Finding Yourself
Disclaimer: I do not own the story of Hidalgo. I only own the creation of characters that you do not recognize.
Chapter Twelve: The Race Continues
Frank and Kaitlin made their way back to camp. Kaitlin was very glad to see her father again and even happier that they had both escaped with their lives. Once out of sight, they switched horses and Frank took off his disguise for the time being.
"Kaitlin, are you all right?" asked Frank, while they switched horses.
"Yes, I am. They didn't hurt me but I was so worried. I heard them talking. It scared me. And I have a bad feeling that this is not over yet."
"It isn't. As long as the race continues, this isn't over. You will not be safe until we can get you back home."
"Why can't I be safe here?"
"Someone is out to kill us both. I have a sneaking suspicion that it has to with the Lady Anne. She sent people after me and I wouldn't be surprised if she was responsible for the raiders."
"But why?"
"Money."
"Oh…"
Frank gave a half-smile to Kaitlin as he once again disguised himself and they reached the camp. She was smart for her age and had quickly understood without Frank having to explain it himself. And he didn't want to explain it. He knew that somewhere out there was the Lady Anne's rider who had abducted his daughter and that he would stop at nothing until he saw her dead and Frank too.
But that would not happen as long as Frank remained nearby, watching over his daughter.
The next day, everyone saddled up and once again headed out for the desert. The rest day had ended and the race was on once again. And like usually, Kaitlin and Frank were the last riders to leave, setting a slow pace. Their horses were weakening, as were they and they both knew it. But hopefully they could last through the rest of the race.
About a week or more later, a plague came upon them. Locusts had arrived. Kaitlin and Frank quickly got up and ran to their horses, attempted to calm them down. Hidalgo reared and protested loudly. He had remembered the locusts and clearly didn't like them one bit.
"Kaitlin! Quick! Cover Zodiac! It's the locusts!" cried Frank as he tried to calm down Hidalgo, who was rearing.
"What?"
"Cover yourself and Zodiac with a blanket! You've got to keep the locusts off you! Be quick!"
"What about you!"
"I'll be fine. I've just to calm down Hidalgo," he said, trying to reassure Kaitlin.
"Are you sure?" asked Kaitlin, not quite convinced.
"Yes, now cover yourself! The locusts are almost here!"
Kaitlin nodded, her eyes wide with fear as she turned and saw the locust cloud blacking out the sun. She got Zodiac to lay down on the sand and quickly pulled her blanket over herself and Zodiac's head. Zodiac protested but Kaitlin calmed him down.
Frank struggled with Hidalgo who was getting worse as time went on. "Calm down brother! The locusts can't hurt you if you listen to me!" Frank insisted, trying to calm the worried stallion.
Hidalgo tossed his head and rolled his eyes, fear showing clear on his face. He then reared and struck out towards Frank who fell onto the sand to escape the slashing hooves.
"Hidalgo!" cried Frank as he crawled backwards from Hidalgo.
"Dad! Are you okay!" cried Kaitlin's worried voice from under her blanket.
"Kaitlin, stay put!" he ordered.
Hidalgo stopped rearing and danced just out of Frank's reach, still acting strangely.
"Woah… calm down son. It's just me. I don't want to hurt you…" whispered Frank as he reached his hand out towards the crazed horse.
Hidalgo sniffed Frank's hand.
"I promise that I'll get you home soon. But you have to calm down."
Hidalgo snorted and stepped foreword one step, then stopped.
"That's right brother, keep on coming now before the locusts get you…" said Frank backing up to reach his blanket.
Hidalgo snorted again and stepped faster this time and caught up to Frank as Frank lifted the blanket off the sand.
"Down, brother, down," he whispered and Hidalgo lay down, eyes still rolling and frightened.
Frank lay down next to his horse and covered them both as the swarm reached them.
Much later, once the buzzing stopped, Frank lifted the blanket he had covered himself and Hidalgo with. And he looked. The sun was out and the locusts lay dead, their bodies littering the ground. He finished removing the blanket off Hidalgo and Hidalgo eagerly got up.
"Kaitlin, it's safe to come out now," he called softly to his daughter.
Kaitlin removed her blanket with caution and her eyes searched until she saw her father then she stood up, blanket in hand. Zodiac stood up too and shook himself, getting sand all over Kaitlin.
"Great!" moaned Kaitlin, surveying the scene. "Now what are we going to do about food now?"
"Eat the locusts."
"You have got to be kidding! Tell me you are kidding!" cried Kaitlin in horror as she looked at her father's serious face.
"They will not hurt you. Besides what other choice do you have?"
"I thought that this was made up!" exclaimed Kaitlin.
"Well now you know it ain't."
"Do I really have to eat them?"
"Kaitlin, there is no food up ahead. The locusts have destroyed it all. If you don't eat them, you will not be able to eat for a while," Frank said, trying to inform her of how serious the situation was.
"So?"
"Until the end of the race."
"Oh…"
"Yeah," said Frank as he bent down on the ground, grabbed a dead locust and bit into it, crunching.
Kaitlin watched, still repulsed by the idea of eating locusts.
"Once you get past the legs, it ain't too bad," Frank remarked to Kaitlin as he handed her one. "Give it a try."
"I'd rather not!" protested Kaitlin, refusing the locust.
"Kaitlin…" Frank said sternly.
"Okay, I'll try it," sighed Kaitlin, giving in and taking the locust from her father.
She made faces as soon as she put the locust in mouth. It certainly wasn't the best thing she had ever eaten, but it wasn't the worst either. And it wasn't too bad. But that did not mean that Kaitlin wanted to eat them. She understood that she had no choice but she still was reluctant to eat them.
Frank handed one to Hidalgo, who rolled his blue eyes and took it, crunching. "Eat up brother," he told the horse.
Kaitlin reached down and handed one to Zodiac, who spit it, back out, at Kaitlin. Wiping the slobbered locust pieces off her she glared at her horse. "We have no choice so you'd better swallow next time!" she hissed.
Zodiac looked her with an expression that said he clearly want no part in eating the locusts, but took the next one out of Kaitlin's hand anyway and ate it. Kaitlin turned back to feeding herself and kept an eye on Zodiac, who was having more fun smushing the locusts than eating them.
"Crazy horse…" muttered Kaitlin, shaking her head and biting into another locust.
Author's Notes:
One of the longer chapters I do believe. I'm hoping to have this story finished in three more chapters and done by Tuesday, November 30th, but we'll see.
Reviewers!
Soccer-Bitch – Glad you liked the chapter!
Kovu's-gurl-1992-12-2004 – I do sometimes make mistakes because I am trying to write this story along with three others at the moment all with doing high school so sometimes I forget things so I'm always happy when someone can tell me something that I did wrong so I can make it right.