"Come on Jake!" Jewel squealed, clutching tightly too Peaches. The Kitty had just been returned to Jewel an hour before since Alex and David had taken him away for a week. She had gotten in trouble for hiding him in her backpack and taking him too her elementary school. Her forth grade teacher caught her when several students started having allergic reactions and Peaches let out a small meow.

"Jewel, what are we even doing here?" Jacob asked. His sister had woken him up early that Saturday morning, telling him to get dressed and follow her. He had nothing better to do, so he followed his little sister and her kitten into the desereted fields. They were now hiking up a small hill where the sun was rising over. He had asked no questions until that moment. She turned around and shushed him.

"We have to be quiet. come on!" She whispered. they finally reached the crest of the hill and Jewel dropped down to her knees, gesturing for Jacob to do the same. He shurgged and dropped to his knees, watching as the sun rose. Jewel smiled and pointed to over where the creek could be seen with the last green grass of the summer surrounding it. He was momentarily amazed as he saw a herd of wild mustangs. They were grazing happiliy on the grass, while the yearlings pranced around.

"Whoa." Jacob said. Jewel smiled and let Peaches down and he rolled around in the grass.

"That one looks like Gold Dust." Jewel grinned pointing to a buckskin mare standing next too a black colt.

"How did you find them?" Jacob asked.

"Daddy works at the BLM. I over heard him talking on the phone this morning about how there is a small herd by our house, so I went out looking for them. They stay near the creek since it's their watering hole." She said. Jacob glanced back at the herd.

"What is that big one doing?" He asked. Jewel squinted to see, then she bit her lip.

"That's the stallion. He is bossing some of the yearlings around." She said. He looked over at the large stallion. He was a bay with a matted mane and tail and scars ran all over his body from both fly bites and fights with other stallions. The stallion pinned back his ears and nashed out his teeth at a small red roan mare. She looked young, you enough to still look decent. He bit her on her shoulder and she let out a cry of pain as he drew blood. Jacob watched in horror as the stallion continued to bit the mare until she ran away from the herd.

"Why did he do that?!?" Jacob asked.

"I read a book on mustangs once. It said that sometimes the stallions drive the yearlings out of the herd because they some how knew interbreeding was bad. Most of the mares he will drive out would be his own off spring." Jewel said. Jacob rolled his eyes in disgust.

"That's awful." He said. Jewel nodded a bit and stood. He stood also and scooped Peaches into his arms, handing the kitten to his sister. He took her hand and the two of them began to go down the hill towards the ranch.

They were almost too the house when Peaches wriggled his way out of Jewels grip and took off back the way they had just come. Jewel watched in horror before running after him.

"Peaches!!" She screamed as she watched her kitten run towards the hill.

"Jewel! He'll come back!" Jacob tried to call to her, but she was already disappearing over the crest if the hill. He let out a grumble and ran after her. Jacob was slightly out of breath when he reached the top of the hill, but what his took his breath away was the sight of Jewel stroking the same red roan that they had seen that morning, driven from her heard.

"Jewel!" He hissed. He knew the damage mustangs could do after seeing James and Chevy's accident. James now had a scar forever across his cheek, and Jacob wouldn't be able to bear seeing his sister scarred if he could help it.

"Jewel, get away! come here now!" He said, with obvious panick in his voice. Jewel was holding Peaches again as she ran her fingers through the mares ratted mane.

"She's nice Jake." Jewel said. She turned back to the mare and smiled. "Imma gonna name you Rosebud." Jacob let out a groan and carefully approached the trio. He took Jewels hand and pulled her away from the mare. Jewel let out a squeal as she was wrenched away, and the mare let out a small neigh. Jacob picked Jewel up and she glared at him.

"Put me down!" She said. He shook his head.

"Do you want me to tell David that you walked right up to a wild mustang?" He asked. She glared at Him and clutched Peaches tightly before shaking his head. "Then let's go." He put her down and they began to walk back to the house. Jewel took one more look at the mare before she disappeared behind the hill.

***

Sorry for the late update! I've had a major writers block lately. I hope Y'all like it though! Love ya! The picture on the side is of the red roan mare, Rosebud.

~Avis