Half a unicorn

Alianna

Alianna opened her eyes to the sound of birds chirping. The sun was not yet high enough in the sky to shine in her eyes, but the area was bright enough. She moaned slightly and got to her feet. Her black flank glistened in the early morning sun.
"Ali, Ali," a mouse called from about her hooves, "Are you leaving already?"
Ali smiled, mice were always so friendly. "I am, small one. I told you before that I wouldn't be staying long." It was true Ali never stayed anywhere long. She had been cast out of her herd when they had learned that she wasn't one of the leader's children. Her mother had told her that she was the child of a unicorn, though you would never have thought it from looking at her. First she had only horsely traits and she was as black as night. She left her herd and tried not to look back. At first she had tried to find her father, but she had no luck. Unicorns can't be found unless they wish to be.
That had been a year ago, Ali could never forgive her herd mates for sending her off with out a thought like that. But it was behind her and she wasn't about to whip a dead horse.she shook her mane, such a grusome expression. She had heard it  from a distance spoken by some humsns herding sheep but the sentiment fit. She proceeded out of the glade. The mouse followed her at first but soon lost interest and went back. Ali had entered this forest the other day, she had no more trouble navigating in it then she did on the plain. She shook herself. She knew almost everything there was to know about this area. She had taken to making a circut of the valley that covered the whole of it twice in a year. The best part about always moving was of course that she didn't have to worry much about running into people. She walked east knowing there was a human settlement to the west. Humans were odd creatures, walking upright and cooking their food. Always busy and noisy.
She hoped to be past the settlement within the day. Humans made her nervous, as they did to any wild horse.
Ali stopped around noon to graze.
Snap. 
Ali brought her head up. She lifted her right fore foot and braced herself for a run. The second anything hostile showed up she would be gone. She heard shouting from the other direction. What was going on? She could tell there was something moving around in the forest but didn't think she wanted to go investigate.
Suddenly a rope flew out of the bushes and landed around her neck. Ali neighed in protest.
"I got it!" an enthusiastic voice yelled from the bushes as a young human came rushing out, followed closely by its herd.
"You did indeed, son and a fine one it is too." She reared to run in the opposite direction when to her horror another human tossed a rope around her neck. She made another attempt at a pull but still more humans with ropes came out of the trees.
"I think I saw this one last year, wandering about aimlessly. I wonder where the herd is?"
The humans were securing the ropes to some other horses. She had lost her chance to break free.
"Can I keep her dad?"
"Of course son, you'll need a horse if you are going to come to the harvest party in Vresk with us this year."
Ali snorted and tried to charge them, but the ropes held her back, "Whoa, we got a live one here." They dragged her back to the settlement and put her in a small coral with some dried grass. She was beside herself, she had assumed the more faint rustling she had heard in the woods to be racoons or young dear. She had never had an encounter so close with humans.
"You coming in son?"
The boy climbed onto the side of the fence, "If it's all the same to you I think I'll stay here with my horse for a while."
"Suit yourself." The mature humans left. Ali paced warily about the pen, she could jump this fence.
"It's okay, horse. We won't hurt you. You are going to be my horse and I'll ride you everyday."
"Not if I buck you off."
The boy fell off the fence, "You can talk?"
Ali perked her ears, "You can understand?"