The Herd's History
Originally there were five herds. These herds formed collectively what was known as The Followers of The Oak. Each herd was named after an object that was of great importance to the herds, the Sun, Moon, Earth, Sky and Oak. The Followers consisted of horses that shared the same beliefs of Spirit guides, sacred plants and animals and the importance of yearly events like the Solstice and Equinox.
Southern Herd – The Earth – Mother Earth was important to all five herds, though the Southern Herd held her in deep reverence. This herd was responsible for ensuring the forests stayed healthy and full of trees. In the spring members would spread out across the land planting seeds that would one day grow into strong trees and plants that would provide food and shelter for the horses as well as other animals in the area. Most of the horses in this herd had deep brown coats to match that of the soil of Mother Earth and took pride in keeping their coats well maintained, much like they did the Earth itself.
Northern Herd – The Sky – The Sky was an important feature to all the herds, within it were the Spirits of the Ancients, Lady Moon and Father Sun. Often the Sky Herd would contain many elders in training.They believed that this was the area most closely connected with the Spirits outside of the Sacred Grove in the Central herds territory. Once fully trained the majority of the Elders would move to the Central herd, though some opted to either remain with the Sky herd or return to the ones they were born into. It was here each summer that the herds would celebrate the Summer Equinox, which was the longest day of the year.
Eastern Herd – The Sun – Like the rising sun this herd hailed from the eastern side of the five herds territory. They wake early so as to greet the morning sun each day, thanking the Spirits for the light and warmth that it provides. In the summer a Sun festival would be held in which all the herds would gather in the east to worship Father Sun. This herd was closely connected to the Southern herd, as it was the duty of Father Sun to cast light upon Mother Earth to nourish her plants and warm her creatures.
Western Herd – The Moon – Nighttime dwellers, the Moon herd relished the night and Lady Moon. Unlike the other herds who were more active in the day, these horses spent their nights worshiping the Moon and it’s sway on the tides, significance on the seasons and close proximity to the Spirits. This herd was extremely close with the Northern Herd as they represented the Sky, where Lady Moon, as well as the Spirits, resided.
Central Herd – The Oak – The Central, or Oak Herd binds the other four together. Within its territory lies the Sacred Grove, within which important ceremonies are held. This Sacred Grove is the place where the connections to the Spirits are the strongest. The Oak Herd also has the highest number of Grove Keepers in it, as it is the one most closely connected to the Spirits. When a horse wishes for the guidance of the Spirits they will often travel to the Sacred Grove to seek out the Grove Keepers there.
Another important feature of the Oak Herds area is the Sacred Oak. It lies in the very center of the herd’s territory. Its age is unknown, although when the herds came to it the tree was already huge, proving that it had been standing there for many years. The tree represents the knowledge of the Spirits and the strength of the herd. Should anything happen to the Sacred Oak then it would directly affect all the horses in the herds.
Shortly after the Winter Pairing Ceremony a disease struck the five herds. This disease affected every horse and over time began killing off the herds one by one. By mid January all but a handful of horses had died. Those that survived were weak but knew that they needed to find a new home, for the lands were deemed tainted by the elders. They looked to Maponus and Shylah to find this new home, for they were the strongest of the survivors. Divone, a Spirit Walker from the Moon herd told the pair to leave the others behind, for she would attend to their needs, while they went in search of new lands to call their own.
Knowing that they must do just that, Maponus and Shylah set off on a long journey in search of what would become the new land for the survivors. Though the winter was harsh they knew that the Spirits would guide their hooves in the right direction. Days turned into weeks and just when it looked like they may not find a new home the pair came across a pair of owls, whom they had seen during their Spirit Dream walk in the pairing ceremony. Theses owls lead the horses to a circular grove on the night of a full moon. The spirits had a strong presence here and on top of that a mighty oak tree grew in the center of the grove. Knowing that they had finally found their new home Maponus and Shylah rested that night in the grove and once morning hit they found themselves refreshed and ready to make the long journey back to their old lands.
Bringing the others to this new grove was another challenge that Maponus and Shylah met. The journey was a slow one as some of the horses were still quite weak from the disease that had nearly wiped out the herds completely. Once in their new home the elders decided it was time to name the herds new leaders, the decision was an easy one. Maponus and Shylah were then deemed the Astral Walkers of the new herd that would be known from that day forth as the Followers of The Moon.
Despite being a collective herd, far smaller then the original five herds that comprised the Followers of the Oak, it is not unusual for the Moon members to introduce themselves as belonging to one of the five original 'tribes' within the herd.
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