As Alexis walks outside she sees Sarah and Will trying to calm down a wild horse they brought in.
"Hey boy." Sarah says as she gets into the coral followed by Alexis.
"Its ok. Shh. It's ok boy. It's ok." Will says as he tries walking up to the horse but scares it.
"My fault. I moved too fast. Spooked him. Alexis can you try talking to him." Will asks.
"Not a good idea. I'm only able to talk to horses in my wolf form remember. And considering he is already riled up enough him seeing a wolf would not help. Besides I am able to tell what's going on with Jewel very well because I share a deep bond with her. I don't know this horse and I don't know how it would react to a wolf." Alexis says as she and Sarah get back over the fence.
"Right. Probably not a good idea then." Will says as the horse then stops in from of Sarah.
"He still seems pretty wild to me." Sarah says receiving a bit of a suppressed eye roll from Alexis not liking that they captured a wild animal.
"Nah. The rangers who had brought him in from the range already had him mostly gentle. He just doesn't know us yet. Do ya boy?" Will says as he walks up to the horse allowing it to smell his hands before it runs away from Will.
"Or maybe he's still pretty wild." Will says.
"Hey." Bailey says as he and Aztec come over.
"Hi. Haven't you and Aztec practiced enough today." Sarah asks.
"Nope. Not till were perfect. What's Will doing now?" Bailey asks.
"Trying to get the mustang comfortable around him. Will thinks we can get him saddle ready in a day or two." Sarah says.
"Wow." Bailey says.
"Where'd you learn how to gentle a horse?" Bailey asks.
"Last summer. When I stayed at Uncle Jim's ranch. He taught me." Will says.
"Where did this fella come from?" Bailey asks.
"There's lots of wild horses on government land outside of town. Too many for the amount of grazing land. That's why this guys so thin. You were hungry out there weren't ya boy. So every now and then they'll bring a young horse in tame it and find it a good home." Will says.
"This one's already been human weight trained by the rangers." Sarah says.
"How do they do that?" Bailey asks.
"They put sacks of grain on his back to get him used to carrying the weight of a rider." Sarah says.
"He sure is beautiful. Look at his markings." Bailey says.
"Sorry." Sarah says and picks up her phone as it rings as it is her mom calling Sarah walks off and Alexis goes into the house. Just as Jewel is looking out the window in the barn while she is in her stall she notices Aztec getting out of his reins and running off. Jewel then unlatches the lock on her stall and runs after Aztec.
"Wow. I'm free! Free to do what I want!" Aztec says as he starts running through a field until he gets stopped by Jewel.
"What are you doing out here?" Aztec asks.
"I should be asking you that." Jewel says.
"If your here to take me back to Horseland I'm not going back. You cant make me go back." Aztec says.
"Well then I'm coming with you." Jewel says.
"Why?" Aztec asks.
"Listen genius I understand you wont go back willing and therefore you at least should have someone around who was wild growing up." Jewel says.
"Fine." Aztec says. As soon as night hits its starts raining.
"Oh yea free alright. Free to freeze. Never thought I'd miss that nice warm stall of mine." Aztec says as a owl flies by.
"What was that?" Aztec asks.
"Relax it's just a owl." Jewel says. Aztec and Jewel then lay down under a tree for the night.
"Oh be quiet. Can't a guy get some sleep around here." Aztec says to a bird and in the process wakes Jewel up. Jewel shakes her head as she sees Aztec try eating some grass to immediately spit it out.
"There's gotta be something better than this to eat around here. Man this freedom business is hard work. We've been walking for hours." Aztec says.
"Ready to call it quits and go back?" Jewel asks.
"Not a chance." Aztec says.
"Suit yourself." Jewel says as Aztec then smells something.
"Well look at that." Aztec says as he starts walking towards some horses he sees.
"Oh no. This may not go over well." Jewel says as she follows after Aztec.
"Hi there." Aztec says as the horses turn there backs to him.
"I said hello. How you doing." Aztec says as a young foal then comes walking over.
"Hey. Your new." The foal says.
"Yea. We sure are. Names are Aztec and Jewel." Aztec says.
"Hi Aztec. Hi Jewel. I'm Mesa." The foal says.
"Nice to meet you Mesa." Aztec says.
"Yes very nice to meet you sweetie." Jewel says.
"So Aztec. Jewel. Where you guys from? I can tell our not from around here." Mesa says.
"Nope." Aztec says.
"Do you have a herd of your own back where you come from?" Mesa asks.
"Sort of. Hey anything good to eat around here?" Aztec asks.
"Oh sure! There's tall grass and wild oats and all sorts of good stuff. Course you gotta know where to look these days. Cause there's not as much as there used to be." Mesa says before he hears a horse coming towards them.
"Uh oh." Mesa says as a black stallion comes running over.
"What do you want? Your not one of us. Your not welcome here." The black stallion says.
"No Chaco. It's ok. They're nice." Mesa says.
"You go back to your mother young one. I'll deal with this." Chaco says.
"But." Mesa says as Chaco makes him go to his mother.
"Hey leave him alone!" Aztec says as Chaco then starts rearing aggressively.
"Move on strangers. There's not enough food to go around as it is." Chaco says.
"Let's just go Aztec." Jewel says.
"Fine. Whatever. We're going. Bye Mesa." Aztec says as he and Jewel leave. Aztec and Jewel then stop by a river to drink.
"Aztec! Jewel! I've come to show you where to find the good food." Mesa says as he comes running over.
"Mesa you shouldn't be here. You better go back." Aztec says.
"Aztec's right you should go back to your mother before-" Jewel then gets cut off by hearing a growling sound and sees a black bear heading towards them.
"Mesa! Go back! Run!" Aztec says as the bear then charges for Mesa.
"No!" Aztec says as he and Jewel jump between Mesa and the bear and the two start rearing and kicking at the bear.
"Run for it Mesa!" Aztec says as he and Jewel give Mesa enough time to get away before having to run from the bear themselves as it then chases after them. Jewel and Aztec then pass Chaco and his heard as they start rearing at the bear and scare it off. Aztec and Jewel then walk over to Chaco.
"Thanks Chaco. But where's Mesa?" Aztec asks.
"Yes is Mesa alright?" Jewel asks. Mesa then comes walking over with his mother seeming to be fine.
"Oh there you are little buddy. Your ok then. Good." Aztec says.
"Thanks to the two of you. It seems that we all owe you our gratitude for saving our little Mesa. And I also owe you an apology. And uh.. also.. we.. I mean.. I would like you to join our herd." Chaco says.
"Wow." Aztec says.
"As long as you both remember I'm the boss horse of course." Chaco says as Mesa then walk over.
"Will you stay? Please?" Mesa asks.
"Well we um." Aztec says.
"Aztec. Jewel. It is time to decide. Will you join us?" Chaco asks.
"We're sorry. We can't. We mean thanks for asking us. It was really nice of all of you especially you Mesa. It's great out here on the open range. Well kinda. But we miss our old lives. And our old friends." Aztec says receiving a smile from Jewel.
"I understand. Good bye Aztec and Jewel." Chaco says as he and the others leave but Mesa.
"Thanks again Aztec. Jewel." Mesa says.
"It was great meeting you Mesa. But listen we lucked out today. Bears are fast and fierce. You need to stay with your heard from now on ok." Aztec says.
"I will. I promise." Mesa says as he runs back to his herd and mother.
"So long!" Aztec says as he ad Jewel watch the heard leave.
"Ready to head back Aztec?" Jewel asks.
"Yes. Now if we can just figure out how to get home." Aztec says as he takes off running with Jewel right beside him smiling.
"You've been smiling at me since I turned Chaco down why?" Aztec asks.
"I'm proud of you because turning him down was the right decision. You belong back in Horseland with Bailey and the others. Its your home. And glad that your making the decision to go back home." Jewel says.
"Well it wasn't just that I missed Horseland its also cause I realized that being free isn't all its cracked up to be." Aztec says.
"Is that so?" Jewel asks.
"Yea with all the predators, weather with no shelter and warm place to sleep like a barn stall, and not a lot of food to go around so Horseland sounds like the better option. That and because I realized even if I stay with a herd I'd have you following me everywhere." Aztec says laughing slightly.
"Is me following you a bad thing?" Jewel asks slightly laughing.
"No. At least not all bad. I enjoy your company." Aztec says as he and Jewel run into Bailey, Sarah, and Will.
"Your safe! I don't believe it. We found you! And I know Alexis is gonna be happy to see you Jewel she was worried sick about you." Bailey says as he runs over and hugs Aztec. The group then head back to Horseland.