Welcome Young Padawan
The wind was blowing and the grass was sodden underfoot. He was unsure stepping back off the trailer. Where was he? What was he here for? With a little gentle persuasion, he took his first tentative steps back out of the trailer. As he walked along the grass, he became increasingly aware of a sense of peace, despite the wind and the rain which had begun to lash down. He was led into a barn, a cosy place with other horses heads peering out to see who had arrived. Little did he know that the Council were waiting for him. His imminent arrival had been announced long before he knew that it would happen. As he was led from one council member to the next, a friendly nickering came from Master Win. A nicker of recognisance and acceptance. It told him all he needed to know. That this was a place that he was welcome and expected. One by one the council greeted him. One by one they accepted him. Welcome padawan Zephyr, God of the West Wind and the setting sun.
The Screecher!
The first few weeks, Zephyr spent keeping his head low. He submitted to all, whether human or equine. Where the humans were concerned he always stood still, faced front and never let his opinions be known. His bucket feeds that were frequent, were filled with tasty forage and had a hint of a few things he was not sure he could place, but tasted good anyway. He cleared them in very short order. In the beginning he did not quite understand the order of things. It seemed that this Council of Jedi were permitted to roam freely across fields and into the barn all day as they wished. This amused him and although unsure at first, he soon became accustomed to returning to the barn for the continuous hay supply. His movements out to the field were slow and deliberate in the beginning. His feet were sore and the huge metal shoes that had been fashioned for him at his last home had not been yet removed. His feet felt heavy. The humans seemed to look at his feet a lot. They also seemed to speak about them a lot, asking him to lift his feet in succession. He obliged them without uttering a word. That was what others had taught him to do after all. As the weeks went by and the days shortened, he grew more comfortable. The council took care of him, advised him, showed him how things were done. The humans were busy building something. There was noise and commotion and wood arriving. He didn’t like some of the noises. A small creature held by the humans seemed to make a screech every time they held it to the wood. What were they doing to make it scream that way? No! Best to stay away from the screaming creature at all costs! After about a week, the screaming creature disappeared and a stable had appeared just for him! His own space! It was all well and good being sociable with this Jedi council but he worried that they would steal his food if he didn’t eat it fast enough. Far better now that he had his own space and could eat in peace, but best to kick the wall twice just for good measure in case they thought to come and take his food away! And he had windows all around so he could keep an eye on the Jedis whilst he ate his hay. You never knew when a meeting would be called which should not be missed!
Exsqueeze me….
One day his education was extended. He learnt that there is only a certain way that you address a female Jedi. He had eaten his breakfast as usual in record time and was making his way out to the field when Master Tigger was stood in his way. He thought this rather inconsiderate and made to push past her muttering under his breath about whether she had perhaps put on weight and perhaps that was why he could not fit past to enter the field from the track. This was the first and last time he would make this mistake. He was dealt a swift and accurate blow from Master Tigger who then proceeded to chase him at speed down the track. He suffered two more very accurate blows and was swiftly dispatched back to the barn in disgrace for his impertinence! Ouch! That hurt. More to his poor ego than to his body but those were often the worst kinds of wounds to deal with! He obviously had much more to learn on his journey as a padawan here! Little did he know that there was indeed much more to come, and very soon…..