on his face.

"What?" she demanded again.

Dallas stopped and faced her. He opened his mouth, then shut it and walked on again. Nalani sighed and opened her mouth to speak, but Dallas turned to face her.

"Follow me."

Suprised, Nalani followed him to the back of the Sun House. Dallas nudged open a door and motioned her in. Curious, Nalani followed.  Dallas went over to a shelf and pulled a box off the bottom.

"This," he said placing a paw on the box. "is all the information we could get on that mustang." he pushed the box toward her. 

"Read it." Then he got up and left.

Nalani starred at the box. Why didn't he just tell her about the mustang, instead of making her read about it? How'd he know she could even read?

"It's like they know all about me all ready."she mumbled to herself.

Straighting up, she started investigating the contents of the box.

                                                         ~^~^~^~^~

 Sire: Black Sun. Dam: Atair. Offspring: colt, Zanzibar.

Sire: Amato. Dam: Azra. Offsping: filly, Zetena.

Zanzibar and Zetena had a single colt, Black Lava.

Black Lava was bred to Ali, a mare sired by Scar and foaled by Avila.Ali gave birth to a sorrel filly, but we were never able to name it, for no name seemed to fit her.

We were contacted by the young man we sold her to a month after he had taken her. He claimed the filly had lashed out at him and almost bit him. I fear this filly may be a throwback to her great-grandsire, Black Sun, or 'the white stallion with a gaze that could kill' as so many called him.  Alas, Black Lava has disapered as well. Such a fine stallion he was, the best I have ever owned. I do hope he has found a herd of his own to lead, as his anscenters once did.                                                                                                      

     ~~Kaniloa

"Thats it?" Nalani flipped the page of the journal, but the rest of the pages were blank. With a sigh, she shut the book. So far, the only things she could find on the mustang was that it was a three and a half year old sorrel mare, her lines, a small journal from the man who owned her sire, Black Lava, and a few paintings of her grand-sire and great-grand sire.

Why they had named a practicly white stallion Black Sun was beyond her, but she guessed eaither the person who painted it had been exzagerating with the eyes or if she was overeacting about the defenition, but the stallions blue eyes glared at her. A shiver went down her spine. He did look like he could kill.

She preferred the softer brown eyes of Zanzibar. A sorrel with a perfect star centerd directly under his forelock, Nalani found it hard to belive he was the son of a killer stallion.

"Theres got to be more in here." Nalani mutterd as she looked in the box again. Nothing. With a sigh, Nalani started putting everything back in. At least if Dallas gave her a pop quiz she'd have something to say.

As she walked out of the back room, Nalani couldn't help glance at the mare. She had calmed down a little, and was staring off toward Sunshine Pasture.

"Hey kid!"

Nalani turned to see Nate standing in the front door. "Dallas wants you!" he called.

Nalani bounded toward the house. Dallas, Ely, Cade, Kit, and Quinn were there along with Nate. "What'd you find?" Dallas asked as soon as she enterd.

Nalani told him all she found. The mustangs age, gender, lines, and about the journal. Dalloas nodded slowly as she talked. When she finneshed, he turned to Ely. "Well, Ely, what do you think?" he asked.

"It's possible shes a throwback," Ely glanced at Nalani for a second. "Since she never lets anyone near her." he finneshed.

Dallas slowly nodded, as if considering something. Then he turned to the others. "That horse is off limits to everyone, all right? We don't need someone getting hurt. Make sure the others know, got it?"

Ely, Kit, Quinn, Cade, and Nate all nodded. Dallas got up and headed out. When he passed Nalani, she swore she saw him look at her out of the corner of his eye, and it almost seemed like he was challenging her.

What do they mean the mares never let anyone near her? She walked right up to me, Nalani thought.

Was it possible that Dallas was challenging her to test that?

                                                           ~^~^~^~^~

That night, visions of the mustang filled Nalani's dreams. Brown eyes wide, the mare reared again and again, hooves thrashing out. Eyes rolled white, the mare lashed out at nothing. Suddenly, the mare was gone. A  filly stood her place.

The filly's coat was ocean blue, a pale gray mane flowed like a waterfall down it's neck, cloudy wisps wrapped around three legs, white wings with gold trim folded gently at it's side. It tossed it's head, reviling a pale blue blaze on it's face.

Pawing the ground, the filly neighed. Speachless, Nalani took a step closer. The filly bobbed it's head, as if nodding.  "Who, what are you?" Nalani heard herself ask.

I am Akila, what I am is not inportent, the filly's red eyes peered out from under the pale gray forelock.

Nalani's jaw went slack with shock. Did it just talk?

"Ookaay, lets wake up Nalani, before things get out of control." Nalani told herself. She shut her eyes, but when she opened them, the filly was staring at her.

"Wha-what are you staring at?" Nalani stutterd.

You wish to help the fire mustang, yes?, Akila asked.

"Fire mustang? If you mean the sorrel in the corral outside, yes. But Dallas said no ones allowed near her"

Akila shook her mane. He means to challenge you, the fire mustang has chosen you. Now, you must return to her.

"What! Now? In the middle of the night? Do you know how much trouble I'll be in if Dallas catches me?"

Akila's wings spread out, making her apere larger. Do you wish to help your horse or not?

Nalani took a step back. "My horse? I don't remeber anyone saying I could have her."

Riders do not choose their horses, the horses choose their riders, And with that, Akila disapered.

Nalani sat upright. Glancing around, she saw everyone else was alseep. Dallas slept by the door, Ely and Maxine curled up under the north window, and the boys were in a pile up at the end of the cabin. Taking small, slow breathes, Nalani calmed herself.

Just a dream, it was just a dream, she told herself, but something told her it hadn't been just a dream.

Neighs drfited to her ears. The mustang. Nalani remeberd how the mustang had walked right up behind her, when everyone else said no one could get near her. Could Akila possibly be right? Had the mare chosen her to be her rider?

Get over it, it was just a dream, Nalani told herself.

But the mares neighs seemed to call her, so Nalani quietly rose. She'd just go see the mustang, she wouldn't go in the corral.

Moonlight made the mare glow in her corral. Quietly, Nalani walked over to the moonlit corral. The mare's ears twitched, then she swung her head around. Brown eyes gazed out from a ivory curtain.

"You look like your grand-sire." Nalani whisperd. The mare tossed her head, as if she thought it was a conpliment. Which it had been. The mare continued to stare at Nalani, but wouldn't move from her spot on the other side of the corral.

"If your trying to give me the cold shoulder, your suppose to ignore me conpletly." Nalani told her. The mare blinked, then turned away.

Nalani almost laughed, but she didn't. If anyone caught her, she'd be toast. The mare had one ear turned toward Nalani, as if she was eavesdropping.

"I'm not even talking silly gir.l." Nalani teased. The mare switched her tail, but her ear stayed turned toward Nalani.

"I'd better go gir.l. I'll be back." she promised.

                                                          ~^~^~^~^~

For the next few weeks, Nalani made nightly vists to the mare. Each night, the mare exnoeldged her more and more. She'd even started facing her and walking up to her. Even though they were making amazaing progess, Nalani's lack of sleep started showing. She couldn't keep her eyelids from drooping, she started stumbling, and falling asleep standing up. One morning, Nalani awoke to Maxine shaking her.

"Nalani, Nalani wake up. Everyone's waiting for you."

Nalani bolted upright. "What? Why? What do they need me for?"

Her heart raced. Had someone seen her go to the mustang at night? Was Dallas going to lecture her in front of everyone?

Maxine held up her paws in  mock surrender. "Whoa now. Everyones waiting for you because Dallas wants you to help with the herding."

Relief flooded through Nalani, followed by worry. "But I've never herded