Dust flew from the Paint stallion's hooves as he dug in and sped forward. He pinned his ears adjacent to his skull, and ran his heart out, the General laughing on his back. Why was the speedy stallion in such a hurry? Cremello. He hadn't seen his best friend in a week. He had told her to meet him at the post, but he was late. The gates opened just in time for the big stallion to run in, coming to a sliding stop. The General dismounted and un-tacked him. he whacked his rump and Solomon snorted, and sped into a trot. He sailed over a fence, and trotted to the post to wait for Creme.

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Creme's black tipped muzzle drifted over the sandy ground. She blew impatiently and lifted her head. Looking around causally, she didn't expect to see her best friend, though she wanted to. She knew that she would hear him coming before she saw him, but still, checking helped ease her paranoia, if not for a moment. She let her head fall back down, when the large gate started to open. Jerking it back up, she cantered to the fence, leaning over in anticipation. Not 10 minutes later, the familiar scent of her best friend met her, and she turned towards it, cantering his way.

 

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He trotted towards her neck arched gracefully. He bucked and let out a raucous whinny that echoed through the fort. "I missed you!!" he exclaimed when he reached her.

 

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Creme smiled and dashed for him. Hanging her head over his withers she nickered and took in his sweaty, dusty scent. 'I missed you too,' she nickered, rubbing his neck with her own. His scent old her wonders about him, were he had been, what he had been doing, and the like. She smelled the leather of his bridle and saddle, the sweet scent of pines, his human's musty odor, and eventually the great out doors, a smell she didn't get very often. She back ed away from him and smiled, then lead him to the water trough, he looked parched. 'Anything exciting happen?' she neighed softly, standing by his side as he drank his weight of the clean water.

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He smiled as she hung her head around his withers. He walked with her to the trough, and stuck his muzzle into it, taking in great gulps of water. When he finally raised his head, the water trickled from his lips. He walked back toward her, taking in her deep scent. She smelled like roses. "Well we saw signs of the Lakota nearby. A few dead buffalo with spears in there sides. They were gutted out though. The savages must have taken their inners with them." he said, looking mildly disgusted.

 

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Creme shook her head, sticking her tongue out. "Nasty," she neighed. "Did you see any of the humans though?" she followed, concern tugging at the edge of her tone. "They've stolen some of our horses before." Creme's ear flicked back as a mare laughed. She was a royal red roan, with a black mane, tail, and muzzle. She and her small army of mares walked from the gate of the fence towards the duo, one by one as the humans removed the muzzles. Creme's ears pointed back out of annoyance, and she took a step back from the bully mare.

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Solomon nodded. "I saw Katrece. The General didn't see her, and she seemed happy with those savages." he spat the last word out, then pinned his ears with annoyance at the bully mares. "Bug off." he snapped, then looked back to Creme and nuzzled her.

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"I'm glad," she replied softly. "What's up 'Sully'?" The mare sneered, mocking Creme's nickname for her best friend. "You heard him, Bitty, bug off," Creme snapped, ears pinned back. "Why would I do that, pest?" Bitty snapped back. Pivoting suddenly, she violently kicked up dust and dirt, flinging it at Creme and Solomon. The palomino mare lunged back and let out a quick scream.

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Solomon's ears were pinned adjacent to his skull. "Shut the hell up Bitty!" he yelled, lunging at her, teeth bared. He opened his mouth wide, tearing a chunk out of Bitty's neck. He usually wasn't so mean but he was in a bad mood today.

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"Solomon!" Creme screamed, as did Bitty. The other mares reared away from the angry stallion, and Creme lunged for him. She grabbed a chunk of his mane in her mouth and held him back. Releasing him, she dashed between him and the bleeding mare. She couldn't scream, she couldn't question him, so only stared into his eyes, scared and confused. Her ears slowly perked up and she slowly looked the way of the men, who shouted and ran into the pen, holding long ropes, ready to lasso her friend. Creme wouldn't fight back, the humans were only protecting them. But a rope suddenly lassoed her neck, pulling her back. A man quickly appeared by her side and checked her over, giving her neck more slack on the rope then he would have any other horse. Neither he nor any other human expected her to be frightened by the attack, and thus continuing the violence, but he did want to make sure that she was OK. Leading her back to the pens, she stopped Bitty, who had been forced to lie down with the man putting pressure on the wound until the medic came. The mare was panted heavily, and her eyes were wide. Creme and the bully's friends watched her, when the palomino nickered a gentle apology, before being lead to her stall.

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Solomon's eyes widened with horror as Bitty screamed. he looked at Creme, backing away. Then a lasso was around his legs, dragging him to the ground. He hit the ground with a awkward thud, but didn't thrash. he looked up at the humans who were holding the shot. Then it was injected into his tough hide. Within minutes the anesthetic kicked in and Solomon drifted to a deep sleep.

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Creme stood quietly in her stall. She was scared, and extremely embarrassed. She may have been mad at Solomon if she wasn't so worried for him.

The next day, the men took her from her stall early in the morning, and tied her up. The medic came and looked over her again. He gave her a more careful inspection this time, and didn't over look a single scratch. By breakfast time he finally announced her fine, and they put her back in her stall for the meal. No one rode her that day, but kept her in her stall. She wasn't sure if she was being punished, or if they were trying to keep her out of more fights, but she waited patiently. That evening they finally let her out for a few hours, but she could feel every horse watching her, and wanted to go back into her safe stall as soon as they would let her. She didn't see much of Solomon all day, and was worried for him. She wanted to talk to him, to find out what happened, to simply be near him... but she never could.

 

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Solomon was thoroughly whipped, then put in his stall to lick his wounds. He kept his head low. Why had he bitten Bitty? He didn't know. She just infuriated him when she involved Creme, and he snapped. He lifted his head. His whole body was covered in welts. He let out a low, sad groan, laying his head on the side of his stall.

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For fear of Creme getting into another fight, she was lead around the large fort by lead-rope for her exercise. As she walked by Solomon's stall one or twice, and hearing nothing from inside, kept walking. But the third time, she halted. Nickering loud and gently, she summoned her friend. The human tried to pull her on, but she pulled back. She wasn't moving until she saw her friend.

 

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Solomon's ears pricked, and he let out a low, grating reply and came to the door, his head and neck emerging from the darkness of the stall. Blood trickled from the welts, and all of the fire that was once in him was gone.

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Creme's green eyes widened sadly, but she was jerked back to reality by the human again pulling the rope. Angered, she grabbed it in her mouth and yanked back. Neighing, she trotted to the stall, put her neck over it, ears back. She nuzzled Solomon's cheek, and again eyed the human, jaw shoved outward. The human moved closer to grab her halter, but she stretched her neck away from him and snorted, daring him to try. Dashing away from the human and stall, she circled back around to Solomon's other side, leading the human spinning. She stamped her foot down resolutely and dropped her head beside Solomon's, her breath tickling his ear.

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He lifted his head and nickered another low greeting. He shook his mane,, ears pinned at the human. "You better go. I don't want you to get whipped." he nudged her neck. "They plan to let me out tomorrow. Meet me at the post tomorrow."

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Solomon snorted with unease as they watched them drag her away, sighed, and turned away. The next morning they released him. Solomon walked with his head down toward the fence post, and spotted Bitty. He lifted his head, wondering what her reaction would be.

 

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Creme kicked against her stall. She neighed impatiently, and reared. A man finally ran to her and she lashed out, grabbing the rope from his hands. Pulling it into her stall, she tossed it up and down with strong throws of her head. "Alright, Alright, patience!" The man said, opening her stall door and revealing her halter. Creme froze and lowered her head, nickering. The man put the halter on her and lead her out. As she walked around the corral, she saw Bitty, as well as Solomon, which made her heart leap.

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Solomon lowered his head and snuffled the ground, puffs of the thin dust rising around him. He was not sorry. Bitty had deserved it. He didn't look at her, didn't even acknowledge her. He snorted, shaking his mane.

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Creme stiffly walked to her friend. She could sense the tension between him and Bitty, and wanted everything to be back to normal. His white sides gleamed with the welts, and her neck looked shorter with the bandages wrapped around it. Stopping with her small chest and shoulders against the railing, she nickered to him, urging him to her.

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He lifted his head, and walked toward her. He had changed. he was more rigid and not as caring and sweet as he was before. Only one person could change him back.... He slung his head over the railing, and bumped noses with her for a second.

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Creme smiled, and lightly tapped her nose with his. She could feel tension and anger falling off of her friend, and it scared her. She nickered gently and tenderly rubbed her forelock against his neck. She was at a loss of words, and could only do her best to comfort him without them. Her eyes opened and she looked up as Bitty snorted irritably toward them. She pulled back and watched Solomon, she felt him grow furious.

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He took a deep breath, and relaxed. "The Colonel is letting us out to romp today." he said. He looked into Creme's eyes, and in his eyes was a message: I have to get away from here.

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Creme watched him, staring into his deep, violet eyes. She got the message, as much as she didn't want to hear it, she knew Solomon too well to ignore his eyes when they spoke so clearly. She saddened, and moved closer still, bumping herself against the fence. She stretched her neck and laid her nose over his withers, than slowly pulled her head up, gently rubbing his multicolored neck. She blow in his ear, and finally pulled back, her sighed warming his cheek. Her sad eyes replied to him, clearly and genuinely. He had her undieing loyalty. Even if it meant separating them forever.

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He closed his eyes, shuddering at her touch. A new, beautiful emotion was stirring inside him, but he didn't know what it was. He looked into her eyes. "I'll only be gone a few days.... I have to leave... to visit a friend. I'll get a good whipping, but it is worth seeing this friend." He slung his head over her neck, giving her a quick hug, then trotted out of the now opening gates, along with the other stallions.


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Creme nickered as he left, unconsciously nipping at his mane, as if to hold him back. She watched him trot off, then dropped her head. A few days, she could make it. She had waited for him for longer, she could make a few days. But, she couldn't stop watching him. Something felt wrong, and as soon as his hide disappeared, guilt gripped her. But, why? She went to turn away, but her body didn't move. Her eyes didn't twitch, her heart didn't beat. She was weak in spirit and grieving in her soul... he was gone, and this was going to be a very LONG few days, she knew only that.

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Three days had passed since Solomon had left. He had only just left Spirit's herd, and felt guilty. He had felt bad because Creme would be worried, but Rain got sick, so he stayed to make sure she would be OK. He walked along the plains, feeling nervous. He was in the Albino's territory... then his worst fears came true. The Albino had spotted him. Screaming in anger the white stallion charged towards him. Solomon rose into a startled rear, and the Albino hit him head on. he rolled on his back, receiving a kick to the stomach. He lurched to his feet, only to be knocked back down.... he had to fight back.

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Creme trotted at the man's command. She kept in line with the other horses, and her gait was easy, but bumpier than usual. The human noticed her tenseness, and returned her to the pen at the Colonel's command, who was scared that she was sick or maybe pregnant. She was sick, however, sick with worry about her sweet Sully. The man woke the Colonel in a start late that night. Creme had been so quiet that they had just about forgotten that she had been lurking in the corner of the pen when they let the other horses in. More specifically, Bitty's crusher, Andrew Jackson. Jackson was almost as mean as Bitty, and he swiftly and quietly attacked the mare in the night. The man put Creme in her stall, where she laid, still and quiet. Her other friends, Ace and Fidelin, worried about her, and offered her the strength she needed to get better. She was recovering in body, but her spirit wept. It almost wasn't her own pain that she had felt, and she feared that her best friend was suffering the mysterious aches that hung over her like a dismal cloud. Try as she may, depression set in, and her faithful friends didn't leave her aside as she battled the over whelming emotions.

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He arrived at the gates. He took a deep breath and walked inside. The humans grabbed him, and put him into a stall. he was ready for the whipping, but it didn’t come. The horses were talking about someone- a beautiful young mare was sick. Solomon then heard the name "Cremello" he let out a cry of alarm and when a human opened his stall door he pounded out into the aisle. He looked in each stall until he found her. She was in the back of the stall. She was so sick. "Creme!?" he asked, sticking his head into the stallion. When she didn’t answer he panicked. "CREME!?"

 

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Creme perked up, as much as she could in the depression. "You shouldn't have come back," she nickered, slowly limping to him. "They'll whip you," she was thinner than he remembered, and a gray haze seemed to cover her coat, but she hid it well. She hid the pain and anxiety that pressed her mind, the aches and shudders at the sight of his beaten body; her guilt for wishing him back to her, the loneliness that overwhelmed her without him, she hid it all. Smiling as she blinked and stepped into the sun. There was more for her to say than could be said, more joy at his presence than could be felt... And she smiled. Bumping her nose against his, she breathed his scent, his familiar scent. Underneath smell of blood, of sweat, of oak and of pine, underneath it all, he was there, there for her. He was back, and she new that he could never leave him again. Simply enough she had made her mind; she wasn't going to tell him about the illness.

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Solomon, Katrece(cameo) (C) HayleyWolf

Fidelin(cameo) (C) Animal Whisperer

Ace(cameo) (C) Din77

Cremello, Bitty, Andrew Jackson (C) myself

Story (C) HayleyWolf and myself