Prompt from Guest: Could you do Pocahontas / Spirit : Stallion of the Cimarron story with Pocahontas x Colonel pairing. It's AU where Pocahotas is captured with Spirit in the army fort and is only person who horse trusts. Fascinated with the bond between Spirit and Pocahontas Colonel starts slowly revaluate his opinions of rebellious horse and falls in love with Pocahontas.

Prompts are CLOSED

He had seen how close the native woman was to the horse.

They had been brought in together, the blood of one of her native friends still staining her dress.

Kocoum she had kept crying out.

She was practically dragged to the camp, the horse going through the same treatment. It was the most docile thing ever when with her, but with anyone else… it was feral.

Even his own attempts at taming the beast had just made the native woman laugh.

"Tie it up again!" He ordered, face flushed from the humiliation, "And no water!"

"That's cruel!"

This was the first time he'd heard her speak their language. It was also the first time she had looked him right in the eyes, even if they were full of anger.

"… I beg your pardon?"

The woman glared at him, arms crossed over her chest, "You can't not give him water, simply because you're angry."

The Colonel smirked at her, gesturing towards the water trough, "Be my guest. Men! This… woman is now responsible for that horse until it's broken. She gets no help!"

That should teach her a lesson.

…..…

Over the week, the Colonel slowly started to admire the tenacity of the native woman. Every day, even when the sun was high in the sky, she fetched water, food and other necessities for the horse, not caring how hot it was or how tired she was.

He'd known soldiers with half her strength and determination.

One morning, as he was coming out of his rooms, he spotted several men crowded around something on the ground. A feeling of dread building in his stomach, he rushed over, already preparing to give the scolding of his life.

"What is going on here?!" He bellowed, frowning at the sight of the native woman kneeling on the ground, "Don't you men have something better to be doing?!"

"We were just- "

"- Slacking!" The Colonel glared at them, "You know how I feel about slackers!"

The man did seem to know, all nudging each other and dispersing in different directions, leaving the Colonel and the native woman alone.

"My apologies for that." The Colonel straightened up, "I promise, it will never happen again."

She just stared up at him.

"I was hoping… that I could get your name." He continued, "It is impolite to keep referring to you as the woman in my mind."

She hesitated for a moment, before a small smile appeared on her face. "Pocahontas." She answered.

"Pocahontas." The Colonel found himself bowing slightly, "A pleasure."

Her smile was something to behold.

…..

"Leave me alone!"

The Colonel stopped what he was doing, already turning to try and find out what the commotion was all about. Over near that blasted horse, where Pocahontas could usually be find, was another man.

Smith.

Not one of his soldiers. Simply an outsider who had wandered in… and was now encroaching on his woman (and when did he start thinking her of that?). Right now, Smith had a hold of Pocahontas's wrist, pulling her back towards him, even as she protested furiously.

"Hey!" The Colonel snapped, striding over as everyone else seemed to dive to one side, not wanting to get in his way, "Smith!"

Smith didn't even seem to care that he was about to be on the wrong end of a brutal scolding, turning to face the Colonel with a cheeky smirk on his face.

Like he wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Yes, Colonel?"

He could pull his gun out of his holster and shoot this man where he stood…. But that wouldn't help.

"Leave."

The word seemed to stun Smith, who frowned. "What?"

"Leave. Get off my settlement, now!"

Smith glanced back at Pocahontas, before a knowing smirk flashed across his face.

"She's just a native girl." Smith sneered, "She doesn't need all this- ARGH!"

A hoof in the small of his back sent him flying to the ground, face straight into a mud puddle as everyone laughed all around them. The Colonel locked eyes with the rebel horse, and in that moment, there seemed to be a sense of understanding between them.

"Go on Smith. Before I seriously lose my temper."

As Smith limped to grab his bags, the Colonel turned to Pocahontas. "Are you alright?"

"I- Yes." Pocahontas nodded, rubbing at her wrist, "I could have handled that."

"You shouldn't have to."

….….

It was late that night when Pocahontas and the horse broke out, the watch-guards ringing the bells to let everyone know.

"I'm going after her." The Colonel snarled, feeling a little bit betrayed, "And I want to know how she managed to escape in the first place!"

Setting off on his own horse, he followed the tracks left behind until he spotted Pocahontas and the horse in the distance.

And they weren't alone.

A puma was on the hunt.

The Colonel didn't even think about it twice, pulling out his revolver and firing at the puma, sighing in relief as it collapsed to the ground.

"Are you alright?!" He called out to Pocahontas

She looked a little nervous as he approached, huddling close to the horse. "You didn't have to do that." She whispered.

"I know."

"… Are you going to take us back?"

He was tempted.

He was really tempted.

But could a captive bird ever learn to love its' captor.

"No." He eventually sighed, "You can leave… you and that horse."

For a moment, she simply stared at him, before a warm smile appeared on her face as she slowly made her way over, kissing him on the cheek.

"Thank you."

And then she was gone.

The Colonel sighed wearily, running a hand across his face.

Maybe it was time to leave this place.