Searching For Hidalgo
(NOTE: Some of the characters in this story do not belong to me)
Chapter 1
Encountering a Hero & Champion
"Ahhhh, well that part is really very simple! You'll see." The woman explained, and leant back into the corner of the tent. She yawned and rubbed her hands together. Then glared back up at the young man in front of her. He was watching her eagerly, as if waiting for her to say more. He held onto his hat tightly as the woman got to her feet slowly. She peered out of the gap in the tent as the afternoon sun shone through the gap onto her face. She seemed young, although there were a few flaws about her which proved she was much older. Her golden brown hair caught the sunlight, and her bright green eyes gleamed as she opened the tent and let the light in. She turned and sighed to the boy.
"I'll have your mustang by sundown tomorrow, as long as I get the money."
The boy nodded and played nervously with his hat.
"Please remember, that's a black filly, don't forget."
The woman smiled and patted the boy on his shoulder before walking around him.
"Don't you worry young lad. Count on Miss Tane to get the job done."
The boy smirked and turned to leave her on her own. He looked back before exiting.
"Thank you Arien… that is your name?"
"Yes indeed it is. But do not tell many people that." She explained pointing her finger at him.
The boy nodded once more and bolted happily out of the tent, almost bumping into Arien's horse.
Arien took a deep breath and grabbed her backpack from the corner. She shoved a few things into it, and strolled out to her horse. She patted him, stroked his mane, and tied her backpack up onto the side-saddle.
"We got another horse to wrangle, Cheval."
Cheval tossed his head and snorted. Arien stopped stroking his mane and made sure that her stuff was tied tightly.
"Don't you be startin' that crap with me. You know perfectly well this is what we set out to do. You've been doin' it for long enough. Or is that what your problem is?"
Cheval turned his head and looked at her. Arien shook her head and climbed up onto his back. She looked over at her tent that was perched just inside a small cavern in the base of a rock face and then over the grassy plain that made the horizon. She kicked Cheval in the sides and they both rode off in the sun's direction.
Arien covered her face with her one free hand to shield from the sun as she rode on, and scanned the plains for what she was hoping to see. Wild horses. She knew where she was going, for she had been there a million times before, hunting for the wild mustang everyone was so keen to get their hands on.
She gazed around at the scene as her and Cheval stopped in their path. There was nothing. She slapped her hand down on her thigh angrily, her head darting around in all directions.
"Where are they!!? They are always here, Cheval! Don't you remember!? YOU were the one that lead me here!! You break that damn horses code and now look where it's taken you!!"
She kicked him lightly again and he began trotting. Arien searched frantically. She cupped her hands to her mouth and whistled. There was a loud echo and a cold wind whipping past her, but other than that there was no reaction.
"Probably not a good thing to do huh? Wherever they are now, they just ran much further away from us."
She tugged off her black felt hat and waved it in her face. Cheval snorted and threw his head, pulling the reigns ever so much to the left.
Arien slapped her hat back on and steadied him.
"You want to lead me there again?? You know where they are?? IT WAS YOU!! WASN'T IT!!?? YOU TOLD THEM TO LEAVE!!" She barked, poking Cheval lightly in the neck. Instead, Cheval just neighed.
All of a sudden she and Cheval fell silent. From over the hill there was a thundering noise. Arien's eyes widened and she turned Cheval around and bolted in the other direction. Following closely behind her was a mob of about a thousand horses. Arien whipped at Cheval's sides as she galloped past and out of their way. Instead the mob of horses turned and veered off to the left. Arien and Cheval turned around to watch them.
"WOOO!! It's them!!" She cried in happiness, and scanned the mob for the black filly she was looking for.
When she spotted one, she whipped Cheval's sides again and galloped off up beside the mob. She untied a rope from her side-saddle, and began to swing it around her head. Cheval edged on faster, beside the frightened filly. She tossed the rope toward the horse, barely missing it's head. She pulled the rope in, and swung it around her head for a second go.
Just as she went to throw the rope once more, she looked ahead of her and noticed one single horse and rider coming toward her. Not taking any unruly notice of it, she tossed the rope at the filly which was by now separated from the mob. The filly galloped in closer to Cheval and the rope went flying out to the other side with the wind. The single horse and rider that was galloping toward them sped past, snatching the end of her loop up. Arien felt a tug, and she pulled hard, hoping to see the filly come to a halt. Instead the mysterious rider yanked so hard on the rope that she was pulled backwards and fell out of her saddle and onto the hard dusty ground. Cheval neighed and reared up. Arien groaned and looked around herself, her vision a little blurry. She saw Cheval and growled.
"You had to go and do that didn't you? Did you do that?"
She heard another horse neighing, and her eyes darted around. A man stood over her face.
"No, I did."
She squinted to try and see his face, but the blistering sunset light was shining in her eyes. She tried hard to sit up properly, the pain in her back hitting her hard.
"Who the hell are you and why did you interrupt my special work?" She ordered, and heaved herself to her feet, rubbing her back.
The man glared at her as she turned around to see him. She waited for an answer, and shrugged at him sarcastically.
"Because I know what you're tryin' to do."
Arien nodded stupidly.
"Really? And what do you think that is, mister??"
"You're tryin' to wrangle that filly and whisper her, am I right?" The man said, pointing in the direction of the mob which was about a mile away by now.
Arien chuckled and looked at him more directly. Her eyes widened, and she let go of her painful arm.
"Wait. What is your name?? You're not a bounty hunter are you??"
"No. Just someone tryin' to keep these mustang safe. My NAME is Frank Hopkins."
Arien squinted to look at his face for the last time. She gasped and pointed at him.
The man was only about seven years older than her, short flaky chestnut brown hair, hazel green eyes.
Arien stumbled backwards, knocking into Cheval's nose.
"I know you!"
"You may. But I'm gonna have to tell you to leave." Frank told her.
She took a hold of Cheval's reigns and stared at him.
"You won that three thousand mile race didn't you, on that mustang?"
Frank cleared his throat.
"That was quite a while ago."
"It was three years." Arien replied.
Frank glared at her, and pointed to the horizon.
"Leave now."
Arien frowned and hoisted herself into Cheval's saddle. Frank stood there, still staring at her. Instead Arien stared back. She stroked Cheval's mane.
"You were my hero you know. You and your mustang."
"Were??"
"Yeah. Until that day you let the mustang go." She shook her head in shame, "It could've been killed."
"I had to do that. It's what Hidalgo wanted."
Arien snuffed a laugh.
"And you knew what he wanted? You can read his mind?"
"No." Frank replied sharply, "But I could see before that so could you."
Arien's face turned blank. Cheval snorted and nodded his head. Both of them turned to leave.
Frank climbed onto his horse and followed after her.
"Hey!" He cried, trotting up beside her, "Who are you anyhow?"
"It's about time you asked me my name." Arien sighed, "My name is Arien Tane."
"What do you do for a living."
Arien glanced at him and galloped off ahead of him. She slowed down to a walk, about ten meters in front. Frank smiled and yelled after her.
"FROM WHAT I CAN SEE IT'S WHISPERIN' MUSTANG!! AM I RIGHT!!"
Arien stopped in her path. Frank caught up and she continued on.
"Why are you followin' me, Hopkins?"
"To make sure you don't hunt my horses again, that's why."
"What makes you think I will."
Frank waved his hand and looked around him.
"Come on. You think I'm really that stupid?"
Arien tilted her head and mumbled. Frank just glared at her. She whipped Cheval's sides and galloped off toward the mob again. Frank in a hurry followed closely behind.
"STOP!" He yelled.
Arien didn't take any notice of him and headed directly at the mob. Frank whipped his horse harder and he edged in front of Cheval. He reached his arm out and tried to grab Cheval's bridle, but was unsuccessful.
"LEAVE ME BE HOPKINS!! I NEED TO TAME THIS HORSE BY SUNDOWN TOMORROW AND YOU AREN'T GOING TO STOP ME!!"
"WATCH ME!!" Frank snapped back.
Arien looked determined and ready for anything, and Frank saw that.
He took his reigns and pulled one leg up onto his horse. He steadied himself enough and seized Arien by the shoulder. He pushed with all his might off his own horse and leapt onto the back of hers, behind her. His horse veered off to the left, he leant forward and snatched the reigns, even though she was still holding them and pulled in the opposite direction. Cheval went there and Arien tried to hit him away. Frank dodged all her moves and yanked back hard on the reigns, forcing Cheval to stop. She turned her head and glared at him unhappily. Frank just smirked back. She crossed her arms and pouted, as Frank lead Cheval to his horse, tied it's reigns to Cheval's saddle-bag and trotted off in the opposite direction, into the sunset.
Arien sat quietly. She knew she had been done, but Frank nudged her.
"I always thought a woman who whispers wild horses would be tougher and much more daring. Guess I was mistaken."
Arien didn't say a word. She knew he was right, but she also knew she wasn't going to get that reward money now. The mob was already gone from sight and not to be seen for a long time once more.
"I'd get a lot of money for that damn tamed mustang of yours."
Frank laughed and shook his head lightly.
"You'd have ta find him first."
Arien glanced to him as if it were a challenge that she wished to win.