In a flash, the spell finished. Leksea looked down and was delighted to see the strong body of a stallion. His coloration still matched Ladybug. Was she still considered his mother?
Not wanting to waste time with speculation, he rushed over to challenge the leader. Taken by surprise by the sudden intruder, the alpha stallion faltered in his defense and was quickly defeated. Head down, he ceded his position to the mystery upstart. Witnessing this, the herd acknowledged the new stallion as their leader and fell in behind him.
Tail and head high in triumph, the former Leksea returned to Ladybug. "That is that," he neighed smugly. "Let us proceed."
Ladybug ducked her head. "Yes, my darling Leksea."
This got a snort from the stallion. "Please, call me Leks like before, Mother. Leksea is no longer fitting."
"Of course, Leks."
Ladybug watched Leks take the lead with a mix of sadness and maternal pride. Her little foal had become the head of the herd so magnificently! Still, it felt like another piece of her dream had been lost. But was it lost forever? Perhaps, she could regain her dream someday if given the opportunity.
The herd traveled for the remainder of the day before settling down for the night. Finding a good area to sleep, the other stallions split off with their mares for bonding. Leks looked on, taking mental notes. Overall, he had five stallions and eight mares. Nine including Ladybug. That was not a bad ratio to start off.
The stallions that had claimed multiple mares, especially that second in command, would obviously make good studs. As for the others, he would have to observe a bit longer, especially the last lone stallion.
Meanwhile, their breeds were a bit mixed, not quite on par with his five mares. His old magical items would have helped with that. Ladybug, unstable as she was, might still be able to do something with her magic. He would have to think it over. Recent experiences made him even more inclined towards caution than before.
Thus, he mulled these things over until finally dozing off.
(Author's note: Apologies for my initial post being too short, thus triggering a stern reprimanded. Is there a list of guidelines somewhere so I can avoid this mistake in the future?)