Starting Small [Open!]

[Tiggs]

Air curled from his nostrils like smoke from a campfire, dissipating upward toward the crystal clear sky. Just looking at the High Country, you would think it was midsummer! The skies were so clear, and the ground cast with such dark shadows that you would not imagine that the air was chilled, and the ground was hard with the night’s frost. Snow had yet to fall, but the nights were cold and the days were short.

Omeo wore his winter coat, a soft light brown with darker legs, mane and tail. The roan across his body had darkened, hidden by this thickening winter pelt. In winter he was almost indistinguishable from a normal bay, albeit a pale one. He stood up on the ridge, overlooking Dead Horse Gap. The men had recently left for the winter, leaving what sparse grazing the cattle had not devoured behind.

Beside him stood Karanee, his sweet grey mare. He reached out his muzzle and snuffled her cheek. “I think it’s safe,” he said, but he would wait for her to make the same deduction before they ventured out. He had a good feeling about this winter. With just the two of them, there would be no strain to find enough grazing, so for once he was glad that he had a small herd.

[Rivre]

Omeo had helped Karanee in more than one way to come out of her shell; his offered protection was one thing, that she no longer had to worry about what lay behind of her, the thawcking of snow gum branches of the crack of a whip bird, no longer did she have to worry herself over grazing - for her stallion knew the richest places to nibble the snowgrass, the flatest ground to gallop across and the safest route across the fast-flowing creeks. Karanee was content to live a life served by her protector and Omeo seemed to mind little of her lack of independence. She was not a lively mare, or in any way beautiful, but the red roan cared for her safety if nothing else and she cared for him in return.

The day held the promise of a good winter, at least for now, despite the biting cold and hard ground, and with the coast clear and a strong figure at her shoulder, Karanee nodded her consent daintily, before stepping out into the open, lobes flickering hesitantly to pick up any rogue sounds, nostrils straining for a scent - but none reached her, and the mare broke into a steady trot, tail flagging. Already it would have been evident to any who knew her that Karanee had grown in strength, if not physically, mentally - for as a filly she would never dared to venture into the unknown alone, now she moved freely, safe in the knowledge that all she ever wanted, ever needed - was in close suit.

[E!]

The day was brisk, the earth hard and frozen beneath her small, neat hooves. They made a quiet thudding as she pranced gracefully along Dead Horse Ridge, soft mane bouncing cheerfully on her golden neck. Burley was paler than usual, her creamy coat thick and warm, helping her to blend in higher up in the mountains, where the snow fell almost constantly. Not that she used that for camoflauge - why would she want to hide on a bright day like this! No, why would she want to hide at all?!

Her milk brown eyes were bright as she pranced, four white socks bright against the rough earth and her wide blaze making her dark lashes stand out sweetly. She was as pretty as ever, and just as ditzy. With a quiet hum, Burley leapt over a series of granite rocks nimbly, rising slowly upward toward Dead Horse Gap. It was said the great herds of cattle that the men brought every year had now left, but Burley had hoped to catch one last glimpse of them. Of course, if the word was that they had left, then the chances were that the cattle were not at Dead Horse Gap any longer, but Burley was ever optimistic.

Her breath huffed outward as she climbed, her stride still bouncy with her constant bubbly nature. And as she climbed, her gaze grew more curious and eager - the two figures ahead making her climb all the more exciting. With a whinny, she half reared playfully, eyes dancing. Who should it be but Omeo - and she remembered him! That stocky, pleasant build, and the way he stood so.. well, so Omeo-ishly. The awkwardness of youth had somewhat left him, and he had a companion that Burley watched curiously for a moment before prancing again, her wide eyes eager and as always, lovely.

[Tiggs]

Omeo trotted on behind Karanee, feeling the hard ground jarring his joints with each step. He kept a wary lookout, but it was hard not to feel light-hearted on such a clear day. His pace quickened and he playfully nipped Karanee's rump. With a chuckle, he dropped back, tossing his head and tan-streaked mane. His play came to an abrupt end when he spotted movement further down the ridge. He halted, and warned karanee with a brief nicker.


A creamy brumby, but with a familiarity that made him wonder. A pale mare, a pelt of softest gold and mane of snow white? Omeo nickered, nostrils flairing wide. The last time he had seen this mare, a prince had been in attendance and stolen her attention away. He had conceaded defeat like any sensible colt, but that vision of a creamy mare dancing in the snow had stayed with him.


And now the snow was on the horizon and here she was again! But how could she be alone? She had seemed quite enamoured by that black prince. There was no sign of him, nor any other brumby, leader or otherwise.


Not wanting to take too big a chance, he started down the hill, powerful hindquarters and corded forelegs shifting his weight carefully to avoid his momentum taking him down faster. When he neared her, he nickered and tossed his head proudly. "Burley." In the two years since their first meeting on the Northern Ramshead, they had both grown. She was a fully mature mare, and he was no longer a gangly colt. He was almost four, a fully grown stallion.


Still there was no sign of a stallion, so he greeted the silver mare with a gentle brush of his muzzle on yours. "It is good to see you, you look well. My mare and I are going to the Gap to graze, if you would like to join us?" He asked, honey-brown eyes earnest. Of course Burley was a prize for any stallion, but most of all he did not like to leave a mare alone if it could be helped.

[Rivre]

It didn't matter much to her, that the day was chill and the breeze reckless, for with it came a sharp longing to be moving, to pick up those fine legs and trot a little faster, the winds pushing at her from behind. However, her wish was short-lived as a warning and brief nicker interupted her revive, causing Karanee to prop to a violent halt, head up-thrown and eyes wide as she swung on her quarters to get a glimpse at the new danger. Half-shying she envisioned the creamy mare that rose behind of them, and Omeo's retreating figure as he went to greet the beautiful horse. Whinnying shrilly for Omeo to stop this foolishness, she carried on after him at a break-necked pace, ears flat and sweat breaking out behind her ears as she propped and shied once more, instead cutting across the incline and away from the newcomer, flanks heaving.

It was a silly sort of fear that gripped her, one that rose and fell with the failings gales, and as the latter once more reoccured, she swung about sharply, hooves skittering on the rubble tor of the Dead Horse Ridge, it's name whispered on the breeze and instilling a restless fear within her. She stood like that for a moment, pondering as what she should do next - when a thought came to her. Did Omeo think this new mare more beautiful than herself? It was not a selfish thought, for she knew she was hardly a pretty thing, but it did ignight a certain amount of jealousy in the young mare, enough that she gained the insight to canter back towards her stallion and halt a few paces behind of him. If only to remind him of her existence.

[E!]

How joyful to meet an old friend in such pleasant circumstances! Burley could feel the innocent delight plastered all over her pretty face, could feel the bubbly excitement as it spread through her petite frame, making her prance all the more energetically as Omeo grew closer and closer. Her attention did not linger long on the fact that he seemed nervous to approach - that he was probably wondering where Prisma was and what had happened to him. After Omeo strode forward confidently to touch her, tossing his handsome head, Burley's bright eyes sparkled.

His voice was a sweet baritone, and even Burley noticed the compassion within it. It occurred to her that Omeo was a stallion that every mare wished to have for a mate, but the thought was whisked away on the wind as he spoke again. She flicked her ears delightfully, her milk chocolate eyes as sweet and simple as ever as she replied "And you, Omeo! You look wonderful! I had hoped to see the last of the mens cattle.. but I've heard that they have left already. I would very much like to graze with you and your companion"

Burley touched her pale nose to Omeo's once more, looking curiously behind him to the mare that stood nervously watching them. Burley, being a friendly, ditzy sort, thought that perhaps the mare was just feeling left out of the fun. Well, she would change that! With a bright neigh she danced forward, outstretching her soft pink nose curiously, ears forward in interest. "My names Burley.. Whats yours?" Simple and pretty, that was Burley.

[Rivre]

She remained still throughout the pretty mare's antics, her words spoken with an innocence that could have been mistaken for stupidity, although Karanee did not care for such things, she merely took up role as a cautious look-out for her stallion and herself. It seemed though, that the young creamy was intent on offering her greetings, and as quick as a flash rose up before the wildly impulsive mare. As if she had not been too still already, muscled froze, ears pinned too far forwards, whites bugging in those dark and mysterious eyes, grey linaments taut with surprise. The next few moments passed in a blur as Karanee fought her instinct to run, locked her limbs in place and pushed down the urge to slash the handsome palomino with her teeth - in her defense of course. After a rampage of snorts and gasps for breath, she seemed able to calm that wild instinct, instead quietly, but seriously, offering her reply, "And I am Karanee," for flight, she wanted to add.

Her posture remained the same tense structure, and as soon as it became clear that this mare did in fact, not understand much at all, the perhaps elder grey mare took the inicitive to step away from the unsettling contact, relocating herself (stepping wide around Burley) beside Omeo's flank, shivering at the longed-for contact, a huge sigh escaping her as tremendous shivers began to wrack her small form. Perhaps she had not progressed much at all. It was too much for her to have to hold such horrid images of situations that could occur within her minds eye that when she finaly let them go she was weak with exhaustion. Omeo helped her with that. Snuffling bay winter coat, she pushed sooty bay roaned muzzle into the depths of his pelt, seeking the warmth and guidance of her protector.