water. Two workers led me and LightningRod into the trailer. We were tied loosely to two metal rings welded to the wall. I pressed my body against LightningRod, yawned and fell asleep. Many hours later I groggily opened my eyes and lifted my head. LightningRod was sound asleep. I shook my mane and took a drink. I heard a man shout and I swiveled my ears. This time when he shouted it was clearer, "Here come the horses! Get Murphy ready!" The heary doors behind us were opened and bright light blinded me. As my eyes adjusted, I heard LightningRod wake up. Two different men unloaded us and tied me to an H shaped structure. I heard a man mutter "Looks like we're goin into dressage breedin' now. Hmf." A middle aged man stepped out of the shadows, twirling a pair of shears in his hand. He was going to cut my mane! How dare he! I stretched to my full height and stamped my foot angrily. He ignorantly grasped a lock of my hair, and I bit down on his gloved hand. He yelled, fell, and rubbed where I had bit him while glaring angrily at me. He left and came back with bandages on his hand. He trimmed my hooves, brushed my fur, and went behind a wall and got strange items. He picked up my feet one by one and nailed heavy metal U's to them. This did not hurt me so I waited patiently. After he finished, he once again went behind the wall. This time when he came back, I panicked. He was holding a stick tipped with fire. He walked toward me and I reared and screamed. LightningRod shook off the men holding his lead rope, and ran over to me and screamed at Murphy and reared, pawing the air with his strong hooves. Murphy put back the stick, and the others put us in a stall. The hay was tasteless, and the water was stale. I already hated it here. 

      The next month was surpriseless. Same routine every day, wake, eat, drink, training, grooming, rest, more training, nighttime. But one day, an Indian girl came. She looked delicate, but was proud looking. Sir ordered the men to put her in the jail. That night somehow she appeared in front of my stall. She whispered something and stretched out her hand. I pricked my ears and walked forward. The whispered "Shhhhh" I needed to be silent she unlocked the stalls of sleeping horses and crept back to me. I nudged LightningRod. "Be silent dear, the Indian will help us leave here" I told him. She hopped on my back and rode me through the isles, waking horses. She led us to a small door, but an exited foal whinnied loudly, and lights popped on in each cabin. A tall man burst out of his cabin and saw us. He screamed "The horses are gettin away!" Shouting came out and the few horses still in stalls were saddled as me and the rest of the escapees ran out into the inky black of the desert night. We could hear the men coming after us, and I felt LightningRod jerk back suddenly. I stopped short and neighed desperately for him, but he told me to keep going. I hated to leave him, but I knew he would blame himself if I was caught, so I kept running.

           The Indian girl steered me back to her camp but as soon as she got off I ran. I ran until the sand turned to dirt, the dirt to grass, and stopped when I found myself in the forest. I grazed and drank from a small stream, and started running again. The forest started to thin and I saw a grassy plain filled with many horses. They must have scented me, because many mares turned their heads to me and they whinnied to a large buckskin stallion with 4 brown socks. He began to gallop towards me and I pinned my ears back and lowered my head. As he got closer I took a few steps back, and he slowed his pace and neighed friendly-like to me. I pricked my ears and lifted my head. He neighed again and guestured to his herd. He wanted me to join. I nodded my head and followed him to the large herd.

          I was strange to them as always, but they were mone accepting than the horses at Liana's ranch were. The buckskin stallion I came to know as Spirit, was very brave and would do anything to keep the herd whole. I watched him fight of many cougars, warn us of snakes, and occasionally run off cowboys. Esperanza, his mum, was very kind and very motherly to me. His lead mare, Rain, was sweet and caring. Soon after I joined she asked why I was so sad. After I had left LightningRod I was in depression. So I told her. "My true love, LightningRod, was captured after the Indian girl help us cavalry horses escape. He made me keep running, but I had so wanted to stay with him, even if it meant those stupid men." I had sadly explained. Her eyes welled up. "Something like that happened to Spirit. But he escaped, and I bet LightningRod will too Rose." I smiled at her. "I hope so" 

            Since my delicate frame had led the horses to think I was frail, I got quite the surprised reaction when I outran Spirit. He had just amused the foals by racing and letting them win. I pawed the ground and whinnied a playful racing challenge. He smiled and trotted over. We stood shoulder to shoulder, and I stretched my neck, and we were off! I of course led him have the lead. But I widened my stride, and soon passed him! He was so surprised, he slowed down, but quickly caught himself and ran to try and pass me. I could hear gasps of astonishment from the herd, and I veered toward them and stopped. Spirit caught up and smiled at me. "Wow! Arabians sure are fast." I laughed. "You should have seen my mother chase off the stallions back home." My smile faltered when I mentioned my mother. The next months were sad without LightningRod, but that all changed one warm summer day. I was grazing away from the herd but still in sight of Spirit. Then, like a blade cutting through the grass, I saw a gray flash racing toward me. And then another flash appeared, this one buckskin. It was LightningRod and Spirit. I whinnied, telling Spirit to stop, but he did not hear or he ignored me. I reared up and ran, ran, ran! I soon caught up with them, and they reared up, trying to slash each other with their hooves. While Spirit was reading I head butted him and he fell. I whinnied to LightninRod to wait at the tree while I explained to Spirit who he was. He snorted impatiently, but obediently walked to the tree.

          I calmly walked with Spirit back to the herd, explaining about LightningRod. He asked me to call LightningRod to the herd. I whinnied to him, and he galloped to me and hugged me so tightly I lost my breath. Spirit asked him for his name. "My name is LightningRod. I'm guessing that you are Spirit. The cavalry talks much about you." Spirit looked a little surprised, but seemed a bit pleased a about his fame, naturally. LightningRod looked around and marveled at the beauty of this territory. Spririt spoke softly, "Rose has told us much about you. If Rose will be your only mare, you may stay and assist in keeping the herd safe." LightningRod smiled and nodded at Spirit.

         From then on LightningRod trained all day with Spirit but we slept with our necks intertwined under the apple tree. Soon I got some alarming but still pleasing news. I had grown fat, so I ran extra hard every day. I became moody and snappish at the other mares, even sweet old Esperanza. I only ate the dried out grass, but still I grew fatter. Since I became moody Esperanza watched me. This just put me ever more on edge. One day as I stood in the sun listlessly chewing the tasteless dried grass, Esperanza approached me cautiously. I looked up from my sad little meadow of dead plants. She stood next to me and tore up a mouthful of dead grass. When she had finished she started talking quietly. "Rose?" She ask tentatively. "What" I replied moodily. She went on ignoring my moodiness. "I think I know why you're not yourself lately. I'm going to get strait to the point here Rosie; I think you're pregnant. You have had the mood swings, and most definitely the weight gain." At hearing this my head shot up, my eyes wide. "By your expression I'm guessing this is you're first!" She said teasingly. "Don't joke about it!" I said loudly and shrilly, making a few mares gaze curiously at us. My mind raced with horrible things, a miscarriage, cougars, rattlesnakes, and life threatening deformities. Esperanza took a step closer and said "If you want to have a healthy foal, first you need to eat more green grass, and let up on exercise. Remember to tell LightningRod tonight." And with than she led me to a lush meadow with only two other mares in it. "Since pregnant mares eat more, and need the greenest grass, this meadow is reserved for them. Now eat Rose, and stay hydrated." And with that she walked to the public meadow and started to graze. When I saw LightningRod on the horizon with Spirit, I slipped away to the apple tree and waited for him. When he cheerfully approached, I solemnly told him "Come here LightningRod, I need to tell you something..." He looked questioningly at me but followed me to the forest. When we when in the shadows, I turned to him and said, "LightningRod, I may be pregnant..." He looked at me unbelievingly. Then a wide smile spread across his face and before I knew what was happening, he was rearing and bucking, screaming "I'M A DAD!!!" I laughed at his excitement.

              Eleven months later I stood in the moonlight, eating a midnight snack. I felt a sharp kick in the pit of my stomach. My time to foal had finally come. I looked at Spirit's hill, whare he stood all day. He was watching me quietly. I bent around and touched my