Hey guys! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in a while, I don't like not updating in so long. My family and I just moved houses (in the middle of the school year, great timing m8) and we haven't fully unpacked and settled in, we have been in this house for just about 2 weeks. I will say this story will be ending at around 30 chapters, so we still have a long way to go. Thank you for sticking with the story!

I just want to say that this chapter takes place about a month after the last one

Aaron had a lot on his mind.

Haley left with Jack, his brother was stuck in their father's herd, Spencer was grieving after he discovered his mare was pushed off a cliff by another horse, causing the once calm stallion to be extremely aggressive and emotional.

The mustang snorted and shook out his mane. He padded through the thinning grass when the sound of a young horse neighing caught his attention. Aaron perked his ears and was tense.

The distressed neighing came once again, and this time, Aaron recognized it.

Jack.

Galloping in the direction of the whinnying, he skidded to a halt when a bay stallion came through the bushes. Aaron had to do a double take. Jack has grown since Aaron has last seen him, Jack was almost 2, he was a yearling but mature. Aaron came back to reality when Jack started screaming at Aaron. The older stallion recognized very few words as Jack was very distressed and spooked like Spencer was when he galloped into the herd after Maeve died.

The few words he could make out were: Mom, stallions, dead, Foyet.

Foyet.

Everything clicked.

Pushing past his son, Aaron cantered briskly, the bare branches hitting him in multiple places as well as scratching him on his neck. Dead leaves crunched under his pounding hooves as Aaron heard the blood pumping in his ears. Please be alive, please.

When Aaron emerged from the woods into a steep valley, he felt the hairs on his withers rise. On either side of him, loose rocks hung on cliffs as the dry ground before him was deeply cracked. The smell of blood was strong.

In the middle of the ground, a thin grey mare lay, a deep wound on the head was no longer bleeding. "Haley!" Aaron lunged forward and felt his heart ache at the sight of his beautiful mare. Blood was streaked across her face and Aaron could see the bruising on her shoulders and ribs. She put up a fight.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, putting his head in the crook of her neck. Her body was cold. Lifeless. He spun around at the sound of another horse approaching, ears pinned and lips drew back in a snarl, but relaxed at the sight of Jack. Aaron then noticed the wounds on the young mustang's coat.

Bite marks were visible as well as lameness in his back hoof. Jack kicked Foyet when he and his band of stallions attacked. "I tried my best-" his voice cracked and he swallowed, "I swear I did." Aaron approached the colt and gently laid his muzzle on his forelock,

"You're going to help me find Foyet and kill him." Aaron felt the smaller stallion nod lightly as rage continued to boil inside the older mustang's body, ready to be let loose as soon as Foyet came into view. Aaron knew one thing for certain: Foyet has officially triggered a war.