After ten minutes of hard running Faris could no longer see the Grimbaldi Foundation in the distance. The dogs had chased them for the first mile or so, snapping at Jack’s heels as he galloped away, but then they had given up one after another. They had lost the last one when they reached a wide stream – Jack leapt over it in a single bound but the dog misjudged the distance and jumped headlong into the muddy bank on the opposite side. Jack had whinnied a loud laugh as the dog slid backwards into the water with a dazed look on its face.
“Watch your head.” Jack murmured, his quiet voice bringing Faris back to reality. He ducked quickly to avoid the low tree branch Jack was walking under.
They had left the open fields behind them now and were going deep into a wood. Faris was nervous. In nine years he had not stepped out of Foundation grounds and had never once been out at night. Looking around him at the dark trees and strange shadows Faris wondered for the first time how sensible it had been to leave the Foundation. Talking horses aside, Faris thought the woods felt strange.
“You’d better get down now mate,” Jack’s voice said from below, interrupting Faris’s thoughts again. “The trees are getting lower and you’ll probably fall off if you don’t jump off.”
Jack stopped walking and Faris lifted his left leg over to one side and slid awkwardly onto the ground. His feet crunched dry leaves beneath him as he landed on the floor. Jack turned his head round and looked at Faris through the shadows.
“I know things must seem pretty weird to you right now,” Jack said slowly.
“Huh? Yeah, just a little!” Faris replied raising his eyebrows. “Most days I just talk to dogs and cats – horses are a real surprise.”
“Well at least your sarcasm seems working so you can’t be that worried!” Jack smiled his funny toothy horse smile again. “C’mon. We’ve got a little bit further to walk, I’ve got to show you something and then you might begin to understand what’s been happening.”
“OK.” Faris nodded. He inspected the surrounding trees with nervous eyes. It wasn’t like he had much of a choice in the matter; Jack had obviously been a big help in him escaping from the Foundation and he had nowhere else to go. Besides, he certainly didn’t want to be left in the dark woods alone.
Jack nodded his head, happy that Faris was going to come with him. He turned back towards the darker depths of the wood and with a swish of his tail he was walking through the dense trees trampling down the foliage to make it easier for Faris to follow him.
A short time later Jack paused suddenly on the path. Faris was walking along looking at his feet not paying attention and walked straight into Jack’s large behind.
“Oof,” said Faris in surprise as he bounced backwards.
“Watch it,” Jack whispered to him.
“What have we stopped for?” Faris whispered back.
“We’re here,” Jack was peering cautiously ahead of him. “But we’ve got to be careful that nothing sees us.”
Faris pushed silently forward through the trees, so that he was stood next to Jack’s head. It seemed strange that Jack nothing rather than no one. Faris squinted through the shadowy darkness; he could just make out an open clearing in the woods ahead. Facing them was a dark, stonewall that stretched high up into the hillside above. Faris looked at Jack, who looked right back at him.
“What are we looking for?” Faris whispered.
“Just one last check…” Jack murmured, not answering him. He pushed his large black nose forward through the trees and sniffed the air again. “Looks like the coast is clear,” he announced and nodded his head towards the clearing. “Lets go.”
Jack ventured out into the open space and Faris followed him, sticking close to his side. He glanced quickly around the clearing but saw nothing to indicate what Jack had been looking for. They walked swiftly towards the grey rock wall ahead of them.
With a hasty glance to each side Jack stepped forwards as though he was walking into the wall itself. Just as he did this Faris noticed Jack put his large right hoof into a circular hole that was carved into a rock hidden in the grassy floor of the clearing. The stone rolled away, revealing the opening to a deep cave behind.
“Get inside, quick,” Jack said nodding his head towards the cave. Faris hesitated for a second before stepping into the darkness. It swallowed him whole.
In the dark of the cave Faris couldn’t see anything: he waved his fingers in front of his face but only felt the air moving, he saw nothing.
“Jack?” Faris whispered. “Jack? Where are you?”
There was no answer. A dull thud sounded behind him and Faris realised that it was the stone wall closing. Now there was no way out of the darkness.
“JACK?” Faris hissed, more nervous now. “Where are you? Where are we?” He flapped his hands around again but still felt nothing.
“We’re in a cave stupid!” Jack’s voice in his ear made Faris jump into the air with surprise. “And stop waving your hands round like a mad man, you’ll have your eye out!”
“Fine!” Faris let his arms flop to his side, while he tried to slow his racing heart. “I realise we’re in a cave, but what are we doing here?”
“I’ve got something to show you to try and help you understand what’s happening.” Jack said. “And this is a safer route to get to where we’re going, than staying out in the open.”
“But how can you show me anything? We can’t see!”
“Not a bad point my two-legged chum. Let’s see what we can do about that…”
Faris felt Jack move away from him in the darkness and could hear the sound of his hooves clumping around on the floor of the cave as though he was stamping his feet.
“Dum-de-dum,” Jack sang to himself under his breath. “De-dum-dum-de-dum. Come on – where are you?” He muttered.
“What are you doing?” Faris asked impatiently.
“Ah ha! Here we go…” Jack said, ignoring Faris. There was the sound of a loud decisive stamp and the cave was suddenly filled with light. Faris saw that Jack had stamped on another stone with a hoof shape carved into it. Faris thought it must be some kind of strange horse light switch or something.
“The best of Core magic,” Jack said with a knowing wink, “finest power source on the planet…or under it for that matter.”
“The best of what…? Magic?” Faris stammered.
But Jack wasn’t listening. He was disappearing off towards the back of the cave, which Faris could now see was a long passage that led deeper and downwards. He hurried along behind Jack as he clip-clopped away.
“Of course it’s magic my little chum. How else do you think you can talk to me?” Jack said when Faris caught up to him.
“I suppose but…I didn’t really mean that…I meant it’s more…everything that’s odd.” Faris said.
“Odd? How so?” Jack replied.
“You know – one minute I’m sitting in the Foundation looking out of the window and the next birds are giving me plans to escape with a talking horse. Not exactly your usual day in South Appledale is it?”
“Ah, yes. It is odd when you put it like that, except technically I’m not a talking horse, I can’t talk to everyone. No, no indeed…” Jack shook his head as he walked. “It’s quite the opposite in fact Faris: I’m not a talking horse, you’re a person who talks to horses. You’re a Hoofer!” Jack said.
“I’m a what?” Faris’s voice was doubtful.
“A Hoofer.” Jack replied simply. “It’s what people in our world call people like you – people who can talk to horses.”
“A Hoofer…” Faris echoed dreamily and then he realised that he had stopped walking and trotted to catch up with Jack again.
“Anyway, the Hoofer thing aside, this shouldn’t feel that strange to you. Deep down, deep down in your heart you knew that something was going to happen. You knew that you were different didn’t you?”
“Maybe a little,” Faris agreed. ?
??But when I was waiting for something I didn’t expect this.”
“That’s the point though, don’t you see?” Jack said.
Faris shook his head. No, he didn’t see.
Jack explained. “The point is that you weren’t sitting there, you were waiting there. Even if you didn’t know what you were waiting for, you knew you were waiting for something and that’s part of what makes you special. Part of what makes you who you are.”
“I suppose, maybe you’re right,” Faris shrugged. He was still confused about it but decided to stop asking questions…for the moment at least.
“Right? Of course I’m right!” Jack grinned. “I’ve got two right legs so I’ll always be twice as right as you!”
Jack whinnied his horsy laugh and carried on clip clopping along the passage. Faris smiled and followed him. Right now it didn’t matter to him what the explanation was: if he had magical powers or was just plain crazy. For the first time in his life Faris felt happy and for only the second time in his life he felt he’d found a friend, and that was worth being crazy for.