Congrats! Sirens sound gave birth to a handsome Light Bay colt!

The dry heat of late summer has clung to the Sunset River valley for weeks, baking the ground and stripping the trees of moisture. The grass crunches beneath your boots, and the air smells faintly of dust and pine sap.

It was only a matter of time and when the storm came, it brought more lightning than rain. A single strike lit up the underbrush east of the riverbanks. Fueled by wind and brittle grass, the flames raced across the lowland woods in minutes. By the time fire crews arrived, the blaze had already scorched a wide swath of the Mustang herd’s home range.

The herd scattered. Foals bolted blindly. Mares, heavy with sweat and ash, led their young into dense smoke. Stallions, refusing to abandon their band, were last seen circling back into the fire, ears pinned, eyes wide, hooves pounding against the cracked, burning earth.

Now, the worst has passed. The fire has been contained.
But the land is still smoldering, and ash falls like snow in the mornings.

Tracks have been found, deep impressions of running hooves, scattered clumps of tail hair, overturned stones. Some horses have been spotted near old watering holes, their coats stained with soot and their eyes dulled with exhaustion. Others are still missing. Scouts report hearing the distant cries of mustangs echoing through the canyons at night. They’re out there still. Hidden in blackened forests, among burned-out gullies, or wandering high ridges in search of scents that no longer exist.

They need to be brought back and each horse you find is a life brought back from the brink.

The fire scattered the herd far beyond its usual grazing paths. From the sun-bleached riverbanks to the high mountain passes, their hoofbeats have marked trails not followed in generations. Your expedition begins in one of three fire-affected regions:

• Sunset Bend — Once a lush grove along the Sunset River’s lower banks, now blackened by fire and falling ash. Survivors here may be weakened, but they are often the first found, standing dazed near the charred remains of familiar watering holes.

• Dry Gulch — A deep canyon where smoke still lingers between the stone walls. The paths are narrow and treacherous, but the horses that fled here may bear the marks of soot and fear, but their spirits remain unbroken.

• Shadow Butte — Highland terrain swept by wind and dotted with scorched grass. Tracks vanish quickly here, but the horses are hardy, forged by the roughest parts of the wilderness.

~

Base Price is 13k

Stable Name & Number:
Chosen Region:

Total Price:

Ends August 13th @ 5pm GT

Completely forgot to post this so extending the end time till 7pm GT!! Last Chance!!

Accepted! I'll get started right away!

accepted! i'll get on it soon as i can

You decend into a deep canyon, slowly picking your way down the rocky sides until you reach the bottom. The smoke is thick here. So thick you have to cover your nose with your shirt to be able to breathe. You make your way along the bottom of the canyon for a short distance before you hear gentle hoofbeats behind you. As you turn around a beautiful Blood Bay Splash White Mare is standing a short distance from you, her breath heavy as she tries to breathe. Her eyes are red and dry from tearing up constantly at the smoke and as you look in each others eyes, you answer her silent plea for help.

~

It is slow going as climb up the side of Shadow Butte. The sun is shrouded by the heavy smoke and exerting yourself makes it difficlut to breathe. Several times you have to stop on a ledge so you don't pass out. It'd be a painful fall down the side of the mountian if you did and would probably end in death but the thought of the mustangs at the top, struggling more than you keeps you going. You can see the edge of the smoke haze right above you where the air above is clearer and you find a new burst of energy. A soft pained whicker to your left catches your attention and as you peer through the thick smoke, you can make out the silohette of a mustang. As you inch your way closer you find a Buckskin Mare with her hoof caught between two rocks on a small ledge. She stands almost perfectly still, calmer than any mustang you've ever seen and after you free her, she stays with you.

~

You pick your way along the edge of the river among burnt and broken trees. The fire is mostly out here although a few piles of ash are still smoldering and you avoid them. Normally the water here is only knee deep but today it is barely enough to cover your boots. The river is much lower than its been in years thanks to the water being pulled from it to help douse the fire. The whole place has a sort of dejected feel about it and it makes you want to leave but you push on. After a few more minutes you come upon a small band of mustangs standing in my mud with their heads hung low. Your jacket crackles and their heads come up but before you can do anything, they've bolted, leaving lone Dark Flaxen Liver Chestnut Rabicano Brindle Mare standing in the mud staring at you caustiously. She's exhuasted from running and trying to breathe and willingly lets you touch her.

~

You descend into the canyon just as the last light begins to fade behind the canyon walls, casting long shadows that stretch like fingers across the cracked earth. The smoke is heavier here than above and it hangs low in the gulch like a ghost that won’t leave. The air is dry, heavy with ash and dust, and each breath feels like swallowing sand. A scraping of hooves on stone echoes off the canyon walls and you stop, listening. Then you see him. A Golden Buckskin Stallion halfway up the canyon side, barely balanced on a narrow ledge, one hind leg hanging awkwardly where he must’ve slipped trying to escape the fire. His sides shudder with effort, but he doesn’t cry out. He just watches you, ears pinned but eyes wide with fear and pain. Carefully, you climb toward him, the rock cool beneath your palms. He lets you get close and you work slowly, speaking in a low voice, clearing the loose shale around his leg until he can pull it free. He stumbles but doesn’t fall, and once you’re both safely back at the bottom, he stands beside you, breathing hard, flecks of ash clinging to his perfect golden coat.

Stable Name & Number: Black Moon Magic 271117

Chosen Region: Shadow Butte

Items Used (if any): n/a

Total Price: 13k