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.