Our story, called “The Scars of a Friend”, tells what happens when ‘the broken’ are accepted rather than cast aside and forgotten. In our last post Azhar  and his horse, Wind -Rider, encountered robbers in the forest that wounded Wind Rider and took something very valuable from Azhar. Let’s find out what they stole.

Wind-Rider’s wound took a long time to heal. Azhar visited the horse daily but he did not linger long. The ragged slash in the horse’s flesh glared out at him, and he could not bring himself to run his hand over the horse’s blemished body. He relegated the task of grooming Wind-Rider to a stable boy.

Without the passion of those wild rides, his days dulled into a gray routine and he began to grow restless. “When will Wind-Rider be ready to ride?” he inquired of the stable master, his voice edged with impatience.

Finally, Wind-Rider seemed strong enough to be ridden. Azhar gingerly mounted his stallion, carefully avoiding the jagged red scar that had replaced the gaping wound.

As Wind-Rider galloped out onto the familiar ridge, his master felt the wind’s caress on his face. A delighted smile lit up his face as he closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh salt air. The stallion sprinted across the ridge eagerly with his head held high, but after a few miles, it was obvious to Azhar that his horse did not run with the same vigor and vitality as before.

Wind-Rider grew tired and slowed his pace. Azhar urged the horse on, but Wind-Rider began to breathe heavily and they were forced to return to the stable. Azhar was determined to regain the pleasure of those unruly excursions before Wind Rider was injured. Day after day, he took Wind-Rider out for short rides, hoping to build the horse’s strength, but the stallion’s stamina did not return.

The horse’s diminished might deprived Azhar of more than fearless rides into the wilderness. It was as if the slash to Wind-Rider’s flesh had allowed vulnerability to seep into Azhar’s life. Wind-Rider became a painful reminder of what Azhar had lost.

What will become of Azhar and his horse?

Next Time: “Escaped!”