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Post by Illu on May 2, 2008 10:38:22 GMT
Hurrah, spring at bloody last. Damon’s icy coat was finally losing all of that disgusting winter coat and he was once again shining like he was supposed to. Well, almost, he was certainly in need of a good hosing down, but for a brumby he was doing well, he’d taken great pains to keep himself clean that winter.
Every other horse with an ounce of sense was avoiding Dead Horse Creek like the plague. Men were due to be scouting to see if the snow had gone any day now, but Damon was happily oblivious and thought himself quite clever for finding the good grazing and clear snow water. For the moment he was simply relishing, head down and stuffing his face to get rid of that horrible winter-grass taste.
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Post by Tiggs on May 2, 2008 10:56:47 GMT
After a winter of sheltering back down south, Jason was glad to be back in the high country. Spring was one of those times where he could have no cares in the world. It was too early for brumby hunting and he could just stay at the hut or if he felt troublesome, he could so and see if Summer was down at Cascade Hut. Smiling to himself, he and Marie - his trusty mare - followed the creek on the final stretch home.
The scenery was as familiar as the back of his hand, but today there was a huge creamy block of a horse gnawing at the luscious grass that was Marie's favourite grazing spot. Marie stopped as if anticipating Jason's next move. The young man carefully unbuckled the travel packs from the saddle, and lowered everything down to the ground. This was definitely NOT a brumby and if its size hadn't given it away, its total lack of instincts would have.
Taking his lasso from the horn of the saddle where it always hung, he and Marie sneaked forward. When they were in a decent striking position behind the giant stallion in it's blind spot, Jason urged Marie forward with a silent squeeze of his feet, readied his noose and threw it...
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Post by Illu on May 2, 2008 11:11:08 GMT
Damon naturally neither heard nor saw anything. Particularly not with so much food around. He only realised someone else was there by the sudden pounding of hooves and sinister sounding ‘HISSSSSSSS’ if the rope He raised his head in fright and got the rope hitting him square in the face, not because of Jason mistiming his throw, more of a delayed reaction of Damon’s in the time it took for his head to go up.
In a, well, not a flash, Damon wasn’t exactly built for speed, but good enough anyway, he was off and running. Not because he liked the wild life, his natural terror of anyone earning less than a politician’s income was kicking in. Like hell he was going to be stuck in some unheated barn with some crossbred stockhorse scum! How could they even hope to understand his specially formulated training regimen and forumulated diet?
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Post by Tiggs on May 2, 2008 11:22:36 GMT
Grinning, Jason reeled in his rope as Marie took chase. Coiling it again, Marie ran at a terrific speed over the oh-so-familiar terrain. She was completely at home here, and she still had vague recollections that she grew up close to here. She could feel the thrill of the chase rising in her rider, and she too became excited as she gained steadily on the hulking beast.
Jason grabbed his gloved from a pocket in the saddle, not wanting to make the mistake ever again of getting rope burn from a noosed brumby. He had no need to urge Marie on with shouts or whips, she knew her job and she settled in behind the creamy animal ahead. Jason readied his rope, and threw again noting the direction the horse had shied its head before and aiming a little to that side of the head's current position. He held his end of the rope, ready to wrap it around the horn of the saddle. The ground was still wet and icy in patches, and he hoped once roped, the horse would slow and calm. Most domesticated horses understood constraint, but there were always exceptions. His penknife was in his jacket pocket in case Marie was put in danger on this unscheduled brumby chase and he needed to free the giant cream stallion. It would be a shame to lose him, but Marie's safety was too important and Jason could easily track and find such a lumbering beast when the weather was better.
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Post by Illu on May 2, 2008 11:35:54 GMT
Damon did exactly what Jason was expecting. As the HISSSSS sounded out again he darted to the left and immediately suddenly felt something around his neck, pulling, choking, and bruising. What the heck? Apparently, these rubes were better at their work than he gave them credit for. Damon merely forced on, still confident in his ability to escape. He did have an advantage, be it a mild one, which was that he wasn’t giving into the same blinding fear that brumbies did, simply because he was used to human contact.
Instead he put his head down and tried to go faster, pulling furiously against the rope and refusing to slow down. He knew he was stronger than this mare, but soon he realised the only person he might be giving a hard time was the rider. That stupid nag was quite easily keeping pace even though he was at full stretch!
Okay, now he was worried. Feeling a small fleet of panic he tried a new technique, he violently darted to the right hoping he was agile enough to turn so suddenly Jason would be pulled clean off in the time it took for the mare to change direction. Of course, Damon was neither agile nor clever, so the manoeuvre was doomed from the start.
Instead he found himself galloping madly towards the trees, and the realisation hit that he was safer in there than out here. And if the man tried to stop him? Cursed be, he was determined the drag the both of them! He tried to lurch forwards again, but there was no more speed for him to gain this time.
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Post by Tiggs on May 2, 2008 11:47:43 GMT
Marie followed far enough behind to keep the rope taught and not dragging her, but not too close that the giant stallion's obvious maneuvers caught her off guard. This was an easy chase, though the trees suddenly looming were about to make it a little more difficult. Luckily, the animal was so huge that without taking a well travelled path, he would only tire as he ploughed through the bush and made a wake for all three.
Jason put all his trust in Marie's abilities, and hugged her neck as she followed the stallion just out of kicking range. At least under the cover, the ground was better for running on and with the roped animal going first, Marie would know of any roots or dips so as not to trip on them. Jason thought the creamy horse would come to a stop when he had tired himself out, so he enjoyed the wild ride as Marie took him through the tangle of trees.
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Post by Illu on May 3, 2008 5:37:09 GMT
Okay, so their lack of resistance was certainly becoming disconcerting. The giant horse crashed into the undergrowth, breaking shrub and branch alike as he forced his way through a forest that certainly wasn’t built for his bulk. Once he even had to stop and take a new path because the bushes were too thick for him.
The kept going in this style for a while until he was breathing quite heavily and sweating profusely, but judging by the pressure of the rope, that fool was still holding on, and judging by the thickening bushes, the way he’d chosen wasn’t going to work out. Dämon quickly backtracked, wheeled around and almost wrapped the rope around his neck twice, then took a lunge at the mare, rearing up, attempting to strike with his hooves, missing spectacularly and then attempting to dash back the way he’d come.
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Post by Tiggs on May 5, 2008 21:35:40 GMT
Jason almost cut the beast free when he lunged for Marie - he really was going to have to try and get some help when he tried these sorts of stunts - but the creamy stallion missed and ploughed on his way back on the same path he had made. He and Maire chased after him, and Jason hoped the animal would get into the open again where he could try to restrain him better. The rope around the next was obviously not enough, so perhaps one trapped around a leg would convince the stallion to halt his clumsy - and futile - crusade for freedom.
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Post by Illu on May 6, 2008 4:43:51 GMT
Out. Out. Just get out. Out of the trees. Try again there. Thundering around the undergrowth and swarms of branches had worn Damon out faster than he had previously expected, and the big creamy was already breathing very heavily by the time he has picked his way back out into the grassy area near the river. Obviously this wasn’t working, time for a new plan again.
Rather than galloping away, he dropped his pace down to a smart, dignified trot, but in a manner that made it obvious he was going to try and drag them both if he had to. So, he went at leisure to the water, had himself a nice drink and went back to his original spot at that nice grass patch in order to make a show of enjoying the mountain grass.
Stuff running around, maybe the fool would get the hint and sod off, unless he felt that little mare had the guts to try and carry the both of them. Jason would give up after a while of this…. Surely.
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Post by Tiggs on May 6, 2008 8:46:11 GMT
Jason had to laugh. The animal sure knew how to cause trouble. Grabbing another rope, he set about roping it around the proud head of the large horse from Marie's back. At least this would make things easier than waring him down with a chase. Marie obligingly lowered her head and shifted so that Jason had a better line of sight at his instruction. The wrangler took aim, and threw the loop in his new plan to tame the 'wild beast'. He snorted. This thing was as wild as a plank of wood.
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