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