[o] in the snow gums

[KAREE]

Gedala knew that the men where out and about, but she could not help the urge she got to go and have a look for herself. She had not been down near Dead Horse Hut, or Dead horse gap since the snow had began to thaw in the early Spring. She was curious, and wanted to know where they were at during this time of the Summer. Trotting through the snow gums, the grey mare moved.

She was as silent as a silver horse would be, keeping to the trees and making sure that she was not seen. Her mother had taught her these ways, as her mother had before her. It was a family trait, being a descendant of the silver horses themselves, Gedala wanted to make sure she could retain their legacy. The cattle where scattered across the Gap, grazing contently away; completely unaware or bothered by Gedala's presence. Her eyes lifted occasionally, to scan the terrain for any sight of man or dog as she began to move up hill, and through the thickest part's of the clustered snow gums. There she slowed her pace to a walk, feeling a bit more comfortable in the cover of the trees. The dappled grey mare slowly came to a halt, once more looking out through the trees at the giant red cattle that chomped ever so happily at the grass.

ooc. OPEN

[Illu]

It was one of those days. The ones that made you question whether 'Australia' wasn't some code word for a special circle of Hell. Surely nowhere other than hell could be so stinking hot.

The smells of horse, grass and cattle were everywhere, bolstered and rising in the intense sun. John scowled, lowering the brim of his hat against the glare so he could look through the waves of heat rising off cattle's backs. It was days like this that made a man mentally remind himself what he was going to do with his next paycheck just to get him through the day.

Hell, even the eucalyptus' seemed despondent, their thin leaves hanging limply from the branches. Alas, the cool shade of the trees – as appealing as it seemed – was out of bounds. Not while the cattle trudged their slow, plodding way onwards, occasionally stopping to graze on drying grass or tossing their heavy heads and lowing mournfully as the sun scorched their hides. The destination was a watering station about a click to the east, and the beasts knew where the water was as well as John did. 'Herding' wasn't quite the right word, more occasionally moving half circles behind them to stop them spreading themselves out too far.

This was the best way move cattle. No pressure, a slow easy pace as fast as it took the cows to eat, and the herd knowing the direction they were going. It saved everyone the exertion of having to gallop around. Heat tended to make everyone feel unusually lazy, and if there was anything to be said for the weather, at least it made the cattle easier to manage. It was simply too damn hot to misbehave.

Darl, the poor sooty bay mare underneath him was dragging her feet a bit as the afternoon wore on, and John was eager to reach the water for her sake as much as the stocks. Off somewhere a crow was cawing above, providing the only ambience aside from the Herefords and the continual shrill buzzing of cicadas.

Some of the cattle were drifting too close to the tree line and John turned the horse towards them to gently head them off, the sun beating heavily on his back. At the sight of the bay mare creeping in behind them the beasts threw up their massive heads and obediently directed themselves back to the main herd. The horse and rider, meanwhile, both painfully oblivious to the hidden figure just meters away.

[KAREE]

The sound of moving cattle perked the mare's interest almost immediately. She peered out of the scrub, while at the same time trying to press herself against a tree she stood next to. Her colouring was not as exotic as her great great grand father's, Thowra, so she found it a little easier hiding away in the grey's and dull green's of the trees and grasses. Still, the moving cattle put her on edge, they merged together into a large group; which was usually the hint that man was about. Cattle did not move together like that unless they were being herded. Flicking her ears back and forth, Gedala eventually found the source of the moving cattle, much to her terror and dismay.

Her heart leaped in her throat when she saw the man on a bay mare who looked exhausted under the heat. The grey mare almost felt sorry for her, almost. She helped man, so she did not deserve the full extent of her sympathy. The cow's moved closer to where she was; drifting past lazily. She figured she would be safe here until they passed, and then she would turn back down and head away from the Gap and away from the man. Gedala had just shifted her weight back from the branches a bit when a couple of rogue cow's darted away from the herd and into her direction. Eyes widening terror, the grey mare held back a startled snort; ears pushing back in case they decided to edge one to many steps closer. The man and his horse instantly followed the cattle and came up behind the stupid creatures to drive them back. The scent of horse sweat, man and cattle swept up her dilated nostrils. They were so close...Gedala froze instantly, barely taking in a breath in case one of them heard her. Her eyes had widened, and in the back of her mind the few words sang out, 'too close! Too close!' She hadn't expected to come so close to man...she hadn't actually expected to see any.

The man and his horse herded the cattle away quickly and as soon as they had put some distance between them, Gedala decided it was time to go. Turning around she went as quickly as she dared, barely making a sound as she traveled with an expert hoof through the trees. That is what her mother had taught her to do...be silent. A ghost and that is what she intended to be. Just like Thowra. Brimming with pride at the thought, she paused as the trees began to thin out. Glancing back up where the man was, she decided it was safe and darted out from the cover of the trees and trotted across the open land as fast as she dared.

[/justify]

[Corowa]

The mob of red and white cattle had been grazing peacefully in a dried-up creek bed when there had been the jingle of a bit and the clatter of shod hooves striking rock. The mob had bunched nervously together, bawling and bellowing as they milled about. In their midst, stood a bright bay brumby mare, head held high and red-lined nostrils wide.

When a stockwhip cracked, the mob plunged up the steep bank, instinctively heading in the opposite direction. Willunga allowed herself to be swept along with them, quivering with excitement as she leapt neatly up the bank, hearing nothing but the bawling of the cattle and the sound of the whip.

Just then, a stockman on a lightweight bay came into view. Willunga stopped in her tracks. The cattle jostled her, and she swung around, ears back and open-mouthed. The mare pushed her way towards the stockman and his horse, until a big, frightened bull calf hit her hindquarters and nearly knocked her down. Struggling to the outside of the mob, she nipped at the stragglers, having no patience for the stupid, slow-moving cattle.

The track swung east, and Willunga broke into a swinging trot, her ears pricked forwards as she moved along the flank of the large mob of cattle. The stockman stayed behind the mob, seeming in no hurry to get them moving down the dusty track. He had no dog, which would have made it easier, but the cattle stuck together until they reached the thick scrub.

When several cattle strayed from the mob, heading for the trees, Willunga started towards them. The old instincts were still there, and every muscle bunched, her body coiled like a tightened spring. It was at that moment, a sudden flash of movement startled her.

Willunga shied sharply sideways. Her shrill neigh rang out over the bellowing cattle, and the mare stood frozen with confusion. The cattle swirled around her, their hooves stirring up a cloud of dust as Willunga tried to pick out the stockman and his horse.

OOC: I thought maybe Gedala could swing back or something