-Spirit's pov-

Spirit has taken his herd to a safe grass hill to sleep and rest after the long day. It's night now, and all the pack is either eating the flowers or playing. Spirit walks over to his mother, hugging her to the best of his horse's abilities. "Good night, son," she says, and Spirit answers her nudging her gently. "Goodnight, mother" he then goes to watch the stars, and Esperanza looks at him proudly, then goes to sleep. So that's my son, she thinks. The young Stallion then thinks about a tale she had newly heard. The buffalo he had met when he was a colt had told him it this morning. It was about a mare of the same land like him. The White Thunder the buffalo had called her. "she has been captured, Spirt. it's up to you to find her and take her home." but how will o that? when I don't even know what or who captured her? he thoughts as he suddenly notices a light. "Hmm... Mom, mom!" he calls, and the mare walks over to her son, smiling. "What's wrong, Spirit?" she says.

"What is that? I'll go check it out." Spirit declares, but his mother catches his mane. "Don't go! What if something happens to you?" she asks worriedly, and her son rolls his eyes. "Mom. I'll be fine," he says and nudges her before running off. Little does he know that this can change the course of his future.

-TIME SKIP-

Soon enough, Spirit comes across a bound horse." Are you tied up? Hm... You are," he mutters, and the horse looks at him, worried and concerned. "Don't come any closer. They'll tie you up t"o," it warns but the young stallion snorts and goes to check out the humans. He then sees a sho and smells at it. He immediately snorts in disgust and exclaims" "Oh, that stink"!" he then throws the shoe off him. soon, he continues to check out the camp. he comes across a man, and the man wakes to mutter, "What the...?" Spirit does not see that the two-legged is waking and continues to inspect the man, licking his neck. "Mmm, Sadie Mae." the man mutters and thinking it's his wife or lover, he is feeling kisses the horse. Spirit rears back, snickering in disgust. "Ewww!" he squeals. the man wakes and gasps, calling the other two men as the Stallion runs away. "Get him, boys!" the muscular buckskin ncikeres playfully and runs away again, jumping over rocks. The pursuit ensues through a canyon before the poor horse gets captured.

"I won't let you bound me!" Spirit neighs at the leader of these men, who smirks and says, "Thought you got away, didn't you, mustang?" Spirit narrows his eyes and neighs harshly." I will get away." he snarls. The buckskin sees his mother and herd. "no, go back!" he calls. "but what about you?" his mother neighs. "don't worry! I'll be fine. Go!" the cream-colored mare sighs and reluctantly turns away. He was scared and didn't know what would happen to him, but at least his mother and the herd were safe.

though he didn't go with them willingly, the men managed to get him to their stronghold. "Open the gate!" a man calls, and Sprit gets led into the treebuld hold, looking around as men and horses walkabout. A line of horses walks in for some of them, and he calls out to them, "help me!" the horses look at him, but their riders string them up, making them continue. a sudden gunshot sounds through the stronghold, and a man with a cowboy hat comes out of a barrack. "What seems to be the problem, gentlemen?" he says. arrogance is all that Spirt sees in him. "We got us a crazy one here, sir." a soldier says, and the Connel looks at Spirit, then glances at a pure white mare with a long flowing mane. The horse's head is down but senses the new arrival and looks up.

Spirit looks at her, and his breath catches in his throat. It was her, the Whit thunder. How he'd known, he didn't know. He just felt the pull that the elder buffalo had said that you would feel when you saw her. she was beautiful. Her eyes are a striking gold, and she bears the wildfire in her eyes. but the admiration gets cut off by the soldiers dragging Spirit into a fence. "The Army has dealt with wild horses before. This one will be no different." Connel says as the stallion gest taken away. "saddle up, White."  He orders, and a sergeant nods, "she will be ready to break him by sundown." he orders.

Sprit looks at the pure white mare, seeing something the buffalo didn't mention. Along her snout runs a golden stripe that she carries to the middle of her chin. Against the base of her left ear hangs two golden lilies, and neatly overlaid lays two pearly silver chains over her snout and neck. A golden band clamps her throat, and the buckskin stallion doesn't know whether it's there on purpose or left by these men.

TIME SKIP

it had gone a few days since the buckskin-colored Stallion had gotten captured. You didn't care for him though you had to admit that he was more handsome than those stallions here. He had been placed in a barren and bonded to a pole. You snorted as you bowed your head and continued to eat the food you were given. Suddenly you heard composition by the gate, and you lifted your head curiously. The soldiers were dragging in a Lakota. He seemed exhausted, but that didn't stop him from fighting against the hold of the men. You titled your head in curiosity as he looked your way.

His eyes widened. He then heard a snort coming from Spirit's paddock. You followed his gaze to see Spirit looking at the Lakota uninterested. "the Lakota believes that the wild horses can not be tamed," the Connel said, walking out of his barrack. You narrowed your eyes dangerously and lashed your tail. "but we will show them wrong" the Connel continues looking at the Lakota man, then at you and Spirit.

You snort but don't look away. Spirit does the same, but he looks away. Coward, I would say if I knew him, you thought. Soon the Lakota is bonded to a pole right outside Spirit's paddock by his hands. the man waits until the soldiers, and the Connel is gone. He then starts to commute with Spirit, as you learned later was the young and fierce Stallion's name. a fitting name indeed. Spirit only glanced at the Lakota and turned his rump as an answer to his call. You snorted and then started eating again, seeing that this wasn't interesting enough for your attention.

♡