They thought she was dumb. That she was flighty. That she was vain. Serena shook her head. They were right, she was. A gust of wind blew a few strands of the mare’s pale golden forelock into her eyes. It was a familiar sensation. Her hair was one of her best features. She was unnaturally proud of it. For years, she’d worn it long and flowing. It was only in the past month that she’d allowed for it to be chopped into a neat war-cut. It was supposed to be a symbol of change, that she’d matured.
    What a laugh! How wrong she’d been. Her dream life had gone on too long. Now, the rose-tinted shroud had disintegrated. The world it left behind was bleak indeed. Either she took the coward's way out or she would be slaughtered with the others. When had her perfect life gone so wrong?
    It had begun so well. Her childhood was wonderful. She’d had friends and family abound. There was never a dull moment. Serena had spent her days frolicking in the fields. Aconda her best friend. They’d contrasted well against each other; Serena’s angelic perfection against Aconda’s fiery red. Together they’d trampled across the country-side in search of adventures. The best of friends. Then, they’d grown apart. Aconda had become distant until all of a sudden she was gone. Serena had woken one day to find her friend gone, sent to live in another valley far away.
    It had been devastating to the young mare. The abandonment had wounded her. Time had eased the pain, but it had never gone away. She’d felt inadequate. A few days after later, Serena herself had been shipped off to a new home. Surrounded by strangers and still dealing with her broken-friendship, Serena had been all too happy to forgo most of her future training. There was no point in being a dragon hunter if there wasn’t a team. The life of a cherished broodmare had been much more tempting.
    Serena had been so young and happy then. Her breath hitched as she thought about her children. All of them were precious. Each wobbly first step stood out in her mind like it was yesterday. Love hit her hard (and often) back then. She swallowed back tears. Those foals had been the lights of her life. Without them, she was adrift with no set purpose. As a mother, she had a goal: to raise them into proper young horses. Serena did just that. Every time she watched the tiny foal grow into a strapping young weanling. Their big eyes and milky lips gradually faded until, now, they were all strangers to her. Serena could not say that she was close to any of her children. They’d all left her as they’d grown. Most she had never seen again.
    Everyone had abandoned her. There was no one left. Not her children, not her owner, not even her hair had remained. Why? Why her? Why, why, why! It was a question that had been answered time and time again: Serena was useless. Other than a pretty face, what use was she? She’d never worked a day in her life. There’d always been a clean stall with fresh food as long as she’d batted her eyelashes at the next handsome face. Flirting was something she was good at. The studs never seemed to mind when she’d moved on to the next guy. Well, that was the guys she ever saw again. Loyalty wasn’t a trait they really admired. It was sickening to think how she’d been content with that life.
    That was her lesson. An old broodmare, she’d been returned to Aleria like an unwanted runt. Her lack of training had been a hindrance. She was of no use to the Royal Guards or stables. She could barely carry herself around, let alone a rider. The stable master had given her free run of the grounds. Serena had spent her first weeks wandering the gardens, little more than a pretty figurine. She might still be there if not for the appearance of another handsome face: Brutus.
    He’d appeared in her world one day. Serena was never sure exactly why she hadn’t seen him before, but suddenly he dominated her thoughts. He served as a commander for his regimen, yet he wasn’t harsh or demanding. He lead with honesty and humor. She’d fallen for him with a speed that startled even her.
    Unsurprisingly, he’d been completely uninterested. His focus was on his job, not in mares. His rejection had stung, but for once, Serena hadn’t sulked about it. Instead, she had taken it as a challenge. She’d begun to train. A brisk jog each morning to help combat her growing weight. Serena had gradually increased the distance and speed until she could canter the edge of the common grounds without tiring. Then she’d taken up  jumping any logs or tree branches she found downed in the forest. She’d dropped the fat she’d accumulated from childbirth and gained newfound muscle. Winning Brutus’ respect had become a goal, just as raising her children had been. He would see her as an equal one day.
    That goal is what had gotten her in this mess now. It was no one’s fault but her own. Chasing after Brutus had made her reckless. She was so confident in herself that she hadn’t thought much about the dangers of venturing in the forest her own. Her only thought had been to see Brutus. The dragons would never have tracked her back to the herd if she hadn’t gone into the forest, if she’d been careful.
    The herd wasn’t a group of trained hunters. Viper and Snake were. Slayer, Prophet, maybe Huntsman. They’d be able to hold their own. The rest of the band couldn’t. Serena wasn’t so full of herself that she thought she qualified as trained. The rest of them were nursing mares, an assortment of yearlings, and foals. None of them were a match for one of the dragons. These were different than any of the one’s at home. Wingless, they walked low to the ground. They were slimmer, meaner. Living on an island devoid of prey had broken them down to the most basic of creatures. These dragons were the ones willing to cannibalize one another to survive. The herd had no chance fighting these creatures. Any fight would be their last stand.
    Serena looked up, gazing at nothing. The realization that they were on a suicide mission came as little surprise. Their force was limited to only five horses: two dragon hunters, one who was nursing at that, two dragon hunters in training, and then Serena. The outcome was grim at best. Someone would die that day, most likely her. A laugh escaped her throat. She could always run away. Aconda had done it and made it. Serena couldn’t blame the mare for leaving them when danger loomed. Her foal still had a chance to make it if she could get far enough away before she gave birth. Serena could escape into the forest and hope for the best. It would be so easy.
    She sobered. That option didn’t appeal to her. Serena thought of Honey and Nessie waiting back in the cave. Of the small silver foal who’d offered her flowers after Viper had snapped at her. The big eyes so like those of her own children. Of the look of complete trust that filled the eyes of all the foals nestled in that sea-side cave. They all believed that their mothers were coming back to see them later. They’d cheered as the fighting party had left the cave. She couldn’t betray that.
    Her gaze traveled out to the ocean. Sunlight sparkled across the scarlet water. Reds and oranges dyed the morning sky in brilliant hues. The sight was breathtaking. Serena felt her resolve strengthened. If there was a time to die, this was it.
    “If this is my last stand, then so be it. Whatever else I may be, I was never one to give up without a fight!” she yelled. The pounding of the surf below was her only answer. With one last look at the hidden cave, Serena spun away quickly. She picked her way down the path towards the plains.
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    Grassy fields stretched out in an endless expanse of rolling brown. The forest appeared as a dark rim around the far edge. Beyond that lay the valley. Serena hesitated as she gazed out. There was still time to turn around and- she shook her head again. This was something she had to do. Serena swallowed her fear and picked up the gallop. Her stride ate up the ground. Her feet barely touched the grass as she tore across the plains. Her self-training had paid of. She bounded along effortlessly. Without the extra weight, she ran long and low like a cat. She felt weightless as she cleared each slope. There were no problems when she was suspended in the air.
    The edge of the forest grew larger with each step. Strangely, with it came no fear. Serena slowed down to a canter as she entered the tree line. The dark grass was spongier under the trees. Sunlight cast dapples along the forest floor. It was just as silent as it had always been, but now there was  an undercurrent of danger. It only served to invigorate her more.
    Serena’s muscles tensed as the sunlight gradually faded. The air became warmer, heavier. The shadows became longer, hiding twisting tree roots and uneven ground. She slowed to a brisk trot to keep her footing. A small cliff edged with bushes appeared ahead. Smaller ledges led to the top. Serena bounded up the steep embankment easily. The bushes along the top were thick. She pushed her way through with little effort.
    Suddenly, she was there. Serena looked down into the valley. The other horses had formed a semicircle facing the flight of dragons. The rim of the valley cast it into shade. The dragons stood in the darker portion. All Serena could make out were the glowing pin-pricks of their eyes. She could make out at least twenty individual sets.
    The mare picked her way down the path to her herd. Viper acknowledged her with barely a flick of her ear. Slayer stood between her mother and Snake. Snake gave no indication that she even noticed Serena’s arrival. Prophet was nowhere to be seen. The mares stood quietly, watching the mass of dragons as the sun slowly rose higher in the sky. Silent as a ghost, Prophet appeared as the sun cleared the rim. The dragons came into focus. They were smaller than she remembered. Their bodies were lanky, emaciated really, with scales ranging in color from a dirt brown to charcoal. They piled around like a pack of rabid dogs.
    The first dragon to strike was a skinny grey. It broke from the flight, charging straight at Snake’s front legs. A well-placed hoof crushed its skull. Immediately, a frenzy broke out in the group. Dragons swarmed the waiting horses. Screams filled the air as they were overcome by the onslaught. Bodies threw themselves atop the horses, dragging them down in tangles of limbs. Screams, from both dragon and horses, rent the air.
    Serena stumbled as two dragons scrambled for purchase across her back. Another grabbed her back leg. Serena’s leg shot out from under her. She collapsed onto her side, crushing two of her would-be assailants under her. Serena rolled over, regaining her feet while the dragons were still stunned. Her movements were slow and uncoordinated. She didn’t know how to fight things like this. The dragons sensed her hesitancy, crowding around her as she desperately tried to fend them off. They knew she wasn’t a threat.
     Finally, one of her wild attacks landed a hit. Serena’s watched as her hoof caught one of the dragons clamoring around her legs in the throat. She stopped moving. The beast backed away, coughing and hissing. The others wasted no time filling in its place. Serena renewed her attack. A new emotion infused her muscles. Excitement. She'd been bred for this. For running. For chasing.  Even without proper training, she knew. Her blood sang with each hit. She became a creature of instinct.  Everything was intune for fighting.  It was a dance of death. Each spin and kick drew blood. Around her, Serena could hear her comrades engaged in similar battles. No Longer did any of them cry. Instead, the crush of hoof on flesh reverberated through the valley. They were in their element now.

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    The horses were getting tired. The fighting had been going on for nearly half an hour now. It had to be. Their blows came slower. The dragon’s attacks hit more often. Even Prophet, easily the most vicious and blood-thirsty of the entire herd, seemed to have trouble keeping his footing. Rivulets of blood darkened his coat. It darkened all their coats. No one was left unscathed at this point. The dragons had managed to isolate all the horses. Instead of fighting in teams, each horse was left to fend for themselves against the horde of attackers.
    The dragons seemed to multiply by the minute. Serena could see a few slinking out of the woods even now. There was no way they could win now. She turned to seek out her next opponent. She spotted a dragon sneaking up behind Slayer. “Not on my watch,” she muttered and took off after it.
Crack! 
    What sounded like a small explosion rocked the battlefield. Serena stumbled sideways as her leg caught on one the corpses littering the ground. The explosion deafened her. She heard nothing, felt nothing. Something gripped the back of  her neck tightly. Serena twisted to bite her attacker, but a tail slammed into the side of her head. The force of the blow knocked her to her knees. With it went the last of her strength. Panting, Serena could only watch as the dragon stalk forward to deliver the killing blow. Time moved sluggishly.
       White blurred her vision. A scream broke through the fog. This one was a deep, guttural sound.  The white shifted and then there was red. The red bled into orange. Two blue eyes glared down at Serena. Blood covered the chestnut's face. Charmer. The larger mare bared her teeth at her mother before spinning off to continue fighting.  Beyond her, Serena could see the battered body if the dragon from earlier.  Charmer had crushed  it beneath her powerful hooves. It's head, it's legs, and it's spine, all broken and battered. She could make out bits of white from the red pulp. Probably fragments of bone. Her daughter had saved her. She'd come back.
     Getting to her feet, Serena looked around to see that reinforcements had arrived. The others had returned. The boom from earlier had been indeed been a small explosion. From where she stood, Serena could see Prime grab a dragon by the neck and shake it violently. Flickers of fire swirled around them irregularly. A short pop sounded as the dragon suddenly exploded. The pressure from the heat had forced its organs outwards.
    Serena scanned the rest of the battlefield. The mob of dragons had dissipated rapidly. Small fires littered the field. Stone spikes jutted from the ground at irregular intervals. The corpses of dragons were impaled along them. Serena shivered. Prime had been hailed as a legendary dragon slayer and for good reason. Nothing would stand up to that.
     The other stallions dished out equal punishment. She caught sight of both Brutus and Master darting in and out of the fray. Their white coats were dimmed by the smoke. Blood coated their legs, ranging from scarlet to near-black. Each moved with stunning speed, darting from one opponent to the next. They might have lacked Prime’s penchant for drama, but they were no less deadly.
    Soon enough the field was empty of dragons, at least living ones. The fighters drove back the dragons. A few horses tailed the last of the dragons out of the valley. Serena watched them slip up through the trees. It was over. Her legs felt heavy. What she wouldn’t give to just lie down. She closed her eye for a moment. Sighing, she began limping towards the woods herself.
Click!
Serena paused.
Click!
She turned to look.
Click!
    She spotted it. A dragon lay half impaled on one of the spikes. His flank was run through and his upper body lay sprawled across the earth. The wound itself wasn’t fatal, but it would bleed out if it didn’t get down. The dragon seemed to know that. Hatred filled its pale orange eyes. It snapped its jaws with another click.
    Serena stared for a minute, then walked closer. The dragon struggled to lunge at her. The spear kept it pinned in place. “Now this was just tragic”, she muttered. “It’s time to end this fight.” She reared up and brought her front hooves down utop the beast. It only took one hit. The dragon’s eyes continued to glare up at her, but the orange slowly clouded over. Serena stopped and watched.
“Mother?”
    Serena swung her head to see Charmer standing behind her. The larger mare gazed down at her dam. Her expression showed thinly-veiled shock. Serena smiled weakly in return. Her anger spent, she’d now run out of energy. The palomino mare walked closer to her daugher. She rested her head against Charmer’s side, savoring the feeling of warmth under her chin. How long had it been since she’d held someone this close? The two of them hadn’t been this close sense Charmer had been weaned.
“Mother?”

    This time, Serena didn’t open her eyes. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, but she still smiled. This was her reason. This is why she fought. For her children. She fought for what she had, what she’d lost, and what she would one day would have. She fought for their future.

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