The Secret of the Snow: Intro\NOT Mini story

DISCLAMER: This is not a short story. It ended up being VERY long SORRY

Somewhere in western Anok, Wind Herd was migrating to their cooler meadow. In the back of her formation, a small white mare was seized with a wing cramp. The captain watching the back was talking to another steed and didn't see her fall. As she fell, the branches of the trees scratched her hide as she barreled towards the ground. She opened to cry for help, but before her voice could reach her lips he hit the ground and everything went black.

She woke up in a strange meadow. 'This isn't what I remembered Dusk meadow like' she thought. She raised her neck but cringed as splintering pain raced up her spine. "Don't move. Stay still." nickered a mare.

"Okay" she sighed.

She hadn't realized it at first but something about the mare's accent made her look twice. She strained her eyes and saw a small dapple bay pinto mare, with a white and black mane, and feathers the same color as............ as leaves? She blinked a few times to clear her eyes but nothing changed. This mare had no wings. She looked around and saw many other wingless steeds.

"Wait.....You have no wings..." she thought a moment, " You guys are land horses!"

"I am very much aware of this." She chucked.

"Oh, right" She said feeling stupid, "How'd I get here?"

"Our patrols found you unconscious and said you fell from a bad wing cramp. They brought you back here, to me, this herd's medicine mare. My name is Cherry by the way." She explained while picking roots with her teeth and setting them down in a basket.

"How'd you make those you have no wings and that's a Sand Herd and Wind Herd secret!" She wondered aloud.

"Well.... I'd rather not say but......" She sighed feeling guilty. " We steal them from your herd"

She laughed.

"Its okay, I'm Lilyfeather by the way." She said to the whole herd.

As they greeted her she found out that land horses had quite weird names like Storm, Cherry, Rain, Spirit, Rak, Cole, Rae and even Esperanza. They weren't the typical pegasus names she was used to. She started to take it all in and process all the information she just received when a question stuck her.

" How do you know our language?" She asked, dumbfound.

"We have adapted to you, ya know. We still use our language quite often though" She chuckled.

"Oh. Who's the over-stallion and lead mare of this herd?" she asked.

And as if on cue a shiny black stallion appeared on the ridge of the meadow. He galloped down and greeted each herd member in their language and then greeted her.

"He is. And he doesn't have a mare." Answered Cherry.

"Hi, I'm Kahn" He said kindly. She looked into his fiery blue eyes and saw that beneath the stunning stallion, there was a friendly colt wanting to be kind. She softened and exchanged breath with him. "I'm Lilyfeather."

"Once you are as good as new you'll be back with your herd! Until, and after, you are welcome here." He said nicely.

---

Once Lilyfeather was able to walk, Kahn introduced her to every steed individually. She grew close to him as she was recovering and learned much about horses and how they aren't the dull beasts they thought they were. One cold night she was sleeping in her usually spot shivering as frosty air bit her hide. Kahn saw her and snuggled next to her. She opened her eyes and saw him there.

"You looked cold." He said blushing.

"Thanks." She said nuzzling him.

"I love you." He said cringing as he waited for an answer.

"I love you too." She said smiling.

He widened his eyes surprised. He smiled and nuzzled her affectionately.

"Come with me." He said.

She got up and followed as he led her into the forest.

"Where are we goin-" Before she could finish, they came upon a beautiful meadow filled with fireflies.

She looked at the meadow and then up at the starts in aw.

"It's beautiful." She nickered.

They slept there together that night, and yes, they became mates.

---

A few days later Cherry found out they had become mates.

"Oh my gosh Kahn that's great!" She neighed excitedly, but immediately replaced her smile with a frown.

"Whats wrong." Kahn asked acknowledging her sudden sadness.

Cherry sighed. "You know she doesn't belong here"

Kahn growled "Yes she does she's doing fine with us here!" But then he looked back at Cherry and knew she was right. "You're right, she belongs with her herd. But I don't know how I can live without her!"

"Its more that you should've ever been asked and its not what you deserve, but it has to happen." she whispered blinking back tears.

They pressed their foreheads together and Kahn set off knowing that the sooner it happened the better it would be. When he came upon Lilyfeather he greeted her happily, hiding his sadness.

"Can you come with me." He asked.

"Sure!" She said following him as he broke into a gallop.

Knowing that pegasi were clumsy he told her she could fly since it would be a while. The two galloped and glided along side for many hours. As they neared their destination that was unknown to Lilyfeather, she noticed a familiar pond.

'That was the pond we stopped at during the migration. Where is taking me?' she thought.

Soon they reached Wind Herd's cooler meadow.

"Why are we at Rain Meadow?" She asked perplexed, sensing something was up. "Why did you take me here!"

"Cause this is where you belong" he said letting his tears fall freely.

"No please don't leave me here! I love you!" She cried knowing that he was right but not wanting to admit it.

"I love you to he said. Never forget me" He sobbed pressing their foreheads together.

"Never in 1000 moons" She whispered.

With that he sounded a distress alarm knowing that Wind herd's patrol would hear it and galloped away. He stood on a ridge of a nearby hill and reared kowing his heart would be forever broken. He mouthed the words 'please stay'. She nodded and mouthed back 'I love you' knowing this very well could be the last time she saw her mate. He disappeared into the horizon just as the patrol appeared.

"Lilyfeather?" asked one of the captains. "We all thought you were dead!"

"No I've been wandering" She explained the story on the way back to the herd, lying half the time so that she didn't have to mention the horse herd. She knew the land horses liked stay rather "sparse" to pegasi.

---

Lilyfeather sat in the forest. 11 months had passed sense she left Kahn and at her feet lay a newborn colt. He was a beautiful grullo pinto with black points. He had a black and white mane and tail as well as a white stripe with a pink snip at the end. But his feathers where very different. They were pitch black. She returned to the herd with her newborn colt. It's the black foal. No there's no 100 yr star! But her wings are black. Many steeds murmured and questioned the foal. The over-stallion of Wind herd, Ashwing flew down from his post followed by the lead mare.

"Only his wings are black and there isn't a 100 yr star! This means He isn't the black foal" He explained calming the herd.

Ashwing was a thoughtful and kind leader but was fearless and harsh when needed.

"Thank you." She said once the crowd had dispersed.

"No problem, who's his sire?" he asked.

"Promise not to tell?

"Of course I wont tell c'mon i'm your best friend. Not even my mate Shadecloud." It was true. He was her best friend. And she knew he wouldn't tell.

"Well, I didn't exactly wander. I stayed with- with a land horse herd. There I met my mate, Kahn, but I had to return." she sighed telling him the story and her colt nursed.

"I see. I'm sorry that's realy hard. What's his name?" He asked.

Lilyfeather thought for a moment. Suddenly Kahn's face flashed before her eyes. The black stallion said 'Snowfeather'.

"Snowfeather, I think i'll call him Snowfeather."

He may not have been the black foal but he did have a secret. A secret only his father knew. For Kahn was not an ordinary horse, he had his own secret. The Secret of the Snow.