46The next morning, the horse rose just as the sun emerged from the horizon. The healing of his wound had continued without complications, allowing him more freedom of movement and less pain. He had calmed from the trauma of the accident and capture, though he still longed for the mares and foals, his only goal to be reunited with them.
The sheep stirred, and when the horse whinnied and moved in the direction of the river, the little animal jumped to her feet and followed.
Soon the horse stopped and sniffed at the air. The scent—one of humidity and earthy smells on the breeze—heralded a storm. The gentle breeze almost instantly transformed into a steady current coming from the south, the rapid change common in the desert. Treetops swayed and leaden thunderheads thrust across the sky. Dar
