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[withloadedguns]

[Video Post]
[Surprise! No gradual start here. It's all dust and thunder from the start--dust and thunder and with good reason: the view is nothing but a jostling sight of a herd of wild horses (that would be a "mob" of "brumbies," actually) running through the fields between the City and the Wilderness beyond. Not running too fast, but certainly trotting along at a good pace. Sometimes hurrying, sometimes slowing, sometimes outright galloping. But the image, the camera, seems to be keeping up with them well enough--and no surprise. Look quick as it bounces around on the strap hung over the saddle horn and you might just see a familiar face. Seems someone's running along with them--or, rather, herding the herd (no serape for the moment; all that flapping fabric might spook the herd and that's the last thing one needs). And it seems that, as usual, his Network device has come along for the ride and has decided to make a report on all of it (he'll never fix that clasp at this rate, just give it up).



You can't say he's the best drover (where are these terms coming from, anyway?), but he does all right. Maybe he's turned his hand to it sometime before in his strange past (I don't think he was nicknamed "Rowdy" but one never knows for sure). Or maybe he's just good at anything he turns his hand to. But that's a different discussion.

Right now, he's maneuvering his own horse alongside and in and among and between these other snorting, rushing, half-tamed, half-wild horses. Clicking out the side of his mouth, even. Yes, all of that. And he isn't alone either. Now and then one can see a stranger riding on the other side or weaving his horse in and out of the flowing herd. So he's not quite at it alone and it seems that whoever these strangers are, they know what they're doing (they even have the hats to prove it). But it's still a sizable herd for so few to handle.

The whole herd crests a hill; the Barn's not far--it can even be glimpsed in the distance when the Network device swings the right way. And there's a good-sized fenced pasture up there, along with water enough and grazing enough, other animals. Almost like it was made for something like this. A good place to put a few horses after running them up this hill. Good thing there aren't more than this or they'd really have trouble getting them organized. It's tricky enough as it is, as one can tell by the way he weaves around behind them and through them, dashes off after a breakaway for a while (sometimes catching it, sometimes leaving it), rides alongside them, murmurs to them a little.

But the real work is yet to come. And all this dust and trotting back and forth, collecting strays, harrying them all on, this only the first part of it. He gallops off after another straggler or two and gets them back into the herd ("mob," please).

This goes on for no short amount of time, the same thing: the moving herd, the attempted escapes, the retrievals, the rush, the quiet... It's no great distance, but it takes a lot of time and a lot of work to even cover this much territory with these wandering, roaming horses. But the Barn is getting nearer, as are the fences that mark its pastures and fields. It'll be a trick to get these horses through the gate, but he'll try it--see, he's got help. Fact is, he might not even be the one in charge of this whole operation. But it seems someone had the bright idea to try and catch some of these wild horses and maybe even sell the ones of good enough temperament. Not a bad idea, as long as they don't disappear at midnight (maybe some won't).

Up that hill and up that hill fast and across the last expanse to the Farm's fences. And now it seems there's more help (and it's here and only here because it doesn't seem there were enough horses to go around--solved that now). More than enough hands to help funnel the animals into a pen and shut the gates behind them. It sounds simple, maybe it even looks simple. Still they manage it and manage to catch the last few who refuse to pass through that wide gate. His own horse steps and snorts and from the saddle one can see the horses in the pasture milling and wandering together--uneasy but not panicked. Job's done. Or mostly done.

He climbs out of the saddle and slides down, patting his own horse on the neck (loyal thing). He owes it a good drink, at least.

... And it's only then that he sees the device and that it's open and that it's recording. Well, after a moment's silent studying of the device (as much a traitor as Horse ever was), one might as well grin at it. Maybe you've never seen him when he's actually done an honest (this is an relative term) afternoon's work. Hence the wry, cocked grin. But he didn't do it out of the goodness of his heart. These are decent animals. And there's money to be made off of them. Bear that in mind amongst all those drop-bears and bird-eating spiders. That grin lingers. Someone whistles sharply in the distance and he looks up (more to be done, probably) and snaps the device shut again, throwing the feed into darkness and silence as suddenly as it all started, and it all ends in a--]
[//video post ends]

[ooc: Do you know what these are? These are brumbies. They are free-roaming feral horses from Australia. tl;dr: so all those promises about riding and horses and stuff? I am about to make good on 'em. A lot of these horses are curse!horses, so they'll disappear at midnight. But, in the process, the cowboys picked up some feral City!horses from out in the woods and wilderness (you can find anything out there) so those'll be here tomorrow. For riding and naming and all kinds of stuff.]

Comments

[boutant]

You did.

Have things died down enough for me to come over and look at them?

[withloadedguns]

Seems like they have. You won't be the only one looking at them.

[boutant]

I'll be there soon, then.

[ With sugar cubes for Horse, as usual. ]

[withloadedguns]

[Horse deserves a reward.]

All right.

[boutant]

[ She grabs the picture of No Name and the kittens before she leaves, and a while later she arrives at the barn, ignoring the emus(?!) pecking at some grass nearby. She's sure someone will chase them off if they don't want them there.

First thing's first: find Horse to give him his treats. ]

[withloadedguns]

[Everyone's too tired from herding horses all day to chase emus. If you want to chase them, go right ahead.

Once you're done spoiling Horse (who is in the barn now, having a well-deserved rest), you can find the cowboy who keeps him out under a nearby tree...]

[boutant]

[ Nah. The emus can stay.

Horse gets his sugar cubes, some cooing, and some nice pats before Ariadne leaves him alone to relax and goes to find his cowboy. At least she's learned her lesson on the whole 'silent approach' thing after the desert and being punched in the face. ]

Hey.

[withloadedguns]

[You're never going to forget that, are you? It was dark and you never said anything and, c'mon. It was dangerous and... Whatever.

He looks up at the sound of her voice.]

Hello.

[boutant]

[ You knocked her out, of course she's not going to forget it. ]

I spoiled your horse already. He looks pretty pleased with himself.

[withloadedguns]

[Well, you about got the drop on him. He's not going to forget that either. So nyah.]

Yeah?

[Good thing he didn't have to endure that. Geeze.]

I guess you came to see some other horses, though.

[boutant]

[ It's not her fault her size helps make her stealthy. Well, size and training with Natasha.

Aww Cowboy, you know she'd spoil you too if you asked. ]

I guess I did. Going to come with?

[withloadedguns]

[Yeah, well... Yeah...]

All right.

[He picks himself up and dusts himself off and heads towards the pasture where they've got these animals contained for the time being. Long steps. Try to keep up.]

[boutant]

[ She may be short but she's used to it after 24 years. She knows how to keep up, even if she's not in too much of a hurry. If nothing else, she doesn't want to be left behind. ]

Think any of them will stay around after midnight?

[withloadedguns]

[He shakes his head a little. He's not sure. No one is. They're hesitant to divide up anything until they know. It might have been a completely wasted effort.

...but it was fun.]

[boutant]

[ She knew you had fun.

It's a nice day, even with Australian wildlife poking around in odd places, and Ariadne's content to be quiet for a bit and lean on the fence to watch the horses in the pasture as soon as they get there. ]

[withloadedguns]

[Hush.

Yeah, he's pretty content too. Even if there are kangaroos hopping around in the distance. He puts his foot up on the bottom rail and, yeah. Just enjoying the view.]

[boutant]

[ Never.

After a little bit, Ariadne digs her bag of sugar cubes out of her pocket. She doesn't really think any of the brumbies will come over to have one while they're still there, but you never know, and she sets a couple down on top of the fence. ]

[withloadedguns]

[...this girl keeps more sugar in her pocket...]

You might have to get closer than that.

[boutant]

[ She brought extra. ]

Yeah, probably, if they won't just spook instead.

[withloadedguns]

[He got pretty close with Ivy earlier. They're shy, but they're curious critters. Sometimes you get lucky.]

If you go slow they might not.

[boutant]

Might as well try.

[ And just like that, she's slipping under the fence. ]

[withloadedguns]

[Doubletake. Yup. There she goes...and there he goes after her.]

[boutant]

[ She's going slowly, trying to make herself look even smaller than she already does so they don't think she's trying to eat them. She's not hiding herself either, though, not wanting to surprise the herd and end up trampled by them. ]

[withloadedguns]

[Yeah, no, trampling is bad. He creeps along near her--it's a lot more work for him to get small than it is for her...]

[boutant]

[ Trampling is very bad. She's already been kicked by a horse once and that was as a cheetah; while having a comparison while in human form would be scientific, she's not too interested.

Stopping, Ariadne crouches down in the grass, rubbing the back of her neck above her neckerchief. ]