Finding Their Place

The stallion stood upon the ridge, his body tensed, listening, waiting for a call on the wind. The wind teasing his mane and his black pelt glistened in the evenings sun, His mare is hidden away in a cave in their secret valley not far from where he stands he is waiting for her to call to him when the time has come for him to return to her.

(Mares perspective)
My contractions signal that my foals, for I’m certain I am carrying twins, are nearly ready to be born into this wonderful world. My skin twitches and the voices in my tiara scream out in pain a murmur escapes my lips. The pain intensifies and my pillars threaten to give way….I finally collapse my pain dragging me to the sandy turf beneath me. I lay there stretched out on my side, my breathing labored, my pelt darkening with sweat. Pain grips me again and I cry out louder, the pain has worsened. I lift my dial and gaze at my hind end the foals beginning to emerge small fore hooves exit my body, the contraction stops and I rest knowing full well this could take awhile. The convulsions begin again and mount as time passes. I strain harder and rest then strain again and a foal slides from my body I rest as it struggles about. Contractions grip me again, I was right twins. The pain much less then before and soon another foal lies on the sandy ground behind me.

I struggle to rise knowing the foals needed me drove me to stand and walk to them I begin to clean the older twin, a colt. His pelt is like my own a silver cream. Once he is clean I turn to the other foal a filly. Her pelt is that of her sires black but unlike her sire she does not bear the touch of a star on her forehead.

(back on track)
A sweet melody finally reached the stallions auds. He reared, striking the air, he launched his mass down the ridge side, he expertly dodged the fallen logs and wombat holes.
He reached the decent collected himself and galloped strongly towards the cascading waterfall, he slowed and looked around seeing no-one he surged behind the waterfall through a hidden tunnel, he thundered his way through the maze of tunnels and slowed he stepped out into the sunlight in to a lush green valley belly deep in grass. He nickered and a small whinny echoed to him and he turned and headed to the sandy cave mouth. he stepped inside and let his eyes adjust to the darkness before walking into the cave. His orbs met those of his silver mate, Shaylah's. he looked at the ground at her feet where a wet bundle of foals were attempting to stand. One stood like Shaylah, the colts pelt glistening silver in the darkness, his long legs holding his petite torso. the other foal rose. A filly dark like her sire but with out the same star on her head she wore the darkness she was born into. Yarramon, stepped back leading his new family out of the caves coolness into the sun.

Yarramon slowed his walk and turned to his son
"You my son shall one day rule over the light kingdom as i now do and as my father before me and his before him. You shall rule beneath your blessing of Shamrock, Son of Yarramon and Shaylah, brother to... "Yarramon stopped allowing the blessing of the filly to be thats of Shaylah's decision.
"Brother to Ravenna" Shaylah said nudging her mate.


Shaylah began to graze, the birthing had been difficult and took most of her energy she took her time grazing and walking to the river that ran through the valley to drink. She would now spend most of her time grazing and drinking to provide milk enough for the two foals.
She turned and watched her mate, Yarramon, who stood one leg rested in the sun watching for any signs of danger and also keeping an eye on the foals.
Shamrock lay in the sun letting it soak into his body warming him, slowly letting himself drift into a slumber he didnt notice the dark filly creeping her way closer and closer until she launched onto him landing squarely on his side. Yarramon grunted as the colt cried out in pain. Shaylah turned at once and saw that Yarramon was already punishing the filly, she watched while Yarramon walked over and nipped the filly, who still stood on the colt, rump the filly bucked at Yaramons touch sending herself sprawling into the grass. the colt stood and shook and nearly toppled over he got his feet and walked unsteadily to the safety of Shaylah’s side and stuck his head under her hind leg and began nursing.


A few miles to the south another mare lay her body heavily swollen, she looks around not an equine in sight to harm her in her temporary moment of vulnerability. The mare is too large to be carrying twins so a rare occurrence is that so may birth triplets. Her body is dripping in sweat and the contractions hit hard and fast first one foal slides from her she not even getting a chance to check it before the next demands to be born, by the time the second foal lies on the hard dirt the mare is nearly unconscious. the third foal slides out but isn't moving. The mare didn't expect the third foal to live. she struggles to rise and nearly falls. her strength diminishing quickly. she moves swiftly to the first foal...a colt, his pelt is darker then the darkness swallowing them, the creamy mare then turns the to next foal.... a filly, her brown and white patched coat similar to her sires black and white pelt. The mare finally turns to the still born foal....A colt. the mare sniffs the lifeless body and sighs sadly a set of colts would have been preferred but the filly could always become a slave mare, spending her life as a broodmare to be bred when ever her stallion wanted, a sad life to lead but the mare was the Queen of the darks of this she knew not but would force it upon the filly as long as the king wanted.

The mare by the calling of Nightmare burred sweetly
"My beautiful son, aire to the kingship you shall be feared by those in your path and shall be of the cursing Shadow Dweller" then upon turning to the filly
"A life of slavery you shall meet, filly by the poison of Ghostwalker." the mare nudged the foals harder the need forcing them to rise, without offering of milk the mare led the twins towards the coven where the King awaited and away from the dead colt. The mare turned but once and whispered
"Rest in peace little one" showing her true light nature


As the months past the foals all grew, Shamrock and Ravenna beneath the loving eyes of Yarramon and Shaylah. The light rulers showering love upon their first born foals, Shamrock grew strong and Ravenna she grew wild. From her birth Shaylah knew there was something not light about her filly but evil lurked within. whilst in the south Shadow tormented his filly of a sister who every chance she got would continue to wander away from the darkness towards the light. until her brother would thunder at her knocking her to the ground and pawing at her with out mercy to her shattering cries. their dam once tried to stop the attacks but Tombstone turned on her, adding to the colts enjoyment mother and daughter cowering in fear.
One day when the twins were all one and a half; Nightmare took her filly deep into the darkness and stood with her
"My filly, You are not of the darkness and for that you will be eternally punished, you must leave after the herd is sleeping for the night i will come for you and point you in the direction you will find happiness."
while this was happening to the north trouble had arose, Ravenna had refused her name now going by simply Raven, had once again attacked her brother this time causing him great harm, Yarramon nipping at her said gruffly "Follow me"

The filly followed him out into neutral territory and halted half way
"Go now to the south for there is where you shall find your way" and without bidding her safe passage he turned and cantered back to his valley. that night in the darkness the fillys met in the path of the other.
"Where do you travel dark one?" Raven asked the filly
"Towards the north where my destiny lies... and you?" Ghostwalker nodded towards the north where she was heading, Raven snorted
"Where I travel is not your concern" Then she wheeled and lashed at the filly with her hinds, striking her only once the dark mare went south again leaving the other to her own.

As the sun dawned upon the light lands Yarramon stumbled across the filly that had entered his lands in the mornings light.
"How do you do?" he stopped to ask
The filly quickly bowed deeply as the slave mares bowed to their owners
"Good morning sir, I am of the curse Ghost Walker. I seek to escape the hold that is upon me from the dark lands for ever milord." she stuttered
Yarramon smiled it was not often dark horses roamed into his lands without being attacked this one is defiantly a light horse at heart. the filly went on
"I am that of the king of darkness Tombstone, and from a slave mare...the dark queen who once was a light mare of royal."
the large stallion looked at her closer
"You are of Arabella are you not?" he asked watching her closely
"My my my mothers name was Nightmare"
yarramon snorted
"Her blessing was Arabella when she was born my twin" then he turned and walked away halting a few minutes later he called
"Coming?" and the filly cantered after him
they walked the long way in to the valley and on meeting Shaylah she demanded on giving the filly a new blessing
"Your new blessing will be ......." she though hard
"Amalya" and the filly smiled happily at her acceptance.
While Amalya settled into the royal herd, to the south Raven was still to meet the king and queen
she halted above a ridge and reared sending a call across the lands.
"Thy am Raven, I seek the prental of a snow filly that is now missing" a call immediately returned her own
"Thy cursing be Nightmare, She be my filly, what news of Ghostwalker do you bring?"
a hidden voice drifted to her auds
"She is in the north with the light equine, whilst I travel through the night to join the dark lands." A equine launched at her from the side out of the trees and circled her.....
"My name is Shadow Dweller. You will be my mare" then another equine appeared snapping at the colt.
"Is my filly safe?" the mare asked and Raven nodded
another horse stepped into the circle his patched body so similar to the filly Raven knew this was the king. she immediately dropped to bow at the king and he nodded
"I am the king Tombstone, you may shelter in our herd, and you now belong to Shadow, you will do all that he says and then you may live." The patched body turned along with the mare and fled leaving Raven to the colt.
Shadow circled her chuckling to himself.
"Let us go" and turned leaving a slightly confused look on Raven. When she didn't follow immediately he turned and snapped at her she dodged it and snapped him on the end of his nose and promptly walked past him.
In the light turf the new mare trotted gently she drew to a halt a horse was walking into the valley unannounced she began to back up quickly.
The studs pelt was creamy immediately reminding Amayla of Shaylah and she turned and fled back to the safety of the king and queen. Hoof beats quickened behind her and she strode out galloping strongly and within minutes she thundered into the protection of the king.
She hid herself behind Shaylahs smiling face and Yarrmons voice chuckled out
"Shamrock, meet Amalya, she comes to us from the dark lands, she is a light horse as her heart is pure." the new stallions creamy pelt glistened with great health far brighter then any dark horses, even her own pelt was dull. she nodded shyly and began to graze when shamrock spoke to his sire
"Lord I've found no trace of her at once" amalya looked up
"Excuse me sirs, but do you speak of a mare dark like your self lord, with out a white mark?" Yarramon stepped closer and nodded
"She is in the dark lands, quiet possibly under the command of my sire Tombstone or of my twin brother Shadow." Yarramon nodded thankful that his offspring had found her place and not come of harm.........

As the days grew to months the horses grew and matured, Shamrock and Amayla grew fond of each other and Raven and Shadow grew more evil always lashing at each other, love was behind the mask they wore but they were yet to find it. Beneath Shaylah and Yarramon Amalya grew strong and proud. Her coat grew thick and glossy leaving behind her past, Ravens coat grew dull from the change of grazing and she blended in with the herd better and nolonger was an out sider.


To Be continued