The Roar of the Falls: My Journey with Kaya

I turn my back on Squirrel and try to ignore him. I tell Kaya that I’d like to start with leading for a while. It’ll give me a chance to steady my legs. We walk around the edge of the herd. Brown and black horses, horses with white faces and gray spots, horses with brown spots and white spots. I’m dizzy with all the colors and tossing manes. They’re all so big and wild. I see a young black-and-white horse standing near the edge of the group. It has a shiny coat and spotted rump. The wind twists its silky mane up off its fine, graceful neck. As we walk up, the horse sees us and lets out a nicker.

Suddenly, Kaya stops. She gazes up at the horse, and the horse looks intently back at her. Then, as if calling out, the horse lifts its nose and lets out a long, ringing whinny. Kaya answers with a low whistle, and the horse canters up to Kaya, stopping in front of her. Kaya greets her as Little Girl, so that will be her name.

I am enchanted by their interaction. If I didn’t know better, I could swear they were talking. Kaya loops a rope halter loosely around its nose and behind her ears. The horse tosses her head at the unfamiliar feel. But in a quick moment, the horse senses Kaya’s tenderness because she relaxes.

Kaya explains to me that every creature has wisdom to share with us. So she tries to listen carefully. I haven’t been around animals nearly as much as Kaya, but I think I understand what she means. When I’m working in my garden, I seem to know what plants need, as if they talk to me. And that’s why I talk to them, too.

Kaya and I work with Little Girl for a long time. We have her walk beside us calmly and to stop when we stop. Finally Kaya takes the halter off Little Girl. Suddenly, we hear hoofbeats in the distance, moving very fast. Toe-ta shouts from the other side of the herd, and then everything is chaos. A group of riders tears toward us, bending low over their horses. They don’t look friendly.

Jumps Back yells that they’re enemy raiders! Toe-ta shouts for everyone to hide. I cry out for Kaya as fear sweeps over me. Kaya pulls me away from the horses through clouds of dust. Arrows zing past us. The raiders shout to each other in a language I don’t understand. they surround us, spread out in a circle around our herd, and close in rapidly. The horses paw the dirt, neighing in a panic. I can’t think over the loud noises and screams of Toe-ta and the others trying to fight off the invaders.

Kaya and I make our way to the cover of a large rock when Kaya stops suddenly. I ask her what she’s doing. She’s looking over at the horses. She wants to help Little Girl!