Halt looked at Ilinga and Whirlwind playing. They almost two now and it was time for Halt to kick Whirlwind out of the herd. Legend was beside him with tears threatening. Halt looked at her affectionatly, "You knew this would happen, it did for Arrow. He canstill visit too." Legend nuzzeled him and Halt began walking toward Whirlwind, Legend nudged her new born foal and followed.

Whirlwind looked up when his dam and sire approached. He raised his tail and trotted to Legend to nuzzle her. He stepped back and bowed his head to Halt to challenge him to a fight. Halt reared in acceptance. For a moment Whirlwind and Halt snaked their heads and shifted their hooves excitedly. This was the usual drill for colts and their farthers. Suddenly Whirlwind struck at Halt as swift as his mother. Whirlwind reared up and kicked his front hooves at Halt. But the black stallion had defeated Arrow and a few other rouges so he jumped aside and bit into Whirlwind's flank. The silver stallion screamed and kicked up his back legs in an attempt to loosen Halt's teeth.

Whirlwind gaveup, or so Halt thought. When the black stallion reared to call out his victory, Whirlwind thrust out his head and bit into Halt's belly. Halt went to strike his hooves on Whirlwind's back but the silver horse was gone in a flash then suddenly behind Halt. After some time Whilwind cam out on top The older black horse was breathing heavily, "I tought you too well son, and your mothers skill has made you greater then many stallions." Halt bowed his head in defeat, "You may take any mare or filly you want." Whirlwind walked over to Sunset and nipped her, "Come, let us leave." Sunset followed Whirlwind proudly.Whirlwind looked at his mother sadly and whinnied at her. After she whinnied back to him Whirlwind reared then ran toward the North with his beautiful chestnut filly.

After traveling for two days the two young horses found themselves beside a roaring waterfall and below it a wide river, flowing fast enough to drown a horse. Sunset was staring at the waerfall, open mouthed. She looked at Whilwind then back at the waterfall, "We aren't going to cross that, are we?" Whirlwind replied, "Of course we are!" he ran up to a rock that was over the drop of the water and reared up, screaming his happiness to his new world. Sunset looked at him with admiration as his silver tail and mane flew through the air. He was a silver stallion, wild free, untamable and wanted by all.

Sunset trotted after him, "So how are we going to cross it?" Whirlwind thought for only two seconds then replied, "We will jump it." Sunset raised and eyebrow then Whirlwind added."We try to jump over it but if we dont make it then we swim as strong as we can to get close to the bank." Whirlwind spoke cheerfuly and with confidence while Sunset looked at what she thought of as her death trap. Whirlwind smiled, "Ready? Lets go!" and with that he jumped off his rock and fell to the river below him. Sunset closed her eyes and followed him. Suddenly water was everywhere foaming around her, in her nostrils, her lungs, and weighing down her legs. Sunset eventualy found the surface but was dragged back under the flowing water. Se couldnt get to the bank let alone find the surface of the water. Sunset felt her lungs burn even more for the comforting air. Just when the chestnut thought her life was over a body landed beside her and pushed her sideways onto the muddy bank.

Whilwind couldnt see Sunset anywhere then he saw a bay jump into the water and push a chestnut onto the bank with his body. Whirlwind ran down to Sunset and the stranger. He nuzzeled Sunset then looked up to the handsom bay stallion. He was perfectly built and he held himself with pride and caution, "Thank you friend." The bay smiled casualy, "Don't mention it." Whirlwind knew he owed the horse and he would repay that debt when the day came, "My name is Whirlwind, and this is Sunset." the bay answered, "I am Storm." Storm turned and ran up to a ridge, "Come with me." So Sunset and Whirlwind followed Storm as he led them down the ridge and into the forest.

After sometime of travelling the three horses found themselves in a clearing with a stream on the fringe of the eastern end of the clearing and some boulders dissapearing into the Southern end of the clearing. In the clearing were three mares that were grazing, Storm now called out to the mares who raised their heads and whinnied back to him. Storm sighed when the mares stared at Whirlwind. The silver horse looked at Storm, "What's wrong?" Storm looked at him, "My mares only stay with me because they will die on their own and i want a herd that believes they have a good leader." Whirlwind looked at the mare, "Perhaps these mares do not feel that way but you still have a long life ahead of you." for Storm was around two Whirlwind guessed correctly.

The next morning it was raining so Sunset went to play with the other fillies. The young horses jumped around and chased one another in the wet and the mud while Whirlwind and Storm talked. Whirlwind liked the bay, and Storm returned that feeling. So all of the horses spent their day happily.

Four months on...

Whirlwind and Storm looked at their small herds. Both of the stallions had gotten more mares. Whirlwind nipped Storm who had now become his best friend, and went down to the herds in the grey morning light. Storm glanced at Dawn, his favourite mare then shook his mane and focused on Whirlwind again. The silver horse was checking on Sunset so Storm went to the boulders and looked around his clearing. He thought he saw a grey shape through the trees but he couldnt be sure so he looked around, trying to seem like he didnt notice anything and also letting his Peripheral  vision catch the stranger. There! in the trees to his right was a large, slab shouldered grey. Storm reared on his rock and called out a challenge to the horse.

The stranger burst from the trees and kicked at Storm with his hooves. Whirlwind who had heard his cousins description of a grey horse wtih a white head and speckles knew that this was Shrike-Thrush, a menacing, uncaring stallion who will kill anything for what he wants. Usually Shrike-Thrush's size would help him but Storm was just as tall and muscualr as Shrike so he had an advantage. But Whirlwind didn't. The silver horse ran up to Storm and Shrike and started attacking Shrike. The grey spun around and crashed his huge heavy body into Whirlwind's smaller frame. Whirlwind stumbled and fell to the ground. Shrike reared above him and blowed his heavy hooves on Whirlwind. Suddenly the grey was pushed aside by what felt like a brick wall. Shrike charged at the interfiering bay and reared over the younger horse. Storm whinnied and reared also, then suddenly thrust his head out and bit into the greys belly.

After sometime of struggle the grey gave in and whinnied angrily. It sounded more that a roar. Shrike-Thrush turned and galloped back to find his herd. Storm looked at Whirlwind, "Brother i cannot fight my best if i have to protect you like a filly." Whirlwind snorted, "Your the filly here Storm." The two stallion laughed then kicked up the snow and raced around the clearing. Storm tired of the game after an hour and stood grazing with his fillies. A flaxen filly came up to Storm and began to flirt with him. Storm looked at the filly, she wasnt in foal and Storm knew what she wanted, "Whirlwind, can you watch the herds?" Whirlwind nodded so Storm went off with the filly.

A few hourse later Storm came back and Whirlwind laughed, "What were you up to Storm?" Storm stomped his hoof and started play fighting his silver brother. Whirlwind laughed and moved at his fastest until Storm gave up, "Have mercy O' great silver ghost!" Storm mocked. Whirlwind bit Storm then went to see Sunset. The chestnut looked up at the sound of him, "Whirlwind." was all she said. Whirlwind nuzzled Sunset and nipped her side, "Come with me." The two horses left to go walking alone.  Whirlwind and Sunset could dissapear for days at a time, just roaming the forest. Whirlwind started to gallop and Sunset followed, laughing.

Storm watched them leave. Dawn came up beside him, "So any idea where we're going this time?" Whirlwind smiled, "Nope, not a clue." then shot away faster then any other horse could be. Dawn ran at her fastest but could only get to Whirlwind's 'easy gallop' pace. The silver horse stopped when Dawn was no longer in site and smiled again, his new life was a great one.

Storm looked at all of the mares. So far they had all foaled to him, because Whirlwind had said he didnt want extended bloodlines yet. Storm had got a laugh out of that. The tall, part war horse stood on the boulders as he watched the herds. To his right a mare was having her foal to his left foals played. Storm was consious to everything in his clearing, which is why his senses warned him of heavy hooves trying to be silent. Storm back up into the treews behind the rocks and found his way down to the right fringe of the clearing. Storm saw a part of a grey hide in the trees. Storm charged toward the grey hide. A massive horse as big as himself jumped out of the trees to face Storm. Storm saw that the stallion was an ugly grey with white speckles and a fully white head, "You would be cunning with a head like that." the grey snorted and pawed the ground, "Shut up and fight me foal!"

The stallion jumped at Storm. Storm moved too slow and the rouge got a grip on his neck. Storm cried out as the rouges teeth dug into his flesh. Suddenly a silver