A Horse Named Dragon

A beast rolled through his dreams. The great, slithering fury knew no match. Its strength knew no end. And when the brute roared, fire leapt from its lips. Miguel woke up with a start.

He gulped humid air. The sun was rising over emerald mountaintops, which looked like the spines of a giant dragon themselves. He slept outside under a single, thin sheet. Miguel shivered. He usually slept soundly, unaroused by nightmares.

It was time to wake up anyway, he thought to himself. Duty began at dusk.

He tended Puerto Rico's finest horses at Hacienda de la Selva, the Ranch in the Rainforest. It was misty, slippery, and endless in beauty. Each native creature walked with a small mystery in their heart. In a rainforest all moisture sinks down to the earth, through matrices of plants. But at the Hacienda, first it graced the backs of a mighty herd of horses.

The Hacienda was just a short ways from the island’s new racetrack, freshly built. It had sprung up from the rainforest floor like mushrooms on a rotting log. Acres of rainforest had been cleared for the track, the highway leading to it, and all the surrounding bars that would support gamblers' woes and winnings. Racehorses meant money, and to the hearts of most men, that was greener than the emerald foliage.

Puerto Rico was to become the Caribbean’s epicenter for racing. And Hacienda de Selva was breeding ground for lucky stock.

Miguel’s work with horses was endless. He spent his time picking mud from hooves, grooming the tall horses, and training them. It forced him to sleep at the Hacienda. That didn't bother him, for he had no family to look after anyway. He loved the horses as if they were his own. In fact, he loved them more than their legal owner. Once Miguel fixed nourishments for each horse, he sat down to drink water from a bottle, for himself.

Peace came to visit Earth when the horses ate. They may have neighed and stomped while their meal was being prepared, but once every nose in the barn buried into a bucket of grain, all was quiet. Only the soft chewing of massive molars could be heard. That was, of course, until their owner showed up.

"Taking a break, I see?" Lily Robles whispered. She snuck up on Miguel, through the barn aisles like the serpent from his dreams. He stood up quickly.

"Well, I've fini-"

"Please, be quiet. I’ve no time for hearing excuses. Aren't you going to ask about the whereabouts of Bradley? Have you no sympathy? No concern?" she spoke in a hurry.

"Oh, sorry. Where is he?" he asked.

Miguel hated Bradley. And Lily.

Bradley was Lily's prized Doberman. She never could've snuck up on Miguel if the dog was with her. The clumsy creature had no grace, he was as far from a horse as any being could become. He barked at the air between his ears, tripped on his own paws, and usually foamed at the mouth. Every Misses Robles in the family owned a Doberman. Probably, for protection, as their husbands were always off on military duty, never doting on their wives.

Whenever Bradley roamed the property the horses were tense, manifesting dangerous kicks and spooks. The dog seemed inbred to Miguel. Whatever it was, Bradley had no sense around the horses. Just a few weeks ago the foolish dog nipped at the wrong horse's heels, and heavy iron ripped apart his mug. Ever since the incident his jaw was crooked.

"As if you cared. As if you could even begin to appreciate such a fine pedigree," Lily paused for dramatic effect, "Well, if you must know, the veterinarian was finally able to see him. They're examining him now to see if he's a candidate for surgery. Poor thing is finally going to get his jaw fixed. Bless his canine heart! I'm going back to pick him up later in the day. But I had to rush here first. We're having a delivery! Please ready the chains, Miguel. Go and make yourself useful."

"A delivery? What do you mean? Each stall is full. We've got nowhere to put another horse," Miguel said.

"Yes, that won't be a problem. She can live in the field. This mare will have no problem in the pasture at night.”

"Why's that?" Miguel asked.

"She's wild."

His heart sank. If the horse really was wild, then she wasn’t from Puerto Rico. She came from Vieques. It was a small island to the East, known for its wild horses. It's where Miguel came from too.

"I finally got one! A mustang of the Caribbean! She’s one of those free-roaming horses from Vieques. They’re a hardy stock; I’m sure you know. Though she's too short for the racetrack herself, she'll make a fine brood mare, I'll tell you that! She's..." Lily went on, but Miguel didn't hear a word.

He was lost in a daydream. He felt the sand of his home island beneath his feet, the sun on his skin. He closed his eyes and imagined the friends and family he had lost. Sea caves sang in harmony with the crystal ocean. It was such a nice dream, and there were no beasts. He wished he could walk right in.

"Yes, Mister Robles arranged this shipment for the Hacienda. That's right, she's fresh off the boat, this mare. She'll have to live in the pasture until you build her the proper accommodations. Shouldn't take you too long. Seems like you've got nothing but free time to dawdle about," Lily looked Miguel up and down, "Get the chains and meet me in the lot. The trailer will be here any minute."

Lily noticed Miguel's aptitude for horses immediately upon hiring him. Though she never told him his own value, for then he may start to get ideas about leaving for a better farm, maybe even on a different island. Or, worse, ask for a raise.

Miguel heard the arrival of the trailer before he could even made it to the lot. He heard it as soon as his hands touched to cool, humid chain.

Bang. Hooves hammered steel. Bang. Bang. He ran towards the commotion.

Lily was speaking with the delivery man. They stood beside the trailer, which shook with equine rage. It had countless dents in the steel frame. Lily’s lips were thin and her arms crossed. Miguel recognized this as the posture she always made when someone asked her for money.

“Listen up, Misses Robles. My boss is going to be expecting-”

A sharp whinny interrupted him. The shrill squeal came from the trailer, so loud Miguel swore it shook leaves from the trees.

“A fee!” He continued.

“What for? This is outrageous!” Lily was curt.

“Do you see my trailer? If we were one more hour on the road she would’ve taken the whole thing apart. It’s got to be repaired now. We're going to miss the rest of our shipments for the week. And she’s not even out yet." the man went on.

"Fine. Mister Robles will pay. Just get the horse--"

"This is no horse Misses Robles.” the delivery man said with a shake in his voice.

Bang. She kicked the trailer again. Miguel swallowed. It seemed like she might kick the door clean off.

“Now what on Earth are you talking about?” Lily dropped her hands in fists and glared at the delivery man.

“She's a chupacabra, a werewolf. They should’ve never taken her from the other island. She’s a dragon!" he shouted.

On his last word Miguel started to sweat.

“Enough of this nonsense. Get her out of that trailer and into the pasture. Now,” Lily demanded. She crossed her hands once more, making it clear she wouldn't lift a finger to see her deeds done.

Miguel and the delivery man looked at each other, eyes wide.

The delivery man unhooked the latch and swung open the door. The horse stood still, breathing heavily, staring down at the men. She had amber eyes. Her breath was loud, whistling madness. She dripped with her own blood, battered from her ruthless attack on the trailer. And, probably, the boat too. With one warning stomp of her front hoof, she started a dash.

But Miguel was fast too. He grabbed her halter before she could even get all the way out of the trailer. She ran fast and pulled the short man through the mud. Miguel dug his heels into the Earth.

She raised her head, the whites of her eyes peering above amber, and lifted Miguel clean off the ground.

But he didn't let go.

She lifted him several more times and lunged at him wildly. Miguel was swift, as if he knew what the horse would do before she did.

"Whoa. Whoa." Miguel said gently, his knuckles turning white from strain.

Finally she halted. Even the jungle could feel her mad heartbeat. And between her breaths, so sneakily that the horse didn’t notice at first, Miguel snaked the chain through her halter.

She lifted her head so hard that the chain drew blood across her nose. Miguel was as humane as he could be, asking her to be still. Be calm.

Finally she cooperated. He lead her to the pasture, unfastened the halter, and the mare was off. She sprinted across the perimeter of her fence, snorting at the disgrace of being caged. Lily watched and stared. Her face had gone pale.

Miguel felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful, hombre. This one's crazy. I can see her skull is loose. It's in her eyes. She wants to taste human blood. Don't let her hurt you." the delivery man whispered in his ear, so Lily wouldn't hear. He strode back towards the trailer.

"My business here is done Misses Robles. You will hear from my boss soon about the damages," the delivery man said. He cut short Lily's reply by slamming his truck door closed and starting his engine. He turned onto the bumpy rainforest road and the metal trailer groaned.

For a moment, Miguel and Lily watched in silence.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Throw her a flake of hay. I have to be off now," Lily turned on her heel. "Oh, but one more thing. You must name her, Miguel. I simply cannot let Bradley get jealous if I go about naming other animals. He might think he’s not so special. No, it must be you to name her. And, besides, I simply don’t have the time.”

And she was gone.

Miguel wheeled a bale of hay towards the snorting creature and threw a serving at her feet.

The horse looked down at the hay, then up at Miguel. She let out a derisive snort and trampled the hay. Her stomps crushed the dry vegetation. She kicked the flake across the pasture and threw the remaining pieces into the air with her mouth.

With one final grunt she turned her back and started to graze on grass, sprouting from the rich rainforest clearing. He wondered how anyone ever managed to rope her and steal her. From his island.

Long ago her ancestors washed up on Vieques. Their ships and handlers were torn apart by sharp rocks along the shore, feathered like the underbelly of a dove. The horses who survived the shipwreck walked onto the barren land and colonized it themselves, with no humans shepherding them. She grew up on shores of seashells. She knew an island of flat plains and earthquakes. Vieques had no rainforest, so no rain was called there from across the sea. She was born into an everlasting drought. She could fly across a valley for a single drop of water. She was a horse that lived by the seasons rather than the schedule of man. She understood the tides and marched across her island, through cliffs and beaches, with a herd of other wild creatures, all tied to the moon and the stars.

Worst of all, she survived endless bombings. Vieques, though beautifully untouched, was also a bomb testing sight. The horse heard bombs and she heard them move across the island too, like slithering snakes. She smelled the stench of death since she was a foal. She ran from the calls for drills in military trainings. She ran from the explosions that shook her island. She ran from them every time.

It's what Miguel ran from too.

"El dragón," he said in an incredulous whisper.

She lifted her head from the grass, as if she understood him. Her amber eye was focused on the farmhand and nothing else.

"El dragón," Miguel said, louder.

The horse started to trot. She exhaled puffs of passion.

"El dragón," Miguel shouted.

The horse raced through her pasture. Her hooves shoveled wet Earth, leaving crescents in the mud with each step. He had never seen a horse so powerful. It was clear that she didn't want to run. She wanted to take flight. Suddenly she reared up, standing up on her back legs, as if to leap skywards.

And so her name was Dragon.

When Miguel told Lily her name, she chided him. She wondered aloud if that was a more suitable name for a stallion than a female horse. But Miguel insisted. And Lily wasn’t one to fight for anything.

Over the following months, Miguel transformed her from a bloody mess into a honest horse. It was a slow process. First, she learned to trust him. She learned the meaning of her name. Soon he was able to apply elixirs to her wounds. They healed into white streaks on her brown fur, like the tails of comets. While tracing brushes across her body, he spoke in a soft whisper, telling her stories of the life in Vieques he had to leave behind. He told nobody else in Puerto Rico where he was born and raised.

Dragon never ate grain and hay like the rest of the horses. She refused, and made quite a spectacle each time. She only ate grass which sprouted from the very Earth that bore her. And Miguel never built a stall for her, because he knew she'd be happier in the pasture. The only time roofs were over her head was on the boat and in the trailer. She needed stars and skies. She needed the sun to bleach her wild mane and tail. He could see a glimmer of grit in her eyes, even when the rain was pummeling her.

Slowly and patiently he readied her for the saddle. Miguel made sure she was always comfortable and listened to her distinct body language. When she folded back her ears or flicked her tail, he backed off. He knew better than to rush the process. Soon though, she took to the sport. She seemed to enjoy being ridden. Dragon had more spirit than any horse he'd ever ridden, her strength was beyond measure. When she worked hard, he could feel her heart beat through the saddle. He rode her with skill and she looked to Miguel for leadership. If he was strong, so was she. All horses need a leader, even savages.

Dragon was sensitive as the moon is to sunlight. She heard the intentions of man in their breath. Dragon listened to Miguel only because she knew that he saw her for what she truly was. Wild.

Miguel was making his way back towards the barn after their most recent ride. He was hoping to be quick to unsaddle the horse and bathe her, as the mosquitoes would be out soon. And all the other horses were pawing in their stalls, waiting to be fed. During his dismount, he heard Bradley barking. Lily must be at the Hacienda. He stayed calm, so Dragon could feel his soothing aura.

Lily started speaking while he unclipped his helmet, before he could unfasten the saddle. The dog was convulsing and barking with excitement, even uglier after the vet set his jaw.

"We've got a buyer for Dragon," Lily announced with a satisfied smirk, as if it was something Miguel would be happy to hear.

"I thought you were going to turn her into a broodmare," Miguel said. He was sad that the horse was going, but not surprised. Lily never could turn down a hearty sum of cash.

"A rancher in the south is interested in turning her into a cattle horse," Lily explained. The mountainous, slippery jungle was no place for cattle. But in the southern plains of Puerto Rico, past the breaking mountains and rolling jungle, cattle was popping up like sugar cane. “So you think she can cut cattle?"

"This horse could cut lions," Miguel answered.

Lily grinned like bags of money were lifting up the corners of her selfish mouth.

"But there's going to be problems. I don’t know if she’s ready for sale," Miguel said while looking at his feet. He had a feeling Lily wouldn't listen. She would trample through his warnings with her own agenda.

"Why not?" Lily shrieked.

"She's not safe to ride," Miguel said.

Lily started to laugh. It echoed from her belly, until her laugh became something ugly. She doubled over, consumed by it. It seemed like Bradley joined her riotous laughter, or maybe he was just barking at his own mindlessness. The foolish dog was by her side, black as night. After the surgery he seemed even uglier to Miguel.

"Oh yeah? Not safe to ride? You say while dismounting her! Ha! Don’t be so cautious." Lily said between laughing breaths.

"It must be the right rider on Dragon. I am telling you Misses Robles, your buyer will get hurt," Miguel warned. And he had come to love Dragon, his heart would break at her disappearance. But he kept that part quiet.

"They’re going to pick her up in just a few days time. There'll be no more discussion about it," Lily said. She had finally composed herself and was staring into Miguel's eyes. She was just as serious as him. "But there's one more thing. I must ride her before she goes! She’s a wild horse. I can’t let her slip through my grasp without at least one sit in the saddle."

"Please listen Misses Robles. It's not a good idea," Miguel pleaded.

"And who are you? A farmhand who decides when I ride my own horse? Get out of my way. She’s already saddled for Christ's sake!" Lily pushed Miguel away from Dragon. She ripped her reigns from his hands. Dragon eyed the woman dangerously.

Lily swung herself into the saddle and steered the horse towards a clearing.

But Dragon did not follow her directions.

When Lily pulled Dragon's head to the left, she stormed towards the right. She carried Lily straight through the barn. When she asked Dragon to halt, she only galloped faster. The other horses watched Dragon fly down the barn aisle with fixed tension in their eyes. Eventually Lily was moaning in frustration. She could not control the horse. Not even a little bit.

Miguel followed, shouting instructions at Lily. It was futile. Dragon would never listen to Lily. She had no respect for this rider.

Dragon, with Lily still astride, emerged out the opposite end of the barn. She was in a full gallop, carrying Lily across the field at a mile a minute. At this point Lily was screaming, as if on a roller coaster ride. She clung to the beast for dear life. The horse stormed on.

Then Dragon came to a abrupt halt. She straightened each of her legs and leaned back on her haunches, right in front of the manure pile.

Lily was launched into the air, her face distorted in disgust and fear, before falling head-first into the smelly heap.

It was Miguel's turn to laugh, but he didn't dare. He rushed to collect the horse.

Lily stood. Filth covered her immaculate clothes, her neat hair, and even her face. Soon Bradley was by her side, licking clean his master's boots. Lily was exasperated. She could not believe something like this had happened to her. She looked like she just might cry, then straightened herself back up, and repressed her emotions.

It would've been a traumatic fall if not for the soft cushion of equine feces. Miguel thought her to be lucky. It could've been a lot worse, especially considering her lack of headgear.

"Are you okay? Did you get hurt?" Miguel asked, stifling his laughter.

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much. But that damned horse won't be! She's dangerous! She's not to be ridden!" Lily took a deep breath, and the whole Hacienda felt reproach in her exhale. "If I sell Dragon to the rancher, we'll surely have a reputation for selling loose cannons. No horse will soil my business. The sale is cancelled!"

Miguel was relieved, but only for a moment.

"Since she is so dangerous, we'll have to slaughter her for meat. She's going south for processing. Just like those damned cattle," Lily spat in the dirt. Normally she was much more poised, but Dragon got to her. She unraveled the fabric of the rich woman, thread by thread. Lily rushed away, no doubt towards the showers.

Miguel was heartbroken. But he knew better than to argue with Lily, especially in her current mood. He thought it would be best to talk some sense into her tomorrow morning. Lily, or rather her husband, had already spent so much money shipping the horse to the Hacienda, repairing the trailer, and hiring Miguel to train her. She couldn't give up now. Could she?

When Miguel drifted off that night, his dream was back. A great beast spat fire and coiled in rage. He woke up startled in the middle of the night, under a blanket of stars.

He couldn't shake the dream. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was a message in it, somehow. Then he felt a strong stream of breath on his cheek.

His eyes opened to see the inquisitive nose of Dragon, just inches from his. She must have hopped over her paddock fence!

Miguel stood quickly. Dragon bowed her head.

He knew what must happen next. When a chance at freedom looks a man in the eye, it's his choice to take it or not. And Miguel was no fool.

He mounted the horse, bareback.

His fingers gripped her whipping mane, with the same force he used to wrangle Dragon the day they'd met. His knuckles were as white as the moon. He bent low over the horse’s neck, which bobbed back and forth with her every step, her massive jaw pulled her leaps longer and longer. When they reached the Hacienda's gate, she simply flew over it.

They slipped into the wordless night, rider and horse, caged only where island met sea.