A SOLDIERS FRIEND INDEED

He is a mustang! He is a stallion! He is a soldier, black with mottled white at his rear. He is powerful, yet gentle as a lamb.  With a whistle he stands at complete attention and focus’s himself upon you.  He holds his head with honor, for he has endured the battle.  His majestic head projects the victory; proud, full of strength, yet weary from pain.  Shrapnel that had sprayed his hind-quarters now seeped blood making it difficult for him to remain at attention.  Yet he did just that. A flag of red, white and blue draped over his back, was soaked in his blood. His leather bridle and reins were shredded and barely hanging from his head. His rider, who long since had fallen to the ground, looked up from afar and whistled for his return. 

 It took all of the mustang’s last strength to lope across the battleground to the rider who was calling him.  He slowed as he got closer, carefully stepping over the many broken bodies that lay motionless on the ground. He stopped at each soldier, smelling for any life.  Coming upon his rider he held his head low to smell him. Smelling his familiar breath his nostrils rubbed against the face of the rider nudging him to rise. He stomped the ground with his hoof in a gesture of friendship, then carefully this giant of a horse knelt down on his forelegs to gather up his rider.  He waited while the soldier pulled himself up onto his back then he gently rose again.  With his rider draped over his back he began the long journey back to camp.  He needed no guide; the way was a familiar one. This would be different; they would be returning with only a handful of the soldiers they had come with earlier that day.

The mustang was met in camp by soldiers who carefully drew the unresponsive rider from his back. He smelled the familiar body and his weary head hung low.  The journey back had taken its toll on the stallions’ tattered and torn body.  His blood and his rider’s stained the back of his legs.  But majesty remained in the horse; fighting his own pain to save the life of his friend.  He struggled to stay upright.  His legs shuddered from exhaustion. He whinnied out a dismal refrain to the others in the herd that had made it back safely before him.  They responded back with a welcoming neighing, but sensed the agony in his. He stomped the ground with his front hoof and let out one more cry to the herd as he collapsed. His grunts and snorts alerted his rider, awakening from inside the infirmary. Hearing the familiar voice of his steed he drew all his breath, puckered his lips and whistled to his giant friend. The magnificent animal moaned and rumbled as he tried to rise to his feet, but it would not be.  Just as he had kneeled for his rider to climb upon him and drape his broken body over his back, now his rider with the help of his fellow comrades limped over to the stallion and knelt beside his ravaged and exhausted friend. Resting his face against the stallions he blew his comforting breath against his nostrils. The stallion gazed lovingly from his weary black eye into the face of the soldier and let out a shuddering sigh. A calm and peaceful expression swiftly replaced it. He served his soldier proudly to the very end, just as any fellow soldier would do for another.