Ghost Horse-Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron

Chapter 9-Together

(I would just like to clarify that the picture of Desert and Eagle above is NOT mine, I got it from DeviantART and it is by agra19)

It had been several months since the two had started their quest; they'd grown closer as time went on, both learning each other's ways of dealing with certain terrain. Desert became more swift and agile, able to leap and gallop for ages, while Eagle learnt how to get through long grass, and how to deal with snakes and other wildlife he didn't usually come across. Now, at a year and five months, Eagle knew every trick in the book, and adored trying to teach the year and three month filly how to. They laughed and joked, dawdling through a thin forest, hooves crunching the crisp Autumn leaves that fell around them, gently drifting to the ground like a feather.

"... So I went into this forest, and I was completely lost, then the stallion, the one I told you about a while ago, Forrest, found me and I stayed in this sad little cave until I got back to the herd." Desert laughed at her story, the sound much more like sweet bells than Eagle's deep chuckle. His bright eyes glistened in the evening sun, white coat shimmering. "You know when we first met? And you said you had a full name? What is it?" Desert asked after a while, climbing a steep, grassy hill to the small stream at the top of it. The colt remained silent until they reached the water source, standing in it to cool his burning hocks.

"I said when we met, that was for me to know and you to find out, if you remember." Eagle smiled mischievously, flicking his silvery forelock from his coal black eyes. Desert groaned playfully, kicking up water around her.

"Can't you tell me now? I mean, you trust me, right?" She questioned, going to lay under a tree, her back resting against the trunk. Below the hill, there was small pools of water, all trickling down to the next, made of shining stone. The young horse wondered if she could make the jump to the first pool, while waiting for his answer.

"Of course I trust you, but, y'know." If horse's could shrug, he would've, because there really was no other answer than shrugging. Instead though, her turned his attention to the sky, and it's darkening shades of blue as the sun cast pink light across the clouds. "I saw a sheltered bit down there at the end of the pools. Covered in vines." Eagle changed the subject, glad to have gotten off the previous one.

"Okay, sure." Desert smiled over at him, bracing herself as her hooves collided with the cold stone, almost slipping off. But she made it down to the third one and glanced up at Eagle, who was one behind her. "Where is it?" She called over the rushing water beside them. Her mane soon became drenched, and once she turned into the shelter, she was glad to find dry grass sheltered by a willow tree and hollowed out wall of stone, which seemed to be becoming a familiar material to Desert. She positioned herself behind the vines, rolling the water off with the grass, then pausing to take a snack. Eagle joined her, and the two grazed nose to nose under the weeping willow, eyes half closed.

When morning came, Desert found herself with her head resting on Eagle's pale, warm back as he slept. From the moment that he and Desert had began to travel, Eagle had started to wake later, until they both rose at the same time, when the sun was a quarter way through the sky. He lifted his eyelids lazily, pricking his ears and nudging Desert up as he stood, flicking his tail to be rid of the broken strands of grass. The filly next to him snorted and trotted casually towards the waterfall, lowering her muzzle into the shallow pool of water at the bottom, her eyes half closed in content as the cold water soothed her burning throat. Eagle, no longer thirsty, went in search of a good grazing spot, nickering to her as he did.

"What time do we go?" Desert asked between mouthfuls of grass.

"As soon as you're ready." Eagle swallowed his final mouthful and waited for Desert, turning to cross the long stretch of empty land ahead of them. The two set off, side by side, with full stomachs. They walked across the hardened ground, kicking up dust as they passed.

"What's that?" Desert asked after a while, squinting her warm brown eyes at a hut in the distance.

"Indians. Careful, they might throw a rope around your neck and you'll be stuck there forever; we better go around the camp, just in case you can't get out." Eagle advised, turning slightly to the East, avoiding the humans.

"What do you mean by that? Are you saying I won't be able to escape?" Desert asked with a sharp snort, her tone turning icy, eyes narrowing to slits at the hinting.

"Well, no... Yes... It's just that you spend your time in a herd and everything's already done for you, being the Leader's daughter, and me... I live with a few others and have to fight for survival; escaping humans is basically an everyday thing for me, and in the time that I've been captured, I've been able to slip away quite easily. But a herd horse would have a whole lot of trouble with such a simple thing like that, and-" Eagle attempted to explain hurriedly, not wanting to upset Desert. However, the filly was already enraged, and began stalking over to the camp in the distance.

"I'll show you! Herd horses aren't stupid you know, Eagle. Just watch me, I'll be out in a flash. You won't even know I've gone." She snapped over her shoulder, cantering in the direct line of the Indians and the horses that were lined up in a pen.

"No, Desert, we haven't got time for this! I thought you wanted to go home, not put yourself in danger!" The colt whinnied in a panicky tone. He cantered after her, but slowed behind a tree, hiding his slim figure in the shadows while he helplessly watched Desert and the ropes swirling above her head. He whinnied pitifully as he eyes rolled, not expecting the burning sensation of the men tugging at the ropes.

"Eagle, I'm sorry! Help me!" She cried, skidding across the dirt as the paint filly struggled to escape. In less than a minute, Desert was hauled into a big tent, the entrance guarded by two humans with blue strikes on their cheeks, feathers in their braids and spears in their hands, with no emotion what so ever on their cold, hard faces.

For a moment, Eagle stared at where he had last seen Desert. His eyes scanned another way of entry, but the one tent he wanted to get to was more like an official building, with solid walls and poles holding parts of it up and out of the sun. After so many attempts, the Indians had given up trying to train and break him in; they would go in to get him water, but when they returned, he was gone without a single marking on the rope as if he had simply vanished. They now called him the Ghost Horse, and decided that he was a good omen whenever they saw him. Eagle hesitantly stepped out from under the tree, walking subtly along the backs of the dusty cream tents, trying to avoid any contact. He witnessed a plain brown horse being painted on, the humans calmly stroking two fingers across the horse's neck, creating blue streaks. He did this along the horse's back and face, causing it to look more like a strange zebra than a painted horse. Shuddering, the colt crept away, only to be stopped by a rope, tangled with his silken mane. The Indian that held him was gaping and calling for someone else, dragging him carelessly into a pen, tying him up.

Soon though, a white haired old woman stumbled over to his pen, her eyes twinkling in amazement at the find of the Ghost Horse. She leaned on a long, twisted stick with all kinds of markings etched into it. She wore a robe that scraped the ground because she was stooped over. Part of him felt bad for this old human, but he was determined to find Desert. As she reached up her hand, Eagle snorted it away, pinning his ears back and prancing around the pen, flicking his tail angrily. He paced restlessly, bucking and making a riot. The woman's face looked grim,as if she was deciding something. Then she spoke. "It is a bad omen. Let him go, or we will all be doomed." And with that, two people pulled open the gate and untied him. Eagle met the old woman's eyes and dipped his head gracefully, before trotting briefly out, streaking into the distance.

Tonight, he would rest in shelter, feed himself and sleep, but tomorrow,he would have to venture back to the Tribe, hoping this time not to get caught. As the white horse settling beside a small, drying pond, he began thinking, his mind whirring to this of a plan to free his travel mate. After a while, Eagle got too tired to think, and drifted off, not knowing what the next morning would bring when he set off to save Desert.