The field was ablaze with the vibrant colors of autumn, but the first snow had already fallen, creating small drifts here and there that hid the crushed leaves. The cold was terribly cold; it seemed winter had arrived too early, but not for colder regions.



A group of three cowboys and a young man, clearly different from them, rode out from a local ranch on horseback. They had to hurry, as the frost had arrived suddenly.



The young rider, dressed rather lightly and more sportily, but clearly not in a country style, rode with the obvious hope of seeing someone he had been hearing about for some time: the cowboys had spotted a lone mare on the steppes. According to the cowboys, she was wild and belonged to the Tharoksu breed.



They continued walking until Brunet spotted the mare's head among the tall grass, almost blending into its surroundings if not for the steam of the creature's breath. Carefully dismounting from the saddle, Brunet, lasso in hand, crept toward the mare that would soon become his favorite and the centerpiece of the stable. A quick flick of the wrist, the snapping sound of the rope, and a startled neigh. Brunet caught the wild mare in his lasso and tried to hold on with all his might, rolling after her across the ground, his boots churning the cold earth. The mare carried him forward and forward, trying to shake off the stranger who hadn't quite disappeared. Unknowingly, the mare had fallen into a trap. As she was trying to carry Brunet, the other cowboys who had helped capture the fugitive emerged from the bushes.