“You do that, Nicholas, or it’ll be our hides that’ll be marked!” Peter said knowingly.
Nicholas nodded and hurried out of the barn.

Nicholas arrived breathless at the valley. Already Thunder paced anxiously back and forth in the broad grassy meadow, and whinnied when he saw Nicholas.

“Whoa, boy! I’m here!” Nicholas called to him as he climbed over the rocks. Hurriedly, he ran to him and smoothed his sweaty face. “It’s all right, Thunder, I’m here.”

Just then the ground shook and Thunder reared up on his hind legs. “Whoa, boy! Stop!” Nicholas shouted. Thunder galloped wildly around. “Stop, Thunder! You can’t go out there! Please, don’t go out there!” he cried.

Thunder shook his great head and galloped over to Nicholas. He bowed down and Nicholas sighed. “I hope you know what you're doing, boy,” he said as he climbed on his back. Off Thunder galloped to the fields.

“Whoa, boy!” Nicholas commanded, but he could not control his horse. He grasped his black mane with both hands as Thunder raced towards the fields.

Nicholas stared in amazement at what he saw. A great white stallion, even larger even than Thunder, roared and pounded at the fields of grain with his mighty hooves.

Thunder bent low and Nicholas leaped off his back.

“Whoa, boy! Stop!” he shouted as he ran towards the great steed, waving both of his arms in the air. The stallion snorted and stared at Nicholas. It seemed as if great balls of fire shot out of his nostrils.

“Is this your brother?” Nicholas shouted to Thunder.