Pounding Hooves, and Thunderstorms {Sanders Sides Horse AU}

Welcome to Sanders Mountainside Ranch

Virgil woke up in all types of pain. His sides and muscles were sore and legs stiff. He winced slightly as he started to drearily walk over to the water trough, his head droopy from defeat and hooves shuffling on the dusty arena ground. His eyes were half closed as he dunked his black muzzle into the water, blowing bubbles from his nose, but not actually drinking the liquid.

"Hey new horse!" a cheery voice called, starling Virgil so much that he trip backwards, flinging water out of the trough.

He turned his head to see the palomino from the other day at the other side of the fence in a different paddock. The brown and chestnut stallions were there as well, but they didn't pay him any mind. Virgil narrowed his eyes and pinned his ears in irritation.

"This horse literally dragged me from my home, family, and life yet still has the audacity to try and be friendly?! Unbelievable!" the stallion thought to himself.

Although frustrated he didn't want to give this stallion the wrong message so he, very gruffly and forcefully, replied, "hello."

The palomino nickered with joy, shifting from hoof to hoof as Virgil drearily trudged over to the fence. Once he arrived he looked up -or rather looked down as this stallion was a little short and Virgil was rather tall- at the lighter stallion's large, bright, light brown eyes.

"So what's your name? I'm Patton!" The stallion asked.

"Virgil," the black boy huffed.

"That's a nice name! Oh, the chestnut over there is Roman and the bay one is Logan. They said not to bother you, but you just seemed so lonely and sad that I couldn't help myself!" the peppy stallion, Patton, said.

"Oh," was all that came from the friesian.

"Yeah. So Virgil, what breed are you? I'm a haflinger," asked Patton as he flicked his silky light flaxen tail.

"I'm a friesian," Virgil answered.

"Ooooh, that sounds fancy! Roman is an Arabian and Logan is a Thoroughbred, but I've never met a friesian. Come to think about it, Roman did mention something about friesians at one of his shows. He said they were pretty horses, but not as pretty as him," rambled Patton.

Virgil nodded his head and looked over at the two horses. The one called Roman was grazing with his back turned to them while the one named Logan was grazing with his right side facing them and would occasionally glance over at the two horses.

"So Virgil, how are you doing here? Your first time with humans good?" Patton asked.

"This isn't my first time with humans," snorted Virgil.

"Oh?" Patton tilted his delicate head.

"I was born at a friesian breeding center over the mountains were the people were rough and frightening. I ran away from home since I wasn't wanted and made my own life. My past experiences with humans was never good so I expect nothing less from these humans," explained Virgil, shaking his head so his mane flipped to the other side of his neck.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but the people here aren't like that. They're the best you could as for! They love all of us so much and wouldn't do anything to harm us," Patton said while tossing his flaxen forelock out of his eyes.

"Whatever. Humans are all the same to me," Virgil dismissed before trotting away from Patton and over to the fence closest to the hill.

Virgil looked up the hill and felt his heart clench as he thought of Janus and Remus. The two were probably worried about him, wondering when he would return while he was trapped here. Virgil let out a slow, dejected huff before trotting along the fence, looking for the gate that had opened for him to come in. If he could find the gate maybe he could open it and be free. He scoured the fence posts with his brown eyes, taking in every detail of the wood and nails, finding the weakest points and strong points. Finally he saw the gate, but much to his displeasure it was locked with a chain.

Now if it was simply padlocked with a wooden or metal bar he could slid open then he would've been fine. After all, if you live a boring foalhood too nervous to find or make friends then you have to invent ways to entertain yourself and Virgil found that picking locks was something he could do rather well. Often he would sneak out of his and his mother's stall to go outside at night and look up at the stars, but now he can do that every night.

Frustrated Virgil paced back and forth in front of the gate, shaking his head in irritation while snorting his displeasure. A sharp whistle caught his attention and for a second he though an eagle was flying over head, but when he looked up the only birds he saw were some ravens and chickadees. Confused Virgil looked back to the other pasture where Patton, Logan and Roman were grazing to see three people leaning on the fence, two stroking the horses' necks with their hands while another was filling up three buckets with some form of feed.

Virgil tilted his head as he observed the interaction, curious about these strange creatures, but cautious enough to stay away.

"Hey Virgil, do you want to meet the people?!" Patton whinnied.

"Definitely not!" Virgil called back while stamping his hooves.

"They won't hurt you! It's safe!" Patton reassured while the human with multicolored hair rubbed his muzzle.

"I don't care!" shouted the black stallion, galloping back to his corner to sulk.

Virgil folded his legs underneath him and rested his head on the ground. He laid on his side as he thought, once again, about Janus and Remus. Oh how his missed his family. He missed being about to run with Remus and being groomed by Janus. He felt so alone and empty without those two that he lifted his head a tiny bit and let out a heartbreak whinny in a pitiful attempt to call them to him. He then let his head drop back onto the ground, lost, alone, and without those he loves most.