Prologue

I remember the day i first met Spirit like it was only yesterday. I'd been walking for days without food or water following this mare called Rain. she'd said she knew a place where I could stay so I thought I could trust her, however she didn't really care for me. I was an annoying filly then. She'd saved me from drowning so I didn't moan. But I knew she didn't like me no matter what I did. We finally reached a herd that looked as though it had been on the run for as long as me and Rain had been running. She led me to the middle of the giant herd to a handsome stallion who was called Spirit. He was a mustang with a strong face and eyes that made me want to faint. I fell in love with him the second I met him. He was kind but Rain was his mare, not me. He told me that I could be a part of the herd- as long as I contributed. Ofcourse I said anything to get to be with him, although at the time I didn't understand the concept of having a mate. Now I do and slowly but surely the message sunk in that me and Spirit would never be. So I grew up with the cimmaron herd and they were like my family. But sometimes I had to remember that they weren't my family. I did have a family: I just didn't know where they were. So everyday I woke up and I felt as though some part of me was missing.

 Summer- at last. It had been a long winter and we were all in need of bit of sunshine. However, summer didn't start off too well! First, the only weather we had for a week was rain, rain ,rain. Rain was pretty mad when she over-heard me say I hated rain! But of course I meant the weather, she didn't know I meant that. So that got me in trouble when she went and tattled on me. Spirit was angry and no one would believe me that I'd been referring to the weather. Typical! Secondly, there was rumor that a new-ish stallion of the Dunez herd wanted a fight with Spirit for title of Stallion of Herds. Basically, if you won, you were respected for ever and were kind of like a king among horses. Spirit was already pretty mad at me for the whole rain:Rain incident and so when he heard about the challenge he got even more stressed. Apparently the horse was called Taydor. It was a strong name and he'd been heard of as a bit of a ladys man and a great leader. Great! So I apparently owed Rain for the mean comment and I was sent to look for this Dunez herd and Taydor and tell them that Spirit didn't want a fight. Easier said than done- all herds are on the move nearly once every two weeks. Which meant that I could easily have found the herd and then they just disappear when I'd be about to talk to them or something. I couldn't argue. I'd have done anything for Spirit anyway. Except that Rain said something to me before I left that made me question whether or not I belonged with the cimmeron herd. Maybe it was time for me to move on and stop being the foal with a life-long foalsitter. Besides I was a mare not a filly any longer. It was time for me to go.

 I didn't tell Spirit or anyone about my thoughts. Instead I set of to find the Dunez herd and Taydor. I knew it would be a hard few weeks of finding the herd but it would be worth it when I found a new home. Just thinking about that made me smile and I set off in a canter towards the sun.

 I had been running for a couple of days now. The hours blended together as I travelled across the distance toward the herd. By the next day day I was closer than expected before. I continued, trying not to waste time, but overhead I saw a gigantic heavy cloud that looked like it was going to break out a storm. An hour later the rain began and the fog rolled in, causing me to slow down. Typical, when I was trying to get somewhere my progress was slowed almost to a stop. I was still stumbling about in the fog when I heard the quiet gallop of hooves nearby. My ears twitched and I was all senses alert. The gallop stopped, what sounded like, a few paces infront of me. I could smell the mare before I saw her. I poked my head forward cautiously and suddenly a black/ grey muzzle appeared infront of my face. I jumped back in shock and so did the mare. We both just stood and stared at each other for what seemed like an age. I squinted my eyes. Her green eyes did the same as if reading me. I was searching for something to spark a memory because I knew this horse. " Do I know you?" she said. Her voice was softer than I'd thought. I shook my head but with more annoyance at not remembering this horse than anything else. I looked even harder into her deep green eyes and then it came to me. " Jade!?" She looked shocked. " How do you know me?" I was so happy I didn't care what she thought when I gave her a huge hug and nuzzled her. " Who are you? How do you know my name?" It was Jade- Spirit and Rain's daughter, she'd got captured and she was safe and free. But of course she wouldn't have recognized me since I was only a filly when she'd gone. She shook her head in confusion then galloped off. I wanted to tell her who I was and what had happened and I tried calling to her but something inside me told myself not to. Instead I neighed at the top of my voice hoping she would hear me through the fog and mist. She must have because a minute later I heard her call. I smiled to myself and carried on heading in the direction of the herds scent.

 Thoughts of home and family followed me the rest of the week. I was terrified of going back to Spirit- and especially Rain- with news of nothing on Taydor however as the days and nights came and went it became more evident that I wouldn't find him. An odd emptiness filled my heart whenever I thought about Taydor and not finding him or his herd. I didn't get it.

 I am eating juicy crispy apples. The sun is shining and everywhere is bright and happy. A dark brown horse trots up to me- he whinys. For some reason I feel happy to see him even though I don't know him. "Celie" he says. I am shocked- he doesn't know me! "It's me. Your brother." I am even more shocked. I don't have a brother! "It's your brother- me- your brother! It's ME!!!" The horse is getting pulled away from me by an unseen force. Where is he going? "It's... me... your brother... it's... it's... TAYDOR!" Those are the last words he says as I cry seeing him get whipped away and disappear. I woke up with a start. Taydor was my brother!

 I carried on walking, hoping that I would either be able to give up sooner or later or finally find the Dunez herd. But the dream had scared me right to the core. It haunted me and I wouldn't believe it that Taydor was related to me- much less my brother. I didn't have a brother! But how would I have known? I was found alone, drowning, petrified... alone. I didn't know anything about my family and I preferred it like that. It might hurt too much if I ever found out about my mum or dad. Apparently my mum had died giving birth to me so I would never know about my background. I didn't even know if I had work horse blood in me or I was pure free horse. I had always guessed that my parents were as much against humans as I was. Yet I had a feeling I was wrong.

 I was so carried away in my thoughts that I didn't sense the presence of a horse approaching me. I only realized I wasn't alone when I heard a soft nicker behind me. I stopped instantly, knowing that if this was a herd ground I was trespassing and I definitely wasn't at the Dunez herd yet. I cautiously looked around sniffing the air- no it wasn't the Dunez herd. In fact I wasn't in anyone's herd area so it was a lone horse like me. I finally spun my whole body around so that I was stood facing a very light brown horse. I could sense he was a male and a big male he was indeed. I saw his blue eyes, or were they green? He was a good looking horse with a strong figure about him. I smiled slightly at him but I didn't get the blink of an eyelid back. "Hello? I'm Celie" I said. The stallion looked me up and down and I felt like a show horse. He gave me a look of disgust. "Hello pretty!" he said to me. I was scared so I started to back up but he mirrored my steps, coming forward to me. "Oh what's the matter pretty face? Don't you like Ollie?" he taunted me. I kept backing up until I finally was on the edge of a hill. Although the hill itself wasn't that big, the side I was on had a steep drop which, if any horse should fall down, would have killed me. Ollie, or so he called himself, started chuckling to himself. "What's the matter? I only want to play!" he kept mocking me until I wouldn't back up any more. I had to think fast so when he came even closer, I dashed forward tripping him up. He swayed on his feet for a while before balancing himself. He looked at me with a hatred in his eye but left me alone.

 I was so confused. He'd been cute and all but he wasn't nice at all. I hoped I wouldn't see him again and yet again the little conscience in my head was telling me that I was wrong. For some reason, a lot of things weren't going great for me then. I wanted to talk to someone I knew; Spirit, Esperanza- anyone! I think at that point I even missed Rain. I caught a scent of the herd on the breeze which gave me an urge of confidence that I was going to find them and eventually find a home. I smiled to myself and neighed at the top of my voice. I was going to make it!

 "YOU STOP!!" a voice yelled from behind me. I kept going, hoping the stallion wasn't talking to me. "YOU!" the same voice rang out. I started to trot. But so did he. He got faster and faster at the same time I did. We kept going until we were both galloping across the grassy field. "Stop! I only want to ask you something!" the voice sounded different then- almost longing. I slowed ever so slightly, to let him catch me up. Then I turned my