The Balinor Chronicles: The Celestial Herd

Chapter 12: Greetings of Lovers Old and New

This Chapter is dedicated to Princess Brianna-Jane, who has long since earned her dedication. Actually, Jane-Bri, do you have an e-mail or anything? Or maybe you could just review and tell me something. I really liked your ideas, but who is the Dawn Princess?

All of the Herds were in the still-growing meadow, all intermingling and wandering around each other. Many young foals saw their sires for the first time on that day. Friends introduced each other to mates in other Herds, and old lovers sought each other out.

A stocky Terrenus stallion and a tall blue and white mare picked their way through the Sun Herd. The both felt miserably out of place, but they had to find their friend.

Alkaid watched with a resentful look on his face as the duo approached. What in the Valley could they want here? The stallion next to Alkaid shook out his darker colored mane and grinned. For a second Alkaid thought that he was going to sing again, and two seconds later he wished he had.

"Hey, lovesick songbirds! Over here!"

The mismatched pair trotted over to the yellow-bay stallion, who had nuzzled his mate to turn around. "Anria, this is Barikah and Canis, sea and land respectively. Bari, Cane, my mate, Anria."

"A pleasure," the yellow mare replied respectfully, but still very confused as to why she was being introduced to such strange unicorns.

Panthera offered little in the way of explanation. "We, uh, met before…and, mmm, and had to help out a coupla friends." He hesitated, seeing Anria's expression. "Nothing happened, of course. Oh….uh, hello."

Panthera has stopped talking to his friends and mate; now he is addressing none other than Solaris, and no introductions need be made for him. Solaris glanced sideways at Barikah and Canis. "Hadn't seen him since three, aye?"

"Uh, yeah about that….would you believe that I actually told the truth there?"

"Not likely."

Panthera gulped. "Great."

Solaris smiled his annoying know-it-all grin. "I knew you'd think so." He stalked off; trying to get a count of exactly how many of his had left for other mates. The other Elementals were doing the same, as if they could reclaim some of their honor by doing so. With time, the Herds mingled even more, so much so that they might be called a Herd; the Herd. By the end of the slowly passing Valley week, all the color bands had broken down. Little remained of the Herds that were. All remained of the Herd that is.

And The Mare completed her work.