Chapter 12: The New Leader

"He'll be fine, Ziwa. Though he will have to move to the senior's den and give his leadership up to his former deputy, Solo." Amyne murmured, glancing at the fallen stallion. The former leader had collapsed on/in his den/ledge, leaving a very worried Ziwa.
"This looks like a bout of windcough, Luna. What combination of two herbs do we need for that?" Amyne asked her apprentice.
Luna furrowed her eyebrows at the particular question,
"Hmmm... I can't seem to remember. Oh, right! Sage, horehound, and wild cherry bark."
Amyne looked impressed at the filly's answer,
"Correct, but that's three herbs. Which combination of the batch should we use on Kisiwa?"
The young filly furrowed her eyebrows yet again.
"I say we should use horehound and wild cherry bark, as horehound can also be used as a pain reliever, and cherry bark can be blended to soothe the many spasms of a cough."
Amyne beamed with delight at her student.
"Correct, again! Fetch both herbs."
Luna quickly returned with the plants, and handed them to Amyne.
Mashing the herbs with a small, but thick log/stick, the remedies were swiftly reduced to a powdery material.
"Luna, please go to retrieve some water." Amyne directed, sending her tired learner off again.
After a few minutes, Luna returned, hauling a massive leaf, full of pooling water. Sighing, she gently set it down by Kisiwa's mouth.
Picking up the stone bowl containing the blended herbs, Amyne poured the mixture into the water, stirring it with a twig.
"Here you are, Kisiwa. Drink it, and you should be fine, though you may still have the cough for the rest of the week."
Kisiwa grumbled in gratitude, muttering about "too many horses worrying over him, and not the other sick horses."
Amyne caught hint of this, reassuring the stallion,
"It's a-okay, Kisiwa. There aren't too many horses sick at the moment." though her worried expression, and fearful eyes told the former leader, and the rest of the group tending to Kisiwa a whole different story.

Author's Note: Sick horses, eh? Remember to keep on commenting if you don't want your character joining the batch! Next chapter will be the "character removal" chapter. Hint, hint. :D