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Clouds hung over the Glen Tribe territory the new day. The white mare’s eyes slowly opened, looking over her sleeping charge. That night would be Rasha’s first time slumbering with her other Tribe mates, and Hymn knew that she would do well.

However, that was the least of the Tribe Leader’s worries. The Guard for the night and the entire Tribe, Bari, seemed to have disappeared from the knoll during the night, after the Leader and the bay-and-white mare fell asleep. Where is that Guard? She is expected to shelter the Tribe for the night!

The mare slowly rose to her feet, making certain that the new Tribe member was still deeply asleep. The musky, yet pleasant, smell of rain filled the Leader’s nose. If Ka’eo were still alive today, he would say that the weather was calling for rain.

She started walking out of the cave, when a new stench crowded the pre-rain smell. What is that scent? It reeks of familiarity, but I cannot place it. Whatever Bari did, I hope she did not bring a skunk over here. That lasts for moons!

She trotted down the knoll, seeing her mate, Juan, the Nurse, Anémona, and the rest of her Tribe still sleeping, grateful that no harm had come to them in the night. Acceptable, they are still sleeping off their fumes from the meeting. No worries to be had here.

Her Tribe safe, she turned, following the unfamiliar scent in the air. Something was wrong. While it was satisfactory to have some time to herself, she couldn’t help but wonder what happened to her Guard. She knew Bari’s eyesight was failing her, but she couldn’t have wandered far for a scent patrol. She knew her boundaries and the borders. Where did she go?

The smell led her to the river, where her eyes beheld a grisly sight. Dark droplets of varying sizes dotted the sandbar, leading her up to a body of a wolf, which lay unmoving in the grass. If she sensed a wolf pack, why didn’t she raise her whinny? We could have gotten Yumi, Tiger, Eros, and Skye in my cave immediately then.

What she didn’t know, however, was that she was soon to get her answer. She stepped a few hooves away from the dead canine, giving it a kick to its head. She didn’t want to risk it getting to its paws and attacking her or her Tribe next. Hymn felt her ears going forward at the silence of the corpse. Good. It was dead in the first twinkling. Bari, wherever you went, you made me proud.

The white mare kept her stride going. She had to find her Guard and Tribe member. She knew Bari wouldn’t go far, but to protect her Tribe, she could. Surrounding the corpse, the battle seemed to rage further toward the river, what with the droplets growing in size, rocks that had been displaced, sporadic, flattened areas of grass, and snapped twigs. It seemed the fight had reached its head near the water, but had there been hoof marks or paw prints, they would have vanished when Hymn got as close as she did then.

Then, she saw it, a stone settling in her stomach. “No…” she whispered, the strange scent finally making her realize what had happened.

The graying bay mare lay on the grass near the big boulders adjoining the sandbar. Scratches marked and crisscrossed her body, and claw marks tracked down her face, gashing her left eye. For a moment, the leader thought she saw a breath give her chest and foreleg a lift, but there was none.

Bari had been guarding the Tribe since after Ka’eo took a step down from his duties. She had been a member of Glen Tribe for a spring, enjoying all that she could until Imber died. Her vision had gradually grown dim, no matter how many different herbs Anémona tried to give her. Nevertheless, the mare had insisted that she continue on, persevering for many springs despite a handicap. But never had Hymn thought that she would protect her Tribe the way she did in the night.

Bringing herself out of her thoughts, the white mare bowed her head in respect. “Bari, you have made your Tribe proud throughout the springs. May the land respect you in kind.”

After she said that, a wind whistled in Hymn’s ear, seemingly saying, “Bruno…”

“Yes, Bruno is our new Guard, but breaking the news is not going to be easy. Yumi and Tiger are still really young, and Skye, even more so,” Hymn sighed, shaken by the concept. “There is no lying in Glen Tribe. This is going to hurt Mountain Tribe Andre, too. She was his daughter.”

---

The horses of Glen Tribe had woken up from their sound slumber, seeing their Leader walking up the knoll to her cave, her head lowered to the grass. Keanu looked over at Bruno, a yawn escaping his mouth. “What is happening with Hymn? Did she go for a trot and get even more tired out?”

Juan looked at the two stallions. “I’ll discuss with Hymn. If you need more rest, do it. We had a big day previously.”

“That, we did, Deputy Juan,” Keanu yawned. “Just let us know if the news is bad.”

The bay stallion nodded, making his way up the knoll, to his mate. “Hymn, is something amiss?”

The white mare sighed heavily, the news she loathed to give. “Juan…we lost Bari in the night. She defended us against a wolf pack in her last breath.”

Juan’s brown eyes widened. “No… She would have…”

“She did not desire to scare us, Juan.” She sucked in a big gulp of air. “This is a sad day for Glen Tribe.”

“We will have Bruno take her place the next night.” It was tradition for the Deputy to guard the Tribe for one night after the previous Guard had passed on before the duties exchanged hooves to the next. “I just do not know…”

“Me neither… And on Rasha’s first night sleeping with her Tribe members…” Hymn looked at the sleeping bay-and-white mare.

“Do you desire to have her spend one more night with you? It’s not against Tribe law, if you recall,” Juan remarked.

She nodded. “But only if she wants to.”

---

The sun broke through the clouds in the afternoon, shattering the smell for rain. Looks like it could go to the Desert Tribe, Hymn bitterly thought as she took her place below the knoll.

“Every horse, listen to my words,” she said, even though she didn’t use enough force behind it.

Right away, every horse in the Tribe stood up, eyes and ears open and toward their Leader.

“This may come as a shock to you all, but we lost Bari in the night.”

Had the Tribe not been locked in her spell, there would have been shaken neighs and whinnies around the Glen.

“I’ll have word with Mountain Tribe Andre later on this day, but Juan will guard us this night. As to who will be our new Guard, Bruno will be. He has shown great strength and pride to our Tribe.”

If it had been any other circumstance, Bruno would have been jumping excitedly up and down after the locked trance had broken. Instead, his mood had soured. Bari hadn’t retired her position—she was too stubborn to even think about it. He had seen her on her first spring, so full of life, and so serious in her role as a Guard under Ka’eo’s training. She never strayed from her path, and she had never taken a mate. She was stuck in her ways—much like her Mountain Tribe ancestry—but she always had a good heart.

Rasha, on the other side, looked at her new Tribe leader with wide eyes. Did she feel safe now? Was her first night sleeping with the Tribe going to be filled with terror and fright? She could feel her legs shake in fear at the thought of a wolf taking one of the foals in the night.

However, Hymn seemed to sense this, as she walked to the bay-and-white mare. “Juan and I talked to each other, and we decided the best course of action. If you desire, you can sleep in my cave for until you feel ready to slumber with the rest of the Tribe. And if you need extra comfort, Keanu and the foals can sleep with us, as well.”

Rasha’s eyes relaxed, a deep breath filtering through her lungs and nose. If she could, she would have said a deep thanks.

“This is my word. Now on with your duties and lives.”

Her words complete, the trance broke. Hymn slowly walked the path to Mountain Tribe. In response, each horse and foal bowed their heads in respect. As she passed Keanu, she heard gentle hoof beats behind her. Turning her head, she saw Rasha following her. “Yes? Is there something you wish to say?”

“Hymn, if it would be acceptable with you, do you think I could come with you for emotional support?” the bay-and-white mare asked.

The white Tribe Leader took a deep breath, an appreciative light in her sky blue eyes. “That would be most cherished. You may come.”

Rasha bowed her head respectably, for coming with a Tribe Leader was a privilege and an honor. “Many thanks, Hymn.”

“You are welcome, but we must be quick, for we do not know what will be out there.”

With that, the two mares walked through the tree line that marked Forest Tribe territory. Right away, their presence was made known.

“Halt! Who dare invades Forest Tribe Territory?!” Chiko’s deep voice echoed through.

“It is merely Leader Hymn and Member Rasha,” the white mare replied. “We are passing through to Mountain Tribe. We have some news to give to Andre. The Tribe also asks that we pass through here to get back to Glen Tribe Territory after all is said and done.”

The black stallion looked at the Leader with his forest green eyes. “Very well. You may come and go through Forest Tribe Territory for this mission only. Do not be slow.”

“Many thanks, Guard Chiko. Many thanks…”

Chiko nodded, bowing his head in respect.

The mares crossed the packed earth across the clearing. To them, it felt like forever since their last meeting, even if it had happened the previous night. They knew that Bari would never again physically come to the meetings if they invited her.

The two soon moved up a steep incline into Mountain Tribe, the grassy terrain mixing into a stony and snowy plateau. Rasha and Hymn shivered, the two not well-equipped to deal with the cold, wet snow under the sensitive skin beneath their hooves. Rasha looked to her Leader. “Chiko did say to be fast.”

“Hopefully this will not take much,” the white mare burred.

The two leaped across a narrow valley, careful to mind the distance. The two did not want to lose more lives in one day. They had already lost one, and they did not intend to lose any more.

It wasn’t long before some horse spotted them.

“Halt! Who dares intrude upon Mountain Tribe?!” a deep female voice echoed through the mountains. They lifted their heads to see a dark gray mare with white socks and forest green eyes, staring them down.

“Leader Hymn and Member Rasha of Glen Tribe, Chantrea,” Hymn said, her heart heavy with the news she was soon to give. “We have news to give Andre.”

Chantrea looked down at them, a small drift of snow falling between the two. The Glen Tribe leader held her breath before the heavy mare nodded. “Very well. I shall lead you to him.”

The white mare let out the air in her lungs. “Many thanks, Chantrea.”

The two walked up the pathway on the side of the mountain, carefully making their way to the dark gray mare. Just as Rasha joined her left flank, she caught the eye of the Mountain Tribe Guard. “I see your step-brother stayed in hoof step within his own Tribe last night.”

“Sun Belt is better than he was previous springs. He is not going to repeat the same feat twice,” she said, trotting in step with her and her Tribe Leader.

“Well, if you ever see him again, I suggest he watches his flank if he starts anything like that again, because I will not hold back in giving him a little lesson of my doing,” the heavy mare arched her neck, baring her teeth.

“You are just angered because he messed with your game in his speed,” she snorted. “He was just a spring old, Chantrea. Can you judge him?”

“His maturity has gotten better. I can attest to that. However, that does not absolve what had happened.”

“Just be joyous in the fact that he concentrates on healing other horses, instead of beating others with his speed.”

The three endured the rest of the journey in silence. Hymn took in a deep breath, knowing what she had to do, was something she loathed to do to any horse. For another breath, she turned her head back to the path. She could gallop back to Glen Tribe, she knew that much. However, she’d betray the trust of her own Tribe, and the Leader before her, for her cowardice. She could not race away when she made that promise in her announcement. The white mare turned back to the stony and snowy path ahead.

Just as she did, the silvery gray stallion came into view, his fuzzy head having an air of seriousness that hung onto any horse that came close. Hymn took in a breath. Acceptable. He is strong in his will. I will be able to convey this.

“Tribe Deputy Andre, this is Glen Tribe Leader Hymn and Member Rasha. They have news,” Chantrea reported, a steely edge in her voice, almost sending a chill across Hymn’s spine.

For the most part, Rasha’s ears stayed pointing forward, her eyes blinking occasionally. She was used to her behavior, having traveled with Vitya on occasion. The Tribe Guard’s voice had almost no effect on her.

“And this news is?” the wizened stallion asked.

The bay-and-white mare looked at the white one. Just rip it off, O noble Leader Hymn, just like one of Sun Belt’s honey treatments.

Hymn took a step forward when a heavy hoof stood in front of her. Looking up, she saw a creamy buckskin stallion, lighter than Keanu or Bruno, with brown eyes staring her down. “This is as far as you can step, Leader Hymn. We do not want a fight.”

She nodded her assent to the member, an air of taciturnity about her. “And I do not want to start, Member Hikari.” Taking a deep breath, she looked over the big stallion to the gray-and-white one. “Deputy Andre, this news—”

“Spare me the warning, Leader Hymn,” he looked at her with emotionless sky-blue eyes. “Tell me up front.”

I would gladly do so, if it were not for Hikari, Hymn would have thought, but she pushed it away from her mind. “Deputy Andre, your daughter Bari lost her breath defending the Tribe she called home the previous night. I encountered her body next to the boulders that stand on either end of the river this day.”

Even the impassive stallion could not help but feel the same weight in his chest as Hymn did. With a loud nicker to the creamy buckskin, he trotted up close to the Leader. “What had transpired to cause this to happen? When she traded her Tribe for yours, after she stayed firm in her beliefs, I entrusted you would keep her safe!”

“I kept her safe as much as I could,” Hymn raised her voice, keeping level with the Deputy. “She passed keeping Glen Tribe safe from a pack of wolves. She detected the smell of them and galloped away from the knoll to keep us safe. If she let down her defenses, Glen Tribe would be no more.”

Andre lowered his head, knowing she had a point. “That is certain. We would not be able to have our meetings without a fifth Tribe.”

Once, Desert Tribe did not come to a meeting, themselves feeling unwell to travel. The others waited for them to arrive, but a cloud overshadowed the moon, signifying the missing Tribe was needed. The four had no choice but to go back to their part of the land, leaving the announcements behind for another moon.

“It saddens me to give you this news, but there are no lies in Glen Tribe,” Hymn bowed her head low to the rocky ground.

Hikari looked at the white mare. “Would you like to rest here for the night to come?”

“We are not able,” Rasha spoke up. “Forest Guard Chiko desires for this meeting to be brief so we may pass through the territory.”

He turned his head to face the bay-and-white member of Glen Tribe. “He must have gnats in his head if he thinks this can be done within a single day.”

“It is his word, Hikari,” Andre nickered. “We cannot argue between Guards.”

Chantrea, who had stood off to the side, looked at him. “We should tell Mother, Father.”

“Yes, this is going to break her heart,” he sighed, before returning his attention to Hymn. “Many thanks for your honesty. Please let me know if you need any horse’s assistance.”

---

The journey back to Glen Tribe had been endured in silence. Chiko had gratefully let them through Forest Tribe, just as he promised. Rasha, however, had an appreciative flame in her heart. Hymn had proven her words true, and did not contradict herself, even when the temptation had stacked itself upon her. By that point, darkness had fallen across the land, making it difficult to see, but not impossible.

It was just as they reached the edge of the trees that she spoke up. “You did the right thing, Leader Hymn.”

“I am not able to take all acclaim, Rasha. Had it not been for you standing with me, I would have circled back,” Hymn answered, stopping to face her Tribe member, nuzzling her head. “Many thanks, Rasha. Many, many thanks.”

After nuzzling her back, Rasha bowed her head in respect. “It is my pleasure.”

They trotted across the open grass, the Leader making her way up the knoll to her cave, the bay-and-white mare and her chosen mate following right behind her, the foals gently walking between them. The day had been hard for the one- to two-springs. They had enjoyed Bari, even if she snapped at them on occasion. She protected them from any storm that graced Glen Tribe, once led a mountain cat away from them with Keanu’s help, and stayed with Skye for a night when she couldn’t sleep with her adoptive mother—the cremello-and-white filly was restless and did not want to disturb the Leader of Glen Tribe. Gone was their rambunctious airs they had two days prior. Not even Eros, the chattiest foal in the bunch, could bring himself to speak one word.

Hymn sighed silently to herself. The foals needed time to heal, and even then, she had no knowledge how long the effects would come. Anémona, with all her training of certain herbs and poultices, could not fix this, the Leader knew. This would only land on them, and she loathed to make them get better quickly when they weren’t ready.

Instead of that, however, she nickered softly to them, grooming each of them and gingerly scratching any place they couldn’t reach if they so needed. In return, the foals gently nuzzled her, reciprocating part of the gesture because of their size. Soon, the little ones had settled themselves near the Leader’s belly, falling asleep with some difficulty.

“It’s grim, being the deliverer of bad news everywhere,” Hymn murmured, half to herself.

“It was problematic when Parthenios lost his breath.” Rasha blinked, her brown eyes growing heavy.

“I only wish that she could have chosen a mate and had a foal,” Keanu whispered. “She deserved some horse who could have enjoyed her brave and kind spirit.”

“I understand, but what could we do, Keanu?” Hymn asked, her voice lowered. “We cannot force affection where it isn’t wanted.”

In response, Rasha heavily nuzzled her chosen beloved mate. She was not one to make any horse feel love toward her if she could help it.

“That is truth,” he conceded. “But I believe that every horse is tired from the big news.”

“Yes. Lay your heads. As tradition, Deputy Juan will guard this night,” Hymn yawned.

---

The sun’s light drifted over the land slower than the day before. However, Bruno’s eyes had opened even before that, the horse himself walking around the Glen Tribe territory to patrol. Just as the light seemed to pass over him, he trotted over to the tree line, checking all angles for possible enemies, or if any Tribes were going to invade. Once, Floke, a Desert Tribe Guard, had neglected her duties, leading into a nasty revolt from Forest Tribe, setting the precedent for every Guard to patrol at least once per day.

Everything seems to be acceptable so far, but it can be taken from us just as easily, Bruno thought to himself. For the most part, everything is safe from harm.

He met the edge of Glen Territory that would lead to the caves that Rasha herself used three days prior. His sight limited in the dark, Bruno used his nose to detect any unwanted horses inside. For the moment, the caves seemed empty and scentless, save for the dirt and occasional bout of moisture in the air.

The new Guard raising his head and snorting confidently, he broke away from the cavernous long way around Forest and Glen Tribes, racing toward the next point in his self-assignments. He had to. The fate of his family depended on it. His brother, Keanu, would be disappointed in him if he faltered even once—or so he believed.

He looked over at the land beyond Hymn’s cave and knoll, as it led to territories beyond, and unknown horses than those he was familiar with. His mate, daughter, and son floated around inside his head. With Bari not around, he had to do this for them. There was no other choice.

“So far, everything seems to be clear over there,” he breathed, before turning around and racing for the edge of Desert Tribe Territory.

However, nothing would prepare him for the shock that would approach him.

A chestnut mare trotted toward him, her fur, mane, and tail dusted with sand. Her brown eyes could not be mistaken, nor could her ears that were curled near the top: She just came from Desert Tribe. Even more perplexing was the fact that there was a different scent on her than any horse he saw.

Nevertheless, he was not going to let his duties fall to the wayside. “HALT! Who dares intrude upon Glen Tribe’s borders!”

“Only former Desert Tribe Member Laica, Glen Tribe Member Bruno,” the mare snorted, shaking her mane and fur, the sand falling like dust on the grass. “I came to talk to Leader Hymn.”

“Acceptable, but I shall guide you. I am a Guard now.” Bruno nodded. “Feel free to have my mate poultice your feet.”

“The grass is no bother to me, Bruno. I walked without any tickles in my feet,” she replied sharply.

He couldn’t believe how strongly Laica threw her arguments. Not even Anémona, his mate, had this much steam behind her words. Yet, if she was going to the Leader, he had to tolerate her attitude, no matter how excruciating it would be to him.

He turned around, escorting the chestnut mare up the knoll to the awake and alert white mare. “Glen Tribe Leader Hymn, Desert Tribe Member Laica.”

Hymn bowed her head to her, who then did the same back, to Bruno’s relief. She is not disrespectful to her Leaders. That is a good sign.

_ _“Desert Tribe Laica. I trust your journey was a safe one. The sands can be dangerous.”

She nickered. “My journey was dangerous, but I managed to get out here in one piece, Glen Tribe Hymn.”

“What is the purpose of this visit? You must be thirsty.”

“My presence is no longer a mystery to you. I have reached the age of four springs. As per tradition, I would like to become a member of the Glen Tribe.”

Hymn nodded. “Very well… I shall alert Nurse Anémona and Deputy Juan immediately. Make yourself present in my cave. You deserve a respite someplace comfortable. Be warned, we’ve been through a terrible loss, and while a new Member is good news, we’re going to have more in my shelter.”

Laica returned the gesture, walking into the Leader’s cave, watching her leave as she lay beside Rasha and Yumi. “What had transpired?”

“Bari lost her breath between the last day and the night before that one,” Eros sadly said, his first words in what felt like ever. “She defended our territory for us… but we’ll miss her…”

The sharp-tongued mare’s eyes widened. “Oh, I did not know. Mountain and Glen Tribe news spreads slower to Desert Tribe than Ocean and Forest Tribe’s.”

“It is acceptable, Laica,” Rasha reassured. “We did not have any time to tell your former Leader Zowe.”

“No wonder Bruno is hot and bothered, no quip intended.”

“We have been through a lot,” Yumi sighed, unable to keep the grief from her voice. “It has not been simple for all of us.”

“I see that. I chose a bad time to arrive, it seems,” the chestnut mare shook her head.

“You were not able to know that we just went through a loss,” Skye expounded, equally as broken, looking on as Anémona and Juan trotted up the hill with Hymn. This time, the Nurse was silent, unable to bring herself to make conversation with the Leader.

“Nurse Anémona.” The former Desert Tribe Member bowed her head in respect.

The black mare repeated the motion in reply, causing Rasha’s eyes to widen. Should she have done it when she had switched Tribes? Was that a tradition, or were the two engaging in formalities? She didn’t mean to skip a step. Was there some way to mend this error?

However, Juan seemed to sense this, as he trotted toward the bay-and-white mare and nuzzled her head with his. “The gesture is used only in Desert Tribe Territory. Laica had been taught to bow to Nurses. It is understandable if you were not raised to think the way she does. And you do not have to enact such gestures if you so not to choose.”

She nodded silently, relief flooding her system, as though she had been caught in the waters of Ocean Tribe.

With that out of mind, the bay stallion looked over at the chestnut mare. “Desert Tribe Laica—nice to see you again. If a mare or stallion troubles you, you are to report straight to me. I will talk to them.”

“Many thanks, Juan,” she blinked, looking at him.

“And thank you, Juan, for your introduction and support,” Anémona sweetly muttered, looking Laica over. “She is three moons over four springs old, and she won’t be in season for the moment… which is a peculiarity…”

“I can tell you why, Nurse Anémona,” Laica sighed. “One horse, Aahwaanith, had his ways with me prematurely three moons before I left. I don’t want any harm or banishment to him. So I decided to come here, seeing how secure Rasha felt in Glen Tribe.”

“That would explain the strange scent I noticed,” Bruno said.

“Running away will not fix your situation, Laica,” Hymn, whose neck had arched in shock, nickered softly.

“I am aware, but I am not worried. I already made Leader Zowe alert that I will live here.”

Hymn shared a look with Juan. What should they do? A mother-to-be in Glen Tribe was nothing unusual, but a new Tribe Member as one was a rarity. They did not want to send her back if she did not wish to budge. She had made a home in Glen Tribe.

However, a new foal in the Tribe was a welcome addition. He, she, or they were the new blood of the lands.

The Deputy blinked once slowly, indicating his choice. With a nod, Hymn repeated his motion. “Very well, Laica. You are welcome to stay as a Member of Glen Tribe. Your foal or foals will also receive the same treatment.”

“You made the right decision, Leader Hymn,” Keanu, who had silently listened to the conversation in front of him, spoke up. “To shun a mother-to-be would be against our Tribal Laws.”

“That is correct,” Juan nodded. “We were testing our loyalty to our laws. Our decision was a testament to that.”

Laica nodded. “Many thanks, Deputy Juan and Leader Hymn.”