The Brumby Run

[Tex]

OOC- whew, I'm just gonna post Kye now, as all my other horses are doing is exactly what I said in my last post x3

A lightly-built bird was flying over the mass of pounding horses, sharp eyes peering frantically for her friend, Warring. Oddly enough, he had been intelligent in his attempt to keep hidden and safe, but somehow the Men still found them and drove them like all the other horses. She spotted the dark bay stallion, running with the mad rush, screaming out for her to help him. She puffed her feathers up a bit, proud. So, he had figured out her better talents, then. With an ear-splitting screech, she dove down and zoomed straight past his left ear, flying like a bat would avoid stalagmites at high speed as she dove and searching through the herd of horses. She found the two mares that Warring had taken under his wing (she chuckled at the bad pun), and gently swerved them in the direction of the panicked stallion, almost the same way a dog would with sheep, only she didn't attack them. Once she was sure they were together, she screeched a challenge at the Men, and looked for a way out of this mess.
"Warring, I shall blind the Men from the skies while you escape! hurry!" Kye called, and flew upwards to dive at the nearest Man.

OOC- I don't think that's powerplaying, cause horses that are really scared would probably head towards their stallion anyway, and she won't actually hurt the Men, just distract em.

[Tiggs]

OOC: Technically yes, it is power playing but if the other players agree, its alright. Generally, peregrines don't attack unless their nest is threatened, but I don't believe they ever intentionally swoop and blind them, just fly very close.

[tingara]

The warm summer sun beat onto a black stallion’s back and contentedly he grazed. For once Tingara was not edgy, for the past couple of days he’d actually been quite relaxed. There had been no sign of Nevada’s presence for some time. Unfortunately the men working further down the gap had indeed escaped the King’s notice, though he had seen them coming and going every now and then.

A dull role of thunder announced itself. Odd. Tingara looked to the sky; there were no clouds above or beyond where he could see. The stallion strained to listen and there it was again, but instead of ending, the rumbling was constant. That was no thunder. He again strained harder to listen, both ears up and alert. Mixed in with the rumbling were whistles, shouts and barks that Tingara knew all too well. Men were coming, and by the sounds of it, with a large group of horses.

Instantly he kicked into gear, gathering up the mares and foals before driving them away. Panicked, he noticed some were missing. No longer thinking about his own safety, Tingara returned to the Gap in search of anyone he’d left behind. The fear and sweat stained herd appeared and Tingara was swept along with it with a force he’d never felt before. It was like a spring river, filled over the brim with snowmelt and here he was trying desperately to keep his head above water.

The black stallion found he was near the front of the group and took in the men on either side. He couldn’t throw a glance backwards, too much risk of losing his balance, falling and being crushed to death by the panicked horses around him. The fear of the herd was infectious and soon Tingara found himself consumed by it. Madly he dashed, trying to get away from it all. Blindly running for his life he missed his son at his side. Prisma had seen his father caught up in all the mess and had fought to get himself beside the great black King.

[Tiggs]

.:: Stage direction ::.

The man flanking at the very front of the herd to its right is more inexperienced than he claimed. Any horses who are going to escape the run will have to be on the right hand side nearer the front.

[Corowa]

Myrrina was on the flank of the galloping mob of brumbies, and beside her Werrilah galloped mightily. Myrrina, sensing her son’s rising terror, reached over and gave him a steadying nip. This was not the first brumby drive the old mare had been caught up in, yet it was the biggest she had seen for many a season. The mountain air rang with the cracking of whips, the jumble of voices, and the ring of a shod horse’s hoof on rock. It seemed hundreds of men chased them, and Myrrina strained her tired old eyes to pick out a trap between the trees, for surely it would be where the mouth of the gully narrowed, towards where the men were driving them.

Yet when the mob of brumbies swung around, then perhaps she might break through to that thick belt of timber and scrub that lined the gully. Flattening her ears, Myrrina urged Werrilah to a faster pace, driving him before her. Eyes rolling, the colt stretched his legs out to the fullest, nostrils dilated with the strain.

__________________________________________________

Karuah galloped faster than she had ever galloped, swift and sure, this creamy daughter of Corowa the wise grey mare. Terrified, the filly hurtled up the steepening slope, ears filled with the drumming of galloping hooves, the crack of the whip and whine of the stockman’s dog. Pale coat darkened with sweat, she could hear her breath come in gasping sobs. Hide prickling; the filly was half-aware of her mother beside her, running shoulder to shoulder, flank to flank.

Running beside the filly, Corowa was fearful for her pale coloured daughter, for a silver brumby was a prize indeed. Some wisdom told her to remain towards the inside of the mob, where their pale colours would not be so noticeable. Where Warring was in the stampeding mob of brumbies, Corowa did not know. Throwing up her head, the grey mare saw a falcon soaring over the galloping mob, and she gave a rasping whinny. Then the falcon turned, and Corowa blindly plunged into the churning mass of brumbies. Reaching over, the mare roughly nipped Karuah, and the creamy filly swiftly followed her mother. Surely, the falcon would lead them to their stallion, the mare thought desperately, and then there he was. With a glad neigh, Corowa galloped alongside him, mare and filly seeking comfort from his solid presence.

OOC: Still need to post with Goolara and Goonama

[ranger]

Lirralirra

Terror. Infecting her lungs, causing her to breath sharply and swiftly, drying her throat and making her long for the cool waters of a creek or stream. But that was only a subconcious thought now, her instinct at present time was to follow the crowd, to escape the men and the group of closely packed brumbies. She was shoved and knocked, pushed and prodded, her petite body thrashed by passing horses, all wanting to get ahead to escape the men. Lirralirra had never been in a brumby run before, she'd always managed to be in a secluded spot and avoid the main hunt. She'd been chased, but never at this sort of pace and level, with so many men and horses to compete against. Her breath came in sobs, and she shoved and pushed with the rest of the brumbies, her blue pelt slick and shining from sweat. Many hooves pounded the ground and it sounded like her to like the thunder of spring storms- violent and terrifying. Her heart pounded in her chest, adrenalin coursing through her whole, lovely frame. Her eyes were wide, taking in everything in a second and registering before focusing on something else. Her shoulder hit a solid form, and a muscular stallion shoved her back, speeding up. She sobbed again, where was Bingara? How had they been seperated? One moment they had been talking and laughing at Cascade Creek and then the men and dogs had come and they had run. A stallion up ahead was screaming his defiance at the humans, she let out a frightened whinny and carried on in the mad rush, trying to escape.

Arrakis

The day was hot, and Arrakis had decided he wasnt in the mood for teasing others today, so he had been lazing by dead horse creek alone, occasionally cooling himself off in its waters when the whistles, barks and whip cracks- accompanied with the screams and whinnies of frightened horses, had announced to his brain that a drive was happening. He perked up, instantly excited and thinking of a plan. To outwit men and horses was what he had been doing all his life, and now was a chance to enrage the men further. He kicked up his heels, splashing through the water and making his patchwork ebony and ivory coat visible. He pranced neatly, gracefully, on an anthill, only long enough to escape without having angry ants punishing him for the intrution. In his brain, classical music sounded, the same cheeky and dramatic song he had stayed and listened to many months ago- pausing as he passed some kind of civilation. He had loved it then, and loved it now- it suited him perfectly. To a particularaly complex and high noted flute solo he leapt and pranced, ears pricked and tail high, in every sense the dancer his name meant. And when the dogs came to drive him toward the herd of sweating horses he went without fuss, only kicking out playfully a few times. When he did reach the fleeing horses he struggled to keep to the edge, pushing against the crowd only to be swept inside the very depths of the bodies. Forgetting his plans, he focused on escaping the closely packed mob, and slipped gracefully through the crowd, occasionally leaping high to get further ahead. With every fibre of his essence, he was enjoying the struggle, the anticipation, the danger.

Jess

Jess grinned excitedly as the mob of horses swept past her, and nudged her heavy bay toward some edgy blacks at the end of the herd. They scattered, heading straight for the centre of the herd. She grinned again, letting out a shout of glee. Her blonde hair flew out behind her as she let Ronan (her bay) run beside the pack, keeping the horses in order. Her blue eyes swept over to the other side of the mob and she saw another woman, working the horses as she was, Jess gave an eager wave, wondering who she was. In all the time she had been in the mountains, all she'd seen was men. It was nice to see a woman again, someone she could talk to about things that she couldnt talk to with men. She whooped again and carried on working, loving the rush of adrenaline.

[Tex]

OOC- by blinding, she means flying around their heads so they can't see that one of the horses are escaping... maybe she could help out with the escapees on the right side ^^

[Tex]

The steely-grey stallion, still more than slightly upset, flicked his ears back and forth at a sound that was... familiar. Twisting his head around, he managed to see who was sneaking up on him-and almost crashed into the horse behind him. Was that the mare that he had met, perhaps a year ago? Coorain barged throuhg a small clump of Brumbies, and ended up running by her side, nuzzling her neck affectionately.
"Towera! What on earth are you doing here?" he asked in a bewildered voice, once again looking for a way out. Suddenly, he realized that one of the men had left a gap completely open for any horse that was close enough to him. He snorted, and dodged around Towera, getting into a position where he could drive her. "I will not argue with you, so don't even try," he nickered loudly, so she could hear him. "Run as fast as you can, go through that gap and NEVER look back! Do you hear me?!" he whinnied in her ear. Without waiting for an answer, he barged straight at her shoulder, attempting to aim for the gap.

[latymier]

Dinga overheard the conversation and her ears swiveled toward the gap that the stallion had mentioned. Muscles tense, she prepared to run after them as well and waited for his signal.

Dashing through horses, she followed, almost not wanting to look in case the gap closed before she could reach it.

[{ Opal }]

Kurra's outraged fit ceased as his movements became sluggish, his hooves feeling as if they weighed three times as heavy. Now the tired stallion was forced into a state of weakness and despair; something he despised. Within Kurra's eyes you could see the storm raging within him, waiting to be unleashed, but his exhausted body forced it down. So Kurra reduced his thrashing and kicking into deathly glares; ones that promised revenge. Revenge... oh yes, he could taste it now. Kurra's head lifted a notch as he thought about it wistfully. But now he had to trudge along, amongst these other dirty brumbies which, Kurra thought for some silly reason, where filth compared to him. In his mourning and anger, Kurra saw no gap in the wreathing groups of bodies, and passed by it without a glance. His fate had been sealed, and though he hated Fate for it, that was what he was dealt with. And with promises of a day of triumph and payback, Kurra carried along, his body too defeated to do any more, while his spirit thrashed about restlessly.

Darel's horror grew as he found his breathing had become more labored. Why couldn't he breathe? The young stallion tried and tried, straining his muscles as hard as possible, but they seemed unresponsive. A lack of oxygen was getting to him now, and panic flared through him. Darel tried to get up, but even if his body had been cooperative he would have been too tired to succeed. With a gasp that brought no breath, his determination finally broke. The horses that swarmed around him, not bothering to stop and look at the terrible sight, pounded carelessly on. He felt a hoof momentarily crash into his hock, while another left a gash down his side. Then, with a renewed sense of shock, Darel noticed the crowd thinning out. Could he see the landscape beyond? Had the throng finally left him for the humans and dogs? Indeed, the last few horses, barely managing to run from their exhaustion, finally moved on to leave a clear view of the outback. Darel took it as a sign of parting from life as he knew it, and with despair he lay in wait as his body continued to convulse in gruesome fits; his lungs burned, screaming for air, his body bleeding where horses had trampled over him. Where was the relief now? Where had life gone? For the first time in his life, Darel got a good look at death. And he was scared of it.