A/N: SRY for the huge wait! I have been busy with other stories as well…anyways, thanx for all the reviews and here is the next chappie. XD
As Storm blinked Hidalgo made it appear as if he was just waking himself. Storm looked at him with a suspicion as if she knew he had gone back the rogue stallion's corpse. Hidalgo yawned with aching weariness threatening to overwhelm his system any second. "You look like you didn't get a wink of sleep last night." Storm commented as she limped up onto her hooves. Hidalgo sighed and heaved himself upwards as well. "I'm fine…just a nightmare." Storm nodded, clearly wanting the whole story. But Hidalgo ignored her look of expectancy and started onward slowly. He began wondering where their journey would take them, though not for the first time. Would they stumble around until they were picked off by bachelors? Or would Storm die of infection and he weakness? All the bad possibilities floated through his mind and the more he thought about it the more he realized what a slim chance they actually had. Then a feeling of dread overtook him. Storm neighed encouragingly, as she wanted to continue on.
"Coming." Hidalgo mumbled. Storm led the way as they traveled onward. The thick, dark forest of shades had flattened out into a plain of sorts, though with more vegetation. Storm seemed to be enjoying herself as they strolled on. Hidalgo hadn't seen her look as happy for as long as he had traveled with her. Just as he was beginning to see a sliver a hope Storm tripped over a rock that had seemed to have placed itself right before her. She shrieked in pain as her forelegs collapsed onto the grassy earth beneath them. Hidalgo swerved to his left and looked at her the foreleg which had been so badly injured. It looked worse now that she had stumbled. "Just go on without me. I don't want to be a burden." Storm choked the words out; it was obvious her leg was causing much pain for the poor mare. "No…I'll take care of you still." Hidalgo nickered, hoping to see her confidence return and that she would try to get up. Storm shook her head. "Why are you even bothering to waste your time on an old retch like me?" The mare seemed barely a shimmer of what her old self was like when Hidalgo first met her. As he pondered for the right words her expression became more and more hopeless. Then the words sprang to mind. "I bother to help you because; you don't have to throw your whole life away, just because you're banged up a little. There is still hope for you." Hidalgo remembered Frank using the phrase once before when Hidalgo himself had been injured. He hoped it would do the same for Storm as it had for him. Storm's eyes glowed with thankfulness and she staggered to her hooves, bearing the pain in ease now.
Hidalgo licked her leg until it ceased to spew out blood, then he nudged the mare's neck encouragingly. With that he turned and continued to stalk in the direction they were headed. He could hear Storm placing her hooves delicately behind his own and the feeling of dread floated away.
Day turned into night as stars peeped through the orangey-purple sky. The moon's light shone on stray stems of grass, giving a magical sense of feeling to all living creatures. Crickets chirped, fireflies danced through the darkening background. The sound of hooves interrupted the serene setting. As Storm and Hidalgo entered the environment all the sites sparkled in their eyes. Storm sighed peacefully and let herself collapse onto the moistening grass. Hidalgo laid himself beside her and watched the stars as they turned from dull little specks to bright, gleaming lights. He wished he and Storm could live here, but something about it just wasn't normal. He couldn't figure it out, so in frustration he quietly laid his head down into the sweet grass to sleep.
The next morning the two horses opened their eyes and starred in horror. Hidalgo knew why this place didn't feel right the night before now. They were surrounded by two legs with ropes. The sky was light blue with grey clouds of smoke in the air. Anything peaceful was just a mood-setter. It wasn't really as serene as the two legs made it. Storm panicked and neighed in recognition. "No, it's them!" she exclaimed. Hidalgo was about to ask her what she meant when a rotund two leg stepped in front of him. It mumbled something that didn't sound too nice then pulled out its long rope. Hidalgo neighed and stamped both his forelegs in defiance. He knew he could easily escape, but what about Storm? The huge two leg caught him off guard and flung the rope at his painted head. Hidalgo leaped backwards the rope missed his muzzle by an inch. But just when he thought he had showed the two leg who was boss, another rope was thrown and it caught his back hoof. He turned to see a skinnier two leg laughing. Storm hadn't even been able to get up on the other hand. So many ropes were thrown at once at her as the two legs easily overtook the surprised horses.
In the midst of the two legs one stepped forward. She looked kind and she did not hold a rope in her hands. "What is the meaning of this?" she asked as the two legs all looked at her. None spoke up. She pulled out a dagger from her pocket. Hidalgo prayed that she wouldn't stab Storm or him as Storm had described that humans had done before. As the two leg got closer and closer Hidalgo could see Storm shivering in panic and dread. He lashed out as the two leg stood before him. She bent over and picked up the rope that was tightly holding Hidalgo's back hoof. She spoke softly and slowly, in the soothing tone Hidalgo remembered that few humans ever used with horses. She cut the rope and Hidalgo's hoof was free. He took off immediately, and then turned to look at Storm. The two leg was moving over the to trembling mare. Hidalgo was waiting for her to cut her loose, but instead the two leg said a few words and another two leg hurried off. Three other two legs moved back and Hidalgo realized they had been in a round pen. The three two legs moved out and stood on the outside of the pen. The female two leg stayed, kneeled over and gently rubbing Storm's injured foreleg. The one two leg that had disappeared returned holding various herbs in his hands. He entered the pen and handed them all to the female two leg. She offered two of the herbs to Storm for her to eat. Storm sniffed them and cautiously licked them up. As for the other herbs that the two leg held she placed on the wound and the other two leg handed her a piece of cloth which she tied around Storm's leg, wrapping the herbs around it and letting them soak into the wound. Only after she had secured the cloth did she cut Storm loose. The mare staggered to her hooves and glanced around. All the two legs made no move and she slowly strolled towards the opening in the pen. Hidalgo neighed, encouraging her to hurry. She tossed her mane and trotted out of the pen and up the slope to Hidalgo. He touched noses with her, then watched the two legs disappear as they all walked away. Hidalgo glanced again at Storm. "I never knew they could be nice." Storm whickered as she caught his gaze. The two just starred at eachother for a long time. Then Hidalgo uncomfortably glanced away, averting her gaze any longer. :W…We should get going" he said rather dully. Storm tossed her mane and nodded. Then Hidalgo started forward with Storm trailing behind. A warm feeling entered Hidalgo's heart. One he had never felt before, and he liked it. He just wasn't sure what it meant.
