Waking up his herd, Spirit again left to search for Rain. He walked back through the woods, and trotted around for about an hour. Deciding she wasn't around here, he looked for an opening from the woods.
Finding one, he was then led onto an open prairie. FAR away from where rain had entered. Letting out a shrill neigh, he called for her.
Nothing...
Might as well walk out here for a while. See of maybe she got here somehow.
He loped around the prairie, his buckskin coat shining, and thick black mane and tail flowing. His black legs moved in a glorious motion, and he loped through the tall grass.
After about ten minutes of loping, he came up on some trees.
Odd, he thought. Tress out here?
Walking to them, he saw that something had indeed been under them, and then he heard the roar of of river. Getting a little excited, he burst off toward the river, and was neighing like crazy.
Water! If Rain is here, she can live! There's water!
He skidded to a halt on the side of the bank, and scanned the other side. Seeing no horses, he jogged down the bank, and realized the same thing Rain had a day before.
This is Little Creek's prairie...
Rain had gotten up, gotten water and grazed for a little while before Spirit was even halfway through the woods he had been looking for her in. Her mission today: Find Little Creek.
After some refreshing, she jogged off toward the east, hoping for Indian camp smoke, or the tops of tee-pees.
But she saw nothing.
She moved into a lope, and nickered once.
No reply.
I have to find him!
Speeding up, she went into a medium gallop, and scanned over the dead looking grass as she ran. No civiazation anywhere.
At all...
Spirit was now hot on Rain's trail, and he knew it. Puching his slender legs to the next level, he marched through the prairie.
Rain! Where are you?
He knew he was on her pursuit, but how far ahead was she?
Was she alright?
Had she had her foal?
Was the foal okay?
Questions raced through him, making him run harder and harder.
She's here. I know it.
Rain was now jogging, exhausted and just played out. Her knees and hocks gave in, and she layed down in some shorter grass.
Can't... Go on. But... must..
Struggling to get up, she let out a painful neigh. She tried once again, and then crashed to the ground. Her legs couldn't take all the extra weight from the foal, and run like she had been pushing them to.
Spirit! Little Creek! Someone, HELP!
She knew she was about to give birth, but wouldn't let herself. She knew if she had her foal here, they would both die. She strained herself to not give birth, and waited.
Little Creek had been walking in the prairie, looking for wild horses and food. That's when he heard a horse neigh.
"Rain?"
He thought it sounded like her, but he let her go over 2 years ago..
How could she be here?
He heard the painful scream again, and knew it was her.
"Hang on, Rain! I'm coming!"
He ran through the grass that was as tall as his head, and sprinted powerfully. Stopping to listen again, he saw some shorter grass.
"Rain? Rain!"
The mare heard his voice, and let out a scream.
"Rain!"
Running to the shorter grass, he found his beloved mare, lying down, about to have her foal.
"Oh, girl. Hang on, Rain. I'm here."
Knowing it was him, she relaxed, and let him caress her head gently.
Spirit was running and skidded to a stop.
Little Creek? Little Creek!
He knew that Indian's voice anywhere, and burst off in the direction of it. His breaths were deep, and he galloped as hard as he could to waht seemed like an opening in the grass.
Twice before he got there, he tripped and almost fell on his face.
And finally, he reached she short grass, and saw Rain and Little Creek.
Letting out a neigh, he got to rain's side and nudged her, telling her he found her, that is was okay.
Nudging him back, she told him that their foal was about to be born, and how she was in so much pain.
Spirit chewed her mane lovingly, and watched her carefully.
''Rain, come on. Push, girl. Come on, here's his hooves. Come on!" Little Creek urged the mare, rubbing her sweaty stomach.
Rain was having such a hard time. So much pain, so much work. She couldn't do it anymore.
So she just.. Gave up...
"Rain, NO! Come on! Don't stop, you'll both die!"
Little Creek rubbed and patted her stomach.
Realizing what he said was true, she tried again. This time, half of him was exposed, and one more try, and she was done.
The filly was born.
Taking a short break, Rain just lay there, puffing and puffing.
Spirit walked behind her, nudged the filly. and told Rain that she had a little girl.
Rain, now 'sitting up' , looked at the filly.
Athena, she told Spirit. Let's call her Athena.
Athena had a beautiful coat, a buckskin paint with the richest black tuft of a mane and the longest tail ever seen on a foal. Hwer legs were spindly and she had a confused look on her face.
Mama? Mama!
Clumsily getting to her feet, Athena walked to rain and nudged on her. Rain got the message, stood up, and shook.
Athena had fallen time after time getting to Rain, and she nickered to her mother.
Rain turned her back end around, and the little filly nursed away. After getting the colostrum she needed, Little Creek loved on the filly.
"Sweet girl. Pretty as Rain, Noble as Spirit."
Rain neighed to Little Creek, and looked at Spirit was was watching them.
Soon afterwards, Little Creek was on his way back to the Lakota tribe, and Spirit, Rain, and Athena were on their way home.
THE END.
Well, it's done! That's the end of this story! Hope you enjoyed!