I cried that night when everyone was asleep (except for the two scouts keeping watch over our small group). There were seven of us now. Ten proud horses had fallen that day...and then there had been the other two. They had dissappeared and we had no physical proof that they were actually dead...but honestly, how could they have survived? The first had been the scout. The second...the second's loss had torn at my heart even more. Forge. True, I had only known him for a few days but he had become a dear friend to me and in his absence the world grew ever dimmer.

But my father...my father's death might as well have snuffed out the sun. My eyes rained that night as I leaned against Sven who had been weeping as well. Apparently, one of the elders from the Rapid's herd had been his uncle (not to mention his filly was gone as well). There had been no chance for him. All of the older horses had died in the fight. Easy targets.

My eyes opened and I looked up at the moon. It had a golden tint to it as if all the blood had stained its white purity. Good. Let the whole world know what had happened today. I whinnied up at it. We believed that the moon had a sort of power, magic I guess you could call it. Surely, it could spare some of that magic to ease my pain. But that's the thing...when you lose someone you love the pain and the memories become one thing. So if you let go of one...you're letting go of the other. For a while at least. If you have the patience to wait time, like a great rusing river, will wash away the hurt. Until then...you just have to endure.

Someone was approaching. My head snapped to right to see Coal, shimmering in the soft golden light, trotting silently in my direction. He wasn't a guard...so he couldn't be on duty. What was he doing awake?

"Prin- Queen Amalie," he bowed his head, "How are you faring?"

I breathed outward loudly, "Oh, spare me the formalities, Coal. And I'm just about the same as before."

"Ah," he said and then there was silence. We didn't really know each other that well. I'd spent most of my time on the journey up here with Sven, my father, and Forge. Since we were merely acquaintences he didn't know what to say. So I helped him out a bit.

"Tell me something...did you lose anyone dear to you today?" Everyone was focused on my pain or their own. Everyone knew what I had lost and of course they knew what they had lost. But nobody had really talked about their friend's fallen loved ones. No compassionate shoulders were being offered and no loving, comforting words were being exchanged. We were all too caught up in self pity and pain.

"Just Forge. But it was a heavy loss. We grew up together. Shared our pasture. Raced each other, fought, told stories, swam...we did everything together. He was my best friend and brother by everything except blood."

"He may yet be alive," I offered the suggestion gently knowing that it wasn't very likely. If he had lived he would have returned.

Coal looked towards the woods on his right, "No, don't offer me false hope, your higness. I know he died. Three wolves pursued him into the forest- I think he was looking to protect his back by backing against a tree...he liked fighting that way- and two of the wolves returned. They were trotting calmly...not running for their lives."

My eyes travelled downwards and locked on the ground. So it was true then. My friend was alone, cold, and unmoving in those cruel woods just beyond our small travelling party. Slowly, I looked up again and found that Coal was staring at me.

"You were friends. I could tell he liked you," he whispered.

"Yes. We were."

"Any friend of Forge's is a friend of mine. He was good at judging character."

I smiled weakly, "Then you musn't be very bad yourself."

The next morning I awoke between a friend I had had my whole life and friend that I had just made. Coal and I had stayed up for a long time talking and sometimes just...not talking. He was very much like Forge in some ways but he was more thoughtful while Forge was more boisterous. I yawned and swished my tail.

And then it hit me. It was as if I had been running, prepared for a jump, and the obstacle full on. My father. Forge. Sven's mare. The air suddenly seemed heavy, like it was a burden to breathe all of the sudden. I was now Queen. And my herd needed me badly. We had to move out. Duty came before sentiment, I decided.

I walked up the hill, the same one I had killed the female wolf on, and cleared my throat. The whinny that I let loose was powerful and I stamped my feet. All eyes were on me, "As you know my father was lost in the battle yesterday." Should I make this a speech? I was up here already. "He was a great horse. A brave stallion. A wise leader. We will remember him as we journey on. We will also remember those horses that cannot go on with us. This is their resting place. They fell where they fought and they fought bravely." I was glad to see most of the horses nodding or looking up at me with shining eyes. "We must be brave for them. I do not know why this attack was lead, it against the wilderness laws to kill more than you can eat, but the wolves broke it. And we will not satisfy their bloodlust again. We will move swiftly." I pawed the ground and snorted for emphasis, "Now. Let's go!"

Gracefully, I galloped from the hill and the rest of the group fell in behind them. We kept ourselves at a steady, even lope that would allow us to run all day if we needed to. Sven came up to my side as well as one other guard. The rest of the group had two guards as well. While I was running I began to tally everyone up. There was Sven and three other guards beside him. Four. Then there was Coal and Down and I. Seven. There was one representative from the Rapids Herd. Eight. Then there was one from the Stillwaters. Nine. And that was it. Nine of us had survived the onslaught. Just nine.

I musn't be disheatened, though. If I was then I would affect the whole group.

In fact, once when we stopped for water I overheard the Stillwater stallion talking to the Rapideer mare.

"How am I going to get home?" he hissed, "We haven't even reached the first herd and almost half the group is wiped out."

The mare nodded her white head, "I know. Thank goodness my herd isn't too far away. Do you know all the trouble I'm going to have to go through to find two more representatives?!" Despite her harsh tone there were tears in her eyes.

I approached them, "Do not be afraid. Fear is an essence and it can be detected. We are stallions. We are proud. We are strong. We are unafraid. We are already mourning those that we left behind," I tried not to think of my father but I winced, "But we cannot let fear be added into our mix of sorrow and uncertaintity. Mark my words. They are different." My words were wise and sure but I was anything but. My mind was a mess and now that I was...queen...it was hard for me to talk to Sven normally. I felt as if I should be a new horse altogether. It was just a title! Not a personality change!

So I vowed that I would be myself once again. At least when I could afford it. I had successfully calmed the two horses with my "wisdom". So what did that mean? That I should act one way when I was in my "leadership mode" and another when I was being my normal self? It felt wrong that I should fool my subjects like that but I wasn't sure what else I was supposed to do.

So I discussed the issue with Coal. "I just feel so...fake, you know?"

He nodded, "As long as you're acting in a way that you're comfortable with I think that you're still being true to yourself."

I sighed and looked up. What I saw flooded me with relief and sorrow all at once. We had reached the Rapids Herd.

And no one was there.

AN: Yet another cliffhanger! Unfortunately, this chapter was rather dull. So I'm sorry. But if there was action in every chapter it would get less exciting as the story went along. Also, I'm not getting many reviews on the latest chapters...and those are the ones that I need the most feedback on. I'm wading in foreign waters so any advice or remarks would be wonderful.

natno