Renegade War Veteran (private)

[ɩɴɗσℜαρτσʀ]

This is the story of Renegade and his brother Veteran.

We Were Soldiers | Veteran | Army Barracks

The classic champagne stallion padded around his small area on the fence line he had been tied to. He hadn't seen his brother, Renegade, since he ran off and disappeared into the night. He swears that boy needs to learn to sit still and stay calm.
He knew his brother hated sitting still. Goodness! He would rather march in the rain for days than to sit tied up. Veteran wished deeply that his brother would learn to calm down and be obedient for once in his life. This sort of rebellious action could get him killed eventually.
It was too much longer when his handler returned with some food and water. The young boy was nice to the stallion and he was glad for it. The boy would often at times let him loose to run around the barracks and stretch his legs. The handler was about to do so now.
Veteran ran off away from the boy to go find his younger sibling. That was when he noticed a bunch of officers holding him and demanding to sell him off. Veteran's eyes grew wide as he swiveled his head between his brother and the officers trying to sell him off.
The classic champagne reared in protest and whinnied loudly. How dare they threaten to take his brother away. How dare they try to convince the head officer to sell him. How dare they!

[-Isabella-]

Renegade heard his brother's whinny of protest and winced.
He felt bad. As much as he hated being tied up, be hated the idea of leaving his brother even more.
“It’s going to be fine,” he said, hoping his brother could hear him over the men’s talking.
He had learned that morning that the men had decided to send him back to the stable where he and Veteran had been born. The stable specialized in war horses and would be able to re-home him.
He felt one of the soldiers tug on his bridle and begin to lead him away. He looked once over his shoulder, wanting to get one last glimpse of his brother.
Soon he was loaded onto a truck with a trailer and the long drive back home was begun.

When he arrived at the stable he was unloaded and put into a stall in the rehabilitation barn where the horses in need of a new home stayed. Many never left.
Over the next few days, weeks, the owners of the stable tried to find Renegade a new home. But his high spirits and head strong personality made him less than ideal as a family horse or a ranch horse.
Finally someone came and offered to give him a home where he could run free if training him to be more domestic failed.
It seemed ideal and Renegade was shipped off to Rosewood Stables.

[ɩɴɗσℜαρτσʀ]

We Were Soldiers | Veteran | Army Barracks

It's going to be fine. Those were the last words he heard from Renegade. The stallion reared and launched himself into a hard gallop after the truck. He was stopped by a couple of older soldiers who later called for his young handler. The boy seemed to know immediately how Veteran felt. The boy had lost his older brother in the war a year before. He hugged the classic champagne stallion and cried into his muzzle. The horse vowed then to stay alive and make his brother proud. He would stay alive for Renegade.
After he was retied up and deemed too unstable to ride, which was rare for him, he thought about his brother. He hoped the sable champagne got a new home soon. Someone out there was bound to want him and take him home. He would be too rambunctious for a ranch or family horse, but a breeding ranch might take him. Or a retirement home.
Months went by in the heavy rain and the blood. His poor handler had been sent home after a leg amputation. Veteran went through six handlers within the five years in the war. No other war horse had lasted as long as he had. Then again, none of the other war horses had a motivation as great as his was.

Rekindling the Hell Fire | Firefly | Artillery Stables

Firefly perked her ears as the neighboring stable's truck passed by with what seemed to be a new horse. She was curious as to what they brought home this time. The young filly neighed and cantered next to the truck with a fence keeping her away from touching it.
The mustang hand to skid to a halt when a fence blocking her path came up. She could have jumped over it and into the property owned by Rosewood Stables, but decided against it. Probably a good idea she didn't get too friendly. She might scare the new horse with her rambunctious and friendly nature.

[-Isabella-]

Renegade was lured out of the trailer and into the fenced in territory that stretched for miles, and miles. Many other horses lived here, but none were in sight.
When things hadn't worked out for Renegade up at the stable his new owners decided to put him out with the wild horses and see if he fared better running free.
Renegade stood there just inside the fence, staring defiantly at the humans who had unloaded him.
He watched them drive away, hoping they intended to stay away. They weren't bad people. But they wanted to tame and control him, just like all of the humans he had known before. But it wasn't in his nature to be tamed, or controlled.
Renegade trotted a few steps, finding himself unusually eager to explore his new home.
The first thing he saw was a bright palomino tobiano mare fenced in at the neighboring stable's pasture lands.
She seemed eager, almost over excited.
Renegade was almost caught staring and abruptly turned away.


An unusual pintaloosa mare with a pale dun coat and bright blue eyes watched the new horse arrive from her place in the trees. She was curious, but because of her shy nature she kept to the cover of the oak trees.
He was fairly plain in color, but had piercing green eyes. When he turned her way, though she knew he couldn't see her, she felt as if his gaze went right through her.
She half wanted to go say hi, but her timid nature took over and she turned and walked in the opposite direction.
Maybe someday she would get up the courage to meet this new horse, but today wasn't the day.

[ɩɴɗσℜαρτσʀ]

We Were Soldiers | Veteran | Army Barracks

It seemed like a very long time since Veteran had seen any water. The soldiers complained that the horses were getting most of it, but what could the army do with such a shortage. He kept his vigil and rarely complained. He figured that the less he complained the more likely he was at getting rewarded.
The group he was with had five other horses, four severely injured soldiers, and three captains. They had split from the group to go hold down a fort till the rest arrived. It's been three months of hard fighting in the shadows and still the army did not come. When they had left there was 30 soldiers and 15 horses. They truly did take a hard hit here.
Veteran sighed and closed his eyes. Thoughts and memories of Renegade flashed through him. It was the only thing keeping him alive. He will survive for his brother.

Rekindling the Hell Fire | Firefly | Artillery Stables

The tabiano mare watched the stallion from afar. He had stared at her for a small amount of time, but it was enough to make her even more curious. She walked forward, pressed her chest to the fence and stretched her neck over the fence to try to get a small sniff of his scent.
It didn't take her very long to figure out that the other stallion sure was handsome. He might not have had a whole lot of markings, but she couldn't help herself when it came to his gorgeous eyes. He truly was a beautiful creature.

[-Isabella-]

Renegade had noticed the mare's curiosity and shifted uncomfortably.
Though he had lived among other horses all the time in the army he really didn't feel comfortable around other horses for the most part. Not if he had to talk about himself at least. He was far more comfortable as the entertainer.
But enough of that.
Renegade snapped out of his reverie, realizing he had let his thoughts wander again.
Darn, That mare was still staring at him.
Renegade trotted a few hoof steps away, keeping his gaze pinned to the ground as if intent on finding the perfect place to graze.

[ɩɴɗσℜαρτσʀ]

Rekindling the Hell Fire | Firefly | Artillery Stables

The palomino sighed. It seemed that the new horse had no interest in her. She would just have to give him his space. No use in frightening him off. As much as she would love to jump over the fence and run up to him, she figured it wouldn't be the best option to do so.
The little girl huffed a disappointed sigh and turned to leave him be. She went back to grazing and pushed all other thoughts away. Fine. I'll graze by myself.

[-Isabella-]

Renegade had sensed her irritation but honestly, he was too tired to care much.
He grazed for a bit then wandered down toward the tree line, eager to explore.
For the rest of the day he got to know his new home.
He had picked up the scents of several other horses but saw no sign of him, which was more a relief than a disappointment.
Evening was coming so Renegade settled down beneath the shade of the trees and tried to sleep. But his thoughts continuously went back to the brother he had left behind.
He wondered if they would ever see each other again.
As much as Veteran could annoy him, Renegade couldn't live without his brother and it was these thoughts that kept him awake well into the night.

[ɩɴɗσℜαρτσʀ]

We Were Soldiers | Veteran | Army Barracks

The rain was relentless. The mud was thick and the wind was cold. Upon the classic champagne stallion's back lay a fallen soldier; the last survivor of the battle. He needed to take this soldier to an army fort and soon. He knew of one that was only a few days away. He needed to save this young man's life.
He began to move faster as the man's breathing was becoming more shallow. He continued to increase his speed as the shallower the human's breathing got. Eventually he was galloping and trying to not fall in the slick sticky ground.
Then he heard it. A gunshot from miles away. A searing pain rushed in his right foreleg, but he didn't care. He needed to get to the fort as soon as he could and he didn't have time to waste. BANG! His shoulder ached horribly and still he ran.
Veteran didn't remember how or when he got to the fort. He remembers being stopped and the soldier being carried off to the medical tents, but that was all. His right leg was caked in dried blood and mud. Two strong officers came and ushered him to lay down. He still remembers only a few words they said before they put him under a sleeping spell; Artillery Stables Retirement Program.

[-Isabella-]

Renegade woke up in the middle of the night with a horrible feeling. Veteran.
He lifted his head and whinnied softly, starting to pace despite the light rain coming down.
Something didn't feel right.
Was Veteran all right?

He had been living at Rosewood for about a week now but still didn't know his way around very well so he stuck close to the fence, pacing tirelessly all through the early morning.



Bella watched Renegade pace, worry showing in her eyes.
She had finally met the stallion but they had an odd relationship and she didn't want to interfere.
What is wrong? She thought.
Is it his brother?

Renegade had mentioned his brother to her several times. Bella would have thought he was trying to set them up if it weren't for his brother being so far away.
Bella sighed, hoping everything was all right.