The Brumby Run

[yaruka]

Camira had been galloping alongside her half sister Karuah, stride for stride matching the paler palomino, until up ahead a dusty object loomed ahead of her. Propping sharply she was about to nimbly dodge around when she realized that the object lying on the ground was a horse, not a rock as she’d first assumed. Snorting with horror she pulled up, stopping neatly despite her frenzied state. Creeping over to the chestnut stallion she lowered her head to snuffle gently at his face, eyes alight with concern as for a second she completely forgot about the horses galloping on either side of her. She could see he was still alive, thank goodness. Nickering gently to him she nosed him gently. “Come on, you must get up!” she said urgently. The horse was writhing in pain, wracked by spasms she could only compare to how other mares had said it was like to give birth. Determined that the stallion should not be accidentally trampled by the panicked herd, Camira stood her ground, buffeted by the others. But just then a human on horse back loomed out of the dust and, completely losing her head, Camira leapt backwards. As soon as she moved away from the gap that surrounded the stallion she was swept back into the herd, trying but without success, to get back to the stallion. Frantically she called to him, once more urging him to rise. There was nothing else she could do, the current of horses was too strong and she had to let it bear her along with it. Her creamy palomino coat was now almost blackened from dirt and grime and she thought it must be for a similar reason that she could no longer spot Karuah or Corowa from a distance. Just then, at her right shoulder the wall of men gave way. A surge of horses leapt for the opening and Camira swung with them. Seeing the way to freedom ahead she pushed herself harder, managing to dip into reserves of speed she’d had no idea she possessed until she managed to break free of the crowd. She was free, at last. Though her breath was sobbing in her throat she knew she didn’t dare slow down yet. The men were still too close. She’d have to find the others later. Heading straight for the brush Camira put in her final effort.

Bunda almost hadn’t noticed when he’d drawn abreast with Goolara, so overcome with panic was he. The chocolate roan was terrified of men, he feared drives above all other things. Finally the grey’s words cut through his terror and he nodded, pressing close to her so that he followed her deeper into the mob of brumbies. The surging horses around them were no help as he searched in vain for the snowy white mare. Finally he thought he spotted her up ahead “Goonama!” he whinnied, making a vast effort to throw his voice to her despite his heavy breathing and the noise of the stampede around them. Whether or not the mare was indeed Goonama he suddenly saw that to the right of her was a space free of men, an opening , freedom. Turning to nip Goolara deftly on the shoulder he forced himself through the crowd in the direction of the mare he prayed was Goonama, and the break in the ranks of the men.

Warring took strength from the sight of Kye flying above. Her courage and loyalty allowed him to believe that somehow they would find a way out of this terrible drive. Unbelievably, the falcon had managed to shepherd Corowa and Karuah to his side and for this he was eternally grateful to her. Now all that was left was for them to escape this mess, at least they were altogether now. Staying just ahead of the two mares he searched frantically for a way out of the stampede. He almost didn’t believe his eyes when a horse and rider to his right fell, leaving an opening in the ranks of the men. Swinging his head around to alert Corowa of the escape route, he began to press Karuah, who was on his right, over to the side of the gap. “Run for the opening,” he breathed into her ear. “As quickly as you can!”

By chance Bingarra was among those at the right edge of the herd, so when a horse and rider stumbled they were literally just in front of him. Ahead of him he saw land gloriously free of men but he had to find Lirralirra first. He was about to swing to the left to see if he could find the blue roan when a barrage of horses came at him from behind. Evidently they had all just noticed the gap and were not going to wait for their chance at freedom. Bingarra was pushed ahead, running for his life from the stampede hot on his heels. He had no choice but to keep running but in his mind he resolved to come back and search for Lirralirra even if it took him his whole life to find her.

Sheer good fortune meant that Biangri, Wingara, Kuruk and Baree were also to the right side of the herd. When that section of the mass of the horses surged to that direction they were swept along also. Spotting freedom ahead they put every last ounce of their effort into breaking free.

Yarran was beginning to tire, his legs were growing leaden and his mind was numb from exhaustion and stress. His sense of urgency had begun to dull, there seemed to escape from this crowd of galloping horses. He had just about given up on ever escaping, settling into a deadbeat rhythm and following the crowd when he suddenly noticed a stream of brumbies escaping to his right. The sight gave him strength to do what, only seconds ago, would have been impossible. Digging in his hooves he pivoted to the right and then bolted for the gap.

Nyauwe was starting to get frustrated. At the beginning it had been a game. Then it was a minor irritation. And now it was just down right annoying being forced to run all day. Beginning to get bad tempered the sun colt had just pinned his ears and was preparing to snap at a pushy bay to his left when something caught his eye. Open space, free from men and dogs and other horses. Ah hah. A gap. Nyauwe let out a triumphant squeal, which was quickly muffled by the dust that choked his lungs. But he didn’t let this spoil his triumph, in his mind he had beat the men. Here at last was proof of his skill. Not all horses had seen the break in the men’s ranks after all. Tucking his head down he hightailed it out of the stampede.

Amarina saw the gap ahead but hesitated, she could not leave without her dam. But the force of the horses behind her convinced her to run, there was no way she could stay here and not be trampled. Tail flagging she galloped haphazardly out of the main stampede.

Despite the dark bay’s best efforts the tide of horses was too much for her. The crowd easily swept the pony mare along with them, and, regardless of how she snapped and squealed at the others, she could not manage to break free. It was a good thing she wasn’t able to see some of the others break loose otherwise she probably would have had a fit. As it was Wyuna had no idea of the others rush for freedom as she herself continued to be pushed by the men into their trap. Oh if they did capture her they were going to regret it. They were not going to have fun trying to deal with her. Oh no, she’d make sure of that.
Irawaddy stayed close to Nandalie’s heels, unaware of what was going on around her but knowing that nothing good could lie ahead. She couldn’t see anyway out of it though, she was trapped.


By some strange twist of fate given that he had started out in the middle, Wahn was among the first horses to reach the inevitable trap at the end. Galloping headlong into it he had to pull himself to halt abruptly, hindquarters tucking way under himself as he sought to stop and keep balance. Finally he managed to right himself and stood there, against the face of the rock, trembling from head to toe, wondering what would happen now.

[Tex]

Kye the Falcon screeched encouragingly, and swooped back and forth over the herd of horses, not paying attention to the plight of those unable to escape, but somewhat distracted by the sight of two horses down. One had idiotically run into a hollow, she had no idea why, and the other looked like it was dying. She hovered above it for a while, wondering if it was roadkill, until the creature moved and began to breathe again. She sighed in disappointment. It had looked like a good meal.

Aru was very tired now, but still had the energy to perhaps run for another half a day if need be, though that was pushing it. However, she didn't see the chance to. Horses in front of her were pulling up, their rumps in her face, while some ran to the side, disappearing somehow. She didn't care much about them, but halted herself and milled with the others, calmer than most. She sniffed at the fence all along its length before coming to a halt and resting, realizing that she couldn't do anything about her situation now.

Coorain did not know what had happened to Towera, whether she had paid attention to his order or not, but now knew it was the end of the line. Every poor horse that had run with him, unintentionally or not, was now pulling up, and he skidded to a halt as well, not exactly calm but as he did not have much energy, it wasn't like Coorain could go galloping about, smashing things. He snorted wearily, and sniffed at the horses about him, wondering if the Men would let him take these mares.

The sooty palomino mare was beyond exhasuted now, at the very back of the crowd and limping as well. She was not badly injured, and her colt was fine, but she was dog-tired and stopped as soon as she was in the barest confines of the corral. Her colt was doing better, as he was younger, but he was still exhausted and lay down to sleep once the mother let him.

[danni]

Towera Lost sight of Coorain she as falling behind, her legs working overtime she couldn't keep up, the horses around her going in a mad craze, soon the horses were stopping, Towera stopped to a walk and kept on going. Her legs burning with pain over the rocks that had burned her feet and the pain that shattered her back. She saw Coorain and walked to his side, she stood wearing next to his side, her legs shaking weakly from the thrill of the run but she felt so exhausted, sweat was poring off her and she was normally was great at long distance. He was sniffing at the others she just stood still, getting over the fear and the excitement was to hard to keep her body from reacting to the amount of energy she had used.

[Corowa]

Karuah and Corowa
Karuah glimpsed a sudden blur of silver and gold, as the pale wraith of a horse vanished into the snowgums somewhere up ahead. Then Corowa was at her side, urging her to follow the wildly swooping hawk, and the ghost horse was forgotten. Warring, his bay coat black with sweat drove them towards the bush, to the clump of rough snowgum and candlebark.

It was wise Corowa, daughter of the High Country, who broke through the line of trees first. Someone swore and a jumble of voices cried out, as the men riding on the flank of the galloping mob tried frantically to pull up their lathered mounts. Karuah was dimly aware of a dog worrying her heels, but Corowa silenced it with a fierce bite. The bush was thick and scrubby, and branches whipped their flanks and shoulders as mare and filly galloped on.

Slowly the fear went from them and they went more steadily downwards. However, Corowa was limping badly, and Karuah flinched when her mother bumped her shoulder reassuringly with her nose. Her ears twitched nervously, and she was dripping with sweat as she shied violently. “Hush my foolish daughter. Men cannot follow so far down,” the mare said softly. Yet even she was still filled with dread, and took care to leave no tracks for men to follow. For when she looked over her shoulder, she could see Karuah putting her hooves carefully where she had put her own.


Goolara and Goonama
Goolara strained her eyes to see anything in this mob of outstretched muzzles and churning legs. The filly felt Bunda close beside her, and then he was flinging a shrill desperate call over the heads of the galloping brumbies, and Goolara’s call mingled with his own. Yet was it indeed to Goonama he called, or had her sister vanished, as the snow melts before a High Country spring?

Roughly, Bunda nipped her, drove her towards the flank of the mob as it turned. With a shrill, sharp squeal, the white filly plunged after the brown stallion. Faster she galloped, faster than she had ever dared, chasing madly after the queer brown stallion as all the while the whips cracked and men shouted.

Goonama was running on the flank, when the mob swung round a clump of stringybark, towards the rough sloping wall of the gully. Ribbons of bark tangled about her hind legs, and the filly slithered, and almost went down. Blowing frightfully, she gathered her legs beneath her and leapt away.

Then Goolara saw her, Goonama’s pale coat stained with dust, ears swept back as she galloped along. With a joyful neigh, the filly rejoined her sister. Goonama threw up her head, and the white slowly went out of her eye, for Goolara was there once more, beautiful and foolish Goolara.

At last, Goolara saw the gap Bunda had been aiming for. Beside her, Goonama was oblivious to everything but the fear of a hunted thing. Reaching over, she jostled the filly, pushing her towards the edge of the running mob. Goonama faltered, but Goolara came at her with teeth bared and the filly turned and fled. A rope hissed through the air and fell short. Then the two fillies were hurtling down the slope with all the nimbleness of wild goats, blind with terror as the drumming of hooves rang in their ears.


Myrrina and Werrilah
Myrrina was tiring, for she was an old mare and it had been a hard, long run from Dead Horse Gap. Beside her, Werrilah gasped for breath, his fine white coat marked with dust and sweat. On the flank of the running mob, a gap had opened up, and Myrrina drove Werrilah frantically towards it: her son of cloud and mist. There was the whistle of the rope, and she propped and shied, so it bounced harmlessly off her shoulder. Somewhere from further down the flank, a man galloped up on his fine black horse, and Myrrina could see the whites of its eyes as mare and foal galloped headlong into the snowgums.

A thick belt of timber separated the narrow track from the ravine, and calling to him, Myrrina jumped a felled log, and there was Werrilah once more beside her, his breath hot on her flank as they picked their way down the rocky slope.

Fear pushed them on, for it was rough, broken country and a long way to the Ramshead. Myrrina did not know whether Tingara had been caught up in the brumby hunt, and beside her, Werrilah shook with fear, for the far-off sounds of whip cracks and men stilled the bush into silence. Whither goes Tingara, the wind seemed to whisper, and the wise old mare threw up her head to listen. Trembling with longing, she gave a sad neigh, and then the roan mare and her queer white foal vanished into the bush.

OOC: I made it so that Karuah was held up and so was behind Camira when she disappeared into the trees, and I’m just assuming Warring got through the trees and is with them. I was going to have Goolara fall and be shot in this scene, but I thought that might be a bit sad for Goonama and poor old Bunda! Anyways, all my characters in the run have finally been accounted for.