The Swayback Horse

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  After the incident on the road, Gawain continued his walks with horse with nary a sign of Brendan or a name for his friend. They were walking one late fall afternoon over some small hills a furlong from the manor enjoying one of their peaceful walks and each other’s company. The breeze was steadily blowing from the northeast with a touch of chill to it blowing the cottongrass seed heads and their fluffy mass of white cottonseeds in the wind between the hills tickling his face as they blew by. The heather with their umbrella shaped flowers pointing downward in pink, gray and green, mixed with the marigold with its yellow flowers and kidney shaped leaves, the beautiful starflower with its one or two white flowers shaped like stars combined for a sea of colors dancing and waving in the breeze.

  Passing between two small hills into a relatively flat area Gawain noticed Horse had stopped with her head down. She looked weary to him this morning as if she needed to rest awhile. Thinking this spot is as good a place as any to stop for a time, he walked a few steps back to her gently placing her head on his chest so he could scratch her cheeks with his fingers. “Let's rest here for a time, would you like that,” he asked her as he continued to scratch and rub her cheeks. Nickering in reply, she gently laid down in the soft grass at her feet folding her legs under her making herself comfortable. When she made herself comfortable, he lay down next to her with his head and upper back leaning against her shoulder watching the white puffy clouds race across the sky. He loved this horse more than any horse before even knowing someday soon her time would come he still gave her all his heart and love. Gently closing his eyes he became drowsy his last thoughts before falling asleep were of her wondering if it were today that she would leave him forever.

  The dream if it truly was a dream for even at his death he still wondered whether these stark events were based on reality or a nightmare. Standing he looked at Horse stretched out on her side nickering softly to him. With tears starting in his eyes, he knew her time had come and she was trying to tell him so. He got down on his knees so he could lovingly scratch her cheek and look into her large beautiful blue eyes as he gently lifted her head out of the tall grass onto his knees. Tears were flowing freely now dripping on her head as he bent and kissed her on the cheek. Sobbing, he watched the beautiful pure light of love fade from her eyes and with it her life on this realm. He held her head and sobbed at the loss, feeling as if a part of him had just died. “How can this be she was just a horse that I could not even give a name to? How could I have loved her this much to feel as if my heart has been ripped apart?” he yelled in anguish.

  “Gawain she was more than just a horse she embodied what is pure and love and gave everything she had to you. Your heart is not torn asunder it is now more whole than before. What you feel is the physical pain of her loss but she is still with you deep inside you where she will be forever.” That musical voice, he knew that voice from his previous dream. Looking up through tear-filled eyes, he recognized the beautiful woman with long-red hair and pale skin and her mate the handsome man with long-brown hair draping to his shoulders smiling gently with unmitigated love and kindness. Both are dressed in beautiful long white and gold robes with matching sandals on their feet and carrying their white and gold staffs.

  “You have done well by her lad and for that we are grateful. She loved you more than any that came before you and she has carried many warriors through her long life. She has fought bravely in many battles against the forces of darkness and now it is her time to rest until she is needed again,” the man said with his soft but strong kindly voice.

  “Rest Gawain lay down next to her and sleep for a time for it is what she would want,” the woman spoke in that soft comforting voice a mother would use to soothe her heart broke child as they started to fade from view.

  “What was her name?” he asked in anguish for fear of never knowing what it was.

  “Purelight” they said in unison fading into the bright pure light of love.

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