The War on Hooves

Part 10

There were no words to describe what Jake had witnessed. This White horse was exceptional. Jake blew through his nostrils and swung his large head around. He fixed his ears on the fence. The White horse had opened it with complete silence. Had he not turned when he did, he may never have even seen them.

It was difficult to admit to the fact that he had finally met his match. He had gone up against all kinds of horses on the battlefield, but none had displayed this kind of cunning.

Jake smiled to himself and headed over to see his father. He had no idea how he was going to explain what had happened, but he was willing to give it a shot.

The moment Midnight laid eyes on his son, he flattened his ears, indicating that he already knew something had gone wrong.

"Why do you insist on coming in here only to report bad news?" Midnight demanded.

Jake sighed heavily. "That White horse has caused us trouble again," he admitted softly.

Midnight lowered his gaze. There was anger brimming off of him and Jake wished that he could be alone in the forest without having to participate in this meaningless war.

"At dawn we launch a full scale attack. Show no mercy, my son. The swifter we move, the less prepared they will be!"

Jake's body tensed with the order. He was unsure of his own feelings in that moment. He nodded his head obediently and headed out into the darkness. To his surprise, Maces was waiting for him.

The thick Clydesdale shook his black mane and sighed. "I noticed that the Brownie is gone. There goes our chance of having a spy!"

Jake shook his head. "She would never have accepted it no matter how long we locked her up. That Brownie is devoted to the White horses. I have to wonder what kind of leaders Sparkle and Willow are. They gather their followers without question. Their herd is somehow stronger than ours!"

Maces laughed mockingly. "Are you envious of our enemies?"

Jake shook his head. "Of course not! However, I am learning their strengths and weaknesses. Isn't that my job as the lead fighter?"

The Clydesdale was silent for a long while. He stamped a hoof into the dirt and stared at Jake with his ears back. "You're too good with your words! If you were brown, you would make a magnificent spy!"

Jake only nodded. "The possibility haunts me," he admitted sarcastically.

The two stallions moved side by side for a ways before Jake finally reached the water basin where they could drink peacefully.

"My father wants us to attack right at dawn," Jake advised.

Maces Pride lowered his head and took another long gulp of water. "It seems he's growing angry with our stalemate. You could have pushed us harder at any time, and yet you continue to be lackadaisical about this whole thing."

Jake nodded. "You're right, my friend. I am, in actuality, a failure as a leader, and yet my father continues to push me. I don't want to add the same pressure onto our herd. It's not fair of me to do so."

Maces pawed at the ground. "I am behind you no matter what, but if you actually want us to stay alive, we all have to fight with everything we've got!"

Jake allowed his friend's words to hang . They moved back to the caves in silence, even though Jake's mind was far from quiet.

Every day of Jake's life had been a struggle. He had despised his foal-hood, only because of the pressures that had been placed on him to succeed and become a heartless leader. Jake shook his head and snorted loudly. He wished to forget most of the memories that were trapped within him.