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Something warm filled Rowan's belly as the truck approached the ranch, He pulled into the long drive, pulling up along several trailers where he parked the truck. He got out and unhooked the trailer, after he was done he got in the truck and parked it elsewhere. Coming back to the trailer he unloading the 16hands Dapple Grey Percheron, guiding her out of the trailer into the unfamiliar setting. She let out a sheer cry only seconds after coming out of the trailer, Her barefoot bell-shaped hooves hitting the gravel steadily. 'She will need shoes,' Rowan thought as he led the large draft to the barn, keeping her from the heads of other horses in their stalls, not wanting to cause a dominance fight within the barn. He led her down the aisle until he found the stall with a nameplate that simply had his name scratched out and 'Dyna' still attached. He led the horse into the stall, taking off the red sun-bleached and dirty halter from the mare's face. Petting her nose before she turned her hind end toward him, seemingly now losing interest in the man. He exited the stall, locking it behind him as he walked down the aisle, back to the trailer to unload his things and find his cabin. ---
After unloading his luggage and finally finding his cabin he put all his stuff away, walking back out to give Dyna 2 flakes of hay. He stood there for a long while from the stall door, his eyes scanning her amber brown eyes and slowly moved down to her feathered feet, up to her withers, down her back to her flank, her hocks, and eventually her udders. 'probably need to be cleaned soon,' He thought, it had been almost 2 months since he cleaned there and he knew he'd have to do the dreaded task of making sure they were clean again. (Fun fact, it isn't weird to clean a mare's udders, rather its recommended to do it every 2 months, same with a gelding or a studs sheath) |
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(Huh.) Emma popped on her boots and walked out to Fury, feeding her the special grain mix Emma had ordered a couple weeks ago. It was a cross between performance, medication for joints, and supplements. Fury ate as though she was starved, making Emma laugh. Emma walked up to the hay loft and grabbed 2 flecks of hay, tossing them into Fury's stall. She gave the mare's velvet nose a gentle pet before walking back out into the dreaded cold to her trailer, double checking she had everything. She noticed a man getting stuff from his trailer too. She walked over to him, "Hi. I'm Emma. I was hired to be one of the employees around here. My mare is Fury. And you are?" She discreetly looked him up and down before offering her hand to shake. She didn't know him, but he was nice looking enough to be a possible friend. |
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Rowan paused, he had forgotten a winter blanket from his trailer and had gone to grab the damned thing when a woman approached him. He was at a loss for words for a long few heartbeats. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears, and feel the blood rushing in his veins. He swallowed, trying to shove the social awkwardness down. He was expected to be alone for the night, then have to do a little bit of social activity tomorrow to get an understanding of this place, not be thrown into what he thought was a socially awkward situation. --- He stared at her blankly, his expression rather distant and cold for a few extra heartbeats, his words automatically coming out before he could change them to fit the setting. "Sergeant Rowan of Shadow Compan-" He stopped himself sighing, he wanted to smack himself dumb with the words that left his lips. "Rowan, I'm Rowan," He didn't mention his mare, not wanting to have a conversation when it was getting ever the more darker in the winter evening, well it wasn't completely winter, the Rowan berries were still in bloom back home and harvest was not for a few more weeks. Even if he wouldn't be home to harvest them this year. For once he craved the bitter crimson red berries, craved the jam he usually made every year. -- He missed Phillip and his teammates. He missed them all. "I- errr," He trailed off, pinching the harsh fabric of the winter blanket. "I'm ex-military, if you can tell," He murmured, almost too quiet for even himself to hear. |
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She smiled at his loss of thought and words. Cute. She thought. "I was feeding my horse when I saw you, and thought 'Well, we probably will work together', so I cam to introduce myself. Anyways, see you tomorrow." She smiled and walk to the cabin, surprised she wasn't hyperventilating. "Holy shit, he was cute!" She whispered to herself, "And he rides. I'm in trouble." She shrugged off her jacket, hanging it on the bedpost's edge, and laid down on the bed, falling asleep easily. The next morning, Emma woke up a half hour earlier than she normally did, but Fury was loud enough to hear in the cabins, demanding breakfast. Emma groaned and got up, putting on jeans, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt from high school that read: 'Dodger's Equestrian Team, Western Division', and her boots. She stepped out into the freezing winter-turning air, shivering at the cold darkness. "Why did the job have to be in the coldest part of the year?" She griped to herself, walking to the barn. Upon stepping in, she heard Fury's impatient mare squeal again, hangry for breakfast. "I'm going!" Emma shouted to the mare, still a little tired and hungry herself. She quickly scooped the grain and took a couple flecks of hay into Fury's stall. Fury immedietly decided to nip for the hay, upset that Emma hadn't just held it out to her. Emma laughed and elbowed the horse's nose away, dropping the hay and pouring the grain into the hanging bucket. "There. Now stop complaining, young lady." She scolded the horse, turning to leave the stall. |
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Rowan took in a deep breath as he watched her walk away for a long few heartbeats that felt like an eternity before he pulled back into reality and went on his way, taking the blanket to his cabin he went into the old, and rather not very taken care of the building, the smell of must hitting his nose again for about the fourth time that evening. As soon as he put his things in decently good order he practically dropped dead into the bed, it barely took him any time at all to fall asleep.
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Rowan had gotten up way before the sun, a habit he hadn't been able to break yet from his 'active duty' days, even if he never joined a branch of the military, staying in Shadow company. He had already gotten up and had fed his Percheron Dyna by the time he caught sight of the woman he had seen the other night. He watched her silently, absent-mindedly stroking the eating mare's chest, her muscles already very defined even with her young age. She had ever so slowly started to fill out, ever so slowly filling the breed standard of being a Percheron. He took a deep breath as he finally pulled his gaze away to make sure Dyna wasn't scarfing down the hay. Knowing how easily she coliced. His gaze was drawn back to the woman again, watching her every move with curiosity. "Mornin'." He called with a burst of bravery, usually, he was socially awkward, as he had shown last night, embarrassing himself in front of a future co-worker? Not on his to-do list. but he decided to try to act a bit outgoing, for once. |
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"Morning." Emma said, locking Fury's stall door. "What's on your assignment list today? I need to clean every last bit of tack and order more feed." She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed with the simple task that would take all afternoon. "I'm going for a ride at lunch. Join me?" She offered, hoping to break the thick ice. (sorry, it's so short because i'm ping-ponging from RP to RP lol) |
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Rowan blinked slowly at her offer and her complaint. Why was she so upset with things so mundane? Back in service, it was worse, way worse, so cleaning a bit of tack and ordering feed wasn't so bad. "Ehh, I feel bad for ya," He lied, trying to seem sympathetic. He watched her, mind whirling. "Err. Sure I'll join you for lunch," He nods, it was the least he could do, right? "I don't quite remember what's on my list, I'll figure it out though," He grinned sheepishly, lying straight to her face made him almost feel guilty, but he had done this before so he ignored it. |
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She furrowed her brow at him, seeing right through it all. "Sure. I'll see you later." She spun and walked to the tackroom in search of leather cleaner. She cleaned tack for the next 2.5 hours, listening to music on her phone through wireless earbuds. Once lunch rolled around, she tacked up Fury who was prancing with excitment. "Easy, pretty girl." She said, patting the mare's neck. Fury refused to do anything but perk her ears and dance in the cross-ties. Emma sighed at her horse, hoping onto Fury's back. She clicked to the mare and jogged out of the barn, riding Fury around one of the arenas and waited for the man. |
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Rowan, after making the 10-minute walk to his cabin TWICE had remembered finally what he was supposed to do. 'Finally' he thought as he cleaned the last bit of poop from the stalls. He took in a deep breath as he wiped off his brow with the back of his sleeve, even with the temperature dipping down in the season he couldn't feel hotter if he tried. He put the pitchfork away and walked to Dyna's stall, with the lead rope and red halter in hand. The mare paid no attention to the man until he entered her stall. She nickered, thinking he had treats within his grasp, which he did not. She was not very happy when he walked her into the aisle and cross-tied her. But she stayed patient, as she usually did. Her left back hoof was cocked and her head lazily down, leaning on the cross ties. He began to groom her winter coat, eventually getting how he wanted it to he went to clean her hooves, finding a small pebble in two of them, making him think again. 'She's going to need shoes,' He continued grooming the mare, eventually tacking her up in a very nice western saddle and blanket. He took in a breath as he put the D-ring snaffle bit into her mouth, slipping the bridle over her ears and buckling the nose band he led her out of the barn, climbing on when he was out of the now clean area out into the cold. He climbed into the saddle, making sure everything fit and his stirrups were the correct length. He coaxed her into a walk, and headed for the arena.
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"Fancy seein' you here," He teased the woman once he got into the arena, the Percheron immediately neighing at the other horse and started to prance underneath him. |
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"Oh, hey. She's gorgeous." Emma said, jogging Fury over to him. Fury arched her neck and sniffed Dyna's nose, nickering. Thank god she's fine with another mare. Emma thought, walking through the arena gate. "I was going to take the east trail. It's more mellow, and I thought that the girls could work up to the harder trails after riding for hours in a trailer." Emma had meant for her suggestion to be a statement, but it had sounded like a question. |
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Light Rain then Clearing Overnight
