Lead walked ahead of the two horses she had met about a day ago. One was Isabella a horse her age and the other was a young filly named Crimson. The colonel tugged a little bit on Lead's rope than she suddenly stopped and the colonel nearly fell of his horse.Crimson and Bella neighned in amusement as Lead snorted in delight glaring at the colonel. The colonel turned around and whipped Lead on the nose, and Bella saw this and jumped towards the colonel,but he put a gun to her forehead. Bella backed up mad that the only thing between her and the colonel's death was that stupid gun.

   Lead looked at Crimson and smiled as the small foal pulled back on the ropes that held her. Than Bella whispered "I have an idea."

  Smoke came from the train in the distance, and Bella kept talking"We need to pull on the ropes all together on one...two...THREE" neighed Crimson loudly. All the horses pulled, and Lead broke her rope first followed by Bella but the ropes were to strong for little Crimson.Bella came back and bit the rope and Crimson begain to run behind Bella,but she fell with a thud.Oh no thought Lead racing back to Crimson who called for help.The calvary men were to fast though and they threw ropes around Crimson's head and attempted to jump on her.

  Bella who had been caught before was being trained as a calvary horse when she escaped. Lead watched as Bella raced ahead only to be welcomed by the colonel's gun.Than Lead followed Bella towards the colonel to help her,but Bella nudged the halter the colonel held and the colonel put it on her. Than he put one on Lead who had given up while watching her friends struggle. "Why didn't you run"called Crimson as Lead was pulled towards the train.

    Bella neighed to the colonel who looked at her "fine" he said "I'll take her to the the training center with you." He pulled Lead back towards Bella. "You know what you just did"asked Bella looking at her friend,"you just lost the things you loved" said Bella. "No I didn't i am here with you, and your my friend I had nothing else before you" said Lead smiling.

   Bella and Lead were lead in to the open gates of the training center. Crimson was lead in another direction towards the barn.

The Next Day

  A bridle was put on Bella and than a saddle was put on her and Bella seemed quite happy about it.Lead watched as Bella was rode away and outside the gates she went. Than Lead felt awful almost sickish being where she was, and not knowing anything. Than the colonel glared at Lead and gave her a smile as he tacked her up. The colonel hopped up on her back and than she was rode out of the gates.

   Outside the gates were freedom and open ranges, and Lead tryed to pull away and run,but the pain of the bit in her mouth made her stop. Than she spotted Bella being ridden by a younger man he was helping lead horses into pens and train cars. Lead neighed to Bella who turned around and smiled,but the colonel dug his heels into Lead's side.Which made Lead snort, and another whip hit her face.

  The colonel kicked her sides and Lead sped up running to Bella. When she got beside Bella she smiled, and the two had fun because she was with a friend although she was in pain.

Two months later

  "Colonel sir the two mares seem to be tame should we brand them and cut their hair" asked a calvary man. The colonel looked at Lead and Bella who were tied up side by side. "Yes I agree, and do you know how much money we got for that little filly"asked the colonel. Lead looked up Crimson she thought as she eavedropped. "About two hundred sir we are shipping her out tommarow"said the man looking at the colonel. "Good" said the colonel walking over to Lead and Bella.

   They took Lead to the cross ties and began to get ready to groom her and brand her. Lead watched as Murphy picked up his scissors. She was calm but as the first strand of her mane fell to the ground she snorted and bit Murphy's hand.Colonel whiped her which such force it left a mark going across her face. She calmed down,and Murphy decided to just go to branding for the times being. Bella watched with curiosty as Lead glared at Murphy and his fire.

  Men were holding Lead's head so she couldn't bite as Murphy glared at her and pulled the brand out of the fire. Lead's ear went back "Come on tamey"said Colonel holding his whip in front of her. Than Lead went mad she pulled at the ropes pulling the poles down ad she escaped. "Oh and I am not tame and my name isn't tamey it's Lead as in Leadmare of a wild herd. Bella watched in amazement as her angry friend burst through man after man.

   Lead was so angry she couldn't feel her legs. Than Lead busted fence after fence and bit Bella's rope sending all of the horses free. Crimson ran up beside Bella as they followed Lead as she dashed in front of the other horses. Bella looked back and neighed at the colonel who gave her a dirty look and shook his head. "You think your are heros you 3 musketeers I'll get you one day"screamed the colonel in pure rage as Lead,Crimson,and Bella looked back and smiled at the colonel before dissapearing in the distance.

  They kept running until they reached a hill and the colonel shot his gun hitting Bella's leg, and Lead turned around to help her and the colonel shot again. This time it hit Lead knocking her out for a few minutes giving colonel time to catch up. When Lead woke up the colonel was very close and Lead thought fast and saw a river with a log over it.

  "to the log"neighed Lead as she helped Bella and Crimson up. Crimson and Bella got on the log first than Lead,and by this time colonel was caught up and he shot his gun towards Lead.He shot and missed hitting the log which broke and all three horses were pulled by the current towards the waterfall. All horses plunged into the dark water below the waterfall.

   Bella reached the surface followed by Lead,but where was Crimson. Than Crimson finally reached the surface but all the horses were injured and they lied on the bank of the river ready to die.Than they heard more people coming,but Lead knocked out with pain.

The Next Morning

  Lead woke up in a corral were apples layed beside her. She looked up and saw Crimson and Bella happily grazing and than she looked down where her gun wound had been. There was nothing there than she got up and looked around than saw people but they weren't like the calvary the looked kind and wise.They had horses that didn't have reins or saddles. Lead neighed to her friends who looked up and returned her neigh. Than man walked up and patted her side. "Your just like the Spirit"he said smiling as he opened the corral.

  Lead looked at him and nuzzled him,and than ran off to join her friends who were heading home. She looked back and neighed to the human and reared up and followed Bella and Crimson. All of them were so happy to be heading home. It took many days and nights to get away from the calvary and Indian village. Than when they finally got somewhere where humans couldn't touch them they begain to walk.

Days and Days

  More days passed and the horses begain to talk again "So you are mates with Spirit" said Lead looking down. "Yes" said Bella suddenly frowning as she watched Lead put her head down. "I like Spirit he's been a great friend"said Lead looking at Bella. The two kept silent for awhile as in an akward silence. Than Crimson broke it "So where are your herds?" she asked smiling. "Oh mine is the Cimarron I am leadmare there with Spirit" said Bella proudly.

  "I am from a great with my parents in it, and I can't wait to see them" said Crimson, "and what about you Lead" asked Crimson. "I was in The Red's herd he was sort of like my father,but than after i got caught the first time I was afraid to return becsuse if the calvary followed me than my herd would be in danger. Than I went to the Cimarron but I just went there for Spirit because well i loved him,but than Bella was his mate and I knew he wouldn't love me so i just left and became a nobody."said Lead feeling ashamed.

  Bella smiled"well that's to bad you would be a great leadmare" said Bella. "Thanks" said Lead lifting her head up and smiled. Crimson looked ahead "I see the mountain peaks" she exclaimed. "How long away" asked Crimson. "Days and days"said Lead looking at the mountain peaks in the far distance. Crimson said "Good I want to spend more time with the greatest friends on eartth." Bella and Lead smiled "Me too"they both said.

The sunset creeped over the mountains "come on guys we need to rest so we don't end up in those cougar infested woods at night. Crimson spotted an apple tree and tried to grab an apple,but Crimson couldn't reach it. Lead walked up behind Crimson and jumped up and got an apple for Crimson, and got two more for Bella and herself. "Man we have had a hard time these past weeks" said Bella yawning. "Yeah"said Crimson and half of that we didn't sleep.

  Early the next morning they started out again with about a day left in the journey. Bella loooked as if she was thinking of Spirit as her eyes gleamed. The forest they had walked into was a dark place, and it started to storm.Than thunder boomed , and lightning shocked the sky. Poor Crimson was