Bumper was mad at her. She could tell by the way his ears pointed backwards and she shook her head everytime Bashuk reached to touch her. For the most part, Bashuk ignored the stubborn horse and its mean temperament, but as the sun began to rise illuminating the top of Bald Mountain and the sprawling settlement of Bhathairk beneath it, Bumper took his annoyance to a whole new level and dug his heels into the ground.
Bashuk had only left him for two nights, he hadn’t been tethered or even tacked up, he was perfectly free to roam while she hunted. And when she’d filled the cart and whistled for him to return, she walked with him. Bashuk never rode the cart or Bumper. She’d pushed when rains had made the pathways thick with mud and always let him rest. She was convinced the horse had abandonment issues and she was absolutely not going to pander to them.
Shaking her head she threw the reins over his head and unhooked him from the cart with a grunt of effort, pushing it back so he didn’t have to move before pulling it along herself, leaving the stupid horse where he was. She got less than five hundred yards away when a snort reached her ears and Bumper came trotting alongside her.
Like hell was he going to pull the cart the rest of the way.
So that was how Bashuk returned to Bhathairk, under the dawn light, pulling a cart laden with deer, rabbit and boar…with her cart horse trotting far too happily alongside her.