Ants were such fascinating creatures. She could sit and watch them for hours. So industrious, such teamwork and strength. She laid on the ground next to a large, sandy mound, her neck outstretched and staring intently as the tiny bugs moved individual grains of sand, twigs and leaves one hundred times their length, and other debris around the hill. She pushed a front hoof forward, interrupting a line of ants heading back to their home and smiled as they simply diverted around, following the curve of her foot, then continued back in the straight line they were originally heading in.
Sighing, she stood and shook, sending dust and hair flying. She stretched out her legs as the tassels that hung from her saddle shook gently. There were a few clouds in the sky today and a crispness in the air that signaled the coming winter. This time of year, her herd would usually have been heading south, but she had long since left them behind and decided to stay in these lands. There was a slight pang of bitterness as she heard her father’s voice in her head, shouting at her as she left, calling her a disgrace. A frown crossed her face for a second before she tossed her head back and laughed. If breaking tradition was a disgrace, then so be it. She wasn’t one for outdated customs and the…expectations that came with being a female. She was no broodmare destined to push out babies for some stallion just for the sake of carrying on the name. What does a name mean if you’re not living a fulfilling life? They were nomads, but she rarely got to explore the way she did now. She felt that now she was truly living.
As if to prove this point, Asiyah reared back on her hind legs and bolted off across the meadow she had been laying in. Running at full speed, her heart soared, and her face broke into an ecstatic smile. She was free and would have it no other way.
