Sun reared, squealing again. Abby jumped back, the dappled mare pulling the rope from her hands and galloping off. Abby jumped up "SUN!" She took off toward the horse,her legs going as fast as possible. Sadly, the Quarter Horse mare was so much faster. She ran into the woods, lost. Abby tripped on a stick and looked around. "Sun!!!" She called, hoping the mare would recognize the many times she had called her that and come back. Abby searched for two hours but still couldn't find her. She soon found her, the rope stuck in a branch. Abby untied hee and held on tight. She looked around. They were lost. It began to rain, erasing every foot and hood print in the ground.

Ryker laid a hand on his bare chest, feeling the slow rising and falling of his shuddering breaths. He was still too thin, and now his muscle mass had decreased- he probably only weighed around 150. Which was honestly sad. He had participated in the Civil Air Patrol program since age 13 and had just stopped, paying with his own money while his father was at a bar and his mother did other things... so he did active exercises to keep his strength up and other things. It was a habit he had aquired, and he couldn't shake it now, so seeing himself looking so.. weak, was really weird. He turned his head slightly as hooves thundered past, then feet, but when he looked out the window he saw nothing. Forgetting about it, he stared at the ceiling, closing his eyes. 2 hours later he awoke with a small intake of breath, pain stabbing through his chest as he sat up. Looking outside it was almost dark and it was raining. Ryker pulled on a button up shirt and didn't even bother buttoning it, guessing no one was up and not really caring at this point. His chest looked like he had been run over by a bulldozer- it couldn't get much worse. Ryker walked/limped up the hill, going into the barn, by this time soaked from head to toe. He found Serpant, and checked on the stallion, but happened to notice the grey mare Abby had brought in was not there. Nor was Abby... and wasn't she usually up this late? Suddenly he remembered the hooves. Had that been a grey pelt that flashed past? Worry started creeping in, causing Ryker to set his mind. He grabbed his dagger and headed out into the rain, his eyes slowly adjusting to the dark, stormy, cloudy look. Walking straight into the woods, he trudged through puddles, ignoring the water dripping out of his black hair and onto his face. His dark blue eyes scanned the trail, soon finding a place where branches had been broken. In the CAP program he had been trained to follow a trail without footprints, so he trusted his instincts and went that way. Following the indents in the mud, the broken twigs, and other signs of something big running, Ryker walked for a while before hearing low, heavy breathing. He lifted his head a little and looked around, seeing blonde hair a little ways away. "Abby?" Ryker approached the figure, seeing the mare standing and quivering in the rain and the small female figure shivering as well.

Abby had been sitting for a while in the rain, crying because she didn't know where she was. She couldn't get Sun to stop pawing at the ground, so she was covered in mud from head to toe. She was so tired that she had fell asleep against a tree. Sun had finally stopped moving and stood still, sniffing the girl. She dappled mare lifted her beautiful head and snorted when Ryker approached. She tossed her head and stepped back, feeling the slight pull of the rope as a trap. She pulled more and the rope fell from Abby's hand, but Sun was more interested in the man then her freedom. She kept one ear forward, the other swiveling around for any potential danger. Abby was passed out for the cold rain and didn't move a muscle the whole time. She was holding her knees as she sleept against the tree.

Ryker's leg was in absolute agony- he had walked too far, but it was worth it. His hunch had paid off. Holding out his hand for the mare to sniff, he spoke in a calm, soothing, kind voice. "Hey girl... Sun was your name, right? I'm going to get you in a nice, warm stall. Trust me." He murmured quietly, taking the leadrope before turning to Abby. He made the decision quickly, getting a firm grip on the lead rope with one hand and picking up Abby in his arms. She shouldn't have to walk any further today. The pain was immediate and intense, his ribs feeling like they were breaking all over again, but he gritted his teeth and walked forward, following his trail. Soon they were back at the barn, by some miracle.

Abby shivered. She couldn't get the feeling of flying out of her body. She tried to open her eyes but she couldn't. She couldn't move either. She went unconscious again. Sun followed nicely until the brush got thicker. She tossed her head and pulled but managed to get herself to follow

Ryker coaxed the horse along whilst not dropping Abby and trying to ignore the pain. They broke free of the brush, he stumbled up the hill, and the barn was in sight. Going towards it, finally they were out of the drenching rain and in the warmth. Ryker gently set Abby down in the hay and led Sun to an empty stall, taking off her halter. He closed the door and went back to Abby. "Hey, you awake?" Ryker said quietly, quickly going to the tackroom and grabbing a small blanket at he wrapped around her.

Abby didn't move a muscle when he spoke. She was out of unconsciousness but was dead asleep. Eventually she moved, her eyes finally opening and taking in the dim light. "What happened..?" Sun was going nuts in her stall. She was tossing her head and kicking the stall. She reared, breaking a hole in the stall wall. The mare froze, staring at the hole her hood had made in the wall. She squealed and stood in the corner opposite of the hole.

Ryker looked towards the horse with a wince, then back at Abby. "You were lost in the woods. You are now in the barn. Warm up." He answered, standing with a wince and limping over to Sun's stall. His limp was heavy now, much more pronounced. The trek had hurt his leg quite a bit. He entered the mares stall and held out a hand, his voice low and soothing. "Hey girl.. you don't have to stay in here. Calm down." He murmured, grabbing the halter and gently sliding it over the mares head before opening the stall door.

Abby remembered everything and jumped up, throwing the blanket. "Is she ok? Oh Sun! Wait. Are YOU ok!?" She had forgotten about herself and was shivering alot. Sun snorted and lifted her leg, stomping it against the ground and pinning her ears. Abby put her hand out and Sun stepped forward, sniffing her for treats. Abby shivered majorly and crossed her arms around herself. She watched as she dappled mare stepped closer and closer until her head was over the stall door.

"Sun is fine, apart from being a little wet and unhappy." Ryker answered, furrowing his eyebrows slightly as Abby flew into panic mode quite quickly. "I've been better." He mumbled, adjusting his soaked shirt to cover up his battered chest. "Here, really, put this on. You seem chilled." Ryker commented, trying to keep the slightly sarcastic tone out of his voice at the last sentence, grabbing a jacket and handing it to her. He always kept it in the barn if he got cold whilst doing horse chores- whatever barn it was. Thankfully he had put it in this barn before he had gotten hurt.