Chapter 15
An Invisible Rival
"You should've got a better bed
Better for your head
Better heads need shut eye" - Shut Eye by Stealing Sheep
For almost a month, the plains had seen nothing but snow and jarring, bitter cold, accompanied by heavy, blizzardy winds that were quite typical in the winter season. Just like most of the wild animals that were connected to the land, the tribe of Lakota also learned to adapt to such harsh conditions, not only managing to survive in the rough territory, but as the matter of fact, thrived in it. The people had hunted sufficient amount of buffalo to keep them warm and sustain them with proper nourishment throughout the cold season. The peaceful, quiet atmosphere of the winter reflected in calm, stillness of the entire village. It was the time of contemplation, where young and old – child, youth, adult and elder – passed their hours by a warm camp fire, listening to the teachings, stories and legends that the wise Elders of the tribe narrated.
There was tranquil serenity in the hearts of the villagers as they relaxed and went on about their daily chores with a light ease, that did not convey worry of what the future might've brought them. Almost all of them felt that way except...perhaps, to the exclusion of a certain young man, who could not subdue the restless spirit that flared inside him. He couldn't help but hear a very clear, inner voice in his head that kept urging him to seek answers.
Where to start? Where to begin? The young man often thought to himself with no positive outcomes. In the eyes of the village chief and the Elders, he was nothing but an inexperienced failure. Yet what could he do to those echos that called to him? That spoke to him about the Tatanka Ska...of the white buffalo calf that was to bring him closer to his destiny? Why did he continue seeing the vision of the pale calf? Why couldn't he capture the animal during the hunt? What was the meaning of all this?
After many nights of lying in his tepee, in a completely wakeful state, Little Creek finally came to a decision. A firm determination to take matters into his own hands and uncover the answers that haunted him, crossed his mind. No longer would he sit around, waiting for the clarified responses to arrive to him. No! He himself, would venture out and pursue the destiny that had been calling him since the beginning of autumn.
Predominately, Rain kept in close company of Silver Moon, Aranda, Blossom and Great Conquest, finding comfort and encouragement from her supportive friends. Great Conquest carried on with his 'mentorship', taking his new, winter job rather seriously, no doubt. But Rain had also pleasantly noted that the grey stallion was not as overbearing and insanely obsessive as before. Despite his advices and dedicated interest in her delicate condition, he still gave the young mare the space she needed and did not pressure or force her into anything she wasn't comfortable with. He did not even lecture her about 'routines' and proper 'exercises' like he used to...did not offer her guidance until Rain herself came to him with questions. It appeared as though Great Conquest had at last learned to control his fretful, overprotective behaviour.
So thus, Rain, for the most part, remained in serene, calm, resting and reposing mood to make sure that the unborn foal was stress-free and snuggly safe in her belly. As the sole expecting mare of the tribe, she was constantly doted over by all of her herd mates, the villagers and of course, Little Creek, who continued monitoring her pregnancy with keen, accurate check-ups.
Still, despite the seemingly tranquil surroundings, she could not stop her mind from drifting back to that disagreeable day where Bolder had appeared to her and begged for assistance in rescuing the trapped mustangs. Rain often wondered whether she had been too quick in refusing to help him, and yet, at the same time, she couldn't deny the danger and utter risk that action would've brought her blissful home. The Lakota Village was her homeland and she felt a certain level of responsibility when it came to keeping the place and its inhabitants protected. She knew that no matter how difficult that decision was, it was still in the best interest of her homeland... of her herd mates, as well as Little Creek and his people. Endangering an entire tribe for eight, branded bachelors was not worth it. If only there was another way to somehow save them...
Rain also frequently thought and pondered about Spirit, especially after discovering that it was indeed he who had sent Bolder to her. What was he up to now? Was he upset and disappointed that she could not aid them? Did he understand why she had declined to help? Did he even think of her at all? She couldn't understand why it was so important for her to know all the answers to these questions. After all, why did it matter? She and Spirit were no longer together...who cares what he thought of her? But no! Deep down, she did care...she cared a great deal. And the truth was rather simple; she had missed him.
In spite of everything that had happened, she still loved the golden stallion unconditionally and could only hope that he did not resent her for abandoning his homeland and leaving him so heartbroken. How was she to know that Spirit himself was tortured with the exact same sentiments? How was she to know that he too often wondered if she remembered him at all?...Of how he reflected on his painful mistakes and what he could've done different to prevent their devastating separation almost every, single day.
One morning, Rain was once again, deeply contemplating on all these matters when she suddenly, without any warning, felt a kick in her womb. Letting out a surprised gasp, she stared up at Blossom and Silver Moon, who were currently busy munching on their breakfast.
"What's wrong, Rain? You look startled." Commented the dapple-grey mare, Silver Moon, once noticing the paint mare's shock.
"My foal...it's...I think it just kicked." Rain murmured her reply, lowering her head towards her growing stomach in curiosity.
"Oh really? That's a wonderful news!" Blossom exclaimed cheerfully.
"It can get rather irritating though." Added Silver Moon, speaking strictly from her own experience. "Was that the first time you felt a kick?"
"Yes." Nodded Rain, trying to get used to the strange, new sensation. "Now it's fluttering a little bit."
Silver Moon and Blossom observed the tiny movements in the painted mare's belly and giggled. "My, my! What an active little one you got there." Silver Moon chuckled, shaking her head in amusement.
"Seems brassy." Blossom pointed out.
"It's a good sign. You have a healthy foal." Silver Moon informed with a proud, excited tone lacing her voice.
Rain couldn't help but smile brightly at that, her heart skipping in joyful excitement. It was such a fascinating feeling! There was a living, breathing, tiny being inside her. "Oh! I must tell Great Conquest!" She said right away, remembering the stallion's request to fill him in as soon as she had sensed a first kick. Barely hearing the agreeing nickers of the two mares, Rain turned, briskly snapping into a small trot and went off to find Great Conquest.
"Conquest!" She called, when her blue gaze settled on the figure of the grey, war horse. The stallion stood at the edge of the village, was tied to a nearby tree branch, wore his bridle, had a blanket draped over his body, and a couple of packs were placed on him. His entire image gave off the impression that he was ready for a journey.
"Rain!" Great Conquest sounded slightly alarmed. "What are you doing here?"
"I felt a kick! My foal just moved!" Rain announced, her pretty eyes sparkling in the sunny, winter day. It was only after she had exclaimed the exciting news, she began to perceive that something was different about the grey stallion.
"Wow! That's amazing!" Declared Great Conquest enthusiastically, dancing in the same spot, throwing up snow with his forelegs. "Excellent! The baby is in good shape!"
These joyous, happy remarks, however, were ignored by Rain, who knitted her brows in a frown as she observed the stallion's 'saddled' form. "Where are you going?" She nickered in confusion.
"Oh..." The eager voice of Great Conquest dropped. "...ah... just a little expedition."
"With Long Knife?"
"No."
Rain lifted her brows questionably, her expression coming off quite demanding. "Then?"
Great Conquest chewed on his bottom lip uncomfortably, debating in his head whether to tell her the truth or not. Well...she was going to find out sooner or later.
"With Little Creek."
"Little Creek!?" The mare's eyes popped open in shock. "I don't understand..."
"Relax Rain. It's just a small undertaking." Waved it off the grey stallion, already disliking the concerned mare's reaction.
"I thought you were supposed to heal for the winter." Spoke up Rain, as she attempted to make sense of the queer situation. "And why would Little Creek leave me? Where are you two going anyway?" She blinked her long lashes, puzzled at how sudden and unexpected this decision was.
"He is not leaving you." Scoffed Great Conquest, rolling his eyes at Rain's possessiveness when it came to her human. "He is simply going on a small trip and my owner insisted him on taking me as his mount. He couldn't possibly go with you; you are in foal, remember? And as for me, don't you worry. It's not a serious mission. I'm more than capable of carrying a rider on a small journey."
"B-but..." Rain began nickering meekly, as if she were a foal, whose parents were just about to leave her. "...where are you going?"
"I'm not too sure. My owner, Long Knife, spoke of a white buffalo or something of that sort."
"A white buffalo?!" Rain cried, overcome with anxious thoughts. "How is that safe? I'm coming with you!" She suddenly spoke up in determination. If Little Creek and Great Conquest were not backing down from this imprudent mission, then she was going to make sure that they were both safe by going along with them on that expedition.
"Don't be silly! You are expecting!" Great Conquest's ears lay flat against his head. He knew Rain's stubborn, headstrong nature and how she cared about her close friends, but there was no way he would allow her to accompany them. It was out of the question. "What are you thinking, foolish mare? How can you even suggest such a thing?"
"I have a very bad feeling about this." Firmly said the persistent Rain. "Venturing off to seek a white buffalo calf can only mean trouble."
"We are not hunting it down, Rain. Little Creek just wants to find it, that's all."
"How do you know?" Challenged the mare.
Great Conquest huffed in frustration. "Because my human would not have insisted Little Creek to pick me if that were the case. He still wants me to take it easy before I fully heal. Trust me, Rain, you have nothing to worry about."
No matter what the grey stallion said to her, Rain's nervousness and concerns did not go away, instead, they doubled. She could not permit herself to heed and believe his words.
"Even better. If it's not a dangerous undertaking, then that means I can go too." The young mare proclaimed. "I am going and that's final."
"Too bad... Little Creek won't take you. In fact, I won't go anywhere until you remain behind." Protested the stallion warningly. "For once, why can't you do as I say? I'm your mentor on this pregnancy journey, am I not? So I make the call whether you stay or go."
"Don't boss me around, Conquest." Retorted the mare, snorting in annoyance.
"Don't argue with me, Rain! You have a responsibility to your unborn foal. At least think about your offspring, for goodness sakes! Don't worry about Little Creek...trust me, I'll take good care of him." Explained Great Conquest, his voice rising in forceful, establishing firmness. He knew quite well that once Rain stubbornly made her mind on something, it was almost impossible to make her rethink that decision.
"Who'll take care of you?"
Great Conquest let out a soft exhale, feeling touched that she worried about him also, not just for Little Creek. "I promise, we'll both come back to you safe and sound. Now please, hear my words and abandon the foolish idea of going with us."
Rain gazed at the grey stallion's meaningful stare for a moment, slowly realizing that arguing and rebelling against him was not the smartest plan.
"Fine," She mumbled quietly, releasing a sharp air from her lungs. "I'll stay."
Great Conquest cocked his head to the side, lifting his one eyebrow skeptically. "Will you?"
"Have it your way. I will stay." Pouted Rain, for a second, looking as though she had given in. Or perhaps, that was simply what she wanted the grey stallion to believe. In truth, her plan was different; she would secretly follow their trail once Little Creek and Great Conquest were out of the village. There was no need to overcomplicate things.
"Good." Smiled the stallion in satisfaction, seemingly buying into Rain's words without any doubts.
As he had said this, Little Creek himself arrived, leading the gentle, old Aranda with a long rope. He walked up to Rain and greeted her with an affectionate, loving pet. "Hey, my sweet girl. I've finally decided to seek out the answers for my own. I know you want to come with me, but you are carrying a foal. You must stay absolutely safe." He whispered to her soothingly, scratching her withers and then planted a small kiss on her velvety nose. Rain let out a soft whinny and nudged Little Creek into an embrace. "I know, my girl, I know..." Slowly the boy slipped a stray end of Aranda's rope around the painted mare's neck and then tightened it in a loose knot.
When Little Creek pulled away, Rain came to a sudden, horrible realization; she was stuck to the older mare with no chance of escaping!
"Wait! What the-" Fidgeted the young mare.
"Oh yeah, did I mention neither Little Creek or I trust you?" Came an entertained chuckle from Great Conquest. "Knowing your cunning, feminine mind and saucy tricks all too well, we decided to leave you in Aranda's care. Let's see how you'll follow us now."
"That's not fair!" Neighed Rain, completely and utterly vexed that Little Creek and Great Conquest had outsmarted her this time.
"I'm sorry, my girl. I cannot let you come with us." Gently spoke Little Creek as he tried to settle the frustrated mare. "Now, you behave yourself and listen to Aranda." He told her, offering her a small, but delicious treat.
Rain took it gratefully, however, that was not sufficient to ease her overall agitation. She stared at Little Creek in sadness, her heart raced with anxiety as he bid goodbye to Long Knife and swung himself up on Great Conquest's back. With one last look at his loyal mare, he asked the stallion for a fast canter and the two were swiftly out of sight.
"I have a very bad feeling about this." Repeated Rain, tiny tear dropping down her pretty face.
"Don't say that, dearie, they will be back before you know it." Aranda comforted, pressing her forehead against the young mare's neck and then began leading her back to the camp, tugging on the rope gently.
Rain had no other choice but to comply, for she was stuck to the older mare...there wasn't much she could do anymore, even though every part of her body told her to somehow snap the rope and run after Little Creek and Great Conquest. Her strong desire to release herself from the bounds, however, had to wait. After all, in a way, Little Creek was right. Her first and foremost responsibility lay in keeping her unborn foal safe and protected. And yet, she could not ignore the muffled sound in her head that kept telling her to gallop towards them and stop their foolish mission, because otherwise, neither Little Creek nor Great Conquest would return to her.
"Spirit! Spirit! Come, join us!" Lightening sang out with a youthful jubilation as he pranced in a large circle alongside other colts and fillies of their two bands, while Cloud stood positioned in the middle, carefully surveying his enthusiastic students.
"I will...in a bit." Promised Spirit, winking at the eager colt playfully and attempted to get across the other side, without interrupting the training session.
"Merciful heavens!" Cried out Cloud, poking fun at the young stallion. "Did I hear it correctly? Spirit himself is going to grace us with his presence? What madness is this?" He joked, laughing away as he shook his long, pale mane.
"Damn right I will." Mischievous grin animated the young mustang's features. "I plan to be the best." He turned to the older horse with a cocky smirk.
"Hear that, boys? You'll have a competition!" Cloud declared proudly, unable to hide a spark of amusement that gleamed through his expressions. "How exciting is that!"
"That maybe, but we're younger, so we'll always have an advantage." Cloud's little son proclaimed with a snobby attitude, thrusting his nose up in the air in self-importance. That small, cheeky action of the yearling colt caused both Cloud and Spirit to laugh out loud.
"You know, he's not wrong." Spirit admitted, sounding very entertained.
"He takes after his mother. He's just as forward and confident as she." Commented Cloud, not knowing whether to approve of the qualities his young son possessed or not.
"What's wrong with being confident?" Spirit shrugged simply. "I like him." He added with a smile and spun round, his attention was suddenly fixed on the dark-colored, distant filly, that was presently standing by the border of their territory, looking quite lonesome.
"I'll join you later." He notified the older stallion as Cloud nodded in response, and then Spirit moved off to seek out the dark filly.
When the stallion approached and came closer to her, he nickered his throaty greeting to the young mare, nosing her in a friendly gesture. "Hey, Nova...why are you alone?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I was simply contemplating..." Saddened reply was all Spirit received from the filly.
"You haven't been eating all too well lately. Come, let me dig out good grassy area for you."
Nova allowed a small, faint smile to emerge from her emotionless face. "Thank you, but I'm not hungry."
Spirit sighed, knitting his brows in a frown. "Are you sure? You're worrying me." After the shattering news – concerning Onyx and his friends – Bolder delivered to them, Nova had remained very quiet on the matter. It seemed to Spirit that she was grieving but in her own, silent way, which made him even more concerned. He noticed that the young mare did not have a good appetite for almost five days in a row. That was not a good thing, certainly not in the winter time when all creatures of the land needed proper nutrients to survive the harsh weathers.
"I'll be fine, really." Assured Nova, breaking into a bright grin. "You've been so caring and so protective over me. I truly appreciate it." She reached over and stroked his cheek with hers. "It's almost like I have a second mother." She giggled teasingly.
"It's my job to worry. I'm your band stallion, remember?" Reminded Spirit, unimpressed at being compared to Nova's dam. Even though, he himself, realized that over the pass few days, he had indeed treated her as would a parent.
"You may stop now. I'll be okay, I promise." Nova buried her nose in his neck, breathing in his masculine scent. He smelled like the wild mountains and the snow. "You are too sweet."
"Alright, but you'll still have to eat and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer." Spirit said gruffly and quickly pulled away from Nova's embrace, feeling uncomfortable at their 'closeness'.
"Perhaps in an hour or so?" Suggested Nova, ignoring the sudden, cold mannerism that Spirit had displayed.
"Deal." Nodded the stallion, quite satisfied with her response. "I'll hold you to it."
"Thank you..." After a short silence that passed between them, the mare spoke up again. "...for pretty much everything. What you did with Bolder...I certainly was not expecting that from either one of you. For you to just put your personal feelings aside, in order to help me out, meant the whole world to me. I don't know what to say. You both pleasantly astonished me, even if the final outcome was not exactly what any of us hoped for." She added the last words in a sorrowful tone and her head dropped in dejection.
"Your welcome. I wish I could've done more." Spirit nickered gently. "But that doesn't mean I like that shadow horse, so don't get any ideas. We are not friends and I still can't stand him." He disdainfully interjected the last two sentences, causing Nova to giggle in amusement.
"Got it." She beamed, her previous melancholy melting away.
Spirit smiled in reply, remaining quiet for a moment, before making up his mind to say what had been troubling him recently.
"That day..." The stallion commenced slowly, changing the topic of their conversation. "...when you told me you were going to visit your natal band...why did you lie to me? Why did you go to He-Who-Stands-Alone?" Spirit had been very curious to know the real reason as to why exactly she had visited the Lone Stallion. But so many things had transpired since then, that it was no longer as important to him. Yet it seemed that the time to uncover the truth had at last come.
"He has a name." Nova said tartly.
"I know...Tell me, why did you go to Bolder?"
Nova stared down at her dainty legs with a sense of embarrassment and discomfort that was quite evident in her body language. She hesitated in giving him a truthful response, unpleasant sensations of doubt surged through her nerves. "Um..." She blushed pink and curled her upper lip. Shutting her eyes, the young mare let out a small exhale to stabilize her pounding heart beat.
"I just...I feel... I feel like..." Nova struggled to begin her explanation.
"What is it?" Impatiently snorted the stallion. "Please, tell me." Patience was not exactly a 'virtue' in Spirit's opinion.
"Lately, I feel like I'm...battling an imaginary mare that lives inside your head." Blurted out the filly, pushing aside her stray lock of creamy mane in nervousness. "I'm so tired of competing with someone that is not even here and only resides in your memories. It's so emotionally draining and...I'm utterly exhausted of having an invisible rival."
"What are you talking about?" Blinked Spirit, extremely confused at Nova's 'made-up' excuse for lying to him and running off to seek out Bolder. "First of all, Rain's not imaginary and second of all, what does that have to do with you lying to my face and then gallivanting off to some stallion? Who, by the way, you know that I dislike greatly."
"See, that's what I mean... it's always about your precious Rain. Spirit, I'm tired of having to constantly compare myself to an invisible mare who continues living in your dreams."
"There's no need for comparison." Spirit rolled his eyes. "And you are being kind of unfair, don't you think? You can't expect me to forget her overnight."
"Everybody else seems to have no problem with moving on except you." Nova vented, her voice coming off rather capricious in anger and frustration. "I gave myself to you, only to be called Rain afterwards!"
"Keep your voice down." Cautioned Spirit, once he noticed that the emotional agitation of the filly was slowly but surely, drawing the unwanted attention of the nearby herd members.
"You refer to her as 'my love' in your sleep! How do you think that makes me feel?" Burst the heartbroken Nova, pouring out all of her concealed bitterness that she had been keeping to herself.
"I think you need to calm down, Nova. Why don't we join Cloud's lesson? You can be my partner for the courting class." Tactfully offered Spirit, concluding that at least one of them had to remain level-headed and defuse the growing tension that had begun to crack high in the air, the moment the filly had mentioned Rain...or else, this could end quite badly. He had been mistaken. It was a wrong time to start up such a 'heavy' topic.
Alas! It would've been better if he had said nothing at all.
"What? A courting class?" The filly questioned in outrage. "I thought you were giving us a chance!"
"Well, I'm not an expert..." Spirit looked around sheepishly, slightly taken aback at Nova's aggressive eruption. "Apparently, there's a lot that goes in to being a successful band stallion." He spoke to her with a light-hearted ease, completely missing the distressed mood of the filly or her point, as he was to engrossed in his attempt to somehow divert her upset mind.
"I can't believe you." Muttered Nova, her trembling voice choked in utter disappointment. "You're thinking about creating a harem?"
"Ummm...those are the rules that we all need to abide by and execute, Nova. I don't know why you're making such a big deal about this. It's nothing you haven't heard before."
"OH! I see!" Exclaimed the young mare with a furious neigh, feeling awfully insulted. "So it's completely okay to break those rules when your precious Rain is concerned, but when it's about me, you go back to being a perfect band stallion, is that right? Did I catch it correctly?"
"Okay, your behavior is immature and very childish right now." Hissed Spirit through his teeth, growing increasingly tired of having to put up with Nova's unexpected, temper tantrum.
"No! Why? Why does it have to be that way?" Provoked Nova challengingly, losing all her patience and composure. "Why is it alright to bend those so-called 'rules' for Rain, while you treat me like I'm nothing?!"
"That's not true–"
"Why then, am I looked upon as one of your silly herd members? Why are you only willing to fight for Rain? Why are you only disregarding traditions for Rain? Why are you taking no notice of the 'rules' whenever she is concerned? Why, Spirit? Explain to me, why?! Why?!" Screamed Nova, powerless to hide her envy.
"Because I love her!"
What followed this was absolute stillness. Everyone in the herd had stopped what they were doing and stared dumbfounded at the two, overdramatic horses that were obviously having a really heated dispute. Only after Spirit had exploded on the demanding filly, did he comprehend the words that had slipped from his mouth so involuntarily. Too late did he understand the gravity of what he had spat out loud so very bluntly.
"...and me, you don't." Deduced Nova lowly, as tears started to stream down her cheeks.
"No, wait...that's not what I-" Spirit took a step towards her, but Nova snapped at him instantly.
"Stay away!" She gnashed her teeth. "Don't touch me! I feel so stupid and so used!" She squealed, shaking her head in disbelief. "What was I thinking? Thank you for finally confessing the truth!"
"Enough Nova, you're making a scene." Quietly implored Spirit, as he glanced at the shocked faces of Cloud, Esperanza and the rest of the herd members.
"Oh! I'm sorry! Am I embarrassing you 'mother'?" Indignant Nova spat unhappily and twirling round, began to canter away from his presence.
"Wait! Where are you going?" The young stallion chased after her in desperation.
"Back to my real parents! I don't need a fake one!" Nova bucked, throwing up her heels, almost hitting Spirit in the process. And truthfully, in that very moment, she wished it did, but the stallion was too fast in his reflexes and dodged the attack swiftly.
"You have a lot of growing up to do." Lectured Spirit, trying to stop the furious mare from leaving. He jumped in front of her, blocking her path. "Let's talk about this rationally for a second." He proposed, attempting to keep his tone somewhat calm and collected, despite the overflowing, tempered and flaying emotions.
"Go to hell, Spirit!" Nova threatened to bite him, as she forcefully pushed him away from her personal space. "And out of my way, you jerk!" She was having none of it.
Spirit stumbled back, his tolerance level slowly running shorter and shorter. "Fine!" He fumed in wrath. "Run back to your parents! They certainly need to do a better job in raising you properly, you spoiled, ungrateful, little brat!"
"Aaaannnd...another one bites the dust." Disappointed Cloud remarked in the background as Nova sprang into a fast gallop, rapidly departing from their territory, and faded into the wintery landscape.
Once she was gone and out of sight, Spirit glared back at the frozen band members, that were all standing there, gawking at him in utter shock and silence. "What are you all staring at?" Cried the displeased stallion. "The show's over!"
"Remember, my, son, our kind cannot exist alone." - Flint
"If you won't find any mates, you must join the bachelor bands." - Beauty
"No horse should roam in solitude!" - Azogar
"You are a pathetic recluse that hides in the shadows." - Spirit
"You aren't bold, you are just a lone horse." - Rain
"Why must you live as a solitary cat?" - Flint
"There is safety in numbers." - Beauty
"Mustangs do not stand alone." - Flint
"Why, if it isn't the Lone Stallion!" - Azogar
"A stallion that drifts across the prairies as the lone wolf will only meet his demise." - Northern goshawk
"I prefer the Lone Stallion, there's nothing bold about you." - Spirit
"Tis a tragedy when a young horse finds himself isolated." - Woodland creatures.
"You think you're perfect and virtuous, simply because you've chosen a life of solitude – an easy way out! You are afraid to face your own fears." - Rain
These were the assertions, warnings, and advices that Bolder's mind kept replaying over and over, again and again, whether he liked it or not...the echoing sounds of these words heralded, continuously flowing back to him as the waves on the water and no matter how hard he tried, they did not seem to die away. The young mustang wandered in the thick, layers of white snow, walking through it slowly in the winter's charming twilight. The moon had already risen, half of it was cloaked in the moving clouds, while the other half, glinted its silvery light, enhancing the muscular outline of the Lone Stallion. He traversed across the open grassland, mentally reproaching himself for being so careless. It was bad enough he had chosen to lead a solitary life, and now he was risking his safety by leaving the protective cover of the forest around night time. But he could not help it...he wished to venture out and explore the limitless world around him all on his own. If he were being completely honest though, the main cause of his evening wander was because of how conflicted he felt. He needed to get a fresh perspective on certain things and a peaceful stroll in the wintery plain sounded just right
Bolder liked his life, yes...But another part of him, was also debating whether he had made a correct decision in choosing to stand alone. He couldn't drown out those echoing, vibrating sounds that buzzed in his ears. "A stallion that drifts across the prairies as the lone wolf will only meet his demise." He knew that there was at least some truth in these wise words of caution. Yet he couldn't understand why that same phrase was not to be applied on other stallions. After all, Onyx had been living with a bachelor band and that did not guarantee him security when it came to escaping the malicious two-leggeds. Who was to know which way of life was better or far superior than the other?
"No one knows the right answer...in fact, there isn't a 'right' answer to being with." Bolder thought to himself.
In spite of his firm belief, however, he still felt so lonely...and he was positively sure that he would not have fallen pray to such sentiment, had it not been for a certain, young mare. Why did he have to go ahead and fall in love with her when he knew that he'd end up with a broken heart? Why did he build up naive, foal-like dreams in the first place? How foolish could one get?
"A horse alone does exist...and it's me." Muttered the stallion, resolving to cease pitying himself and start a new life from that moment and forevermore. He would live out his days like mysterious, casting shadows of the thickets that only appeared in the dark. There was nothing wrong with being invisible...the beauty of the night, the moon, stars and the forests would always belong to him.
What of Rain? Well, he would respect her wishes and forget about her. Although, he doubted he'd ever be able to entirely abolish that beautiful mare from his heart and mind.
With these heavy thoughts, Bolder was just about to turn back to the cover of the woods, when his ears flicked backwards upon detecting a strange noise. There were horses in the distance. Flaring his nostrils, he scented a stallion and a mare, and from where he was standing, it looked as though the stallion was chasing after the mare.
"Oh no." Inwardly groaned Bolder. What now? It was winter! The time of pursuing females was reserved for spring and summer months. Why couldn't these hormonal studs settle down for at least the cold season? Powerless to hide his rage, the lone mustang spotted just how aggressive and cruel the stallion was in his approach towards the mare. There was simply no rest for the weary, was there? This was probably another, mindless and reckless decision on his part, but he couldn't bring himself to do otherwise. Glancing down at his scars for a moment, the son of Beauty and Flint took a deep breath and cantered over to put the miserable bastard in his place. Didn't his parents ever teach him how to properly treat mares?
"That's it...that's what's going to kill me; you will drive me to an early grave!" Fussed the grumbling Cloud as he angrily paced back and forth in front of Spirit, who in turn, was rolling his eyes at him. "I cannot fathom you anymore! You are such a lost cause!"
While the two stallions were bickering amongst each other, Esperanza and the herd members were all huddled together, waiting for them to finish their tiresome argument. Indeed, several times, Esperanza was even tempted to interfere, but she managed to hold her peace and observed the two stallions as a dam observes her infantile offspring.
"Get off my back, Cloud." Sharply retorted the young stallion, snorting at him, incredibly frustrated at his non-stop rebukes. The last thing he desired in that second was to listen to the older horse's constant, nagging criticism. Enough was enough! There is only so much one can take in a single day.
As though an idea had formed into his head, Cloud suddenly stopped in front of the young stallion, pinning his ears flat quite threateningly and stomped his foot on the ground. "I don't care what you say. You will go and apologize to her! You hear?"
"Absolutely not!" Objected Spirit. "There's no way, I'm begging for forgiveness from that mannerless, disrespectful, little brat. If she wants, she can come back when she grows the hell up. Till then, I refuse to deal with her. I'm sick and tired of raising bunch of foals!"
"You are in no position to be picky! You need offspring!" Cried Cloud, not even planning on reasoning with him.
"So we're back to that obsession?"
"You will bring her back, dammit! Or so help me, I swear in the name of your sire, I'll drag you there myself and make you apologize!" Furiously warned Cloud, his eyes flashing in uncontrollable anger.
"I'd like to see you try!" Insolently dared the younger horse.
"Oh, you don't know what I'm capable of in my wrath, Spirit." Cloud started, his voice shook with intense fierceness. "I'm the one who's tired of watching your silly, immature antics. Now, go get that mare back! We've all been patiently waiting for you to finally settle down and this is what you pull on us? I'm not even kidding, I'll make you produce your offspring myself, if you won't comply!"
The son of Strider glared at him in utter shock of disbelief and outrage. Oh, the insanity! Cloud had clearly lost all of his brain cells! How more of a lunatic could he be?! Spirit was just about to open his mouth and fire a witty response, when all of a sudden, there came an unexpected sound.
"Whoa! Hold on there, you creep."
Spirit and Cloud both jerked their heads towards the odd voice, quite startled at the unpredicted appearance of a stranger.
"Before forcing him to make new foals, I suggest taking care of the ones that are already on the way. Wouldn't you agree, Spirit – or should I say upcoming father?" A very familiar black mare came into view, smirking at her stunned audience with a malevolent shimmer in her dark eyes.
"Misty?" Spirit mumbled, overwhelmed with a stupefied confusion.