Jake hung up the phone. Brynna had called him to ask him if he saw Sam anywhere. When he said no she had broke out into tears. She explained that they had been at Dr. Scotts for three hours talking and only before they left did they notice that Sam wasn't with them. They searched the barn and found that Ace was also gone. They tracked them to the road where they lost them.
When they had gone back home to see if they were there they found their tracks again. They then found all of Sam's clothes gone and supplies. Dark Sunshine and Tempest, the vet supplies, and tack were all missing. They found out that the tracks led up the ridge then disappeared. Jake took a deep, shaky breath. 'Why am I so worried about the brat? She will be back soon, she ain't tough enough.' Jake thought to calm himself down even though he himself knew it was a lie.
With Sam...
Sam drank from the cool watering hole thankfully. Ace, Sunny, and Tempest ate grass happily untacked near the bank. Suddenly, Ace and Sunny's head shot up and they gazed at the other side of the watering hole with pricked ears. Alarmed, Sam moved quickly over to them and began to tack them up. Whatever was on the opposite back allowed her to tack them up and mount up before it moved. A silver streak shot along the bank, advancing towards them.
Recognition soon told Sam that it was the Phantom. He slid to a stop ten yards away from them and tossed his head. Sam kept the horses still and watched the Phantom. He lowered his head in the herding position and moved toward them in a swinging walk. He circled them before coming up the rear and herding them forward. The horses submitted to his movements and Sam was forced to give in, not that she didn't want to.
An hour later they were, for some odd reason, heading towards Three Ponies. Sam looked questionably at the Phantom and he kept pushing the horses forward. Finally, a half mile away from the farm house that the Ely's lived in, the Phantom stopped them. The slam of a truck sounded and Ace shied and Sam, unprepared, fell. Ace took off and Sunny, Tempest, and the Phantom followed suit.
Sam gaped after them and shook her head in disbelief. Her best friends just abandoned her. She watched as they disappeared into the darkness. Sam guessed that they would take the long way around Three Ponies so they weren't captured. She crawled behind a large boulder and shivered. Her white short sleeved shirt was not enough for this cool night. She would have gotten a sweatshirt but Ace and Sunny had taken off with everything.
After sitting behind that boulder for a good 20 minutes, she saw the Phantom's foggy shape start to start to form from the darkness. 'They must have run at a full gallop to make it around Three Ponies in 20 minutes.' Sam thought as she slowly stood. The Phantom cautiously pranced in place and he kept his eyes on her. The secret name. The secret name. "Zanzibar." She whispered to the magnificient stallion. Trust exploded in the stallion's eyes and he took a hesitant step closer.
Soon, he was in stroking range. Sam cautiously raised her hand up, a centimeter every second, until it was held palm-up under his nose. His furry whiskers tickled her palm as he lipped at it. When it held nothing, he took a step back. "It's ok, Zanzibar." She whispered softly and he came up and pushed her with his head. Sam stumbled backward a bit but recovered and placed her hand on his muzzle. When he didn't protest, she stroked his head, then his neck, his muscular shoulder, until she was at his side.
When she just stood there in awe that he was letting her that close, he turned his elegant head and pushed her forward so she came in contact with his side. Sam's eyes widened but she understood. She placed her left hand on his withers and her right near his rump and gave a short leap into the air. Pushing with all of her might she climbed onto his back. Startled at the new weight on his back, the Phantom side stepped. Sam wove her fingers through his long, wild mane and he spun around. He took off at a brisk trot towards the Three Ponies instead of around it.
Surprised, Sam just sat there and watched the shapes in the window eat dinner. The Phantom just waltzed right next to the house carelessly, that is untill the front door opened. Jake walked out and the Phantom stood still, obviously unseen in the moonlight. Jake also had a girl around his age following him. "So Jake, thanks for letting me meet your parents. They are wonderful!" The girl said while smiling, revealing pearly white teeth.
Jake rubbed the back of his neck, which meant he was embarrassed. "No big deal, Amy." Jake said while also smiling. Jake hugged her and the kissed pasionately. Sam gasped loudly in surprise and the two lovers spun around. Jake's eyes widened when he saw her on the Phantom. "Sam..." He spoke with fright. Sam narrowed her eyes. "Yeah Jake? Sorry that I caught you in the act. I was thinking about saying goodbye to you, but it seems you got a little plaything to do that for you." Sam said with disgust.
The Phantom darted away and ran off from Three Ponies. When the horse and rider came to edge of the river, Sam spotted the three horses that had abandoned her earliar. The phantom shook his body and went near to the horses. Sam grabbed Ace and Sunny's reins and pulled them along. The Phantom charged into the river with such ease while the horses behind them struggled. At the deepest part of the river, she heard a frightened squeal. "TEMPEST!" Sam screamed and jumped into the water.
She was instantly engulfed by water untill she clawed her way to the surface. The little black filly was trapped underneath her mother. She couldn't escape because of the lead rope. Sam collided into Sunny's side and untied the little filly's lead rope. The weight of Tempest pulled her under Sunny and Ace. Sam could feel that both of their hooves were only inches away from her body. When she came up on the other side of the horses Sam pulled Tempest's head from the water.
She couldn't hold the filly up without holding onto something. The other horses had made it to the bank already. Sam's pleading scream wafted to each side of the banks. Suddenly she saw the Phantom swimming strongly towards her. When he was near her Sam snatched a hunk of mane to hold onto and wrapped her other arm around the filly. The Phantom pulled them to freedom.
Sam carried the filly onto the bank and layed her down. The filly breathed in great gasps. Five minutes later the filly got up and nuzzled Sam. Letting out a sigh of relief, Sam pushed the filly towards Sunny. She lifted her up and put her on the front of the saddle. Sam had grabbed her Dad's saddle so she had a lot of room on Sunny. Sam climbed behind her and held her in place. Ace put his head on Sam's thigh and Sunny followed the Phantom. Exhausted, Sam fell asleep upright.
When Sam awoke, she was in the Phantom's secret valley on Sunny. The mare was waiting patiently for Sam to dismount and get her baby off of her. Sam did just that and held Tempest's halter as she untacked the horses. Happy to be set free, Sunny galloped over to the herd. She uneasily walked up to the herd. When she wasn't attacked, she grazed with the herd. Ace decided to stick like super glue to Sam, much to her annoyance.
Sam looked around for the Phantom and found him laying down calmly with his head tucked in and his chin rested on his chest. 'It seems this is where he takes a break once in awhile.' Sam thought while smiling at the peaceful sight of the sleeping mustang. Sam knew what she would do. She would live with the Phantom's heard. She would move when they did and only go to civilization for necessities. This was what she would do. This would make her happy.