|
|
Post by Tiggs on Sept 12, 2009 10:35:39 GMT
To the fringe of the great herd of auburn beasts grazed two black and white mares. The two seemed non-phased by the cattle, and even the near presence of men hardly caused a flick of the ear. The cattlemen did not bother the brumbies, spending their attention on keeping the cattle from grazing too far or not letting the occasional calf gallivant out of the group.
Ebony and Ivory, renamed Waragaal and Thurugaal by their first bush friend – an eagle – grazed sedately alongside the cattle. The two were heavy-set, feathers covering their hooves and their once hogged manes resting now on their necks. The two had been in the High Country for a long time now. Their first winter had been difficult, but they had made their way through and were now healthy on fresh spring growth.
Waragaal – the predominantly blacker of the two – lifted her head to gaze at the ginger and white cattle while she chewed on grass. They were large beasts, but friendly. Waragaal had had many a meaningless conversation with them. They did not mind sharing their fodder – there was much of it after all – and they were very helpful. She and Thurugaal now knew where the best grazing was in this area, and once they were done here, they were going to explore these new places.
Waragaal nudged her friend, playfully tugging her short mane. “Would you rather be an elephant or a cow?” She asked, her expression pensive. Waragaal rarely said anything intelligent, and this was not one of those times.
|
|
|
|
Post by Ehetere on Sept 12, 2009 23:51:41 GMT
Thuruyaal flicked her tail at a couple of pesky flies but did not halt her grazing. After losing so much weight over winter she felt the need to eat for hours on end without stopping. At least she was sure no men would come looking for them up here. Well, not them specifically anyway. They were grazing with the men’s cattle that were friendly and put up with pretty much anything. They were good companions at least.
“Would you rather be an elephant or a cow?” asked Wara suddenly, pulling at Thuru’s mane. It was still short, and Thuru decided after catching a few elusive glimpses of some other the other brumbies up here that she wanted a long flowing mane too. Not a silly scraggly one like she currently had. Remembering Wara’s question, she returned her attention back to reality.
“I think I’d like to be a cow,” she replied after thinking it over for a minute, “The cows here have a nice lifestyle I think; and they wouldn’t have to perform like the elephants back home had to. What about you?”
Thuru didn’t even think twice about the intelligence of Wara’s question. She had answered it with complete seriousness, , perhaps because she was used to it. Thuru’s thoughts then turned back to the rest of the horse population up here. None of them had come to talk to them, or even have a little chat. They were avoiding the two vanners like a bad smell, and Thuru was rather annoyed by it. What could possibly be their reason for avoiding two perfectly respectable, intelligent, attractive horses like herself and Wara? It simply made no sense. |
|
|
|
Post by yaruka on Sept 18, 2009 22:36:39 GMT
As strange as it seems, Waragaal and Thuruyaal were not the only horses grazing amongst the cattle. There was a grullo stallion there also, grazing farther up the ridge. When the wind shifted he raised his head curiously, it had been too long since he'd encountered other horses, and he certainly had not expected any to be here.
Ever since the strange disappearance of his mare, Aminta, Currong had been alone. The bay had left to give birth one day, and simply never returned. Currong had spent the better part of the last couple of months searching for her, but was now losing hope that he would ever find her again. Though he'd never say it outloud, he had come to graze with the herefords for some form of company. The brown and white beasts made good companions, silent and steady, and they didn't ask painful questions like the sensitve creatures of the brush were prone to. In fact, Currong doubted if these creatures even realised how unhappy he was. So the grullo stallion mostly whiled away his days by the side of these tame beasts, leaving only when men came up to check on them.
But the scent of other horses had stirred something anew in Currong, for the first time in a very long time he felt the desire to go talk to others, to be with others of his own kind, even if they were not his beloved Aminta. So the queer coloured stallion made his choice, and slowly, so as not to alarm the cows, made his way around the herd, trotting down the shallow slope in search of these newcomers.
When he found them Currong stopped in astonishment. These were the loudest coloured brumbies he'd ever seen in his life. He was surprised man hadn't captured them yet. And they were huge, especially for mares. But Currong was not one to judge on appearances, after all, he knew all too well how awful it was to be ostracized because of how one looked. So clearing his throat, which seemed dry from lack of use, he nickered to the mares, a friendly nicker, not flirtatious in any way, certainly not the typical nicker of a stallion to mares in the spring. Currong wasn't ready to move on with his herd life just yet.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tiggs on Nov 10, 2009 14:01:28 GMT
Waragaal nodded, her punkish mane flapping about. "But elephants can pick things up with their noses, and they get given more food than cows." Elephants were well looked after by humans, whereas cows were left in a field to graze. Wara paused for a brief moment, looking to the horizon to where she though was home (she was actually looking completely the wrong way), and gave a wistful sigh. There was no doubt that life had been good at the circus, but once they'd gotten used to the constant hunger and daily travelling, she could see the merits of this place too. No loud noises, no smoke, no humans bustling about. Only the cows and the grass.
The pinto mare was just debating the idea of circus cows with her friend, not having yet made the important descision of elephant or cow, when a deep voice startled her. Being tame, her senses were dull and that wouldn't likely change no matter how long she spent in the High Country. She turned her head swiftly and gasped, the sight of a wild stallion confronting her.
He was quite lean, and while not much shorter than she and Thuru, he looks alomost stick thin compared to the stocky Gypsy Vanners. His coat was a strange brown, not unlike the dirt, but his eyes were the real shock; one was brown and the other blue! She had never seen a blue eye on a horse before, only humans, and she wondered if the stallion had somehow stolen it.
With her ears perked forward, the mare was not obviously hostile, but she stared intently at the male. As if suddenly coming to her senses, she nudged Thuruyaal (even though she hadn't missed the stallion's appearance out of nowhere) and gestured to the stranger. "He's a magician!" She whispered, and subtlety not being her strong point, the male would probably hear.
OOC: Wheee, sorry for the epic delay - hope the minor PP is okay there Ehetere? |
|
