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Description
On guard!” Howl laughed as he playfully half-reared.

”I’m gonna get you this time, daddy!” giggled Poppy as she chased after the stallion.

Howl fell to the ground and rolled onto his back, kicking his legs in the air pathetically.

”Oh no! You’ve gotten me!” he wailed dramatically, sticking out his tongue and closing his eyes in mock-death.

Poppy giggled some more as she threw herself across Howl’s chest, making the stallion give a winded “oof!” before he started laughing.

”Alright you two, that’s enough roughing around for today.” Coachella said as she approached with a smile.”Time for a nap, young lady.”

”Awww, ok.” pouted Poppy as she scrambled off of Howl and trotted obediently over to her mother.

Coachella affectionately nibbled at the top of her daughter’s head as she led her away to a more quiet area for the two to rest. Howl flipped back over onto his legs and stood, shaking sand from his mane and coat. To his surprise, Primrose was approaching.

”Hey, Prim.” he said with a smile.

”Hey.” Primrose mumbled. ”Uhm...I just wanted to--”

”Howl! A stallion is approaching!” Fivespot shouted from his place on the ridge.

Howl’s ears perked up and he cantered up the steep slope to stand beside Fiver and looked down. Sure enough, a pale stallion was picking his way through the rough desert terrain and heading straight for them.

”I’ll go down there and see what he wants. Can you stay with the mares>” Howl asked.

Fiver nodded and began sliding his way down the dune toward the rest of the herd. Howl snorted, mentally preparing himself for a possible fight, and raced down the slope.

”Ho, there!” Howl called out when he was on solid ground.

The pale stallion didn’t stop and didn’t say anything just continued zig-zagging forward. As he drew closer, Howl noticed he looked quite thin and had dried blood caked onto his coat. Now concerned, Howl hurried forward to meet the stallion, who tripped and nearly collapsed.

”Whoa, there. You OK?” Howl asked, tilting his head.

The pale stallion panted, clearly exhausted. His eyes were bleary and unfocused as he tried to meet Howl’s.

”P-please. I need help.” he huffed, legs trembling.

”Of course, come with me. Just over this dune is a place you can rest.” Howl answered softly.

Howl moved to the stallion and could lean against his side as they climbed the dune together.
It was slow going, but eventually they were clumsily sliding down the other side. As soon as they were at the bottom, the pale stallion went down onto his knees and laid his head in the sand, closing his eyes in exhaustion.

Primrose, Lutea, and Fivespot all rushed over to see what was happening.

”He’s pretty badly hurt. I’ll try to find some aloe for his wounds.” Lutea said shortly turning and trotting away.

”Wonder what happened to him…” mumbled Primrose, bending her neck to sniff at him. Her nostrils wrinkled and she said, ”Ew, he smells like a cat.”

”I’m gonna go back up the ridge, make sure nothing was following him.” Fiver announced, surging back up the dune.

Howl nodded and regarded the prone stallion. It looked like he’d been traveling for days in this condition. Howl felt badly for him, but was now much more alert. If something was following him, it meant his herd, his foal, was now in danger.

”Prim, watch over him. I’m going to check the perimeter.” Howl said seriously, not waiting for an answer before he was off.

Description
On guard!” Howl laughed as he playfully half-reared.

”I’m gonna get you this time, daddy!” giggled Poppy as she chased after the stallion.

Howl fell to the ground and rolled onto his back, kicking his legs in the air pathetically.

”Oh no! You’ve gotten me!” he wailed dramatically, sticking out his tongue and closing his eyes in mock-death.

Poppy giggled some more as she threw herself across Howl’s chest, making the stallion give a winded “oof!” before he started laughing.

”Alright you two, that’s enough roughing around for today.” Coachella said as she approached with a smile.”Time for a nap, young lady.”

”Awww, ok.” pouted Poppy as she scrambled off of Howl and trotted obediently over to her mother.

Coachella affectionately nibbled at the top of her daughter’s head as she led her away to a more quiet area for the two to rest. Howl flipped back over onto his legs and stood, shaking sand from his mane and coat. To his surprise, Primrose was approaching.

”Hey, Prim.” he said with a smile.

”Hey.” Primrose mumbled. ”Uhm...I just wanted to--”

”Howl! A stallion is approaching!” Fivespot shouted from his place on the ridge.

Howl’s ears perked up and he cantered up the steep slope to stand beside Fiver and looked down. Sure enough, a pale stallion was picking his way through the rough desert terrain and heading straight for them.

”I’ll go down there and see what he wants. Can you stay with the mares>” Howl asked.

Fiver nodded and began sliding his way down the dune toward the rest of the herd. Howl snorted, mentally preparing himself for a possible fight, and raced down the slope.

”Ho, there!” Howl called out when he was on solid ground.

The pale stallion didn’t stop and didn’t say anything just continued zig-zagging forward. As he drew closer, Howl noticed he looked quite thin and had dried blood caked onto his coat. Now concerned, Howl hurried forward to meet the stallion, who tripped and nearly collapsed.

”Whoa, there. You OK?” Howl asked, tilting his head.

The pale stallion panted, clearly exhausted. His eyes were bleary and unfocused as he tried to meet Howl’s.

”P-please. I need help.” he huffed, legs trembling.

”Of course, come with me. Just over this dune is a place you can rest.” Howl answered softly.

Howl moved to the stallion and could lean against his side as they climbed the dune together.
It was slow going, but eventually they were clumsily sliding down the other side. As soon as they were at the bottom, the pale stallion went down onto his knees and laid his head in the sand, closing his eyes in exhaustion.

Primrose, Lutea, and Fivespot all rushed over to see what was happening.

”He’s pretty badly hurt. I’ll try to find some aloe for his wounds.” Lutea said shortly turning and trotting away.

”Wonder what happened to him…” mumbled Primrose, bending her neck to sniff at him. Her nostrils wrinkled and she said, ”Ew, he smells like a cat.”

”I’m gonna go back up the ridge, make sure nothing was following him.” Fiver announced, surging back up the dune.

Howl nodded and regarded the prone stallion. It looked like he’d been traveling for days in this condition. Howl felt badly for him, but was now much more alert. If something was following him, it meant his herd, his foal, was now in danger.

”Prim, watch over him. I’m going to check the perimeter.” Howl said seriously, not waiting for an answer before he was off.