Here it is! Part 3 of 'Beyond the Sands'!! Like the last part, I'll link the previous parts in case you need a refresher or haven't read the other parts!!

Prologue: TGH: Beyond the Sands (Prologue) | theguardianherd

Part 1: TGH: Beyond the Sands (Part 1) | theguardianherd

Part 2: TGH: Beyond the Sands (Part 2) | theguardianherd

And without further ado, here's Part 3!!

With a squeal of shock, Skysun leapt into the cactus patch, crashing head first into another cactus, and sliding to the sandy ground with a groan.

“Ouch…” She muttered.

“That’s what you get for sneaking off in the early morning…” Said an irritated voice. Lifting her head quickly, she looked at the source of the voice. Standing just inside the patch of cacti was a large chestnut stallion, his golden wings ruffled irritably.

“Hi, Dad…” Skysun muttered, her ears drooping in embarrassment.

Her father, Adderfire, sighed, “Jetflight, Hopeflight, come get her out of here.” He said, stepping out of the patch.

The buckskin that Skysun had avoided earlier, and a dun mare stepped up to either side of her. They looked at her sympathetically, grabbing either wing in their mouth, and they gently lifted her into the air, causing her to whimper in pain.

“I’m sorry, Skysun…” Muttered the dun mare, Hopeflight, “But we need to get you out of here and to Oasisroot.”

Hopeflight gave a small nod to Jetflight, and they carried her as gently as they could out of the cactus patch. Adderfire stood there, watching as his daughter was carried out of the cactus patch. He stood among a small patrol of Ash Herd steeds, Camelwing must have mobilized the search party the moment Jetflight had sounded the alarm. Adderfire glared at the buckskin in question, after all, Skysun realized, if Jetflight hadn’t allowed her to leave, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

Turning to the patrol, Adderfire lifted a wing for attention, “We found the fillies!” He said, “Redhawk, Summerfeather!”

The two stallions stepped away from the patrol, standing before their Captain, giving him their full attention.

“Redhawk,” The chestnut stallion said, pointing to the red roan with yellowy brown wings tipped in white, “You will fly back to the Red Rock Mountains, tell Camelwing, Galecloud, and Amberfeather that we found the fillies, and let Oasisroot know that Skysun is injured.”

Redhawk nodded, leaping into the air and flying north towards the home of Ash Herd.

“Summerfeather,” Adderfire said, turning to the palomino stallion with sunny yellow feathers, “Find the other patrols and tell them we found the foals, then I want you to find Flamebreeze’s parents and tell them to meet me at the Red Rock Mountains.”

Summerfeather nodded, leaping into the air and flying into the jet streams.

With a nod, Adderfire turned to the patrol, “Let’s move out!” He commanded, leaping into the air and hovering over the group.

Skysun flinched in pain as she was lifted into the air, her wings screaming at her to stop. She cried out, pain shooting along her back, legs and neck.

“I know, Skysun…” Brightsand, a friend of her mother’s, muttered, trying to soothe the filly as she flew up beside Skysun, “We’ll be home soon, and then Oasisroot can help you.”

The chestnut filly only whimpered, quivering in pain.

Adderfire fell back to glide beside Brightsand, “How is she?” He asked, his eyes bright with worry.

“She’s…” The palomino mare stopped, trying to choose her words carefully, “She’s in pain, but I don’t think it’s anything that Oasisroot can’t fix.”

Adderfire looked at his daughter’s wings, “They look…”

“I know,” Brightsand interrupted, “But I’ve seen our Medicine Mare help steeds through worse. I don’t see why Skysun would be any different.” She said.

Her father grunted, looking at Skysun with a worried glance before flying ahead back to the front of the patrol. Brightsand grunted as she watched the Captain go.

“That stallion…” She muttered under her breath, barely loud enough for Skysun to make out the words, “If he’s keeps that up…he’ll worry his family sick.”

Skysun opened her mouth to ask a question, but was silenced by the searing pain that shot through her body once again, this one almost throwing her into unconsciousness.

“Skysun?” Asked the palomino mare, “Are you ok?”

“I…I’m…” Another pain shot through her wings and back, making the world spin around her, “B…Bright…s…sand…I…”

The mare’s eyes widened in shock, “Adderfire! We need to land, now. It’s Skysun, she…”

And that was the last thing that Skysun heard before she blacked out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HERD ALLEGIANCES

ASH HERD:

Over-Stallion: Camelwing, a dun stallion with a black mane and tail, black points, two white front socks, two white hind stockings, a slim white blaze, and sandy yellow feathers

Lead Mare: Galecloud, an older chestnut mare with a chestnut mane and tail, pale yellow feathers, four white socks, and a wide white blaze

Medicine Mare: Oasisroot, a pearl chestnut pinto mare with a slightly darker mane and tail, and sun yellow feathers stained at the tips from the herbs and roots she works with

Captains:

Adderfire: A magnificent chestnut stallion with a chestnut mane and tail, two white hind stockings, and golden feathers tipped in a sandy yellow

Sunfire: A dun stallion with a black mane and tail, black points, four white socks, and golden feathers that fade to a pale yellow

Under-Stallions:

Jetflight: A golden buckskin stallion with a black mane and tail, black points, two white hind stockings, and cream yellow wings tipped in white

Redhawk: A red roan stallion with brownish yellow wings tipped in white

Summerfeather: Palomino stallion with a white mane and tail, and sunny yellow wings

Mares:

Amberfeather: A palomino mare with a white mane and tail, a wide white blaze, two white hind socks, and amber feathers tipped in coppery red

Cactusbreeze: A golden buckskin mare with a black mane and tail, black points, four white socks, and yellow feathers fading to a pale yellowy green

Lighthoof: A young palomino mare with a white mane and tail, a white front sock with a peachy hoof, a thin white blaze, and coppery red wings fading to gold

Hopeflight: Dun mare with a black mane and tail, black points, and bright yellow feathers

Brightsand: A slim palomino pinto mare with a white mane and tail, and sand yellow wings

Foals:

Skysun: A chestnut filly with a slightly darker chestnut mane and tail, four white socks, a wide white blaze, and gold wings tipped in a darker gold

Flamebreeze: Buckskin filly with a black mane and tail, black points, thin white jagged stripe on face, one right front sock and one left hind sock, and desert yellow wings tipped in ocher

Sandhoof: A dunskin colt with a black mane and tail, black points, two white front socks, and bright yellow wings tipped in a sandy yellow

MOON HERD

Over-Stallion: Sleetwing, a light gray stallion with a darker gray mane and tail, an interrupted white blaze, and pale blue wings

Lead Mare: Ashcloud, a sooty gray mare with a black mane and tail, four white socks, and pale green wings fading to a light gray

Captains:

Icefire: A blue roan mare with a black mane and tail, two white front socks and a hind left sock, and with silvery gray wings fading to a pale blue

Under-Stallion:

Tigerfeather: A light gray appaloosa stallion with a light gray mane and tail, four white socks, and pale yellow feathers fading to a pale orange

Mares:

Starlight: A white mare with a white mane and tail, and pale pink wings

Palefrost: A pearl mare with white wings fading to an icy blue

Foals:

Snowsong: A silver appaloosa filly with a white mane and tail, two white hind socks, and light purple wings that fade to white

Jaggedstone: A dark gray colt with one white right front sock, a jagged white stripe on his face, and pale silver wings fading to a pale blue

RIVER HERD:

Council Members:

Ravenfrost: A black mare with a black mane and tail, four white socks, a wide white blaze, and pale blue wings, Mare Representative to the Council

Hawklight: A light bay stallion with a black mane and tail, black points, four white socks, dark brown wings fading to black, the Stallion Representative to the Council

Harefire: Lead Captain of River Herd, a dark chestnut pinto stallion with a dark chestnut mane and a white tail, four white socks, a wide white blaze, and white wings fading to ocher, Captain Representative to the Council

Petalroot: Medicine Mare of River Herd, a silver pinto mare with a silver mane and tail, four white socks, and pink wings fading to green, Medicine Mare Representative of River Herd

Foals:

Nightmoon: A grullo sabino filly with four white socks, a wide white blaze, and dark blue wing that fade to black

GRASS HERD

Over-Stallion: Lightwing, a palomino stallion with a white mane and tail, four white socks, a large snip on his nose, and pale yellow wings fading to a light blue

Lead Mare: Rosecloud, a dark bay pinto mare, a black mane and tail, black points, two white hind socks, and a bald face marking, and deep red wings

Foals:

Darkfeather: A bay colt with a black mane and tail, black points, four white socks, and wings that go from a pale purple at the front to dark purple at the flight feathers

CRAG HERD:

Over-Stallion: Stonewing, a dark gray stallion with a black mane and tail, two white hind socks, and dark blue wings

Lead Mare: Pinecloud, a light gray stallion with a dark gray mane and tail, four white socks, and pine green wings

Foals:

Speckledice: A gray leopard appaloosa colt with a white mane and tail, and baby blue wings fading to white

WIND HERD:

Over-Stallion: Hailwing, A silver dapple stallion with four white socks, a large star on his face, and slate gray wings

Lead Mare: Softcloud, a cream pearl mare with pale pink wings that fade to a darker pink

Foals:

Woodflake: A dark bay colt with a black mane and tail, black points, four white socks, and pale brown wings

CAVERN HERD

Over-Stallion: Viperwing, a dark bay stallion with a black mane and tail, black points, two white front socks, and dark green wings

Lead Mare: Leafcloud, a dark brown snowcap appaloosa mare with a dark brown mane and tail, four white socks, and pale green wings fading to a dark green

Foals:

Emeraldheart: A bay filly with a black mane and tail, black points, two white hind socks, and emerald green wings

Brownfeather: A dark brown colt with a dark brown mane and tail, one white front sock, and dark green wings fading to a pale green

MORE CHARACTERS WILL BE ADDED AS THEY INTRODUCED IN THE STORY!!!!

I hope you liked it!! I can't wait to show you the next part! :) As always, constructive criticism, theories, and thoughts are welcome!

May the Wind Stay Strong Beneath Your Wings!!