...Soft moves of strong and smooth steps
turning in the smallest circles
like a dance of power around a centre
in which stands dazed a mighty will...


"You know I will not find a job again if this comes out." the watchman muttered as they walked through endless corridors. It smelled of horse dung and from time to time a neigh or a snorting echoed through the vault. There were countless horse boxes with pitiful inhabitants. Mostly were clearly Harlequines, or similar colored horses, stallions, mares, foals... seperated by walls and bars. A mighty black stallion of frisian build, with only two white and one red spot on the forehead reared in his box and kicked against the bars.
"He is a new one... they usually give up after three days... These horses are evil and crazy in the head..." the watchman continued.
"And this one is the worst of all... I fear her..."
Suddenly they stopped in front of a box were a mainly black Harlequine mare was walking in circles, stopping in front of the window from time to time, trying to get a scent of the night's air and finally continuing her circles.
"You know if they find out... I brought you here..."
He turned silent as he was given a second envelope undoubtly containing another five-thousand Dollars.
Blanche Hansen looked into the box. The mare finished another circle. If the rumors were right this mousy horse was a genetic sensation. But no one of them felt right about this thing... stealing a horse.
"Her name is Papillon Noir. She has never seen anything else than this box and a riding hall" the watchman explained as he unlocked the door, turned around and walked away as fast as he could. The mare finished another circle, then she stopped and turned her head towards the visitors. She gazed at them with her pale and cold eyes. Blanche opened the door slowly and walked in. The mare was groomed but her mane and tail were in bad condition. Scrubbing seemed to have made hair short and matted. Blanche blindfolded the mare carefully, bridled the horse and slowly directed her out of the horsebox. The mare moved in a strange and stiff manner, she stumbled often and she always seemed to move in a slight bend.

Outside stood the horse truck of DLS. It took several tries to get the mare into the truck, but finally they were on their way to Dark Lake Manor.


Ressources
Reference
Horse ~absurdus (Spirit)
Prison=Falln-Stock
Stock
bars: ~Kaitrosebd-Stock

Rainer Maria Rilke

The Panther

Sein Blick ist vom Vorübergehn der Stäbe
so müd geworden, dass er nichts mehr hält.
Ihm ist, als ob es tausend Stäbe gäbe
und hinter tausend Stäben keine Welt.

Der weiche Gang geschmeidig starker Schritte,
der sich im allerkleinsten Kreise dreht,
ist wie ein Tanz von Kraft um eine Mitte,
in der betäubt ein großer Wille steht.

Nur manchmal schiebt der Vorhang der Pupille
sich lautlos auf -. Dann geht ein Bild hinein,
geht durch der Glieder angespannte Stille -
und hört im Herzen auf zu sein.