the grey gale, [O]

[Corowa]

Yarrawah shook the dust from her coat, and swishing her tails at the flies, the mare grazed her way slowly towards the shelter of the snowgums. Her hindquarters and hind legs were covered in deep cuts and scratches, and she moved with a limp. When the snow had fallen, much earlier and heavier than usual, the mare had travelled to the north of the Tumut, and there run with a small herd of brumbies.

Their foul-tempered stallion had quarrelled with Yarrawah, and the mare had been given many hard blows and kicks. His herd had feared him, and Yarrawah had been very much lamed by the big savage horse. It was only in the confusion of a brumby drive, the mare had escaped. The herd had gone in all directions, and somehow Yarrawah had become separated from the other horses. She had watched intently as the big doltish stallion had been held fast by the rope. He had roared his rage, until blowing and dripping with sweat, he had followed where the tame horse led.

In the weeks that followed, the mare had travelled the many kilometres of rough country to the rich snowgrass plains of the Brolga’s Country. While many mobs of brumbies grazed here, none of them had bothered to come any nearer than the stand of snowgums the mare now sheltered in. The only horse Yarrawah had seen was a heavy bay yearling, and she had driven him off with a nasty kick. She had no interest in joining any of the herds, and many of the stallions were young, no more than two or three year olds.

Yarrawah stopped underneath a particularly big snowgum, and started nosing about for grass. The mare was beginning to get desperate, for she was still very lame, and stood uncomfortably on three legs. If it had not been for the wide plains of snowgrass here in the Cascades, Yarrawah would have undoubtedly have been captured or perished. The country of the Tumut was much rougher and steeper, and there had been so many men there. Men had come to graze their cattle in the High Country, and she had both smelt the smoke of their fires and seen their tame horses, had felt the fear of the hunted.

[Valatone]

At first, Althea was ready to retreat from the lining of snowgums she hid in, with the smell of blood and wounds and men all around. However lovely and gossamer this place felt, the matured mare could still feel the stench of history through here. Many a stallion, a herd, a fight, had passed through this country, it foretold.

And Althea was one to listen to the stories of the High Country. She lifted her mocha face, blazed with chocolate, and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. It was a merely another mare...but there was such tension? Her legs and hind, wounded so badly. Not only that, but it was the smell of man and stallion that drifted away from her.

Finally plucking up to it, Althea swung her blue-eyed head around a gum, followed by her large figure, gauntly showing up in the Summer trees. She was not thin this Summer for once- the grazing had been nice, hiding out here since the intrusion of Man, which all seemed so long ago. Arching her neck a little, she gave her enterance.

"And how did you get all the way out here in that shape?"

[Corowa]

Yarrawah had begun to feel uneasy, when she picked out the sign of movement in the snowgums. The mare pricked her ears forwards, and watched intently with every muscle tense. Just then, the smell of smoke was much stronger, and Yarrawah was sure it was a stockman in the trees, perhaps that stockman on the fine chestnut, who had been caught up in the wild stampede up near the Leather Barrel Valley.

Yarrawah realised suddenly she would rather force her way on until she died, than be caught. Nothing else mattered but the urgency that filled her, and Yarrawah barely felt the pain in her lame leg.

A mare stepped quietly from the snowgums, and Yarrawah remained quite still. Then she flattened her ears, and stood with her proud grey head raised. Yarrawah looked long and hard at the mare, and let out a ringing neigh. There were many herds that grazed here, but Yarrawah had neither smelt nor seen the mare in the days she had been here.

“Perhaps it is because I am stronger than a mare who should not have left the side of her stallion,” she said sourly. Yarrawah presently had no longing for companionship. The mare’s leg was still horribly swollen, and near shoulder stiff. Until it mended, Yarrawah longed for nothing but to be alone.

She wondered if the mare’s herd grazed nearby. Perhaps she belonged to that proud black stallion. Yarrawah had been surprised to see his large mob of mares spread all through the bush. Surely, such a large herd would be slow and not easily hidden. While the stockmen hardly bothered the ordinary coloured horses, Yarrawah was lame, and would never escape their ropes.

[Valatone]

Althea snorted at the mare's reply to her own, an impatient flick of her tail and stamp of a front hoof confirming it with sharp eyes. She seemed very wary, but Althea didn't care for that. She must be stupid to think a mare like herself would ever touch a stallion! And this proved it, the beaten one before her. She simply rejected the thought of a herd, her choice chisled into her brain before she had left the herd through her father's actions.

"I do not have a stallion, foolish girl," She snapped back, lashing her teeth out at Yarrawah. "I am stronger than any mare who lets herself be beaten by the stallion whos side she left HERSELF!" Her angry temper flared through the bush like a fire that ate up and turned everything black. Perhaps her stallion himself would hear it? That'd be amusing, seeing him prancing up on his high and mighty heels and shooing her back again.

It was obvious however that such a mare wanted to be alone. Althea intended to do her that courtesy, but probably a bit later then now. With a snort, she grazed around her heels a bit more, blue eyes occasionally snapping to the other brumby just metres away. What a day it was to argue...she'd missed that sort of company.

[Corowa]

Yarrawah felt a sudden anger towards the other mare. She had begun to get impatient, and she snorted with annoyance. Yarrawah had never been a friendly mare, and her hind legs were marked with many scars, for she quarrelled often and was a strong and wild fighter. The mare had run with some of the strongest and most bad-tempered stallions in the High Country, and it was only through her cunning, she still lived.

“Perhaps stallions such as I, find you noisy and quarrelsome as the gang gangs, and to make as much sense," Yarrawah said furiously. “You must drive even the stockmen off with such noise!” She watched as the mare started to graze nearby, and Yarrawah squealed with outrage. If she had not been so lame, she would have surely driven her off with many nasty kicks and bites. Instead, Yarrawah tossed her head up and down. Then, convinced the mare would come no nearer, she began to graze once more on the snowgrass.

She still watched the mare, though not so intently. Every now and then, her ears would twitch uncertainly, but Yarrawah moved steadily out from under the snowgums, towards the other mare. Her shoulder made it difficult for her to graze, and Yarrawah could feel the burning pain return to her hind leg. Yarrawah knew she was in poor condition to stand the hard season ahead. Even for all the good snowgrass here, Yarrawah was still very hungry. Her ribs showed, and she often found herself so tired she could barely move.

The mare knew then she should not have gone so much further out, for she stood very much in the open now. Her leg had become noticeably less steady, and the line of snowgums seemed suddenly much too far away. Yarrawah hopped desperately towards it, and then her legs buckled, and she collapsed onto the snowgrass. The mare struggled frantically for a moment to stand, and only when she realised her leg wouldn’t hold her, did Yarrawah lay quiet and still.

[Valatone]

“Perhaps stallions such as I, find you noisy and quarrelsome as the gang gangs, and to make as much sense, Althea let out a loud snort at this. You must drive even the stockmen off with such noise!” Shaking her mane to dismiss some of the flies, she snapped back. "Good for me then, atleast I won't be in your pathetic shape,"

She almost laughed as Yarrawah snorted at her grazing. She must of been darn hungry, in the form she was in. Althea didn't notice as she slowly came towards her until she was out from the shelter of the trees. A little stupidly, she didn't notice how open she was herself. And then she fell onto the snowgrass before Althea, who snorted and was tempted to kick out.

"Want some help there? Or am I too noisy and quarrelsome, huh?" Spitting angrily, the brown mare wrinked up her muzzle at the injured mare, then continued grazing. Not out of hunger this time, but out of malice. Pawing at the ground, she looked around for more grass, but around her hooves had been eaten up. There was plently of time for teasing, though, so she left it.

[yaruka]

OOC: Haha, maybe I should bring Waiirri in before these two kill each other...This will have to be quite short though, I pretty much have no time...

BIC:
Along the gently sloping ridges of the Brogla's Country walked a lone blue roan stallion, his pale coat marked with a fair few scars. He still walked proudly, though he was desperately lonely, his posture alert as he made his way through this territory shared by many a group of horses. The stallion was just over his prime but still strong. Strength had never been his weak point, it was common sense that he sometimes lacked. But his many experiences in the brush had managed to teach him something, so it was with caution, though not hesitation, that he entered this new territory.
In truth the stallion had come here in search of company. One by one his mares had been taken from him, first by the the giant brumby drive, the remaining two lost when they went to give birth. The stockmen had been particularly vindictive lately, and Waiirri had certainly suffered for it. He missed Doowi's foolish confidence, and Aruna's sage remarks. Latymier, too, he pined for, though she had only been a member of his herd for a couple of moons before the stockmen claimed her.
Nearly lost in his nostalgic thoughts the sound of angry voices caught him by surprise. Two mares were quarelling not far off, ignored by the rest of the horses. Intrigued, he made his way over, noting the sorry condition of the grey mare with concern. Just as he was thinking that the mare was very lucky to have made it this far without being captured or killed, the grey took a few steps and collapsed. Waiirri pulled up short in horror, eyes wide in shock as the grey struggled to rise but couldn't. The other mare snorted and kept grazing about the other horse, Waiirri wathcing disbelief. He couldn't believe the buckskin's spiteful taunting, he was sure even self-centered Doowi wouldn't have been that uncaring.
Regaining his senses, the blue stallion trotted over, ignoring the buckskin to drop his head next to the grey mare's.
"I am Waiirri," he said hurriedly, snuffling at her in concern, "I'd like to help you if I can." As he said the words he realised just how impossible that would be. Helplessly he looked about him, wondering how on earth you were supposed to help a collapsed horse.

[Corowa]

Yarrawah flattened her ears, and when the mare moved nearer, she swung her head around and gave the nearest leg an unpleasant nip. The mare felt desperate and angry. There was no cover here on the wide plain of snowgrass, but she wondered if stockmen would even bother her. Yarrawah’s frustration grew stronger and for a moment, it looked as if she would stand, until the mare suddenly collapsed. The snowgrass was all churned up, and there was quite a lot of blood around the bad gash on her near hind.

The mare lay flat on her sides. Her flanks heaved, and her laboured breathing was the only sign of life. Yarrawah was only just conscious, when there was some sound of movement nearby. The mare was so weak she could not hold her head up. She shook all over, suddenly more desperate than she had ever been before. The mare had not noticed Waiirri move towards her, and so, was badly frightened when the stallion started to urgently nose around her tired body.

Yarrawah gave a loud snort, and looked at him in surprise. She was encouraged by his gentle persistence, and with the greatest of efforts, she gathered her legs beneath her. Even so, Yarrawah could not find the strength to stand, and could only sit up. The mare watched the stallion, and her ears flicked back and forth uncertainly. Then she bumped him particularly hard with her nose, and told him not to stand so close.

“Leave now before you bring some stockman chasing after you,” she said, suddenly furious. Yarrawah realised she could not drive the stallion off if he refused, and she blew softly through her nostrils, both frustrated and terrified. The mare knew if she could not stand, she would starve, and Yarrawah wondered if it were only though her strong-willed nature, she still lived.

[Valatone]

Althea responded to the nip on her knee with one of her own, except she missed in her flurry of anger, stamping her foreleg in frustration. She flicked her ears up, arching her neck again as a stallion came into sight, when she spat and turned as he ignored her. She did the same to him for now, besides the occasional angry glare at both of the strangers.

The buckskin was ready to leave now, and she began to turn, towards the line of snow gums not far away with a flick of her tail. But first, she narrowed her eyes at the injured mare, thinking through her angry statement. "You should be more careful. He's trying to help you, idiot." She passed it off as not angry, but not pleasant either.

And with that, the mare passed through the snowgums, entering slowly into thicker bush and scrub, 'till she had disappeared.

[Tiggs]

As if summoned by the mare's words, the far-off whistle of a stockman came over the air. Its echo made its direction hard to pinpoint, but the sudden turn of wind direction brought with it the unmistakable smell of cattle. The lowing of the cows and shouts and whistles of the men was drawing nearer, and soon it could be dicerned that the group was coming down the valley toward the brumbies, avoiding the trees in favour of the ribbon of open snowgrass.

OOC: I'll bring Molly in on the next post, I thought Waiirri might like to get out of the way first XD Ignore my spelling - no spellcheck right now x.x