weather is unpredictable."

"You have to try, who knows when this oppotunity will come around again," Spuro replied.

Denver sighed. "I don't know Spuro, at first I was up for it, but now Jupe seems bent on defeating Ghost and I don't think he'd leave any more. He's been broken, and Harris and Leon never supported the idea from the start. I can't go on my own, and even if you volunteered it wouldn't be the same as leaving with my brother."

"I hate to say it, Den, but it's your freedom or nothing. If you stayed with him thne you would one day be split up. He'll go into one division, you in another, or Van would see one of you again. Take the chance while your mind is still free, so your body can join it." Spuro's words seemed to stirr something in the dun. Determination? A promise? Pure logic? Spuro could only guess, but his heart leapt when his friend replied with;

"Let's do it."

Their plan was to team up on the mission and scout as far as they could without being collared. They would find a ditch to hide in and wait until the others had done back to the Centre to be counted, and Denver would run. Spuro would return with the story that a puma attacked and they were spilt up, the cat running after Denver and that he didn't hear from him ever again.

The night arrived, crisp and clear like the first night Spuro was on his own. They were counted at the Centre before being led off to their part of the plane. In twos, the horses spread out and searched for the markers that had been scattered. Spuro knew that he ought to try to succeed in the exam, but to him helping his friend was more important. So they headed far out along the plane and hid in a muddy trench.

"Alright, Denver, this is where we part," Spuro whispered, checking that they weren't being followed or watched. "All the luck in the world."

"I couldn't have done this without you Spuro," his friend smiled, and galloped into the distance. It was that easy? Something at the back of his mind told him not to expect a good result, but Spuro pushed it away and spend the rest of the night 'searching' for the markers. He found one before the sun's light appeared over the horizon, and then he headed back to the centre.

"28, 29-" James stopped. Denver was missing. "Number 30? Number 30?" Strange. Still, he had to report it. "Sir, number 30, red dun by the name of Denver, is missing from the count."

The dunalino searched along the lines of horses and noticed the gap. "Does anyone know where number 30, Denver, it?" he announced to the youngsters.

"I do," replied a single voice. The horses turned to see that it was Spuro who answered. "We were scouting together on the boarder when a cougar attacked us. It went after him and he ran for his life, never seen a horse bolt like it, Sir. I waited but I heard nothing from him. I- I don't think he's going to return." He hung his head low, a sort of bow-cross-emotional display.

"Liar," a voice said aloud. It was Ghost. "I saw the two on the boarder. Denver ran off, a traitor, Sir, and Spuro helped him."

"Not true!" Spuro shouted back. He had to persuade himself that Denver had been chased off - otherwise he could let it slip. If he could conquer his own mind, then everyone else's would follow. "He could be dead and you're tainting his name by calling him a traitor!"

The leader simply watched with amusement. He had no idea which was telling the truth, but if he got another fight out of it in the process then it would entertain him for the morning. The other horses were already moving out of line to see what was going on, and some were beginning to form a ring around the two.

James could see where it was going. Spuro would never survive a fight with Ghost, not yet at least. "You're the traitor!" Ghost snarled. "Fight me, the winner speaks true."

"That's enough!" James commanded, separating the two. "This is a formal exercise, and it will not be ruined by a fight. A scout team can be sent later on, but for now you will keep training and only test your strength against each other under my supervision." He glared at Ghost. "Understood?"

Once the horses had been sent back to their areas, Jupiter pulled Spuro aside. "Listen you, what really happened out there?" he demanded, pressing the chestnut into the dirt wall.

"I told you," he choked back, "a cougar chased him. I'm sorry. But he might be alright, he might be able to make it back."

"Denver always spoke of escaping," Jupiter whispered, "but I never thought he would leave without me."

"He wouldn't have if he had the choice. Please, he was my best friend, I know how you're feeling. Now let me go."

The roaned mustang moved away from the smaller stallion and they walked back to the field together. They were given the morning off to recover from the night's work, then training began again. Spuro couldn't help but feel that it was only a matter of time before someone found him out, and that if Denver had made it out of the territory he would be tracked faster than he could make it home.

Home. He began thinking of his own, how his mother woud be heartbroken, how either his father or grandfather was now the lead stallion, and how he would never see his childhood friends again. He even thought of his sister, and how he had been so unfair to her. If he ever made it out of the Band, he would find her somehow and apologise for everything he had done. But Spuro never guessed how a little bit of home would find it's way back to him.

There was two months to go before the trails, and Leon had been switched to a scouting class. He was weak in the arena and James had spoken with his boss about how such an intelligent animal would be wasted if he was allowed to be torn apart in the arena. So after a sad farewell Leon's chances were improved, and although he would have to start the circuit all other again after the exams, he was at the top of his own league. Denver hadn't been replaced since he was considered to have gone AWOL, and it was possible that he would one day return. But another horse was brought in to replace Leon, and Spuro couldn't believe his eyes.

He and Harris were drinking at the lake in the Centre when two officers of the defence brought in a new horse. He was a grullo and roughly the same age as Spuro. He felt he ought to know the horse, but he couldn't think why. "I'm going to see about this newcomer," he told Harris, and trotted off to the Council. He squeezed between two older mustangs and watched the report from the sidelines, noticing that James was standing on one of the platforms below and to the right of the leader's.

"From this year's round-up Sir," the officer projected, "managed to keep going on his own since then. He only just managed to pass the test. He'd be good for the work force, but Shorty still thinks that he could fight well if he was tutored - since Captain James has an opening."

Jame shook his head. "There's barely enough time to teach him the basics, he'd be killed!"

The leader examined him from the distance and asked, "If given the choice, would you rather risk fighting, or face the test again? You're too good for work, and all who have no place are sent back to Van."

"I tought myself to fight as a colt," the horse whimpered, "I can learn in the time given."

Satisfied, the dunalino sent the newcomer to James' field, much to the captain's annoyance. Spuro made his way back to Harris and told him about their new class mate.

"It's rediculous!" the appaloosa cried, "James knows what he's talking about when he says he won't pass the arenas in the summer! Come on, let's get Jupe. Maybe he'll train him up a bit to give the poor lad a better chance."

They wandered over to the arenas, which were already full of stallions battling it out and honing their skills for their exams. There could only be two winners in each class, and after that only one of them would make it to become an officer. Any who surrendered or showed mercy would be sent to Van straight away to be tested, then trained for another circuit or moved to the workforce.

Jupiter was busy fighting an older horse, with a week's worth of breaks as the stakes. As they watched from the back rows, they saw their roan rear up and strike the enemy in the face. "Ouch," Spuro said as the horse resorted to a low defence, which set Jupiter onto attacking the quarter horse's back. The old stallion neighed in a surrender, adn Jupiter trotted out of the circle, tail held high in victory.

"Nice going, Jupe," Spuro grinned, "and those stakes could be used well."

"What are you talking about?" the horse sighed, taking a bite of grass. Over the months Spuro, Harris and Leon had watched their old friend lose his character and become a fighter. Sometimes he would ignore them altogether. Spuro wondered if the disappearance of his brother had contributed to the giant's new attitude, but they all agreed that the competition with Ghost had hardened him and removed any morals about using his skills for good that he originally had.

"Well, we've got a new class mate," Spuro explained, starting to wonder if it was such a good idea after all, "and since there's only two months to go before the trials we were wondering - you being the strongest fighter of us all - if you'd help