Ghost Horse-Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron

Chapter 3-Forrest

It had been several months since Desert Solis had been born. She had quickly formed a gang of friends, including Willow, a dark bay filly, Red, a bright chestnut colt with three black socks and a black muzzle, Snow Drift, a handsome pure white colt with a black muzzle and oily hooves, Flash, a black colt with white socks and a thick blaze, and finally, Jigsaw, a skewbald filly with a cream-colored mane and deep red patches over a white coat.

Desert let put a squeal of surprise as icy cold water rushed up to meet her warm skin, drenching the 7 Month old filly thoroughly. "Jig!" She reared and easily caught up with the filly, nipping her flank and skidding to a halt, shaking the droplets from her fuzzy coat and all over Willow, Red, Snow, Flash and Jig. They all whinnied cheerfully, with a snort and shake of their heads.

Red stepped forward. He was the daredevil of the foals, always first to try new things, and a little too cocky for his own good. "Hey, Desert, are you going to check out the forest with the rest of us?" he asked in a low voice, smirking as the others murmured in agreement.

"I'm not sure, Daddy always said-" the filly began, being cut off by the chestnut colt. "Daddy says this, Daddy says that, come on! You're the Leader's daughter! You have to get better at being brave, or you won't be for to be Leader after Spirit and Rain!" Red teased playfully. He trotted towards the towering trees of the Forbidden Forest, its leaves rustling tauntingly in the breeze.

"Hey! I am brave! I'll go!" Desert replied indignantly, cantering ahead. She gazed up at the dark trees and shivered uncertainly. Was this the right thing to do? No! Of course not! Turn back! Her thoughts screamed, yet there seemed to be a force pulling her in.

Willow and Jig were whispered excitedly to each other, watching consistently. Flash watched intently, nodding and stepping closer while Snow hung back, his eyes narrowed in thought. There was something strange in the air, something that only he seemed to sense. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe there was nothing wrong about this forest after all!

"Go right in, then come back out again. Go into the Heart of the forest to prove you bravery, solider. Your mission starts now. Go!" Red nickered, giving her a hard shove into the shadows. "Alright then, here I go!" Desert called, her voice unsteady and nervous. Yet the patched filly picked her way over brambles, tree roots and through dark passages until she was completely and utterly lost.

"Hey! You shouldn't be over here. And where's Desert? She's not in the Forbidden Forest is she?!" Spirit turned his broad head over to the forest, glaring into the dark. "She's not that foolish. Come on. There's a storm coming. We need to get to the Caves." The dun stallion decided after a long moment of hesitation. It was true, purple clouds were swelling above, looking like they would burst any second now. The herd galloped to a steep, rocky hill where a huge cave awaited, protected from the wind and rain and bad weather.

Desert kept silent as she looked nervously around. She could easily die out here! Which way had she come? This way? That way? Over there? "Oh why did I do this? Why couldn't I have just stayed in the lake with Jig!" The filly whispered to herself, not expecting anyone to answer.

"Because you are a silly foal, and need to be taught a lesson." the voice came from the shadows. and out stepped an incredibly handsome dapple gray stallion with dark brown eyes, light gray mane and tail, that blew with the wind down to his knees. His skin was battle scarred, and he looked like he had been living rough for the past few years.

"Who-who are you?" Desert stuttered, shrinking back as the great stallion walked closer with big, elegant strides. "Tell me who you are!" she commanded in a weak voice. The stallion chuckled deeply.

"You are a foolish filly. Why come into the woods when a huge storm is coming? Yet no one knows these trees better than I do. I am your only hope out, and it just happens that I don't like foals." he replied, lowering his head and practically snarling his words.

"How come you live in these woods, and not out with the Herd?" Desert asked, gaining her confidence with a flick of her tail.

"I was banished from the Herd by a black stallion with the name of Strider. You won't know him. I killed him." The stallion replied slowly. The filly gasped.

"That's my Grandfather! You killed my Grandfather! But... But why?" she questioned, looking up at the turned-away horse. He looked about 17hh, while Desert was only about 11hh.

"He stole the mare that I loved. Esperanza. Strider and I had been at war against each other ever since we met. Then when we both grew older, into stallions, it turns out both of us wanted Esperanza. She's a beautiful palomino. Still in your herd, I guess. But that colt of hers... He leads now. Anyway, I was so mad when I heard that Strider had stolen her from me, and that on the short journey I had been on, they had started a family already. After Esperanza was about a month away from birthing, I killed Strider, who had been the Leader as his father died several years before." the mysterious horse answered quietly, hatred in his eyes and voice as he spoke.

"Esperanza died a few months ago of a snake bite." Desert said almost silently, not looking up to see the distraught and miserable look in the dapple gray's eyes. He looked as if he was about to cry, but instead, he spoke.

"Forrest. My name, is Forrest.