It Came Upon A Midnight Clear

The Earth was quiet. The wide normally green paddock stood bathed in silver light. The imperfect moon hung high overhead looking indifferent. Far below, four young horses stood bathed in its lustrous light. Although they were a rich variety of colors- bay, brown, and chestnut- the waning moon glow dulled them until they were indistinquishable from one another.

As the youngsters dreamed of oats and whey, a lone doe broke through the dark tree line on the edge of the meadow. She silently strided several feet into the pale light, blinking only once, and dropped her head to nibble at a tendril of grass. Only one of the young horses- a dark bay colt named Jude- turned his head to acknowledge her presence. She seemed unconcerned with the small herd of horses who shared the moonlight.

The doe searched the ground below her velvety nose for the remnants of the summer clover. It was the sweetest of the grasses and her favorite. She followed her nose in an absent-minded uneven trail until she was grazing quite close to the group of youngsters standing near the wooden fence. Jude sleepily watched her in the filtered light, her color as bland as the rest of the world under the midnight moon.

In the tree line from whence she had come, there was a slight shift. Breath, wind, leaves- in the distance across the meadow, they all sounded the same to the mixed group. Simultaneously, Jude and the deer focused on the dark form standing just out of sight. She fought the panic which rose in her throat. Jude sensed her fear.

She wanted to flee but her feet would not obey. Her instinct to stay with the herd struggled against the inner voice which screamed that she run far far away. The horses did not seem to fear the hidden one. Jude watched the waves of emotions play across her face. Fear; flee; stay; confusion. He saw her look from the darkness just inside the trees back to the dozing horses beside him.

The entire drama unfolded within the span of moments. The dark form watched the group with interest. Then he, too, stepped into the clear midnight light.

To be Continued...