Dark Horse Alliance

Chapter 3--Friends

Soon after the last group returned, the hoofbeats could be heard again...on the hard and shiny rock pedestal. All the horses once again kept their muzzle shut...but they didn't need to greet their leader once more, so they stood tall and proud as Malius showed himself.

His devious, glowing eyes scanned the area around him. He saw the 4 groups...each holding a recruit....and then he spotted..of course..the big failure bunch of them, all huddled together like timid little foals. Malius..of course..wasnt pleased with that lot...

He narrowed his glowing eyes and shot them all a look..."You...horses...didnt even bring back a single recruit..?! Are you kidding me? Ha! I'm sad to say no..no you're not!" he bellowed, stomping a hoof as his eyes glowed brighter.

"Why....why can't you bring back a single new member, when these four groups can?! Huh?! Tell me! I dare you!" he shouted, as he paced the tip of the rock. "I expected more than those four groups to be standing in front of my hooves....and what do I get..? Only 4!!" he paused. "When I told you all to bring back at least 4 recruits...you all know that I expect more than four right?! So why couldn't you do it?!" he scolded the lot.

The horses were snorting silently...weary of Malius's reason to shout at them. They all bowed their heads apologetically.

"Sorry my Lord Malius!" they whinnied together. The Advisor, Xawekl, a dark blazed stallion, stepped forth.

"My liege..." he neighed, dipping his head. "Please...try to forgive them..I have my scouts telling me many areas of our region are scarce of pure horses..." he added, trying to defend them. The pure black Malius snorted softly as he glanced at his Advisor.

"Oh..is that so..?" he whinnied back sarcastically. Xawekl noted the tone of unpleasanty in his leader's voice..and he bowed his head lower, taking a few steps back.

"S-Sorry my leige.." he nickered. "No, no...its true..ill have to deal with this later..." he whinnied to Xawekl. The Advisor suddenly jerked his head up and a wide smile spread across his muzzle. "Thank you my evil Lord Malius!" he whinnied and dipped his head, before walking to beside Irvine. Malius snorted and faced the horses again.

"Xawekl here just told me a reasonable excuse for all of you..so I'm sparing you all..better go thank him later. As for the four groups, well done. Bring the recruits to the rock cavern where I'll be waiting." he ordered.

The horses sighed..relived to be spared. "Thank you my evil Lord Malius! Long live the Alpha!" they chorused. The four groups did the same, before trotting up a rocky slope toward the Rock Cavern...

"Hey, Diadora...whats up with Malius...? He spared us because of this reason Xawekl told him about...whats happening?" Devidan whinnied, his head stretched to meet Diadora's neck, his eyes looking up and the mare.

"I don't know Dev...I don't know..." she responded in an anticipating soft whinny as their hooves clopped on the smooth rocks towards the cavern.

About a minute later the four groups were all present in front of Malius. With Salvodore's group in front of them, with Zeidan and Kaige's groups closely behind. The recruits all stepped forward. Malius smirked an evil one...and snorted.

The leader of each group took a hoof forward, and stood in line with them recruits of their respective groups. Malius nodded, Irvine just a few hooves behind him.

"Alright! I want to know the names and genders of these pieces of meat! Starting from Salvodore's group down!" his neigh echoed through the cavern walls, but it reached all their pricked ears clearly. The four leaders nodded. Salvodore let out a short whinny, stomping his hoof.

"My liege, this mare was formerly known as Rose." Salvodore neighed sharply.

"Very good...Rose? Your new name from now on is Scarlett." he announced...pausing.

"Always stand proud and tall...follow the rest and you won't fall..for from this very moment you and I are one....and part of the DHA herd you are now...Always Stay true and loyal to your Alpha...never disrespect your fellow herd members and leaders...as well as the Dark Horse Alliance Code...for which you are now one with...." Malius whispered in Scarlett's ear,...it was the sleuth of the DHA which he'd whinny out to the recruits.

He walked two hooves and came face to face with Diadora and her recruit. The recruit immediately knew what he wanted, so she whispered her true name to Diadora. The mare nodded.

"My liege...this mare was formerly known as Candy..." she neighed as sharply as Salvodore, before glancing a smirk at the stallion.

"Candy...interesting name...well, your new name as of from now shall be Ophelia." he announced again......Malius took a deep breath before reading out the sleuth yet again to Ophelia...and he did so for the other two recruits...Zeidan's mare, formerly known as Talaya, was renamed Ebony. And Kaige's stallion, formerly known as Luke, was renamed Mazus.

After that, the recruits were to choose which group they'd join. Mazus joined Kaige's group and Scarlett joined Salvodore's group. For Ophelia and Ebony, they trotted off to the big herd and searched for the groups which held only 3 horses. Diadora snorted, before bowing toward Malius and called her little herd to follow her.

They walked steadily down, before heading toward the stream which had cut through straight into the thick forest. Diadora nickered softly.

"Okay guys...lets have a well deserved rest." Jazabel, Devidan and Riskel all neighed happily. Jazabel and Riskel went to drink and play in the water, while Devidan and Diadora laid down on the soft grass and relaxed...they weren't needed unless they hear Malius's shrilling cry.

Suddenly they heard a soft rustle in the bushes just opposite them along the stream bank. The horses froze, turning into satellite statues.

"W-Whats that...?" Jazabel quivered nervously in the water, causing large ripples to spread. Diadora pinned her ears, she could smell a cougar....