Zelda has been driven from her home and the mare she is blended with leads her to the herd of zebra. Once in the heard she blends in and loses herself to the herd.

in some time the Ma find her and capture the 'exotic animal" they see her to be, and put her on display.

By the end of the chapter she regains her memory of her humanity.

When I figure out how I will link these together.

Found
By Zelda Zebra

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The boys had been watching the zebra herd for days. Soon there would be a hunt and the village wanted to know how the herd was moving. Hunting zebra is not so hard if you don’t have to chase them. The trick is to watch the herd long enough to learn where it will go next. Then you go out ahead of it and wait for the herd to find you.

The boys had thought that they had seen some thing strange from time to time, but the thing with zebra is the stripes make it hard to tell where one ends and the next one starts. So they were not sure if they had seen anything or not, and what they thought they saw just could not be. After all people don’t have stripes and zebras don’t walk on two legs.

The herd was moving towards the river. The river would be shallow but it would still slow the herd. There were few places to get down to the banks and in the water the zebra could not move as fast, making them easer to kill. When the zebra reached the river it would be time for the hunt.

The hunters prepared themselves. They practiced the hunt with the dances that would teach the boys what to expect. The medicine-man blessed the hunters and there weapons. Then as the sun still tried to hide in the grass at the edge of the world the hunters left the village. They would casually walk to the river each hunter would take a spear and his bow they would collect the water left by the boys in the empty eggs of the great flightless birds. Hiding was not possible on the plains, and it just made the animals harder to kill. As soon as they could see the river they would stop and wait. The herd would come past them on there way to the river.

Once at the water the herd would begin to bunch up. The ones in back would have to wait for the ones in front. That is when the hunters would move. They would run into the herd and kill what they need, plus a few for the lions who will take what they want anyway. It was a simple plan that had worked for as long as anyone from the village could remember.


The herd moved constantly, coming together when food was abundant or water was scarce, spreading out when water was abundant or food was scarce. Now water was scarce and the herd was moving from water to water. All the other herds did the same and were there was water there was no food. Where there was food there was no water. This was just the way of things. That the herd could not imagine anything different did not make her like it.

The lions would be near the water. As long as you could see them they were not a threat, but when you could only smell them they were hunting. When you found them everybody ran until the lions ate. The fear lasted until the chase was in the past and everyone caught their breath.

Something different was following the herd. It made her nerves. Something from then was now but she could not remember what it was that was then. Now was easy for her. That is where the herd lived. Now she was safe. Then she hadn’t been safe. She wanted to stay in now with the herd, but something from then was stalking her. All fear was supposed to live in then, but it was here now. If only she could remember what it was?

She normally stayed deep in the herd. There was little to eat there but it was safe. Members of the herd would go the edge of the herd and eat, then when not hungry anymore, stop and let the herd surround them, safe. She never got hungry. She never had to go to the edge of the herd. But she was small and when the herd bunched up around water pushing to get a drink. She often found herself near the edge of the herd. That is when she saw the shadows from then, out in the open, and that frightened her.

From the herd she knew that what you could see was not hunting you, but she didn’t care. She was still terrified. With out thought she made an alarm sound and ran. The strength of the herd is it has many eyes and ears to find danger. Most members will never see what they are running from, but all know that to lose that race is to become a meal. Zebras around her ran because she was running. Zebras around them ran because they were running. In this way she had the whole herd moving away from the shadows from then.


The hunters waited and watched casually as the herd of zebras began moving past them on their way to the river. The herd would not approach them but it would not be very far away either. Every thing was working like it had for as long as any of the hunters could remember. Until something that could not bee was spotted in the herd. The boys had said that they had seen a two legged zebra while watching the herd now the hunters thought they saw it too. They could see it for only an instant before it disappeared back into the hard.

As they strained to see what it was the herd changed direction and began to run up river away from the hunters. Weather this thing had moved the herd or the hunters had spooked the herd trying to see it did not mater now the herd was running, and if they were going to eat they had best get what they could, now!

They moved at an angle to cut off some of the zebras before they could get back up the bank. Frustrating as this was they would still have some success today and the zebras still had to drink. They would not go far. There would be meat and stories to night, worth an extra day or two hunting to get enough food to take the village through until the herds came back next season.

The hunters killed four zebra and the lions took one of those so they had three for the village. They decided to cut up what they had, and leave the parts they did not want for the lions. As they worked they speculated on what they had seen, and on what had happened. Those who had actually seen it were certain of what they had seen, a woman marked like a zebra. Those who had not were just as certain the others were telling stories to cover spooking the herd.

After returning to the village with what meet they did have, and telling what stories they could the hunters returned to the river to continue the hunt. Of coarse they would take what ever presented its self, at the river game was abundant. Most of the herds were still easy to hunt. The methods learned by sons from fathers uncountable worked as they had always worked. Only the zebra were different. No mater how the hunters approached as soon as they saw the zebra on two feet the herd ran off.

Meat was meat and the herds on the plains provided ample meat, but the skin of the zebra was prized for its beauty and sold well at market. That and the hunters pride was at stake. Eventually all the hunters saw the zebra on two legs. They started calling it Wadne oo xayn (the Heart of the herd). Since no one not on the hunts saw it most of the villagers did not believe. Only by capturing the Heart of the herd could the hunters redeem there pride. How to get it out of the herd? Became the question every hunter worked hardest on.

The hunters tried everything they could think of but when the herds moved on they had less than a double handful of zebra hides to show for there work. Maybe when the herds returned the Heart of the herd would not be with them, and they would again have bragging rights of hunters that kill whatever they wish.

They were of course disappointed she was with the herd each time the hunters found it. Seasons came and went. The herd traveled north and back south again. Always the Heart of the herd was seen and always the zebra were the hardest of all the herds to hunt. Neighboring villagers spoke of the two legged zebra and how it had made their hunt more difficult. Some even complained that the lion were easer to kill than zebra had become.

Stories grew about what it was; demon, demigod, spirit, medicine-man, illusion there were more stories than story tellers. The only things that linked them were the descriptions of the zebra woman and that only the greatest hunter could capture her. Some believed that the Heart of the herd would grant any wish to the hunter that captured her in exchange for freedom. Others believed her to be an enchanted queen seeking the one who would prove himself worthy, then the two of them would bring back the splendor of some long forgotten empire. Most believed that she could not be killed or captured, and had been sent to protect the zebra from hunters that had displeased God.


The shadows of then had become too real. She was plagued by memories of running through a great herd of shadows in the night. Deep in the herd was no longer safe these shadows pursued her there too. They were not as fast as the other herd members but they were nearly as fast as she was.

Many times they would come close to catching her. They would chase her until they could no longer run. Once they chased her in teams as one slowed another would be waiting to continue the chase. They chased her all day but as night approached there were none left to chase her. It took her most of the night to find the herd again.

The weather was cooling and the herd was moving from bush land to the open plains following the rains. They normally moved spread out and at a casual pace. This was open country with little cover for the lions that always followed the herd. This time the herd was confined between the cliff and the shadows out on the open country. When the herd moved away from the cliff they would encounter shadows of then and move back to the cliff. She did not like this and swished her tail angrily to express her displeasure, but she belonged with the herd and the herd is where she would stay. The herd was headed for a gap in the cliff that allowed the herd to get to the top of the bluff and the grazing there. They would leave the shadows there.

As the leaders approached the gap, more shadows of then appeared, forcing the herd to go through the gap. She hid deep in the herd, hopping to escape the notice of the shadows of then. The gap was narrow and the herd could move only slowly through it. If the shadows chased her here she had no where to run. The herd pushed and shoved as always but it was moving more slowly than usual. Eventually they would come to a place were the shadows had been before with a thing in the path of the herd, but the shadows seemed frightened to be in this place with the herd, and the thing was easily stepped over. So the herd was not concerned.

When she reached the place where the shadows had been there was a thing across the path of the herd. It was as high as her chest with a gap for the herd to pass through a few at a time. This was different and the herd did not like different. The pushing and shoving was worse than usual. When she went through the gap it was too small for her to hide from the shadows, but they did not chase her. Instead they closed the gap to keep the rest of the herd from following. Next she noticed that there was something happening ahead and the part of the herd she was in began to run. As they ran she saw another thing across the path and more of the herd on the other side moving away. She and the part of the herd she was in wanted to join them but could not, so they turned away from the thing and continued to run back to the first thing across the path. There shadows jumped and screamed chasing the now small herd away, as they approached the upper thing a gap was open. Some of the herd went through the gap then the shadows closed the gap and chased the rest away. Back and forth they went. They were sending the herd away to leave her to be lion food. Each time around there were fewer and fewer left of the herd with her and more and more shadows. Eventually there were more shadows than herd. That is when they ran in at her from all sides. With no were for her to run they quickly caught her and pulled her to the ground. She kicked, struck, and bit at every thing that she could until she could move mo more.

She was tangled in something like vines but stronger and very tight. Somewhere she had a memory that wanted to be heard, but what was it, and why did it want to be heard not seen. The shadows dragged her to one side next to the cliff. They left her tangled as they opened the gaps and let the rest of the herd pass. Alone, it was her time to… she did not know. There were other memories of something black in a hole, and great pain in her chest. Vaguer memories of having to follow a shadow, and a thing that held her head, but they made little sense. She had seen what the lions did to members of the herd that they caught, but never what the shadows did.

When the herd was out of sight but could still be heard the shadows returned. She called out to the herd, and felt better when the herd answered. When the shadows began to untangle her she was frightened and confused. Why did they stop? They left her front legs hobbled. She alone in the herd did not need them to run, but she wanted them free. They left a thing on her head. Next they made her stand up, and pulled on her head with a thing that came from her chin. She moved in the direction of the pull and when it stopped so did she. She was pulled again this time she did not stop. In this way she was led away from the herd. When finally she could no longer hear the herd she felt so completely alone she no longer cared what happened to her.

By the end of the day she began to look to this small herd of shadows for safety, after all they had not eaten her yet, and even the lion stayed away from the shadows. They stopped moving as it got dark, and made a fire. She was not exactly afraid of the fire, but she was glad none of the shadows came to where she was held to take her to the fire. She remembered being very close to fire and not being afraid, but that memory did not feel like hers. The shadows did things around the fire and ate what they had put into the fire. When they were finished one of the shadows came to her with some of what he had taken out of the fire and some grass pulled from the ground in the same way she did when she wanted to eat. She was not hungry, but she did want to chew on something because chewing always made her feel better. The shadow made some noises and placed both on the ground at her feet. She ate the grass. The other smelled all right but something was not right, she just did not know what.

The herd had often slowed down in the dark but it almost never completely stopped all night, and they never all slept at the same time. With the shadows it was different after eating they all lay down and went to sleep. Now would be a good time to go back to the herd, except for the thing on her head. It was attached to a tree not very near to where the shadows lay sleeping. If her legs were not hobbled she could take the thing off. The shadows wanted her stay with their herd. Well that happened every spring. The great herd would be braking up soon. The stallions would divide up the mares and move off into smaller groups. If this was her new herd she would stay awake and watch.

As the night progressed she began to feel isolated and tried to move into the small group of sleeping shadows, but the thing on her head would not allow her to get to the nearest sleeping shadow. She had to settle for standing as close as it would allow. When she wanted to chew she had to lie-down get a mouth full of grass and stand back up. Not being able to run made her very nerves. How would she run if a lion approached? Is this what the shadows did with members of the herd, used them as lion food so the loins would not eat shadows? When the shadows began moving in the morning and they all resumed there traveling. She felt better to be moving. That was the natural way of things. Those left behind were never seen again. Moving was safe.

As they moved the shadows made noise, so much noise she wondered how these shadows ever got close to anything. All day long as they traveled they made noise, and when they stopped they made more noise. There fore legs were like hers and they used them constantly, and not just for swatting flies. They carried things with them things that made her nervous. They tied things to there backs, and they did not eat along the way like the herd did. They would all stop and eat at the same time. Taking things from what they carried, rather than eating the grass that was all around them.

As the sun got low in the sky they came to a place with more shadows. The new shadows came running out to meet the group she was with. They touched and made a lot of noise. That frightened her a little bit. It also stirred something in her that was familiar, but just out of reach. She was led to a tree and something hard and heavy was attached to one of her legs. Then her fore legs were untangled, and the thing on her head was removed. Her fore legs ached terribly, and moving them was a great relief. The thing on her leg kept her near the tree, and would not come off no matter how much she pulled on it. Now at least she was surrounded by this new herd, she would not be the first thing the lions found if they came here to eat.

She had been up all the night before and she needed to lie-down. The activity of the shadows around her worried her but she could not sleep while standing like the other members of the old herd could. The new shadows kept looking at her but they kept there distance and she was too tired to care, as long as they did not get too close. Soon the activity tapered off and she drifted off to sleep. She slept until it became very quiet. When she woke she looked for the herd fearing it might have moved off without her. She got up and started to go after the herd but fell when something held a leg. She made an alarm sound as she fell and tried to pull her leg free before she remembered she was with a different herd now. She was with a herd of shadows.

She could not see any of them, or hear them. She could smell them but all she could see around her were shapes that could hide a lion. She did not smell lions but not being able to hear or see any one else made her feel very alone and that frightened her. She was much relived to see shadows come out of the shapes as the light returned.

As this herd became active some of them approached and touched her. At first it was only the small ones later larger ones would approach and touch her. They touched her everywhere. Usually gently but some times it hurt. Occasionally food mostly grass and water were brought. By the middle of the day the interest of this new herd moved on she was no longer worth much attention. Witch was fine by her maybe they would let her return to her herd.

The next day some shadows put the thing back on her head, tangled her fore legs again and lead her away. Eventually they came to another grope of shadows. She was attached to a tree and there she would stay until this new group of shadows would loose interest. Then she would be led to yet another group of shadows. Some groups would be big some would be small but it would always be the same poke, touch, noise, neglect. Soon they were of no more interest to her than the flies. Memories of the herd faded as this became the rhythm of her life.

Eventually she was led to a large group of shadows. Her days were the same here it just took longer for the shadows to loose interest in her. When they did she had nothing left to do all day but stand or walk in circles. She could see the shadows but they did not see her any more. Alone in a herd, she was confused and hurt in ways she did not understand.

Days became seasons the only change came when she was untangled and chased into the herd of cattle. By day they were driven into the bush to eat. At night they were driven back into the village. When she ran they would chase her down and drive her back to the cattle. That gave her something to do from time to time. Of course if she ran too hard they would beat her when they caught her. So she rarely made them work very hard to catch her.

One evening she hurt an ankle when one of the cattle stepped on her. It would be a memory when the sun came back but now she was limping and in pain. A small colt of a boy approached and looked at her leg. She was not sure what this colt wanted but she had learned to stand when one of the shadows wanted her to. The colt ran his hand down her leg. When he got to the last joint she made an alarm sound and pulled away from the colt.

The boy had a firm grip on the zebra woman’s anklet when she moved. Too firm indeed when she tried to move she lost her balance and squealed as she fell. The pull took the boy to the ground as well. As he fell his head struck something hard. When he got up the zebra woman’s mouth was bleeding and she was not looking at any thing, or moving in any deliberate way. She was just thrashing around slowly. The boy knew an animal in distress when he saw one. He had seen his father singing to upset caves to calm them down, so he sang the only song he knew all the way through a lullaby his mother sang to him when he had been small. While he sang he cradled the zebra woman’s head so she would not injure an eye.

What is this sound and why was this colt holding my head? This had happened before, but where when? This melody I knew it. … Mother sang it… father held me like this and sung this… lullaby. Zala remembered everything. The memories came back in a flood that overwhelmed her. She shook and drew her knees to her chest as she the flood of memories threatened to drown her. The child of eight that she had been wanted her father to hold her and tell her everything would be alright. When she remembered her father running in fear from her, she curled up into the smallest ball she could make herself, and cried.