*Captured*

         The sky was growing dark and the clouds started to gather. Somewhere within the hills of Mountain Ridge Peak were a herd of wild horses grazing. The once sunny clearing and crystal blue sky was becoming more and more darker with the promising of a thunderstorm. As the clouds grew closer and the shadows danced across the grassy plains as if to gobble up the sulight patches, the herd was unaware of the danger that was learking in the shadow among the trees that seperated the valley from the open plains. The lead stallion of the herd, Thunder-bolt, hadn't sensed the danger as the winds were blowing in just about all directions so it was hard to pick up the scents that would let one know danger was near. With small rumbles of thunder in the distance Thunder-bolt looked at the other horses for a moment and was surprised that Pepper, his mate, who doesn't do well with thunderstorms seemed calm.

         All of a sudden out of nowhere without any warning there were ropes around each of the horses necks and these two-legged creatures emerged from the shadows. t first the herd didn't know what to make of what was going on until these strangers tried to bring them closer. Dusty, Shadow, Whisper, and Feather were trying their hardest to pull away but each time they'd pull the strangers just pulled even more so. With the rin starting to come down it made it even harder for the horses to pull back as the mud under their hoofs made it impossible to keep their footing. Too more of thesestrangers came out of the shadows and led them somewhere that Thunder-bolt and Pepper couldn't see. Pepper looked over at Thunder-bolt wide-eyed and with fear on her face. At that moment the larger stranger grabbed the rope that was around Pepper's neck and started to pull her into the shadow's like the others. With this anger burned inside Thunder-bolt like wood in a fire. He tried with all his strength to pull free of the ropes but another of those two-legged strangers would show up, and help theother one try to pull him in further towards the shaodws while trying not to loose their grip on the rope themselves.

         Thunder-bolt called out to Pepper but she was unable to hear him as the thunder boomed over head and lightning struck somewhere close by causing a tree limb to catch on fire. The stallion looked around for a brief moment, tired, sore, and breathing heavily, when one of the guys tugged on his rope Thunder-bolt didin't move, he just starred at him as if to challenge him. "George, let go of the rope and bring back the dapple mare." The guy holding the lead rope said. The other guy that was holding the rope released his grip and went to retrieve the dapple mare. The horse watched as the other one dissappeared and returned with Pepper. The guy holding Thunder-bolts rope tugged on the lead again and this time the stallion started to move. Feeling really tired from pulling on the rope Thunder-bolt decided to follow the stranger as he had no other choise he thought but he was glad that Pepper was okay and not hurt.