The wild spirit of the mountains

Chapter 4

Chapter 4: the fighting begins.

A loud squeal erupts the usual quiet bush. The summers over and lazy days of rolling in the sun, playing and swimming. It is now the time of survival and fighting for grounds in the winter. Many stallions challenge Maximus for his winter pastures.

The man and his cattle are gone and the worry is over. Hail and I stand in the bush watching our father fight. We were 8 months old and next autumn this could be us. We were growing and are up to our mothers necks, we were stronger and could gallop faster. We were safe from the man in this time of the year but not safe from the weather. No shelter or warmth can kill any horse, with a winter coats growing we knew it was going to be big snow.

Maximus easily wins against another stallion and sends him off gaining another two mares for his herd. The stallion was luck enough to live yet alone have 5 mares still with him. We gallop back to Honey who is waiting for us down by the river.

"How was the fighting?" she asks.

Her pure beauty shining like the sun. O was enchanted and stuck in a glance. She was elegant, quiet and smart.

"Great" hail says laughing and nudges me to snap me out.

"Maximus won easily" I quickly say.

"Yeah, I've heard though that in 3 more summers someone else will rule. Then it will be up to one of you to win it back"

"Yeah, that's the plan"

"C'mon we should go back to the herd" honey says.

"Race you back" I say and we gallop as fast as we can back. I take the lead and thunder past the herd and then doubling back. I leap up onto a rock, rear and neigh my challenge to the future.

Luna looks with pride.

Dust looks with jealously.

Hail looks at a leader

Honey looks at her stallion

Maximus looks with strong pride at his son.

All the other horses in the mountain look forward to a leader, challenger or friend.

The animals of the bush see a great leader, personality and kindness.

I leap down and canter over to Hail and honey and start grazing, enjoying the last moments of summer.

That night the wind howls through the trees whispering winter, winter, winter.

The southern cold winds blow through the north, and the clouds fill with water. It will be a big winter. The days pass with rain and wind. After 16 sunsets of the end of winter the snow falls, quickly and lots. The creeks freeze, the grass gets buried and kangaroos and birds have already left to the south for safety of the plains.

Luna, Bambi, rosé and honey, hail and I seek shelter under a big grass overhang. Our mothers teach us how to find food as it won't be easy when we have our own herds and not Maximus winter pastures.

The winter passes slowly until one day as the morning sun rises it is a clear blue sky.

"Spring is here" Maximus neighs. Everyone neighs in happiness and gallops around. Us colts were now a full year old. This time next year we will be able to leave the herd and start our own. The sun melts the snow away leaving the short sweet spring grass. The creeks ice breaks flowing still ice cold water. Honey, hail, me, dust and the other colts gallop together. I notice that my legs are strong and I can run faster then ever. I lurch forward and gallop in front of all the others, with easy strength. I buck and dance in the melting snow, leaping with joy. My winter coat and baby fur is gone leaving a slim pitch black coat. Only having a white stripe between my blue eyes which my mother said were very rare.

I stop my prancing and start grazing on the sweet grass. I hear Dust come trotting over but I ignore him.

"You know your not that fast"he says pinning his ears.

"You want to race then" I nicker back, still eating.

"Yeah sure!"

"Alright"

The other colts and foals gather around and the rest of the herd stop and watch.

"What's happening" Luna asks.

"Your son spiritus is racing dust" a mare answers.

"He's going to get himself in trouble when their older by mocking dust, but he just can't help it" she says and sighs.

She secretly watches with excitement though.

"To that tree over that far one" Dust snorts and paws the ground.

Before I can say anything Dust takes off with a lurch and starts galloping as fast as he can.

I quickly take after him.

"Go spiritus!!" honey neighs.

I gallop with my neck stretcher out, my hooves flying silently across the ground, my neck arched and my nostrils flared. I fly past Dust and throw my head and neigh. I still gallop as fast as I can to the tree. I slow down to a smooth canter than a trot. I Rear up to the tree and strike it with my hoof.

I had won.

Dust comes over and hangs his head low, panting and heaving sweat all over his body. He had chosen a big distance run, but I hadn't even broke Into a sweat and my breathing was even.

Hail and honey come up behind.

"Wow you were So fast like a blur of black!" says Honey.

"Your not even tired, congrats you fair and square beat Dust"

"Thanks but it not that big of a deal" I say and we canter back to the group.

Luna watches her son proudly, he would definitely be the fastest horse in the mountains for a while. No one will ever match his pace. She lowers her head and grazes ignoring the jealous looks from the other mares.

Bambi to was very proud of her son Hail as he to could run as fast as the hail falls from the sky. He was never far behind from Spiritus. In the snow he was invisible just a white blur in the snow storm, but you could see him clear as day in summer and that would be when he had to be careful. The man would hunt both of them and the filly Honey. With the beautiful dark brown that gets lighter at her shoulders but then darkens as it reaches her back legs and with the unusual golden for her mane and tail.

Many stallions will fight for her and spiritus will have to fend for her every time.