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Three sunrises had passed since Laica had arrived. Many of the Glen Tribe's horses had been equal parts confusion and elation by the new arrival, and sadness and mourning over the passing of Bari. Even the strong-willed and fun-loving foals had felt lost and disorganized in the struggle, even though they had welcomed the Desert Tribe mare and her unborn foal or foals into their own.

Rasha looked over them on the top of the knoll. She knew Yumi, Tiger, Eros, and Skye all needed time to get over the emotions set inside the mood, though Hymn invited all of them to her cave every time to wait out the wave. It appears you left us too soon, Bari. Even though they weren't your own, the foals needed your guidance.

She gently walked down the incline, stopping to let Bruno pass on his patrol of his Tribe. The buckskin stallion with only three brown legs and one white nose kept up with his major duties to the Tribe, yet there came a shift in his demeanor. He kept trying to make certain that no rogue horse or other predator came in the pitch of night, even though, Rasha ascertained, that if he lived in Forest Tribe, her father Vitya would put a stop to his doings so he could sleep by the second night. Moreover, when the bay-and-white mare raised the issue up to Juan, he agreed to make him sleep the next night--which happened to be this night.

"Everything acceptable, Rasha?" A voice caught her attention. Turning to her right, she saw Laica trotting over to her, her body glistening with the water from the river. Her belly hadn't changed yet, but she knew that with the passing moons, it would grow.

She shook her head. "The foals seem listless."

"Every horse will feel some twinkling of that in different ways, Rasha. Even I feel a bit of it from their moods. I am staggered you have yet to discover that you are feeling it, also," she snorted.

She looked at the chestnut mare with wide eyes. "How can you tell?"

Laica walked around her, almost as though she were observing her from an unknown angle. "You are leading your trot with your left front leg and your back right hind. When you are not, you lead it with your right front leg and your back left hind. Your words are breathy when they mostly stay bouncy--I know you chose Keanu, Rasha; that is the source of your bounciness. You also look as though a nap in Hymn's cave could do you wondrousness."

"Laica, my duties... I cannot..."

The mare stopped in front of her, almost nickering in sweetness. "Now, now, Rasha... I can talk to her. I also need the experience with the foals, nonetheless, seeing as I soon will have my own."

The bay-and-white mare yawned, feeling the stones of Laica's words upon her back and withers. "You are correct. I do feel shattered. See you on another part of day." She turned around and walked up the knoll, leading toward Hymn's cave.

"Just doing my part to help." Laica nodded cheerfully, before approaching the Leader of the Tribe. "Leader Hymn, Rasha needs to sleep. If it's okay with you, I need the experience with the foals..."

The white mare simply nickered, "Acceptable, Laica."

The chestnut gingerly trotted over to the foals. "Greetings, Yumi, Eros, Tiger, and Skye..."

"Hello," Yumi greeted, in the same low tone she had since that day.

"Would you all like to go to the river?" she asked, lowering her neck so she could nuzzle the black filly's head. "I just trotted back from there, and it feels really valorous."

"Many thanks, Laica, but we are not interested." Skye politely looked up at her, but the older mare could see dark fuzziness in the young cremello-and-white one-spring's blue eyes.

She nodded, though several stones found their place in her chest. "Understandable. I cannot fathom--"

"Then do not!" Eros sharply snorted, prompting a startled gasp from Yumi. He could be a flirty colt at times, but he never behaved like this before. "Yes, you can live here, and I accept you, but you will never replace Bari."

"I am not looking to do such things. I am only living here. You are correct: I will not ever substitute Bari's place. Even my foal won't do that," she nickered softly, switching from Yumi, to the one equally shaded as her, repeating the gesture. "I promise."

Eros closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Many sorrows. I--"

"Do not fret. You all are in a heavy loss, and my entrance came in at a sore time. You do not know what to feel about the situation. I will not go, but I am here if you ever need my assistance."

He looked up at her, his sky-blue eyes also carrying the same grief as his adopted sister. "Many thanks...L-Laica..."

"It is no problem," she sighed, a few stones levitating from her chest. "Would you all like to rest in Hymn's cave? If not, we could race or some other thing."

The foals looked at each other, a silent consensus forming before they all nodded. "Yes, Laica. We want to rest."

She repeated the gesture in return, helping them up the knoll, leading them in next to Rasha's sleeping form. However, she did not leave them unattended, choosing to stand where she could watch them. She had to. She was to be a mother, and like her own before her, she had to watch all the foals in the Tribe, including those she would raise.

A sudden shifting sound flicked one of her curly ears back. Briefly looking behind her, her eyes beheld a solid bay stallion with a star on his face. Relief flooded her body as she let out a deep breath. "Oh, Juan, it is only you."

"Indeed, yes. Many sorrows for scaring you, Laica. It was never my intent. On the other side, you are doing a wondrous job with Rasha and the foals. Bari's last breath is still on every horse's head," he nickered softly. "Bruno will have his mate's sleeping herbs tonight. He will need his strength if he is to keep his duties as Guard."

"He almost galloped into Rasha as she walked down the knoll. Had she not stopped, it would have caused a tangle of legs and feet," Laica snorted quietly.

"He does act reckless when he had not a twinkling of sleep." The Deputy nodded, looking over at his mate's cave. A feeling of gladness washed over him as Skye and Eros snuggled up close to Rasha, Yumi and Tiger not too far away from their friends, their small barrels expanding and contracting loosely with each relaxed breath. "They are all tired."

"Benign to breathe that every horse is," she sighed. "I desire that I could attempt to do more."

Juan took a breath. "Laica, you are doing your best duties. My mate and I would never expect anything less. I heard what you told Eros, and it was what he needed to hear. Yes, you came at a sore spot. However, while you will never take Bari's place, you are home. No horse will judge you here."

The chestnut nodded. "Acceptable. But I snapped at Bruno when--"

"All twigs under the grass, Laica. He took no offense," he reassured, approaching her and resting his head on the other side of her shoulders. "You are a Member of Glen Tribe now. No horse will change that but you."

"Many thanks, Juan." One of Laica's ears twitched rapidly, causing her to lower her head, raise her hind hoof, and itch at the offender that decided to make her uncomfortable. Soon she stuck her tongue out, body relaxing.

"Irritated spot?" Juan asked, nuzzling his head upon her withers. "I can get Nurse Anémona to assist you."

"That would be fine. Many thanks."

With that, the bay stallion raised his head and walked down the knoll, carefully making his way to the Tribe Nurse, out of sight of the curly-eared mare.

Laica sighed, the irritation giving her a reprieve. She turned around to Hymn's cave, watching the five sleeping horses. It was this she felt glad that the Leader had such a spacious, cavernous area. It gave them some breathing room. Whenever it rained, the Tribe's horses could all fit, so they could stay dry and safe.

Unfortunately, the reprieve waned, causing the chestnut mare to itch at the spot again. "I must have gotten a sand flea or something. This is irksome."

"You are fortunate that I am here," a new voice spoke from behind her. Turning around, she sighed in relief to see Anémona, with a greenish paste on bark. "Some small insects can be resistant to water."

She nodded, lowering her head to the Nurse's level, making her hoof land on the grass. When the black mare looked at the fur surrounding her ear, gently picking at it, she saw a black dot in the base. "It appears that you had gathered a tick somehow. I can take care of it."

Taking the bark into her teeth, she smothered the tick with the paste, causing it to disengage from Laica's ear. "There. The bug will not bother you now."

"Many thanks, Nurse Anémona," she sighed in relief.

"You are most welcome."

---

The afternoon had come, just as Rasha opened her eyes, beholding the four foals snuggled up to her. Wasn't Laica supposed to watch over them for the day?

Just as hurtful words were to come out of the bay-and-white mare's throat, she saw the curly-eared chestnut mare indeed looking at the foals, stopping them in their trek. Acceptable. So she was looking after them. So they fell asleep of their own accord or something?

The cremello-and-white filly shifted in her sleep, a tiny yawn escaping her mouth as she opened her sky-blue eyes. "Oh, hi, Rasha..." she squeaked.

"Hi, Skye. You and the others feeling valorous?" Rasha asked.

"We wanted to slumber... Laica invited us to race around as another option, but we could not bear to do so. We are still hurting from Bari's last breath," she admitted.

"I would be insincere if I believed myself to be whole. She was a horse in the kindred for me, since her stepfather tried to make her trot back to Mountain Tribe many springs ago, and my father tried the same thing. However, we are all careworn from the loss. We will always reminisce on the good with Bari."

"I remember when I saw my first storm. The sounds of the thunder froze me on the knoll. If it weren't for her biting on my tail, bringing me into Hymn's cave, I'd have been struck by several ice pellets."

Rasha nodded warmly at the filly, nuzzling her cheek. "She was special to you as she was to the rest of us."

"Indeed, yes, Rasha. I cannot believe she is gone, but I know she is..."

It was then that a deep voice came into the conversation. "It will take time, Skye."

The two looked up to see the solid bay Deputy walk in, a deep, understanding air around him. "Oh, Juan, it is only you."

He nodded, just as Eros's eyes flickered. "Yes. Our Leader, my mate, and I are both affected by this. When I was just a two-spring in Ocean Tribe at my first meeting, I knew that her mother Kannitha was having a special foal before she came into the world. It had come as a terrible shock when the mare had lost her breath, two moons before Bari was of age to be weaned.

"After I joined Glen Tribe, and rose to be Deputy, Bari galloped and joined, having tired her breath on her journey. After she told me, she leaned on me for support. I could see in her eyes that her sight would not last long. However, she made us very proud."

"She saved us all, Father," the chestnut colt muttered, a slightly high-pitched yawn escaping his mouth. "I never knew how it would have been possible to hold off a wolf pack on one's own."

The stallion almost burred in awe at Eros's waking drowse. "Midday greetings, young one."

"It would not be possible to take on an entire wolf pack one-on-many," Rasha sagely said. "Alone, one can be overrun, but with the Tribe by one's side, we are a force. That force can do wonders."

"But what about those who are to be mothers?" Skye pointed an ear toward Laica. "Such as her?"

A knowing whinny made her stand straight. "We do not let those who are to be mothers in our fights, Skye."

The cremello-and-white filly whirled around, facing her adoptive mother's chest. "C-correct, Mama..."

However, Hymn took a deep breath, lowering her head to nuzzle her head. "Oh, Skye... we have much to learn, don't we?"

She nickered, nuzzling back. "I do. Many sorrows..."

"Skye, you do not need apologize for what you do not have the knowledge to," Juan walked in, joining the loving rubs, just as Tiger twitched a leg away, one of his hind hooves gently nudging Yumi.

"Uh... T-Tiger... stop..." the black filly moaned, trying to enjoy a few more twinkling's of sleep. "B-brother..."

It was with luck that Rasha knew what to do. She had difficulties with foals nudging her, or them bumping each other, while they napped in Forest Tribe. Rising to her hooves, she walked over to and gently scooped Yumi with her neck, letting her slide to her shoulders, careful to let the young filly sleep. With her secure, she brought her over to the spot she occupied before, gingerly lowering her neck and allowing her to gently plop near the bay-and-white mare just as she laid her body back down. In response, Yumi unknowingly scooted closer, snuggling Rasha's barrel, gentle breaths making a dot in her hair.

It was then that Juan burred in mild amusement, removing his head from his adopted daughter. "Deep slumberer..."

"She was bothered, so I assisted," Rasha whickered quietly. "This happened a lot in Forest Tribe when foals were sleeping."

Eros got to his tiny hooves, shaking his body to rid it the last vestiges of sleep. "I have enough of sleep. I shall see if Bruno would cease galloping around and have excitement with me."

Juan stomped a hoof, stopping several tiny-hooves in front of him. "That will not be wise, young colt. In his sleeplessness, he might confuse you for an intruding horse from another Tribe."

"I am certain that I differ enough between Coro of Forest Tribe or Abir of Mountain Tribe." Eros nodded, lifting his left front leg, fetlock white, his hoof black. "Coro has no white on her body."

"And Abir does, but on more different parts of his, even his legs. His hooves are differently colored," Juan agreed, before shaking his head. "Perhaps Keanu is the better choice. He's very well-rested."

The one-spring nodded, slightly reluctant to admit defeat, but knowing his father was right. "You are correct, Father."

"Now do not go and bother Bruno with your stories, Eros. We do not need another tragedy in Glen Tribe, especially with one so young," Hymn advised, a boulder in her chest, knowing she and she alone saw Bari's body.

"Acceptable, Mother." And as though a wild bear was lumbering behind him, the chestnut colt galloped off to find Keanu.

"He shall grow up to be a fast stallion. That is for certain," Rasha stated, a soft burr of amusement escaping her throat.

"I cannot avoid but ponder that he seems to have his loyalties somewhere else." Hymn blinked, looking on from where Eros had left. "I am certain that he is butterflying over some horse from another Tribe."

"Last I saw him in a meeting, Hymn," Rasha interjected, "he seemed to be looking at a dunskin filly with blue eyes and blond mane."

Juan burred. "Zinerva from Desert Tribe. The two definitely are of one mind when they see each other."

"Even though he appreciated not going to the previous meeting?" the white mare nickered.

"A horse deserves a respite from a repetitive arrangement, Hymn. Hence why I chose Yumi and Tiger. The two were seldom to go to a meeting," the bay-and-white mare warmly nickered.

"Ah wid say sae! Th' foals appreciatit` that," a new voice joined the conversation.

They looked up to see the light-bay-and-white mare Chex. "Oh, midday greetings, Chex," Juan acknowledged. "What happens on your mind today?"

"It's midday, 'n' th' foals ur nae playing. Ah ken we're recovering fae oor ordeal, bit tis baith relaxing bit scary whin a'm expecting th' foals tae come ask me tae gang tae th' water."

"Well, our ordeal is still not over, Chex," Rasha came in, gently nuzzling her charge on her belly. "Yumi and Tiger are the cruelest bit, since they are both younger than Eros."

"And they are both sleeping deeper than they would ordinarily," Hymn nodded, gingerly walking over to the buckskin colt and cleaning him up. "Tiger, time to rise, little one."

Slowly, his light brown eyes rose open, a small yawn escaping his mouth. "I'm up, Hymn..."

Taking an intimation, Rasha gently used her teeth to mess with Yumi's mane. "Yumi, time to rise, polite one..."

Just like her brother, the little filly woke up, stretching herself as she rose to her feet. "R-Rasha..."

"Are you well?"

"Better than I was, Rasha," she replied. "A nap is a safe way to cope."

Rasha nodded, herself pushing onto all four hooves. "That is truthful."

"All the same, I shall go to the river and get a drink."

"I shall go with you, Yumi. I am also parched," the bay-and-white mare blinked.

"It will also be most dangerous," Hymn advised, "if you go on your own."

"Water snakes. I remember." Skye stomped a hoof to the rock, causing a little clack of sound to echo around the cave.

"That is true," Juan whickered, a warm liquid sensation boiling up in his chest, causing him to lift his head in pride. "See, little Skye. You do have knowledge of other things."

The cremello-and-white filly squeaked in happiness, feeling like jumping up to buck at the air. However, she knew that she was with others, and did not desire to hurt any horse by accident.

Just as the bay-and-white mare and the black-and-partially-white filly walked out of the cave, their ears beheld an interesting conversation, as the flaxen chestnut-and-white mare walked up to the curly-eared chestnut.

"I profess that you, Laica, are having twins," Emily announced in a voice unlike her own, causing the aforementioned mare to jolt.

"You speak! You are a noiseless one," Laica remarked. "All the same, how are you certain that I am having twins? I have faith in the reality I am having just one."

The mare looked at the other. "You are having twins, Laica. I can feel it in my mind."

Laica snorted, not believing that fact. So far, Yaffa had determined that she may have one foal in her barrel. However, there had been instances where a Nurse thought that a mare was having one foal, when there were two or, even more rarely, three. Could this be one of those whiles? "Be that as it may, Emily, but when are you going to find a horse to butterfly over and have a foal with? We have no smallness in stallions."

"I want to seek the right horse first," she muttered, a warm burr escaping her mouth. "So far, Juan has Hymn, Bruno and Anémona are together, and as far as I can notice, Rasha and Keanu are going to be joined for a long time."

"I would not give up on optimism." The curly-eared mare nuzzled her on the cheek. "I have faith that Gitano is butterflying after you. Did you not see his expression upon you?"

"I was certain he was admiring some horse else..." Both of Emily's ears twitched backward.

"No, Emily... He has confessed to me that he saw you, describing how you look down to the blondness in your mane and tail. He schemes to transfer sometime next moon, as he's still three springs, and he'll be four then."

Meanwhile, Rasha and Yumi, who had gawked, turned toward each other. Did they need to hear this? Sure, it was good that Emily had the courage to become this verbose in the wake of Bari's death, but the possibility of both a stallion becoming a member of their Tribe and a likely future mate of Emily, and twins within the next spring was quite a surprise.

The two blinked, turning to walk down the knoll, stopping to check if Bruno was taking his gallop at the bottom. However, seeing no sign of the three brown-legged buckskin, they trotted down to the river, Rasha now knowing where to go. The mare looked around, checking if there were snakes. They always could strike at any time. She did not want to end with the same fate as Imber and her unborn foal.

However, seeing there were none to raise her whinny about, Rasha allowed her and Yumi to lower their heads and drink. Just as the cool liquid went down her throat, a new scent wafted into her nose. It didn't smell like wolves or snakes, but it definitely smelled of horse, and one she remembered from the meeting days prior.

"HALT!" A voice--Bruno's voice--yelled. "Young colt! You have no affair with Glen Tribe! You aren't even four springs."

Rasha lifted her head, whirling around to see the dark palomino colt galloping after her and Yumi. The black filly also remembered him and how he sounded smooth. However, she had no interest in him or his antics. He seemed too hot-minded. She instead hid behind Rasha's dark tail, keeping herself away from the sandbar and river.

"Jesper! What the high blueness are you doing here!" Rasha demanded, keeping her charge behind her at all twinkling's. "Are you with madness?! You are even less than one spring."

"I want to get to know her," he panted. "She seems interesting. I do not know her name."

"Jesper! Go back to Ocean Tribe. What you are doing could be considered treasonous under Tribe Law! Where is Elda? She would be furious with you, as you are her colt. Treason could result in your last breath at Edwina's hooves. Do you wish tragedy against your own Tribe? You can assort with her in the next meeting, if you are fortunate--"

"JESPER!" A duet of voices came in. Looking up, she saw the creamy perlino stallion--Amar--and the gray Guard, and from the arching in their salt-crusted necks and manes, they weren't in Glen Tribe to make an announcement about the last breath one of their Members.

The colt shrank, stopping in his tracks. Jesper turned to see his parents.

"How dare you intrude Glen Tribe, young colt!" Elda shrieked, completely enraged. "You realize that this will mean stricter consequences for your actions! Leader Edwina will hear this."

Amar softened his eyes, looking at both Rasha and the still-hiding Yumi. "Many sorrows about this. We did attempt to keep him in our Tribe, but he found his way from ours to yours, even making his way through Forest Tribe. He will be disciplined. You will not see him in meetings until he's six springs."

A stone dropped in Jesper's chest. "Father..."

"No, young colt! You tried to break Tribe law, even though you knew the law. You are to stay in Ocean Tribe until that time. No exceptions. Now trot! We will discuss more of this in our privacy," Elda pointed her hoof in the direction of Forest Tribe. Once the two-spring walked past Bruno, the buckskin snorted at him, stomping a hoof close to him, not to hurt him--he had two of his own, but they did nothing this idiotic; nevertheless, he would not harm another's foal, but scare him or her should an event like this happen. Then, as the colt trotted further away, Elda sighed, as though a stone of her own had lifted. "I repeat what my mate told you, Rasha. He managed to slip away from his mentor, Coral. She will not be satisfied either."

"No physical damage had been done, Elda, but he petrified Yumi. In the meeting, she showed no interest to Jesper. He is older than her, and it would have been embarrassing and unpleasant if she had been drinking from the river alone," Rasha nodded.

"Well, we shall leave and discuss this with him, too. Mares are to be respected, not be treated as though they are grass," Amar grunted, pinning his ears back, turning to leave with his mate. "I met Elda and gave her the area if she needed it. This did not come from me, nor did it come from her."

"Many thanks again, Amar and Elda. Many sorrows this happened," Bruno neighed. "If he finds a way to come back again--"

The gray mare snorted, interrupting Bruno. "We will put an end to his antics. This shall not happen again."

"Understandable. Feel free to come if you have news," Rasha nickered.

Just as they started to lead their colt into the trees of Forest Tribe, Anémona galloped toward her daughter. "Yumi! Are you well?! Did he harm you?"

Her daughter shook her head in response to her second sentence. "None done, but he did frighten me. Tiger and Eros know my areas better than he does. If my Tribemate and my brother show me that, then he should, too. No wonder the foals stay in their own Tribes. One round the river one, and--"

"It is better to not fret about this now," Rasha proclaimed. "I helped keep you undamaged from him. He will not show his nose in Glen Tribe ever again."

It was then that the son of Bruno and Anémona gently trotted near his sister. "Are--are--"

"Tiger, breathe... then use your words..." Bruno gently advised.

The buckskin with no brown legs filled his chest with air, holding it for a moment, before releasing it for longer. "Are you okay, my sister? That colt--"

"Bit scattered, not destroyed." The black filly nuzzled her brother's cheek. "It will take more than an unexpected _visit_from another Tribe's unintelligent colt to upset me. And Rasha was here to keep me company."

"Well, he leaves a bad perception in my brain," Tiger snorted. "I will protect you, my sister! That is a promise."

To Rasha and Bruno's morals, they were appreciative that the shy colt was taking advantage to defend his tough as rocks sister. However, the mare felt a cold slimy sensation wrap around her chest. She saw how shy he was when the two met initially. Is this going to go away from him the next sunrise, or is he going to be like Vitya tried to do to her beloved and his brother? She didn't want him to change drastically.

However, Yumi gingerly played with the small hairs on his neck, an appreciative burr leaving her throat. "Many thanks, brother."

"Hey, would I leave you to his hooves the way Aahwaanith had his way toward Laica? No way would I do that."

---

The night had fallen. Yumi, Tiger, Eros, Skye, Rasha, Keanu, and Hymn all settled in to the Leader's cave, while the others strewn themselves about, finding areas to sleep. However, Juan and Glen Tribe's plan was in motion, and Bruno was still, predictably, awake, standing at the knoll, finally nibbling on some grass. Acceptable. He knows he has hunger needs.

The solid bay Deputy approached his Guard. "You know, if I had no knowledge of you better, Bruno, you seem to take this duty very seriously. And you did a marvelous obligation to defend against an unwarranted attack from Ocean Tribe."

Bruno looked up at him. "That was merely a colt. How would one his age find a way to upheave our ways? He may have come from Amar and Elda, but he does not know how to provoke such."

While he was distracted, Juan pushed something near the spot where the Guard "grazed". "That is correct. Jesper is a colt, and he came alone."

"Benign to breathe, that was a walk in our land compared to what could have happened. Another wolf attack, a cat out for blood, one of the horses in our Tribe hosting an uprising, so many eventualities," Bruno snorted. "A colt wanting to socialize at an irregular twinkling, one that was not agreed upon, is not something to trot to our Tribe to."

"I appreciate that, my Guard. But even then, you could have had Aitor of Desert Tribe wanting to fight for control of our river by sending Aahwaanith after our Tribe first."

"Correct," he nodded, returning his head to graze upon the grass, the taste disguising the juices flowing down his throat.

Juan sighed. "You have for two nights galloping, Bruno, been guarding our Tribe. You really need some rest."

"I cannot, Juan. What if some rogue wants to fight? I have to defend..."

"You need rest. Had you been in any other Tribe, they wouldn't allow you to gallop your breath away the way you have done. Even Rasha was concerned, since your sleeplessness is shifting your behavior."

The Guard felt his legs be like twigs, shaking and ready to snap from the weight upon them. But before he did any damage to them, he laid his body down onto the grass on the knoll. "W-why is she so troubled? She had chosen my brother, Juan."

"You are Keanu's brother, Bruno. And his family is hers. It is her mind."

A yawn, one that seemed to yearn to break free, suddenly let loose from his mouth. "Did my mate p-put you up to this?"

"Her, Rasha, well-nigh the whole Tribe... We want you to be well. You can allow yourself to slumber. As for tonight, I shall guard," Juan nodded.

Bruno sighed tiredly. "I suppose I forced myself too far..."

"You had."

The stallion laid his head upon the grass, his eyes heavy from his lack of sleep, and the herbs Anémona had given Juan to give to Bruno. For the first time in a few days since Bari's untimely passing, the buckskin stallion finally let himself go and sleep, the Deputy standing beside him to watch over Glen Tribe.