I froze. Both lips on her nose. Heart racing, my breath became still. The blue iris grew beneath the alien moon's light. The eyelid lifted till the whites showed fully. Hot air exhaled from two nostrils. Her eye began to wander up to the sky then down to the sand before going around my chest to the horizon over my shoulders and lingered there before moving back to focus directly on my very red hot cheeks. The whites in her eye suddenly grew. I stiffied.
The mare moaned.
I flinched. My head jerked back, Falling over, My back hit the sand and something long and hard drove into it. Pain shot up my spine. Elly's head rolled out of my lap. I growled. I laid on my back, catching my senses, staring up at the fully stared night sky on Elly's two long forelegs.
My limbs flailed, fumbling. I struggled. My upper body flung upright. My knee collided into something solid and heavy. Oof! A loud grunt came out of Elly. I gripped my knee numbed in pain. Her head lay beneath it.
"Shit, sorry!"
Both of my arms slid underneath and scooped her up, sand included and plopped her head back in my lap. My arms cradled her enormous head. Her neck on my thigh.
"Elly…are you…alright?"
My hand slid along her forehead down to her neck. Bloodied dried sweat met my fingertips. Her eyelid slid down over her eye. A soft groan escaped her lips.
Tears blurred my vision. "I'm sorry, so sorry…I didn't know- didn't realise this…"I sniffled again" was going to happen. To you."
I paused, holding back the surging flood.
Her side rose and fell slowly. Tepid warmth glazed through the skin of my fingers. A quiet moan. Dust and dirt marked her muzzle. Long fuzzy ears were covered in dirt. Warmth met my palm as I petted her mane. She breathed softly. Her side rising and falling in rhythm.
"I was so worried…I-I didn't know what to do. I thought you would never, couldn't...wouldn't wake up. and…I'll be alone."
"But it's ok," I sniffled, again. "I don't know where we are but-" The horizon stretched out before me as tears blurred my vision. I took a deep breath. My hand cupped her nose.
"I've got you, now"
Warmth breached my callous skin. Her eye slowly shut. Hot mist slipped through rough fingers. The nose's softness teased my palm. A strange noise escaped from the mare's throat. Quick breath in, Her eye fluttered open and focused directly on my face.
"...rm…"
"Huh?" My head tilted.
I touched her face. She groaned. Her throat vibrated against my thigh.
"Elly? What's wrong?" I asked.
Her head shook in my lap. Her eye widened and went in circles. She moaned. Her throat vibrated in my lap. A lone hoof kicked sand. The mare began to struggle. Her body rocked about. Hind legs jerking.
"Elly!?"
Her muzzle jerked towards my strained voice. Her eye rolled. A hoof kicked sand.
"Ba…" A sound escaped from baited breath.
I cradled her in my lap. Her head pressed into my chest.
"Barune…" "Ka-ran."
"Please, tell me. I don't understand." I asked.
Her hot breath blasted my face. Her hind leg twitched.
"Say something-anything…I don't know what to do." I cried out. I cradled her head tight in my lap. Panic in my voice.
"KA-ka-ka."
Hooves trashed the sand. Clumps of debris tossed up in the air, smacking, falling onto my body. Her lips were moving. Her head cocked up. Thump thump,My heart went in my throat. I gripped her muzzle and pointed skyward. Horsey breath smothered my face. My ear pressed to her mouthing lips.
"Wa-ter."
My free hand dove into the sand. Fingers skimmed the smooth surface. Where is it? Where did it go?
Shuffling around. I blindly groped the nearby ground.
Dirty caked fingertips raked the sand. Where? Where could it be?
Something hard bumped my index finger, round and plastic. I snagged it with my two finger hold. The canteen, covered in dust, dragged into view. Water squished inside.
I snatched it up, unscrewed the cap and immediately pressed it to her mouth. My thumb forcefully pried the Belgian mare's mouth open. Her incisors showed. The plastic lip slipped in between her dry quivering lips.
I grabbed her chin and tilted her muzzle. She groaned. Her eyes on me, wide open, nearly white. Water began to flow.
Her throat moved into action. Slurping, her throat moved sluggishly. A gulp followed a long slurping her mouth eagerly sucking in the stream of lukewarm water. The canteen quickly emptied in my grip, far sooner than hoped. It was all gone.
Sucking air, The mare's lips latched on to the opening. The weight of her head bearing down on my arm. I yanked. She resisted, sucking air. It came out of her mouth with a wet pop.
"It's gone, all gone," I spoke, holding the now empty canteen.
"Please," She begged in my lap. "More,water…please."
I lifted her head off my lap, and gently laid her down onto the sands beside me. The canteen slid back into its pouch. I struggled to my feet, standing up beside her.
"I beg you…" Her eyes pleaded at me.
"Don't worry," I said, wiping the tears out of my eyes. "I'll come back with more." I hesitated. "Wait for me."
I staggered off on the double.