The frozen lake cracked beneath his feet at exactly the same moment the morning sun crested the horizon. His skin began to crawl with adrenaline and weeks worth of pent up anticipation. The man shivered slightly as the tall black horse reared up again, its hooves carving sharp grooves deep into the ice with each impact. Steam escaped the horse’s nostrils in giant plumes, and the brilliant orange sunrise gleamed in her dark eyes, turning her into the fiercest dragon. She looked just like a dream, or maybe a nightmare. 

The man took a deep steadying breath and held out his hand. “Easy now, girl, easy,” he whispered.  

The horse’s ears swiveled around, trying to pinpoint the sound. She looked right at him and snorted again, her silhouette was stark against the gleaming snow and ice. For days, it felt as if he had been chasing a spirit, but the larger than life mare was finally right there in front of him. With the way the fiery sunrise lit up her gleaming midnight coat, there was finally no more denying her existence. He had actually found her, despite everyone saying he never would. Despite everyone saying he would die out here, that he would freeze to death alone in the valley chasing a horse that didn’t want to be caught. 

Another great plume of smoke hissed through the air as the tall black horse snorted once more, but this time with much less fierceness. Her eyes softened into curiosity as she relaxed her stance. 

The ice cracked again, and the horse whinnied, fearful but feeding off the calm of the man’s closeness. Instinct directed both of their attention downward to the ice beneath their feet. The man took a deep breath to steady himself. He slid his left foot forward gently, and then his right foot. He let the breath out slowly, and the ice did not crack. The horse watched him inch closer and closer, still as a statue, a testament to her true character. 

“You are wild at heart, but you belong with me.” the man murmured as he finally placed his palm firmly but gently on the horse’s cheek. The horse sighed quietly and dropped her head down low, she couldn’t resist the man’s touch. She may not have known what he was saying, but she could feel it. Even after being lost and alone in the wild valley for all this time, she knew in an instant that this was her human, and she would do anything for him. 

“Good girl. Let’s go home,” he said. 

Slowly, the man placed a worn and well loved halter and lead rope on the big black horse’s head. He stood for a moment in thought, while his fingers touched a few tight fairy knots in her long tangled mane. He surveyed the horse’s condition- her legs were covered in mud and ice; her ribs were barely beginning to show; her coat, under a paper thin sheet of ice, had grown velvety soft and incredibly thick to protect her from the harsh winter weather; and then her face, wind worn and covered in small scrapes and ice, but still absolutely perfect and, most importantly, alive and well. She had been lost for long enough that it looked like nature was slowly trying to reclaim her.

With a grimace to himself and a glance down at the ice, the man climbed gingerly onto the horse’s back. The great black mare stiffened for a moment, and then relaxed. With her slight movement, the ice cracked again, and she let out a raucous neigh and began to paw at the ice. 

“Whoa, easy!” The man shouted. 

Suddenly, the horse’s back end dipped and she bolted forward. The man grabbed ahold of the horse’s neck, nearly falling off from the forward momentum. This was it, who would have thought a watery grave awaited them in the middle of a frozen valley? The man squeezed his eyes tight, waiting for the oddly warm caress of the icy water to drag them both down, down, down, into an unforgiving watery grave. They’d never be found. His family would always wonder.  Still, the man had no regrets about this. At least they’d be together, soulmates aren’t always humans after all. But… it didn’t happen. 

The man’s eyes flew open once more. “How!?” He yelled out, jubilant. He was not drowning, he was flying. They were flying. With his fingers wound tight into the horse’s mane, the man risked a quick glance backwards. The ice and inky black water were churning underneath them. He could see the ice quickly falling down and away, and the mighty black horse was just a half step ahead of it. Her sure hooves propelled huge chunks of the ice downward and backward, and her strong rippling muscles were stretching forward further than he had ever seen before. The man leaned into the horse’s neck once more and held on as tightly as he could. 

In what felt like slow motion, they hit the slick mud at the edge of the lake and squelched to a stop. The mighty horse let out an few excited huffs and danced back and forth, unsure of what to do next. The man puffed out a heavy sigh, he didn’t realize he had been holding his breath. He slumped forward into the horse’s thick mane and laugh-cried as he hugged her warm earthy neck. The great black horse, upon feeling her rider relax, followed suit and let out the biggest yawn. She then reached around and nibbled his boot affectionately. The man’s smile was brighter than the sun that had risen up over the ridge. 

“I missed you so much,” the man told the magnificent black horse lovingly, “I knew I’d find you, though. And what do ya know, girl, you saved me this time.” He straightened up and grabbed hold of the loose end of the lead rope, then he clucked quietly and pointed them both homeward.