AN: I have a four day weekend right now, so I figured I should probably type this and make some of you people happy, right? Anyways, I don't own any characters that you recognize, though I wish I did. Oh well, here's the next chapter

Chapter 7: Not So Happy Reunion

Jake woke up on Wednesday morning, and he heard the phone ringing. Here we go again, he thought. Sure enough, it was Wyatt. Jake finished getting dressed, and then grabbed a few granola bars, saddled Witch, and then left.

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30 minutes later………

Jake rode up to Wyatt. "What happened? Did Sam come back?"

"Yes and no. Sam came back in the middle of the night when we were all asleep, took some things, and then left again."

"Did she leave any tracks?"

"I haven't looked yet. I was waiting for you to get here first."

"Okay, I'll go look." Jake rode Witch along both sides of the river, but he found nothing. Again.

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Sam rode Tempest along a deer path, unaware that she was being watched. She was tired of hiding and sneaking around. As she turned a corner in the path, Tempest shied. Sam looked up and saw Nicholas and his Gypsy Vanner mare, Lace.

"It's okay Tempest, it's just Nicholas." Tempest decided to trust Sam, even though she knew something wasn't quite right. Sam walked Tempest up to Nicholas. "Hi Nicholas, I didn't think you'd be here, weren't you going home?"

"No, I decided to stay for a while longer. The two filled each other in on what had happened as they drank some coffee that Nicholas had made. Sam was starting to feel tired. She looked up at Nicholas and saw that he had an evil look on his face. He opened his mouth and said, "I told you that you were too trusting."

Sam tried to get up, but she was too tired from whatever Nicholas had put in the coffee, and she fell asleep……….

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Tempest was afraid. After Sam had fallen asleep, Nicholas had thrown her into his cart. He had then hooked Tempest to the back, and then they drove away.

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Ace wasn't worried at all when Sam and Tempest didn't return. Instead, he started to wander home because he wanted GOOD food for once, like oats. When he was about halfway home, he saw Jake and his crabby mare, Witch. Oh well, Ace thought, maybe he has food!!!

Ace trotted up to Jake. "Dang Ace! Why couldn't you have stayed with Sam? It would have been a lot easier to find her then. Wait, why the heck am I talking to a horse?" Jake stopped talking and pulled a carrot out of his saddlebag. He gave it to Ace, and then quickly scribbled a note as Ace crunched on the carrot. He stuck the note in Ace's halter, the slapped Ace's rump, "Go home Ace." Ace didn't have to be told twice; he galloped towards home, and the food that he knew he was going to get.

Jake then traced Ace's hoof prints back to where he had come from. They led to the Phantom's valley. Dang, Jake thought, I should have guessed! He saw smaller hoof prints than those Ace had made. He got off of Witch to get a closer look. They were probably made by a 4 or 5 year old mare since they weren't very big. He guessed that they were Tempest's hoof prints, so he followed them. They led him along a deer path. As he turned a corner, he saw what had been a camp site. By the looks of it, it had been left quickly.

He followed the hoof prints, but they stopped at a tree. Boot prints (Sam??) led towards a log. From there, other prints led to the log, then led away from the log with more weight, and then led to some wagon tracks. Then Tempest's hoof prints followed between the tracks. Slowly he began to piece it together. Then, it hit him. Sam had been kidnapped!!

So, there's chapter 7!! Yay! Um, plez click that little button in the bottom left corner. Yes, that one that says go next to Submit review. Plez!!! Thanks to those who review, and for those who don't, you are EVIL!!!!