Dumbledore

Herd Life

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Chapter One

One cold March morning, a brown mare laid on the ground. Her breathing was quick and labor, but it slowed. A white newborn colt laid behind her, his coat shinning and perfectly white in the grass and clumps of snow here and there. The colt snorted and lifted his head as his mother turned to look at him. The colts vision blurred. He blinked a few times and it began to clarify.

His mother nickered softly and struggled to her feet. She began to walk back to the herd. The small colt leaped to his feet and began to walk after her. He wobbled slightly, but soon evened out. He walked next to his mother as they approached the herd. All the horses looked at the shinny white foal. The foal didn’t like the attention. He just shook his mane, ears flapping, and followed his mother.

When his mother began to graze, the colt began to suckle. When his was done his mouth was rimmed with white milk. His mother didn’t notice because she was still grazing peacefully. The colt licked his lips and the milk came off. Not like anyone noticed it, his coat was just as white. The colt walked around his mother, his head held high, his ears pricked and swiveling. When his mother stopped grazing, she lifted her head and looked at the colt. She nickered for him to come by her side. The colt did as he was told.

A regale black stallion walked over to the mare and colt (this is the colts father,) and lowered his head to him. The colt walked up willingly and blew into the stallions nostrils. The stallion then pulled back and looked at his son. He nickered to the mare and she stepped forward. He nickered and she nickered, then the two looked at the colt. The colt looked from his mother to father, and back again.

Dumbledore, the parents nickered. That will be his name.

A few months old, Dumbledore pranced along the herd, saying their names in his head over and over, trying to know them. Dell... No, no, He shook his head in frustration. He pranced over to a brown mare and stopped. Mom... he trotted to her and began to nurse happily. His mother was startled and squealed softly, her head jerking up from her graze. She looked at her happy colt and nuzzled his neck. Dumbledore stopped his suckling and looked at his mother. He nuzzled her cheek, leaving a bit on milk on it. His mothers eyes sparkled in the noon day light. She rubbed her cheek on her forearm and returned back to her graze. Dumbledore walked away from his mother and cantered to his father.

The black stallion stood tall on a small hill, scenting the breeze that ruffled his mane. Dumbledore galloped up to him and stood high at his side. His head barely reached his fathers shoulder. Dumbledore pricked his ears like his father and breathed deeply threw his nose. He scented, something, something strange. He may be young, but Dumbledore new his scents. He knew what deer and rabbits smelled like, along with other horses and members of the herd. But this one, this was strange. He looked up at his father, whose gaze was set firmly on the horizon. When Dumbledore nuzzled his elbow, his gaze was broken and he looked down at his son. Dumbledores eyes said he wanted to help, and he wanted to know what it was. His father nickered to his son and trotted down the hill, Dumbledore quickly cantering behind.

The black stallion whinnied loudly, telling the herd to gather. As the herd gathered, the brown mare galloped to her mates side. The mare galloped to the front of the herd and looked back at her mate, waiting for his signal to move. When the black stallion took the end of the herd, he whinnied to his mate and the herd began to move forward. Dumbledore placed himself next to a two-year-old stallion. Dumbledore looked up at him. Dell... Dell... He sighed and his head sunk. He walked along with the herd, keeping pace with the stallion beside him.

They walked for a while, and Dumbledore looked back at his father ever once in a while. The black stallions ears were always perked and his head held high, scanning his surroundings. His mother did the same. Her head was held high, ears perked, and she looked around, to see if danger was approaching.

The wind changed direction, to the left, west. Th black stallion turned his head east to scent the breeze. After a few minutes there was growling which seemed to come from all around. A little under a dozen wolves came out of nowhere, circling the herd. The black stallions ears laid back, his teeth bared. He knew he was going to lose horses, or even his life, but he would not lose his son. The young stallions in the herd ran and began to fight the wolves. They knew their leader wouldn’t be able to fight them himself. The appaloosa stallion Dumbledore couldn’t remember quickly killed a wolf, and began to fight another. A yellow stallion fought hard, but he was surrounded by three wolves. He tried to fight them off, but one jumped on his back and took him to the ground, one of them bitting the jugular and killing him. A dark gray stallion fought near the lead stallion. The lead fought three wolves, the gray fight one. The gray killed the wolf and ran to help the lead. The lead had already killed one, but there was two left. The lead kicked one in the neck, snapping it. The gray in the hip, making it disable. Then he reared over it and smashed it’s head. The last six wolves were surrounding the herd, picking out easy meals. One had his eyes firmly one Dumbledore. Dumbledores chest rose as he tried to seem bigger, his nostrils flared. Dumbledore ran at the wolf. The wolf ran toward Dumbledore. Dumbledore reared, seeming huge. His hooves slashed at the wolves head and neck, his teeth bared. When Dumbledore came to Earth, the wolf lunged at him. His teeth clamped down on Dumbledores ear, taking out a chunk of it. The wolf got up and scratched the other ear and around it. Ears now bleeding and dripping down his white coat, Dumbledore turned around and bucked the wolves jaw. He heard a crunch and knew he had broken the wolves jaw. He ran back to the herd as two wolves raced after him. The lead stallion got in between the wolves and Dumbledore, rearing, his hooves clawing the sky. The wolves stopped infront of him, teeth bared and growling. A large wolve who stood alittle ways away from the herd howled loudly in surrender. The last five wolves raced away, making a kind of snickering noise. The lead stallion did not chase them, but walked over to the yellow stallion who had died. He arched his neck over the stallions face. Dumbledore galloped over to him. He stood by his fathers shoulder, looking at the brave yellow .horse. His father looked at his and hung his neck over Dumbledore neck, in a sort of hug. Dumbledore nuzzled his muzzle in his fathers mane. The two broke apart and returned to the herd.

The remaining stallions joined the herd and the lead took his place in the back of the herd. Dumbledore took his place once more next to the brave appaloosa stallion whose name he still could not remember. He nuzzled the stallions shoulder as the herd began to move. The stallion looked down at the colt, whose eyes sparkled. The stallion bent his neck down and nuzzled he young little foal, whose shoulders and legs were covered with his own blood.

The herd found a largish river where the herd drank then the wounded stallion cleaned them selves. Dumbledore jumped in and rolled around in the shallow water. The other stallions went deeper and reared in the water, play fighting with each other. Water flew and splashed everywhere. Dumbledore looked at them in awe. One day, he said to himself. I will be like that.

Chapter 2

Now two years old, Dumbledore reared up high on his hind legs, front legs thrashing out. A light brown stallion did the same infront of Dumbledore, whose long mane flew everywhere. The brown legs thrashed at Dumbledores chest, but never hit him. Dumbledore opened his mouth and tried to bite the browns ear, but aimed way off. The two came back to Earth and Dumbledore raced around the brown, who tried to keep his eyes one him, but ended up getting dizzy.

Dumbledore whinnied in a laugh and stood beside his friend. The brown looked at Dumbledore and pulled his mane, then got in a small rear and raced away. Dumbledore made a small rear also and loped behind. The brown slowed to a trot as they neared the herd. They knew the lead stallion would be mad if they were restless and playful around the herd. They would startle the older mares, and get the foals railed up.

The two young stallions walked walked back to the herd. They slipped past as everybody grazed. The brown nickered softly to Dumbledore and went to graze next to his mother. Dumbledore walked up a small hill silently to his father. He walked beside his father, who stood tall. Dumbledore looked at his father, even thought he never looked at him. He nickered and nuzzled his fathers thick, black mane. His father looked at him, his eyes shinning. He knew what was going on. Dumbledore was going to leave. He was going to leave. Dumbledore nickered to his father, hung his head over his fathers back, and said his good-bye. He looked at his fathers, whose eyes sparkled with tears threatening to over flow. Dumbledore walked back down the hill and threw the herd. The horses knew it was coming and all had stopped grazing. Dumbledore nuzzled his mothers neck and buried his face in her brown mane. He walked along the herd, saying their named as he past.

Sierra, He said as he walked past a beautiful, buckskin filly. They touched muzzle and Dumbledore continued to walk. Mickie and Jake, He said as he past the light brown stallion he had played with earlier that day and his mother. He continued to say the names as he past the horses in the herd, then stopped at the last one. Dallas, He said as he walked up to the brave appaloosa stallion. Dumbledore hung his