touched my bulking abdomen, and looked back at him. He must have understood, because he nodded slowly and cautiously. I quietly stepped into the shadows, and looked for a suitable clearing. I soon came across a large cave that looked just right. I lied inside, and felt myself pushing instinctively as the contractions shook my body. I quietly whinnied from the pain. Soon a little colt slipped onto the cool rock. I sat up to admire him, but I felt another body-shaking contraction. Twins! I lay down again and a few minutes later next to the colt there was a strawberry roan filly too. Her dainty pink hooves were so pretty, and the colt had coal-black hooves and his front legs were gray like his fathers. Despite my fatigue, I got to my feet and  nudged my foals to do the same. The moonlight illuminated their shiny coats like little jewels. As they struggled to their feet, I admired their long, long legs and broad chests. They would be great racers someday! I heard quiet talking outside the cave. I swiveled my ears to hear the hushed conversation. I led my foals quietly to a shadowy corner and told them not to move. I crept to an outcropping near the entrance and listened to the voices outside. "I'm tellin you Joe, these are Arabian hoof marks! The mustangs here have much bigger feet!" Liana angrily whispered. "Liana, you miss Rose too much... It's playin tricks on your mind. An Arabian couldn't survive out here. Her genes tell her to watch for cobras not cougars, or wolves. She's probably long dead Llama..." Joe stated. I laid my ears back in anger from Joe's unfaithfulness. I nickered softly. "What was that!?" Exclaimed Liana. "Sounded like a nicker to me..." Replied Joe unsurely. I nickered again, this time louder. I heard the jangle of bits and the creak of saddle leather. The were coming. I called my foals out of hiding. I went and lied down near where I had my foals. Soon two figures on horseback appeared at the mouth of the cave. I raised my head and whinnied at them. "Oh my goodness, my little Rosie had babies!!!" Exclaimed Liana excitedly. "Well I'll be..." Said Joe unbelievingly. Liana quickly dismounted from an eerily familiar horse... Mel. I narrowed my eyes at her and she did the unthinkable. She lowered her head in shame and respect. Liana hurried over to me and sat down next to me and my foals. I nudged my little filly, and she slowly crept over to Liana. Liana smiled proudly at my gorgeous filly. I heard her stomach grumble. I quickly got to my feet, and pushed my foals to my teat so they could nurse. The filly's eyes were a deep, emerald green. But the colt have very odd yet pretty eyes. They were a light ice blue. My filly backed up and started to trot over to Mel curiously. I jumped forward and blocked her from Mel. Even though she had apologized, I still don't trust her one bit. Liana put a halter on me and led my and my foals to a small house with a big yard. She put me in and called a vet. Even I knew a mare that had twins has a high risk of internal problems. 

          The next day the veterinarian came. He was a short balding man in large glasses. He confirmed the health of my foals, and then checked me. He suspected I had a small break in my uterus that led to internal bleeding. I had to have surgery. Liana put my foals in a stall next to mine, and she came back with the vet. He had knives, needles, biodegradable thread, and a suspicious looking mask connected to a tank. Liana took the mask and came toward me. I moved my head as she tried to put it on my face. She put her hand on my neck and looked deep into her eyes. She was telling me this would be for my own good, but I wouldn't like it. I mustered my courage and let her put on the mask. I breathed in, and all went black.

             Many hours later I woke up with a groan. I sat up and looked to my side, where there was much pain. There was a deep gash, but it was tied closed with thread. I looked around my darkened stall. A blanket was tied in front of the window to block out light. Sitting in a corner dozing with my foals, was Liana. She had stayed there all day and cared for my foals. I raised unsteadily but silently and crept over to her. I laid down next her and laid my head in her lap. I felt her wake up and she began to gently stroke my forelock. I fell into a deep dreamless sleep right there in her lap. The next morning I woke up to birdsongs and bright sunlight. My foals were curled up at my side and I laid my head over the colt. "They need names..." I thought groggily. "Well after Lightning comes the Thunder." I smiled at the clever thought. "Okay, so the colt has a name, so what about the dainty little girl...? Hmmmm.... Rosebud...? No... Primrose!" It was perfect! I smiled and opened my eyes to admire my newly named foals. I still couldn't belive I had twins! I gently whispered to their sleeping bodies. "My little perfect babies... Primrose and Thunder!" Primrose must have been a light sleeper because she woke up and looked deep into my eyes. I looked at her tenderly and she cocked her head and smiled. "Mommy?" She asked quietly. I nuzzled her and replied "Yes Primrose?"  She smiled again and continued "Is this our home?" She looked a bit confused but still happy. "Oh, no, dear, we live in the wild... We just needed to visit Liana and the humans for a bit." She looked extremely confused now. "What's the wild mommy?"  I was alarmed. We need to leave before she gets too attached to here! "It's a wonderful place dear... Endless meadows, sweet grass, many herds of mustangs running free, including your father. He was raised by humans like me but we are wild now." I explained to her. "We will leave in a few days."  She looked very happy now. "I can't wait to meet daddy!" She exclaimed excitedly.

         The next day I was permitted to go into the meadow. The foals chased each other playfully and snapped harmlessly at each other's heels. I called them over when Liana had left, and found a spot in the fence that they crawled through. Once they were under, I jumped over the fence and we galloped to the Cimmaron. Luckily my foals were fast runners and we arrived in two days. I stood on a tall hill, my mane and tail blowing to the side in the wind. Spirit looked over and when he recognized me he reared up and neighed. The whole herd raised their head and neighed happily at me. But I didn't see LightningRod. I looked at every horse but he was missing. I looked to the forest, the canyon, even the apple tree. When I looked back at Spirit with confusion in my eyes, he galloped over. Thunder and Primrose hid behind my leg. When he arrived I spoke worriedly to him. "Where is LightningRod?!" I said frantically, still peering around the landscape for him. "Rose," Spirit began, "I have something to tell you... And it's not good." He said gravely. I looked at him with tears in my eyes. "He's not.... Dead... is he?" I asked, choking up with tears. "No, no, no! The thing is... last week, just after you left, the cavalry came and caught quite a few of us..." He said somberly. "Um... Was your foal... uhhh... stillborn...?" He asked red-faced. "Oh, no no no no no!" I sidestepped to reveal the twins. "Oh! Im Sorry, I didn't see them..." He apologized, embarrassed. "Hi..." Said Primrose timidly. Thunder pricked his ears and said "Is this our daddy?" I blushed a deep red and said "Noooo! This is Spirit, he's just a friend!"  I replied, me the embarrassed one now. "So you had twins! I'm sure LightningRod would be proud of you." He said to me. "He 'would'? No, he WILL be! As soon as these two are weaned I'm going to the cavalry!" I said dismissively. He looked a bit skeptical, but led me to the herd.

         A few weeks later, I weaned my foals early in secret. I told my foals to go to Esperanza as soon as I was out of sight. "But where are you going mommy?" Asked Primrose worriedly. "I'm going to get your daddy, my little jewel. I promise to be right back. Take care of Thunder for me."  Thunder was sleeping over near a friend in the herd. As soon as Spirit looked away, I seized the chance I galloped silently but swiftly to the shadowy forest. I looked back as soon as I was out of sight as Spirit's gaze slowly returned to where I was, and he took a double take as he realized I had left. He stamped his hoof angrily as Esperanza trotted up to him with Primrose trailing behind her. Primrose looked off in the opposite direction I had gone. Spirit saw her and galloped the way she was looking. Such a little smartie! Esperanza led her to Thunder and stood near them both. I turned away towards the inky black shadows of the forest and ran like I had the day I escaped from the cavalry. But today I was going into the fort, not out of it.

              The next day I saw the light of a fire in the distance. A cowboys' temporary camp! The perfect place to be caught! I galloped swiftly to the wooded ridge where I had spotted the dying fire. I tiptoed into the peaceful clearing just as the sun peeked over the horizon. I walked past the sleeping horses, stomping leaves and twigs noisily. Soon every horse was motioning for me to leave but I ignored them. Then I saw a human open his eye. I sniffed various objects pretending to not see him, but I saw him throw a boot at another man and point at me. Not long after after all of them were awake and one tried to