Moon Shadow by Chris Platt

nuzzle the foal. “What was that?” she asked as she watched Moon Shadow maneuver toward the mare’s flank.
    â€œWhat’s going on out here?” Old Harvey slowly made his way over to the fence. “Everyone’s having a party, and no one invited me?” he said with a wink at Callie. He pointed his cane toward the mustang mare. “That’s just mare talk, young’un. That’s what they do when they’re excited or displeased with something,” he explained. “Don’t let it bother you.”
    Callie frowned. “If she doesn’t like Moon Shadow, I don’t think we should put them in together.”
    Sam crossed to the gate that separated the two horses. “This mare doesn’t seem to want to hurt the filly none. She’s just making a lot of noise. That’s common with these mares and foals.” He motioned to his son. “Justin, why don’t you step in here with your rope while I let this mare into the pen? If there’s any trouble, make a lot of racket and rattle that rope. We’ll chase her back out again.” He nodded to Callie. “Once the mare’s in here, I want you to work the gate. We might have to move her out in a hurry. Can you do that?”
    Callie swallowed hard and nodded. She was terrified for Moon Shadow. Although the bay was a small horse, she was still ten times bigger than the foal. So many things could go wrong. But Callie reminded herself again that this wasn’t the first time the cowboys had done this. It had worked in the past. It could work for Moon Shadow, too. It was their best hope. They should at least give it a try.
    She quickly climbed the fence and went to her post. Justin stood ready while his father opened the gate. The mare immediately trotted into the pen, arching her neck as she approached the foal. She stopped several yards from Moon Shadow and stuck out her nose. The filly softly nickered and took several teetering steps toward the mare, but the mustang pinned her ears and snorted.
    â€œEasy,” Sam soothed. The older horse took another step toward Moon Shadow and blew through her lips while shaking her head.
    Everyone looked on in silence as the mare paused, her ears moving forward and back as if she were undecided what to do. After a moment, she took the last few steps that separated her from the filly and sniffed her from forelock to tail, nipping her on the haunches while the filly nuzzled her shoulder.
    Finally, Moon Shadow staggered to the mare’s flank, but as she stretched her neck to drink, the mustang mare shifted her hips in the opposite direction and squealed once more.
    Old Harvey placed his gnarled hands on the fence and spoke to the wild one. “Don’t be like that, sis,” he scolded. “This little filly needs your help.”
    â€œGive her some time,” Sam said.
    They watched for several more minutes while the mare continued to nuzzle the filly, but moved away every time Moon Shadow tried to nurse.
    â€œThis could be why her own foal isn’t with her,” Harvey said. “Some new mommas are ticklish and they won’t let their foals nurse. It’s possible that’s how her foal died.”
    After several more minutes of shuffling around, Moon Shadow boldly reached under the mare’s belly. The mustang immediately squealed and kicked, sending the foal toppling into the dirt.
    â€œNo!” Callie shouted. She threw open the gate for the mare to leave. “Get her out of there before Moon Shadow gets hurt!”
    Sam nodded and Justin sent the lasso flying toward the mare’s hindquarters, forcing her to move toward the gate. Moon Shadow scrambled to her feet and tried to follow, but Callie slammed the gate closed before she reached it.
    The filly gave a lonesome whinny. It sounded so forlorn that Callie felt as if someone had punched her right in the heart. She wanted to run to the little buckskin foal and scoop her up