Chapter 7
Tsunami trotted up to Helio at the oasis. She dipped her head to drink.
Helio looked at her.
Tsunami lifted her head. " Hello." she snorted.
Helio, somewhat scared and surprised of this mare, trotted to his other two mares. "She's part of that desert herd, I know it! That Capriconis sent her to make trouble. C'mon, sweetie!" he nudged his mares.
Monsoon and Typhoon both moved off together, letting Helio nudge them along.
The lead stallion walked into the desert. He stopped when he saw Capriconis and his herd. " Ugh! Not him! " he stared at the sight.
Tsunami whinnied. " But I'm not! I swear. Please don't kick me away I need a herd. I have no idea who this Capriconis is you speak of is."
Capriconis raised his head and snorted to his mares to group together. " Get out of Desert Herd territory Helio."
Helio reared and pinned his ears back. "You came into my territory, I'll come into yours!" he snorted and began to trot back to the oasis. "What did you say?" he said to Tsunami, looking back to see if Monsoon and Typhoon were coming.
" I said I have no idea who this Capriconis is but I need a herd." Tsunami said to Helio.
Monsoon followed Helio; Typhoon trotted behind her.
Tsunami looked at him with hopeful eyes. "Can I join?" she asked.
Helio looked at the mare. "Just one moment. I have to speak with my mares first." he turned to Monsoon and Typhoon. "Would you mind her joining the herd?" he asked.
What does it matter what we want? Stallions tend to collect mares," said Typhoon.
Monsoon shook her head. "What she said."
Helio sighed. "But I'm only going to do something if it makes you two happy. I swear, I want you to be pleased with my actions, and--"
Monsoon tossed her head. "It's fine. Just remember and tell her, I'm favorite. I'm boss."
"Big surprise," Typhoon grumbled. She looked at Helio. "What she said."
Helio turned to Tsunami. "You may join, but remember your place. Monsoon is boss around here."
"Thank you so much, I know I'm just a mare but ill always remember my place." Tsunami jumped around like a new foal.
Helio tossed his mane.
Monsoon stopped, and Typhoon came up alongside. "When did we leave the lush fields and end-up here?"
"You were leading. Don't you know?" Typhoon snorted.
Helio sneezed from all the dust. It was dusk and the sun was going to set soon. "Let's go back to that oasis. There's some dried out grass there." he said.
"I know you're just a stud, but think, Helio!" Monsoon snapped. "Typhoon and I cannot nourish ourselves and unborn foals on meager patches of dry grass."
"Your oasis can't sustain your herd," said Typhoon. "We'll have to leave or starve."
"Or we'll likely abort your foals," finished Monsoon.
"Capriconis and his herd sure do manage. But if you wish, my dears." Helio thought it foolish to leave a perfectly good oasis but started to walk. He saw what looked like a grove of trees.
"Maybe we forgot to mention..." Monsoon snorted.
"But we were just traveling through this desert when you found us," continued Typhoon.
"We're used to lush green pastures," Monsoon finished firmly.
"I understand. I was just born in a dry old desert." he continued to walk.
"We come from a lush valley. When our sire kicked us out, we started looking for another." Monsoon moved to walk ahead of Helio.
"So, here we are." Typhoon followed her sister.
Helio shook his mane as he continued walking. He started to think about the story of him and Lunar. They might both be dead for all I know, he muttered loud enough for the three to hear.
Monsoon was distracted, leading the way, but Typhoon looked over at Helio.
Helio shook his head to try and get rid of that evil story. "They might have even been caught by cowboys," he said aloud.
Tsunami trotted up to Helio. " So have you always been a desert horse?"
"Yes. I was born in the desert." he swished his tail.
"Were you born in a herd? And why did you stay here?" Tsunami asked.
" I was born in desert herd," he began, talking to all three. "The lead mare, Dancing Fire, was my dam, and another stallion was my sire. I hated Capriconis. He was always....I don't know how to explain it. So bossy. I loved Fire so much, and didn't want to leave her, and vice versa.
" Capriconis hated me because he wasn't my father. He told me to get out of the herd when I wasn't one year old. I swore not to leave. I loved all my family dearly. So I challenged him in a fight, and injured his neck. Then he said if I didn't leave he'd kick my head till I died. I left immediately. I became a bitter and nasty stallion. I always wanted to fight, always wanted to snake away some mare, always wanted to cause trouble. But when I meant you, Monsoon, I...you...you softened my heart." he stopped there.
Monsoon listened, her eyes softening as Helio spoke. When he went quiet, she said, "I've never had a softening affect on anyone, Helio. I'm flattered."
"I'm just dumbfounded," Typhoon said. "Bossy Monsoon makes a stallion feel love."
Helio tried to hold back a tear but it ran down his face. "I shouldn't be...be so..sad," he said. "I have you, my Monsoon and Typhoon and Tsunami."
" Oh.. I take it you want to get back at Capriconis right." Tsunami replied.
"I sure do." Helio snorted.
" I can help you get back at Capriconis!" Tsunami said. " He has a mare named Dawn who just had a filly. She is Capriconis's only foal of his blood now. She often wanders. I can kidnap her and you can bargain with her."
Helio perked his ears and stopped for a second to think. "Bargain with her to do what?"
" I don't know, you could keep here for yourself to just get back at him." Tsunami said.
"Yeah." he kept walking. Helio started to gallop across the desert.
" Do you want me to get her?!" Tsunami said.
" Of course! Yes!" Helio smirked.
Tsunami ran off. She saw desert herd in the distance and far away from it, chasing a fenec fox was Dusky Sun.
" Hello little one," Tsunami said. Before the foal could run Tsunami blocked her. " I'm Tsunami. Now come with me." She herded Dusk away. She soon came apon Helio. " Here she is, Dusky Sun."
"Hello," said Helio. He reached down to nuzzle the foal, trying to tell her to not be scared. "I'm Helio, and this is Tsunami, Monsoon and Typhoon."
" You bad horse", Dusk said and started backing away she had heard stories of this horse.
" Now, now," said Helio. "I'll tell you the real story." he began. "I was born to Fire, the lead mare of the desert herd. You know Sun,don't you? Me and Fire were attached. Capriconis hated me because I wasn't his offspring. Before it was time to leave the herd, because the lead stallion can be the only male in the herd, he kicked me out before it was time. Fire told me to defend myself. I did, and injured Capriconis's neck in a fight. He said if I didn't leave he'd crush my skull into powder. So I did, and we've hated each other ever since."
" My Daddy's not bad horse, but If you a good horse then okay", she turned to the other mares. " Are there no other foals?"
"There will soon be three," he said triumphantly.
" Wow, that's a lot, back home I just have Sun, Fire's new filly." Dusk looked up. " My daddy isn't Fire's father though. I don't know who is."
"Fire had a new foal?" he said astounded.
" Yes, Sun looks just like her." Dusk liked these new horses a lot. Better than back at her old herd. All there was was Sun, crazy Hot Choclate, Fire and her mother and father. Here there would be 3 foals and the mares were nice as well as the stallion at this herd.
Helio nickered softly. "How old are you?" he inquired.
" A month and a few days, mom says I'm 10 weeks but if you say your a month and a few days it makes you sound older." Dusk started prancing around she was incredibly hyperactive and couldn't sit still for long.
Helio started to prance around with her. Tsunami was Helio's mare now and Dusky Sun was the new filly at Oasis herd.