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Description
”At least the rain has finally let up.” Nightingale offered timidly.

Percy nodded but otherwise didn’t respond as they kept up their brisk trot. He glanced back at the two mares and saw Denna was beginning to lag. Worry crossed his face and he slowed to a stop, going to her.

”Are you alright? Do you want to go back?” he asked her.

Denna glared at him with her bright blue eyes. ”I’m fine. It was just the rain.” she insisted, loping around him to prove a point. ”C’mon, we can’t waste anymore time.”

Percy and Nightingale ran to catch up and continued their search. Their only stroke of luck so far had been the storm finally finishing it’s tantrum. Otherwise, Anhinga’s trail was rather cold. But the three horses persisted. Soon, they were running along an odd forest. They noticed that a light fog was rolling around their hooves and they became uneasy.

Just then, they heard a scream.

”That was Anhinga!” Nightingale cried before dashing after the sound, straight into the forest.

”Nightingale, wait! Don’t go in there alone!” Percy shouted, but it was too late.

Denna looked over at Percy and raised her chin before entering the forest at a trot. Percy glanced down at his fog covered hooves and shivered. But, they’d come this far…

Into the forest he went, catching up with Denna quickly thanks to her white coat. The forest was dark and murky, trees crowding each other for space and branches reaching out to grab at tails and manes. The fog became so thick inside that it was difficult to see more than five feet in front of their noses. Percy became terribly aware of being watched. He kept looking all around, trying to see who was following them, but it was no use.

”We need to find them and get out of here.” Percy whispered to Denna, who nodded in agreement.

Another scream.

The two horses picked up their pace, stumbling in the fog and darkness. They nearly ran straight into a strange mare standing not even ten feet in front of them. She turned her head towards them slowly and stared with cold eyes.

”You shouldn’t be here.” she sighed, voice hard.

”Please, we’re trying to find two mares. Have you seen them?” Denna asked, trying to keep the quaver out of her voice.

”There are many mares in this forest.” she intoned. ”Hopefully you’ll find the ones you’re looking for…”

The mare slowly melded back into the forest without a trace, leaving Denna and Percy shaken to the core. Just then, they heard the sound of hoofbeats. Out of the trees raced Anhinga and Nightingale, eyes white with fear. They nearly collided with Percy and Denna in their haste.

”Oh thank goodness we found you! We have to leave, now!” Nightingale shouted, shoving at them.

The four horses all turned and ran through the fog covered forest, banging into trees and tripping over roots. It felt as though they ran for hours, but eventually they broke free of the woods and into the open. They didn’t stop running for a long time, until Denna called out that she needed a rest. They stood panting, soaked through with sweat, until they could regain their lungs.

”Let’s...never go in there again.” Denna said, voice hoarse.

The other three nodded vigorously.

”I...I don’t know what happened to the bachelor…” Anhinga finally said, voice quiet.

”It doesn’t matter. We’ve got you back now and we can go home.” Percy tried to say comfortingly.

Anhinga nodded and tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They continued back home in silence.

Meanwhile, Jason was beginning to nod off. The storm had stopped hours ago, but everyone was still wet and cold. Everyone was in sour moods and worried sick over Anhinga and the horses that went to find her.

”What do we do if they don’t come back?” Quail asked in a small voice.

”That won’t happen. They have to come back.” Shrike replied firmly.

Everyone’s ears perked up at the sound of large bodies moving toward them. Jason snapped awake, expecting to see Denna strolling toward him, but was disappointed when it turned out to be two strange mares and a filly.

”Hello.” the blue overo mare said. ”May we...may we stay with you for a while? There are...strange things happening out there.”

Jason blinked, unsure what she meant. ”O-of course you may all stay.” he said, trying to smile.

The blue overo and gold dun mares nodded, falling into the rest of the herd rather quickly, who welcomed them gladly. It was a good distraction. The filly stared up at Jason for a moment, her eyes showing how exhausted she was, before she, too, joined the rest of the herd.

Several more hours passed. Jason was just beginning to tell the mares to stay together while he went after Percy, when they finally returned. At the sight of them, the whole herd rushed forward with cries of joy. Anhinga was engulfed in a wave of nuzzles and congratulations were given to Percy, Denna, and Nightingale. The four horses were clearly happy to be home, but were also tired to the bone after their ordeal.

”Welcome back.” Jason said gladly, throwing his neck over Percy’s.

”Thank you. It wasn’t easy.” the other stallion said with a huff.

Jason then turned his attention to Denna, feeling suddenly very shy. He was about to open his mouth to say something when, to his surprise, she came over and leaned against him, sighing gratefully.

Jason blinked and his heart fluttered in his chest. He wanted to ask what had happened, but sensed it wasn’t something she was willing to talk about.

For now, this was enough.

Description
”At least the rain has finally let up.” Nightingale offered timidly.

Percy nodded but otherwise didn’t respond as they kept up their brisk trot. He glanced back at the two mares and saw Denna was beginning to lag. Worry crossed his face and he slowed to a stop, going to her.

”Are you alright? Do you want to go back?” he asked her.

Denna glared at him with her bright blue eyes. ”I’m fine. It was just the rain.” she insisted, loping around him to prove a point. ”C’mon, we can’t waste anymore time.”

Percy and Nightingale ran to catch up and continued their search. Their only stroke of luck so far had been the storm finally finishing it’s tantrum. Otherwise, Anhinga’s trail was rather cold. But the three horses persisted. Soon, they were running along an odd forest. They noticed that a light fog was rolling around their hooves and they became uneasy.

Just then, they heard a scream.

”That was Anhinga!” Nightingale cried before dashing after the sound, straight into the forest.

”Nightingale, wait! Don’t go in there alone!” Percy shouted, but it was too late.

Denna looked over at Percy and raised her chin before entering the forest at a trot. Percy glanced down at his fog covered hooves and shivered. But, they’d come this far…

Into the forest he went, catching up with Denna quickly thanks to her white coat. The forest was dark and murky, trees crowding each other for space and branches reaching out to grab at tails and manes. The fog became so thick inside that it was difficult to see more than five feet in front of their noses. Percy became terribly aware of being watched. He kept looking all around, trying to see who was following them, but it was no use.

”We need to find them and get out of here.” Percy whispered to Denna, who nodded in agreement.

Another scream.

The two horses picked up their pace, stumbling in the fog and darkness. They nearly ran straight into a strange mare standing not even ten feet in front of them. She turned her head towards them slowly and stared with cold eyes.

”You shouldn’t be here.” she sighed, voice hard.

”Please, we’re trying to find two mares. Have you seen them?” Denna asked, trying to keep the quaver out of her voice.

”There are many mares in this forest.” she intoned. ”Hopefully you’ll find the ones you’re looking for…”

The mare slowly melded back into the forest without a trace, leaving Denna and Percy shaken to the core. Just then, they heard the sound of hoofbeats. Out of the trees raced Anhinga and Nightingale, eyes white with fear. They nearly collided with Percy and Denna in their haste.

”Oh thank goodness we found you! We have to leave, now!” Nightingale shouted, shoving at them.

The four horses all turned and ran through the fog covered forest, banging into trees and tripping over roots. It felt as though they ran for hours, but eventually they broke free of the woods and into the open. They didn’t stop running for a long time, until Denna called out that she needed a rest. They stood panting, soaked through with sweat, until they could regain their lungs.

”Let’s...never go in there again.” Denna said, voice hoarse.

The other three nodded vigorously.

”I...I don’t know what happened to the bachelor…” Anhinga finally said, voice quiet.

”It doesn’t matter. We’ve got you back now and we can go home.” Percy tried to say comfortingly.

Anhinga nodded and tried to smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They continued back home in silence.

Meanwhile, Jason was beginning to nod off. The storm had stopped hours ago, but everyone was still wet and cold. Everyone was in sour moods and worried sick over Anhinga and the horses that went to find her.

”What do we do if they don’t come back?” Quail asked in a small voice.

”That won’t happen. They have to come back.” Shrike replied firmly.

Everyone’s ears perked up at the sound of large bodies moving toward them. Jason snapped awake, expecting to see Denna strolling toward him, but was disappointed when it turned out to be two strange mares and a filly.

”Hello.” the blue overo mare said. ”May we...may we stay with you for a while? There are...strange things happening out there.”

Jason blinked, unsure what she meant. ”O-of course you may all stay.” he said, trying to smile.

The blue overo and gold dun mares nodded, falling into the rest of the herd rather quickly, who welcomed them gladly. It was a good distraction. The filly stared up at Jason for a moment, her eyes showing how exhausted she was, before she, too, joined the rest of the herd.

Several more hours passed. Jason was just beginning to tell the mares to stay together while he went after Percy, when they finally returned. At the sight of them, the whole herd rushed forward with cries of joy. Anhinga was engulfed in a wave of nuzzles and congratulations were given to Percy, Denna, and Nightingale. The four horses were clearly happy to be home, but were also tired to the bone after their ordeal.

”Welcome back.” Jason said gladly, throwing his neck over Percy’s.

”Thank you. It wasn’t easy.” the other stallion said with a huff.

Jason then turned his attention to Denna, feeling suddenly very shy. He was about to open his mouth to say something when, to his surprise, she came over and leaned against him, sighing gratefully.

Jason blinked and his heart fluttered in his chest. He wanted to ask what had happened, but sensed it wasn’t something she was willing to talk about.

For now, this was enough.