It was time to go back north, to the beach they started out on. Dixie had a feeling that they would stay there for a long time, seeing as it reminded both her and Wayne of their home on the Texas coast. Of course it wasn’t as pretty or full of the nature that they were used to, but that small similarity was enough to curb the feeling of longing that grew in their chests after a long while of being away from home. Fern, the large draft mare, had birthed on the beach between the two more southern packs, dropping a large healthy colt that probably weighed half as much as their full grown stud, Duke. Now that she was unburdened with the extra weight of the foal, Fern was being trained to pull the wagon. Dixie was back to riding on Duke like usual and the stallion seemed happy for the change.
Wayne was driving the cart, his saddle and their bags carried in the back as well as about ten pounds of sweet grass, fern leaves and other assorted types of vegetation that they’d seen the horses eating. Dixie wanted to collect a lot of it for their beach trips so the large beasts had something to eat other than the scraggly, dying grass that grew in the sand. Fern had appreciated the treats and the canine’s had been able to help with the birth and clean the colt up quickly afterwards. There had been no fighting or intimidation routines from the big mare, and Dixie knew then that they had a faithful companion. The colt had been named Bark, as in tree bark, but both Dixie and Wayne thought it was a hilarious name since the foal’s first noises had sounded like the barks and yips of a puppy.
They were in a field alongside a forested area, the flat terrain making it easier for Fern to pull the wagon. Dixie, her tiny white body resting on top of Duke and the beautiful leather saddle brought from Texas, was keeping watch as they moved. About thirty miles had already been covered since they had started traveling before the sun rose, and the horses were starting to get a bit tired. Wayne grumbled a few times as Bark trotted and scampered around the wagon and his mother, kicking up his heels and getting in the way. They seriously needed a distraction for the foal because he was beginning to get on their nerves…well Wayne’s at least. Dixie just giggled and wagged her tail, clicking to Duke for them to trot alongside the foal and keep him occupied for the five minutes that his attention span stretched.
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