bubbles.

Andi quickly swims up and manages to get a big gulp of air before she starts sinking again. Andi's eyes blink rapidly and she can't hold her breath any longer. She lets out all the air stored inside her lungs, and for a second she feels relief. But soon the longing of air comes rushing to her and she breathes in huge amounts of water before passing out.

Taffy whinnies and steps back and forth nervously. Then she hears the sound of hooves clomping down on hard snow. A horse and rider appear from the other side of the lake. The girl rider dismounts and notices the open space where Andi fell. With a swing of her black hair, she runs to the spot and dives under.

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Andi wakes up to a soft something brushing against her freezing cheek. She opens her eyes quickly and sits up. “Where am I?!” She asks. Then the events of the hour before come back to her.

“Thank goodness you’re alive!” A voice says, interrupting Andi's thoughts. “Oh, but don’t sit up just yet! You took a big blow to your head!”

Andi lays back down and looks up at the black-haired girl. She has black, straight hair with hazel eyes. She’s wearing a run-down jumper with a tan long-sleeve shirt underneath. And she’s barefoot. “Wh-who are you?” Andi asks.

The girl smiles. “I am Gabby Woodlark! Your horse is very pretty, what’s her name?”

Andi looks over at Taffy. “Her name is Taffy. Do you have a horse, Gabby?”

 Gabby nods and points to a bay mare staring at the girls. “Taffy is a pretty name. My horse is over there! Her name is Autumn. She's an Arabian mix!”

Andi groans and rubs her head with her hand. “Ow… why does my head hurt?”

Gabby takes a cold, wet rag and places it under the back of Andi's head. “When I was bringing you out of the water, you hit your head on a chunk of ice.”

Andi blinks. “What happened out there?”

Gabby finishes finding rocks and dead twigs for a fire. “Well, I heard Taffy neigh. And I knew something was wrong. You see, I come here every day, and I've never seen a single horse except for Autumn. I live by myself. I was abandoned by my parents because they don't like Indians, and that's what I look like. So they dumped me here with Autumn. She was just a yearling then. Anyway, I came to check it out and saw Taffy. So I got down and then I saw the hole in the ice. I dived in and found you. You were still underwater. So I pulled you out and you bonked your head. Then I dragged you over here. Boy, what happened to your leg?”

Andi closes her eyes. “A wolf attacked me and Taffy. Taffy has a bruised hoof, and I got bitten. Oh, I really need to get home.”

Gabby stops her from trying to sit up again. “We will worry about getting you home later. Right now we need to worry about keeping you alive. You got frost bite. I will build a fire.”

Andi's eyes close and she drifts off into a deep slumber.

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      “Wake up, sleepy head!”

Andi opens her eyes and finds Gabby standing over her. “What?”

Gabby helps Andi up and puts on Autumn's bridle. “I said wake up! We are going to your home today!”

Andi wriggles the sleepy-ness out of her hands and walks over to Autumn. “So we’re riding buddy?”

Gabby nods. “Yep! Climb on!”

Andi slings her leg over Autumn's back and holds on to Gabby. They start trotting toward home, Taffy following close behind. “How is Taffy?”

Gabby turns Autumn to the right. “Her hoof is much better. The bruise has gone away, and there is no more pain. So where's your house?”

Andi points straight. “Right up a head. If we go for other 3 miles we have to then turn to the left and keep going until we reach my ranch.”

Gabby nods. “Okay, but I cannot come with you to your ranch. I was abandoned for a reason. Nobody likes Indians. So why will they like me? I am sorry but I have to stay away.”

Andi is almost about to protest when she stops herself. “Okay. I understand. Thank you for saving me and Taffy!”

Gabby smiles. “You're very welcome. And thanks for understanding!”

For the rest of the three miles, the girls don’t say a word. Then a mile before they come in sight of the ranch, Gabby stops Autumn. “I am afraid this is where we say goodbye. Bye… oh dear, you never told me your name!”

Andi climbs off. “Oh, I am Andi, or Andrea! I'm glad we were friends! Bye! I will miss you!” Andi says as she grabs Taffy's halter.

Gabby and Andi wave goodbye and Gabby gallops off.