Join the Calvary

[horsecraziest]

The sun was just rising over the mountains to the East of the valley. A chestnut stallion stood grazing along side a young gray filly. It was Utah and Niga. They had gone off just to talk for a bit. Utah hadn't talked with her since after the accident with the wolf. Utah and Niga grazed together. Utah looked over at Niga. "Your ear has healed nicely," he said.
"I know. It feels a lot better now than it did then," she said.
"That's good," Utah said.
They stopped for a second. Utah heard something coming. It sounded like horses. Not just two or three, but almost a whole herd. Niga heard it too. "I wonder what they are doing," she said.
"I'm not sure," Utah said. "Maybe their on the move."
Utah was wrong. Coming down the hill was a herd of calvary horses, with the calvary soldiers on their backs. They galloped down the hill and came splashing into the river. Utah looked to Niga and said, "Get out of here!"
"I'm not leaving without you," she said.
"Just go," Utah said as the calvary came closer. Niga looked at Utah. "Go, now," Utah yelled.
Niga shock her head then obeyed Utah and galloped of toward the herd. Utah saw the calvary getting closer and closer as they rode through the river. Utah watched as Niga galloped toward the herd. Utah said out loud to himself, "Oh, no. She'll lead them to the herd." He looked around and knew he would have to lead the calvary away.
Utah whinnied and reared to catch their attention since they had seen Niga running away. Some soldier in the front stopped their horses and headed in his direction. The others behind them followed close by. Utah turned and galloped. The calvary was already closing in on him. Some of the soldier took their horses in a different direction. Utah saw them leave, but he had to deal with the other four following him. After running for about a half mile toward the woods, the five that had left came out of the woods. Utah stopped and turned around to run in the opposite direction, but couldn't the other four horses were right behind him. He was surrounded. There was no way out. The circle grow smaller and smaller until finally the soldier were close enough to throw their lassos. Three lasso landed on Utah's neck before he could get away. He kept fighting them.

[~*Rain & Thunder*~]

Thunder had been in the bachleor group for a week now.For some reason,he forgot his parents and everyone except the bachleors.One day Thunder was out wandering when he heard a stallion squeal and a mare run past him.He galloped up,but before you knew it,he was lassoed himself.

[horsecraziest]

Cham had been wandering the same area as Thunder went he hear the cry for another stallion. Cham looked around. He came out of the woods and saw calvary horses. His first instinct was to run, but then he saw the familiar coat pattern of the youngest member of the herd. It was Thunder he saw. Cham stopped and turned in the calvary's direction. As they were busy with the colt and the stallion, they did not see Cham coming. Cham charged right into another horses. Hoping that would do some good. The horses was knocked out of the away, but a soldier next to that horse, quickly throw a lasso over Cham's neck. Cham had never felt the ropes of humans around his neck. He tried to pull away, but it just became tighter. Cham kicked at the horse and pulled away harder and harder. Another lasso was thrown over his neck. Cham spun in a circle and was now facing the soldiers and pulled back, but the ropes were becoming to tight.
Utah saw the buckskin stallion, at first he had thought it would been Spirit because of his coat, but then he recognized that it was Cham. Utah had he's own problems to deal with and now he saw Thunder was also in this mess too. Utah looked at some of the soldiers. They smirked and had smiles on their faces. They must be really lucky to have caught two stallions and a colt that day. Utah kept fighting. He began to pull like Cham. He stepped back to pull at the ropes. He continued through the pain of the ropes digging in around his neck. A soldier saw what Utah was doing and he quietly and quickly put a lasso on the ground. Before Utah knew what happened, something has tighten and on his left back leg and he felt the yank on it and he was pulled to the ground. The lasso was a trap the one soldier had set up and it had worked. Utah was now on the ground looking up at the four soldier that had caught him. Utah kept flailing around. Try to free himself, but the soldiers pulled tighter on the ropes. The pressure of the rope was becoming to much.
One soldier quickly dismounted and threw his reins to the soldier riding along side of him. He quickly started tying some rope together in a weird way. When the soldier had finished tying the rope, he ran over to Utah's front legs and tried to put it on. Utah saw the man coming and started to struggle, but the soldiers tightened the ropes around his neck. Utah stopped moving. The soldier near his front legs, slipped whatever he had made onto Utah's front legs. The soldier did not let up on the ropes. Utah remained on the ground as they others were being controlled. The rope on Utah's legs was to restricted his movement when he would stand, so he could not go any faster than a walk.
Cham kept fighting. He kept pulling and pulling on the ropes. He looked at Thunder. "Colt, when you get the chance to get free...Run, run as fast as you can to get out of here," Cham said in hopes that Thunder would get loss. Three soldiers were fighting against Cham. The last two soldiers were fighting with Thunder. Cham had seen the chestnut stallion go down. He wasn't about to let that happen to him. He kept trying to fight.
Niga as she had run by had seen Thunder run out of the woods after she had run by and looked back when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and watched in horror as another stallion came out of the woods and was captured. She saw that now the calvary had Utah, Thunder, and Cham. Niga didn't know what to do. She knew she couldn't fight the soldiers and expect to get away. She turned and kept going at a full gallop until she came to the herd. She ran right to Spirit, Rain, and Forest. Her eyes wide with fear. "You've got...to come quickly," she said trying to catch her breathe while she explained quickly. "Thunder...Utah...Cham...are in trouble. Calvary...is here!" She began to cough. She had no time to stop. She tried to say more, but couldn't. Hoping that what she told them was enough information.

[~*Rain & Thunder*~]

Rain widened her eyes.It had been a couple days and thought her son was gone.But as soon as she heard Niga,her spirit's rose but fell as she heeard him being caught by he calvary.She looked at spirit,as they both raced off.
Some calvary men saw that mare and knew she went for helpThey had to get going.Thunder pulled and reared,did all in his might.He looked at Utah,and began spinning in a circle too.When he saw that He was down on the ground,he paused.He bit on the rope,and didn't relsise he was still spinning.Other men far off came,and saw that Thunder was a handful.They began throwing ropes.Thunder reared,but a rope landed on his front left leg.Thunder tried pulling,but all that happened was his leg was sticking out in the air.He bucked,but another rope landed on his back right leg.He tried pulling in fright,but was also knocked to the ground.Men came around him,and pinned his head down.They took a rope around his neck and made it into a wierd shape.Thunder squealed and tried to get out,but before you knew it,the figure made out of Rope was around his head and eyes.He squealed,and got up slowly.The men pinned him down again,Until all the stallions were calm and they could leave.Thunder began pouting a little.For the past week that he'd been alone with the bachleors,He thought his father was Cham.Not Spirit.

[horsecraziest]

The soldiers had to dismount and heave Utah to his feet so they could leave. They did that then mounted again and headed out. Cham kept fighting the men as they pulled him along. He saw Spirit up on hill. Cham began to worry that Spirit would blame him for Thunder running away. Cham kept fighting. Utah just went along with them since he could hardly move his legs.

[~*Rain & Thunder*~]

Thundr heard Spirit but he gave up.The men slowly lifted him up,as he started walking off.Spirit was on a far off hill away.He thought Cham was his father and his mother was captured.He kept going slowly,the ropes still around his llegs,keeping him from running away.

[horsecraziest]

Cham was pulled up toward the front to keep him in check with horse in front of him, to the side, and to he's rear. As Cham was pulled ahead he said to Thunder, "We'll get out of this. I'm not sure how, but we will." Cham was pulled away.

[~*Rain & Thunder*~]

Thunder nodded.They walked and walked,then Thunder raised his head as he looked.The calvary fort.They were coming close.Instead of long meadows of grass,it was dry sand and blazing sun.Thunder slowly walked foward,the ropes still on his legs.He nodded to Cham,and looked at Utah.Reaching the Calvary fort,Thunder pulled back and reared but the men pulled on the ropes and knocked him down.

[horsecraziest]

Utah kept walking being led to the fort. He could not move his legs more than just to walk. Cham kept walking until they got to the fort. He started to pull back and fight against the soldiers. He kept fighting he saw Thunder down. He kept pulling.

[Esperanza/Spirit]

Spirit gazed after his son,"my boy."He whispered.He didn't want to go through the calvary again,but he wasn't ready for his son to leave.It had been too long already,and he felt like he could die.He followed at a distance,for he did not want the ropes around him until they had to be.When they came into view of the fort,he whinnied sharply,catching attention.He soon had ropes around him too,for a few older soldiers recognized him and caught him around his legs,his weak spot.He pulled the ropes,reopening old burns from the same cause.He wanted to get out,but not without his colt.He saw Cham for the fisrt time sionce he'd been following,and lashed out at him."You...:"He hissed."Are getting what you deserve finally."

[horsecraziest]

"It won't last long," Cham replied. "They only reason I'm here is because Thunder was captured. A young colt like him shouldn't have to go through this." This was the first time Cham had ever acted as if he cared for someone else besides a mare. He seemed like a different horse. He was helping someone else and not himself.
Utah was already taken over to where the horses would be trimmed and groomed. Utah's head was tied to the post and his legs all had ropes on them to keep him still. His head hung low as he watched chunks of his mane fall to the ground. They trimmed his tail a bit. Utah's mane was as short as the other calvary horses. They started to comb through it to get the tangles out. Utah sighed. This was just the first step of being transformed into a calvary horse.

[Esperanza/Spirit]

"He is my son!He will be leaving with me!"Spirit sanrled.He went to bite Cham but they parted ways as they were lead away.Spirit was taken to the trimming area as well.The groom,Murphy took one look and said,"oh no!Not you agaiN!"And ran away.A different groom was assigned to Spirit and lef twith a few injuries.Spirit's ears caught the voice of a seargent."Sir,It appears someone has returned to see you."He reported.The Colonel came and gazed into Spirit's eyes."Ready to try again,mustang?"He asked him."Spirit responded in his mind,"yes,but when I escape this time,my son will go as well."But Spirit found things rather different.This time,heavy chains were placed onto his legs,attached to bags of wet sand.He couldn't rear,buck or even roll without injuring himself.

[horsecraziest]

Cham was put into a small stall that would keep him still. He watched as the others were dwelt with.
Utah had his head low, not wanting to watch anything. Utah heard Spirit's angry voice and then the sound of humans talking. They were all over the place. Utah stayed quiet. He just wanted to go home. He ignored everything. Then he heard the same voice coming toward him and someone else's. "Sir, what do you think of this horse," a soldier said.

[~*Rain & Thunder*~]

Thunder wasen't touchable.No one could get near him.He'd bight or kick.Then,all the calvary gave up but the Colonel decided to do it himself."Lord,Do I have to do everything myself around here?"He shouted.Going to Thunder,they did the same as they did to Spirit.They knew he was his son,and knew he was just as strong.His muzzle was tied in a chain and his head was held low.His legas were toed in chain and around his belly.Snorting,the men cut his hair all down.They put a bridle on him,and Thunder gave up.Looking to Spirit,he sighed and let the men cut his tail.As they finished,They put him in a stall.Thunder kept his head low in embarresment.

[Esperanza/Spirit]

The father looked at his son,body soaked in sweat,panting.For some reason, he seemed not to know him.In a voice that caught in his lungs,Spirit said,"I'm sorry son."All he wanted now,was to get these terrible things untied,but as he was untacked,they stayed on.These people seemed to want him to die slowly,as they didn't even cool him off.He was just placed in a stall,legs still chained and bound to sand bags.He lipped at the hay in his feed trough,but recoiled in disgust.