Like Sassy, Anya was new at being a horse. Thus, the scent from the roadside bushes and the rustling of leaves in her ears did not alert her until it was too late. All at once, another group of men sprang from hiding. Before the mare could react, one of them had a rope around her neck and a sack over her eyes, blinding her.
Anya whinnied and kicked with her hooves, but the men were experienced enough to avoid being hit. Then, she felt her foal struggle inside her and felt her own fatigue setting in. She was in no state for such strenuous activity, and continuing like this could throw her into early labor. So, she reluctantly settled down, and let the men capture her.
Seeing that her struggles had ceased, one of the men stroked her neck and clicked his tongue. "Good girl. Easy now. That's a good girl."
It hurt Anya's pride a little to be treated like some animal, but she did find it oddly soothing.
"Strange that such a fine horse would be wandering about without a rider," someone commented.
"Not so strange," another said, patting Anya's rounded sides. "She's about to drop a foal any minute. She was probably abandoned when her owners fled."
"Could she have belonged to nobility, perhaps even a royal?"
"All the more reason to take her in," a more authoritative voice spoke up. "When the rightful rulers retake the capital, they'll be needing fine horses like this one. The question is where to bring her."
Hearing this, Anya felt some relief. These men sounded like royalists and therefore allies. Perhaps, it would be alright to go with them for now. Until she got her strength back, at least.