"There is another stallion in the valley" Dakota heard one of his mares whisper. He snorted and pawed at the ground. The great Black stallion trotted over to the small group of grazing mares.

"What did you just say?" He growled at Rose, the oldest of his mares. The small chestnut mare lowered her head and gulp. With one look from Dakota, the other mares ran off toward the river. Once they were gone, Dakota stretched out his neck, rubbing his nose against Rose. He swilled, causing Rose to jump back and pen her ears.

"I said, there was another stallion in the valley" She rolled her eyes. Dakota tilted his head and stepped closer to her, waiting to hear more. "I haven't seen him though. One of the younger mares from Hickory's herd told me. By the sound of it, he is heading toward us." Dakota sighed, letting his anger go.

"I told you not to talk with other mares outside our herd." Dakota reminded her "If Hickory or any other stallion were to see you away from me, they would try to take you as their own."

"Please" Rose smirked "I would like to see them try" Rose stepped closer to Dakota rubbing her soft nose against his muscled chest. "After all these years, it's going to take a lot more than some silly young stallion to separate me from you."

"Well, just be careful." Dakota warned. "I have lost a lot of mares this year."

"But none of it was your fault" Rose shook her head. "Those blasted humans stole them from you" Dakota lowered his head and looked down at his hooves. "Look on the bright side, you still have Moonlight, Honey, Parlay, and myself."

"Yea, I guess" Dakota lifted his head a little.

"Hey, and we all are carrying your foals. Which are due any day now" Dakota lifted his head all the way and looked over to his left, at his three other mares that were down by the river.

"Can you watch the herd for a while?" Dakota asked, still watching his other mares.

"How long is a while?" Rose laughed.

"A couple hours, if that" Dakota looked back at her. "I want to go see about this other stallion. See what Hickory and other led stallions have seen or heard. If he is a bachelor stud, we may be in over our heads."

"Bachelor stallions never run alone" Rose gasped.

"That's my point" Dakota smiled.

"I'll take the herd up to Horn Backed Hill. We will hide up there in till you return" Rose nodded. Dakota rubbed his nose across her neck and nickered to her. She tossed her mane and neighed back to him.

Dakota turned and reared straight up in the air before taking off down into the valley.

Rose walked down to the river, the other mares walked over to her. The Palomino mare, Parlay, was the first to speak.

"How did he take the news?" Parlay asked.

"He seems ok" Rose conformed. "But he is going to find out just how close this stallion is and to see what he is up to."

"He better be careful. He isn't as young was he use to be. A younger stallion could really hurt him" Moonlight said.

"And if he did get hurt…or even…..killed….where would that leave us?" Honey gasped. Rose rolled her eyes at the young bay colored mare.

"Will you relax, Honey" Rose tried to calm her "Dakota is very wise and has won many fights before. He can handle one little stud."

"Oh…..that's good" Honey tried to smile "I don't want to join another herd or be with another stallion. I like Dakota"

"We all do, sweetheart" Parlay pushed Honey on the shoulder with her nose.

"Hiding out would be a whole lot easier if one of us wasn't as white as snow" Honey teased as she stared at Moonlight.

"Well, sorry." Moonlight threw her nose in the air. "That my wonderful white coat is awful"

"Will you guys shut up" Rose huffed. "Let's head up to Horn Backed Hill. I told Dakota that's where we will be waiting on him" Moonlight and Honey nodded and stared heading toward the forest. Rose lowered her head and followed behind. She felt a small nudge on her neck that made her look up. Parlay was walking next to her.

"Rose, why are we going up there?" Parley pointed her nose up the hill. "We all are due any day to foal"

"I know, Parlay" Rose sighed.

"Then why are we going?"

"No stallions bring their herds up there this time of year. So the bachelor stallion will not go looking up there"

"You know that there are bears, mountain lions, and even humans up there. It's too dangerous! Plus, you can't forget that this is Honey's and Moonlight's first foal, they are not as experienced as you and me. They will have trouble, which will attract unwanted pests. Like the bears and humans."

"Stop worrying so much" Rose snapped "They will be fine, and so will we. Nothing is going to get us."

"I hope you are right, Rose" Parlay sighed.

Dakota ran across the valley. His thundering hooves pounding the ground. He saw three horses stand together right beside an old dried up pond. As he got closer, he could tell the two buckskin horses were two very young fillies. Not even two years old yet. The other one was a simple bay mare with three white socks on her feet and a blaze. And she was heavily pregnant. Dakota stop a couple feet in front of them. The two young fillies hid behind the bay mare.

"What are you doing here?" The mare penned her ears.

"You are one of Rusty's mares" Dakota confirmed as he smelled the old stallion on her.

"Yes" she said, her tone was lighter this time.

"Where is he?" Dakota asked "I need to talk with him"

"Last time I saw him he was going after a small group of stud colts."

"When was that?" Dakota leaned in closer to her.

"About a week ago. Two of the colts came back and took Rusty's herd. But I ran away."

"Did these two get away too?"

"No" The mare shook her head "They are all that is left of Storm's small herd."

"Storm!" Dakota snorted "He is a young stallion; I thought he would be able to keep his mares."

"There were too many for him" one of the fillies said "Four of they tried to fight him. They took us away before we could see what happened to him. But me and Lily, my half sister" she pointed her nose to the other filly. "Got away, and we met Dunny here by this old pond" Dakota looked back up at the mare.

"What is your name, little one?" Dakota asked with a smile.

"Ally" She nodded.

"Well Ally, you and your sister are very brave. Young bachelor stallions can be dangerous. They take everything away from old studs"

"Like you?" Ally tilted her head.

"Yes, like me" Dakota laughed "But I'm not going to let them take my family away from me." Dakota stood up straight and started walked off.

"Wait!" Lily jumped in. "Y-you just going to leave us here" Dakota turned back around and looked over the three horses.

"Do you know where Horn Backed Hill is, Dunny?' Dakota asked.

"Yes" Dunny nodded.

"Go there, take the fillies. You will find my herd there. I only have four mares, you will be fine. They are due to foal out any day now, as are you" Dakota said. "Tell them that I sent you there and tell them why. Ok?"

"Ok" She nodded again.

"Good" Dakota snorted before turning to run again.

"Are we going to join his herd?" Lily asked.

"I-I'm not sure" Dunny sighed "Maybe"

"I hope we do" Ally smiled "I like him"