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Description

    The group left the Great Lake that day, pushing hard to beat the rain as they pursued Ajax’s herd. They made good ground, the threesome of trackers assuring the herd that they were on the right trail. It seemed they were heading back towards the open plains, a bit of a surprise for Ajax. He’d always preferred to keep the herd among the trees or up on the plateaus during the summer. It left him with many questions that could only be answered when they caught up with the herd.

    Unfortunately, their progress hit a literal wall. It seemed that, in the time Ajax had been away, the humans had erected a barrier to exclude the horses from certain areas. It was constructed of rocks at the base with a high wooden fence on top of it. Moose tested it, leaning hard into it with his bulk, but it was extremely sturdy. They would have to go around - but that meant his herd also had to route around it.

    The extra time it took to find a way around the fence was enough for the weather to catch up. The strong winds that swept through the valley sent dust flying everywhere, including into eyes and noses. Poor little Rorik got the worst of it, the colt a mess of snot and tears as he coughed and sneezed the grit out. Yuki cleaned him up as best she could, but the herd had to keep moving. They could hear thunder, and see distant flashes of lightning as the clouds rolled down into the valley and needed to take shelter.

   The herd was crossing one of the large dirt paths that the humans had made throughout the valley when they heard something strange. It sounded almost like thunder, but it was on the ground. Ajax hurried the other horses on while he lingered for a moment, waiting to see what it was. From around a corner, a human riding one of their loud machines came racing out, followed by another, and another. Ajax bolted out of the way as the pack of humans appeared, fearing that they would once again try to capture him.

    The dirtbikers slowed at the sight of horses, stopping on the road for a moment and pointing out at them as they watched the herd gallop away, dog, cats, and bird in tow. They took some quick pictures, but as the thunder rumbled overhead they decided to get out of the storm as well. With their loud engines revving, they took off as a group and, to the horses’ relief, were out of sight in minutes.

    By the time the herd made it deep into the trees, the rain had begun to pour. Not just drizzle, it was absolutely cascading down and drenching the horses. The cats were especially disgruntled, the three of them looking like drowned rats as they rode on the horses’ backs. Sassy didn’t seem as bothered, though the pup shivered a bit when a fierce wind blew through the trees. Jeremy landed among the horses looking no worse for wear, the stork claiming he’d flown through much worse storms back where he came from.

    Ajax felt helpless as he watched the rain and wind destroying the trail his herd had left behind. They had been so close, why now? Why did this always happen to him? He just wanted his family back. Fate apparently had other ideas, and he could only trust that its reasons would become clear soon.

    The storm lasted well into the night, and the rain lingered through into the morning before tapering off as well. Weak morning light struggled to penetrate the heavy cloud cover, the valley taking on a gloomy, bleak atmosphere. Barely anyone had gotten sleep, the whipping wind and frequent lightning keeping the herd on their toes. Aside from some branches snapping and falling nearby, causing some fears that a large branch or tree might fall on them, the herd made it through the night unscathed.

    As the herd stayed cuddled up in the trees, catching up on some much needed rest, Juniper slipped away from them silently. She’d caught a whiff of something burning and wanted to assure the lightning hadn’t sparked any fires near them. Following her nose, Juniper searched the forest until she discovered a big old elm tree that had been struck. Its trunk was charred and slightly smoldering, but the rain looked to have drenched what remained of the once mighty tree.

     Satisfied that there was no danger of fire, the mare was about to turn away when suddenly her hair stood on end as she got the eerie feeling she was being watched. She didn’t move, but her ears turned back as she caught the sound of light footsteps behind her. Whatever it was was in her blindspot and she couldn’t quite catch more than slight movement at the edges of her vision. Drawing in a deep breath, the mare prepared herself to face the danger head on. In the blink of an eye, the mare spun and reared, front legs already extending to pummel whatever had the gall to sneak up on her.

     Bright blue eyes met Juniper’s mismatched green and blue, the mare’s hooves narrowly missing the head of the foal. Juniper nearly fell on top of them as she tried to avoid hitting them, her brain registering what they were just in time. Both parties were equally shocked, Juniper was nearly standing over the small foal, its thin body pressed up against her chest. As Juniper tried to process what had just happened and calm her heart down, the foal did something she never expected. It nuzzled into her chest.

     Juniper quickly stepped back, careful not to step on the foal as she did so. It stumbled forward a few steps, as it had been leaning into her and wasn’t expecting it, and now it looked up at her in confusion. With some space between them, Juniper was finally able to get a good look at the mysterious child she’d come across.

     They were a similar blue colour to her, though without the stripes and with much less white across their body. Their face was mostly white, but, more importantly, along the right side of their face, running in a jagged line from temple to cheek, was a healing gash. What might have caused it wasn’t clear, but it looked like it had been pretty deep before it had healed over. It was hard to judge the age of the filly, as they were quite underweight, but Juniper suspected the filly wasn’t more than a couple months old.

     Now, Juniper wasn’t good with foals, but she wasn’t heartless either. Seeing the state this poor foal was in made her want to pull it close and protect it. It was an odd sensation for her, the feeling not one she’d ever experienced before, even when she saved Jinx. Juniper looked at the foal before her and asked awkwardly, “Um, hi, are you lost?”

     The foal tilted its head at her.

     “What’s your name? I’m Juniper” The mare attempted a friendly smile, though it fell as the foal just seemed to blink at her question. Juniper tried something different, “Where is your mother?” She really hoped it wasn’t a bad thing to ask, especially given the scar the foal had.

     “You momma.” The foal finally spoke, a smile spreading on its face.

     “N-no. I’m not momma-er your mother. Where is your herd?” Juniper sputtered.

     The foal either ignored her or didn’t understand as they moved closer and once again nuzzled into Juniper’s chest. It took a lot of willpower for Juniper to not flinch away from the touch. The mare was utterly confused and growing uncomfortable with the situation, even as the foal made itself more comfortable. She glanced back the way she’d come, remembering the herd and thinking to herself, Ajax is good with these things, he’ll know what to do.

****************

     Ajax was quite bemused as he took in the scene before him. His warrior of a mare, who bravely fought off bears and stallions alike, was fidgeting and looking at him desperately for help as a foal attempted to hide underneath her. It barely fit under her belly, but it sure as hell was trying and the poor mare just looked rooted in place with an uncomfortable expression. When Juniper had walked back to the herd, calling out for him in a distressed voice, this was not at all what he had expected to find.

     It took a physical effort for the stallion not to laugh or tease his friend as many many jokes appeared in his mind. Juniper’s pleading look convinced him that now was not the time for jokes. Maybe later though. “Just who might this little one be?” Ajax asked gently, approaching slowly with his head lowered in a non-threatening manner. The foal backed up and hid behind Juniper’s rump, nervously peeking out from behind her legs.

     “I found her while patrolling, she basically walked right up to me. I tried to ask her name or where her mother was, but.. um.. “ Juniper tried to step to the side, but the foal followed her. “She thinks I’m her mother.” The mare said awkwardly, looking somehow even more distressed.

     Ajax made a weird face as he tried hard not to laugh. Oh dear, no wonder she’s so freaked out. He managed to pull himself together as the other herd members started to awaken and take notice. “Well, that’s interesting, and concerning. Much as I hate to delay our search, I think this takes precedence.” He doubted it would take too long to find the filly’s herd, or otherwise determine her to be abandoned.

     Cheyenne attempted to get closer and look at the foal, but the filly just tried to hide more. “She looks like she’s been on her own for a bit, barely old enough to really be off milk.”

     “If needs be, I can nurse her for a bit as I only have Aurora to feed,” Dyta offered up, knowing Yuki already had enough to deal with her twins, then added, “if she’ll even let us close.”

     “It is quite concerning how skittish she is around other horses, and given her injury it worries me that she might have been mistreated.” Moose said lowly so the foal wouldn’t hear, his deep voice sounding both disheartened and angry. To him, it was unfathomable that someone would purposely harm an innocent foal.

     “It could have just been an accident, but it seems like she certainly took a good knock to the head.” Yuki suggested, coming around and trying to get a better peek at the foal. Her twins peeking around from beside her was enough to draw the filly’s attention, though not enough to get her to stop hiding in Juniper’s thick tail.

     “As someone who has had a concussion, I can confirm that it does a number on your memory. That was a smaller injury than what she looks to have had.” Ajax confirmed, looking at the foal with worry. “Did she tell you her name?” Ajax asked, realizing that hadn’t come up.

     “No, she didn’t reply when I asked her.” Juniper replied quickly. She was feeling very uncomfortable with all the attention on her and or more so with what was under her. Juniper tried to step away but the filly squealed and followed after her and returned to her hiding place. The mare sagged as she let out a heavy sigh. It was going to be one of those days.

     Over the course of the day, they managed to coax the filly out and get her more comfortable with the rest of the herd. She was especially curious of the other animals living with the herd, gently nibbling at Theodore’s fur as he purred from the attention. Once her shyness had ebbed, she was excited to play with the other foals. The filly still barely spoke to anyone but Juniper, talking rather disjointedly or in short sentences. She didn’t seem to understand when asked her name, and continued to insist that Juniper was her mother. Eventually, she was coaxed into nursing from Dyta and it was clear she was extremely hungry and thirsty.

     Meanwhile, Myling and Sassy had been recruited to help find where she’d come from. With the filly unwilling to be separated from Juniper, she could only describe where she’d found the foal. Ajax went with the pair to search, finding the burnt tree easily from Juniper’s directions. From there, the dog and yearling picked up the trail and Ajax followed.

     Along the way, they ran into another herd that had apparently sheltered on the other side of the forest. Ajax was relieved at first, thinking they had found the filly’s family, but upon speaking to the horses that hope was dashed out. The silver grullo leader was very confused about the stallion’s questions, until one of his mares reminded him about the foal they’d seen wandering days ago. She explained that it had run away when they’d tried to approach and it hid in the forest until they left. But if it was here, it must have followed them.

     The herd led the searchers back to where they’d found the filly the first time, then bid them adieu. It didn’t take Myling and Sassy long to find something, and Ajax sent the pair back quickly once he saw the scene. Sheltered from the worst of the rain, they had discovered some rocks splattered with blood. More blood than could have come from that filly, Ajax concluded grimly. Although it was somewhat washed away, there were still signs that a struggle had occurred. Ajax considered the scene for a while, trying to assess what had happened. His best guess was that a predator had attacked the foal and her mother, but that left the question of why it didn’t finish off the foal and where her mother was. Did the mother lure the predator away? Why didn’t she come back for her foal? If she had died, then why didn’t the predator come back for the easy meal?

     The stallion sighed knowing he would likely never know the answer. Not unless the filly told him - or more likely told Juniper. What mattered now was getting the filly healthy and keeping her safe - and figuring out what to call her so he could stop referring to her as just “filly”.

     When Ajax returned to the herd, Sassy and Myling had already made it back and were checking out the new foal again. Myling was especially interested in the filly, and the feeling seemed mutual. They appeared to exchange quiet words and giggles, and Ajax wondered if Myling’s similarly strange way with words made it easier for her to understand the foal, and vice versa.

     Juniper stood nearby, looking relieved that Ajax had returned. “What did you find?” She asked, looking almost hopeful. Cheyenne and the others joined them soon, all interested in hearing what had been discovered.

    Ajax glanced back, assuring the filly was busy before replying, “Nothing good.” He explained his encounter with the other herd, what they had told him, what he’d found and his musings on the matter. Worried murmurs were shared amongst most of them, pitying glances given to the filly as they wondered just how traumatic the situation had been. It answered as many questions as it created, but there was one important answer that had been found. “She’ll be staying with us.” Ajax stated, then turned to Juniper with a smirk, “and if she can’t remember her name, she’ll need a new one.”

     It took a moment for Juniper to register that Ajax was talking to her, and another few seconds still to realize that he was asking her to come up with a name for the foal that had claimed her as its mother. More eyes landed on Juniper, the mare sputtering a bit at all the attention on her. “I-I don’t know? Do I have to? Can’t someone else do it?” She said, trying to pass the responsibility to someone else. Maybe the foal would cling on to them instead of her if someone else named her. It was a stretch, but she could hope.

     Ajax gave the other horses a look and cleared his throat, signaling for them to give the two some space. He could see that Juniper was getting anxious and, even after all the time the group had spent together, she still didn’t like being crowded or the center of attention. Once the others had moved away and Juniper visibly relaxed, Ajax explained, “The filly is really attached to you, I think because you possibly look like her mother. Maybe over time she’ll grow out of it, but for now unfortunately that’s likely going to continue. She trusts you and looks up to you, so yes, I do think that you are the one that will need to care for and name her.” He moved over to her, gently running his nose along her cheek and neck to help calm her.

Juniper sighed and looked up at him uncertainly, saying in a near whisper, “I’m not fit to be a mother, I don’t think this is a good idea…”

     “Shh.. it’s okay. You’re not alone, we’re all here to help you.” He laid his head over her neck, lightly pulling her close. She willingly leaned into him, sighing against his neck as she accepted the comforting gesture. He smiled, but didn’t let her see that, instead continuing what he had been saying, “It takes a herd to raise a foal. You aren’t on your own with this,” He pulled back to look her in the eyes, “I promise.”

     Juniper once again sighed, but nodded. “O-okay. I’ll try my best…”

     He smiled encouragingly, “You’ll do fine, it's always scary the first time but you’ll get the hang of it.” Ajax grinned as he said playfully, “Heck, you got it easy, you skipped the hardest part of giving birth.” He knew this was a lot for her to take in and if he could take the burden for her, he would.

     Juniper smiled weakly, not fully assured by Ajax’s words but still finding comfort in them. Maybe it was just a matter of time, a lot had happened rather suddenly and it was hard to process it all at once. She voiced this to Ajax, who agreed wholeheartedly and encouraged her to take all the time she needed.

    The herd decided to stay in the forest for the night and leave the next morning, as most of the day had been lost already and they wouldn’t make much ground before the light faded. It also gave time for the newest member of the group, and her (reluctantly) adoptive mother, to get more settled. Aside from the filly’s occasional attempts to nurse from Juniper, things were tentatively going well. There was some concern that the filly wouldn’t continue to follow, but come the next day as the herd began to leave the trees the filly stayed glued to Juniper’s hip.

    Over the following days, the herd tried to regain the trail they’d been following before the storm had blown through. Ajax knew the valley fairly well and, although he preferred to stay higher in the mountains, he had traveled through the lower plains many times. He had some ideas where the herd might go and, with a helpful tip from a friendly bachelor, Myling and Sassy had picked up the trail again.

    During this time, Juniper was beginning to come to terms with the situation. While she still didn’t feel like a mother, she did feel like there was something growing between her and the filly. Although a lot of what the youngster said was still broken and sounded like gibberish, Juniper was picking up on bits and pieces that the filly told only to her. While she gained some pieces to the puzzle, allowing some insight into the filly’s past, there was still one major bit of information that the filly had yet to share - Her name. Many attempts had been made, by both Juniper and other herd members, but it would seem the filly needed a new name after all.

     Juniper racked her brain, trying to come up with a name for the filly that fit her. The foal was a vibrant blue roan, a much richer coloured compared to Juniper or Myling. Juniper focused on that detail, trying to think of blue things. Azure, Sky, Crystal… those feel too… common. The chirp of a bird distracted her momentarily, the feathered creature flitting about overhead as it flew to catch up with a small flock of its kind. It was this little interruption that finally brought a name to mind.

     When the herd stopped to rest that night, Juniper approached Ajax, the filly in tow. The stallion looked up, smiling at their approach and greeting them. Juniper dipped her head in a nod, then paused in hesitation before finally saying, “For her name, I was thinking Indigo? like the blue and black bunting type birds that sometimes nest in the valley.”

    “Indigo?” Ajax repeated, looking at the filly for a while himself as he mulled over the name. “I think it's a beautiful name. Fits her perfectly.” He commented, turning back to her with a soft smile and a bit of a twinkle in his eye. He could tell that Juniper had warmed up considerably to the foal, and it was honestly a big relief.

     Juniper blushed a bit, before nodding and moving to stand in front of the foal. She tentatively nickered at her, gaining the filly’s attention as she nickered back and touched noses with the mare. Juniper took a moment to look back at Ajax for encouragement, the stallion smiling and nodding, then she slowly said, “Your name is Indigo now. Indigo… Is that okay?”

     The filly tilted her head, “I go?”

     “In-di-go.”

     “I dig oh?”

     “Indi-go.”

     The filly smiled brightly, shouting, “Indi-GO!” She jumped around playfully before cuddling up against Juniper, repeating the word with mixed success. It wasn’t super clear whether she understood it to be her new name or if she just liked saying it.

     “That’s your new name, okay? You Indigo.” Juniper continued trying to cement the idea in the filly’s mind.

     The foal seemed to think about that for a moment, looking a bit puzzled. After a few moments, she smiled and suddenly stated proudly, “I Indi-go, you momma.”

     Juniper relaxed as the filly appeared to understand her, but she knew it would take time for the name to really stick. She glanced up at Ajax who was practically beaming at her, making her blush and quickly look back at Indigo. With a small sigh, Juniper replied softly, “You Indigo, I… momma.”

Stallion: Ajax (#82)
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In response to: As the group tries to find Ajax's herd, they find their path blocked by a stone wall and fence. They go around it, forcing them to cross a dirt path where they see humans on dirt bikes. A thunderstorm blows in quickly, causing the herd to run for cover. The next day, Juniper checks out a burnt tree and finds a lost foal. Ajax tries to find where the foal came from, getting some help from another herd. When its clear that the foal is orphaned, they take her with them as they try to pick up the trail of Ajax's herd again, a friendly bachelor pointing them in the right direction.
(Windy Day, Rainstorm, E-Stone Wall, E-Fences, E-Dirt Road, E-Dirt Bikes, E-Humans, Burnt Tree, E-Herd 34, E-Stallion 184)

Art features: Juniper , Indigo
Story features(14): Ajax , Juniper , Cheyenne , Moose , Dyta , Yuki , Rorik , Lumi , Aurora , Myling , Indigo , (mentioned) Jinx , Amanpal (#34) , Bach 184 , Sassy, Theodore, Jeremy.
Word Count: 3819

Aging: Rorik, Lumi, Aurora, Indigo 2/3
Healing: Rorik S1/1
Destination of Bachelor: Unclaimed

Companion Animals:
Caring – Theodore the Cat (Healthy Foals) N/A
Helping – Pudge the Cat (Extra Feathers)
Healing – Monster the Cat (Heals Injuries) NOT USING
Protecting – Sassy the Dog (Reduces Injuries) NOT USING
Nursing – Angel the Dove (Heals Sickness) NOT USING
Foaling – Jeremy the Stork (Bonus From Foaling) N/A

Members That Own Outside Horses: Amanpal (#34) (kitnjinx , #34)

Rolls: Normal

Other notes:
PPJ:
Ajax: Estraya, Fancy, Isabelle, Jessabelle, Juniper, Cheyenne, Yuki, Trissa, Bianka, Nizana (None available)
Finn: Everyone
HERD CAPPED (No Mare Rolls)

Artist Notes:
Finally introducing my old mini event foal (back from like 2019 xD oops). Wasn't sure what to do with her, but had the idea of poor Juniper getting saddled with a kid xD So here it is. Also never expected this story to get so long but its also helping connect up some story threads before the big Reunion of the herd.

Refs: Link
Art (c) DaSassy

Description

    The group left the Great Lake that day, pushing hard to beat the rain as they pursued Ajax’s herd. They made good ground, the threesome of trackers assuring the herd that they were on the right trail. It seemed they were heading back towards the open plains, a bit of a surprise for Ajax. He’d always preferred to keep the herd among the trees or up on the plateaus during the summer. It left him with many questions that could only be answered when they caught up with the herd.

    Unfortunately, their progress hit a literal wall. It seemed that, in the time Ajax had been away, the humans had erected a barrier to exclude the horses from certain areas. It was constructed of rocks at the base with a high wooden fence on top of it. Moose tested it, leaning hard into it with his bulk, but it was extremely sturdy. They would have to go around - but that meant his herd also had to route around it.

    The extra time it took to find a way around the fence was enough for the weather to catch up. The strong winds that swept through the valley sent dust flying everywhere, including into eyes and noses. Poor little Rorik got the worst of it, the colt a mess of snot and tears as he coughed and sneezed the grit out. Yuki cleaned him up as best she could, but the herd had to keep moving. They could hear thunder, and see distant flashes of lightning as the clouds rolled down into the valley and needed to take shelter.

   The herd was crossing one of the large dirt paths that the humans had made throughout the valley when they heard something strange. It sounded almost like thunder, but it was on the ground. Ajax hurried the other horses on while he lingered for a moment, waiting to see what it was. From around a corner, a human riding one of their loud machines came racing out, followed by another, and another. Ajax bolted out of the way as the pack of humans appeared, fearing that they would once again try to capture him.

    The dirtbikers slowed at the sight of horses, stopping on the road for a moment and pointing out at them as they watched the herd gallop away, dog, cats, and bird in tow. They took some quick pictures, but as the thunder rumbled overhead they decided to get out of the storm as well. With their loud engines revving, they took off as a group and, to the horses’ relief, were out of sight in minutes.

    By the time the herd made it deep into the trees, the rain had begun to pour. Not just drizzle, it was absolutely cascading down and drenching the horses. The cats were especially disgruntled, the three of them looking like drowned rats as they rode on the horses’ backs. Sassy didn’t seem as bothered, though the pup shivered a bit when a fierce wind blew through the trees. Jeremy landed among the horses looking no worse for wear, the stork claiming he’d flown through much worse storms back where he came from.

    Ajax felt helpless as he watched the rain and wind destroying the trail his herd had left behind. They had been so close, why now? Why did this always happen to him? He just wanted his family back. Fate apparently had other ideas, and he could only trust that its reasons would become clear soon.

    The storm lasted well into the night, and the rain lingered through into the morning before tapering off as well. Weak morning light struggled to penetrate the heavy cloud cover, the valley taking on a gloomy, bleak atmosphere. Barely anyone had gotten sleep, the whipping wind and frequent lightning keeping the herd on their toes. Aside from some branches snapping and falling nearby, causing some fears that a large branch or tree might fall on them, the herd made it through the night unscathed.

    As the herd stayed cuddled up in the trees, catching up on some much needed rest, Juniper slipped away from them silently. She’d caught a whiff of something burning and wanted to assure the lightning hadn’t sparked any fires near them. Following her nose, Juniper searched the forest until she discovered a big old elm tree that had been struck. Its trunk was charred and slightly smoldering, but the rain looked to have drenched what remained of the once mighty tree.

     Satisfied that there was no danger of fire, the mare was about to turn away when suddenly her hair stood on end as she got the eerie feeling she was being watched. She didn’t move, but her ears turned back as she caught the sound of light footsteps behind her. Whatever it was was in her blindspot and she couldn’t quite catch more than slight movement at the edges of her vision. Drawing in a deep breath, the mare prepared herself to face the danger head on. In the blink of an eye, the mare spun and reared, front legs already extending to pummel whatever had the gall to sneak up on her.

     Bright blue eyes met Juniper’s mismatched green and blue, the mare’s hooves narrowly missing the head of the foal. Juniper nearly fell on top of them as she tried to avoid hitting them, her brain registering what they were just in time. Both parties were equally shocked, Juniper was nearly standing over the small foal, its thin body pressed up against her chest. As Juniper tried to process what had just happened and calm her heart down, the foal did something she never expected. It nuzzled into her chest.

     Juniper quickly stepped back, careful not to step on the foal as she did so. It stumbled forward a few steps, as it had been leaning into her and wasn’t expecting it, and now it looked up at her in confusion. With some space between them, Juniper was finally able to get a good look at the mysterious child she’d come across.

     They were a similar blue colour to her, though without the stripes and with much less white across their body. Their face was mostly white, but, more importantly, along the right side of their face, running in a jagged line from temple to cheek, was a healing gash. What might have caused it wasn’t clear, but it looked like it had been pretty deep before it had healed over. It was hard to judge the age of the filly, as they were quite underweight, but Juniper suspected the filly wasn’t more than a couple months old.

     Now, Juniper wasn’t good with foals, but she wasn’t heartless either. Seeing the state this poor foal was in made her want to pull it close and protect it. It was an odd sensation for her, the feeling not one she’d ever experienced before, even when she saved Jinx. Juniper looked at the foal before her and asked awkwardly, “Um, hi, are you lost?”

     The foal tilted its head at her.

     “What’s your name? I’m Juniper” The mare attempted a friendly smile, though it fell as the foal just seemed to blink at her question. Juniper tried something different, “Where is your mother?” She really hoped it wasn’t a bad thing to ask, especially given the scar the foal had.

     “You momma.” The foal finally spoke, a smile spreading on its face.

     “N-no. I’m not momma-er your mother. Where is your herd?” Juniper sputtered.

     The foal either ignored her or didn’t understand as they moved closer and once again nuzzled into Juniper’s chest. It took a lot of willpower for Juniper to not flinch away from the touch. The mare was utterly confused and growing uncomfortable with the situation, even as the foal made itself more comfortable. She glanced back the way she’d come, remembering the herd and thinking to herself, Ajax is good with these things, he’ll know what to do.

****************

     Ajax was quite bemused as he took in the scene before him. His warrior of a mare, who bravely fought off bears and stallions alike, was fidgeting and looking at him desperately for help as a foal attempted to hide underneath her. It barely fit under her belly, but it sure as hell was trying and the poor mare just looked rooted in place with an uncomfortable expression. When Juniper had walked back to the herd, calling out for him in a distressed voice, this was not at all what he had expected to find.

     It took a physical effort for the stallion not to laugh or tease his friend as many many jokes appeared in his mind. Juniper’s pleading look convinced him that now was not the time for jokes. Maybe later though. “Just who might this little one be?” Ajax asked gently, approaching slowly with his head lowered in a non-threatening manner. The foal backed up and hid behind Juniper’s rump, nervously peeking out from behind her legs.

     “I found her while patrolling, she basically walked right up to me. I tried to ask her name or where her mother was, but.. um.. “ Juniper tried to step to the side, but the foal followed her. “She thinks I’m her mother.” The mare said awkwardly, looking somehow even more distressed.

     Ajax made a weird face as he tried hard not to laugh. Oh dear, no wonder she’s so freaked out. He managed to pull himself together as the other herd members started to awaken and take notice. “Well, that’s interesting, and concerning. Much as I hate to delay our search, I think this takes precedence.” He doubted it would take too long to find the filly’s herd, or otherwise determine her to be abandoned.

     Cheyenne attempted to get closer and look at the foal, but the filly just tried to hide more. “She looks like she’s been on her own for a bit, barely old enough to really be off milk.”

     “If needs be, I can nurse her for a bit as I only have Aurora to feed,” Dyta offered up, knowing Yuki already had enough to deal with her twins, then added, “if she’ll even let us close.”

     “It is quite concerning how skittish she is around other horses, and given her injury it worries me that she might have been mistreated.” Moose said lowly so the foal wouldn’t hear, his deep voice sounding both disheartened and angry. To him, it was unfathomable that someone would purposely harm an innocent foal.

     “It could have just been an accident, but it seems like she certainly took a good knock to the head.” Yuki suggested, coming around and trying to get a better peek at the foal. Her twins peeking around from beside her was enough to draw the filly’s attention, though not enough to get her to stop hiding in Juniper’s thick tail.

     “As someone who has had a concussion, I can confirm that it does a number on your memory. That was a smaller injury than what she looks to have had.” Ajax confirmed, looking at the foal with worry. “Did she tell you her name?” Ajax asked, realizing that hadn’t come up.

     “No, she didn’t reply when I asked her.” Juniper replied quickly. She was feeling very uncomfortable with all the attention on her and or more so with what was under her. Juniper tried to step away but the filly squealed and followed after her and returned to her hiding place. The mare sagged as she let out a heavy sigh. It was going to be one of those days.

     Over the course of the day, they managed to coax the filly out and get her more comfortable with the rest of the herd. She was especially curious of the other animals living with the herd, gently nibbling at Theodore’s fur as he purred from the attention. Once her shyness had ebbed, she was excited to play with the other foals. The filly still barely spoke to anyone but Juniper, talking rather disjointedly or in short sentences. She didn’t seem to understand when asked her name, and continued to insist that Juniper was her mother. Eventually, she was coaxed into nursing from Dyta and it was clear she was extremely hungry and thirsty.

     Meanwhile, Myling and Sassy had been recruited to help find where she’d come from. With the filly unwilling to be separated from Juniper, she could only describe where she’d found the foal. Ajax went with the pair to search, finding the burnt tree easily from Juniper’s directions. From there, the dog and yearling picked up the trail and Ajax followed.

     Along the way, they ran into another herd that had apparently sheltered on the other side of the forest. Ajax was relieved at first, thinking they had found the filly’s family, but upon speaking to the horses that hope was dashed out. The silver grullo leader was very confused about the stallion’s questions, until one of his mares reminded him about the foal they’d seen wandering days ago. She explained that it had run away when they’d tried to approach and it hid in the forest until they left. But if it was here, it must have followed them.

     The herd led the searchers back to where they’d found the filly the first time, then bid them adieu. It didn’t take Myling and Sassy long to find something, and Ajax sent the pair back quickly once he saw the scene. Sheltered from the worst of the rain, they had discovered some rocks splattered with blood. More blood than could have come from that filly, Ajax concluded grimly. Although it was somewhat washed away, there were still signs that a struggle had occurred. Ajax considered the scene for a while, trying to assess what had happened. His best guess was that a predator had attacked the foal and her mother, but that left the question of why it didn’t finish off the foal and where her mother was. Did the mother lure the predator away? Why didn’t she come back for her foal? If she had died, then why didn’t the predator come back for the easy meal?

     The stallion sighed knowing he would likely never know the answer. Not unless the filly told him - or more likely told Juniper. What mattered now was getting the filly healthy and keeping her safe - and figuring out what to call her so he could stop referring to her as just “filly”.

     When Ajax returned to the herd, Sassy and Myling had already made it back and were checking out the new foal again. Myling was especially interested in the filly, and the feeling seemed mutual. They appeared to exchange quiet words and giggles, and Ajax wondered if Myling’s similarly strange way with words made it easier for her to understand the foal, and vice versa.

     Juniper stood nearby, looking relieved that Ajax had returned. “What did you find?” She asked, looking almost hopeful. Cheyenne and the others joined them soon, all interested in hearing what had been discovered.

    Ajax glanced back, assuring the filly was busy before replying, “Nothing good.” He explained his encounter with the other herd, what they had told him, what he’d found and his musings on the matter. Worried murmurs were shared amongst most of them, pitying glances given to the filly as they wondered just how traumatic the situation had been. It answered as many questions as it created, but there was one important answer that had been found. “She’ll be staying with us.” Ajax stated, then turned to Juniper with a smirk, “and if she can’t remember her name, she’ll need a new one.”

     It took a moment for Juniper to register that Ajax was talking to her, and another few seconds still to realize that he was asking her to come up with a name for the foal that had claimed her as its mother. More eyes landed on Juniper, the mare sputtering a bit at all the attention on her. “I-I don’t know? Do I have to? Can’t someone else do it?” She said, trying to pass the responsibility to someone else. Maybe the foal would cling on to them instead of her if someone else named her. It was a stretch, but she could hope.

     Ajax gave the other horses a look and cleared his throat, signaling for them to give the two some space. He could see that Juniper was getting anxious and, even after all the time the group had spent together, she still didn’t like being crowded or the center of attention. Once the others had moved away and Juniper visibly relaxed, Ajax explained, “The filly is really attached to you, I think because you possibly look like her mother. Maybe over time she’ll grow out of it, but for now unfortunately that’s likely going to continue. She trusts you and looks up to you, so yes, I do think that you are the one that will need to care for and name her.” He moved over to her, gently running his nose along her cheek and neck to help calm her.

Juniper sighed and looked up at him uncertainly, saying in a near whisper, “I’m not fit to be a mother, I don’t think this is a good idea…”

     “Shh.. it’s okay. You’re not alone, we’re all here to help you.” He laid his head over her neck, lightly pulling her close. She willingly leaned into him, sighing against his neck as she accepted the comforting gesture. He smiled, but didn’t let her see that, instead continuing what he had been saying, “It takes a herd to raise a foal. You aren’t on your own with this,” He pulled back to look her in the eyes, “I promise.”

     Juniper once again sighed, but nodded. “O-okay. I’ll try my best…”

     He smiled encouragingly, “You’ll do fine, it's always scary the first time but you’ll get the hang of it.” Ajax grinned as he said playfully, “Heck, you got it easy, you skipped the hardest part of giving birth.” He knew this was a lot for her to take in and if he could take the burden for her, he would.

     Juniper smiled weakly, not fully assured by Ajax’s words but still finding comfort in them. Maybe it was just a matter of time, a lot had happened rather suddenly and it was hard to process it all at once. She voiced this to Ajax, who agreed wholeheartedly and encouraged her to take all the time she needed.

    The herd decided to stay in the forest for the night and leave the next morning, as most of the day had been lost already and they wouldn’t make much ground before the light faded. It also gave time for the newest member of the group, and her (reluctantly) adoptive mother, to get more settled. Aside from the filly’s occasional attempts to nurse from Juniper, things were tentatively going well. There was some concern that the filly wouldn’t continue to follow, but come the next day as the herd began to leave the trees the filly stayed glued to Juniper’s hip.

    Over the following days, the herd tried to regain the trail they’d been following before the storm had blown through. Ajax knew the valley fairly well and, although he preferred to stay higher in the mountains, he had traveled through the lower plains many times. He had some ideas where the herd might go and, with a helpful tip from a friendly bachelor, Myling and Sassy had picked up the trail again.

    During this time, Juniper was beginning to come to terms with the situation. While she still didn’t feel like a mother, she did feel like there was something growing between her and the filly. Although a lot of what the youngster said was still broken and sounded like gibberish, Juniper was picking up on bits and pieces that the filly told only to her. While she gained some pieces to the puzzle, allowing some insight into the filly’s past, there was still one major bit of information that the filly had yet to share - Her name. Many attempts had been made, by both Juniper and other herd members, but it would seem the filly needed a new name after all.

     Juniper racked her brain, trying to come up with a name for the filly that fit her. The foal was a vibrant blue roan, a much richer coloured compared to Juniper or Myling. Juniper focused on that detail, trying to think of blue things. Azure, Sky, Crystal… those feel too… common. The chirp of a bird distracted her momentarily, the feathered creature flitting about overhead as it flew to catch up with a small flock of its kind. It was this little interruption that finally brought a name to mind.

     When the herd stopped to rest that night, Juniper approached Ajax, the filly in tow. The stallion looked up, smiling at their approach and greeting them. Juniper dipped her head in a nod, then paused in hesitation before finally saying, “For her name, I was thinking Indigo? like the blue and black bunting type birds that sometimes nest in the valley.”

    “Indigo?” Ajax repeated, looking at the filly for a while himself as he mulled over the name. “I think it's a beautiful name. Fits her perfectly.” He commented, turning back to her with a soft smile and a bit of a twinkle in his eye. He could tell that Juniper had warmed up considerably to the foal, and it was honestly a big relief.

     Juniper blushed a bit, before nodding and moving to stand in front of the foal. She tentatively nickered at her, gaining the filly’s attention as she nickered back and touched noses with the mare. Juniper took a moment to look back at Ajax for encouragement, the stallion smiling and nodding, then she slowly said, “Your name is Indigo now. Indigo… Is that okay?”

     The filly tilted her head, “I go?”

     “In-di-go.”

     “I dig oh?”

     “Indi-go.”

     The filly smiled brightly, shouting, “Indi-GO!” She jumped around playfully before cuddling up against Juniper, repeating the word with mixed success. It wasn’t super clear whether she understood it to be her new name or if she just liked saying it.

     “That’s your new name, okay? You Indigo.” Juniper continued trying to cement the idea in the filly’s mind.

     The foal seemed to think about that for a moment, looking a bit puzzled. After a few moments, she smiled and suddenly stated proudly, “I Indi-go, you momma.”

     Juniper relaxed as the filly appeared to understand her, but she knew it would take time for the name to really stick. She glanced up at Ajax who was practically beaming at her, making her blush and quickly look back at Indigo. With a small sigh, Juniper replied softly, “You Indigo, I… momma.”

Stallion: Ajax (#82)
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In response to: As the group tries to find Ajax's herd, they find their path blocked by a stone wall and fence. They go around it, forcing them to cross a dirt path where they see humans on dirt bikes. A thunderstorm blows in quickly, causing the herd to run for cover. The next day, Juniper checks out a burnt tree and finds a lost foal. Ajax tries to find where the foal came from, getting some help from another herd. When its clear that the foal is orphaned, they take her with them as they try to pick up the trail of Ajax's herd again, a friendly bachelor pointing them in the right direction.
(Windy Day, Rainstorm, E-Stone Wall, E-Fences, E-Dirt Road, E-Dirt Bikes, E-Humans, Burnt Tree, E-Herd 34, E-Stallion 184)

Art features: Juniper , Indigo
Story features(14): Ajax , Juniper , Cheyenne , Moose , Dyta , Yuki , Rorik , Lumi , Aurora , Myling , Indigo , (mentioned) Jinx , Amanpal (#34) , Bach 184 , Sassy, Theodore, Jeremy.
Word Count: 3819

Aging: Rorik, Lumi, Aurora, Indigo 2/3
Healing: Rorik S1/1
Destination of Bachelor: Unclaimed

Companion Animals:
Caring – Theodore the Cat (Healthy Foals) N/A
Helping – Pudge the Cat (Extra Feathers)
Healing – Monster the Cat (Heals Injuries) NOT USING
Protecting – Sassy the Dog (Reduces Injuries) NOT USING
Nursing – Angel the Dove (Heals Sickness) NOT USING
Foaling – Jeremy the Stork (Bonus From Foaling) N/A

Members That Own Outside Horses: Amanpal (#34) (kitnjinx , #34)

Rolls: Normal

Other notes:
PPJ:
Ajax: Estraya, Fancy, Isabelle, Jessabelle, Juniper, Cheyenne, Yuki, Trissa, Bianka, Nizana (None available)
Finn: Everyone
HERD CAPPED (No Mare Rolls)

Artist Notes:
Finally introducing my old mini event foal (back from like 2019 xD oops). Wasn't sure what to do with her, but had the idea of poor Juniper getting saddled with a kid xD So here it is. Also never expected this story to get so long but its also helping connect up some story threads before the big Reunion of the herd.

Refs: Link
Art (c) DaSassy