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Ian's eyes slowly fluttered open as light filtered into the room and onto his face. A wry smile cracked his dry lips at the remembered dream that filtered through his foggy mind. His body was suddenly lifted up a bit when the bed he was laying on took a breath. It took several moments for the human boy to realize that the events of the previous day had been much more than a dream. His nostrils flared and took in the strong scent of horse as well as other odors: dust, tanned leather, wood, and the ashes of a long burned out fire. He kept his eyes closed, allowing his thoughts to dominate his world for a little longer before waking up to begin this new day of his new life. As the beginnings of consciousness settled in little by little, the memories churned in the boy's head.

His old life came to mind first thing. Thoughts of his father Edgar, and his mother Emily. He wondered momentarily if they would miss him, or would worry for him. He knew his mother would. She was probably already crying this morning when she realized her youngest boy had not slept in his bed at all the night before. She was the only one in the family who seemed to give a damn about Ian. The others all appeared to wish he was gone most of the time. Most of the time, Ian wished the same.

The male's probing thoughts turned to a darker subject then. To that of the other members of his family. His father Edgar and his four brothers: Seth, Bill, Calvin, and George. The five men who made most of his waking hours a living hell. Edgar never let a day go by that he wasn't disparaging his youngest progeny about how useless and weak he was. His famous sayings of "Power is life!" and "Mercy is for the weak" ever drilled into the young boy's mind. Ian didn't feel weak, but his brothers sure made him seem like it. He couldn't keep up with them in anything. Not the chores, not in games, not when eating, and certainly not when fighting. However, Ian knew that he had his own power, and it was his mind. When Ian set his mind to something, there wasn't a soul on the planet that could stop him from achieving it. Perhaps that was why he was in the teepee now with Runner. He had decided that he was going to capture an Indian, and prove to his annoying brothers and his arrogant father that he was worth far more than they could imagine. It just happened to be a funny coincidence that he was now the one captured by an Indian, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Other people he left behind came to mind next. He missed his best friend Samson, the anthro cat. Samson had no idea that Ian had even left the other morning. The poor feline would probably go plum crazy when he learned that the human was missing. That thought alone made Ian feel a bit guilty. He had no mind to hurt Samson's feelings. The cat deserved better than to think his friend was dead in the desert somewhere. A second later the human's mind focused on one detail that he normally would never have missed. His horse Knickers was probably still lost in the desert. When the boy had been carried off by Stronghooves, Knickers had run away as fast as his four legs could carry him. Ian almost whimpered at the thought of the poor feral horse lost without water. He prayed a moment that his trusted steed would find his way to shelter and be well taken care of.

Before his mind could wander any further, Ian's body was jostled as Runner started to wake from his own deep slumber. A low snort and a long whinnying yawn exited the young stallion's muzzle a moment before his eyes settled on his human prize. Ian still couldn't believe his fortune. The Indian nation had not been treated well by humans since they had encountered each other many years ago. Runner least of all. The brave's mother had been slain in a skirmish with "the white man" awhile back. Yet somehow, after all the torment he and his people had received, Runner had still asked for a human male to keep as a birthday present. Their eyes met as Runner's senses came back to him, and Ian finally opened his own to greet the morning. Those large soft lips moved down Ian's face, rubbing softly, until their lips met in a short but passionate kiss.

"Good morning my pet" the stallion murmured with a soft nuzzle of his lips against Ian's head. "Did you sleep well?"

"Oh yes, better than I have in quite a long time" his faithful pet responded, not a hint of falsehood in his statement.

"I am so glad to hear it" Runner stated before planting his lips against the human's own again, a little more fire in the kiss this time, leaving Ian wanting for breath.

The equine teen shifted slightly underneath Ian's body, and for a moment the human was able to feel that his new master was awake in more ways that one. The long probing head of an erect horse cock was pressing against his thigh. Just the idea of it alone made Ian shudder and release a ragged sigh. "Before we begin our journey for today, my human, we will first need to sate my urges. As a warrior, I will have many such urges that you will take care of for me."

While these words might have frightened most other people, Ian felt giddy with excitement. He would allow Runner to take him whenever or wherever, or however the horse wanted, day or night. The boy climbed off his master and knelt down on the cushion of the skins used for a bed, spread his legs, and pressed his chest to the floor. The move was almost practiced, and Runner certainly took a moment to admire the view of his sexy human pet presented before him. However, the stallion's mane shook as he changed his mind on what to do. "No no, lay on your back. I want to look at your beautiful face when I mount you."

A blush crossed Ian's face for a split second, but the human would not disobey his master and lover. He flipped his body over and lay on his back on the furs, his legs still spread, his own member revealed, throbbing and pulsing with his heart beat. "Like this?" he asked teasingly.

He received an odd growl of lust in response as Runner practically lunged at him, laying his body between the boy's legs. Ian wrapped his ankles around his owner's back and locked them together, holding the horse snugly against his own body. The need was on Runner quickly, so the equine spat onto his hand and used his saliva to moisten his cockhead and the first few inches of his shaft. He did it again, and used the next batch to rub against Ian's tight puckered hole. The movement made the human gasp and moan. He wiggled his hips against the fingers that probed against his rump, teasing his master as best he knew how.

It seemed to work, desire flashing in the equine's eyes. He took his hard shaft in his wet hand and placed the tip of his engorged flesh against the raw pink skin of his pet's ass. Runner pushed forward gently but forcefully, unable to prolong his need any longer. The head of his cock was already starting to flare a bit, so he needed to hurry lest he hurt his prize, and that was a thought so far from his mind. Ian grit his teeth together as he felt his body start to spread open for his lover, tingles of excitement danced electric along his spine. Runner pushed, Ian relaxed, and with a soft pop the thick horseflesh slid into the human, both males' ragged gasps escaping into the atmosphere. The hard part was over. The horse anthro slowly worked his cock back and forth inside the tight passage, his tip leaking pre more and more as the friction increased, driving his pleasure up with each shallow thrust. His natural lubricant took over for the saliva, Ian's passage coated in thick pre which made each pass more bearable for both of them. Inch after inch of the long cock passed into and out of the young human, each push a little deeper than the one before. Ian knew that the medial ring was coming, so he braced himself and relaxed as much as possible until that too popped inside his well-used rump.

Ian's ass was off the bed by now, the power of Runner's thrusts lifting him off the rough hair of the pelts he had been laid on. The human realized that his eyes had been closed the entire time since he felt the tip push against him. He opened them to see the tense face of his lover in the midst of his rutting. The boy watched as beads of perspiration formed on the stallion's neck and chest and clung to him in the morning heat, his whole body starting to glisten with his exertion. The scent in the room got palpably stronger as the tension was worked up. Runner let his instincts do most of the work, the desire to breed strong on his mind. At his deepest, he was still only able to push about two-thirds of his cock into Ian's body, but it was enough. The pleasure he felt was barely describable. He whinnied and nickered in the early morning air, his moans mixing with that of his new pet as Ian's body was stroked by the invading shaft.

Ian could feel that his body was giving in to the pressure of being so thoroughly rutted. He was not going to last much longer, and he wanted that moment of ecstatic agony that came with a thunderous orgasm. Runner's thrusting grew more erratic, more impatient as the young stallion got closer to his own release. He bucked and neighed, forcing his cock into his small pet, his tip flaring somewhere deep inside the tight passage that was all his. The Indian brave raised his head to the sky and howled out his domination and pleasure, launching forward hard to plant his seed as deep as possible. Jets of his potent equine semen erupted from his member, splashing against the inner walls of his pet. Ian groaned from the pain of the sudden hard thrust, but moaned loudly afterward at the pleasurable sensation of being filled yet again. He watched his owner's body flex and convulse in the heavy moment of climax, his own not far behind.

Runner reached down and gripped Ian's smooth cock in his strong hand and stroked at a pace not unlike his rutting had been. Within moments, Ian screamed out his pleasure and released his much less substantial load onto the horse's hand, coating it in white. Both males collapsed as their muscles relaxed, Runner taking the time to lick his hand clean of every drop of his gorgeous young pet's seed. He took that gift and kissed Ian hard, letting the human taste a bit of the seed he had spilled before greedily swallowing the rest down. Both were sweating, both breathing particularly hard, great puffs of air buffeting the human from the snout of his master as Runner lay regaining his strength after the ordeal.

The two young males were cuddling and kissing after wiping up their mess when Stronghooves walked in carrying two bowls of steaming porridge. The older horse sniffed at the air a bit and huffed through his nose. "I figured you two would be at that already this morning, so I decided to bring you some food. Thought you might be a bit hungry after your night last night." A grin spread across his muzzle after he set down the bowls nearby. "Remember my son, you have to be ready for the ceremony today, so make sure you are all set before you leave." With that, the Indian chief left his son's tent. Ian looked to his owner quizzically.

"What ceremony is he talking about?" The human traced figures in the strong stallion's chest fur while looking up at Runner.

"Since I am of the age to be called a stallion, I have to head out into the wilderness for three moons, surviving off the land and living alone. Once I come back, I will be a stallion and allowed to join in the tribal activities. It is my journey into manhood." Runner looked down and saw the look on Ian's face. "What is it my pet? What has you so distraught?"

"Does that mean that I have to stay here while you are gone for so long? I don't know how comfortable I am with that. Plus, I would worry about you if you were out in the desert all alone. You could get hurt or killed. There are plenty of dangers out there for a young stallion like you. What if someone comes out into the desert to kill an Indian and runs into you?" His face fell farther and farther while his mind raced through all the terrible possibilities. He felt a finger under his chin pulling his face up to look at his master.

"Fret not my pet. I am a capable warrior. I will have an axe and my bow with me to defend and feed myself. Plus, though no other warriors are allowed to come with me, that doesn't mean that I'm not allowed to take my pet. I don't think the tribe would have it any other way. A brave needs his companion after all. You will be very helpful out in the wilds." He hugged and kissed his newly acquired human pet, nuzzling against his soft smooth skin before he mentioned that they should eat and start getting packed up.

"That's great. I'll be a big help. I can skin and clean the animals you hunt. I can cook for you, and maybe even do some of the hunting." With that last part, Runner's face went a bit cross.

"No hunting for you my pet. As your owner it is my duty to provide for you, even as you provide me with things that I need." He saw the look of sadness on his human's face. "What is it?"

"I just don't ever want to be as useless as I felt at home."

"You will never be useless in my eyes. There is plenty that you will do with and for me, just not the hunting. I have that covered as is required by my people."

Ian took the two bowls of porridge and gave one to his master, sitting down to eat it thoughtfully. He let his mind wander as he ate the bland breakfast, but was happy to have it. The silence went on for many minutes while the young males ate. Suddenly though, a thought dawned on Ian and he gasped loudly, causing Runner's ears to perk and the horse to look at his pet.

"I'm sorry Runner, but I just realized something. When your father found me in the desert and took me captive, I was with my pet horse Knickers. He means the world to me. I hate to think that he is lost in the desert scared that something bad has happened. He wouldn't know how to get back home so easily." The worry on his face made Runner worried too, though there was something else showing on the anthro's face.

"What is your relationship with this horse, Knickers, was it?" the young brave inquired, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

Ian had to stop himself from laughing a bit. "Try not to worry there Runner. You are the only stallion my heart belongs to. Knickers is my pet, and not an anthro horse, just a regular one. He was one of only two individuals that really ever cared about me. When we leave, do you think we can search for him and maybe bring him back to my other friend Samson so he will be well cared for? It would mean a lot to me. I could say goodbye to both of them, let them know that I was okay and would always be, and then spend the rest of my life with you, my owner and lover." The human was practically bouncing on his heels in anticipation. Runner thought for a moment and nodded.

"Of course we can. What I do while out in the wilderness does not matter, so long as I survive during the trial and come back alive. We most certainly can make sure your horse is found and taken care of."

Ian jumped at his master and wrapped his arms around the horse's thick neck, planting a kiss directly on Runner's muzzle. The anthro chuckled and smiled, rubbing his hands over the human's back. "Anything at all for you, my pet. I want you to feel happy and safe, and definitely don't want you to regret staying with me."

"Runner... master... I love you." The words came so easily to Ian's mouth, but still put a look of shock onto the horse's face. A single tear fell from Runner's eye and ran down his long snout. He embraced his pet and kissed him strongly and passionately, letting all his feelings and emotions release into the hug so that Ian could feel them too. He broke the kiss, but did not let go. "I love you too pet. When we leave here today for our journey, here is what we will do..."

Three Hours Prior

The horse ran as fast as he could, heading back towards town, towards home. He was panting heavily, froth starting to form on the corners of his muzzle, sweat covering his tan hide. He had been running for hours. He had spent the last day and half frantically searching for his master. They had been attacked, and after it was over, his beloved human master had been gone, taken by their attacker. The stallion had no idea where they went, but he followed the trail of hoof-prints as far as he could. The desert winds had wiped them away eventually, leaving no sign of where Ian had gone. The only thing Knickers knew for certain was the direction back home, and so he had set off, stopping when he could for water, but not having slept since the attack.

Knickers knew that Samson could help. The cougar was smart, and Ian's best friend in the whole town. Surely he would want to find the human and bring him back. And so he ran, and ran hard. Most horses would have given up from exhaustion, but Knickers knew that the longer his master was gone, the harder it would be to find him. So he kept going, pushing his way back toward the town he had left from several days ago. The sun was barely staring to come up when the town appeared on the horizon. The horse whinnied with joy at the sight, breaking into a faster gallop to try and get the rest of the way as swiftly as he could. It was just morning by the time he reached Samson's house.

Inside, the cougar was still sleeping. His naked frame lying on top of the covers to keep cool in the hot desert nights. His fur had a light sheen of sweat from the stifling evenings, most of it matted down from all the tossing and turning. The young feline slowly started to stir, a deep haze still settled over his mind. An idle paw wandered down his own chest, scratching lightly as it went. The young cat usually awoke this way, but this morning, he was waking up feeling a bit different. The teen's paw kept sliding down his body, using his sharp claws to scratch through his fur, eliciting soft purrs and rumbles along the way. His fingers bumped against his shaft, already out of his sheath and throbbing against his belly.

Samson kept his eyes closed and wrapped one of his paws tightly around his aching member, a heavy gasp escaping his lips. He rhythmically squeezed all up and down his length with his paw, groaning out lightly from the sensations. His rough and leathery paw pads felt hot against the skin of his penis. The cat mrowred as he started to stroke over his cock, groaning and arching his back. He was always happy with the fact that anthros seemed to feel the pleasure of sex better than humans. It made stroking himself so much more enjoyable. As the feline kept stroking, his thoughts moved to one of the only humans he was really friends with. Ian came up in Samson's mind, and for a second, his paw stopped. A moment later though, it kept going, sliding over his cock, pre oozing down the length.

The cougar was greatly worried about his friend, but he couldn't help but imagine the human happy and free of his family now in some way. The image of the boy smiling and laughing made Samson's cock twitch all the more. The cat was beating his meat feverishly now, pumping from tip to base fast and hard. The vision of Ian in his mid changed somewhat, the boy not wearing any clothes. Samson and Ian had gone swimming enough for the cougar to get a nice clear vision of what his best friend looked liked naked. They have even once talked about their bodies with each other. It was something that Samson thought of often when he had his paw around his stick. He mewed out a bit, eyes still closed in the blissfulness between waking and sleeping. In his mind, the feline saw himself touching his friend, kissing him gently and timidly, afraid of the human's reaction. Before the scene could play out any further, a low deep moan echoed through his room and he sprayed his seed all across his belly and chest. Several long ropes squirted almost all the way up to his chin. The cat lay panting and moaning, fully ready to fall into the joy of a post-orgasm sleep when he thought he heard a noise.

The exhausted horse moved to Samson's window and thumped his head against it a few times, neighing as loudly as his thirst would allow to get the feline's attention. The cougar's eyes popped open at the repeated banging, realization of the noise dawning on him after several groggy moments. The cat hefted himself up from bed, stretching as cats often do and scratching his sharp claws over his chest and rump. The banging on his window continued non-stop. Samson growled deeply in his chest as he threw open the shutters. He was instantly surprised to see a frothing Knickers standing there, looking like he was about to fall over. The mountain lion grabbed his pants and put them on as fast as he could, having to stuff his remaining morning hardon down with some difficulty, before he booked outside shirtless to find out what the commotion was about. He figured he would see Ian out there with some news on why he had been gone so long.

However, when Samson made it outside and looked around, there was only Knickers, whom had made his way over to a trough of water to finally sate his thirst. Samson approached the horse cautiously, though Knickers barely acknowledged him while drinking his fill. The cat had grabbed a towel on his way out and began to wipe the feral horse down gently to get the sweat and froth off. He knew that when a horse was frothing, it could be dangerous to their health. Usually, they only did that when a rider had pushed them farther than they should go, but it appeared as if Knickers had done this to himself, trying to get home as fast as possible. "You seem to be in a big hurry there Knickers. I wish you could tell me what was going on. Let's get you cleaned up a bit and take you back home. Is Ian there I wonder?"

Samson led Knickers into his barn where he gave him even more fresh water and started to clean the horse up some. There was a lot of dirt and sand caught in his fur and mane, but Samson gently cleaned it all out until Knickers was shining and clean. He fed the horse so oats and grain, which he ate almost greedily. He hadn't had anything to munch on but desert grasses when he could find them, so he was quite starved. "I don't think you would have come to me if Ian were at home. He must be lost out there somewhere, or dead. We should get you to Ian's family and let them know that you are back and that Ian is not. They would want to know I think."

Knickers moved his muzzle to nuzzle Samson when he heard this. He didn't really understand everything human's and anthros said, but it seemed like Samson wanted to find Ian, so he was happy. The cat mounted up and headed the horse in the direction of the Wright residence with some haste, though he didn't want to push Knickers too hard.

By the time he reached the Wright's house, the morning chores had already begun. Most of the men were already out taking care of the farm and the animals. Ian's mother was on the porch, breaking some green beans into a bowl. Edgar was apparently around the side of the house chopping wood. Emily was the first to notice Samson's approach. She had tears in her eyes and sorrowful look on her face. The blonde-haired woman looked up from her work and saw the cat riding Knickers. Samson could tell that she had been crying for awhile. Her eyes were red and puffy, and a look of sadness had been permanently pressed on her features. Though she looked pained, the cougar was glad that it was Emily that had noticed him first. Other than Ian, the human woman was the only one of the Wright clan that had treated him with any respect. The others had never cared for the two-legged walking, talking cat and never hid those feelings. Emily had always thought of Samson as a good friend to their son, and never acted like others did because he was an anthro. The cougar removed his hat after he dismounted Knickers, holding it in one paw and the reins in the other as he approached the house.

"Mornin' Miss Emily. I'm sorry to bother you this morning, but I have some news about Ian, I think." He tied the horse up to the porch and approached the human woman with his eyes down, trying to be as respectful as possible. "I think he headed out into the desert for something, but I don't know what. Knickers here came to get me. He was all tuckered out and filthy. But I cleaned him up for you and brought him home." He finally looked up to see Emily's stunned face.

Emily's heart rose hearing that there could be word about her baby boy. "Edgar's around back chopping wood. Go on and tell him what you know and that I said to bring my boy home. You are a good boy Samson. Thank you!" She sounded so excited. Samson worried that the news he had would break her heart. She didn't even seem to notice that Samson had come riding Knickers.

Samson did as he was bid, leaving Knickers tied up in the front of the house while he went to find Edgar around back. The four other boys were there too, occupied with various activities. Seth was sharpening his knife on the back porch, Bill was off in a field shooting at cans he had propped up with his six-shooter, Calvin seemed to be resting under the shade of a tree with his hat over his face, and the last one, George, was tossing horseshoes. Not a one seemed to be upset at all that Ian was missing. This thought pissed Samson off to no end. How could they just not care at all that Ian had been gone for so long without a word? He took a deep breath and approached Edgar.

Edgar Wright was a short, middle-aged balding man with grey hair and a matching mustache. What little physical prowess the aging human had had was long gone. It was a wonder to Samson how he could even lift that axe over and over again to chop wood. As the cougar approached, all five men stopped what they were doing and glared at them. The ones with their weapons made sure that the mountain lion saw them holding them. They wouldn't threaten him directly, but Samson certainly knew that none of them were happy to see him. He kept his eyes on each and every one of them, making sure not to linger on any too long. This particular band of humans was not to be trusted.

"What do you want, cat?" Edgar spat, leaning on his axe handle, the head on the ground. Samson never liked being called simply 'cat', but he was used to it from these people.

"I have news of Ian sir. He has been gone for over two days. I think he has been lost in the badlands, possibly inside Indian territory. He could have been captured or killed. You need to go out there and find him. No one in town will listen to me."

"Why would I go looking for him?" The man spat again, the spittle landing only a foot away from Samson's feet. "I don't see any reason to waste my time looking for another mouth to feed. As far as I'm concerned, the kid is dead, and better off that way."

"I can't believe you don't feel more than that. I have been worried sick since he disappeared the other day. I'm surprised you even noticed. Your wife is sitting on the porch, completely distraught. But when I told her that I thought I knew what had happened to Ian, she got so excited. You don't have to listen to me, but Miss Emily says you have to get out there and find him. You have to bring him home." Samson's paws were balled into fists. He tried his best to hide his anger. These people really made him mad, especially since it was Ian who was missing. If one of the other boys were gone, Edgar would have rallied the whole town to come him.

Edgar only sniggered. "That poor fool, always had the sense God gave a turnip. He was always too stupid and weak to leave home on his own. Probably got exactly what he deserved. This country is built only for the strong. Hard men are needed to tame this land. Those who can't handle it don't deserve to be here. Ian was weak. He couldn't do anything that was needed to stay alive. I let his mother coddle him for far too long. Those who can't keep up need to be left behind. It's good that he went off on his own and died, saves us all some food. He was a waste of space. Good riddance to bad rubbish. I can't even believe he came from me. Sometimes I think he might not have."

Samson listened to the whole speech, his paws balled into fists and a snarl on his lips. He waited for the human to stop talking before he turned around and stormed off. As he walked away, he heard Edgar shout. "If you see his horse Knickers, make sure you send him home. I might have wasted a good horse on that son of mine, but I'll be damned if I will lose the horse too! And don't you think I don't know what you feel about my boy. You never were able to hide it, never! But none of my family would ever take in with a cat, especially a boy cat. Now get out of here, and don't let me see you round here again!"

The cougar ran back to the front of the house and jumped on Knickers, heading right towards his house. He was glad that he didn't let Edgar know about Knickers, especially after the old man began spouting off about his views. Samson kicked his boots into Knickers side to make him go a bit faster, wanting to get away from that house as quickly as he could. He knew that Ian wouldn't want Knickers to stay there, so he stole him. He felt bad about it, sort of, but he didn't want the horse stuck working to death under the boot of that man. If they wouldn't find Ian, then he would. He would get home and pack up, then head out with Knickers to find Ian himself. He would only need a minute at home to gather the right things, extra food and water, and possibly a map.

From the corner of the house, a pair of eyes watched Samson ride off on Knickers. Calvin was told to watch the cat and see where he went. The son had assumed the feline would return home, but he had no idea he had Knickers. With that information, he went back to his father to report what he saw, telling Edgar how the sneaky cat had their property. Edgar swung his axe hard and buried it deep on the chopping block before calling his sons together into the house.

The young anthro reached his home in record time. He tore through his door, leaving Knickers readied outside the door. He had to go quickly. There was too much chance that someone at the Wright house had seen him leave, and now he was a horse thief. He packed a few belongings into a knapsack, then packed a second one with rations that could last him a week out there in the wilderness. He checked and rechecked to make sure he was ready. It was a harsh and dangerous environment, and for all he knew, Ian was dead already. He hoped he wasn't. He wanted nothing more than to find his best friend and bring him home, though he realized that they wouldn't be able to come back here. Samson was going to be a wanted cat, and the way anthros were thought of for the most part meant he could be hung or shot for his deeds. He shivered at the thought before putting his knapsacks on Knickers' saddle and mounting up again. With one quick look back over his shoulder, Samson charged out of town, never to look back.

The sun was high in the sky when Runner and Ian came out of their teepee. Most, if not all, of the tribe had gathered around the great fire pit in the center of the encampment. Ian was told how he should act at every step of the way, following behind Runner with his eyes down. The young horse kept his head high, feathers tied into his mane which lay to one side, oiled and straightened. He pushed his chest out and tightened his abs to heighten his sexuality in front of the tribe. Ian stayed a few feet behind, eyes glued to the ground in front of him in deference to his master. Runner had instructed him well. He took only a moment to glance up when they arrived in front of Stronghooves, who towered above them both. Stronghooves looked down at Ian and nodded briefly to let him know he was doing a good job being subservient.

"Runner, my son. The time has come for you to leave the tribe and become a man. You must spend three moons in the wilderness, surviving on your own. You make take a knife, a bow, and a hatchet to aid you in your journey. You may not take any food, nor water, nor extra clothing. You are to live by your skills. After three moons, you shall return to us as a stallion. Finally, you may take your pet with you for companionship, but you must protect him as well as yourself, if not better." At this last statement, some quiet whispers rose from the rest of the tribe. There was no rule against taking captives out into the wild, but it was a dangerous place, and hard to survive alone, let alone protect someone else.

"Father, I will make you and the tribe proud. I have been raised by one of the strongest braves known to our tribe. I will not let any of you down. I will return on the fourth moon with many tales to tell." He bowed serenely to his father, which Ian reflected. Stronghooves nodded his head lightly and smiled at his child. "Farewell Father, farewell my people!" he shouted before he turned on his hooves and headed back towards his teepee. Loud whoops and hollers erupted behind the two and they strode away in a strong way. The whole tribe wished them well, though some whispered behind their backs about the two male teens and the things they do. Though they all knew that Stronghooves accepted such things within the tribe, it didn't sit well with some of the other braves.

Once far enough away from the group, Ian caught up with Runner and strode alongside him. "Well, that certainly was interesting. It seems as if the whole tribe loves you Runner. I'm glad you have that kind of support." The human gulped a little bit and hung his head.

"I take it you don't get such respect from the people of your tribe?" The horse looked down at his pet with a sad smile before running a hand through Ian's hair. "We have three days and nights out here, why don't you tell me a bit about your life up to this point."

"Not much to tell really. I have four older brothers at home, then my mom and my dad. My brothers have always been assholes, particularly the older ones. My dad is just the same as them. They all call me worthless because I'm too small and weak to do anything around the farm, though none of them has ever really given me a chance. My mom was the only one who seemed to care at all. She used to sit me down and sing to me whenever my brothers or father would get too rough and mean. She is the only one I'm truly going to miss from my house." He sighed deeply and looked down. His thoughts turned again to his mother, poor Emily sitting at home crying about her lost baby boy. "The only other person out there who will even know I'm gone is Samson. He's an anthro like you, but a mountain lion."

Runner nodded. "Powerful animal, and dangerous." The hint of jealousy was back in the horse's voice.

Ian chuckled and looked up to his new master. "Not that again. Samson is great. He has been the most wonderful friend I could ever have. I feel bad that I will never see him again. Or that I never got to say goodbye. He deserved better. Of course, there is also Knickers, who I hope made it home safely somehow. Goodness knows he has always been good to me."

"My people believe that those who do good deeds are protected by the spirits and delivered to the best things in life. Those who do evil are ignored by the spirits and left to their own devices. Such people never truly know happiness and fail to see the joy in life. It sounds to me like your father and brothers fall under this category. Your mother, your friend, and even your horse all exemplify the first, and will find great joy in their life. However, that joy will most certainly not come without a bit of pain as well. You understand don't you?"

Ian thought about the words, his face contorted in confusion. "I don't think I do."

"You suffered greatly at the hands of your brothers. You endured so much pain at the hands of your father. And somehow you still remained good, all the way to your spirit. The otherworldly spirits will look out for you. The more I learn about your life before me, the more I believe that you coming to me was the benefit you have received for being good." Without another word, Runner picked Ian up without even noticing his weight and held the human against his chest. "You know that I would never hurt you, nor cause you any pain. You may have been taken against your wishes at the time, and given to another being, but you know, you know, that there is nothing that will give you grief in this life. You do know that, don't you?"

Ian nestled against the strong chest of the horse as Runner continued to walk under the burning sun. The human could feel the sweat forming on his master's chest, the scent of worked up stallion coming to his nostrils. He took in the scent and sighed, never realizing just how much he would enjoy that smell. He used to smell that smell on Knickers when they would ride hard together, but he never thought of it in this context before. "I really do. And I like your idea of reward and punishment in this life. There is really something to it." A sudden thought occurred to the young male. "Runner, where are we going to sleep here in the wild. We weren't allowed to bring your skins or anything like that out here with us." A slight blush tinged his cheeks at the thought of the two trying to make love on the hard ground.

"Fear not pet. My people have great knowledge of this land. My father has taught me many places that we will be able to find shelter to rest. The sleeping may not be that comfortable, but it will be more pleasant than rocks and sand. As to your other thoughts, there are more places for such things than the comfort of a bed." The horse anthro neighed and chuckled at his own words. "My pet seems to be a randy little thing."

Ian blushed all the more at the comments. "Oh... uh... I guess I can be. I was just thinking of your needs master. After only spending one day with you, I have already learned that you can be quite needy sometimes." The human grabbed around the thick neck of the anthro and held on. He hadn't realized that Runner had picked up his pace quite a bit. The pair were making their way deep into the desert. It was here that Ian learned where his new master had gotten his name. The ground was speeding by, and the horse was huffing a bit from the extra weight.

"We are almost there my pet. We will stop there for the heat of the afternoon. I will find us something to eat and we can rest."

"Thanks to you, I don't really need to rest much, but you are certainly working up a good sweat. What type of place is this?" He hugged harder around the horse's neck when he noticed Runner pick up even more speed into a sprint.

"No worries, I'm feeling pretty good. Not often I get to run at full speed out in the open. I usually have to stay put at the tribe to help. As just a young brave, I wasn't allowed to leave on my own." He grinned down at his pet. "But that will change soon. We will be able to leave the teepee whenever we want and explore. As for the place we are going, it is an oasis in the desert. Several tall shade trees and a pool that is cold and fresh. It will be a great place to relax and avoid the heat of the late day sun. When night falls, I can build a fire and do a little hunting."

It wasn't long before they reached the oasis, a tiny spot of green in the middle of the red waste of desert. The heat was climbing even as the sun started to go down. Runner was panting heavily and covered in a sheen of pungent sweat by the time they made it under the shade. Ian looked around to see that the oasis was in a pretty deep valley of sand dunes, completely hidden from view. The only people who would know where it was were ones that already knew where it was, and those that happened to run into it on accident. However, most would avoid the high sand dunes due to the danger of them falling into the moving sand and being lost forever.

Afternoon turned into evening, and the pair relaxed in the heat of the day. It became evident that being in the sun would be dangerous, as even the heat under the shade was nearly unbearable. At one point, the two teenage males jumped into the spring without their clothes, and spent a good hour or two just enjoying the coolness of the water and each other. After drying, as dusk fell, Runner left Ian alone to do some hunting. Ian remained at the oasis, keeping his eyes and ears open. He also tended to the fire to keep it going until his new master returned.

It was getting late when Runner returned with a desert pig slung over his shoulders. He yipped and hooted when in range of the camp and Ian watched as the horse approached. A smile spread across his features as the stallion came to the fire. "I have returned my pet, and brought us enough food to last us the three days, if we treat it well. I will clean it the way my people do, and you can cook it to make sure we don't get sick. I have never been much of a cook."

"That I can do. I'll get the fire ready for cooking." Ian went to his work while Runner prepared the pig. The human was surprised to see that Runner prayed to the pig and thanked it for giving his life so that the two of them could survive. Then the horse expertly began to take apart his kill, keeping the parts that were not edible and handing the cooking meat to Ian, who put it on a stick to roast over the fire. The two sat back together against one of the tall trees and watched the fire while their dinner sizzled on the spit. The smoke drifted up to the stars, and Runner began telling the tales of his tribe about the stars and how they came to be, what the constellations meant, and what truths could be learned from them. Ian rested against his master's chest and listened, content as could be, even in the most dangerous place he could be.