"Looking back, I can remember everything; the first time I saw my mother and father, the first time I set my eyes on a cross-coutry course being cleared by other horses, and wishing that I could do it too. I remember the first time I set foot on the course. It was like magic. I remember racing round it and soaring over the fences like they were on fire. I remember it all, especially the most important year of my life; the year that I became a champion…"
Rain lay panting in the long grass with Spirit laying beside her. Esperanza stood close by, making sure that the rest f the herd let Rain and Spirit have some space with their new foal when it arrived.
Spirit nuzzled the paint mare's withers as Rain's breathing got faster and deeper.
At last, the foal was born. It was a colt, and he was a mixture of skewbald and golden dun.
Rain sighed and snorted, then got to her feet. The colt tried to copy er, but he couldn't stand properly yet.
Rain licked him clean with the help of Spirit, and within half an hour, the foal was standing on his wobbly legs and blinking as he looked around him.
Esperanza trotted over to meet her new grandson, and she licked his ears.
Rain shook her mane and turned her head to face Spirit.
"What should we call him?" Rain asked.
Spirit thought long and hard. "What about Swift?"
"Hmm… I was thinking of Storm, after my father." Rain replied after a few moments.
"What about Strider, after my father?" Spirit answered.
"Or maybe Striding Storm?" Esperanza suggested, taking a step towards Spirit and Rain.
"Storms don't stride, mother!" Spirit whinnied.
"Well, it doesn't matter… How about Spirit Within?" Esperanza replied.
Rain rolled her eyes.
"No, we can't call him Spirit, that's my name, and Within sounds a bit weird!" Spirit sighed.
Rain suddenly reared up, "I've got it! I've thought of the perfect name; Storm Cloud. Then his shortened name can be Stormy!"
Spirit and Esperanza stared at her.
"That's an excellent name!" They said in unison.
Rain sat beside their new colt. "You like that name don't you, Stormy?" She said softly.
The little colt gazed at his parents, then at the other horses as they walked slowly towards the proud family. Storm Cloud whinnied comically, and then fell asleep next to his parents.