I helped my 10-year-old niece write her first short story and promised to post it on my profile. So, here it is!  :)

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I lifted my head and stopped chewing the mouthful of grasses as I perked my ears. Then, again, in the distance, came the sound of crying. It wasn't the sound of a foal, but an unfamiliar wailing.

I stomped my hoof and shook out my hide. The white color with black speckles blended into the shadows of the trees.

After hesitating for a moment, I trotted off down a deer trail to learn what creature in these mountains made such a sound.

The crying never stopped, so it was easy to find what was making the noise. I stopped with a snort as I spotted the human child beside a river. It was soaked from the water that it must have climbed out of.

Its crying made me feel sorry for it, and I looked around, wondering where its herd was. Humans rarely travelled alone this far into the wilderness.

I didn't see or hear any other humans, and they surely should have been here by now. In the distance, wolves began howling.

This wasn't good. This human was much too young to be out here alone. Especially wet.

The only human den I knew of was further down the valley, where the long grasses grew and wooden posts kept cattle from wandering free. There were a few horses there as well, although I had never gone close.

Slowly, I walked out of the trees and got closer. The child's cry stuttered to a stop when it spotted the approaching horse.

How was I going to get it to the old farmhouse? While thinking, I remembered seeing the humans riding on the backs of their horses. That was how I could get the child there.

The girl walked over to me and patted my shoulder, much like my previous rider used to do before she moved away. But this child was much smaller. I wasn't sure how to get her on my back when I wasn't wearing a saddle.

She reached up, and I leaned down so she could pet my nose. I laid down in the grass so she could climb onto my back. Cautiously, she climbed on, trying not to slip on my sleek hide.

Once she was sitting, I very carefully got on my feet. I walked down a trail in the direction of the farmhouse with the girl balanced on my back.

When we were halfway there, I heard wolves howling behind us.

My ears perked up as I nervously glanced behind us. I began walking as fast as I dared, hoping that the wolves weren't following us.

More howls came from behind us. Picking up speed, I moved into a trot, forcing the child to tightly hold onto my mane.

The trees thinned, giving way to grasses, which was easier to run over since there were no roots to trip me.

In the distance, I could see the small log house. The wolves wouldn't follow us out of the forest, so we were safe.

As I got closer to it, an old man with grey hair came out and watched us approach. The child on my back began babbling rapidly, and the man tried to reassure her as he picked her up off my back and put her on the ground.

A woman came out of the house and knelt down in front of the girl, speaking quietly to her. The man went into a shed and came back with a bucket. My nostrils flared as I smelled oats.

He shook the bucket, and I followed him through the gate. He put the bucket down, and I greedily ate the oats.

He patted my shoulder and closed the gate as he went back into the farmhouse where the woman and child had gone.

I looked at the farmhouse for a long time. Perhaps the child would learn to ride and we could go for runs together. One day.