horse. The red rock sped by so fast, it was just one big blur. The trail veered up sharply and Aleta had to jump up the rock to keep up her speed. She leapt on the flat rock but as soon as the first horse came up after her, the red stallion flew out of nowhere and hit the horse with such force, the two-legged was knocked right off and onto the ground. The horse he hit scrambled to his feet and galloped off, spooking the other horses.

“It’s Irish!”

“Rope ‘em or something!”

With surprising speed, Irish charged right down into the chaos, bucking and kicking and biting whatever he could reach. The horses forgot about their riders and took off, completely ignoring the two-leggeds commands. 

The stallion, presumably Irish, turned right around and trotted over to the human he had knocked unconscious and sniffed him, ignoring Aleta completely. He stomped a hoof and cursed under his breath. Apparently that wasn’t the human he was looking for. Aleta took her eyes off Irish for just a second. What she stood on would’ve been a dead end. Nearly every side dropped off and dropped all the way to the bottom of the canyon. If she wasn’t caught, she could’ve been pushed right off the edge and killed. Irish saved her! 

“Why?”

Irish looked up. “What’ya mean ‘why’?”

“Why did you save me? Was it because I’m the only mare around here?”

“Psh, git over y’self” Irish snapped. “The whole canyon dudn’t revolve aroun’ you ya know!”

Aleta furrowed her brow and watched as Irish examined the human.

“Is he-”

“Dead? I dunno. But don’t wanna risk it” he replied, pushing the human dangerously close to the edge. 

“You can’t just do that!” Aleta squealed. “He didn’t do anything to you!”

“And how would you know?!” Irish shot back heatedly. Aleta shrugged and looked at the ground. Irish sighed loudly. “An’ this is why I don’t have a herd” he muttered, trotting away. 

Aleta glanced at the human and hurried after Irish. “Hey wait up!”

“What’ya want?!”

“Well we just met! And you did sorta save me! I’m Aleta!”

Irish studied the mare, eyes squinted. “That’s great ta know now please excuse me while I continue on with my life”

Irish started off again but Aleta persisted. 

“We could be a herd”

“No. I don’t do herds”

“Then why did you save me?”

“Let’s git this straight” Irish snapped, whipping around. “I. Did not. Save ya. You were just bait that I used ta git those two-leggeds up here! I gotta score ta settle and having a herd’ll mess it up! So please, go away now. I don’ need ya anymore”

“Please, I need help getting to know this place! You could teach me! You obviously know this canyon better then anyone else”

“I’m notta teacher neither” Irish answered simply. “Go away”

“But-”

Irish took off, having had it with Aleta but the mare took off after him. Irish was fast, but Aleta was fast too. 

“What is wrong with ya?! I saw ya running away from the others, now why don’t ya just do that for me?”

Aleta didn’t answer. She just kept her eyes on Irish and stayed right behind him. 

“Yer crazy” Irish neighed. “But I’ve lost crazies before and you’ll be jus’ as easy”

Irish slowed down so that Aleta matched strides with him. 

“I thought the point was to lose me” Aleta smirked.

“Oh but it was” Irish smirked right on back, suddenly rising as he climbed up a narrow trail. Aleta stared after him in shock, and glancing in front of her just in time to slide down a sharp drop and stop so fast, she was sitting. Once the dust cleared, she searched around, finally spotting Irish directly above her on a higher trail.

“Guess ya were right” Irish grinned. “I do know this canyon better ‘n anyone” 

He turned around to leave, swishing his tail triumphantly.

“Please Irish!” Aleta pleaded. “How about we make a deal!”

“What could ya possibly offer me?”

“Help...maybe..?” Aleta answered, voice trailing off. “Maybe I could help you get the two-legged you were looking for?”

“Ya woudn’ last a day!” Irish snorted. “They’re more dangerous then ya think. Where do’ya think I got all the scars from?!”

“Well then you can’t lose. If I get caught or killed, I’m off your back. If you help me out, I’ll eventually leave you alone and you get your two-legged”

Irish considered it, rolling his eyes as he thought it over. “Fine” he finally answered. “But I’m leavin’ ya if ya can’ keep up”

Aleta smiled gratefully and retraced her steps carefully until she found the trail Irish had run up. Irish impatiently waited, swishing his tail irritably.

“Took ya long enough” he snapped when she finally reached him. Aleta frowned but didn’t reply.

“Why do you talk funny?” she asked as he led her off.

“Why do ya look so funny?” Irish asked in return. “I wasn’t gonna ask outta common courtesy but since we’re throwin’ questions around...”

Aleta shut her mouth.

“My adopted mum talked the same way... I dunno”

Aleta nodded. 

“How-?”

“I’m not in the mood for answerin’ questions, especially stupid ones”

“What’s considered a stupid questio-?”

“Jus’ stop talkin’ til we get back, okay?”

 

     Aleta kept herself quiet and didn’t say a word until they arrived in Irish’s “home”. No wonder Aleta couldn’t find him... the tangled trails and secret paths led into a small area guarded by four high walls. It was a good hiding place.

“How long have you lived here?” Aleta asked casually, studying the little area. Irish glared at Aleta who quickly added, “I didn’t ask any other questions and I’m assuming they is where we’re staying”

“‘Bout three years” he answered simply, leaning up against the wall and starting to doze off. 

“Alone?”

“Ohhh yer never alone out here”

“Well I’ve only seen one other living thing besides you and it was that other stallion”

“Ya don’ need ta worry about Sandstone” Irish chuckled. “I kicked ‘em around enough ta keep ‘em away. It’s the things ya can’t see that ya need ta worry about”

Aleta opened her mouth to say ‘like what?’ but then she finally recognized a few of the scars stretched across Irish’s back, neck and shoulders.

“You got attacked by a cougar?” Aleta asked breathlessly.

“Killed it too” Irish snorted without opening his eyes. Aleta stared in awe. Her father had once fought a cougar before... but he didn’t kill it. “And they’re not the only thing either”

Aleta gulped but tried to nod off too.

 

“Rise ‘n shine!”

Aleta jumped and Irish laughed to himself. “Lil’ skittish taday, are we?”

Aleta brushed off her humiliation and followed Irish as he stepped out into the canyon. “So what do I have to do?”

“He won’t be back taday. He never comes back the day after I get one of his two-leggeds” Irish said confidently. “But I might as well show ya were they’ll be comin’ from”

“Who’s he?”

“Flick” Irish answered in a weird tone. “Nothin’ worse in this canyon then him”

“What’s so bad about him?”

“He gave me jus’ about every scar on my body besides the cougar ones” Irish said pleasantly and picking up a quick trot as they came to the top of the canyons.

“Ohh” Aleta said quietly, following him. 

The pair eventually came to a stop at the very end of the canyon that overlooked vast dessert flatlands. In the distance there was a ranch. It was probably huge but from where Aleta stood, the distance made it look small. 

“That’s where ‘e comes from”

They stood in silence, Aleta unsure what to say and Irish staring at the ranch intensely. 

“So what do we do when we find him?”

“Kill ‘em” 

 

     Irish was right. Flick didn’t return to the canyon the next day or the day after. 

“It’s probably ‘cus they’re lookin’ for the rider I knocked off” Irish explained. “Or they’re buryin’ him!”

     Aleta didn’t like the thought of killing a two-legged. But her part of the bargain definitely paid off. Irish had not only taught her many of the private trails only he used, but he’d taught her a few fighting tricks too (most of which he’d physically pulled on her whenever he found her to be too annoying). But since they’d made the agreement, they both began to get along better. Aleta proved that she could keep up but that didn’t stop Irish from attempting to get rid of her every now and then. Nearly a week after they

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