The neverending story....

The going, over to the slide area, was covered with loose stones and scree.  Also, as they got closer, it got steeper.  There was a huge rock escarpment that towered over the area that they were making for.  Aparently, the grass and shrubbery that MP had spoken of had come from the top of the escarpment and slid down with a part of the rock that broke away during the storm.

Glimmer was having a lot of trouble keeping her footing on the scree, and MP was scared witless when she fell twice.  He was fearful that she would fall over the steep embankment below them.  It wasn't high enough to kill, but was plenty high enough to seriously wound.

"My admiration grows for you day by day," Glimmer said breathlessly whilst struggling along in the stones and scree.  "How you managed to drag that huge bush through this is beyond my understanding."

"Well..." began MP, a trifle embarrased, yet very proud at the same time, "I am very strong."

Glimmer just caught herself before replying with a tart though well-meant rejoinder.  Her mother had taught Glimmer that the male's ego could be fragile and not to puncture it more than absolutely necessary.  So, she just chuckled to herself about his conceit.

Finally, they reached the slide area.  Glimmer could see where MP had wrested the bush loose from the remainder of the debris.  In time this would stabilize and become a verdant oasis along this barren slope.  For now however, it was an unstable and treacherous trap.

"We need to be careful not to disturb the slide any more than necessary," remarked MP, rather stating the obvious.

"Yes, you're quite right," agreed Glimmer, "all the trouble to get here and I don't really think we'll be able to get all that much to eat."

"Trust me, there's a lot less on the way," cautioned MP, as he moved uphill to the head of the slide area.  "You don't want to get in too close to the Human Settlements, and they are situated right where all the water is too."

So, they carefully picked their way along the slide area and ate as much of the grass as they could safely reach.  Glimmer received a nasty shock when she stepped onto the  debris pile to reach some choice grass when the whole mess began to shudder and move around.  She retreated quickly till it stopped moving.  MP joined her.

"Have you had your fill?"  He asked her, "If so, we should get moving along before the light fades too much.  There won't be a moon tonight and we have a long way to go before there's any safe shelter."

In reply, Glimmer lowered her head and turned away from the grass and the treacherous debris, slipping and sliding along in the scree and loose stones.

MP pushed her rather harder than she would have liked.  He seemed to be desirous of getting somewhere before dark.  Glimmer was so tired before he finally stopped in front of a narrow opening in the towering rocks and cliffs that surrounding them.

"We'll spend the night in here.  The Dog-Man as you call him, won't dare enter here while we are in it," he explained.  "They wander around here in large packs as there's lots of food in the Human Settlements close by."

"The humans are close to here?"  Asked Glimmer in fear, "Then why are we so close?"  She hesitated entering what looked like a cave.  It looked dark, and she didn't trust dark places.

"Yes, they're close," MP admitted, "However, they don't know about this place.  At least these humans don't.  There were obviously humans that did as you will see in the morning."  He then pushed her into the dark opening and followed closely behind.  "It's okay, it's safe, I've been here quite a lot," he reassured her.

The little cave had an opening on one face of the rock opposite from where the entrance was.  Fresh air flowed through it without making the place uncomfortable.  The floor was relatively smooth and sandy, with very few rocks.  Glimmer couldn't see the ceiling in the gloom and settled against the far wall from the entrance.  MP  settled himself in the entrance, facing out to protect her.  Glimmer was touched by his consideration of her safety.  Fatigue got the best of her, however, and she didn't wonder on this long before sleep overwhelmed her and she fell fast asleep.

The next morning she was awakened by a bright light shining in the opening opposite from the entrance.  When she opened her eyes and looked around at the walls of the little cave, she was astonished at the beauty of the cave drawings that covered the walls.  Glimmer even saw...

Glimmer even saw a crude design etched into the wall of animals that resembled herself. She looked closer, and there was what looked like a stick with a cirlce on one end holding a rope that was hung around the animal's neck. She gasped, as she realized what it was. Her eyes followed along the pictures, and soon she discovered one where the person was on the horse, galloping after some unknown creature. The person held a weapon in one hand, and the mane of the horse in the other.
"Morning," MP said, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. "Sorry. Are you alright?"
"Yes, fine. Look at this picture."

"Yes, well... look at the walls around you," MP pointed out, "they're covered with that stuff.  Some of it has... stuff that kinda looks like horses, some of it has other animals."

"Yes, but look at this one," Glimmer insisted, touching the portrait of her likely ancestor, "It looks like they did these... pictures just yesterday."

"They didn't.  These pictures are older than the Humans that live here now, older than the memories of the oldest of horses alive," MP explained.  "In fact, the only reason these look so good is because the humans that currently live here don't know about them.  The pictures seem to offend them or something because these humans will destroy them.  Humans are strange creatures."

"Yes, they're difficult to understand," agreed Glimmer, "yet they're so clever.  Look at all these... pictures.  We couldn't do something like this."

"Yeah, they have different feet than we do," MP mused, "I think it has something to do with that."

"There's food and water close to this cave.  However, we need to be careful.  The humans are thick around here and they'll try to catch us if they see us," he warned.  "Follow me and try to keep out of sight.  With a coat of that colour though, you'll be at a disadvantage.  Try your best though."

MP hesitated a moment before starting out.  "It's too bad there's not a good mud hole around..." he mused.

The last comment irritated Glimmer.  Was she a foal that needed constant watching?  She was pretty grumpy as she followed MP out of the beautiful cave.  This is probably what caused the trouble a few minutes later...

She had managed to avoid humans before.  Did he think she was totally naive?  She gave a long, exasperated sigh as they started out.  She was so preoccupied with her internal grumblings that she didn't pay attention to where she was placing her feet.  The next thing she knew, she had stepped on a slippery area of shale and was skidding down the hillside with her front feet splayed out in front of her, her hind end sticking up, desperately scrabbling to gain some sort of foothold.  Suddenly one of her hooves caught on a stump sticking up through the rocks and her momentum sent her somersaulting headover heels, then onto her side.  The noise was deafening in her ears as a small rockslide clattered down around her.  MP was galloping down the hillside, off the edge of the slide, a panic-stricken look on his face as he followed her downward careen.  As quickly as the slide had started, it ended at the bottom of a ravine, her body slamming into the bottom with the rocks.
 
MP clattered over the slippery rocks to her.  "Are you OK?" he exclaimed. 
 
"I, I, I think so." she said, looking around at her legs, turning pink and red from all the nicks and cuts the sharp rocks had inflicted on them.  She slowly and deliberately pulled her legs under her and stood up, shaking........
 
Suddenly, they heard shouts from below them and looking down, saw two humans on horseback, looking their way and pointing. 
 
"I'm so sorry!" Glimmer gasped, knowing that the noise from the rockslide she had caused, had caught the attention of the humans.
 
"We have to run for it." MP said urgently, spinning around to find the best direction to head.  "Can you gallop?"
 
Glimmer took a deep breath and nodded and with a whirl, they ran toward........

Glimmer took a deep breath and nodded.  With a whirl, they ran back up the steep and gravelly slope to the top of the hill from which Glimmer had fallen.  They looked back and saw that the human's horses were giving them a bit of trouble.

Jack and Evelyn Connor loved riding in the upper foothills surrounding their Colorado home.  They always especially enjoyed this particular path as the wild horses often frequented the area.  It was like some kind of corridor that they passed through each year to the upper pastures in the Spring and the lower prairies in the Fall.  They especially hoped to see a particularly beautiful chocolate coloured stallion that they knew frequented the area this time of year.

As they were riding, enjoying the cool of the morning, Jack and Evelyn were discussing a cave Evelyn knew of with particularly excellent Cave Drawings.  She was describing the unusual colours of some drawings that indicated a more advanced method and style unique to the area.  Evelyn was a paleontologist and specialized in Native American studies.   Suddenly, there was a disturbance to their right in the deeply erroded hillside.  They could see a beautiful silvery-white mare sliding and then tumbling down one of the deeper crevasses in the hillside.  Lo and behold, the Chocolate Stallion was leaping and jumping down the hillside behind her.  Their horses stopped suddenly and also looked at the sight.

"Oh my God, the poor thing," exclaimed Evelyn. "Jack we have to do something," she cried out, attempting to turn her horse, who had suddenly become rather difficult to control.
Jack, on his part had eyes for the magnificent creatures tumbling and leaping down the deeply eroded crevasse and had no eyes for anything else.  Not to mention, his horse seemed to be taking fright at the scene as she was bouncing around, refusing to obey Jack's command to stand still.

"For... The... Love... of... MIKE, Joceyln, will... you... quit!"  He shouted at her in consternation.

When Glimmer started tumbling down the hill the horses carrying the Connors noticed them as well.  In fact, they'd seen the horses come out of the cave long before the Connors noticed them.  A look passed between the two mares as they knew and recognized MP.  He'd visited them during the night a month or so ago (and numerous times before that), and in fact the one Jack called Jocelyn, was carrying MP's firstborn.  When she saw him leaping down after the beautiful silvery mare, Jocelyn passed a covert look at her companion who twitched her ears in agreement and they both started to  misbehave in order to give the two on the hill time to get away, thoroughly enjoying themselves at the same time.  There was no way Jocelyn was going to allow Jack and Evelyn to enslave her beloved.

So, with the horses below as accomplices of their escape, MP and Glimmer vanished safely into the cover of the undulating landscape.

"That was really close," breathed MP in relief.

"I'm sorry," Glimmer replied humbly, "that was all my fault.  I was such a fool and almost got us both caught."

MP chuckled a bit and gave Glimmer a playful nip, to which she gave him a naughty face as they galloped along.

"No fear there!  Jocelyn won't let her owners catch us if she can help it," MP explained laughingly.  "In fact, she's likely still giving them trouble."

"You know those horses?  Who they are," asked Glimmer incredulously?

"Uh..." stammered MP a moment, not quite sure how to deal with the situation.  He rather hoped that Glimmer wasn't the jealous type as he replied, "yeah... I know them both.  Rather well in fact."

Glimmer stopped and MP, who caught by surprise ran past her, then stopped and turned round to face her.

"What do you mean by Rather well, M-P?"  Asked Glimmer with a dangerous edge to her voice.

"Uh... well... that's a bit of a story...  It might take some time to tell," stammered MP.

"Time we have," Glimmer replied through gritted teeth, "you can tell it while we continue on."

Glimmer resumed her course at a ground covering trot.  MP hesitated a moment and then joined her.

Once he caught up to her, MP proceeded to explain his connection to Jocelyn and Sage.

"Well, it was over a year ago that I lost Mother to the lake.  The herd had been recaptured and I was alone.  I began to sneak up to the human dwellings as some had horses out on the fringes" he explained, "This particular one had two mares called Jocelyn and Sage.  Jocelyn's real name was Bright Star, given by her father the night she was born.  However, when she was caught as just a weanling,  they re-named her Jocelyn.  Sage was born in captivity and was named by the humans who owned her mother."

"Don't you know it's rude to use other's names like that?"  asked Glimmer a touch haughtily.

"Well what else am I going to call them," asked MP a touch annoyed, "Her one and Her two?  Do you want to hear this or not?"

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry for interrupting," apologised Glimmer, "go on with your story."

"Well, the lead Mare, Jocelyn, told me that I was foolish and to stay away," went on MP, "But I was so lonely, I came back the next night.  The mare told me that I could, if very careful, visit three other houses in the neighborhood who didn't fence in their yards.  I showed her that I didn't have any trouble with fences, by jumping into her pen without much trouble.  She was impressed and amazed.  I visited her for about two months.   Then the humans must have suspected something as they started leaving lights on and watching the Mares more closely.  I didn't dare visit anymore after that.  By being careful though, and sticking to the brush and chaparral around the property, I was able to say good-bye to the mares."

"So, that's it huh?  Just visited for a few months because you were lonely," asked Glimmer, eyeing him intently.

"Well, yeah," confirmed MP, "wouldn't you be?"

Glimmer sighed deeply.  "Yes I am, as a matter of fact," she admitted, "and taking up with a stranger I'd never have paid attention to a month ago."

MP turned and looked at her in sympathy and affection.  He felt very lucky to have come across her when he did.   Yet he felt a sorrow for her loss as well.  His was a different situation, still the loss was just as complete all the same.

The silence streached on though not uncomfortably.  They both sensed the compassion the other felt for them and thus took comfort in each other's company.  After a short while MP spotted the entrance to a particularly lush canyon not far ahead.  A plan evolved in his head to make points with Glimmer.

It seemed only to take a twinkling for both of the wild horses to vanish from the Connor's sight.  The very Stallion they had hoped to see at that.  Both of the mares they were riding calmed down suspiciously quickly as soon as the strange horses vanished.

"So... your boyfriend has gotten away again," astutely guessed Jack, "has he Jocelyn?"  He chuckled a bit and patted her neck.
 
"You think he was the one visiting at night, Jack," asked Evelyn.  She stood in her stirrups shading her eyes, trying to get one last glimpse of the two beautiful horses.

"You saw the video.  He's the one all right," confirmed Jack.  "That mare with him will produce excellent foals with him, if I'm any judge."

"The mare..." mused Evelyn.  "Jack, I'm going to let you in on a secret.  We're going to visit that cave I told you about.  We'll have to be careful.  I don't want any of the locals to know it's there."

"Why not, Luv," asked Jack curiously.  He gave Jocelyn a squeeze with his legs to get her going after Sage as Evelyn had resumed her path up the hill.

"To prevent vandalism, my dear," she replied sardonically, "You remember what they did to the ones on the west escarpment?"

So they proceeded up the hill and around the brow along the path, which wound the long way around to the beautiful cave.

Glimmer and MP found the going rather easy for quite a while and then began to climb again.  MP was leading as usual, and seemed to know paths that were'nt obvious to Glimmer at all.  In fact, these paths were only known by the wildlife in the area.  There was an entrance into a Canyon just over the brow of the hill they were now climbing...

It was rough work, but Glimmer took her time and picked her way carefully over the treacherous rocks. She didn't want to cause another mishap, getting them in trouble or injured.
 
"This canyon was caused by the 'The River'," MP informed her, as if he were a tourguide. "It dried up not long ago, like it does every year. It'll bounce back up in spring next year after the snow melts."
 
Glimmer just stood there, awestruck. The sides of the canyon reached up to the sky, looking as if they went on forever. The sun shone halfway over one side, causing a shadow to dip through in their path. It teemed with invisible wildlife and it was so vast she was afraid her thoughts would echo.
 
"Glimmer?" MP stopped and looked back as he realized she wasn't following.
 
"It's. . . it's. . .

Words failed her completely.  Glimmer gazed over the beautiful valley enraptured with the beauty.  On the North side of the canyon, it was covered from top to bottom with ferns of every description.  They looked like a great green waterfall that went on as far as the eye could see.  Yet, it was a waterfall arrested, frozen forever in its foamy and boiling majesty.  The valley floor was verdant with trees, shrubs, and grass.  The riverbed, which had dried up, was covered with a deep green blanket of delicious looking grass.  The trees she saw weren#%92t the gnarled oaks or shrubby Mesquite she was used to, no… they were tall, stately and some broader than any trees she had ever seen.  The bole on one ancient old oak was so broad it could have been hollowed out to house her and MP quite comfortably.
 
"I#%92ve never seen such… verdure," the Mare whispered reverently.  "Is it heaven?"
 
"No, not Heaven," replied MP with a gentle chuckle, "for I doubt Heaven would have Mountain Lions."
 
"Mountain Lions," asked Glimmer with a shudder?
 
"Yes, for all the beauty you see in front of you," MP cautioned her, "there is also danger.  Those trees are a perfect place for the Lions to hide.  And they do hide there.  We are not the only grass eaters who love such places.  The Lions know this, as do the Humans."
 
"Humans too?"  Cried Glimmer in dismay.
 
"Yes, Humans too," verified MP with a sigh and a mournful note to his voice, "they come here as well quite often.  They carry their house with them.  It#%92s a strange one.  Not like the settlements below.  This type of house is erected quickly and is very….. flexible."
 
"What do you mean by flexible," asked the Mare in dismay.
 
"Well, the houses down below are very substantial," explained MP, "these houses aren#%92t.  They, the humans that is, will erect a frame of sticks, then they lift a shape of this soft stuff, like they have on their bodies, like a skin.  They lift this up into the frame and then they live inside of it."
 
"Ugh, what kind of skin," asked the Mare with a shudder of revulsion.
 
"It#%92s not an animal skin.  It smells more like some kind of plant," MP explained, "I don#%92t know what type of thing it is, but it wasn#%92t an animal#%92s skin.  That#%92s why I said, ‘like  a skin."
 
"Well, I#%92m starving and that grass looks wonderful," replied Glimmer, "should we wait till dark to have something to eat, or do you think it wise to go out and eat now?"
 
"Better now than night when we can#%92t see them," answered MP.  However he cautioned her, "Just remember to stay away from anything that might shelter a preditor."
 
So the pair of horses cautiously ventured out into the verdure of the beautiful, though dangerous, canyon-valley.

  verdure - definition:
a. The lush greenness of flourishing vegetation. b. Vigorous greenery. 2. A fresh or flourishing condition: the verdure of childhood. ... 
 
[]
 
(she uses the word "verdure" and doesn't know what "flexible" means??)

Back at the cave..... Jack and Evelyn were admiring the cave drawings. 
"See the difference in the colors and styles of these over here?" She pointed with a gloved hand.  "I suspect these are quite a bit younger than the others.  The artist here is much more sophisticated."
 
Jacks arms wrapped around Evelyn as she studied the wall.  He was studying HER.  She slapped his hand playfully.
 
"I'm JUST conserving bodyheat, my wife.  You're SUPPOSED to keep me warm!"
 
The mares listening at the entrance of the cave glanced at each other knowingly.
 
"Where does it say THAT?"  She kissed him over her shoulder and pulled away, wrapping her coat more tightly around herself.  She blew out her breath to see the condensation crystals forming in the still air of the cave.  "It's getting colder, Jack.  I hope those horses find enough food."  She toed thoughtfully through the small piles of fresh manure.  "LOOK!" Evelyn stooped down beside one of the piles.  "This boy is full of parasites!"
 
"Hmmm....."  Jack studied the sight.  "Not sure which is which but either way, ONE of them has worms.  How's the other pile look?"
 
Evelyn went back and examined the first pile more closely.  "Looks clean to me, but you never know.  I hate this weather, Jack.  It's just going to get harder for them.  Maybe we can catch them."
 
Sage and Jocelyn, who had begun to doze, heard this last comment and raised their heads suddenly.  Ears straining to catch details, they huddled closer together to fit better in the entrance of the cave.  Inching forward they wedged themselves as close as possible.
 
Jack looked skeptical but knew better than to discourage his wife when she got that look in her eye.  "We can give it a try, sweetheart, but not until we form a plan.  Let's get back to the house and get some provisions together."  He turned towards the entrance of the cave.  "What in the world, you two??!"
 
Sage and Jocelyne stood wedged in the entrance of the cave.  Heads lowered sheepishly, they hoped their humans could get them out of there.  The saddle rigging seemed snagged but they were trusting and knew not to panic.
 
Evelyn turned and burst out laughing.  "Girls?  Are you trying to stay warm?" The mares bobbed their heads almost imperceptably.  "Or are you eavesdropping?" The mares' heads came up with a start and Evelyn chuckled some more.  "I guess I've got my answer."  She easily unsnagged the stirrups and began backing Sage out of her predicament. "But you girls are going to have to help catch those wild ones.  One of them is sick and they need a warm safe place until spring!"  She swung up in the saddle as Jack led Jocelyn to the clearing, smiling at the words of his wife.
 
"You act as if they understand you, Ev.  When will you learn they're just dumb animals?"  As he swung up, Jocelyn took a quick step forward, throwing him back in the saddle.  She then backed up two steps, nearly sitting down and Jack's seat slid forward, knocking him into the saddle horn.  "AAGGH!  Ouch...."  Jack groaned as Evelyn turned Sage away before she laughed out loud. 
 
"Uh-huh.  That'll teach you...." she said under her breath. 
 
"WHAT?" Jack trotted down the trail to catch up to the fast retreating pair.
 
"I was talking to the horses!" Evelyn called over her shoulder.  "I was just asking 'Who's with me girls?' "  She smiled back at Jack.  "Are you okay, my darling?"
 
"YES" Jack answered resentfully. "But I'm calling the glue factory as soon as we get home."  He winced as Jocelyn did a crow hop in response.
 
 

[quote=hunterseat]

  verdure - definition:
a. The lush greenness of flourishing vegetation. b. Vigorous greenery. 2. A fresh or flourishing condition: the verdure of childhood. ... 

[]

(she uses the word "verdure" and doesn't know what "flexible" means??)


Not so much not understanding the meaning of the word as much as the context.  Remember, they are  horses after all.  Everything not understood is Equi-viverous.

Oh by the by, you read my mind on the Connors and the cave!  That's exactly where I was going to go next!  LOVED Jocelyn's reaction to Jack's comments (LOL)!

"Darling, what did you mean that some of the Cave Drawings were more recent," Jack asked Evelyn?

"Well... Take the white horse painted on the wall, for instance," She responded, "the colours are a bit brighter and have an irridescence to them.  Also, the story told is a bit more elaborate than the earlier ones.  Most of the earlier drawings in there are just records of hunts, meetings, and events.  That one, however, is a prophecy."

"Prophecy!  Of what," Jack asked?

"Well, I need to study it a bit closer," Evelyn evaded, "However it has something to do with a rebirth of some kind."

Right about then they had rounded the bluff and started to descend to the lower valley.  The road they turned onto here was wide and had been well maintained.  As they started down the road they heard the characteristic rattle of a horse-drawn vehicle behind them.  Evelyn had her hands full as Sage was upset by the sound and was cringing against Jocelyn.

"What is  your problem," Jocelyn asked Sage in irritation?
"That monster horse-eater thing is coming," Sage whined.
"Don't be stupid," Jocelyn chided her, giving Sage a nip, "you've seen that silly wheeled saddle numerous times.  It hasn't hurt Peggy or Peginne, who always draw it and certainly never hurt you!"  She aimed a little cow-kick at Sage.

"Oh, crap, here comes Bob with that damned Phaeton of his," exclaimed Evelyn, "Sage is always so silly about the thing."
"Yeah, but it is nice to see," countered Jack.  "I wish we could teach our horses to drive, sometimes."
About this time Bob and his Lady friend Rochelle, pulled up with their rig.  They stopped at a discreet distance knowing about Sage's fear of the turnout.

"Hey Evelyn, Jack, nice to see you," Bob greeted them, "Did you see the two wild horses today?  Nice looking pair, ya-bet-cha."

"Do you mind holding the girls still for a few minutes Bob," requested Evelyn, "I'd like to try getting Sage a bit closer this time."

"Let me take Jocelyn over there first," suggested Jack, squeezing Jocelyn and urging her towards the Carriage.

Jocelyn turned to Sage, who was as usual having a fit.  "Quit acting like an idiot Sage," she chided her.  "See, it doesn't hurt me and won't hurt you!"

Sage was trembling and sweating profusely.

"It has the mouth up again, it has the mouth up again," she whined piteously.

Jocelyn turned back to her at this comment, laid back her ears and bared her teeth a little to show her disgust at Sage's cowardly behaviour.
"Oh get over here and quit beahving like a silly foal!"  She chided her.

Sage took a few cautious steps closer.  Peginne wickered softly to her, "It's okay darling.  We're all right, there's nothing whatever to be afraid of," she encouraged her gently.
"Oh Peginne, you're such a Brood Mare!  Don't mollycoddle her," Jocelyn remarked testily.
"Patience is a virtue, Jocelyn," Peginne gently chided Jocelyn.

Jocelyn replied with a sardonic snort.  In the meantime Sage had very carefully sidled up to the carriage and it's horses.  She sniffed noses with Peginne and Peggy who both gave her an affectionate buss on the nose.  Then she relaxed for the first time. 

"Well I declare," she remarked, just a bit embarrassed, "Aren't I the fool?"
"It's all right darling," Peginne reassured her, "better safe than sorry."

In the meantime the humans had been watching this exchange (of course not understanding the conversation going on), and were very encouraged by Sage's finally relaxing.

"I swear Bob," Evelyn declaired, "Your Peginne is a miracle worker!"

"She is a good school Mare, you bet-cha," Bob agreed, "a most invaluable horse.  Saves me a lot o' runnin' around with greenies, ya-know."

Evelyn laughed and was greatly relieved as Sage seemed to completely relax now.  In fact, the mare seemed to be feeling just a bit sheepish.

"Well, if it's a good time, I think we'll be movin' along," remarked Bob, "Lots to do today."  He tipped his hat at Evelyn and Jack, "Great ta see you out on da girls."

Jack and Evelyn moved the mares off and Bob clucked to his girls to move on.  Peginne called out a good-by to her friends as they moved off.

"I told you it wouldn't hurt you," Jocelyn remarked.
"Yes, well... you're usually right," admitted Sage.
"Age and experiance, Love," Jocelyn replied as the Connors urged them on, "will always serve.  Sometimes it's best to listen to good counsul."
Sage hung her head in embarrassed reply.

"I don't know if today is a good one to go looking for those horses, my love," Jack remarked to Evelyn, "The weather looks like it might get bad again."

"Chicken," chided Evelyn playfully.

"That's right, and don't you forget it," rejoindered Jack, laughing.

The Connors then picked up their horse's pace to a trot and headed back to their home.  Evelyn however, had not lost any determination to trap the mare and stallion in order to treat them.  Jack, for his part, would rathered have just left them alone.

Meanwhile back at the Canyon-valley...
 

Meanwhile back at Canyon-Valley the pair of horses continued on quickly, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the people. Glimmer was tired and hungry, but she was stubborn. She was not about to complain and stop before MP did. All she had to do was hope that her stomach didn't give her away. . .
 

As she struggled to keep up with MP, she couldn't help but notice the ripple of muscle just beneath the surface of his chocolate colored form.  His neck was massive and arched.  His flaxen mane flowed about his head like a halo.  And there was a noise... was it the music of cicadas?  It was a buzzing and it seemed to be growing louder. 
 
"MP?" Glimmer's voice was strangely weak as she watched MP moving further away.  She stopped and squinted as his image grew fuzzy right before her eyes.  Suddenly she was very sleepy.  The crisp air felt good and snow had begun to fall.  Her eyes closed and she lay down heavily.  "I'm just going to take a quick nap." She had barely gotten the words out when she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
 
MP felt her lay down.  The earth gave a tremor that was easily felt by prey animals within a quarter mile.  He looked back in alarm and didn't see Glimmer.  He froze, head up and nostrils flared.  His ears swivelled quickly and caught the sound of labored breathing in the direction he just came.  Retracing his steps he found her several yards back. "Glimmer!"  He ran to her and nuzzled her neck but to no avail.  He was alarmed at the sight of her rib cage rising and falling.  "Why didn't I see how thin you've become?"  He gave a terrified whinny that echoed through the hills.  He didn't want to lose her.

He didn#%92t want to lose her… but what to do?  She obviously needed water and food.  Still, how to get it to her?  MP stood over her, swaying side to side, brushing her face with his mane and forelock to keep the flies off.  Then an idea lit up his mind like a beacon in the dark.
 
MP cantered pell-mell down the slope to the base of the valley.  There was a spot where the River went over a small outcropping of rock, making a waterfall in the spring.  Under it was a large muddy area.  MP began to dig feverishly at  the mud and walking in a tight circle as he did so.  Before long, water began to well up from the saturated ground underneath.  Soon, MP was able to take a large mouthful and started back up to Glimmer with it.
 
The going up the hill was not easy with a mouthful of water.  MP had a hard time of it as he had to keep his head down to keep from swallowing it.    When he got to the Mare, he carefully worked his lips around her slack mouth as best he could and released the water.  It flowed out in a rush all over Glimmer#%92s face.  This succeeded in rousing her.
 
“Wha, what happened, what are you doing?”  She asked seeing MP#%92s dripping muzzle.
 
“You passed out and I had to bring you water,” MP explained.  “Can you get up?  The water isn#%92t far.”
 
Glimmer struggled weakly for a minute or so. 
“I don#%92t think I can.  If I could just rest a few minutes…” she answered drowsily. 
 
“Okay, you rest here and I#%92ll go get you another mouthful of water, okay?”  MP suggested.  He was getting more alarmed by the minute.
 
Glimmer didn#%92t reply and just lowered her head in fatigue.  MP caromed down the hill again toward the water hole.  When he got there, MP found that the water had seeped back into the ground again.  He did more digging and pacing around and the water once again welled up.  Taking another mouthful (the sand was nasty in his mouth too) he made his way laboriously back up the hill.  When he arrived at Glimmer#%92s location, MP was relieved to see she was still conscious.  He approached her and placed his muzzle against hers.  Glimmer caught on quickly to what he was doing and pushed hers against his just opening the centre of her lips to admit the life-giving water.  Quite a bit spilled, however she still got a small mouthful. 
 
MP made the trip twice more before she was finally able to get up.  By this time, the sun had travelled across the sky and was setting behind the canyon walls, throwing all into shadow.  The horses went down to the mudhole and MP did his dance for Glimmer one more time.  This time they both were able to get a drink.  The water wasn#%92t very nice, still it was better than nothing.
 
MP decided they would be better climbing higher up the canyon and they retraced their steps a little in order to go round the rocky, slimy, waterfall.  On the other side was a broad grassy meadow.  They ate their fill as it began to get dark.  MP found a place against the eastern cliff-face that would shelter them from the night chill and prevent any predators attacking from above.  Then the two horses bedded down for the night.
 
“Gosh, I hope the lake valley isn#%92t too much farther…” Glimmer murmured as she drifted off to a normal, though exhausted, sleep.
 
MP was concerned as it was indeed much further before they would reach the valley.  In fact, they would have to pass close to two large human settlements and cross several large roads.  It was the roads that worried him the most.  There were these huge beasts that roared along the roads and some of them were truly enormous.  The biggest problem was seeing them in time and judging how far away they were.  They just moved so fast it was almost impossible to do so.  Finally he decided it wouldn#%92t do him any good to worry about something he couldn#%92t do anything about tonight and MP finally drifted off to a very light sleep.  He and to stay at least minimally alert as the Canyon Valley was not entirely safe, so every little noise would rouse him a bit. The night passed slowly, but safely.
 
The next morning, MP explained that they would have to make their way up the Canyon to a point several miles away.  In that place was an ancient path that climbed the cliff-face on the opposite side.  It would make their trip much shorter to take this path.  So, they took their time in the canyon, provisioning themselves as they went.  Glimmer and MP didn#%92t have very far to go and normally would have been able to cover the distance in an hour or two.  However, they were both hungry and needed to rebuild their strength.  So, they took their time and grazed to their heart#%92s content.
 
Two days after entering the Canyon, Glimmer and MP arrived at the ancient path that climbed the cliff face.  Glimmer was reticent to go up as there was a large human settlement built into the cliff and overlooking the valley.  It wasn#%92t until MP had thoroughly convinced her that it was safe before she would consent to take the path.  However, MP assured her that the settlement had been abandoned for longer than the longest memory of horses.  So, they climbed the ancient Anasazai path to the top of the cliff without incident.
 
Upon reaching the plateau above, Glimmer was dismayed to see it dry as the area previous to the Canyon.  She looked back into the Canyon Valley wistfully missing the lovely grass that grew there.
 
“We need to get a move-on here as the next water won#%92t be for another day or so,” MP informed her briskly.  “Hopefully the water hole won#%92t be dried up or crowded with humans again.”
 
They broke into a ground covering trot.
 
“The humans like the water holes here too?” she queried whilst casting her eyes about for anything eatable.
 
“Yes, and there lies our greatest danger.  They will lie in wait for us and capture us if they can,” he warned her, “So we must be doubly cautious when approaching the water.  I think we should do so tomorrow night.”
 
They made good time across the Plano, and reached the other side by dusk of the first day.  The horses picked their way down the slope on the other side and up the opposite side to a lower plain.  MP was all for travelling all night, however Glimmer was still feeling the effects of her collapse.  So, they found a place where the now dry grass was tall and soft, bedding down for the night.
 
The next morning they continued across the plain slowly travelling down hill.  At last, Glimmer could smell the water in the early afternoon.  MP however, insisted on hiding out about a mile away till dusk.
 
Back at the Connor#%92s house Evelyn was planning her safari to capture the two wild horses.  She figured that they would be heading toward the river canyon and wanted to catch them before they climbed the cliffs on the opposite side adjacent to the ancient Anasazai Cliff Dwellings.  One problem after another seemed to plague her however.  First thing next morning, Jocelyn broke the pipe to her water bowl.  How she did it was a mystery to Jack and Evelyn.  All the same, it had to be fixed right away.  So, that took a few hours and by the time it was completed, the day was too far gone to do much of anything.  The next day they found that Sage had a huge (though not deep, thankfully) cut on her left flank.  It went from the hock half way up her left side.  That had to be doctored, and Evelyn wasn#%92t comfortable taking her out till it had a day or so to heal.  Thus Glimmer and MP were well on their way to the water hole before the Connors even started out.   

"Water! Glorious water!" Glimmer danced around excitedly like a week old filly. MP lead her right to it, laughing at her enthusiasm. She drank in huge gulps, dipping her entire head into the hole. He let her finish before following suit, paying a little more attention to his manners.