Wild Mustang Knocks on a Lonely Woman’s Door in the Night—What Follows Will Touch Your Heart

she was once a champion a rider who lived for speed for victory for the Roar of the crowd but one devastating fall stole everything leaving her broken lost and retreating to a life of solitude in the wilderness just when she thought he had escaped her past a wild horse appeared at her cabin door knocking not just for help but for something far greater as she is drawn back into the world she swore she had left behind she must confront the question she has been running from all along was she ever truly meant for the spotlight

or was her Freedom waiting for her somewhere else and when the time comes to choose to return or to run wild will she finally know where she belongs before we dive into the full story let us know in the comments where you're watching or listening from horses have incredible stories what's yours share it in the comments so others can be inspired like and don't forget to hit subscribe your support motivates us to share more impactful Stories the wind pressed against the cabin walls whistling through the trees like a Restless ghost rain had come and gone

leaving the world damp and heavy with the scent of wet Pine and Earth the fire in the Stone Hearth crackled softly its orange glow flickering over the small cluttered space worn boots by the door a stack of untouched books on the wooden table an old saddle shoved into the corner beneath a coat thick with dust Avis and CLA sa curled in the armchair by the fire staring at the Flames but seeing nothing her body was still but her mind her mind was never quiet it never let her rest not truly her fingers absent-mindedly traced the

edge of the thick blanket draped over her lap the fabric rough from years of use it was too warm for a blanket but she kept it anyway she had spent years in motion years with people watching her every move years pushing through pain failure and fear because the world had expected it of her but out here alone she had finally stopped running or so she thought then came the knock sharp rhythmic not the rattle of wind against wood or the natural Creeks of an old cabin settling into the Earth Ava stilled she hadn't heard a

knock on her door in what 2 years maybe longer her heartbeat picked up but she didn't move maybe it was nothing maybe the storm had loosened a branch and it was tapping against the cabin then it came again thud thud thud Eva exhaled slowly gripping the arms of the chair no not a branch not the wind something someone was out there she glanced toward the shotgun propped against the far wall she didn't live in a dangerous place but she wasn't stupid she'd left her old life behind and she didn't need trouble following her here she

stood her legs stiff from sitting too long and padded across the wooden floor when she reached the door she hesitated hand hovering over the handle who would come looking for her a slow Sinking Feeling curled in her stomach she yanked the door open and there it was a horse Ava blinked her thoughts scrambling to catch up with what she was seeing she had expected a person a lost hiker a Rancher passing through hell even a bear would have made more sense than this but no a wild horse stood at the edge of her porch staring

at her dark rain slicked coat wet Mane hanging in Tangled strands and its eyes deep dark intelligent the horse didn't Flinch at the sudden opening of the door it didn't step back it didn't move at all it just watched her Ava's throat tightened the past came rushing back hoof beats pounding against dirt the smell of sweat and leather the crowd roaring as she pushed herself pushed Harder Faster no she shoved those thoughts away her fingers curled against the door frame as she let out a rough breath must my life always come back to horses the

words left her lips before she could stop them bitter and heavy it didn't matter that no one was around to hear them this was supposed to be her escape this was supposed to be the one place in the world where she could forget she had spent years with horses training competing failing winning breaking and now now she was nothing just a woman in a cabin in the woods trying to exist in the quiet she let go of the door frame and took a step forward Sho she muttered waving a hand at the animal the horse

didn't move Ava scowled she was not doing this she took another step flapping both arms this time go on get the horse blinked then slow and deliberate it lifted a front hoof and scraped it against the wooden porch knocking Ava's breath Caught no that was impossible she swallowed hard shaking her head you're not my problem the horse kept staring she took another step forward more forceful now trying to break whatever strange connection had formed in the space between them go away the horse did not go away it lifted its hoof again thud thud thud Ava's

skin prickled this was not normal a wild horse should be afraid of her of people it should have already run off into the trees and yet it was asking for what Ava let out a shaky exhale stepping back inside she didn't want to know she slammed the door shut locking it for good measure the fire crackled behind her the only sound in the heavy silence her arms crossed tightly over her chest fingers gripping the fabric of her worn sweater she wouldn't get involved she wouldn't she'd given everything to horses her blood her bones her career

and when she had fallen when she had been broken and useless no one had come knocking on her door to save her so why should she do the same she closed her eyes don't think about it thud thud the knocking again Eva's eyes snapped open her pulse quickened this horse wasn't leaving she stared at at the door and for the first time in years she felt something she thought she had lost the pull she cursed under her breath her hand moved to the door knob before she could stop herself she threw it open again but

this time the horse didn't knock it simply turned and walked away not running not startled just leading Ava hesitated she should close the door she should let it go but she didn't instead she grabbed her jacket and stepped off the porch following the horse into the darkness the cold bit through Ava's jacket as she stepped off the porch The Damp Earth giving slightly beneath her boots the Wild Horse was already moving its dark coat blending with the Shadows between the trees Ava hesitated what the hell was she doing she should turn back shut the door

forget all of this she wasn't some rescuer anymore wasn't someone who threw herself into the middle of problems that weren't hers she had left all of that behind and yet her feet moved the trees stretched tall around her their skeletal branches reaching toward the night sky the storm had passed but the remnants of rain dripped from the leaves soft as Whispers The only sounds were her own footsteps and the faint steady clop of the horse ahead of her Ava wasn't sure what she expected she had lived near Wild Horses long enough to know they avoided

humans this one though it hadn't just approached her it had knocked it had waited that wasn't just instinct that was deliberate Ava swallowed trying to ignore the uneasy twist in her gut the horse Raven she didn't know why but the name fit moved with a quiet confidence its Pace neither hurried nor slow it knew where it was going it had a purpose Ava followed though every logical part of her screamed at her to stop and then she heard it a soft weak whimper Ava's breath hitched she knew that sound knew it in the way only

someone who had spent years around horses could she quickened her steps moving past Raven her boots sliding slightly in The Damp Earth then she saw it the fo lay in a small clearing curled awkwardly its dark gray coat slick with rain it was too small too still one of its hind legs was caught between thick Twisted branches and though it struggled weakly it didn't have the strength to pull free Ava froze her lungs felt tight her heart beat too loud in her ears the fo was hurt and the mother the mother had brought her Ava's

fingers twitched but she didn't move forward she should help she should kneel beside the fo check the leg untangle the branches do something but she didn't because suddenly she was somewhere else not in the woods not standing in the damp Earth beneath the broken Moonlight she was in an arena the crowd was roaring the scent of leather and sweat thick in the air the stadium lights were too bright blinding as she pushed forward forward forward then the sharp crack the moment her world ended she could still feel it the white hot pain splitting through her

body as she hit the ground the cold Terror of not being able to move the realization as she stared up at the ceiling of the Arena that her life as she knew it was over and when she had finally risen again after the surgeries after the endless Physical Therapy she had been alone no one had come knocking at her door then no one had fought for her the way this mother horse was fighting for it child her throat tightened the fo let out a small pitiful sound and Ava snapped back to the present Raven was

watching her not with impatience not with fear with expectation Ava let out a slow breath she could walk away she should walk away but as she stared at the small struggling fo something in her chest cracked open she took a step forward then another and then she was kneeling her hands shook slightly as she reached for the Tangled branches she worked carefully methodically ignoring the burn of old muscles the ache in Her Bones easy she murmured her voice barely above a whisper I've got you the fo's ears flicked Ava loosened the last branch and gently

pulled the small leg free the fo trembled testing its weight but when it tried to stand it collapsed too weak too exhausted Ava exhaled sharply it wouldn't survive the night like this she hesitated one last chance to convince herself to let go to leave then she bent forward wrapped her arms around the fo and lifted it was light lighter than it should have been she could feel the fragile ribs beneath her hands the unsteady rise and fall of its breath she turned toward Raven you coming she asked as if the horse could understand Raven stepped

forward immediately Ava let out a shaky breath and together they made their way back to the cabin this story took us a lot of time so if you're enjoying it subscribe to our Channel it means a lot to us now back to the story The Cabin was warmer than she expected when she stepped inside cradling the fo against her chest or maybe it was just her body burning with the weight of what she had done of the choice she had made she shouldn't have done this she shouldn't have gotten involved but she had Raven followed

her inside stopping just short of the doorway her dark eyes scanning the space as if to decide whether it was safe her large body filled the entrance and for a brief absurd moment Ava thought the horse might try to step inside don't even think about it she muttered Raven huffed her breath clouding in the cold air Ava ignored the way it made something in her chest twist the fool was shivering In Her Arms its tiny frame trembling against her own too small too weak she could feel its heartbeat rapid unsteady she knelt gently lowering the

fo onto the worn rug near the fire the Flames cast long flickering Shadows across Ross its damp coat it didn't move for a moment Panic flared she pressed a hand lightly against Its Ribs feeling for breath the rise and fall was shallow but steady still alive Ava exhaled sharply pushing back the dread curling in her stomach she grabbed an old towel from a basket near the Hearth and began drying the Fool's coat her movements brisk efficient she focused on the simple Rhythm press wipe repeat because thinking about what she had just done about what this

meant was something she wasn't ready to face not yet she should have walked away but that was the thing about horses wasn't it you could tell yourself you were done with them that you didn't need them that you could just leave and pretend they had never been part of you but they had a way of finding you again of pulling you back in the towel caught on something sticky and Ava flinched before she could stop herself blood she had nearly forgotten about the Fool's injury swallowing hard she leaned closer fingers brushing gently over the wound

near its hind leg it wasn't deep more of a scrape than a serious cut but it had bled more than it should have the fo had been struggling too long too hard Ava stood moving to the small wooden cabinet near the kitchen fingers automatically pulling out the supplies she swore she would never need again a bottle of antiseptic clean bandages cotton pads the last time she had done this she had been standing in a a Sleek state-of-the-art stable a Championship horse in front of her a trainer had been speaking rapidly in her ear reporter standing

just outside waiting for her to prove she wasn't broken now she was alone in a cabin kneeling beside a half wild fo in the middle of nowhere she wasn't sure which version of her life had been more real she worked carefully her fingers light but sure the fo didn't fight her didn't pull away it only watched her she swallowed against the tightness in her throat when she was done she sat back staring at the tiny creature in front of her it looked small and fragile and so damn helpless and yet it was still here it

had fought to live the silence stretched between them heavy and aching then something shifted in the doorway Raven Ava had almost forgotten she was there waiting watching she turned her head slightly their eyes meeting for the first time since she had stepped outside hours ago and there was something there something that made Ava's breath catch not gratitude not relief recognition it was a look that said I see you I know what this is Ava's hands curled into fists against her knees she had spent years running from this feeling from caring because the moment you cared

the moment you let something in it had the power to break you and she had been broken before but Raven didn't look away and Ava for once didn't either she leaned back pressing a tired hand over her face exhaling hard guess I'm stuck with you now she muttered Raven huffed again Ava swore the damn horse almost looked amused and for the first time in a long long time she felt something close to okay she didn't know what tomorrow would bring didn't know what she was doing or why she had let herself care but for tonight

just for tonight she would let herself be here with the F with the fire and with a wild horse standing at her door reminding her that maybe just maybe she wasn't a alone as she thought the fool was still asleep when Ava woke the next morning its small body curled in a tight ball near the fire she watched it for a moment her body still heavy with exhaustion it had survived the night she hadn't let herself think about the possibility that it wouldn't shoving the thought aside she pushed back the blanket and Rose to her

feet stretching the stiffness from her limbs the cabin was silent except for the soft crackling of the D Embers in the Hearth or at least it was until she turned toward the door Raven was still there not just near the cabin not just lingering on the edge of the woods watching from a distance she was standing right outside the door her massive frame perfectly still her dark eyes locked onto Ava the moment she moved Ava exhaled sharply running a hand through her tangled hair you're still here she muttered figures Raven didn't move didn't blink didn't

leave AA ignored the way something warm flickered in her chest at the realization she made her way to the kitchen where an old wooden cabinet held her limited supply of food a can of coffee sat near the edge of the counter half empty forgotten she stared at it for a moment before sighing and scooping a few spoonfuls into a pot of boiling water the rich scent filled the cabin grounding her the F stirred slightly but didn't wake Ava sat at the small table by the window wrapping her hands around on the warm tin mug staring

out at the endless stretch of trees beyond the porch a wild horse at her door a half starved fo sleeping near her fire this wasn't supposed to be her life she had left that World Behind hadn't she her gaze drifted back to Raven still watching still waiting Eva took a sip of coffee inside you know normal horses don't just hang around people's houses Raven flicked an ear is this some kind of thank you Ava mused lifting a brow or are you just making sure I don't screw this up the horse huffed stepping forward slightly her

Hooves clunking softly against the wooden porch Eva stared at her she was beautiful not in the polished gleaming way of the horses she had once ridden ones bred for Perfection speed control Raven was wild Untamed strong in a way that had nothing to do with human hands Ava swallowed hard and looked away she shouldn't get attached she couldn't but Raven wasn't giving her a choice days passed the F grew stronger at first it barely lifted its head Ava had to nudge it awake every few hours coaxing it to drink water to take small hesitant bites

of the food she had managed to scavenge she forced herself not to care but then came the moment when it stood for the first time its legs shaking its ears flicking uncertainly at the new sensation of weight beneath it Raven had stepped closer her body tense ready Ava had barely breathed and when the F didn't fall when it stood on its own Ava had felt something in her chest she hadn't felt in years she didn't have a name for it didn't want to have a name for it but it stayed curling deep in her ribs

refusing to be ignored she started talking to them after that not because she wanted to not because she had anything to say but because the silence had grown too loud and she wasn't sure she could stand it anymore your kid is stubborn you know that she muttered one afternoon watching as silver took another wobbly step forward only to collapse dramatically back onto the straw Raven flicked her tail Ava smirked I take that as agreement Raven stepped closer Ava's muscles tensed on Instinct the mayor had never approached her this close before she expected her to stop

expected her to keep that safe comfortable distance she had always maintained but she didn't she kept moving until she was right in front of Ava Ava barely had time to Pro process The Nearness of the massive animal before Raven nudged her forward not hard not aggressive just an invitation Ava's throat tightened she knew what the horse was asking her legs felt locked in place this was what she had feared not the physical act of riding not even the possibility of falling again but what it would mean the moment she touched a saddle again the moment

she let herself want it crave it she would have to admit that she had never truly left she wanted to believe she was done that she had moved on but the part of her that had spent a lifetime in the saddle the part that had felt more at home on Horseback than On Solid Ground that part had never died it had just been waiting she exhaled forcing her body to relax I don't ride anymore she said softly Raven huffed as if unimpressed by her excuse Eva hesitated then carefully hesitantly she reached out her fingers brushed

against Raven's man the horse didn't move away and Ava for the first time in years didn't either this story took us a lot of time so if you're enjoying it subscribe to our Channel it means a lot to us now back to the story the air was cool against Ava's skin as she stepped outside the early morning light spilling through the trees in Golden streaks a faint Mist clung to the ground curling around her boots as she moved toward the open clearing near the cabin silver was awake stretching out its still wobbly legs testing its

own Own Strength each day it seemed a little steadier a little braver Raven stood nearby her dark coat catching the morning sun watching her fo with quiet patience she had barely left it side since the night Ava had carried it into the cabin Ava knew that kind of devotion she had felt it before the desperate need to protect something but for her that something had been her career and in the end it hadn't protected her back she exhaled slowly rubbing a hand over her face she had to stop thinking like this the past was the

past a movement caught her eye Raven had turned her head toward her her dark eyes locked onto Ava's waiting Ava swallowed there was no judgment in that gaze no expectation just understanding she hesitated then took a slow step forward Raven didn't move away Ava had always been taught that horses could sense things humans couldn't fear hesitation the emotions you tried to hide she wondered if raven could feel the way her pulse had picked up if she knew that Ava was afraid of something much deeper than falling she reached out fingers brushing against the Mar's thick

Mane the texture was different from the horses she had once ridden coarser Untamed real Ava exhaled letting herself lean into the sensation she hadn't touched a horse like this in years not with reverence not with care not with trust Raven didn't move then without warning she shifted her weight and pressed pressed her nose against Ava's shoulder Ava froze she knew this gesture she had seen it in the stables in the Arenas between Riders and their horses the quiet acknowledgement of something shared something understood her throat tightened I don't ride anymore she whispered barely recognizing her

own voice Raven stayed still Ava squeezed her eyes shut inhaling sharply maybe that had been true once maybe she had needed it to be true but standing here with the of the Earth the warmth of the horse against her the wind threading through her hair it didn't feel true anymore she pulled back slightly her fingers still Tangled in Raven's man the mayor stepped to the side then shifted her weight in a way that was unmistakable an invitation Eva's heart pounded she could walk away she should walk away but something inside her something she thought had

long since died whispered try her hands shook as she placed them against Raven's strong back her boots scuffed against the dirt as she pulled herself up her movements stiff hesitant she had spent years memorizing the rules of riding the angles the posture the measured control but as she settled against Raven's bare back there was no saddle beneath her no rains to grip just the steady rhythmic rise and fall of a body that knew this land better than she ever could Eva let out a slow breath she had forgotten what this felt like not the racing

not the competition just this Raven took a step forward slow and easy Ava didn't stop her she didn't tense didn't fight for control she just let the horse move let herself move with her theemotion familiar yet foreign like a song she had once known but had forgotten the words to the wind stirred through the trees carrying the scent of Pine and damp Earth of something untouched Something Free she hadn't realized how much she had missed this not the trophies not the crowd just the quiet steady rhythm of a horse beneath her the feeling of being

part of something bigger than herself she closed her eyes for a moment breathing it in for the first time in years she felt light she felt whole then from somewhere in the distance a voice faint uncertain calling her name Ava stiffened her eyes snapping open the spell was broken the past had finally found her Ava hadn't heard her own name spoken by another person in a long time it came again cutting through the Stillness of the trees Ava she turned her pulse quickening the world around her shifting too fast the wind that had felt so

open a moment ago now felt colder the freedom the weightlessness she had just found gone in an instant Raven stopped beneath her muscles tensing ears flicking toward the sound aa's hands twitched as if to steady herself but there was no saddle beneath her no resins to grip for a heartbeat she thought about riding away but then he stepped through the trees Leo Bennett she knew him before he even came into Focus before the details of his face were clear the way he moved the slight of his head when he was about to say something he

knew would piss her off it all came back in an instant time had changed him there were new lines around his eyes a dusting of gray in his dark hair but his stance was the same solid familiar like someone who had never once questioned where he stood in the world unlike her Ava swallowed hard she should have known it was only a matter of time before someone found her well damn Leo said stopping a few Paces away his hands were on his hips his boots scuffed with dirt and travel he looked at her the way

someone looks at a ghost never thought I'd actually find you Ava didn't Dismount then why did you try she asked keeping her voice even Leo let out a short laugh shaking his head you always were a stubborn one I figured feed you wouldn't make it easy his eyes flicked to Raven beneath her then to Silver standing a few feet away watching his expression shifted slightly looks like you've been busy Ava said nothing Leo studied her and she could see the moment the recognition settled in the way his shoulders relaxed the way his features softened you're

riding again it wasn't a question Ava clenched her jaw it's not what you think Leo tilted his head and what do I think you think think I'm coming back his silence was answer enough Ava exhaled sharply staring out past him into the trees she had spent years building walls and now Leo was standing right in front of her climbing over them like they were nothing I didn't come here to drag you back he said after a moment his voice was quieter now more careful I just came to see if you were still alive Ava scoffed

swinging a leg over Raven and slipping down to the ground well as you can see I am she took a step forward forcing herself to meet his gaze headon so now you can turn around and go back to whatever place you came from Leo didn't move you don't belong out here Ava he said finally her jaw tightened and where exactly do I belong Leo because last time I checked I didn't have a place anymore something flickered across his expression pity maybe she hated it you're wrong he said you were always one of the best Ava

you still are she barked out a laugh bitter and sharp that's rich coming from you I remember what you said after my fall Leo's face hardened guilt flashing in his eyes you told me I had to get back in the saddle she continued her voice biting that I had to prove I wasn't broken she remembered that conversation remembered how much it had hurt she had been fresh out of the hospital still barely able to walk without pain when Leo had looked her dead in the eyes and told her that if she didn't get back on

a horse soon she never would at the time she had believed him for months she had forced herself to train to push past the pain to ignore the part of her that wasn't ready and then when she had failed when she had crumbled under the weight of her own fear she had walked away Leo's shoulders stiffened I was wrong Ava's breath stalled she had never expected to hear those words from him I was wrong he repeated softer this time I thought you needed someone to push you but what you really needed was time she looked

away her throat suddenly tight I just came here to see if you were okay Leo continued but now that I'm here I can see that you're not Eva huffed out a humorless laugh and what exactly makes you think that Leo took a step closer dropping his voice because I know you Ava I know how much you loved riding and I know what it looks like when you're running from something Ava's pulse kicked up she was about to snap back to deny it to fight it to push him away but then Raven took a step forward

pressing her nose against Ava's shoulder steady and grounding Leo's gaze flicked to the horse then back to her you still love it he said Voice Low Ava swallowed something breaking apart inside her it's different now she admitted Leo nodded slowly maybe that's not a bad thing silence stretched between them Eva hated that she didn't have a comeback Leo exhaled and reached into his coat pocket pulling out a folded piece of paper he held it out to her she eyed it wearily what's this an invitation she hesitated before taking it unfolding it carefully the words felt

heavy as she read them an exhibition race one that wasn't about competition just about riding come back Leo said not for a title not for a trophy just for one last ride Ava's heart pounded her fingers tightened around the paper she should say no she wanted to say no but the part of her that had felt free on Raven's back the part of her that had been buried for so long wasn't so sure Leo must have seen the hesitation in her face because he didn't press further he just gave her a small nod and said

think about it then he turned and walked away leaving her alone in the clearing she stared at the invitation her mind a tangled mess of emotions she didn't know how to name Raven Stood Beside her silent as ever Ava exhaled sharply folding the paper again stuffing it into her pocket like she could ignore it like she could ignore the feelings stirring inside her she had spent years trying to convince herself that she was done that she had nothing left to prove but now now she wasn't so sure this story took us a lot of time

so if you are enjoying it subscribe to our Channel it means a lot to us now back to the Story the invitation sat on Ava's table for 3 days she didn't touch it didn't unfold it didn't glance at it didn't even acknowledge it beyond the single sharp exhale she had let out when she first tossed it onto the worn wood but she felt it like a weight in the room a presence that wouldn't let her rest every time she walked past the table something in her stomach Twisted Leo's words lingered too come back not for

a title not for a trophy just for one last ride Ava wanted to laugh at how naive it sounded like it was that simple like stepping into an arena again wouldn't rip her open in ways she wasn't ready for like it wouldn't expose everything she had spent years try but even as she told herself that even as she worked as she cared for silver as she rode Raven through the Open Fields With The Wind in her hair and the quiet warmth of something whole settling inside her the thought never left she had spent so long

avoiding this moment and now it was waiting for her she folded her arms against the Chill watching as silver wobbled on uncertain Lev legs testing his growing strength beneath Raven's careful gaze he was bigger now stronger than he had been when she first found him but still fragile in the way that all young things were Raven Stood Beside him patient and still the silent Guardian who had never once left his side Ava let out a slow breath she understood now why the mayor had knocked on her door that night why she had waited unshaken unmoving

she hadn't come for herself she had come for him she had come because she knew she couldn't do it alone and Ava Ava had spent the last 3 years trying to convince herself that she could she clenched her jaw and turned back toward the cabin she didn't allow herself to hesitate this time she grabbed the invitation unfolded it and made her choice the crowd wasn't as large as it used to be that was the first thing she noticed when she arrived the stands were dotted with Spectators but not packed there were no flashing cameras no

reports shoving microphones toward her face no overwhelming Buzz of voices Whispering about what she was worth what she had lost whether she could ever be who she was again this wasn't a championship event this was something smaller something quieter she exhaled slowly adjusting the simple writing gloves on her hands fingers flexing against the worn leather she had barely spoken since arriving nodding through the brief registration process ignoring the lingering stairs from the few who recognized her she had expected to feel the familiar Rush of nerves the twisting weight of expectation settling into her bones but

it didn't come instead there was only the strange unsettling quiet of uncertainty Leo appeared beside her his expression unreadable didn't think you'd actually show he admitted Ava huffed a short humorless laugh neither did I he watched her carefully you ready she wasn't not in the way she used to be there was no strategy running through her mind no desperate clenching of control no sharp Focus tuned only toward the finish line for the first time in her life she didn't care about winning she just wanted to see if this was still in her if it had

ever really left she met Leo's gaze and gave the smallest nod she walked toward the mounting block not to compete not to reclaim what was lost but to prove to herself that she wasn't afraid anymore a moment her body settled into the saddle something in her clicked into place she knew this the weight of the rains in her hands the shifting of muscle beneath her the steady rhythm of breathing and sink with the animal moving beneath her it was all familiar the moment the gates opened she let the horse move not forcing not pushing just

trusting the wind pulled through her hair as she leaned into the gallop the sound of hooves against the dirt ringing in her ears she didn't need to be perfect she didn't need to win she just needed to be here the cheers from the crowd blurred into white noise fading beneath the rush of air the rhythmic pounding of movement the feeling of flying again her chest tightened she had spent years drowning in her fear in her pain in her past but right now right now she wasn't sinking she was free and maybe she didn't need the

trophies maybe she didn't need the arena maybe she didn't need any of it maybe all she had ever needed was this she crossed the Finish Line breathless the crowd roared she slowed the horse feeling the way the muscles shifted beneath her feeling the strength the control not from Force but from trust Eva let out a shaking breath the moment she dismounted people moved toward her familiar faces voices she hadn't heard in years congratulations and praise and murmurs of is she back she didn't answer she turned to Leo well he asked arms crossed expression unreadable Ava

reached up pulling off her helmet her fingers shaking slightly she met his gaze and smiled not in Victory not in Triumph but in understanding I'm going home she said simply and she walked away back to the wild back to them back to where she belonged the road stretched behind her the dust settling in her wake the town the track the crowd all of it was Fading Into the distance Ava didn't look back she drove with the windows down the scent of Pine and Earth rolling in with the cool wind the invitation the race the voices

of people she had once known it all felt like a life she had dreamed about rather than lived it hadn't felt bad to be there but it hadn't felt right either the road narrowed as she neared home turning from asphalt to gravel to packed dirt the trees thickened the world stretching into the quiet open space of the Wilderness she slowed the truck her fingers loose on the steering wheel for the first time in ears she felt light the cabin came into view tucked between the trees smoke curling faintly from the chimney it looked the same

as she had left it but something inside her had changed as she stepped out of the truck the sound of movement caught her ear she turned heart hammering despite herself they were waiting Raven stood at the edge of the clearing her dark coat gleaming in the fading afternoon light silver was beside her taller now stronger than he had been just weeks ago Eva exhaled something settling deep in her chest she had left the world she once knew but they had stayed she took a slow step forward Raven didn't move silver flicked his ears but remained

still watching her with cautious curiosity Eva closed the distance feeling the soft crunch of dirt beneath her boots the warmth of the Setting Sun on her skin she reached out her fingers brushed against Raven's man The Familiar roughness grounding her in a way nothing else could I'm back she murmured the words felt strange not because they were untrue but because they had always been true this was where she had belonged all along Raven shifted her weight slightly then did something Ava hadn't expected she turned stepping sideways lowering her body ever so slightly an invitation Ava

stilled she had spent years believing she would never ride again that she had left that part of herself behind buried it beneath layers of fear and doubt and the quiet ache of something lost but the truth was she had never stopped riding she had ridden with them alongside them feeling the wind against her skin the Earth beneath her feet the unspoken rhythm of something that had never truly left her she had just been too afraid to see it she let out a slow breath steadying herself then without thinking without hesitating she swung herself onto Raven's

back no saddle no rains nothing but trust the moment she settled the world fell into place the wind picked up as Raven moved beneath her stepping forward steady and strong silver trotted alongside them his movements lighter looser like the weight of something unseen had lifted Ava leaned forward slightly letting the mar find her own pace letting her body shift with each movement she had spent her whole life trying to control everything but now now she just let go Raven surged forward and Ava didn't fight it she rode not toward something not away from something just

with them the trees blurred past the sky stretched open she wasn't a champion she wasn't a failure she wasn't broken she was free and for the first time in a long long time that was enough the sky stretched vast and endless above her painted in streaks of gold and soft lavender as the last Light of the sun dipped below the Horizon the wind carried the scent of the earth rich and Untamed rushing past Ava's face as she rode Raven's muscles moved powerfully beneath her her strides long and effortless her Hooves drumming against the Earth in

a rhythm that felt older than time silver galloped beside them his youthful energy sending him bounding forward then falling back then pushing ahead again as if testing his own limits Ava didn't try to guide them she didn't need to she let her body follow the movements let the wind pull through her hair let the world blur around her in streaks of wild open land she had spent so long believing she had lost herself that the accident had taken something from her that she would never get back that she was nothing without the track without the

medals without the Roar of the crowd but it had never been about any of that it had never been about the trophies the titles the endless drive to be more it had always been about this the quiet understanding between Rider and horse the Untamed beauty of movement of trust of the unspoken Bond that had nothing to do with competition and everything to do with feeling alive Ava let out a breath long and slow something deep inside her unwinding she wasn't proving anything today she wasn't chasing anything she was exactly where she was meant to be

the trees rushed past the wind carried the sound of distant hoof beats and as Raven surged forward Ava laughed a real laugh raw and unrestrained carried into the open air the sound startled silver who kicked up his legs playfully before darting ahead as if challenging them to a race Raven didn't hesitate She chased after him her Pace increasing the force of her strid sending them flying across the open land Eva didn't stop her she didn't hold back she leaned forward pressing closer feeling the warmth of Raven's body the strength of her the wildness of her

and as they ran something shifted in the air shapes emerged from the distant Hills Shadows against the fading light moving with them a herd not just any herd Raven herd AA recognized them even from a distance their coats blending into the landscape their movements fluid and effortless they had been watching waiting and now as Raven ran they joined one by one they surged forward surrounding them accepting them without hesitation without question silver winned excitedly weaving through the others darting between legs and Tails his youthful energy boundless Ava exhaled Sharp overcome by the sight by the

feeling of it all she had never belonged in the spotlight never belonged under the pressure of eyes that only saw her for what she could accomplish this was where she belonged among the wild among them Eva pressed a hand to Raven's neck feeling the steady beat of her pulse the sheer force of her existence so certain and untethered for the first time in years there was no doubt no fear no past clawing at her heels there was only the ride only the wind only the wild horses running beside her carrying her forward and she knew

she would never leave again the Stars blinked to life above them as the sun disappeared Beyond the Horizon and Ava rode into the night free at last thank you for listening don't miss out subscribe now for more captivating stories coming your way tomorrow