Spirit, Riding Free: Lucky and Her Adventurous and Mysterious Cousin Sasha

Chapter Eight

It had been seven weeks since Crow had gotten back to his hooves and started moving around in the ramada. Spirit had became head stallion of the local horses in Miradero after he had outshined Smoke. Spirit's older brother, Golden Eagle, is the leader of the herd of wild horses. The PALs and their horses still go on their risky adventures.
Sasha was eating her lunch (a egg sandwich) in the shade from the nearby building and was keeping an eye on the ramada. Today, there's about ten or so horses in the corral, including Crow and Smoke. One was drinking water, others were standing here or there. A gray pinto, a brown stallion, and a red pinto were playing catch with a red ball together.
Smoke was munching on some hay, a little away from the other horses. Crow was walking with hardly any limping from his left front leg and was walking alongside Destiny, who watched him with a sharp and intelligent stare, making sure that Crow wasn't faking that his injury wasn't bugging him.
Destiny was stuck wearing her bridle to show that she already has an owner. Destiny and Crow are both had a rope tied around both of their necks, keeping Crow from running off as Destiny had showed Crow the interior and exterior of Miradero before they had to return to the ramada.
Destiny looked over towards Sasha and let out a hopeful, excited neigh to her for a exciting ride. Sasha looked at Crow with a concerned frown, she had to bring him along in order to find his true owner. Sasha had bought Crow to keep an eye on him till she can return him to his actual owner and make sure no one else tries to steal the secret owner's horse.
The lean brown stallion neighed hopefully and stepped close to the fence with Destiny by his side. Sasha raised an eyebrow at the two horses, they had been extra close to each other and sneak each other nuzzles when she changed the bandages on Crow's injured ankle. She finished up her lunch and went into the barn to get the supplies. She had filled her satchel with the supplies that she had refilled a few days ago and the same items that Sasha had when she first met Crow. Sasha had a Lakota bow slung over her shoulder and a quiver filled with arrows on her back.
She quickly returned to ramada, only to find Destiny and Crow both at the gate together, looking forward for an excited for a ride.
Sasha smiled and Destiny put her back against the fence as Sasha walked over the fence and onto Destiny's back.
It is time to find Crow's owner.
⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡Lucky's Third POV:-
Lucky was riding on Spirit's back through the forest with Pru on Chica Linda and Abigail on Boomerang that's a fair distance away from Miradero. They all enjoy doing the nature ride together. They were all planning to go to Punta Libre to check on Spirit's old herd and after that, a relaxing ride together throughout the area.
In a few minutes, the PALs and their horses all emerged from the dense forest into the open plains. Lush long grass, teeming with life. Huge, puffy clouds floated across the blue afternoon sky, skinny trees rose from the ground, and a small blue creek bubbled steadily nearby.
Movement had caught the corner of Lucky's eye. Spirit stepped slowly and warily out of the shadows of the trees with Chica Linda and Boomerang.
It's Spirit's old herd!
Dozens of them were grazing and playing, they're all relaxed and happy. They varied in color — some were solid black or brown, a few were black with white faces, a couple of them were gray or buckskin pintos, others were chocolate/chestnut brown or red/brown with white spots or blazes. They were all really beautiful when they are peacefully grazing and playing. But Lucky soon noticed three new horses, that seemed to be new to the new protectors of the herd. Two of the horses were adults, watching from the center of the herd. The third one was a playful filly playing with a gray pinto colt and a brown pinto colt.
One was a huge and muscular buckskin stallion with pinto markings and white streaks in his dark brown mane and tail. The second one was a slender chestnut brown mare with hazel eyes, pinto markings, and a flaxen mane and tail. The filly has a deeper tan — almost dark golden — coat with a white face, muzzle, legs, and underbelly, a flaxen mane and tail, and bright brown eyes.
Lucky thought that the buckskin stallion seemed to be related to Spirit perhaps, but that's when Spirit started to walk slowly and carefully towards the wild herd of horses.
Lucky, Pru, and Abigail all dismounted their horses as they went to play with the herd of wild horses.
"Didn't Sasha said that she had named the three new horses?" asking Pru.
"Yeah, she did." Lucky smiled and nodded at the new buckskin. "The buckskin stallion is named Eagle Flight, the chestnut one is Rain Flower, and their filly is named Rain Bird."
"Wow," said Abigail. "She's good at naming animals."
"Always had been and always will," Lucky said.
The herd looked up from their grazing, while chewing on their grassy meals, and the foals stopped to turn to look at them. The huge stallion stepped out of the herd looking back and forth between the PALs and their horses with twitching ears, wary dark brown eyes, and blowing slightly. His grassy breath ruffled Lucky's hair slightly. The stallion let out deep neigh and Spirit let out a neigh to the stallion.
The stallion snorted and stepped towards Lucky. She let the stallion sniffed her hair, arms, and face. Lucky laughed as his muzzle gently tickled Lucky's face. The stallion stepped back and let out an amused snort. His eyes sparkled with laughter and warmth at the sound of Lucky's laughter.
Lucky looked at the stallion and lowered her hand from Spirit's flank. The stallion stood absolutely still as Lucky and her friends carefully stepped towards the head stallion. The stallion sniffed the girls and the horses. The stallion stepped aside and the chestnut brown mare stepped over with tender steps and nuzzled the girls. Lucky realized that the mare has a really round belly. She must be pregnant, figured Lucky.
"The mare must be due in a few weeks." Pru echoing Lucky's concern for the mare.
As the girls watched as Spirit, Chica Linda, and Boomerang play with the wild horses, Lucky heard a few pebbles tumbled down from behind them. She, Pru, Abigail, and the horses turned to looking at the sound from behind them.
"What was it?" asked Abigail, a little nervously.
"It's probably just a woodland critter," Pru said reassuringly, but sounding a little unsure.
"Yeah, probably." Lucky was surprised as Eagle Flight and Spirit both stood at either side of her and her friends, looking very protective and ready to fight for them.
That's when a familiar boy had stepped out of the shadows and into their sight.
He has long brown hair which was tied in twin tails with red ribbons. He also has light caramel tan skin. He also has warm and deep brown eyes. He was wearing a white country shirt, a pair of brown breechcloth, brown moccasins, and one or two Native American bracelets and yellow-red armbands on each arm.
The person was no other than Mixtli, the young Tuckapaw who had helped the PALs and their horses, in return they had helped him and Crow. But Crow, the friendly brown stallion with symbolic patterns, wasn't with him.
"Mixtli!" exclaimed the PALs and they jumped onto him to hug him as a joyful reunion.
Mixtli gave them all a warm smile, but his eyes were soft, sad, and tired. His smile seemed to be strained as he looked at them. There was also worry and fear in his expression.
"Mixtli, what's wrong and where's Crow?" Lucky asked worriedly.
"I was working with my hunting snares when I heard Crow cried out in pain," explained Mixtli quietly and looking quite upset. "I allowed him to graze in a field with a herd of horses, but that's when I saw him get hurt when he was getting away from a hunting bobcat and was soon saved by a group of horse wranglers. But they had started to herd the horses to Miradero, and Crow had went with them, because I couldn't get to him in time."
Lucky gasped in horror. She remembered how it felt like to be separated from a loving and loyal horse. It was horrible. It was truly heartbreaking, terrifying, afraid you'll be alone, and willing to do anything just to get back your horse.
"I'm so sorry Mixtli." Lucky had placed a gentle hand on Mixtli's shoulder.
"We will help you find Crow," said Pru.
"Maybe we can find Crow with crows?" Abigail suggested.
Mixtli cracked a small, amused smile as well as Lucky and Pru. The horses nickered softly, looking slightly amused.
"Maybe we should check out the ramada?" suggested Lucky hopefully.
"Wait a second," Pru said thoughtfully and looked at Mixtli. "When did this happened?"
"About eight weeks ago." Pru, Lucky, and Abigail all started to look very worried and looked at Mixtli with apologetic, sympathetic looks. It made Mixtli looked even more worried than before.
"By now, Crow would probably be bought by someone else by now," said Pru apologetically. "I'm so sorry Mixtli."
Mixtli looked downcast and lonely as this new information that had started to surround them. But Lucky isn't the type to give up just yet.
"Hey, we're the PALs." Lucky was ready to help their friends be reunited again and determined to find Crow. "We had reunited you two once and we can do it again."
"But how?" asked Mixtli, sounding hopeless.
Lucky thought about that. But she remembered the time when Sasha had managed to track down Mr. Granger's whole entire herd of horses eight weeks ago when they were out in the pasture. Sasha had even tracked down Spirit's old herd and Governor, when the red colt played hide-and-seek with them and Sasha had found him hiding in the schoolhouse (which was really hilarious). Lastly, Sasha seemed to have the magic touch whenever she meets a frightened or injured horse in the ramada and she's able to work with them without getting herself hurt. Half of the town was now calling Sasha, the Horse Tracker or the Horse Whisperer.
"I know who could help us find Crow," said Lucky with a excited smile.
⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
Unnoticed to the PALs, Mixtli, and the horses (including the wild horses), Sasha was riding Destiny and leading Crow back to town in a gentle canter. As they approached town, they slowed themselves to a calm and steady trot as they approached Mr. Granger's barn. Crow had also been resting there in his stall, but Destiny also has a stall there as well as Spirit, on the same side as Crow's stall. Destiny and Crow both have the similar privileges, almost like Spirit's privileges. Sasha knew that the PALs hadn't met Crow yet, because Crow was with Destiny every time they came to get their horse friends. The new barn belongs to Sorrel, Sagebrush, Tambourine, Ruby, Lady, and Duchess.
Sasha had put the two horses in their stalls, but she had taken the rope off between the two horses in order to go out to play and graze in the corral with Sorrel, Sagebrush, Tambourine, Ruby (a dark red-brown quarter horse), Lady (a white majesty mare), and Duchess (a light gray Appaloosa mare). Sasha went to the corral fence as the two horses both cantered into the corral and joined Junipero there.
Sasha leaned against the fence, thinking over things. 
She wondered if she'll ever finds the owner. If the owner comes for the stallion or if she finds the owner, she might give the stallion to them if they are not abusive. But if the owner doesn't come, Sasha supposed she could keep the stallion as long as she wants. She had bought the stallion, so she could keep an eye on him and see if she could find Crow's rightful owner.
She fell something bumped against her shoulder. Destiny had put her face right up to hers. Her breath was warm and comforting. She gently nudged her again.
"Hi Destiny." Destiny nickered softly, warm concern sparkled in her amber eyes. "You're right, I'm thinking too much. Again."
Sasha pressed her face against Destiny's neck. She could feel her mare's heart beating. Her familiar musky scent filled her nose. It was a mixture of wild flowers and water lilies. It made her feel peaceful.
Why did Destiny's scent feel like her birth home?
"We have quite a lot in common," Sasha told Destiny. "We're both adventurous and mysterious loners of the town." Sasha placed her hands on Destiny's cheeks and kissed her muzzle. Destiny nickered and planted a wet horse kiss on Sasha's right cheek, making Sasha giggled and hugged her golden pinto palomino's muzzle lovingly. Crow joined and nuzzled Sasha's left cheek, blowing a bit on her, ruffling Sasha's shimmery golden hair.
"I'm going to figure this out, for the three of us. I will try to live up to my promise."