Chapter 3: A Reunion…….and almost grown.

Colita smells the air, and scents another horse nearby. "Could it be? Is it Windmark?" Colita wonders. She looks at her 7 month old son behind her, then turns her head back around and neighs loudly. Colita hears a reply, then from behind some trees, Windmark comes galloping out. He lets out a whinny of joy and Colita replies as she gallops to him with her son close behind. Wind mark and Colita are reunited and Risk gets to meet his father for the first time.

"Come on. Let's go to the herd. We've been so worried about you, Colita. I was afraid you would get hurt." relieved, Windmark says, while nuzzling Colita.

"So you're my father?" Risk asks

"Yes I am, Risk, and I have so much to tell you and show you." Windmark replies. The three horses gallop back to the herd, where they are greeted with great joy. All except Marlita greeted the young horse and lead mare. She was angry that Colita had come back. Espejo had left the herd because Marlita kept moving them all constantly. Marlita wanted her sister to get lost and never come back. She wanted to be lead mare with Windmark. But now, Colita had a son and that made things harder for her. She had 2 choices. Leave the herd or stay to take over.

"I will leave and find a stallion. I will make a new herd." Marlita thinks to herself, as she watches Risk and Windmark talking. "Yes, I will leave and come back to dominate my sisters herd with my own."

Risk wakes up early the next morning to find his father looking out into the sunrise from a hill. Quietly, he walks up behind his father to join him by his side.

"The sun rises and falls like ones time as a leader. You have questions, my son." Windmark says, still staring out into the horizon.

"What happened that you weren't with mother when I was born? Where were you?"

Windmark looked down and closed his eyes, then looked at Risk. "Your mother and I were running together, having some fun. Your mother had gotten ahead of me as we were running. Then something caught my neck and I fell. Everything went black after that. I woke up and I was inside a big, wooden circle. I escaped to get back to the herd, hoping to see Colita there, but she wasn't. "I couldn't leave the herd either" Windmark replies. "I've been looking out here ever since, thinking and watching. But now you're here and everything is right."

"Mother says Marlita will try and take over yet." says Risk.

"Yes I know. Marlita tried to become lead mare while your mother and you were gone."

"Dad? Do you think that I'll make a good ki….uh…leader one day?" Risk asks. Windmark smiles and nods.

"You will make and great king one day, Risk. I see you being the leader of a herd so large that it could be three herds" says Windmark.

"Really? Wow…..thanks Dad." Risk replies. Risk then Looks out to the horizon with his father to see the sunrise. He's happy to have his father with him, but also sad that he wasn't there for the longest time.

"Come on, Chitsa!!! I know you're faster than that!!" yells Risk as he races another colt. Chitsa was a month younger than Risk, but just as fast if not faster.

"HEY!! You started before me!!" Chitsa yells back. "It wasn't a fair start!!"

Risk stopped at the top of the hill that he was on earlier that morning and Chitsa soon joins him. "My dad says I'm gonna be a king. He said that I would have a herd so large that it could be three herds."

"Wow…..Do you think I'll have my own herd someday?? Chitsa asks.

"Not sure, but maybe. Just think…..I'm gonna take o…..wait…What's that?" Risk says, then sniffing the air.

It smells like…like…a cougar!! RUN RISK!!!" Chitsa shouts.

A cougar comes running out of the thick forest trees. Chitsa takes off toward the herd, but Risk stood his ground, pawing the ground. Then Risk took off, heading for the cougar. As Risk is nearing the cougar, the cougar jumps at him. But Risk is quick and he leaps over the cougar! As soon as his front hooves touch the ground, he kicks the cougar with his hind legs with a force so hard that it sent the animal flying through the air. The cougar lets out a cry of pain as he lands on his side. Risk walks up to the cougar, stops and stares at the shaking animal.

"Get out of here. I never wan tot see you near my friends or family again." And with that, the cougar got up and started walking away. As Risk started walking away, the cougar leapt on him! Risk neighed loudly and bucked, doing whatever he could to get the animal off. The cougar was losing his grip on the young stallion and was about to fly off. The cougar dug his claws into Risk's right shoulder as he fell close to the ground. Risk reared up one last time and kicked the cougar to send it flying.

The cougars limp body hit the ground with a thud. Breathing heavily, Risk walks over to the lifeless body. "No more will you harm anyone" he whispers to himself.

"Risk!! What happened? Are you alright?" Colita asks nervously, looking at her sons wound, coming up to Risk.

"Just my shoulder is hurt. I'm OK though."

Windmark is soon next to Colita and Risk. He stops at his mates side and stares at the dead cougar. "Risk…You killed the cougar? Alone?" Windmark asks, somewhat surprised.

"Yes Father, I did. I didn't mean to though." Risk nervously says.

"Well done, Risk. I'm proud of you for taking on such a challenge" Windmark says, smiling proudly.

"Lets get back to the herd and get that awful wound cleaned." Says Colita. The three horses walk back to the herd. Chitsa had told all of the other horses and they came to aid the young prince.

That night, the young king sleeps and dreams a strange dream. He hears the call of a mare, and sees one a great distance away. He gallops near her and asks her name. She gallops away and he wakes. Thinking about what the dream was about, Risk falls back to sleep and dreams once more