Hi readers! Here I am with another chapter of my Spirit Riding Free fanfiction (sorry it has taken so long to upload) I wasn't sure if anyone was even reading this story, and I had to get off the stuff I had written on another cp before I could do this update, so that's why it took so long.

I don't know when my next update on this story will be, I haven't written anymore then this chapter, but I will try my best to get another chapter out in a couple of months. Shoutout to Katmar1994, and April, thanks for reviewing guys! Much appreciated! And as always, thanks SageBrushMustang for your review too.

Anyway, enjoy!

Thunder galloped down the crest to the cliff, hearing the man's horse close behind him. He slid to a stop at the edge of the cliff and turned around to see the man getting closer.

"Gotcha!" Greyson yelled as he whirled his rope around, then let it go, aiming for Thunder's neck.

Thunder roared as he spun round, then leapt. He went flying through the air, then landed with a jar on the ledge below. He stood shaking for a moment, then he took another giant leap across to a different ledge, then galloped down the side till he ran out of ground. He looked up to see that the man was encouraging his horse to jump, then he watched as they landed on the ledge he had just come from. With a shake of his mane and a loud roar, he jumped forward to the next ledge, then turned and leapt off, sliding all the way to the bottom. He could hear the man's horse behind him, and he waisted no time at all in rising to his feet, but he was tired.

As he gathered his feet under him to gallop forward, he heard the rope whistle through the air, then felt it snag around his neck. He roared as he spun around, then charged at the man's horse. He pounded the horse to the ground, then turned to run, the rope still around his neck. He galloped into the forest, not looking back as the rope snagged on logs and rocks, then he felt another rope thrown around his neck as he rounded a corner. He slid to a stop and reared, roaring and bellowing, about to change again.

"Thunder!" Abigail yelled as Pru held onto the rope, tying it to her saddle. "Steady boy!"

Thunder didn't hear the girls yell as he leapt forward, then he was knocked down to the ground. He laid there, snorting and breathing heavily, then he saw Spirit. "Get back!" He roared as he leapt up, aiming for the stallion and his rider. "Back!"

"Take it easy Thunder." Spirit reared up and again knocked him to the ground, protecting the three girls from the mad stallion. "We're here to help, not harm you."

Thunder's anger slowly cooled down, as he laid on the ground puffing for air. He felt hands on his neck, releasing the two nooses, then felt a halter slid onto his face. He slowly got to his feet as the girl encouraged him to rise, and stood, shaking.

Lucky got off Spirit and walked over to him after Pru had gotten him up. She gently ran her hand along his neck, speaking to him soothingly. "Easy, easy." She looked around him, then saw Greyson galloping up to them. "Woah, easy." She looked at Pru, starting to get anxious. "What do we do?"

"Run!" Pru said as she tied Thunder's lead rope to her saddle and mounted, Lucky jumping back onto Spirit. "Now!" She kicked Chickalinda, the three girls galloping back out of the forest, dragging Thunder along.

Greyson saw them getting away and spurred his horse, not caring that his horse was badly injured. "Get up you miserable piece of horseflesh! H'yah!" he looked up to see that the girls were getting away with the horse. "Come back here you lot!"

Lucky heard Greyson roaring at them as they galloped away. "Not a chance!" She yelled back, glad that they weren't on his land now. He had no argument, and she knew he couldn't do a thing about them taking the horse. She looked at Thunder, and saw him tiring. "Come on boy, you can do it." She encouraged as she gave him a pat. "You have to."

As they galloped through the forest, Pru felt the rope jerk suddenly, then Chicalinda was pulled to a stop. She looked around to see what had happened. "Thunder!"

"Oh no." Abigail exclaimed as she saw Thunder on the ground, then saw Greyson still chasing them. She leapt off and knelt down beside him and Pru. "You have to get up."

"Come on boy." Pru tried to lift him to his feet again. "Come on."

Thunder whinnied weakly, as he struggled to get his hooves under him, then he collapsed again on the ground. He could hear the man galloping up, then he had a sudden burst of adrenaline and he tried again to get to his feet. "I. Can. Do. It." He whinnied as he let Spirit help him up, then he was standing again.

Lucky watched as Greyson came closer, the girls mounting their horses as soon as they had gotten Thunder up. "Come on, we have to hurry."

"Yah." Pru nudged Chicalinda, then gently jerked on Thunder's rope to get him moving. "Come on boy."

Abigail looked at the girls worriedly as they galloped through the forest, and towards the river. "Do we have to cross?" She looked around at it worried, the water splashing over the rocks, the current strong.

Lucky pulled Spirit to a stop at the edge of the river, looking across, then looking back at a fastly approaching Greyson, now mounted on a new horse. She didn't worry how on earth he had gotten a fresh horse, but the main thing was that he was coming, and fast. "We have to cross, now." She nudged Spirit forward, leading the way into the river.

Thunder followed the other horses into the water, then he gave a snort of fear as his hooves no longer touched the bottom. He was feeling more and more tired, the current beginning to sweep him away. He began to whinny loudly "Help!"

Sprit, Boomerang and Chicalinda reached the other bank, walking out of the water huffing and puffing, then as Pru turned to see how Thunder was doing, the rope let go, and the stallion was getting dragged away by the current. "Noooo!"

Lucky turned Spirit around as Thunder began to whinny franticly, then she jumped off him. "Go get him Spirit!"

Spirit reared up, then galloped along the bank of the river. "Hold on Thunder, there's a place up ahead where it gets shallow. Try and make it to the bank!"

Thunder neighed weakly as he struggled to keep his head above water. "I'm trying."

Spirit watched as Thunder's head went under, then he jumped into the river, swimming out to the other stallion. He caught up to the black horse in three strokes, then he grabbed Thunder's forelock with his teeth, lifting his head out of the water. "I've got you." He turned so that Thunder was protected from the current, then he began to swim back to the back, helping Thunder as best as he could.

Lucky raced up on Chicalinda, behind Pru, and saw Spirit jump into the river. "Spirit!" They watched as Spirit helped Thunder out of the river, then as Spirit shook the water from his coat, Lucky ran over to him. "Spirit, oh I'm so glad your okay."

Spirit neighed as Lucky gave him a hug, then he nudged Thunder with his muzzle. "You alright?"

"Yes, thanks to you." Thunder's head was so low that it was almost on the ground. "Is that man still following us?"

Chicalinda looked around and saw that he was no longer following them. She shook her head and whinnied excitedly. "No, he didn't cross the river. We've gotten away."

Pru patted Thunder as she looked him over, then she picked up what was remaining of the rope attached to the halter and tied it back to Chicalinda's saddle. "Come on boy, let's get you back." She mounted her mare, then gently pulled the stallion along.

Lucky remounted Spirit and walked him alongside Thunder, Abigail bringing up the rear. "Is he going to be okay Pru?"

"He should be in a few days." Pru replied as she looked at the stallion, walking with his head down. "We'll have to lock the barn from the inside so that he doesn't get out again." She heard Thunder snort. "I don't think he's happy about that, hey girl?" She patted her mare, Chicalinda looking at Thunder instead.

"You shouldn't have left in the first place." Chicalinda snorted with distain. "And if you hadn't, you wouldn't be feeling like you are now."

"Yeh Thunder, it wasn't smart." Boomerang added. "Why would you leave a comfortable stable when it contains oats?"

Thunder hung his head as he walked in between them, ignoring their remarks. He knew he shouldn't have left the barn, but all he wanted to do was find a place to hide, to stay safe. But look where that had gotten him. "I know, alright." He snorted. "Stop."

Boomerang looked over at him. "We were just saying-"

"Enough." Thunder snorted again, showing the whites of his eyes to the stubborn pony. "I don't need to hear it from you."

Spirit looked at Thunder as they walked back towards the town. He knew how he felt, and he walked closer to him, then placed his muzzle on the stallion's shoulder. "Don't worry, I know why you left, and I don't blame you."

"Thanks Spirit." Thunder whinnied, then he looked up, sniffing the air. "I can smell that man following us again."

Spirit followed Thunder's lead, sniffing the air, then he stopped and looked at Lucky, snorting with fear.

"What's wrong with Spirit, Lucky?" Abigail asked. "He's acting like we're being followed."

Lucky looked around, then saw Greyson following them again. "That's because we are!" She kicked Spirit forward. "Come on Thunder, it's not too much further. If we can make it back to the barn, your dad can stop him."

Abigail looked around, then kicked Boomerang to catch up to the other two girls. She could see Miraderro in the distance, then Boomerang overtook the three horses, making a beeline to the barn, and his oats. "Well, I hope that he doesn't catch up to us before we reach the barn. Thunder's getting slower and slower."

Pru looked down and saw that she was right. Thunder was lagging behind, then she saw the barn looming in front of them. "We made it!" She leapt off Chicalinda as the mare slid to a stop, then threw the door open and the horses raced into the barn, she slammed and locking the door behind them. She looked around as the horses heaved and puffed after their gallop, looking for her dad. "Dad!"

"Up here Pru." Al yelled from the loft. "What is it?"

"You have to get down here. Now. Mr. Greyson wants Thunder, and he's coming here." She looked out the window to see him pulling his horse to a stop. "You have to stop him."

Al climbed down out of the ladder and walked over to Pru. Before he could even ask her what had happened, Greyson started banging on the door. Al motioned for the girls to get back, and he went to the door.

"Open up!" Greyson yelled as he pounded the door. "I know you're in there, and that's my horse!"

Al unlocked the door and flung it open, standing in the doorway. "What do you want?"

Greyson was surprised to see Al there, and his whole demeanour changed. "Sorry to bother you, but those girls have my horse, and I want it back. I wrangled him fair and square on my property." He sneered. "And those girls stole him."

Lucky leapt out from behind the barrel she was hiding behind and ran up to him before the girls could stop her. "He's not yours, he already has an owner!"

"Is that a fact? Then why was he on my property?" Greyson whinged at Lucky. "I got that stallion fair and square, and I'm taking him." He walked forward, and grabbed the rope attached to Thunder, and pulled it roughly.

Thunder woke up with a start, then he saw Greyson, and he jerked his head up. He snaked his neck up and snorted, stamping his hoof.

"Get along you mule!" Greyson yanked the rope again, then Lucky grabbed it out of his hand.

"Your not taking him anywhere!"

"Lucky's right." Al agreed, stepping beside her. "The stallion stays."

"The stallion goes with me." Greyson snarled, as he snatched the leadrope off them and hit Thunder with the knotted end. "I'll show you whose boss!"

Thunder rolled his eyes as the man came closer, then he reared up and roared as the man hit him. He bared his teeth and reared again, pawing the air as he spun around, Al and Lucky jumping back so that he didn't hit them. He roared again as he jumped forward, then he knocked Greyson over, pounding his hooves near the man's head as he bellowed, pounding closer and closer. His eyes were rolling as he reared again as the man cowered underneath him, then as he was about to come back down and finish off the man, Lucky ran in and grabbed the lead rope.

"Easy boy, easy!"

Greyson snarled as he crept away from the stallion's front legs. "That thing should be destroyed! He's too wild to live." He reached for his pistol, but Al yanked it out of his hand.

"It's time for you to leave. Now!" Al snarled. "Get. And don't come back. If you touch that horse, you're going to be up to your neck in it. Now, off my property." He stared as Greyson left, then looked back at the girls, Lucky still holding onto Thunder's lead rope. "What's this all about?"

Pru took a deep breath, and began to explain…

Jenny opened her eyes and yawned, wondering what on earth had happened to her. She looked up, and saw that she was in a room, and on a soft bed, then the pain in her chest began to come back. She looked around, and saw another person in the room, the women she had seen at the school. She yawned, then groaned as she felt a stabbing pain in her lungs.

Kate was woken up by Jenny stirring, and she walked over to her. "Hi Jenny."

Jenny looked at her, wondering how on earth she knew her name. "How do you know my name?"

"We saw the article in the newspaper about you." Kate replied as she handed the paper Lucky had shown them to her. "That's how we know its you. Why are you running? Is someone after you? Who were those men?"

"Hold it, right there." Jenny said. "I'm not answering a single question until you tell me where my horse is. Where's Thunder?"

"Thunder's down in the barn, where he's safe."

"Thunder's not going to like that." She looked out the window. "He hates people. Anyway, we'll be out of your hair as soon as I've rested." She went to sit up, but the pain in her chest, mixed with Kate pushing her back down stopped her. "Um, what happened?"

"You don't remember?"

Jenny shook her head. "No, I don't, but from the pain in my chest, it wasn't a walk in the park." She frowned as she tried to remember, then it came back. "I was shot wasn't I?"

Kate nodded as she "Yes, you were."

"I thought so. I was running from the men when one of them shot me, then I hit the ground and that's all I remember. I don't even know how you found me."

"It was Thunder, he came into town and we followed him to you, and the rest you don't need to worry about right now." She heard Cora walking into the room. "She's awake Cora."

Cora walked over and smiled at Jenny. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a million bucks." She replied sarcastically. "Sore, and tired. And hungry."

"Well, if your hungry, your in luck. I have a pot of my stew on the stove, if you want some I can bring you a bowl."

"Alright, yes, I'll take some." She coughed once, then gasped. "I'm okay."

"I'll go get you that stew." Cora replied as she walked out the door and back downstairs.

"So, how did you come to be near Miraderro?" Kate asked as she sat down on the bed beside Jenny.

Jenny sighed, and looked away. "Would it be okay for me not to answer that question?"

"But, what about your parents?" Kate looked at her closely. "Wont they be worried about you?"

"I don't have parents." Jenny replied. "I'm a slave. I don't have a home, or anything. Except Thunder, and only cause he came with me when I ran away."

Kate didn't know what to say. "But, how?"

"My father was a very powerful man in Mexico where I came from, and he was an English man, while my mother was a Mexican slave. My mother loved me, but I was just another possession of his, like her." She sighed, then her eyes began to water. "He sold my mother when I was eight, I had no say in the matter, and I couldn't go with her. I found out a couple years later that she died of influenza in an epidemic. I lived with the other slaves, and I helped take care of the horses. The horses got better care then we ever did. One day they came in with a horse they had caught, and from that day on Thunder and I were inseparable, even though he had the tag of being vicious. He killed quite a few men back there, but the only reason that he wasn't put down was because he's fast, and was used to breed from. He was put in races, but I was the only one who could ride him, so that's how I came to win the Pony Express Double Dash. I only stayed because of Thunder. There was times when I could have gotten away earlier, but I wasn't going to leave him behind. Then there was a terrible storm and a tornado, and that's when I took off. I've been on the run ever since."

Kate nodded as she digested what Jenny had said. "And how old are you now?"

"I'm only twelve." Jenny replied as she heard Cora coming back in. "Hmmm, that smells delicious."

"It tastes good too." Cora replied as she helped Kate sit her up, then she gave the bowl to Kate. "I need to go and talk to the Sherriff and Jim. I'll be back after I've spoken to them. Have you got it all under control here?"

"Yes, I can watch her while your gone. When you see Jim, tell him that I need to speak to him."

"Sure." Cora walked back out, then quickly came back in. "I almost forgot, I have a pie in the oven that needs to be taken out in half an hour, can you take it out for me?"

"Don't worry, I will." Kate replied as she began to feed Jenny, then she looked at the girl with sympathetic eyes. "You know, I understand you better then you realize. I'm grew up an orphan too. I lived in an orphanage until I was an adult, because no one wanted to adopt me, so I understand what its like to be alone."

Jenny looked at Kate with amazement in her eyes. "You were an orphan too?"

"Yes." Kate looked down into the bowl. "I never knew my parents at all. I don't even know what happened to them, but I can't imagine what it was like for you being a slave."

Jenny's eyes began to film over as she thought of her time of being a slave. She began to sob as the memories came back. She thought she had dealt with it all, but now it was pouring back like a flood.

"Oh, Jenny, I'm sorry." Kate placed the bowl on the bedside table and placed his arm around Jenny. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's alright." Jenny stopped sobbing and wiped her eyes with her hand. "It's not you. Its just-" Her voice trailed off."

"It's okay, you don't need to tell me." Kate soothed. "But I do need to know about those men who were chasing you. Why are they after you?"

"They're after Thunder." Jenny replied as she had another mouthful of the soup. "He's worth a fortune, and I'm just a no account slave. I can't let them take him, but I can't stop them. I'm a nobody, and legally, I'm still a slave. Runaway slaves have a bounty on their heads. Those men make their livelihood from catching people like me. If it wasn't for Thunder I would have been caught ages ago. He's saved my life on more than one occasion."

"He sounds like a very special horse."

"He is." Jenny yawned, then pushed Kate's hand with the spoon away. "I want to sleep now."

"Alright. You can eat some more later. I'll keep it warm for you."

"Thanks." Jenny snuggled up under the blankets and closed her eyes, hearing Kate leave the room as she dozed off.

Kate looked at the young girl, then she stood up and took the remainder of the stew back into the kitchen, then she took out the pie. As she placed it on the table to cool, she saw the time and wondered where Lucky was. She went back upstairs and checked on Jenny, then went out of the house to the barn. "Lucky?"

"In the loft." Lucky yelled. "And be careful of-" her voice trailed off as Snips and his donkey raced out of the stall, almost crashing into Kate.

"Woah." Kate yelped with surprise as she jumped out of the way, then she climbed up the ladder into the loft. "How's Thunder?"

"Well, he got himself into a bunch of trouble earlier." Abigail blurted out, then she was nudged by Pru to shut up.

"What happened?"

"Thunder took off, then Greyson almost caught him. We've locked him in now so he can't escape again." Pru looked at the black stallion pacing around the small stall. "And he's not happy about it."

"I can see that." Kate replied as she glanced down at him, then she looked at Lucky. "Have you seen you dad?" I need to talk to him."

Lucky groaned. "He rode out with the Sheriff to find those men. He's not back yet, so you'll have to wait." She decided to change the subject. "How's Jenny?"

"That's what I need to talk to him about." Kate sighed. "It will have to wait, but when you see him, let him know its urgent." She went back down the ladder and headed back to the house.

Lucky groaned again. "Let him know its urgent." She mimicked the voice Kate used. "Ugh, she cant get along without him."

"Lucky, maybe you need to be a bit easier on her." Abigail said as she finished cleaning Boomerangs bridle. "She does leave you alone most of the time."

"I think I need a walk. A long one."