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Post by Corowa on Nov 13, 2011 0:23:13 GMT
The air was unbearably dry and still. A large mob of cattle sheltered in the shade of snowgums that covered the ridge east of the Boggy. The sweat rose from their backs as they churned up the dusty ground. The smell of them reached the flaring nostrils of the brumby mare, and she snorted, knowing they posed no threat.
Ballook stood knee-deep in the cold waters of the Thredbo. The open plain of the Big Boggy surrounded her. It was too hot for mustering, and undoubtedly the stockmen had retreated to that slab and shingle hut at Dead Horse Gap. Even so, the mare remained watchful. It would not do to grow careless, not now when she stood so exposed to any who might be watching from the surrounding bush.
The water cooled her bruised legs. The unusually hot weather had dropped the level of the river dramatically, but it was enough to wash the heat of infection away. Ballook flicked her tail at the flies, welts rising on her rump where they had stung her unmercifully. There was the stain of lather on her flanks and chest, and she had the appearance of a horse that has been hard used.
Every so often, the mare dropped her head and coughed up a thick rope of saliva. There on her neck, was a thin burn where the rope had held tight. Ballook did not remember with any clearness, how she had escaped the stockman. She remembered only how the rope had choked all the breath out of her. It took her a long while to realise that the stockman was no longer behind her, had not been behind her for some time. Only then did she stop; legs splayed and head low, the spirit in her broken.
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Post by KAREE on Nov 13, 2011 1:04:18 GMT
The golden horse had spied the cattle from afar, watching them graze alongside the swamp and then move on into the shade of a massive tree where some of them laid down to rest. Ears swiveled back and forth as beautiful hazel eyes looked across the swamp and over to the distant hills where Adoni knew that there was man waiting. The heat was immense though, and he guessed that with the cattle lazing around under the shade, that the men would be doing the same. It was a smart move, he must admit, but not even the heat could have hidden the sweet scent of a mare, nor put any stallion off the chance for finding a pretty lady to follow him around.
Which was part of the reason why he was here, Adoni had picked up the mare's scent a little while ago when he was roaming in and out of the edges of the Boggy and had began to follow it ever since. The mare's sweet aroma was too much for him to resist, even if it meant risking his golden hide out in the sun to try and see her. And see her, he did. He had just glanced out of a fringe of the bush that surrounded a small river when he had seen the mare standing in the depths of the river. She looked tired, but kept a weary eye out...in case of man, he guessed. Pushing his nose to the air, he breathed in some of the sour smells of the swamp, along with the sweet smell of the mare and he knew it was her he was after.
Arching his thick neck, he stepped easily out from behind the thin line of bush and out into the sunlight. A faint breeze came and picked up his flaxen mane, pushing it over to one side which further more showed off the glittery effect his coat had. He moved to the edge of the water, lowering his muzzle to it briefly to drink a small mouthful of it before lifting his head to nicker at the pretty mare.
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Post by Corowa on Nov 13, 2011 9:31:45 GMT
Ballook’s eyes closed, and the mare snatched a few minute’s rest. It was a faint noise that woke her. The mare listened, taut with tension. There it was again! The faint crack of twigs breaking, as something moved through the nearby bush. Ballook knew no man, not even a tracker, could move so quietly. The noise faded, and only a few seconds later, a young brumby stallion stepped from the snowgums.
His silver mane and tail rippled with sunlight, muscles flowing smoothly under that glistening golden hide. He nickered a greeting, and then dipped his fine head to drink. Ballook looked behind him, expecting to see a filly or two waiting in the snowgums. Yet there was no one there, only a group of cattle standing bunched in the shade of the gum trees.
The mare moved stiffly, backing up until she stood on the opposite bank of this thin stretch of river. While Ballook was not normally unfriendly towards other brumbies, her front legs still bothered her, and she was in no mood to be pestered. Particularly, by a stallion who seemed to be lacking in sense. If a stockman were to ride past, he’d been seen at once. There was no hiding with that golden coat. Not here, out on the open plain.
“You might as well walk yourself into the yards at Dead Horse Gap,” she said to the stallion. “If the men see you, you’ll be as good as captured.” Ballook snorted, and tossed her head disdainfully. Did he not realise how exposed they were out here? It was no wonder he had no fillies of his own. Their sires and stallions probably saw him long before he reached them.
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Post by KAREE on Nov 15, 2011 23:08:12 GMT
The mare began to edge out of the water, but not in the direction Adoni had been hoping she would go. His ears swiveled about, confusion crossing his features only briefly. The water lapped at his hooves absently, and he lowered his head once more to drink a little more. In this heat, it would be silly not to drink as much as possible, who knew when the next time would be before he got another chance to drink. The mare's voice came from across the other side of the stream and Adoni snorted. "I checked before I came out of the trees, there are no men about; only their beasts." He stated simply, not pulling his gaze away from the pretty fem in the fear that she would vanish on him.
"And what about you? Standing in the middle of the stream, you would be more exposed than I am." There was a trace of annoyance in his voice, but he tried his hardest to hide it as much as possible. She was just being cautious...he told himself, as all brumbies should be. Flies buzzed around his legs, his tail quickly swatting them as they landed. He contemplated crossing the stream to get a bit closer to the mare, but he quickly guessed that at this stage; the mare would not appreciate that.
ooc. my apologies about the short post D:
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Post by Corowa on Nov 16, 2011 6:54:39 GMT
“You cannot be any quieter than a stockman, and I heard you crashing through the bush all the way down from the Brindle Bull,” Ballook snorted. The mare’s ears tilted forwards ever so slightly, but still, she made no move to get closer to the young stallion. Her front legs throbbed, and Ballook could feel the joints stiffening, the muscles tight with pain. If she strayed too close, and provoked the stallion too greatly to anger, she might not be able to get away.
Further up one of those steeply timbered hillsides, a small mob of cattle broke off from the others and started down towards the open plain. The mare watched their slow advance. They were stupid beasts, driven to and fro by stockmen and their dogs. Yet cattle could sometimes mean the presence of man, and so Ballook had learned to be wary around them, watching and listening always for any sign of danger.
Yet there was no urgency in their pace. They were only thirsty, smelling water nearby and making their way to it. Losing interest, Ballook turned back to the young stallion, regarding him with less suspicion than before. The mare shifted her weight from foot to foot, trying to ease some of the pain. If only she had not been so lamed, she might have shown this arrogant young colt a thing or two.
Gingerly, she took a step forwards. Ballook threw up her head as pain flared up her leg and shoulder. She stopped, and stared wretchedly at the achingly cold waters of the Thredbo. Curse that stockman and his bay horse! Ballook inched determinedly forwards, until her hooves were firmly planted in the shallow water. The burning pain eased somewhat, and Ballook glanced over at the stallion, flicking her tail dismissively. “What is it that you have come for?” she asked him. “To watch as I hobble so miserably about?”
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Post by KAREE on Nov 28, 2011 5:53:33 GMT
Adoni was growing slowly irritated by the mare's accusations. He was not stupid, he knew the bush as well as she did, so what was she trying to do? Chase him away? His ears flickered back and he resisted the urge to spit a nasty remark back her way. Instead he turned his attention to the bellowing of the cattle that began their slow march down to the stream. Adoni observed them for a moment, looking carefully over the group in case a man appeared, but no. He was safe, they threaded their way to the water and lowered their snouts to the water. The golden stallion looked away, seeing no harm in them coming for a drink.
He caught the mare gazing at them too, but her attention soon returned to him also. She spoke to him then, and for the first time since he saw her, he noticed her injuries...well sort of. It was difficult to see the actual injury from this distance, but Adoni could see she was sore. Which explained why she was standing in the stream, he shrugged then, "was just wandering through here, found you on my way. Hadn't actually realized that you were...you know, injured." He said, taking a step forward into the stream. "Are you alright?" He asked finally, feeling the water lapping at his hooves. It was a cool sensation that felt nice in the heat of the sun.
ooc. short muse D: sorry about the wait!
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Post by Corowa on Nov 30, 2011 21:59:07 GMT
Ballook cleared her nostrils with a snort. The cattle had reached the open ground, and she watched impatiently while they drank. They churned up the mud from the bottom of the river as they jostled roughly for the best spot. She knew their constant bellows might attract a curious stockman, but the mare also knew she was much too lame to escape their ropes anyway.
Ballook shook herself. She was covered in sweat from the effort it had taken to climb down the steep, timbered flank of Mt Terrible. Already her shoulder had stiffened up, and Ballook wondered if it might not be best to leave now for her usual grazing ground. The closest shelter was to the east, but Ballook knew in her current condition she would not be able to make it very far up the mountains.
The stallion edged closer, and Ballook’s ears went back a little. She did not mind if the stallion only wanted to drink, but his curiosity made the mare uneasy. Ballook felt certain he was up to something, and she kept wondering what would happen if he did indeed cross the river. “It is nothing,” she replied sourly to his question. “I went down amongst some rocks and cut my leg. It should be healed soon enough.”
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