Slow Horses Novels & Stories

Yet, a nagging doubt gnawed at my gut, serving as a constant reminder of the risk I had undertaken. I needed a distraction, something to calm my nerves and ease my mind. I decided to go for a ride on my horse, Zion, my loyal and faithful companion. He was a magnificent stallion, with a glossy black coat and a fiery spirit. He always sensed my mood and matched it with his own, whether it was playful, adventurous, or serene.

We rode our horses out of the barn and passed a corridor of other horses who wouldn’t be going with us on this unbelievable date. “So, how fast, or slow, do you wanna go,” Hunter asked with a mischievous look on his face. I shrugged my shoulders as he took off ahead of me. I kept at a steady slow stride and just took more of the sun in. Honey Lemon seemed to enjoy taking this adventure in stride with me, but she’s a horse so what do I know.

he stepped inside, and I followed, and the scent of horses swirled around me, I looked around and there were at least 10 in stalls, “Whoa, their beautiful.” He chuckled as he walked over to a huge black on, “this is Zeus, he’s mine,” he rubbed the huge horses head and it blew out a breath, “you can pet him if you like.” I walked over and put my hand on its nose and giggled, “he’s soft, and so big, is he a Clydesdale?”

I watched Aly’s face as she stared at Lisa, and I could tell her curiosity was outweighing her hostility now. “What peg-sus?” Lisa smiles widely. “Want me to show you?” Aly nods, and then Lisa lifts a hand in the air, palm up, a cloud of glittering smoke forming a ball in her hand that turns transparent, revealing a herd of almost white horses with large wings tucked into their sides. They are the most majestic beasts I have ever seen. Their manes are flowing in the wind, and their coats are all glossy and smooth. They look strong, with cords of muscle and thick necks.

It looks incredibly amazing, but it feels peaceful because there ain't a single soul around us for miles. Cairo walks us past the pool and stops in front of a beautiful, white horse that's already saddled up and waiting by the fence. "This is Breeze. He's an Andalusian. Strong legs, smooth stride, and he can run faster than anything you've seen if you let him out." "Wait. Did you say 'he'? I thought all pretty white horses in movies were females." "Yeah, the exact same way you thought you were gonna ride alone today. You've got a lot to learn, sweetheart."

His whole body changed. "Don't look back," he said. "Are those—" "Don't look back Remi." I didn't look back. We pushed the horses. Mordor's horse chose this moment to fully express its grievances by slowing down while every instinct it had said speed up. "MOVE," Mordor told it. It moved. Reluctantly. With feelings about it. The hooves behind us getting closer. Half a mile. Quarter. I could hear them properly now. Fast. Multiple.

And what about the damage done to me? I'd worked so hard at this marriage, tried to be a good wife—did that effort not count for anything, just because it had been destroyed too? If they wouldn't own up to it, who was going to stand up for me? "I stand by every word I said." I kept my voice level. Silence on the other end for a few seconds. His breathing had gone heavy, somewhere between impatient and exhausted. "I don't get it. When did you turn so vicious?"

Aiden guesses, not that it needs much guesswork. “A ghost,” I nod. “His horse is a stallion. Blackmarsh has mares. There have been foals that we don’t have another explanation for. They’re not ghosts, they’re perfectly normal horses as far as anyone can tell. They’re very, very good horses. Promises Kept is one of them, Keppy for short. He’s one of Katie’s competition horses.” “Ghosts can do that?” He sounds dubious. I’d never have guessed it was possible either, if I hadn’t seen the evidence. “What about Bellmouth, does he have puppies?”

I laughed once more at her bluntness and then neither of us said anything for the rest of the trip. Thirty minutes later, after leaving behind several farms and ranches and going through a road with enough potholes to destroy the suspension of a compact car, we were passing through the majestic wrought iron gate where you could read the word Eden in the center of it. Excited beyond measure, I saw several pens with cows, bulls, pigs and horses grazing and freely ruminating. A large chicken coop stood proudly a few feet from the stables, letting us hear a cacophony of sounds.