The cold wind that blew across the field rustled the two black braids that hung down Calling Bird’s front. She could feel the changing of the seasons in the air and she pulled the shawl closer to her body. She wore a buckskin dress that was decorated with white bear teeth and beautiful beads. Tonight the village will celebrate her fifteenth birthday. There was so much commotion with the preparation that Calling Bird snuck away to escape the smothering tension. As she walked in the field near the tribe Calling Bird heard the sound of a bird singing. The song was answered by another bird and soon, two finches flew by, singing to each other. Calling Bird smiled and watched the birds for a moment before turning her attention back to the small horse herd. She put her fingers to her lips and let out a shrill whistle. A horse perked up its head and looked around eagerly.

“Running On Water,” Calling Bird called. The horse that had lifted its head whinnied and loped out of the group toward Calling Bird. “How are you, my girl?” Calling Bird asked as the Pinto mare approached.

Running On Water tossed her head, causing her forelock to fall into her eyes. Calling Bird smiled and moved the hair out of her horse’s eyes. Running On Water was an Overo pinto; her coat was brown with white markings. She had splattered white patches along her chest and had white stockings on her hind legs. She had a unique bald face where the white markings covered her whole lower face. The white then went up and covered the left side of her face up to her ear; her right side of her upper face remained brown. Calling Bird had always found Running On Water’s eyes to be her horse’s most beautiful feature. Her right eye was liquid brown while her left eye was crystal blue.

“On this day, we have been together for two years. Do you remember the day I named you?” Calling Bird asked. Running On Water nickered and bobbed her head as if in understanding. “Of course you remember. You were the one who rescued me.”

It had been a bright day and Calling Bird had been walking along the riverbank with her then year-old filly. She had to keep her horse on a rawhide rope that was tied loosely around the filly’s neck to keep her from running away; the trust was not fully complete yet. The ground had suddenly given away under her feet and she had fallen into the rushing river. Her filly had run along the river bank alongside her before jumping in to rescue her. When the filly had swum to the calm waters along the river’s edge, Calling Bird gave her the name Running On Water. It was also on that day that the bond between Calling Bird and Running On Water began to grow. But it would be another year and a half before Calling Bird could ride her horse properly.

“Calling Bird!” a sharp voice said. Calling Bird jumped slightly and turned around to see her stern-faced mother. “You shouldn’t be here! You are supposed to be helping your grandmother with the preparations.”

“Sorry, mother,” Calling Bird said, “I just had to see Running On Water. I haven’t ridden her all day.”

“There will be plenty of time to ride your horse tomorrow. You can take your little brother with you.”

Calling Bird groaned miserably. She loved her little brother, Jumping Fox, but he acted just like his name; bouncy and sly. He didn’t have a horse of his own yet, children couldn’t get their first horse until they were at least twelve, so he had to ride one of the other horses. Since he was young, he rode the old and gentle mare. Calling Bird could remember the years when she used to ride the mare but now that she had her own horse she just wanted to run free. But Calling Bird knew that arguing with her mother was pointless so she gave Running On Water a loving pat on the side before following her mother back to the village.