head turned his way, as he loudly, slowly, walked toward me and mum. He reached us, and laid his head on my shoulders. So I did to. Everyone gasped including mum. One paint mare smiled at us. I smiled and blushed slightly. I would always remember that moment. The birds were quitly chirping, there was an apple scented breeze stirring the grass, and LightningRod smelled like leather, grass, and fresh spring hay. From then on, I knew LighningRod really loved me.

          After that day we were inseparable. The fillies loathed me, for dating LightningRod. But if they tried to nip me, he would swirl around bare his teeth at them, and they would gallop away. The only horse that was nice to me was Albert. LightningRod was best Friends with Albert. But one night something happened that would change both our lives forever.

          I was sound asleep, but I knew something was wrong. I slowly woke up, raised my head, and looked around. My wide Arabian nostrils designed for running picked up a strong, unpleasant scent. FIRRREE! My eyes opened wide an i began to neigh as loud as I could, and banged on my stall door. The scent was becoming overwhelming. Every horse woke up, told me to shut up, but then scented the smoke. They all joined in my screaming, and soon I could hear panicked shouts from the house. Me and my mother were panicking in our big stall, and we were trying to break down the door. I peeked my head over, hoping to see Liana or one of the stable boys, coming to get us. But what I saw was worse. Much worse. Fire. Like a bright drangon monster, it was deadly. Even the breath, smoke, could kill a horse. The smoke was floating in peacefully, oblivious to the terrified horses whose eyes rolled back to show only white. The whole thing was terrifying, the look, the sound, the heat it was giving off. I heard a crash and saw that Liana had taken an axe and broken open the wall near our feed. I screamed at her shrilly, and she sprinted to my stall. She started to grab my mother, but she stepped back, nuzzled me, and shoved me towards Liana. Liana clipped a rope to my halter. I looked back questioningly, and mums eyes started filling with tears, and draped her warm neck over mine, and whispered, " I love you Rose. Aways remember that babe." Before I could reply she pushed me forward, and me and Liana ran towards the gaping hole in the wall. Joe, LightningRod's jockey, followed close behind, leading two unfamiliar, blindfolded horses. We emerged into fresh air, and Liana handed me to stable boy. She started to sprint back to the burning barn. I watched her, praying for her and mum to get out okay. I wish I hadn't watched. The barn roof collapsed in a shower of burning embers. I heard the screams of horses, mum, Boss, the paint mare, Mil and... Albert.

        Liana jumped back as the roof caved in. I screamed untill my throat was raw. I reared up and shook my rope out of his hands. I ran to the only safe place I could think of. The jumping hall. I ran untill my legs were as wobbly as the stirrups were when I was saddle broken by Master. I hid in a shadowy corner, and I was we'll concealed in the darkness. I curled up like a foal in the winter.

      I lied there all day, watching the shadows move around on the sawdust floor. All day I heard Liana, Joe, and many others wandering around and calling my name, but I would not come. Even though it felt as if my mouth would turn to the sawdust that surrounded me, I would not get up to drink. My stomach coiled like an angry cobra, but I would not move from my grieving spot. The next morning,I heard the creak of the hall door and the jangling of Liana's keys. I also heard the sawdust-muffled, nervous hooves hitting the floor. A gentle nicker echoed around the hall. It was LightningRod. I raised my head off the coarse wood shavings and weakly nickered back to him. I heard his shuffling hooves, and Liana unclasping his lead rope. He continued, and found me hidden in the shadows. He walked to my back and lied down, laying his head onto my shoulder, which had turned grey from the smoke of last night. Liana left. "Albert and BlueBell may be gone Rose, but we have to move on. We still have each other, don't we?" He smiled weakly, and I nuzzled him. We both stood up and went to the water trough where we had first met. I drank deeply, and he waited patiently by my side the whole time. When I had finished he led me over to  the door, which Liana had left ajar.

        LightningRod quietly led me to our apple tree, where our early romance had blossomed. The other horses gave me looks of pity and thankfulness. They knew that Liana wouldn't have gotten there in time without me, but they also knew their early treatment of me was unforgivable. They stayed away out of respect now, not hatefulness. Since Liana ran a breeding farm, and Boss the breeding stallion had died, she brought in a new, arrogant colt. He was all black, and an Arab/Quarter mix! I could not belive it when he approached me. He looked more Quarter than Arab, but there was no mistaking him for a pure Quarter. He walked toward me, and I flicked my ears uncertainly. He lunged forward and nipped me, trying to make me join the other mares. I smelt blood. I planted my hooves in the turf, and screamed for LightningRod, who had been taken for a bathing. I heard him scream back, and before I could imagine, he was streaking toward the arrogant colt who was still attempting to make me join the mares. LightningRod ran into the colt, and flipped him on his back. He stood between me and the colt. "This is my mare, and if I seen you anywhere near her again, I will kill you." He angrily snorted. The colt scrambled up and galloped to his little herd. LightningRod nuzzled me and said, "I need to tell you something Rose..." I worriedly replied, "What?" His eyes filled with concern. "Liana wants to sell you, Rose. To the military out west. In the desert."

      I was in shock. My eyes welled up, and I shook my head in disbelief. LightningRod nuzzled me and and tenderly whispered, " Don't worry Rosie. I'll kill the cavalry men if I have to! Nothing can tear our love apart. Ever." I nuzzled deeper into his thick gray mane, and we stood like that all night. When the light of early morning pierced the thick fur around me, I pulled away my head and sneezed. "Your mane is so dusty!" I joked. "Well, if you didn't always get in trouble during my groomings, I would be cleaner!" He joked back.

         The next day was sale day. Cavalry men in pristine blue uniforms with neat trimmed mustaches lined around an empty pasture, waiting to bid on me, and take me away from my home. But then I brightened, remembering LightningRod's promise. I would put on a good show for them. Joe put a soft pink halter on my freshly washed head, and poked many fresh flowers all around it. He put on a white silk rope to my halter. Joe patted my shoulder affectionately, and we stepped out into the pasture. I could heard gasps of astonishment and awe. I arched my neck and high-stepped gracefully. I heard "100!" Ring out of the silence. Then "150!" "No, 250!". The men truly wanted to buy me. Then one especially somber-looking man stepped farther than the rest. Silence. " I will pay one thousand dollars for that desert horse." He calmly, pointedly stated. Everyone was shocked. 1,000 could buy 5 horses! I halted and arched my foreleg. I whinnied at the strange man in the pristine suit. There was more silence. Joe slowly said "One.... Two.... Three.... SOLD!" As the cavalry man approached me, I screamed for LightningRod. I heard him scream back, and a moment later he was streaking toward us, flying over the fence, and gracefully sliding to a stop in front of me. He held his head high,eyeing the man angrily. "I see this must be the mares mate" the human guessed. "They would made sturdy foals. 1,500 for both. That is my final offer."  Joe was stunned. All that money would buy many workhorses. "O-o-of course sir." Joe stammered nervously. "I'll be here with my trailer at sundown to get them" said the regal man, before turning on his heel and walking pridefully away.

        After the man left, Joe led me and LightningRod to a big stall. We ate the sweet hay and oats he left, and he came back later with two halters, two lead ropes, and a few grooming supplies. He brushed us both untill my coat gleamed like fresh icy snow, and LightningRod's like a freshly polished bit. I could tell we looked stunning from the proud look in Joe's eyes. But I didn't care about that. I wanted to see Liana. At least say goodbye before I had to leave... I heard a banging in the courtyard. "Joe! Help me with these crutches!" Liana! "I'm comin'!"  Said Joe. He walked out of the stall, and came back holding Liana up on one side, a wooden stick on the other side. Her leg was incased in a white, stiff thingamajig. She looked at us and tears filled her eyes. "My two little lovebirds, going out into the world on their own. I'm gonna move out west when my leg heals, and vist y'all every day" she smiled at us fondly. I stretched out my neck out and she rubbed my velvety nose.

       Soon after me and Liana said goodbye, the regal man I began to think of as Sir, came and watched us being loaded into his trailer. It, like his suit, was a navy blue shade of paint. The metal floors were covered in a thick layer of hay, and there were two mangers, one full of hay and oats and the other filled with water. Two workers led