The War on Hooves

Part 14

Sunshine was dripping onto the horses by the time morning came. Jake had his eyes wide open before any of the others even saw daybreak. He gazed at the other horses in the grass and smiled. They might have been frightened last night, but they were certainly dreaming soundly in that moment.

Jake shook his head and yawned. They did not kill the cougar as they had intended, but it was off too far to return. There was still another one that needed to be taken care of, but it would not remain hidden forever.

They were sleeping near the edge of the mountain. Jake stepped closer to it and peeked over the cliff. Although he tried, he could not see the Whites. He sighed with disappointment and turned to get a drink from the stream running nearby.

Jake was alone up in the mountains for a moment, and he deeply relished it. He was thankful to have the time in order to think about his life.

That white mare continued to make an appearance in his mind even though he tried desperately to avoid the memories. She had certainly shocked him. Now all he wanted was to learn more about his new enemy and take her down.

Jake pointed his ears at the mountains. He wondered what was out there. He questioned whether he could take care of himself or not. The wild was far different than a herd.

There were too many things running through Jake's mind. He could hardly shut it down, but then he noticed a little sparrow feeding in the sunlit branches above. It did not have a care in the world. He smiled to himself and almost laughed aloud. His troubles were far from devastating.

"It's a great day to go hunting," Buckskin announced as he appeared.

Jake refused to overt his eyes from the sparrow. "Good morning," he greeted softly.

"Something has been bothering me about the last fight, but I don't want you getting angry with me, alright?"

Jake nodded. "Tell me what you must."

Buckskin took in a deep breath. "Why did you choose to go against the Whites on your own? What did you see while in that cloud of dust? Why would you decide to take them all on by yourself?"

Eyes widening, Jake paused. He had no idea how to respond. There was a legitimate answer, but he could not confide in Buckskin. He could not divulge that he discovered that the white horse was a mare and that he had wanted to protect his reputation and prove his ability to himself.

Maces Pride appeared in that moment with a huff. "I sent him back so that he could prove to the leaders, and to us that he was worthy!"

Buckskin lowered his head. "I was sure it was something more complicated than that," he admitted. "Forget that I asked, Jake. I still trust you even if you don't take on a whole herd by yourself."

Jake smiled weakly. "Thanks Buckskin. I appreciate that."

"No problem! Now, let's kick some cougar butt and keep our valley safe!" Buckskin stated as he pranced back to the other horses.

Jake sighed heavily. "I wasn't expecting him to be as direct as he was. Could you please explain to me why you insist on saving my sorry behind? If I was kicked out of the herd, I would be fairly content. Living by myself out in the wilderness would not be so bad."

Maces shook out his black mane and snorted loudly. "You have no idea what it would be like as a Free Runner. The next time you meet one, be sure to ask how it compares to herd life!"

The two stallions lowered their heads and took in the serene moment. Neither of them was completely willing to speak any more on the subject. Stallions could only get so sentimental. They wheeled around to rejoin the others. As usual, Raven had her eye on Jake, and he was not entirely sure how to feel about it.