Red Outlaw

The Other Herds

Weak and small as little Patch was, there's wily blood in these horses. They don't give up.

Patch woulda been easily left behind, had his ma not been any other Indigo. She was the boss. She was the lead mare. She decided when they ate, when they drank, when they moved, and where they ran from danger.

Copper would inherit that position soon as Indigo died. But horses ain't like people; she didn't have no awful plan to get rid of her mama.

The other mares was blissfully unaware that Copper would take the lead mare role, or that Indigo's strength was failin'. Sure, she was old. But they didn't think she was givin' up any time soon.

That she wasn't, but the instant she passed there'd be a power scramble, and poor Patch would have no ma. It really wasn't a good situation.

Indigo seemed to be at peace with her weakness, though. If you watched that harem, you'd see her stickin' real close to Sepia and his ma. Goldie was scared at first but warmed up to her superior, often lookin' after Patch for her. That put old Indigo's mind to ease, a bit. That was her plan, she knowed her time run short. So she had to find a new place for Patch.

The herd was absentmindedly accepting, but they didn't know the reason why. They just said 'okey dokey' and went about their business.

The foals were on their last legs. The journey seemed to have no end. They was sore and tired, and Dot had a stone in her frog; but that didn't keep her from runnin' along with the others fast as she could.

Indigo smelled a familiar scent, prickin' her ears into the wind. They was late to arrive because of the whiny babes they called foals. All a them complained. All a them wanted to stop. They did, a few times, and that put them at a disadvantage.

When they was close Indigo upped the pace to a trot. The trust the mares had in her knowed no boundaries.

From behind him, Red's pa bit his haunches. He kicked out playfully, but was real tired. Too tired to try very much.

To anyone else it woulda looked like a fierce blow to the chest. Red wasn't even usin' any force, but it came off insulting to Nightshade anyway and he got an extra nip for that.

Red kept his ears backwards, not really payin' any attention to his ma or the mares. He looked back at Nightshade, soakin' in all the information he could. Like a sponge.

His papa was lookin' all around, makin' sure no danger was near. His ears was twistin' all around, like he was trying to look and listen fifty different places at once.

It was a bit of a trick Red would need for later. But we'll get to that as it comes along.

Indigo upped the pace again, to a slow lope. Then, finally, they emerged to the top of a plateau. The wise horses knew the wind was strong up here, and it'd blow the snow off the grass. It was easier to eat this way, plus there wasn't so many predators.

As it was suspected, some band laid claim to the plateau already. Nightshade tirelessly charged in front of the herd and into the fray.

The good thing about Red's pa was that he was young, strong (in his head and body), and mean. He did not like other stallions. Matter of fact he seemed to hate them. Even ones that weren't no threat couldn't be tolerated.

The other herd's stallion galloped up to meet his foe. Red watched in terror. He never seen any horses but the ones in his own herd before and these new ones was scary.

Looked to be a group of about ten, four and their foals plus the stallion. Red whinnied, wonderin' if they was friendly. They looked that way, but his ma gave him a nip that let him know not to talk to strangers.