Suddenly a silver streak moved all around him and the rouge. The stranger stallion let out whinies of pain as he felt rock hard hooves and strong teeth on his hide. Whirlwind reared over the stallion and Storm found hiself thinking, He will be a great stallion someday. Possibly a king like his mother and uncle. After more unseen darting around the stranger, the grey gave up and ran back into the trees, with Whirlwind chasing him. When the silver horse reached the treeline he turned and trotted up to Storm, "I thought you were going on one of your personal adventures?" Whirwlind smiled as he replied, "I was, but who couldnt hear the noise you were making?"

Whirlwind walked back to where he had left Sunset. He knew that the rouge would be back. Before the horse had run off he had seen in its eye, that Whirlwind was an enemy to be killed at all costs. Sunset nickered to her mate and trotted over to him, "Are you ok?" Sunset touched her nose all around Whirlwind's body, "Yes, im fine," He chuckled, "He never even came close to touching me." Sunset bit his shoulder, "Don't run off like that again! Sunset looked around, the sun was turning the world red so night wasnt far off, "Mabe we shouldn't travell tonight." Whirlwind nodded, "I want to walk around with Storm, to find more mares. Come." The two young horses ran back o the herd and Whirlwind gestured toward the dark woods with his head.

Storm and Whirlwind walked deep into the dark trees. The two of them found horse tracks and followed them to some open plains. In it was an unguarded herd. Storm took a step out but Whirlwind stood infront of him, "We don't know how far the stallion is...Or how strong he is." Storm nodded and stepped back,"So we wait?" he asked quietly, and Whirlwind nodded, "We wait."

Sunset and Dawn grazed side by side. Dawn, whos Australian senses were sharper, felt a hoof step tremble the ground. Her head shot up and she glanced around her nervously. Storm didn't have steps that heavy and Whirlwind made no sound or feeling at all. Sunset spoke around the grass in her mouth, "What now? Did you Aussie ways warn you of the squirrel attack?" Dawn pawed her hoof and bit sharply into Sunset, "Don't insult my kind or you will wake up dead. By me or the intruder..." Sunset looked up now,"Intruder?" she glanced around and Dawn wore a superior look, "Now you appreciate my Aussie ways."

Dawn took a few steps back when she saw the grey rouge come towards the herds, "Your leaders are gone, come with me." he saw the fillies hold back, "NOW!" The fillies slowly moved forwards toward the stallion, "Since you are all going to be with me you should know that my name is Shrike-Thrush." he glanced at every female that passed him but blocked off the male foals. The fillies who were the mothers of the foals cried out to them as Shrike-Thrush reared and struck his death promising hooves on their heads. Once all of the male foals were dead he trotted aay with the joined herds following. Dawn and Sunset looked in the direction the had seen their leaders in last, and wished that they would run through the trees to save them.

Storm shifted his weight, "We hould get back to the herd." Whirlwind sighed, "Yeah your right."  the two of them started to gallop toward their clearing. When they came out from under the trees they froze and looked around them. The herd was gone and at the end of the clearing were the bodies of Storm's dead sons. Whirlwind's anger was growing and he reared up to shout of out his anger. Whirlwind ran to the dead foals and found the stallions hoof prints. The silver horse began to follow them when Storm jumped infront of him, "I saw the depth and size of those prints. This is a dangerous horse, and by the scents, the one we fought earlier. The herds arent worth dieing over." Whirlwind glared at his friend, "They are. And Sunset definitly is. Dawn is too." At Dawn's name, Storm's head snapped up, "Fine, we will try to save them, but first we think of a plan." Storm raised an eyebrow at Whirlwinds impatient expression and chuckled.

The next morning they hadnt thought of a plan. Storm was racking his mind for an idea. Whirlwind nickered in annoyance, "We can outwit him! He is all muscle and no brains. We can do this Storm!" The bay looked less optimistic, "Whirlwind.." he bagan but Whirlwind stommped his hoof angrily, "No! Listen to me brother! If we can find a way to distract white head then we can move the herd. Then when the time is right i will fight him." Storm looked up sharply, "No you wont fight him, i will." But Whirlwind was already shaking his head so Storm lapsed into silence. Whirlwind began to walk in the direction the herds and Shrike-Thrush had gone, "I will fight him on my own, with my speed i can outrun him if i get into trouble." Storm's ears went back, "fine, you fight him. But if you get into trouble I'm coming in." Whirlwind nodded and the two horses followed the herd's tracks.

Strom galloped past Shrike-Thrush. The stallion followed Storm and soon the two of them had vanished into deeper forest. Whirlwind sprinted foward, to the herd, "come quickly, we need to leave before.." he stopped speaking when he saw a group of yearling colts come toward him. they were cleary Shrike-Thrush's sons and they were deffinitly on the same side of the road. Whirlwind reared up, looking like a snow angel (it had snowed lightly the night before as winter had come late). The silver horse struck his hooves into the air, threatening the colts with a piercing whinnie. The colts began to trott toward Whirlwind instead of walking and they bit one another as they did so. Whirlwind smiled, they would be easy to pick off.

Storm was just keeping ahead of the grey horse. Storm was built for strength not speed, and the grey was smarter then he appeared, biding his time and trotting until the younger stallion tired out. Storm's sides quivered as the cold air whipped past his sweating flanks. Shrike-Thrush let out a chilling laugh, "i know this lands colt. Today is your last day, and a painfull one." Storm skidded to a stop and faced Shrike-Thrush. The grey pawed the air and snow in anger and anticipation. Storm's sides heaved and he tried to raise his tail and head, but they drooped low again because of his exhaustion.

Back in Shrike-Thrush's plains, Whirlwind kicked at a colts chest. He spun around faster then the horse could turn and bit into any part of his hide. The colt whinnied in pain and skipped backwards. Whirlwind was already raining attacks on another yearling. After A minute of spinning around the horse, blending with the snow, the colt was withering on the ground with blood stainging parts on the snow around him. After picking off all but one, Whirlwind realised Storm hadn't looped back like he was supposed to, "Where are you Storm?" he muttered to himself.

Storm felt his left flank rip. He cried out ad jumped backward. At least it's me and not Whirlwind, he thought. Shrike-Thrush shoved him to the ground and reared above him. Storm closed his eyes expecting his life to end then and there. Suddenly he heard a stallions cry. Although it sounded more like a gods call. Storm felt wind hit him and he opened his eyes to see that Shrike-Thrush had left him..to fight his brother. Whirlwind flashed around the grey stallion, confusing the horse and makingim spin around constantly. Nervous sweat broke out on the greys hide.

Sunset ran to Dawn, "We have to get the herd moving!" Dawn glanced around and sighed, "But they wont go, they follow herd laws." Sunset exhaled angrily, "then we'll make them move." she reared up then and whinnied, "Cougar! Cougar in the trees!" The herd began to rush in random directions and Dawn ran in the direction Whirlwind, Storm and Shrike-Thrush had all gone, the whites of the mares fillies eyes showing, until they saw the silver shape of light footed whirlwind, spinning around Shrike-Thrush and the solid form of Storm on the ground.

How had strong, capable Storm ended up on the ground? And how had small framed, speedy Whirlwind ended up killing Shrik-Thrush without even being seen?

Whirlwind gave an unseen kick and Shrike-Thrush, worn out by the young stallion, came falling to the ground. He saw the flash of silver hide and hooves before his world turned red, then dimmed into black. Whirlwind reared and screamed out his victory and Storm rose to his hooves,"good work silver brother." he smiled and Whirlwind smiled back,"It was a brotherhood effort." Whirlwind turned to Sunset with admiring eyes and she nuzzled him. Storm and Dawn wlaked away together.

That night under the moon light, the two stallions stood side by side watching their herd, knowing that there would be more challenges to face.