Hidalgo looked back over his shoulder one last time at Frank. How he would miss his owner, but how he thanked him for setting him free! Hidalgo reared up and neighed. A black colt galloping close by neighed, "Watch it!" Hidalgo landed and followed the horses in the stampede. Most of the horses around him had families and herds; where was Hidalgo supposed to go?
He galloped over a few hills as the horses swiftly parted into groups and disappeared. Hidalgo was all alone on top of the hill. He glanced around; though only a minute ago the land was dotted with horses, they were all gone.
He sniffed the air. To his right there was a strong scent of a mare. He looked in that direction and sure enough there was a mare.
She was darkish grey with blue eyes, and she was stumbling. No wonder she had been left behind. Hidalgo trotted down the hill and stopped in front of her. The mare laid back her ears and backed a few steps. "Leave me alone! I don't need a bachelor for help!" Just as she said help she tripped over a rock and stumbled forward. The mare's leg, the one she had been stumbling with earlier, slid forward and she neighed in pain. Hidalgo tried to help her up but as he nudged her up she bared her teeth. "I said I don't need your help!" Hidalgo backed a step feeling a little raged. " Well to be more correct, you don't want my help. But you do indeed need it. That's for sure." The mare snorted. "Smarty-pants." Hidalgo ignored the comment.
He followed the grey mare as she stumbled on forward. "Do you have a home?" The mare looked back and glared. "No, and I don't want yours!" Hidalgo once again ignored her bitterness. "I'm not offering it. For one, I don't have a home, and second, if I did have one, I would simply try to help you home. But since you don't have a home and I don't either, we're in pretty bad shape."
"There is no 'we'." The mare retorted. Hidalgo once again continued to follow her.
Not far ahead the mare stumbled badly and fell down to her side. Hidalgo at once kneeled down and licked her leg. It was bleeding badly. Just as she was about to neigh a protest Hidalgo asked, "What happened to you?" The mare looked into his eyes with hurt. "Why should I tell you?" Hidalgo thought for a moment. "Because I want to help." The mare snorted again. "You can't help!" Hidalgo stood up. "How much you want to bet?" The mare looked confused. "Fine, you really want to know?" Hidalgo nodded his head anxiously. The mare sighed and looked down as she began her story.
"Well, my herd was rounded up by those two legs. I was really scared, I mean who wouldn't be? Anyways, when we were captured the two legs separated me from my family and put me in a pen with this big white stallion who was really mean. He tried to…mate with me. When I refused and kicked and protested, the two legs got really angry. They pulled me out of the pen and started beating me with these long ropes. They burned when they hit my back. Then a male two leg approached me angrily. He…took a dagger and…" The mare couldn't go on. Hidalgo whickered encouragingly. The mare found the courage to continue, "He cut my leg. Then they tied me to a pole. All the two legs got out daggers and started cutting me with them. It hurt so badly! I kicked and neighed and tried to bite their arms. But it didn't help. After they cut me numerously they untied me and I fell to the ground. The next day, when I still hadn't gotten up, one two leg dragged me into that pen with all the other mustangs. Then I one two leg come and opened the gates. I did my best to run out. Now I am here."
The mare looked up as a few tear drops fell down her face. Hidalgo felt so bad for her. He had never met humans so mean. Except the time when he was in the boat and the hands started trying to hurt him with a pitch fork.
He lied down beside the mare. Since she couldn't find the strength to get up, he decided they would have to stay where they were for the night. The mare rested her head in the grass and peacefully munched. "Why do you want to help me anyways?" Hidalgo looked at her sad face. "Because you could use some help. By the way, I'm Hidalgo." The mare nodded her head. "I'm Shadow Storm." Hidalgo liked the name. He began to munch on some grass himself. He looked at the sun as it set. Storm asked him where he had come from and he told her about the Ocean of Fire and his life as an endurance horse. Storm seemed very impressed. When the sky was dark and the all was quiet Hidalgo finally let himself drift to sleep.
A/N: Okay this is my first Hidalgo FanFic, but I really hope you like it! Please Review!
