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The stallion two-beated through the clearing, his banner floating behind, tassels blown back by the squall. His tuners scanned the terra, and he let his orbs wander…..Searching.
His nigrescent pelt shone in the growing darkness, the kingdom he entered was not his own, it was unclaimed. He came in search of a mate. He halted on the ridge and sent his calling.
[Thy dubbance is Samson, King of Whatsadoosie Flat.] Soon a call mimicked his voice.
[Lord Samson, Welcome to Lone Ridge, Named for the meeting of lone horses. Thy calling be Troubled Dreams] Replied a vixen that Samson could not see, moments later she stood, moon kissed, in the light of the full moon in the cloudrealm.
[Lord Samson, thy am Dreams. What is it you seek so far from home?] She question after hearing stories of far off places, the flat where this stallion ruled was 5 days travel to the south.
Samson turned his tuners to her and announced
[I come to these lands, milady, searching for a mate to share and rule over Whatsadoosie Flat along at my side.] He waited for her response. She gave none but looked him over.
[Then lord would you accept thy?] She said
[If thou would accept thy then yes] he smiled she nodded and said
[Then my lord when shall we go?] She said silently agreeing to accept him as her stallion.
[We shall leave upon sunrise, I’ve traveled the trip in but three days I’m am weary and in need of rest.] He said and led the way after she had nodded to a place where he knew they would be safe. An hour after leading her from the meeting place they came upon a cliff below grazed a dark bay stallion and his patchwork mate.
[Masters Illusion, thy calling be Samson, King of Whatsadoosie Flat, Foal-hood friend. My mate and I seek shelter for the night] His call was soon answered with one from the stallion they could see below.
[Samson it’s been a long time you may shelter with us.] Samson smiled and led the way to the valleys floor, once there he greeted the stallion
[Master, this is my mate Troubled Dreams.] The new stallion bobbed a bow and introduced the very heavily pregnant patchwork mare at his side.
[This be Jigsaw, my lead and only love, she is soon to foal my first offspring.] Masters said happily and nuzzled his mate; Samson showed his foal-hood friends mate the same courtesy that Masters had shown his own by bobbing a bow to the mare.
After Samson and his mate had been in the company of masters and Jigsaw a few hours Jigsaw turned to Masters,
[Our baby is ready to join us my love] She then turned to Dreams and asked
[Would you accompany my to create new life Miss Dreams?] Her question was answered with a simple nod and smile.
The mares bid their stallions a farewell and Jigsaw led the way to a secluded cave that she had picked out. Her contraction gripped her tightly over the new few hours each time getting stronger and closer together until her urge to push was nearly unbearable. Dreams stood by and watched as the foals sack exited the mare and the foal finally slid gently from the mare onto the sand in the caves mouth. Jigsaw stood exhausted but forced herself to clean the foal and urge him or her to stand. When her maw didn’t bump anything whilst she cleaned the foal Jigsaw knew she was a mother to a beautiful filly.
[Congratulations Jigsaw, what shall you dub her then?] Asked dreams whose orbs had softened from the sight of the foal’s birth.
[She is patch-worked like me, my being Jigsaw her calling from now will be Puzzle.] Jigsaw smiled as the foal nurses and then Dreams suggested they both rest a while until the dawn approached. She gently woke them and began to lead them back to the waiting stallions, which by now would be beginning to worry.
But moments after leaving the cave where little Puzzles life had begun, a flamed burnt stallion blocked their path.
[Hmm what do we have here? Two mares and a babe but not a stallion in sight to protect them] he chuckled and added
[You do know how dangerous wandering without a stallion is don’t you?] His question was answered with one of Dreams own.
[You do know how dangerous it is to try attacking two mares with a new born foal is don’t you?]
The evil look in her orbs showed she was willing to fight to save little puzzle and her mother. The stag snorted and began to circle the trio and he tried to approach the group from the side. Dreams saw what he was trying to do, he was trying to inch the filly from her dam’s side. Dreams lurched forward and landed squarely on the attacking stallions back allowing Jigsaw to rush the filly to the safety of the stallions. The stag beneath her crumbled with the weight and he gathered himself and began to buck and pivot trying to dislodge the tight grip on his withers.
When he succeeded he turned to attack the mare that was no longer standing beside him but was leaping from a rocky outcrop above him tackling him to the ground, she gripped his throat with her ivories and kept her bodice away from his failing daggers. He thrashed and lurched against her grip, she ignored the searing pain that shot through her shoulder where one of the blows aimed at her barrel had ricocheted off her sternum. She held tight and just moments after Masters, Samson and jigsaw followed closely by the filly re-entered the clearing the stallion’s movements ceased.
Samson rushed forward seeing the blood stained mare he checked her over the only open wound was the shoulder that had taken the blow of the dead stallion’s dagger. She looked at Jigsaw and the filly and asked
[Are you ok?] Jigsaw nodded and nuzzled the filly and rubbed the tear that trickled down her cheek away then said
[Troubled Dreams, You risked your life to save my daughter and I. We are forever in your debt]
Masters nodded his agreement
[ I am glad that you came to shelter with us for Jigsaw Had told me she was going to be birthing alone and had you not of came and went with her, Our daughter would most likely be lying on the ground as that stallion is. And my mate stolen. We are forever in your debt; we own the life of our daughter to you Troubled Dreams.] Masters nuzzled Jigsaw and his daughter and turned to return to their sleeping area.
Samson was looking at the stallion’s body
[How did you kill him, He is twice your size?] His question was almost a whisper
[I’ve had to defend myself for many years my lord, this brute was heavier but much too slow. Speed is the key.] She said and then added
[Please may we go back now I wish to clean my wounds in the cold stream near where we are sheltering] her question was more of a plea and the stallion nodded and led her back to cleanse her wounds. On the way back towards the place they would bed for the night a murmur reached Dreams ears.
[Move over Morgana, You’re lying on my leg.] A young colt complained in a strangled whisper and tried to shift his leg from its spot pinned beneath the filly
The two foals lay intertwined, one a small filly and the other a strong colt. The twins were near enough in color that a passerby would take them as just leaf litter where they lay hidden in the brambles of a thicket.
[Rogan, I can’t help it, I’m uncomfortable. When will mom be back?] The small foals were only a few days old and were still dependant on their dam. Rogan shrugged in answer and lowered his dial just as he heard the advancing plodding of hooves
Dreams poked her head cautiously through the thickets covering and saw the two foals.
[My what have we here?] she said gently the two small heads turned sharply one taking a sharp breath
[Pl…Please…don…don’t hurt us] whimpered the filly Dreams smiled
[Come on out of there we won’t hurt you] she smiled and pulled her head back to allow the foals exit and turned to the stallion at her side
[We’ve company] and just then the two foals stumbled out of the thicket.
[Where is your mother?] Dreams asked her lyrics full of worry.
The colt lowered his dial and told them exactly what had happened.
The foals had rested after a day of playing and the next morning their mother had woken them to feed and had heard the incoming hoof beats and could smell the stallions scent. Immediately she had the foals running for their lives as the stallions beating coming behind them accelerated, their mother shoved them in to the thicket and told them to stay. She took off running and the stallion paused his gait smelling the ground. He didn’t find the foals hiding spot but found the mares scent and took chase…. That was the last they had seen or heard of her except a startling scream not long after the stallions hooves pounding the ground had finished echoing through the forest.
[That’s terrible. Come alone I’ll take care of you both,] Dreams said sadly
[But mom told us to stay here, that she would be back…] The colt began to fret
[My dear I cannot be certain but I don’t think your mom will be back the stallion would have taken her away to have her all to himself. Come along we won’t hurt you.] she urged the reluctant foals who finally agreed to be taken in but the mare and stallion whom had remained quiet as not to spook the foals.
When the mare and stallion began to walk off the foals followed readily. When they reached the safety of the others Jigsaw rushed forward.
[I didn’t know you were to foal…Twins none the less] she said excitedly
[They are not of my blood my dear friend] she quickly filled the mare and other stallion in of the events leading to her now adopting the two foals
[That’s so sad, what are their names?] Jigsaw asked
[I’m Rogan and this is my sister Morgana] the colt supplied.
Jigsaw looked at them
[Come nurse from me, I can spare some milk] The foals greedily nursed not having nursed in a whole day and a half. Puzzle woke and saw the new foals only a few days older then herself and she trotted over and Rogan moved aside to allow the mares own foal to nurse. The filly drank a little leaving ilk for the hungry foals.
[I don’t mind go ahead] Rogan smiled gently the filly smiled and shook her head
[I fed greatly earlier] she smiled and walked to Jigsaws face and nuzzled her mom who whispered in her little ear
[I’m proud of what you just did my filly] once all the foals had nursed they lay together in the warm sun sleeping peacefully.
Dreams watched them, her dire for a foal had forever been great but her mate Samson had not expressed a wish for a foal. Now she had two foals. Samson surely could not object to her taking them in…..could he? Trouble Dreams walked to stand alone in the shadows her gaze that upset a voice startled her
[My love your face is showing your name for you truly look troubled, what is it?] Samson’s soft lyrics caught in her auds.
[All my life I have prayed for family, my twin brother Dream Snatcher was evil, he attacked my mother Nightmare, my mother’s full sister Ghost Walker and her twin foals Shadow Dweller and Night Snake. My family torn to pieces, His attempt at raping me failed after I fought him as hard as I could almost passing out with pain and weakness. Once I got away I hid myself, I heard him coming after me and he again nearly caught me. When he finally did catch and rape me I miscarried the foal. Since then I’ve not tried in fear of not being able to conceive from the lashings I got after the loss of the foal. Since then I’ve wandered alone…until I met you.] she stopped her orbs misted from the unshed tears.
Samson nuzzled her and spoke gently
[ We can try for a foal if you want my love it would bring me utter pleasure to watch you carry and birth my offspring] he nuzzled her
[we are parents already to Rogan and Morgana, I am sure the saying goes “The more the merrier”] the stallion added the mares tears began she buried her head in his shoulder
[I was so hoping we could keep them AND have our own.] He reassured her then led her back to the foals and their friends.
[Master’s Illusion and Jigsaw, On behalf of us both we would love for you both and you daughter to accompany us both and our two new foals back to our home in the mountains. That is if it is what both Rogan and Morgana wish?] Samson smiled as he watched the two tiny faces light up happily, he turned to where Master and Jigsaw stood whit their foal close by.
[We would be honored to live in the mountains with you all.] Master said agreeing to move his small herd to the mountains to rekindle the old friendship with Samson.

In the days that followed the small herd made the long journey back to Whatsadoosie Flat where Cloud a grey stallion stood at the top he had promised that on returning Samson’s terra would still be his own.