Prisoner Of War

[[R].ebel]

'We should head north. Those mountains are the closest way out of the desert, and I expect that the humans won't want to venture up there--cougars, and they won't know the terrain. We'll be in Cimarron territory then.... but we can follow the river south. It goes through the heart of their territory, but if we travel by night, we should get through...Spirit won't fight us'

Duke listened to the brute, head tilting and eyes searching the white stallion over at his final words. He remained silent for a long moment, eyes studying the stallion as he processed his words. Duke was not one to object a friendship, but currently, he didn't know if he really had one with this stallion; Nombre didn't seem too open about the idea in Duke's opinion, but Duke had to be honest with Nombre, and so he did, in not quite as blank a voice as before.

"No offense, Nombre, but I'm on a mission. I don't know where you are looking to go once outside those walls, but I have to find my son, and where ever that journey takes me, I will go. I have no mind if you are to join me for as long as you wish, but I don't know your intentions after leaving this place... You may not want to stay with an old father on a quest for his son..."

[[esperanza]]

Nombre snorted. "None taken."

Although the weather had cleared, the ground was still packed with a layer of dirty snow. The white stallion pawed at the ground beneath his hooves, but instead of the hoped-for blades of grass he found nothing but mud.

And then what?

The question nagged at him, ate at him. Getting free was one thing. But what would he do once he escaped this pit?

He hadn't the slightest clue.

[[R].ebel]

"We leave at dawn..."

With not much of a response given to his quest, the stallion waited for none no more. Taking his leave, the black stallion walked to the opposite corner of the pastures, standing alone. For now, he would rest, gaining all the energy he could for the morning to come. He would leave this place, no doubt, whether dead or alive.

***

Just before dawn, the troops where lined up and mounting thier horses. Amongst them was Ikusa, the Colonol sitting atop his back, overseeing the troops. Duke stood by the gate of the pasture, eyes fixed on those large doors that where the key to his freedom, and the walls that seperated him from his son. 'I'm coming, my boy... I'm coming...' The stallion snorted, having planned out how he was going to get out of this pasture; the gate. He would have to be quick, else the noise would alert the troops. Like it or not, Duke would have to be the distraction, with him being the one knocking down the gate, he would have to make a run around the fort, distracting the horsemen while the white stallion had a chance to get to the gates. Once done, Duke could then make his leave... of course, with the riders hot on his heels... But he wasn't staying here a day longer... today was the day.

[[esperanza]]

"We leave at dawn..."

The only acknowledgment Nombre gave was a nod. He was too far lost in his own thoughts to answer properly. As the sky faded from gray to midnight blue and the stars and moond came out to shed their meager light on the desert plains, Nombre kept his northward gaze, locked in place by a sharp pain in his chest that he couldn't identify. Two ideas consumed his mind:

I can't go home, and What is happening to my herd?

Eventually a stablehand walking by saw the lone white stallion and managed to coax him inside. Nombre didn't even realize that he was shivering.

~*~

Dawn came too early and too fast. Feeling more like a ghost than a horse, Nombre went out with the other horses to pasture. His eyes fell upon Ikusa, the bay horse who he had engaged in an insult battle last night. A cold fire lit in Nombre's eyes. "If I ever see you on my homeland, I will not hesitate to rip your throught out," he whispered to himself. Darksun horse's didn't usually take well to insults, and Nombre was no exception.

He walked over to the black stallion beside the gate, watching the riders as they prepared for whatever it was they were doing. "Well."

[[R].ebel]

'Well.'

Ears slightly pinned at the white stallions' words, the black stallion not taking it very lightly that he was to be risking his neck to get the two out. Keeping his eyes on the large wooden doors, Duke studied the small group of soldiers on horseback, not all them lined up yet. Almost... but not yet...

"Patience. The timing must be right..."

"All out!"

The group of calvary men suddenly seemed to group neater, and Duke's eyes and ears tuned to every move made; the Colonol giving a hand signal; the calvary heading to the doors; and a few men working to open the doors. This was it. With a snort, Duke stepped one step closer, watching every move of the men, the wooden doors opening at a slow pace, allowing Duke to see out; out to where his freedom was. Every muscle in his body went relaxed as he told himself to stay put until the very last second... The doors were open wide and calvary was on its way out. 'Now!'

Dipping his head, Duke rammed into the small gate of the pasture with his chest and shoulder, having to take a quick step back to regroup himself, before the door gave way to his weight. With a wild neigh, the black stallion took off into a bucking fit across the fort, in the opposite direction of the gate. The fit of the stallion cause a roar of excitment in the fort, the Colonol ordering the calvary back to rope the horse, Ikusa himself dancing in place ready to chase down that wild, unmannered stallion. It didn't take long at all before Duke had a group of horses & thier men tailing him, trying to corner him in anyway they could. But the time Duke had spent in here had given him an edge, allowing him to find the perfect places to duck, dive and spin his way out of trouble, all the while glancing towards the pasture and doors to see if the white stallion had escaped yet.

[[esperanza]]

Every muscle in his body was tense with anticipation. Today, for the first time in several long months, he could taste freedom.

And then what?

No, he wasn't going to let that nag him right now. Nombre pushed all thoughts of the future to the back of his mind: today he was getting free. That was all that mattered.

The fort doors seemed to open at an agonizing crawling pace. How much longer? And then, suddenly, Duke was going wild. Nombre couldn't help but crack a grin at the excitement that had bubbled up in the fort. He gathered his muscles under him, leaped, cleared the fence, galloping madly toward the almost abandoned gates. There was the colonel atop Ikusa, looking like he was having trouble keeping his horse under control. The white stallion's eyes brightened: here was a chance for a distraction and revenge all in one.

He veered toward the bay stallion, baring his teeth, aiming for the bay's shoulder.

[[R].ebel]

Duke felt the brush of a rope as it barely missed going around his head, sending a shudder down his spine. Quickly he glanced around for the white stallion, having to spin on his hind legs to avoid another rope. Anger fumed in the black stallion as he saw Nombre charging for the dark bay, Ikusa. He snorted in irritance, but pushed it aside, deciding he was stalling no longer. Duke was risking his life for the white stallion's freedom and he seemed to be bent on revenge. Shaking his head, Duke took into a mad gallop for the gates, which were now on thier way to closing! With a wild snort, Duke plowed through a group of men, forcing them to leap out of the way, else be trampled by his hooves. Not caring to wait any longer for Nombre, Duke dodged another horseman by just a hair's width and leaped through the doors, the endless desert meeting his eyes for the first time in a year. The black stallion let out a neigh over the land, calling for his son, though he knew it was doubtful it would be heard by his only child.

Had he been paying more attention, Ikusa would have noticed the white stallion barreling for him sooner, but it was nearly too late when he did. Ears pinned, Ikusa managed to sidestep from Nombre, just enough to prevent the whole of the attack from injuring him, feeling the glancing blow of teeth on his shoulder. A fierce whinny, followed by a holler from the Colonel was soon backed up with a forcful kick from Ikusa. "Get this one!" The Colonel grabbed his crop, aiming to snap it over the white stallion's head.

Hooves stretching over the desert land, Duke could hear similar hooves behind him, urging him on faster to the distant mountains. Not really knowing where he was going, the black stallion ran on, the feeling of freedom unable to lift his focus on finding his son.

[[esperanza]]

When Nombre was a foal, an older colt in the herd had told him something.

"Friends? They're a waste of time. Don't trust anybody with your life, because everyone has their own motives--their own priorities. What, think I'm being cynical? Well, it's the truth. Don't act like you're any different, either, because you aren't. Everyone is like that, whether they realize it or not."

~*~

He was glad to have caught Ikusa off guard. The bay backed up, but his teeth still managed to make an impact.

But then Duke bolted past, with several riders quick to follow, without a backward glance. Thanks a lot. Nombre watched the black stallion bolt out of the doors and let out a loud neigh, all the while his eyes narrowing with disdain. He stood there frozen for a moment. Pull yourself together. It's not as if you two were going to ever communicate after this. He was just using you as a distraction to get free. You would have done the same thing. Get over it.

Only Ikusa's sharp kick brought him back to the present moment. Nombre let out a squeal of surprise and bolted foreward, only just missing the Colonel's crop. Nombre lunged foreward, kicking his hind legs up in an attempt to give one last parting blow to Ikusa. Unfortunately for him, it was a bad idea. He felt the brush of a rope that had landed on his right leg, and now the lasso was being tightened. The fort doors, which had been opened again to let riders out, was now being closed again. He wasn't going to get a chance like this again.

With a surprising burst of speed fueled by desperation and rage, Nombre lunged foreward again, ripping the rope out of the surprised soldier's hands, and made a mad dash for the fort doors. More soldiers galloped after him. Almost there. The humans were yelling in sharp voices. Getting closer. He could hear hooves close behind him. He was out!

He could see Duke's galloping form fading into the distance. The black stallion was running north. Nombre's ears flattened. Well, he didn't want to go home yet anyways. He turned and galloped the opposite direction. He ran as hard and fast as he could, until he felt sweat trickling down his sides. The sound of his pursuers began to diminish.

Friends? They're a waste of time. Don't trust anybody with your life, because everyone has their own motives--their own priorities. What, think I'm being cynical? Well, it's the truth. Don't act like you're any different, either, because you aren't. Everyone is like that, whether they realize it or not. And I don't care. At least I have my freedom.

The rope dragged behind him, burning the skin it was wrapped tightly around. On his left flank there was an unsightly burn mark--a failed attempt to brand him. He could feel throbbing where Ikusa had kicked him, and deeper in his chest he could feel the aftermath of his insults the night before. Nombre had war wounds and chains still, but at least he was free.

Nothing else mattered.

{OOC//And that's a wrap?}

[[R].ebel]

A grin came upon the features of the bay, his kick having hit his mark, but his victory was short-lived. The white stallion bolted foreward, landing a glancing blow on the shoulder of the bay, making him stumble enough to throw the Colonel right off his back. Ikusa snorted, ears pinning in hatred as the white stallion make his way to freedom, vengence boiling in the proud stallion.

The black stallion slowed his pace; the hoofbeats behind him where fading. Looking over his shoulder he could see the horses making thier way back to the fort. Duke concluded that he was of no importance to them anyway; Duke was not ridable and therefore was of no use. His eyes caught the white stallion, heading opposite the direction the black stallion was heading. Anchoring his haunches, Duke slid to a stop, looking back as the white stallion faded farther into the distance. He wondered if they would cross paths again one day, but more so wondered what had happened at the fort. Things hadn't gone quite as planned, but either way, both had made it out to their freedom. Duke didn't know how it happened that way, but they must have done something right. Pushing one-sided thoughts aside about the white stallion, Duke reared and let out a neigh of farwell to Nombre. And with a toss of his ebony head, the black stallion galloped off, the only thought on his mind being his son.