WARNING! I PORTRAY HORSES IN AN EXTREMLY REALISTIC LIGHT! THIS MEANS THAT HORSES DO NOT HAVE MATES AND USUALLY ONLY ONE STALLION BREEDS WITH SEVERAL MARES; IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HIS I SUGGEST YOU STOP READING THIS RIGHT NOW! I DON'T WANY ANYONE CRITICIZING ME AND/ORTHE WAY I PORTRAY HORSES!!!

YOU, READER HAVE BEEN WARNED.

 REMEMBERING STRIDER

The cool spring-night air made Esperanza's pelt quiver slighlty as she slowly made her way through Spirit's herd. As she passed, the other mares bowed their heads out of respect, even though she was no longer the Lead Mare (that tile was Rain's now) but as the herd Matriarch, and it's oldest member, she was still entitled to the same amount of respect the Lead Mare received.

The old mare's deep chestnut eyes travelled accross her homeland, and her memories wandered back to when she and the herd Patriarch, Strider, (now long dead) had first discovered this wonderful place, but then the events of his death entered her mind at the same time... it was like someone had kicked her square in the chest; an extremely painful feeling.

It had been the Autumn before their last son: Spirit was born...

Strider moved across the ground at full gallop; his ebony pelt glistening with sweat in the midday sun. His nostrils flared with every deep breath that was required to fuel his stride. To both two-legged and horse alike... it was an awe-inspiring sight. But to any wolves or cougars... it was a noir-colored nightmare.

The stallion skidded to a halt at the top of a large bluff that overlooked his herd's grasing place. Arching his neck proudly and stamping his hooves on the soft earth... Strider reared up and let out a loud whinny to announce his return from patroling their homeland.

The golden mare's head shot up from her grasing and let out a softer whinny in response and went over to meet him... Esperanza let out a softer nicker as the stallion and Lead Mare touched noses atop the bluff. At this point in time, her belly was swollen; she was prengnant with yet another foal. Strider nuzzled the side of her belly in acknowlegement of this; even though he... like any good stallion loved all of his mares and the foals he had with them. But Esperanza had been his first; they had founded this herd together. Any foal that she gave birth to got special treament from him, and this one would be no different.

"Did you find anything interesting today?" She asked him, nibbling at his raven-colored mane affectionately.

Strider shook his head and his nostrils flared slightly.

"The wolf pack is following the buffalo herd south... and I found another deer that had taken by a cougar near the river." He replied.

"I'll tell the other mares when we go down there to be careful." Esperanza said and gave him a friendly nip on the shoulder, making his black pelt quiver slightly.

Esperanza trotted back down to the rest of the mares. Most of them were chestnut, bay, or gray in color, and their bellies were swelling with foal as well. Nearby, she could see some of the weanlings playing together; her own daughter, Faith was running amongst them, her golden-brown coat glistening in the sun as she galloped with her darker bay, chestnut, and gray brother and sisters. Come spring, the weanlings would be old enough to leave and start or find herds of their own. Not too far away from their homeland, was a batcholer band where most of the colts ended up staying until they were strong enough to become loners. To avoid inbreeding, the fillies headed in the opposite direction.

Like any mother, Esperanza hated seeing her sons and daughters leave. But it was the best for the health of the herd, and she knew they would live better if they went out on their own to discover the world.

Faith, seeing her mother, broke away from her siblings and friends and galloped over to meet her. She was a striking light bay; allmost bucksin if it wasn't for the reddish tint in her pelt, and she had inherited Esperanza's white blase, yet only had one stocking on her hind left leg.

"Hello mother," She whinnied "How was father's patrol?"

Esperansa smiled and touched noses with her daughter.

"It was fine.But he found more evidence of a cougar near the river... I'm going to tell the others before we head down there tonight... you should tell your brother and sisters."

Faith nodded and returned to the other weanlings.

That evening, the herd was preparing to go down to the river. Esperanza was leading them, while Strider and the weanlings remained at the tail. Strider only did this to make sure no preadators would attack them from behind; since they allmost never attacked from the front. The weanlings, including Faith stayed near him since they wanted to be closer to their sire for protection.

When both Lead Mare and Stallion had checked to see if everyone was ready, they set off; making sure to be more cautious than usual; considering that a cougar could be nearby and attack them at any moment. As they approached the river, the sun had set and stars appeared over the night sky.

As they passed a high ridge, no one noticed a dark shape looming over them... it was a cougar... being upwind from Strider or the other horses, it was completely invisible to them. It's golden eyes glowed hungrily with a desire for horseflesh, the deer it had killed last night only sated it's hunger for the moment... it needed a better kill... and the red-gold filly looked like a prime target... attacking now when she was so close to her sire would be a suicide misison... but the cat was patient, and would wait for a more suitable time to attack...

The river's clear water was wecoming to the herd when they arrived. All of the mares and weanlings went in and took deep gulps of the cool liquid. Strider would drink last, as he was beginning to feel uneasy and wanted to stand gaurd. After Esperanza finished drinking, she joined him, wanting to keep the stallion company. He glanced at her and smiled warmly before turning to scent the wind.

Faith and one of her siblings were playing in the water, having a wonderful time in the shallower part of the river. Her only brother this year, a dark bay colt named Mountain by his mother, was splashing her with water while her sisters watched on shore cheering them on. They were completely unaware of a preadator watching them from afar...

"I think we should have a race." Mountain said, stomping the water playfully.

Faith stared at him for a moment, then suddenly bolted out of the water and onto the land; silently accepting his challenge and giving herself a head start.

"Hey!" Mountain neighed, starting to gallop after her.

Faith stopped for a moment and let him catch up.

"Where should we race to?" She asked him.

Mountian titled his head to the side and thought for a moment.

"I don't know... you decide."

Faith's head bobbed up and down and she stomped her foot excitedly.

"How about to the edge of the waterfall?"

"Ok, you're on."

Faith took off taking an easy lead. The two weanlings galloped accross the riverbank, their wet coats glistening in the starlight. Faith was having a wonderful time being chased by Mountain so she didn't notice that they were going too far from the main group. Stridier did however, and decided it was time to go get them. Esperanza watched as her Stallion... darker than the night galloped off after his offspring untill he disappeared out of sight.

Strider easily overtook his son and daughter near the edge of a large waterfall and ran in front of them causing them to stop their little game. The Patriarch arched his neck and gave them a chiding look.

Faith immediately pinned her ears back and lowered her head in submission, Mountain soon followed her lead in front of his sire.

"We're sorry father..." he said meekly.

"I forgive you both... but please don't go too far from the herd next time you decide to run there are too many-"

There was a sound, a sound that two-leggeds described as a female of their kind sceaming... but it wasn't a female two-legged... it was the cougar, deciding that the dark stallion alone was no longer a threat. It's tawny body flew through the air in attempt to land on it's selected target from before: Faith but he miscalculated it's leap and landed on the darker colt instead.

Mountain screamed and fell, he hadn't yet reached full sise and the couger easily brought him down, it began biting on his neck and slashing his back, only to leap away just in time from a bone-crushing kick delivered by Strider. Faith stood frozen in shock watching the scene take place. The black stallion turned to his daughter.

"Go, get your mother and take the herd as far away from here as you can!" He neighed as the cougar leapt at him; screeching in rage.

Faith ran with all of her might back to the herd; Esperanza had heard the cat and seeing her daughter returning alone only made things worse for her, even though she was pregnant; she ran at full speed to meet her.

"Mother... Father says we have to get out of here right now! There was..."

"I heard it from here... where is he and Mountain...?" Esperanza asked.

Faith said nothing and Esperana understood.

"Tell Moonshine she's in charge... take the herd back to the valley... I'm going to help your father and Mountian."

"But moth-"

Esperanza glared at her daughter in a way she had never done before... Faith ran to find Moonshine and get the herd to saftey.

Esperanza felt her foal kick inside of her as she ran, she considered it a response to her heart beating so fast...

When she reached the waterfall's edge, she didn't like what she saw. Mountian was on the ground, breathing weakly... there were several scratch and bite wounds all over him. Strider and the cougar were in a faceoff... his noir-colored pelt was covered in furrows of red from the cat's razor-sharp claws.

Esperanza decided to help Mountian, who was strugging to stand. Reaching his side, she knelt down and pushed his body up weakly. The colt appeared very surprised to see her.

"L... Lead Mare?" He asked meekly.

"Come on Mountain... we've got to get away from here."

The colt staggered to his feet and began to follow his Lead Mare at a slow limp.

The cat turned suddenly and saw it's prey getting away. Letting out a snarl of rage, it ran at the dark bay colt and the golden mare assisting him.

Strider was shocked to see Esperanza on the scene, and his shock turned to a mixture of fear and rage as the cougar ran at her and Mountian. Letting out a ferice scream he bolted towards the cougar only to see it bring down his son and finish him with a single bite to the neck.

Both the black stallion and palimino mare watched in a mixture of greif and horror as the light faded from the young colt's eyes...

The stallion's eys turned from their natural brown color to a firey red, he bared his teeth and snarled angrily, stamping his front feet tearing holes in the earth. In all of his life as a herd Patriarch, he had never lost a foal to a preadator. Usually it was a birth defect, the harsh cold, or disease that took them... and he had never had to watch them die... now... seeing his only son from this year leave the earth snapped something in his brain... Strider was an uncontrollable force of ebony fury.

The cougar barley knew what hit it as his hooves bashed straight into it's ribs. It screeched in alarm from the sudden onslaught and tried to flee, although it was crippled from the blow. Strider ran it down making frightening noises and cursing the animal that had taken his son from him in such a violent way.

Esperanza could only watch as he and the cat got too close to the edge of the waterfall...

"Strider!" She whinnied in warning.

For a moment, he stopped chasing the cat and turned to look at her in confusion. The cougar then took it's chance...

It used what was left of it's strength and leapt at the black horse, landing on his shoulder it began to tear and rip. Strider reared up in an attempt to throw it off.

...he was too close to the river's edge...

...his feet slipped...

...he and the cat fell into the river...

...and went over the waterfall...

"No!" Esperanza screamed watching the herd Patriarch and the cougar vanish into the water below.

In a panic, she found a way down the cliffside that created the waterfall. When she found a way down the first thing she saw was the dead cougar that had landed on some rocks on the bottom it's blood was painting them a deep carmine shade... Strider however, was nowhere to be seen.

For a moment, she thought he had drowned... but then a black horse burst to the water's surface, gasping for breath and panting heavily. Letting out a releived whinny, she ran to help him ashore.

But... there was something terribly wrong with him, his breathing wasn't normal and he was limping badly when the reached the side of the river.

"You... shouldn't have come..." The black stallion murmured quietly.

"I know..."

Is... is the herd safe?" Strider asked meekly, his legs trembled.

"Yes... Moonshine's in charge..." Esperanza responded.

Strider nodded and winced slightly.

"I... I need to lie down..."

Esperanza found a nice spot under some pine trees for him to lay, she lay down next to him and let him lean against her... his entire body was covered with cuts and bite marks from the cougar but it's final attack was the worst... blood flowed from it steadily and wouldn't stop...

Seeing this, the Lead Mare let out a shocked whinny... Strider saw it too and smiled weakly.

"Esperanza... I don't think I'm going back with you tonight..."

The golden mare wouldn't hear it... even though she knew it was true. He had been her only stallion since she had been two years old; they had spent the majority of their lives together... started a herd together... what he was saying was unthinkable... she just shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks... Strider attempted to nuzzle her in comfort but found himself too weak from blood loss.

"You'll do fine without me... I'm sure... another Stallion will come along to replace me... if not... you'll just be fine on... on... your own..."

His breathing was growing weaker...

Esperanza draped her head over his neck and closed her eyes, tears still streaming downwards and mixing with his blood.

She stayed with him untill he passed on... and then a few hours after that... she watched over his dead body untill sunrise before deciding to return to the herd.

"Goodbye Strider..." she said meekly before leaving the great black stallion to rest in peace.

When she came back alone, all of the mares knew what had happened, they hung their heads in greif from their loss... Faith on the other hand ran off, blaming herself for the deaths of her Sire and brother... she never returned.

Esperanza led the herd through a gruelling winter, and come spring, gave birth to a striking dun colt... the colt quickly became dominant over his siblings and when it came time for them to leave home after their first year... he did not and eventually with his mother's guidance became leader over the Cimarron herd like his father before him. He later came to be known as Spirit by both horses and two-leggeds alike.