by Violet Inkpen, age 13

The sun set lazily on the hills where the grass grew long and sweet and flowing. Looking up at the sky, the white mare nickered. The stallion turned his massive black head and looked down with love at the filly that was peacefully sleeping with her twin sister. Duchess and Speckles. Speckles was a grey horse with blue and black spots around her back and the cutest jet black mane and the smallest tail. She had a dainty nose and long, graceful legs, and the softest blue eyes. She was a year old now, she and her sister. Duchess was white with grey legs and black mane. She was beautiful and elegant, always moving with grace and beauty. She was so unlike her rough and tough sister that it was a wonder how close they were, never far from each other.

The stallion smiled in amusement and looked at the white mare again, his lead mare. She grinned and looked over their herd. A collection of seven mares and three foals with coats in rusty colors, brown and white speckles all over, black as the night, roan, grey, or even those with golden bodies and cream manes. They were each different and all beautiful with the shorter and stockier build of mustangs. Their ancestors living in the wild for generations meant that they were all build for the harsh life and yet there was a beauty to them. Not as graceful and well bred as Arabians or as high-strung and attractive as perfect thoroughbreds. They didn’t have the same working readiness as Quarter Horses or the show ring beauty of fancier breeds. They were mostly like mutts, but in the most beautiful way.

“Renegade, I think the herd should move on tomorrow. I sense danger coming,” the white mare said, looking back at the now fading sunset.

Renegade narrowed his eyes and looked towards the mountains. “I think that band of bachelor stallions is still hanging around. And most of them are my own sons,” he said, snorting in amusement.

“I don’t mean danger from other horses. I can’t put a hoof on it but…” the mare trailed off and took a nervous step towards the woods. Renegade sighed. He trusted Fella Bell. It was her ‘intuition’ that landed her a spot as lead mare. She seemed to sense storms or things like that before they happened and moved the herd to shelter in time to keep them all dry and warm. But she usually could ‘put her hoof on it’ so Renegade figured she was either wrong, or something new and never before seen was about to disturb the quiet herd. And he was right in thinking so.

Speckles yawned and opened her eyes. Duchess was resting her chin on Speckles’ shoulder, sleeping still. Speckles shook and Duchess awoke with a start. “Get up lazy hooves, it is time to have some fun!” Speckles shouted, and galloped away.

Duchess yawned then chased after her, laughing. Some of the young foals joined in, wheeling and nipping, dodging and rearing. It was so much fun! Speckles finally slid to a stop, her breath coming in short gasps and her mane clinging to her wet and foaming neck. Renegade gave her a hard stare. “Get all that morning energy out and we’ll never be able to move the herd,” he said, snorting.

Speckles sighed. “But it is so wonderful here! Grass and water, shelter in the trees, everything we need,” she said happily.

Renegade didn’t stop staring. “The woods can hide danger, the grass will soon be gone, and the water can flood if it rains.” In other words, he was getting nervous about the bachelor band trespassing.

She knew he could take them but in a year or so some of the members of the band would be fit enough to give him a real challenge and he didn’t want them practicing and learning his moves. So he preferred to keep away. Which wasn’t fun. Speckles flicked her tail boldly at her father. “You never have fun. You know, they can’t really hurt us. And if they come close I can chase em off! Or mom, even SHE can get them to go.” She laughed.

Renegade didn’t think it was funny. He snorted at her and moved on, gathering his herd. Duchess came up to stand beside Speckles. “Wow, you got on his bad side today. Try to stay out of his way. You always make him angry. One of these days…”

She was cut off when a cry of terror rang from the forest. Suddenly the band of bachelors was running towards them, plowing into some horses, knocking over foals, scrambling over fallen horses. Terror went through the whole herd and mares began to scatter.

Speckles stood in front of the oncoming stallions, her ears pinned back, her head high, her shoulders straight. She was ready to fight. Duchess stood beside her, nervously flicking her ears. “Speckles, they aren’t stopping,” she said, eyes growing wide and white. Speckles called out a challenge, but the stallions — fear running through them — kept coming. Finally Speckles leaped away, just in time to avoid being trampled. She looked around, horses everywhere running this way and that. Suddenly another herd came running from the woods, followed by a black cloud of smoke.

Speckles and Duchess were caught. They tried to fight against the current of horses from the other herd and Renegade tried to gather his herd and find out why everyone was running. Duchess moaned when someone slammed in to her. “Watch out!” a mother called, sheltering her foal with her body from Speckles, who was fighting to get to her herd.

The mare reached out and nipped Speckle’s shoulder, sending waves of pain shooting up her neck. “Duchess!” she called out, pushing someone away to move in beside her sister. When the leader of the herd came he didn’t let them pass. Seeing a chance to add to his herd he shoved them away from their family, turned them around, and sent them after his own family.

Speckles looked over her shoulder. The stallion flattened his ears and snapped his teeth at her. “MOVE IT!” he said in a deep and threatening voice. Speckles saw orange flames racing towards her family, her father still trying to gather them for an escape. Finally they ran, leaving Speckles and Duchess in the hooves of another herd.

Speckles and Duchess had been running for what seemed like forever. Finally the stallion herded them into a river where they had to swim to reach the other bank. The fire snapped at them but didn’t cross the river. Sides heaving and ears down in weariness, Speckles stood in the water, looking over her shoulder at the fire. The stallion was on the bank, circling and counting his herd. Duchess called out to Speckles with a whinny. Speckles turned away from the fire and slowly left the water. “You are now a part of my herd,” the stallion snorted at the two sisters as they touched noses and shoulders.

Duchess looked frightened and Speckles stomped a hoof in defiance. “Think so?” she growled, flattening her ears.

The stallion wouldn’t stand for it. He lashed out and bit her ear, sending her squealing in pain. Then he gave Duchess a snort and a narrowed eye glance. They both shrunk away from him. “Young fillies like you shouldn’t be resisting a stallion like me. And even YOU know the dangers in the world for any horse without a herd to protect them. Your old herd is long gone and we don’t often rub hooves with them. You are stuck with us,” he said, his voice booming. Speckles didn’t like the tan colored stallion with his black striped legs and long, black mane. He was too bossy.

The two sisters watched the herd drink from the river. They surveyed the collection of horses — ten mares in all and five foals. The horses were mostly dun and bay, and almost all the foals looked like their father. There were a few black mares and a few coffee-colored ones. One little filly about their age was almost exactly like her father except she had a brown streak in her mane and a brown ring around her left eye. They called her Whisper.

Duchess walked over to the water and lowered her head to drink. Speckles refused. She would not let this stallion tell her when and where she was allowed to go. He kept a close eye on her, knowing she’d probably try to run the first chance she had. The lead mare, a huge bay with a short mane came up and sniffed the two sisters all over. Finally she shrugged. “They are awfully odd looking in color, nothing like us. Anyone would be able to tell they aren’t from our side of the mountain. They come from those other horses. There are only about three herds there, but they all got these many different colors to ‘em,” the mare said looking at the stallion. “Say Tiger, when can we go home?” she asked.

“The fire destroyed our home!” Tiger bellowed, rearing in anger. He came down with a loud stomp and glared at all the mares, finally resting his eyes on the lead mare. “We’ll have to find a new one,” he almost whispered, the heat of his anger going down.

Speckles and Duchess looked at each other and began one of their ‘silent conversations, as their mother called them. ‘What will we do?’ Duchess’ eyes searched hers for an answer. ‘Escape!’ Speckles’ eyes flashed her anger. Duchess shook her head. ‘No! I’m afraid! It is too dangerous alone and besides, Tiger would kill us!’ She almost whimpered out loud. ‘He has no power over us!’ Speckles’ eyes screamed at her sister. ‘I want to go home.’ Duchess’ body began to tremble. Speckles sighed and looked at Tiger with hatred.

“We’ll move on. We need to find food,” Tiger announced. He signaled the lead mare to take the back of the herd so he himself could find their food. If he wanted to be a hero or just thought his lead mare was stupid, Speckles couldn’t be sure. But they moved out, Tiger doubling back every now and then to give Speckles or Duchess a sharp nip for no reason at all other than to remind the who was the ‘boss’.

Speckles had enough of this herd. It was so controlled! None of the foals could start a game without Tiger’s permission. They tried every now and then while the herd galloped but he always came back and punished them. “Did you ask for permission to play? Did I offer it? No? Then STOP!” Tiger screamed over his shoulder.

The foals shrunk away in fear. Speckles could tell Tiger was young and wanted to keep his herd. He probably just got it — stole mares from some other herd — and now wanted nothing more than to keep it. But with so many bachelors running around it would be hard for him.

“We stop,” Tiger suddenly said. At once everyone but Speckles and Duchess dug their hooves in and came to an immediate stop. Speckles and Duchess weren’t as immediate with their stop, not used to the sudden obedience of all orders that this herd had. Speckles actually bumped into someone. “I said stop!” Tiger snapped, galloping towards her. Many mares and foals side-stepped away from his wrath.

“I did! I am sorry if we can’t stop as quickly as your well-trained pooches, but we stopped didn’t we?” Speckles snapped.

Tiger narrowed his eyes and growled. “You’ll learn, filly, that no one sasses me,” he said.

“You’re just a bully!” Duchess said, trying to stick by her sister. But her fear was obvious. Speckles stepped in front of her sister when Tiger’s angry eyes shot over Duchess like knives. Speckles snorted, curved her neck, and waited for him to do something. He was thinking about a punishment for Duchess.

“Bully,” he began in a cold voice, “bully am I?” He pushed Speckles out of his way, reared up, and whacked Duchess’ shoulder with his hooves. Screaming in pain she shied away, eyes rolling white in fear.

Screaming in rage, Speckles plowed into Tiger and knocked him off his feet. Despite her young age and not-quite-adult body, she knocked him over and kicked his face with her hoof. Tiger screamed and screamed, scrambling to his feet, his embarrassment fueling his rage. He fixed his teeth into Speckles’ shoulder and didn’t let go until she was bleeding. Duchess was cowering away from the angry stallion. Everyone was.

Finally he let go and pranced away, head high and tail streaming. “Eat, all of you. Then the foals may play,” he said, looking at Speckles as if she was a foal herself. “And the fools, if they wish,” he looked at Duchess and Speckles, “may join them.”

Speckles snorted in defiance, despite her shoulder. Duchess moved up to her and began licking the blood, trying to clean it up. Whisper slowly picked her way over to them. “My father wasn’t so cruel,” she said, spite in her voice.

“Neither was ours,” Duchess sighed. “This stallion took over when my father left to spy on the humans. He wanted to see why they were camping so near to our land. Tiger trapped my father in between himself and the humans. My father was caught by the humans and Tiger took over. It happened two weeks ago and everyone learned to fear him. And me. Because I am different, they all fear me. Tiger told them that anyone with too many colors in their coat brought doom and it was because of my colors that father was captured. It was ‘punishment’ for allowing my mother into the herd and having a foal with her. You see, mother was very much like me, except instead of a ring around her eye she had a few white and a few black spots on her shoulders. Tiger kicked her out. She kept me only because I am not as bad as she was. He said that with the proper father for my foals they wouldn’t be a ‘disgrace’ to the herd. By that he means himself. That is why we all look almost alike. Anyone who didn’t was kicked out. Why he took you two I do not know. You have as many colors as one can.” Whisper looked deeply sad and sorry for them.

“If he hated so many colors in one herd, why would he take us?” Duchess asked, puzzled.

“You, it is no surprise. You are only two colors and not as many patches and spots as many. And white is a very pretty color for any herd. Still, he goes for sunset colors most of the time. Colors like himself. So I don’t know what he wants with you but I think I can find out. Tiger Lilly, our lead mare, will be furious about it. She thinks the world of him and wants his herd to be perfect. And since he practically preaches that perfect is certain colors and simple designs she will be criticizing him.” Whisper flicked a fly from her flanks.

“Well, I don’t care why. I only care how I am going to escape,” Speckles said irritably.

Whisper laughed. “For your sake, I wish it was that simple.” He lowered her head, as if to graze, and slowly walked towards Tiger Lilly and Tiger. “Tiger Lilly? Wonder how she got that name. And funny that his name is Tiger and hers is Tiger Lilly.”

Duchess said. “No mistake to it, he named her himself. Her old name was Cloud, but he said that a perfect herd deserved names of honor.”

A mare close by said, “I am Tiger Shadow. This is my foal, Lion Growl. He’s going to be a Shadow and Wind when he grows up.” The mare was young, and pride was in her voice.

“A shadow and wind?” Duchess asked. “They hide and get information about things. It is like a spy, but they have to be trained specially for it. Tiger says it is very important and he is still in the herd, but not with us most of the time. It is better than being a bachelor. All colts with proper breeding and color can have the honor of being Shadow and Wind! Any others are banished to the land of colors to live. No bachelors around here. They are taught at a young age the importance of banishment. It means that they will keep the herd pure of disgraceful color, like yours, so they keep to themselves in the forest and never have children so their disgraceful colors will never poison any herd.” The mare seemed to be glowing with pride that her son was not a ‘disgraceful’ color.

Speckles and Duchess walked away. “Everything he taught his herd, it seemed odd.” Duchess commented.

“Yes, almost like… well, odd,” Speckles agreed.

“Perhaps he fears other stallions and wants a way to keep them at bay; an excuse for them to live away from his herd. The whole ‘color’ thing is his excuse for it so they think that they need to keep away. Anyone else is sent away on ‘spy’ missions, but I bet it keeps them away too, too busy to think about taking his herd. This whole color bit seems far-fetched. His way of ridding himself of competition,” Speckles suggested.

Duchess nodded. “That sounds right,” she said. Speckles cocked her head to the side.

“So what do we have to do with it?” The two were interrupted when a foal, almost an exact copy of Tiger, tugged their tails. “You are so cool! I can’t wait until the ‘Sacrifice of Color’ to begin!” She giggled.

“The what?” They asked. “I hope it doesn’t happen until I am old enough to go. I want to see one and Tiger says they are rare. Whisper is going to be one too, but she doesn’t know about it yet. You are so lucky! You get to be a Sacrifice of Color, so the rest us will have perfect and pure foals for three years to come! Since there are three of you! I can’t wait!” The foal trotted off then, skipping and singing, unaware of the distress she left the two fillies in.

“Sacrifice of Color?” Speckles asked.

“Now I am afraid,” Duchess said, pinning her ears back.

“Sacrifice doesn’t sound good,” Speckles agreed.

The two were cautious. Two weeks of running with the herd and they never let their guard down, but they kept their ears open. Tiger went off one day into the mountains. Speckles thought it would be a good chance to escape, but the lead mare, Tiger Lilly, kept her eyes on them. So they put their heads down in a circle with Whisper and for the hundredth time they discussed, in hushed voices, the Sacrifice of Color.

“He is going now to make arrangements.” Whisper said, shivering.

“What is this anyway?” Duchess asked.

“I don’t know, but whatever it is it can’t be good!” Speckles said, eyes flashing. “He fears color and other stallions. His whole religion thing he created seems to be all about keeping stallions away from his herd.” Whisper said, nodding towards Speckles since that was her idea, which seemed like the most logical.

“I don’t think he fears color. He just needed something to attack that would justify him getting rid of any horse that threatens his new power as leader,” Duchess said quietly.

“Agreed.” Speckles nodded.

Whisper sighed. “I just wish I knew what to expect from this sacrifice.”

Speckles looked at her closely. “Death. Probably.” She added the last part when Duchess looked ready to die of shock and fear.

“But how would that help his power?” Whisper asked.

“I thought stallions wanted as many mares as they could get. If you aren’t that bad, Whisper, why would he get rid of you?” Duchess asked.

“I challenge his authority over me, same as Speckles,” Whisper admitted.

“So we are a threat to his power because we make him look bad in front of his herd, not sending a good message to the mares if a few fillies out do him, huh?” Speckles laughed.

“Enough chatter. The Sacrifice of Color will begin soon,” Tiger’s voice boomed. “Groom the sacrifices until they shine.”

Speckles, Duchess, and Whisper were surrounded by the herd and groomed with teeth to remove all traces of dirt from their coats and mane.

Speckles fought, nipping necks and noses as they pushed towards her. Tiger leaned his nose close to her ear. “You will soon learn that I wasn’t so bad. You will wish I’d kept you. Being a pretty thing like you are, I would keep you in the herd if it weren’t for this whole color thing. But a stallion’s gotta do what is best for himself so he can keep his herd.” He leaned away, snickering.

His words shocked Speckles so much that the mares in the herd had the chance to fully groom her.

Finally the herd pushed them towards the mountains. Tiger stopped them at the foot of it. Using vines, he tied them to a tree, wrapping the vines around their necks using his teeth and help from Tiger Lilly.

“Let the Sacrifice of Color begin!” Tiger shouted, backing away. The herd moved off a few yards and turned their backs.

Whisper pinned her ears back when the wind brought the scent of stallions. Speckles snapped her teeth and Duchess whimpered in fear.

Two bachelor stallions came up and looked at the three mares. “Tiger said one of us could have all three of ‘em and start our own herd if we promised to keep away from his herd. He said he’d offer us mares every year. Sounds like a nice deal. I guess we’ll have to fight for ‘em,” one stallion said, running his nose down Duchess’ neck.

Duchess trembled in fear. Speckles glared at him. He acted like he owned them! The other stallion looked somewhat shy. He had a chestnut coloring to him, but with a black stripe down his back and dark stripes decorating his legs. “Okay Skeet, I’m ready,” he said, looking with disgust at the other stallion who was called Skeet.

“Get ready Fleet — I won’t be a bachelor for long,” Skeet laughed.

Fleet shook his mane, snorted, pawed the ground, and reared.

Speckles didn’t watch the fight. She didn’t care who won. No one would own her. She pulled at her bonds instead, then began chewing through them. Whisper did the same, but Duchess was transfixed with the stallion’s duel. Up and down, kick and twirl, snort and scream, nip and dodge. It was like a beautiful dance. Duchess was most of all interested in Fleet. She watched him move, the way his muscles rippled and how his mane flowed around him. Skeet, on the other hand, was powerful but it wasn’t beautiful.

Finally Fleet pinned Skeet. He could have killed him, but Skeet begged for mercy. Finally Fleet chased him off. By that time Speckles was almost free. Fleet slowly walked up to Duchess, who was on the far right. He touched noses in greeting. “Hello there, I am your new leader,” he blinked shyly, “That is, if you’ll have me,” he added, looking at the mares.

“We don’t have much choice seeing as you are the only stallion around besides that looser. And that without a herd we are nothing,” Whisper observed.

Fleet dipped his head. “That is true,” he said, looking at Duchess with interest.

Speckles felt her bonds snap and she was free! She wheeled and was about to take off in a gallop, but she remembered Duchess. “Release us!” she shouted.

“Oh right, sorry,” Fleet mumbled, blushing if a horse could. He snapped through the vines with no trouble. Duchess ran her nose down his neck and touched his shoulder. His skin shivered at her touch. He was very shy.

Speckles took off at a gallop. “Come on Duchess! Whisper!” she shouted.

Duchess looked up puzzled. “Where?” she asked.

“Home!” Speckles shouted.

“This is home,” Whisper said. “We have to live like a herd if we want to survive. And I intend to.” She looked at Fleet. He flicked his ears at her and blinked, a sort of respectful greeting. Whisper laughed and touched noses to say hello. Speckles wouldn’t leave without her twin but she also didn’t want to greet the stallion with a friendly gesture. He went to touch noses with her, but she pulled back and flattened her ears, warning him away.

“Speckles is grouchy,” Duchess apologized. “I’m Duchess and that is Whisper.” She pointed her nose at Whisper, who was amused with Speckle’s cold behavior.

Speckles rolled her eyes and dropped her head to graze. “Fine, but we need to move out. Tiger said to pretend you vanished in the wind, off to some horrid fate of the sacrifice. He intends to keep his herd scared.”

Tiger herded them into the woods and up the mountain, calling out in a moan all the way up. Speckles was sure Tiger was smiling at his herd’s answering screams of terror. When they looked back to where they had left the mares, there was nothing but the broken vines.

Through the night Duchess and Fleet took more interest in each other. Whisper and Speckles grazed side by side. “It is so fun to watch!” Whisper said in between bites.

“What is?” Speckles asked, chewing.

“Duchess and Fleet. They like each other.” Whisper sighed.

Speckles felt jealousy stirring in her heart. “Like each other?” she asked.

Whisper nodded. “Very much. Look at them.”

Speckles looked. Sniffing each other, nuzzling each other, even playfully nipping each other. “I think I know who the lead mare will be,” Speckles said dryly, trying to make a joke to lighten her heart. But in her heart she longed for home and for her mother and father. They had a chance to leave, but Duchess was love struck.

Speckles was torn. Torn between her sister and her family. She made up her mind — she couldn’t leave her sister’s side .

For two years Speckles faithfully stuck with her sister. Three mares joined the herd a year after Speckles and Duchess did, and a year after that Duchess gave birth to a foal. Speckles was happy for Duchess, but she hated life. Was it disloyal to disagree with her sister’s decisions? Did she really have to stay just because her sister was happy here? Was her heart telling her to leave? Not once since being in the herd had she so much as looked at Fleet. He was sad about this because he wanted to be friends with all of his mares, but Speckles didn’t care.

Finally she knew she couldn’t live the rest of her life here. She found Fleet and hurried up to him. He looked surprised. “Fleet, I can’t stay here,” she blurted. His surprise turned into a look that Speckles couldn’t read.

“You never tried to give me a chance. I always knew that you’d want to leave one day. I was surprised you stayed this long. This life isn’t right for you. You are free spirited,” he said slowly.

“I am surprised you didn’t demand I stay just because you lead the herd and I am a part of it,” Speckles said.

“I am not Tiger,” Fleet answered.

“Yeah, you aren’t,” she agreed.

Fleet looked at her for a long time. “Where will you go?” he asked.

“Home,” she answered.

“There may not be a home to go to. Your father might not welcome you home. I am not discouraging you, but I don’t think your life will ever be as it once was,” he said quietly.

Speckles laughed. “Of course it won’t! The best part of my life is staying with you,” she snapped.

Fleet nodded. “Duchess is the best part of my life. Without her I wouldn’t even want this herd.”

Speckles gave him a long hard stare. “Mostly,” he admitted.

Speckles nodded. “I’ll tell her goodbye then be off I guess,” she said, looking down. The world seemed dry and empty without her sister but she couldn’t stay here. She had to go home.

Speckles went up to Duchess.

“Sister, the world is looking brighter. “Little Diamond is loving life,” Duchess said, looking at her two month old foal.

“Duchess… I… I can’t stay here anymore and pretend to be happy. I long for home. I am leaving. I know you love Fleet and he’ll take care of you. Growing up I never wanted to leave your side. I still don’t. But my heart…” her voice failed her and she felt a sob rise in her throat.

“I know Speckles. You were born under the sun of the hills and in the long grass there. You are a daughter of that world. I would be too if I hadn’t found new life and happiness here. I love Fleet more than I can understand. I will not leave him. But you must. Our destinies aren’t the same. Go now and be free. Our love for each other will always bring us together.”

Duchess and Speckles touched noses. “Don’t forget me,” Speckles whispered.

“Never!” Duchess said, eyes flashing in deep love and loyalty.

Speckles nodded and galloped away, shouting a goodbye to Whisper. She was finally going home.

The day turned into night before Speckles rested to graze and drink. She was on her family’s territory. She just had to wait for them to come by here to graze. She settled herself in for the night and closed her eyes to sleep.

Sunlight half blinded her when she opened her eyes. In the distance she could see her father leading the herd towards her. Excitement pulsed through her. She also saw the band of bachelors racing towards her father from the mountain. They were full adults and ready to challenge him. She sucked in a breath.

The herd rushed up to her and she was greeted warmly before her father turned to face the bachelors. They had stopped and were looking at him, trying to decide if they wanted to challenge him.

Finally a massive black horse with broad shoulders stepped forward. Speckles stood beside her mother, explaining to her what happened and why she was gone for so long and where Duchess was. Mares often ignored the stallion’s fights. Speckles was sure her father would win. But something else caught her eye. A stallion in the bachelor group was eyeing her with a strange and wonderful expression on his face. He was a strawberry color with a strip of white on his neck that held three brown spots. His mane was a collection of brown and white and his eyes were so soft and loving.

Speckles trotted over to him. “Hello there, I’m County,” he said gently.

“I’m Speckles,” she said slowly, lost in his eyes.

The two walked off together, off to explore the world.

Speckles became his first herd member and throughout their life they had many happy children. When Speckles was ten years old she sought out Duchess and found her. They spent eight years together, just them and their mates. The stallions left their herds to their oldest sons to live with their mates for their last years. And what years they were! They spent them relaxing, swimming, playing, acting like foals until the day they died.

Duchess and Speckles lay down in the grass and rested their heads on each other’s shoulders, sharing memories with weary voices. Sensing their time of passing, their mates nuzzled them gently, then walked off to leave the sisters alone. Their last breaths were spent telling each other how much they loved each other. And it was a silent conversation too.

When Speckles and Duchess died, their mates were sad. But three days later both stallions passed away too, and they were all reunited.

Speckles and Duchess left a legacy behind them — many beautiful foals that each resembled their mothers. They lived happy lives in the wild country; fighters, survivors, spirits of freedom and love, and despite them separating for a long amount of years, in the end they were happy. Happier than ever before.