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Post by Swede on Feb 19, 2008 17:41:58 GMT -5
Cochise sipped from the river quietly, and trembled. A twig snapped- his head flew upwards, and he turned his left side towards the source of the noise, looking sideways. "C-C-cougar, you scared m-me." "Sorry, kid," grunted the mule. "You ok?" "S-sort of..." Cougar sighed. "You shouldn't have come with me. The humans would have taken care of you." Cochise sidled up by the mule, and shook his head. Scars lined his legs in even rows, put there by an eight-inch knife. He was lucky- that same knife had been used to kill others. He lay down, tucking his legs under him very carefully, every move accounted for. His tendons had healed of sorts, but were still weak and fragile. He had to be careful, or it would be over for him.
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Post by Swede on Feb 19, 2008 22:22:34 GMT -5
Cochise jumped again. "W-w-what was th-that?" He swung his head around, left side facing away from Cougar, his eyes peering about nervously. Or so it seemed- in reality, only the left one was any good at all. The old mule snorted. "Dunno, kid. Stay close." He brayed, and stomped. "Who's there? Show yeself!" Cougar in a good mood was not too bad. but put him in a grumpy mood, and he went all mule- stubborn, nasty, with no qualms about causing pain to others to protect himself and his young charge. Be it mare, stallion, or mule, it was in their best interests not to hide. And if it was a cougar or wolf, well, this mule was called Cougar for a reason- he fought like a wildcat. No predators did he fear, despite his weak state. No sir, not a breath of fear from Cougar, not while watching Cochise anyway.
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Post by Swede on Feb 20, 2008 18:54:48 GMT -5
Cougar relaxed, though was still on edge. Both he and Cochise trusted only each other; in their lives, too much betrayal had been dealt for them to be off-guard. The mule snorted in a non-irritable sort of manner; one would think he was incapable of being friendly, but he was more bark than bite. Still, when he stopped barking and started biting, he was a monster. but for now, at least, he was amiable enough. Cochise took a timid step forward, ears pricked, and turned the left side of his face towards the mare, observing her nervously through his deep brown eye. she didn't seem too dangerous- but then again, men in white coats didn't seem too dangerous at first glance. Oh, how mistaken he had been then! He muttered very softly to Cougar, "W-who is th-that?" The brown mule sighed, and flicked his ears forward, getting a better look. "Not sure, kid, but she doesn't look too harmful. And if she is, well, my teeth might be the only healthy thing left, but they're sharper 'n a cat's tongue." He raised his head. He really wasn't a giant mule, but he was no timid thing either. He whinnied back to teh mare, inviting her over. "Let's see who she is, and then we can decided whether to sit 'n chat, or to scamper quick." So, Cochise huddling closer to his protector, they waited for the mare to introduce herself. they were wary, sure enough, but not too bad once you got to know them. Cochise was positively sweet if he could stop shaking long enough, and Cougar was a good guy to have on your side.
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Post by Swede on Feb 20, 2008 20:30:39 GMT -5
Cougar nodded. "Nice to meet ye, ma'am. I'm Cougar, and this here's Cochise. We're strangers to these parts as well." Then, the mule swung his head around and nudged Cochise. "Buck up, you're two years old, time you stopped cowering like a newborn baby my side!" he whispered. Cochise swallowed, and stepped out of Cougar's shadow. "H-h-hello," he stammered. He could barely remember the days when he was happy, normal, and was just fine, like any other horse. Now, he was not so sure what he was. he chewed his lip nervously, and tried again. "I-I mean, n-nice to m-meet you."
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Post by Swede on Feb 20, 2008 20:50:26 GMT -5
Cougar paused. Now what? Hmm. Perhaps pleasant conversation. "So, nice to meet you, Blue Wings. How did ye come to be here, of all the places in the world?" There. That would be a good start, for now, at least. Cochise shuddered slightly. It would be interesting to see what the mare said. As long as she didn't ask about their own history. Now there was a painful subject, quite literally. he stepped closer, blinking in the sunlight, and swung his face so that his left side faced towards the mare again. the sun was bright and lovely, and it was a nice day.
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Post by Swede on Feb 21, 2008 20:37:24 GMT -5
Cougar shifted slightly, his face guarded and unreadable. Cochise, on the other hand, trembled, and shifted his scarred legs unconsciously. The mule was quiet for a moment, thinking, before he lifted his whiskery face and said, "Well, let's just say it's a very long story, and I wouldn't want to spoil such a wonderful day for ye, seeing as our tale ain't too pleasant. To put it briefly, we met each other about a year ago, in a place best compared to living hell, and then, through odd circumstances I don't understand much, we switched hands, and then I got sick of the whole charade and broke out, and Cochise followed me. And then we wandered around a bit, and came here. We've got no plans for the future, except maybe to cheat old man Death a little bit more. We've been doin it for so long, why not keep doing it? It's what we're best at." The grizzled mule glanced down at Cochise, who did not seem pleased by the summary; on the contrary, his eyes shifted nervously, and he was nearly whimpering. His experiences had scarred him, both physically and mentally, and it was bad enough without talking about it. Cougar sighed apologetically, and gave Blue Wings a meaningful look. In a quiet voice, which Cochise could not hear, he said, "Poor kid. Too young for such stuff. I don't think he'll ever be the same, and a good pity that is, too- he's much too young to turn into a nervous wreck. Old geezers like me, now that's one thing, but he's got 'is whole life ahead o' him. Or, he should, but who knows, in this state." He shook his head, and guilt swept over him. Why? He couldn't say- the whole mess wasn't his fault, but still he felt somehow responsible for the colt.
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Post by Swede on Feb 22, 2008 13:10:03 GMT -5
Cochise nodded, still trembling- but he usually was shaking or startled, at most hours of the day. "I-it was h-horrible. I d-don't ever w-want to g-go back there a-again." He shuddered, before mastering himself and calming down a little. "B-but it is p-pretty here..." Cougar nodded, gazing vacantly towards the river. "Yeah, sure is, kid," he said, dreamily. Then, he snapped out of his reverie and turned back to them. "Only problem is, we don't know where te go. Sure enough, wandering around has gotten us places, but lately we've had spots of trouble when some stallion don't like us trespassin. Thee's not a quiet place left in the world for a pair o weary travelers to ut up their feet anymore. Cept perhaps here, but we can't stay forever." He shrugged. They would make do, they always did. Cochise coughed, his throat rasping. The mule glanced at the colt, and muttered, "You ok?" Cochise nodded. They were used to looking out for each other, despite their disabilities.
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Post by Swede on Feb 22, 2008 17:05:21 GMT -5
Cougar snorted. "You wait, this place will be ruined by something soon enough- be it humans, predators, power-hungry stallions, or ole Mother Nature herself." Then he softened his voice. No good to be so pessimistic all the time, not at all. This mare had hope- that was on the right track. "Then again, maybe not. Maybe it will be this perfect till the world goes under. Who knows?" The mule nodded thoughtfully, mulling over her words. "Travelin's nice, but it's the oddest thing to be homesick when ye have no home. Travelin does that to ye, mind, I've seen it happen. We're plannin on stayin round here, too, though exactly where I can't say. Just bunker down for the winter, and then we'll see." He dazed off again. And then we'll see. That was what he had said; but really, what were the chances? Even summer was tough on the mule. he knew, somewhere deep inside him, that he would not be seeing another one. And what of Cochise, then? Cougar had not told the colt that he was a dying mule- you couldn't tell much from the outside, and it would break the pinto's heart. Cochise himself was looking at Cougar and blue Wings curiously. Normally, he would participate, but he was shy. Other horses sometimes laughed at his stammering, and he had been timid ever since their escape. He felt like he should maybe say something, but what? And what if the mare laughed at him, like everyone else?
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Post by Swede on Feb 23, 2008 19:33:16 GMT -5
Cougar nodded. "A traveler at heart? Or are ye lookin to settle down someplace?" Cougar himself didn't know what he was. Probably a traveler, or at least a loner. A loner, with Cochise. The pinto colt raised his head, almost said something, and then changed his mind. He did not know what to say. Cougar was better at talking, so he left the mule that job. Cochise was better at- well, hmm... Nothing, really. It was a sad thought. He was fairly useless, and really just a burden to Cougar. Why the mule hadn't driven him out, he wasn't sure- but he wasn't about to ask. He was grateful that the older equid put up with him.
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Post by Swede on Feb 23, 2008 19:50:24 GMT -5
"And that ye should. Don't put up with it if ye can't stand it, I say. Although, we didn't have much choice, but-" he shrugged, "When possible, jest make a break for it." Cochise flicked nervous eyes to Cougar, wondering what to say. He had something on the tip of his tongue, but had forgotten what it was. Timidly, he said, "H-h-have y-you seen any h-herds around h-here?" It was something, at least, and could prove useful- at least it would give Cougar and himself an idea of what to look out for. The mule nodded, approvingly. The colt had no idea how to take care of himself, but he was learning fast.
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Post by Swede on Feb 23, 2008 20:04:09 GMT -5
Cougar nudged Cochise. "There you go, kid, plenty of other horses 'round here. Ye should go find a real herd te live with, not just a creaky old mule like me. Yer going te be a stallion, one day, a strappin stud, and ye'll never learn how if ye stick to me like the little burr ye are." But Cochise shook his brown and white head, eyes wide. "Y-you aren't th-that old, Cougar. And I-I like b-being with y-you..." Seeing that the pinto was nearly in tears, the mule sighed and bumped him with his muzzle reassuringly. Still, inside he was pleased. The colt fairly idolized him, and he loved the colt more than the life. He wouldn't be very happy if Cochise left him for a real herd, though he would do anything for his sake. However, Cochise was two years old; most colts his age were playfighting, trying to catch the fillies' eyes, causing trouble for their fathers, while Cochise trembled like an aspen leaf at the slightest sound and followed Cougar around like a newborn.
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Post by Swede on Feb 23, 2008 20:13:26 GMT -5
Cougar brought his attention back to the mare. "Since yer new round this neck o the woods, would I be correct in saying ye haven't found a herd?" he asked. Cochise still looked a little scared- that Cougar suggest he leave him!- but was happily snuggled up against Cougar's side. It was nice to be able to hold a conversation with another horse, without being chased off by some rude, irritated, grumpy stallion, which usually happened. They never liked Cougar's attitude, and when they weren't laughing at Cochise, considered him a threat to their mares. As if! Cochise was quite harmless.
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Post by manda on Feb 24, 2008 13:15:43 GMT -5
Blessed Waters came into Sunshine River at a graceful trot. She saw a young stallion, a mare, and a mule. The stallion and the mule had bad scars, cuts, and burns all over their bodies. She felt bad for them and wondered who or what could do that to them, but she didn't ask because she didn't want to possibly bring back bad memories. She lowered her head to the three of them out of respect. "Hello. I am Blessed Waters. May I ask your names?" Blessed Waters stood there and waited for an answer.
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Post by Swede on Feb 24, 2008 13:25:08 GMT -5
Cochise jumped before realizing it was another horse, not a vicious colt-eating monster. Cougar smiled indulgently at him and addressed the newcomer, "My name's Cougar, and this here's Cochise. We're travelers come from afar. Pleasure to meet ye, ma'am." He nodded his grizzled head in her direction. The pinto colt, figuring it would be most polite to say something, chimed in, "Y-yes, p-pleasure to m-meet you, B-Blessed W-Waters." His voice was somewhat wavering, per usual, but he tried his best. Cougar figured that Blue Wings could introduce herself, he didn't need to look after her the way he looked after Cochise.
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Post by manda on Feb 25, 2008 16:25:04 GMT -5
Blessed Waters smiled at the three. "Nice to meet you all, Cochise, Cougar, Blue Wings." Blessed Waters nodded to each when she said their name. Blessed Waters allowed for a few minutes of silence before she decided to speak. "So, where do you all reside?" Maybe they knew of a nice herd with a nice stallion and a few nice mares. She hoped that she would be able to meet Sunny again. She felt sorry for getting the water in her eyes and hurting her and wished that she could have helped more than she did. Blessed Waters sighed to herself and smiled at the others.
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Post by Swede on Feb 25, 2008 17:09:10 GMT -5
The mule shrugged. "Nowhere. Not us, anyways. Blue Wings here says she's new too." He fell silent. How odd it was, to say one lived nowhere. Well, he hadn't had a home since they escaped. Correction: he hadn't had a place that felt like home since that tourist ranch. It hadn't been easy stuff, but at least he had friends and was well-treated. All he had Cochise, and in some ways, he needed the colt more than the colt needed him. But you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at them now; the two year old, almost fully grown, huddled next to Cougar like a terrified foal. The pinto stammered, "D-do you l-live somewhere around h-h-here, ma'am?" he asked politely, for the sake of conversation, praying that she would not laugh at him.
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Post by manda on Feb 27, 2008 17:32:16 GMT -5
Blessed Waters smiled at Cochise. "No, I do not have a home here either. I am looking for a herd now, maybe you would all like to accompany me in the search." Blessed Waters smiled warmly to the three. She flipped her head to get her forelock out of her eyes. She was a friendly mare and welcomed company open hoofed whenever she could get it. She lifted her hoof and touched it back to the ground lightly a few times for no reason. She looked at all the scars on Cochise's pelt. Poor, poor thing.
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Post by Swede on Feb 27, 2008 20:50:20 GMT -5
Cochise smiled back uncertainly. Had he been a normal colt, he might have flirted some, but he was too nerve-shattered. Such thoughts did not cross his mind, ever. He was just grateful she hadn't laughed at him, and decided to leave the rest up to Cougar. The mule, taking the signal, stepped forward and said, "Us two would join ye, if ye'd have us. Course, I can't speak for Blue Wings, but we'll come. Lemme warn ye, though- not a lot o stallions appreciate us. Especially Cochise; they are so blinded by their own studly pride that they don't realize he's harmless. And as for me, well, mules aren't always popular among you horses. But if yer willing, we'll come with ye." And if she wasn't, they would just keep traveling, like they always did.
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Post by manda on Feb 28, 2008 21:07:56 GMT -5
ooc: I think that Blessed Waters might flirt a bit with Cochise, like the idea Swede?
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Post by Swede on Feb 28, 2008 21:39:09 GMT -5
ooc: okies ^-^
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Post by manda on Feb 28, 2008 21:47:26 GMT -5
ooc: think bc would mind if I posted out of turn once?
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Post by manda on Feb 29, 2008 15:50:00 GMT -5
Blessed Waters smiled at Cochise and Cougar. She couldn't help but like how Cochise was so polite and modest. She put her muzzle out and nuzzled him gently. She withdrew her muzzle and smiled at Cochise again. She looked at Cougar. "I am glad that the two of you will be coming with me. I won't join any herd that won't accept the two of you also. Blue Wings, will you join us also? We can stick together and always have company." Blessed Waters nuzzled Cougar gently as a sign of friendship. She nuzzled Cochise again and then looked at Blue Wings.
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Post by Swede on Feb 29, 2008 19:03:25 GMT -5
Had Cochise been human, his face would be a deep shade of crimson. As it was, he just ducked his head shyly. Cougar cuffed him a little with his muzzle, then nodded to the two mares. "Alright then, I guess that makes us company. And I think we'll do better if one of ye two mares would kindly choose the way. I dunno where te go, and Cochise don't know, either. So that leaves the other half o our crowd. Ye kin lead." Cougar sighed, just a little, nothing remarkable. He was thinking of the coming winter, and how tough it would be. Sure, he was a mule, and his lifespan was longer than most horses. Still, 16 was no newborn, either, and his time as a lab animal had done nothing to lengthen his life. But he couldn't leave Cochise alone- not yet, anyway. The poor kid had a lot to learn about life first. The pinto colt raised his head again, interested. What now?
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Post by manda on Mar 1, 2008 13:26:57 GMT -5
Blessed Waters smiled at the three. "We should look around here for a bit. Stallions come here to find other horses to have in their herd. I guess we should call for someone." Blessed Waters lifted her muzzle into the air and let out a call for stallion. She hoped that they could find someone that would take the four of them. Blessed Waters nudged Cochise playfully. She nipped at him lightly. Maybe he would become more open and lively. She nuzzled him again.
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Post by horses4563 on Mar 6, 2008 8:53:38 GMT -5
Cloud Cap was grazing about a half mile off from the small group of horses. He lifted his crown and perked his ears when he heard the sound of a mare calling for a stallion. He nickered and headed off in the direction he heard it, thinking that he will finally be able to find a mare.
He trotted on and stopped as the group came into view, four horses, wow! He looked over them. He could tell that one was a mule, there was a youngster by him. The other two looked like good mares and trotted on towards them.
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Post by Swede on Mar 6, 2008 20:10:20 GMT -5
Cougar pricked his long, fuzzy ears, and whinnied an answer. "Hey there, stranger," he called. "Come now, ye don't need te be shy. We don't bite." Well, only if he's less than polite. Cochise pricked his ears too, and trembled slightly. New horses were always exciting, but stallions tended to pick on the pinto, or drive him away, or just plain laugh at him. He could be a great stallion, maybe; if his nerves weren't so shattered, and he wasn't so afraid of everything. If he had had a better childhood. If he was normal. Forget it; he could never be a herd stallion. He was pathetic. Most stallions realized this, and laughed. Others saw him as another colt, and thus a threat. Cougar had helped him out of a tight spot on more than one occasion.
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Post by manda on Mar 6, 2008 20:18:37 GMT -5
Blessed Waters smiled at the new stallion, but when she glanced at Cochise and saw him trembling she forgot to introduce herself. She walked over to Cochise and placed her neck over his in a warm and comforting embrace. She thought she felt him stop trembling a bit, but she was probably wrong. She smiled, but when she noticed the stallion again she stopped the embrace and looked at the stallion. "Are you here to answer our call? If you are you must accept all four of us or none of us." If this scared the stallion off at the fact of having two other males in his herd then so be it. She would NOT leave her friends alone. She kept her gaze on the stallion, but she embraced Cochise again with her neck.
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Post by horses4563 on Mar 7, 2008 8:44:13 GMT -5
The stallion approched the group. He looked over the mule and colt before looking to the mares. Usually, he didn't get along with stallions, but this was a heafty mule and a young colt that trembled, they wouldn't be much of a problem. He looked to the mare that spoke about all or nothing. He nodded his head "I see no reason to leave behind your two friends, they can come." He looked to the other mare "That is if you want to come with me. I am Cloud Cap." He said, blue coat shimmering in the sun.
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Post by Swede on Mar 7, 2008 17:20:21 GMT -5
Cochise felt Blessed Water's tender touch, and stood still in utter shock. A mare? Showing any sort of attention towards him? They generally laughed at him, or clucked over him like mother hens. He didn't know which was worse, really. He always ended up getting so embarrassed when others laughed at him, but when they showed him pity he felt shame. He was a stallion, almost fully grown. Or he should be. he would never reach his full height, and most likely die as lonely as he would be for his entire life. Her neck wrapped around his again, and he trembled, horse-blushing furiously. The pinto muttered something unintelligible and looked down.
Cougar snorted and said, "I'm Cougar. This is Cochise." If you're listening, he added silently. He had a very low opinion of stallions. Especially those that treated him as though mules were an inferior race, and acted like Cochise was either the dirt beneath their hooves or something to drive out. At his words, Cochise looked up again nervously, turning his head so that his left side faced the newcomer, Cloud Cap, and his right side was tucked in beside Cougar. The frightened eyes reflected all the pain he had endured, and were perpetually like those of a cornered rabbit, even when he was alone with Cougar. Cochise wasn't sure what he thought about this stallion, or what Cougar would think. Well, as long as he didn't attack him, he would be ok. Hopefully.
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Post by manda on Mar 7, 2008 17:28:35 GMT -5
Blessed Waters smiled at Cloud Cap. "Hello Cloud Cap. I would like to get to know you better if we are going to go with you, but that isn't up to me." Blessed Waters nuzzled Cochise in a loving manner, not as a mate, or motherly figure, but more of a well, well, she wasn't quite sure. She just felt an attraction to him somehow. She smiled at Cochise and everyone else. She hoped that Cloud Cap wouldn't try to drive Cochise or Cougar out. If he did then Blessed Waters would be going also.
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