the other side of the hill, Wolf saw Sugars and Alamo nipping and whinnying at a small pack of wolves. "Burr! Come help!" Screeched Kendal. Wolf plunged down the hill and crushed the nearest wolf. He counted the small pack, 5 wolves. Burr and Kendal ran over and they all began to crush and scare off wolves. They stood there, catching their breath after the last of the wolves ran off. Sugars and Alamo ran up and huddled at Wolf's legs. He bent his neck down and nuzzled them reassuringly. Kendal looked on, looking proud and amused. "Looks like Wolfie's found himself some step children!" She teased. Sugars looked up at him impishly, and Alamo smiled at him sheepishly, and Wolf knew that it was true. He would raise and care for these foals as if they were his own.

"Come on, come on, come ooooooonnnnn!" Shouted Sugars on a warm day in early spring. Spirit had left with Rain many days ago. Kendal rolled her eyes and shook her head. Wolf snorted. "You promised!" Said Alamo. That winter, Burr's prediction came true. Ferrari did not make it, and Alamo had become much more outgoing. MorningGlory and the twins had come back, but StrongHeart was still gone. The triplets, now just twins, had become yearlings at last. Sugars leapt around, bursting with excitement. Alamo pranced next to her in the bright light. "Good luck out there." Said Burr from behind. Wolf turned and nuzzled him. "We'll miss you. And remember, you'll always be welcome in the Cimarron." Said Wolf with a small smile. Burr smiled back sadly. "I'll keep that in mind." He replied. Kendal nudged Wolf's shoulder and they began to trot away, the foals prancing beside him. Wolf looked at the sky, the sun high in the bright blue sky. They walked through deep, waving grass and Wolf paused at the top of a hill. He looked back and saw MorningGlory, Burr, the twins, and all the Indian ponies watching him depart. He reared and whinnied loudly, before galloping off. But before he was out of earshot, he heard happy whinnies, wishing him happiness and longevity.

Wolf paused an a wooded ridge. He looked down and stared pridefully at his home. He saw Esperanza, grazing with the other mares, and Spirit and Rain too! "Hey, it's Rain!" Said Sugars loudly. "Lets go!" She said. "No." Said Wolf. "I have been gone for a long time, and have earned many scars; they may not recognize me at first." He explained. Sugars nodded. "I'll go down there and I'll call you if everything goes alright." Kendal looked troubled, but she nodded, along with Alamo and Sugars. Wolf started quietly down the slope, hiding in the shadows of the trees. "If he attacks you, I'll fake a cougar attack!" Called Alamo quietly. Wolf grinned, but continued on. He paused at the edge of the wood, looking at his dear mother. He galloped forward, the mares with Esperanza turning and running. Esperanza turned around and screamed. Wolf skidded to a halt. Spirit's head popped up from grazing and he began to gallop forward angrily. Spirit must be his brother! "Esperanza!" Exclaimed Wolf, looking from Spirit to her. "How do you know me?!" She said, backing away from him. As his brother was nearly upon him, Wolf turned and ran onto a grassy hill, away from the herd. Spirit stood snorting angrily at the edge of the herd, keeping his eyes on Wolf. No matter what he did not want to fight his brother. Esperanza walked beside Spirit and whispered something to him. Spirit narrowed his eyes at Wolf. Wolf heard a screech in the distance. "You best be going." Called Spirit. "Eagle does not take kindly to strangers." Wolf smirked. "If only you knew..." He thought. Wolf saw eagle in the distance. It seemed like eagle saw Wolf too, because he flapped his wings to go faster. Soon eagle was soaring over the Cimarron, heading towards Wolf. The eagle screeched angrily, not recognizing Wolf. The eagle began to tuck his wings, diving towards Wolf with his talons outstretched. Wolf calmly turned his back, as if inviting the eagle to land. Wolf heard the eagle screech in surprise, and felt the wind as he swerved away at the last second. "What the...?!" Spirit exclaimed. The eagle turned back and gently landed on Wolf's back. Wolf turned his head and nuzzled the eagle lovingly. "I'm glad to see you, old friend." He whispered. The eagle made a strange purring noise. Spirit trotted closer curiously, Esperanza behind him. "I know he doesn't like strangers. But I just happen to be his friend." Said Wolf with an amused smirk at the look on Spirit's face. "The eagle hasn't been that happy since-" Esperanza gasped. "Could it be?" She whispered to herself. "Wolf?" She whispered. Wolf nodded slowly, smiling. He stepped forward as Esperanza did and nuzzled his mother for the first time in many years. "What's going on? Who is he?" Said Spirit, pushing close to Esperanza. Esperanza nudged Spirit away from her. "Show some respect, Spirit. This is your long lost older brother, Wolf." She said, moving to stand beside Wolf. Esperanza beamed and closed her eyes, leaning into Wolf. Wolf nuzzled her happily. Spirit wore an expression of confusion, disbelief, and shock. "But I don't have a brother!" He exclaimed. "Yes, you do. Who do you think tamed the eagle and told him to watch out for us?" She said, looking at Spirit, amused by his confusion. "We all thought he was dead, so I never told you..." Explained Esperanza with an apologetic smile. Spirit looked utterly baffled, looking from Esperanza to Wolf. "But he looks nothing like either of us!" Exclaimed Spirit, furrowing his brows. "I took after Strider, instead of Esperanza." Said Wolf with a sad smile. He realized that Spirit had never met his father. "My dad?" Spirit said. Wolf nodded. "He was very dark." Explained Esperanza. "Well were were you my whole life then?!" Said Spirit angrily, turning to Wolf. "Calm, Spirit." Said Esperanza quietly but firmly. Spirit pinned his ears and looked to the ground. "Same old Esperanza, scaring the living daylight out of everyone she meets." Teased Wolf, nudging Esperanza. Esperanza rolled her eyes, but couldn't stifle a small grin. "Well?" Prompted Spirit, more calmly this time. "One day me and Strider were leading the herd to the river to drink. Eagle started making strange noises and pacing, so we told the herd to wait. Before we could react, a buffalo stampede came and crushed Strider, and swept me away." Explained Wolf sadly. Spirit narrowed his eyes. "I doubt they swept you away for years and years!" He said, his voice quiet but scalding with anger. Esperanza looked apologetically at Wolf and began to speak, but Wolf cut her off. "Same reason as you! You stayed in the Indian camp, when after a few days you could have easily broken out of that corral! I grew up in the camp, and I'm no stranger to horses in love. I bet you would have stayed if Rain refused to leave. I know I would stay with Kendal. Even if my homeland is a stranger to me now." Replied Wolf quietly. He turned back to the woods. "Kendal, Foals! We're leaving." He called. Kendal trotted out of the woods with Kendal and the foals trotting beside her. "Lets go. It seems I'm not welcome at my home anymore." He said loudly. Kendal nuzzled him apologetically, and they galloped off with the foals trailing behind him. Esperanza desperately called for him to come back, but her old legs could never catch up to him, and Wolf didn't stop to let her try.

Wolf gazed happily at the empty, starlit expanse of green plains. "Strider told me about here. Very empty, no herd here yet." He said happily to Kendal, who was happily watching the foals frolicking in their new home. She turned to look into his eyes, her own eyes were sparkling with excitement, but behind that was concern and worry. "This place seems wonderful, but.... Well, empty..." She said. Wolf nodded to her. "It is, but there are a few loners who stay here for a few days. I bet we could recruit some of them." He replied thoughtfully. "That sounds great." Murmured Kendal, lowering her head beginning to doze off. Wolf nickered quietly to the foals, and Alamo trotted up with Sugars trailing behind him. "You should be getting to sleep." He whispered to the twins. "Mm-hm" murmured Alamo as he curled up next to Kenal. Sugars yawned and rolled on the grass before settling down. Soon everyone except Wolf was breathing slowly and evenly in sleep. He couldn't explain it, but something was pricking the back of his mind like a hard-to-reach burr on his back. Suddenly he heard a whinny from  behind him. He wearily turned, expecting a loner, but his tiredness vanished as he saw Esperanza on the hill behind him, alone.

"Mother!" He exclaimed quietly, galloping over to her. He quickly made sure she had no injuries, and looked at her scornfully. She rolled her eyes at him with a small smile. "We both know you are too old to be wandering alone! You should have stayed in the herd!" He scolded her. She snorted. "Rain told me about you," she said, ignoring his scoldings. "She says you helped train her in the ways of humans when she was born. She also said you were one of the most respected stallions there. They said you were the leader's daughter's horse." She said, cocking her head and her eyes squinting in amusement at him. Wolf rolled his eyes and snorted. "I was just another stallion in the tribe, mother." He replied. "No. I'm