Darkness Before Dawn (Draw to Adopt Tryout)

Here's my tryout for an %Equus-Ballator filly.

I can't believe how well the shading turned out on this; I spent 3 hours on that alone.
Tools: Photoshop CS5, Intuos4 Tablet & pen.
Time taken: Drawing - 3 hr 45 min
Story: 1 hr 30 min.

Name: Vox Lucem
Meaning: Voice of Light
Nicknames: Lucy, Vossi
Sex: Mare
Height: 15.2 hh
Weight: 1350 lbs
Pattern: Paint
Phenotype: Palomino Overo Splash
Genotype: ee/aa/nO/nSpl/nCrC
Genetic Notes: Do not breed to an Overo/Tovero. May cause LWS in offspring.
Species: Equine
Breed: %Equus-Ballator
Type: Mountain
Horns/Hooves: Light purple
Rarity: 7
Sire: Unknown
Dam: Unknown
Offspring: None
Personality: Vossi is an incredibly sweet mare; she’s always willing in the ring, and she loves all the Wild Oaks’ staff members deeply. Vossi is quiet and calm, a good mount for unseasoned riders. Vossi can be a tiny bit lazy with new riders, but with an experienced partner, she’s always on the bit. Vossi is quite quixotic and loves to spend her off time daydreaming and playing in the pasture.

Story: It began a little after midnight, with an agonized shriek. The call echoed through the night, reaching from the barn down a long, winding path to the house.
“What the?” A groggy voice announced, as its owner sat up in bed. “Ay, do you hear that?”
“Mmm, wha?” another sleepy voice replied, as its owner blinked and rubbed his eyes.
“It sounded like one of the horses,” the first said, listening hard for sounds from the barn.
“I don’t hear anything,” the dark-haired man replied, yawning. He rolled over, and was about to shut his eyes, when another pained cry sliced through the night. Immediately, he sat up, fully awake now. Mumbling a curse under his breath, he reached for his work clothes, fumbled in the darkness, found them, and pulled them on. Next, he searched blindly for his boots, discovered one under the bed and one next to the nightstand, and put them on.
“Do you need my help?” the first awoken asked, stifling an unbidden yawn.
“No, I’m fine,” the raven-haired one—Alex—replied, shaking his head. He turned, slipping through the door and shutting it quietly behind him. Quickly, he wound his way down the stairs and out the front door, heading up the hill towards the barn. As he neared the stables, the white stable yard gate glowed ghostly pale, a beacon of white light in the dark. Through the gate and up the path to the barn, where the horse was shrieking still. Into the barn, blinking as he flicked on the lights. As his eyes adjusted to the yellow light, Alex scanned the stalls, searching for the injured horse. There, second stall from the end, Vossi was writhing on the ground. Dashing forward, Alex leaned over Vossi’s stall door, trying to get a better look at the mare. She was on her back, rolling wildly, and trying to kick her own barrel with her back legs. Vehemently, Alex swore, unlocking the gate and hurrying into Vossi’s stall. The mare was colicing, and Alex had to get her on her feet. Grabbing Vossi’s purple halter, he skirted the thrashing horse, trying to get near her head without being kicked or accidentally slashed with her fangs. Finally, she rolled away from him, and gave him an opening. In a mad dash, Alex rushed to the horse’s side and wrestled the halter onto her head, buckling it under her horns. Suddenly, Vossi whipped around, nearly goring Alex with her horns. Taking a step back, Alex grabbed the strap of Vossi’s halter and pulled, making sure he was out of her range. As the pressure on her face increased, Vossi calmed, realizing her owner wanted something. Soon, the mare had stopped thrashing completely, and was lying on her side.
“C’mon, get up,” Alex begged the mare, tugging harder. Slowly, Vossi rolled onto her stomach, legs tucked beneath her. Next, she braced her hind legs and lifted, unfolding her forelegs so she could stand. Elated, Alex coaxed the mare on, helping her up. She was standing! Alex began to think that the worst was over, until Vossi let out another piercing neigh and began to kick at her barrel again. Dismayed, Alex tugged on her halter, urging the mare to walk. If she was walking, she might just get her stomach to settle. Alex knew if he couldn’t get the mare’s colic under control, she could die. Forcefully, he dragged Vossi in a circle, then another and another. While the horse circled at his command, Alex dug in his jeans pockets for his phone, found it, and turned it on. One hand on Vossi’s halter, the other holding his phone, he dialed the vet’s number.
“Dr. Krammer’s office, how may I help you?” A sleepy receptionist asked.
“Is Dr. Krammer in?” Alex asked, turning Vossi and circling her the other way.
“Yes, is there an emergency?”
“Yes, there is. My mare is colicing, and it looks pretty bad. Just tell Dr. Krammer that Wild Oak’s horse Vossi is pretty bad,” he told the receptionist, giving Vossi’s halter a tug.
“Right away,” the receptionist replied, hanging up with a click.
“Okay, Girl, the vet’s on his way,” Alex told the mare, slipping his phone into his pocket and rubbing the horse’s sweaty neck. Tiredly, Vossi nickered.
As they waited for Dr. Krammer, Alex continued to walk Vossi, and within half an hour, the horse was walking smoothly, never stopping to kick or trying to roll. When Dr. Krammer arrived fifteen minutes later, Vossi was nibbling at her hay net.
“Well, it looks like you got everything straightened out,” Dr. Krammer noted, moving briskly around Vossi, checking her from head to hoof.
“Well, she’s eating and drinking properly now,” Alex said, watching the mare nibble contentedly. “And she hasn’t kicked in half an hour.”
“I think she’s through the worst now,” Dr. Krammer stated, giving the paint mare a pat on the rump. “Just keep an eye on her, and make sure her food isn’t moldy,” he instructed, packing up his instruments and turning to leave.
“Yes sir,” Alex replied, nodding. He’d checked the hay in Vossi’s net before he’d let her eat, and it seemed fine. Tomorrow, he would check the pasture for poisonous plants and berries, as well as checking the grain box for mold. There wasn't much he could do if Vossi had hunted down a wild animal, but he could check all the mare's other food. Alex watched as Dr. Krammer wound his way down the path to his red Range Rover. Soon, the doctor’s car roared to life, and headed down the dirt road. In a matter of minutes, he could no longer be seen. Once Dr. Krammer was out of sight, Alex turned to Vossi and nuzzled her neck lovingly.
“That was a close one, Sweetie-bear,” he said, breathing in the warm, spicy horse smell. Vossi nickered as if to say “You don’t even know the half of it!” Chuckling, Alex fondled the mare’s ears, and she let out a contented sigh. Yawning, Alex closed his eyes, feeling the urge to sleep wash over him like an ocean wave. Fighting the instinct, he blinked open his eyes and shook his head.
“I’m gonna have to stay awake with you tonight, Girl,” he told Vossi, yawning again. To keep himself awake, he began to pace, occasionally stopping to give Vossi a pat or two. He continued to pace for the next hour, until his legs were too tired to carry him across the stall anymore. Then, he traded pacing for sitting in a clean spot of shavings, with his back leaned against the wall. The minutes ticked by slowly as Alex sat, watching his mare eat, drink and doze. After half an hour, his legs were numb and his back was aching, so Alex stood and paced again. Vossi watched him curiously, ears pricked at him.
“What’re you lookin’ at?” Alex crooned, smirking at the mare. Vossi snorted and shook her mane, turning back to her food. “That’s what I thought,” he added smugly, sticking his tongue out at the mare. Vossi swished her tail, her equivalent of a shrug. “Oh, go eat your hay,” Alex told the mare, beaming at her. He was overjoyed that Vossi seemed to be getting better with every passing minute. Yawning again, Alex staggered to his spot on the floor and flopped down, fighting to keep his eyes open. It was nearly 3 a.m. according to his watch, and he was exhausted. For a while, he bit the inside of his cheek, using the sting to keep himself awake. Soon, however, he stopped, and everything sort of blurred, then faded to black.
Alex jerked, startled. Had he really fallen asleep? He checked his watch: 6:30 a.m. Crap, he had. Immediately, he glanced up, checking on Vossi. The mare was dozing, standing near the outside window. Through the window, shafts of morning sunlight illuminated the mare’s coat, making her ruby-tinted palomino hair glow like molten gold. Smiling softly, Alex gazed lovingly at his sweet mare. “We did it,” he whispered hoarsely. “We made it through the night.” Vossi raised her head, pricking her ears at him. Slowly, the mare shuffled towards her owner, until she was standing right next to him. Lowering her dished face, she nuzzled Alex’s cheek, always careful to keep her fangs and horns away from his soft skin. Silently, Alex rejoiced. His mare had triumphed over sickness and was well again. As the dawn light reached horse and human, dusting them with gold, Alex hugged the mare around the neck, fondling her ears, her favorite spot to be petted. “We did it,” he mumbled again, cheek pressed against Vossi’s soft muzzle. “We made it through the night!” (1,435 words)