The Long Walk Home
The trip back to the barn was slow and deliberate. The farmer took each step his horse made, halting frequently and allowing his horse to catch its breath before it continued on its own way. His voice came soft and gentle, words to reassure, to soothe his companion now the ordeal was finally over. The horse did not understand what he was saying, but the tone seemed to calm his worried spirit.
This journey made the farmer introspective about the months of separation and what it would have been to be a horse alone, surviving through such times. It was fields and forests where he sometimes strolled and rested, now filling the shadows of predators, extreme weather, and reduced food in those long hours. Filled with both sadness and awe, he thought about his horse undergoing such hardships for him.
Finally, they arrived at the barn. The farmer led his horse inside where its hooves sank gently into ground that was altogether too familiar. He got his horse settled into a warm, cozy nook with fresh hay and clean water. As the door to the barn creaked shut that night, it seemed like the close of a chapter—a chapter of loss, survival, and reunion.
