Spirit walked through the misty night, his thick black mane blowing in the slight breeze. He looked from the left to the right, sweeping his eyes over his herd. My cimmaron herd, he thought. His mate, Rain, stood in a corner resting, with his Mother, Esperanza. Slowly and quietly, he walked toward the two of them. Esperanza stayed in her doze, but Rain's blue eyes flickered open.
"Spirit?" she whickered. "Shouldn't you be with the foals?"
Spirit shook his large head. "I'm here with you, dear. How do you feel?" He nudged her belly with his muzzle.
Rain looked at him and gently pulled a strand of his mane. "Not too well," She told him with a quiet nicker. "I can't tell when our foal is due. I feel sick and I'm always, I mean ALWAYS hungry. I can't fill us both up. And Spirit, if I don't foal soon, it may be winter when I do. How can I feed both of us in winter with no grass?" Her anxiety showed in her eyes, and her usually caring expression was turned into a worried look.
Spirit came up beside her, trying to comfort her. He told her how if she did foal in winter, all would be fine. How he and Esperanza would take care of her. How all the Dams in the herd would care for her. She would be okay. For the reason she had to be okay. Rain sighed and rested her head on his neck. "I wanna belive you. But what will-" Spirit cut her off from finshing. He nudged her and told her, "But nothing. Everything will work out."
Rain looked at the ground, and all of a sudden, her knees buckled. She caught her balance and with an alarmed nicker, stumbled forward. Her nicker woke up Esperanza, and she was at her side, asking if she was in foal. Rain said no, that she was just exhausted and needed rest. Spirit left his two beloved mares and made more rounds, checking on the foals. When he came back, it was dawn. Rain was eating with his Mother, and the herd was waking up. All the foals were romping and mothers crowded around watching.
Spirit walked over to Rain and nickered, asking her to follow him. Rain looked confused, but trotted after him.
"What is it?"
Spirit nickered and looked toward the bottom of the hill.
"Oh! Spirit! It's beautiful!" Rain looked at the beautiful large stream going through the middle of the meadow, and the woods that would be shelter from winds and rain to the left. Nothing but belly high grass stretched to the right, for what seemed like miles. She stood just looking for a long while, when Spirit touched her muzzle with his. She looked at him, the loving look back in her crystal blue eyes. The tension, anxiety, and stress were gone. Taking one last look, she trotted down the hill.
Getting to the bottom, she loped across the large meadow, and to the stream. She put her head down to the cool water and drank deeply. Spirit now had the herd coming down the hill, Esperanza galloping toward Rain. There seemed to be a smile on the palomino mare's face, and Rain nickered excitedly. The two mares met up and Spirit came trotting up. Rain grabbed a strand of his mane as she had before, and lovingly nickered to him.
"I love you, Spirit. I really do..."