Chapter 3: The Changing Kingdom
For several years, Rowdy’s restored kingdom settled into the rhythms of each day: feed at 7 a.m.; playtime with her at 9 a.m.; then lunch, herd naps, and dinner. The dependable schedule welcomed interruptions from visitors, both human and wild. The does hid their fawns near the barn, where it was always safe. Starlings and barn swallows nested in the spring and migrated by late fall, while turkeys roosted in the pines behind Poco, Tril, and Mickie’s pasture. Rowdy watched it all from across the fence, still the farm’s lookout and early-warning system.
By now, Rowdy and Hot Rod traveled together and were training as a team to pull a larger vehicle. When Hot Rod’s old nervousness surfaced, Rowdy steadied him with the confidence that came so naturally to the smaller king. Life was good.
As the riding horses aged, visits from the veterinarian became more frequent, especially for Poco and Tril, the herd’s elders. She didn’t ride them much anymore; instead, the younger, tank-like Mickie shouldered that task. He enjoyed it greatly; it gave him a higher rank in his pasture, and he often got to ride in the trailer to visit other horse friends and explore woods and streams. Gradually, Mickie even became clever enough to gulp down his food and try to take what remained of Poco’s and Tril’s. It wasn’t worth Poco’s effort to stop him, and Rowdy was helpless to intervene from across the fence. Mickie meant no harm; he was just a jovial fellow with a big appetite who had no idea that he would soon be alone in that pasture.
Poco and Tril were both lost unexpectedly, and sadness filled the barn. Mickie mourned the most, while Rowdy and Hot Rod stood a little closer to the fence, trying to offer comfort and companionship. Their deaths also reminded Rowdy that his old enemy, winter, was lurking only a few months away.
But for the herd, winter never came that year. Instead, a new trailer arrived with two large stalls, each big enough for Rowdy and Hot Rod to lie down in. Rowdy considered it suitably luxurious at last—a conveyance fit for his regal standing. Almost as soon as that trailer rolled in, another arrived. This one was larger, with more ventilation and no stalls—just one open space. The next morning, she loaded Mickie into it. Rowdy and Hot Rod then loaded themselves into their premium ride, certain that another adventure awaited. Rowdy had no reason to suspect that this journey would carry his kingdom somewhere new.
