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Description
Bonus image for #HARPG-Outlaw-Trail
Other images:
[link] Sepia portrait
[link] Coloured Portrait
[link] Advert
[link] Arrival previous

Well, this picture started off good! Then I got a headache, and things went downhill from there. Oh well! Final product is satisfactory! Also, I'm bored with it. TALLY HO! ON TO THE STORY!

Character Index:
Roo - generally easy going, native of Australia, has delusions of cowboy grandeur.
Spawn - high maintenance Nordanner mare; frankly, a bit of a bitch
Chess - long distance friend of Roo's; belongs to ~Tattered-Dreams
Peanut - sheltie mix belonging to Chess and ~Tattered-Dreams
Mossy - arabian mare belonging to Chess and ~Tattered-Dreams
Cat - owner of Dry Gulch; belongs to *MissDudette
Jim - Cat's buckskin gelding; belongs to *MissDudette

THEN

Spawn had started off the hunt for their friends with all the vim and vigour found in a horse that'd been traveling for a day and a half. She had cantered through the pastures and down the roads and trails like a demon out of hell. Once she'd gotten all her pent up energy out, the real painstaking journey had begun. Roo had directed her up this hill and that, and though she started out fresh, after about an hour and a half she was dragging her feet behind her. He CLEARLY had no idea what he was looking for. She knew this for a fact, considering they'd past that same tree stump about four times at that point. Finally, hungry and frustrated, she'd stopped and refused to move. Roo had thrown himself off her back and led her on foot for another half hour before realizing that trying to find his friends in the dark was hopeless. So he'd started back.

And realized he was utterly lost. Nothing looked the same in the dark; he had no idea where he'd parked their trailer. He'd half dragged the exhausted mare back through the pastures for a good hour before she dug her heels into the grass and dirt and flat out refused to go any farther. Much to her surprise, he complied, which threw her for a loop. He smashed a peg into the ground with his shoe, tied her up, and gone to sleep on the grass as she'd grazed. It had to be nearly midnight at that point.

NOW

Roo grunted as something snuffled at his hair and tried to pat it away. It didn't stop; just kept on sniffing. First his hair, then his neck and shirt. Ignoring it wasn't easy, but he was exhausted; maybe if he stayed still long enough, it would get the picture and carry on.

From behind him, Spawn neighed loudly and snorted. He ignored that too as the cold nose slid down his chest and pushed itself under his gaudy shirt, pressing against his bare skin, and then continued toward his pants.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, leaping backward as the nose poked into his pockets (what were you thinking?) "GET outta there, those are mine," he demanded, wide awake as the tricolour dog leapt at him and tried to stick her tongue into his pockets. "No!" he demanded as Spawn hopped onto her hind legs in a mini-rear, whinnying loudly at the dog. "Those are my Oreos, go and get your own!"

He was very much awake now as he leapt to his feet and backed into the irritated mare, pointing threateningly at the little mutt, who stared at him innocently, head cocked to the side. Pointing always worked with the dogs back home; it meant 'you're in massive trouble mister' and they'd roll over onto their backs and beg for forgiveness. It had no effect on this dog, however. She just stared at him with her big brown eyes, begging him to give in to her adorableness and pass her a bit of cookie.

He straightened his shirt and smoothed the wrinkles out of his trousers, brushing away the grass and dirt that had clung to them during the night, doing his best to ignore the dog. He'd never had much experience with dogs, to be honest; his family had never kept any, considering they were far too busy with their horses, and the ones at Carousel didn't belong to them. Thus, they weren't really Roo's area. He watched and thought they were adorable from a distance, but that was probably the extent of his relationship with any dog, let alone this one.

The dog whimpered at him and Spawn tugged at her lead, still tied to the peg in the ground. "Stay... what are dogs called? Lassie? Stay, Lassie! Heel! No," he told her as the dog took a step toward them. "Staaaaaay...."

"Peanut, stop terrorizing the homeless," said a familiar voice from somewhere behind them. Roo turned his head slowly, trying (and failing) to keep one eye on the dog and one on the voiced he'd heard so many times over the phone.

"Chess!" he exclaimed a little too loudly, and with far too much relief and enthusiasm. He wasn't lost! Civilization at last!

"Roo?" the girl asked, hopping off her sleek arabian mare and moving toward them. "Why are you covered in dirt?"

"No time to explain. Is this yours? I think it wants to eat me," he told her, taking a big step back as the tricoloured dog moved toward him. Spawn whinnied loudly again and yanked at her lead, trying to pull herself free. She shook her head, but the peg held fast, much to her utter frustration.

"She's not gonna eat you, she's not even half your size! Peanut, come! Leave him alone, he's a chicken," Chess commanded bending down and clapping her hands. Peanut yipped loudly, but turned away and barreled into her mistress' outstretched arms. "See? Friendly," Chess told him, a hint of mockery in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Roo grumbled, trying to brush the rest of the dirt off his pants.

"Nope!" someone else exclaimed, and both Roo's head and Chess' turned to pinpoint it's source. They found it quickly; a girl on a buckskin gelding, with dark brown hair and a somewhat exasperated look on her face. "Can't find him. Maybe he's dead. Should we call the cops? I think I have reception on my mobile, so -- hey! You found him!" she added when she caught sight of first the terrifying shirt, and then it's bedraggled wearer. She shoved her mobile back into her pocket and slid gracefully out of her saddle. "This... is him, right? Or should I actually call the cops?"

"No, that's him. A tad worse for wear perhaps, but him all the same. Cat, Roo. Roo, Cat," Chess introduced, getting back to her feet as Peanut went to sniff in Spawn's general direction.

Before Roo could shoot her a greeting, Spawn trumpeted loudly and reared up high, ripping the peg from the ground. She threw herself forward with an excited whinny and charged the black and tan dog, head down as she raced through the grass.

"NO!" Roo shouted desperately, throwing himself after the mare as she flew at the dog. Peanut barked excitedly and leapt into a run, darting playfully away from the mare that was hot on her heels, Roo trailing after them. "SPAWN, STAY!"

Spawn ignored him, whipping her tail forward as she chased after the happy dog, a look of heated determination in her deep brown eyes, quickly leaving Roo in the dust.

He stopped, panting, as he realized it was a hopeless cause. He cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled after her: "BREAKFAST!" but the mare kept going. "SPAWN, COME!"

She screeched to a halt as her ears picked up on the anger in his voice; the panic she could gladly ignore, but after these past years, she knew better than to leave him when he sounded like that. It meant all day in her stall, or no snacks between meals, or something else horrible like that. She snorted indignantly as she trotted back toward him, her lead and peg dragging dejectedly behind her as Peanut barked, trying to get the mare to chase her again. But this time, Spawn ignored her, though the dog trotted purposefully after her. When she reached Roo, she shoved her head into his shoulder, as though to say "come off it; it was only a game," and dipped her head to graze.

Hope I got everyone's characters right! If not, murder me and make me change it! Also, sorry for the scant ending. Tis time for food!

Cat: I think I got Cat's horse correct, but if not, let me know and I shall correct it! -dies-

Description
Bonus image for #HARPG-Outlaw-Trail
Other images:
[link] Sepia portrait
[link] Coloured Portrait
[link] Advert
[link] Arrival previous

Well, this picture started off good! Then I got a headache, and things went downhill from there. Oh well! Final product is satisfactory! Also, I'm bored with it. TALLY HO! ON TO THE STORY!

Character Index:
Roo - generally easy going, native of Australia, has delusions of cowboy grandeur.
Spawn - high maintenance Nordanner mare; frankly, a bit of a bitch
Chess - long distance friend of Roo's; belongs to ~Tattered-Dreams
Peanut - sheltie mix belonging to Chess and ~Tattered-Dreams
Mossy - arabian mare belonging to Chess and ~Tattered-Dreams
Cat - owner of Dry Gulch; belongs to *MissDudette
Jim - Cat's buckskin gelding; belongs to *MissDudette

THEN

Spawn had started off the hunt for their friends with all the vim and vigour found in a horse that'd been traveling for a day and a half. She had cantered through the pastures and down the roads and trails like a demon out of hell. Once she'd gotten all her pent up energy out, the real painstaking journey had begun. Roo had directed her up this hill and that, and though she started out fresh, after about an hour and a half she was dragging her feet behind her. He CLEARLY had no idea what he was looking for. She knew this for a fact, considering they'd past that same tree stump about four times at that point. Finally, hungry and frustrated, she'd stopped and refused to move. Roo had thrown himself off her back and led her on foot for another half hour before realizing that trying to find his friends in the dark was hopeless. So he'd started back.

And realized he was utterly lost. Nothing looked the same in the dark; he had no idea where he'd parked their trailer. He'd half dragged the exhausted mare back through the pastures for a good hour before she dug her heels into the grass and dirt and flat out refused to go any farther. Much to her surprise, he complied, which threw her for a loop. He smashed a peg into the ground with his shoe, tied her up, and gone to sleep on the grass as she'd grazed. It had to be nearly midnight at that point.

NOW

Roo grunted as something snuffled at his hair and tried to pat it away. It didn't stop; just kept on sniffing. First his hair, then his neck and shirt. Ignoring it wasn't easy, but he was exhausted; maybe if he stayed still long enough, it would get the picture and carry on.

From behind him, Spawn neighed loudly and snorted. He ignored that too as the cold nose slid down his chest and pushed itself under his gaudy shirt, pressing against his bare skin, and then continued toward his pants.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, leaping backward as the nose poked into his pockets (what were you thinking?) "GET outta there, those are mine," he demanded, wide awake as the tricolour dog leapt at him and tried to stick her tongue into his pockets. "No!" he demanded as Spawn hopped onto her hind legs in a mini-rear, whinnying loudly at the dog. "Those are my Oreos, go and get your own!"

He was very much awake now as he leapt to his feet and backed into the irritated mare, pointing threateningly at the little mutt, who stared at him innocently, head cocked to the side. Pointing always worked with the dogs back home; it meant 'you're in massive trouble mister' and they'd roll over onto their backs and beg for forgiveness. It had no effect on this dog, however. She just stared at him with her big brown eyes, begging him to give in to her adorableness and pass her a bit of cookie.

He straightened his shirt and smoothed the wrinkles out of his trousers, brushing away the grass and dirt that had clung to them during the night, doing his best to ignore the dog. He'd never had much experience with dogs, to be honest; his family had never kept any, considering they were far too busy with their horses, and the ones at Carousel didn't belong to them. Thus, they weren't really Roo's area. He watched and thought they were adorable from a distance, but that was probably the extent of his relationship with any dog, let alone this one.

The dog whimpered at him and Spawn tugged at her lead, still tied to the peg in the ground. "Stay... what are dogs called? Lassie? Stay, Lassie! Heel! No," he told her as the dog took a step toward them. "Staaaaaay...."

"Peanut, stop terrorizing the homeless," said a familiar voice from somewhere behind them. Roo turned his head slowly, trying (and failing) to keep one eye on the dog and one on the voiced he'd heard so many times over the phone.

"Chess!" he exclaimed a little too loudly, and with far too much relief and enthusiasm. He wasn't lost! Civilization at last!

"Roo?" the girl asked, hopping off her sleek arabian mare and moving toward them. "Why are you covered in dirt?"

"No time to explain. Is this yours? I think it wants to eat me," he told her, taking a big step back as the tricoloured dog moved toward him. Spawn whinnied loudly again and yanked at her lead, trying to pull herself free. She shook her head, but the peg held fast, much to her utter frustration.

"She's not gonna eat you, she's not even half your size! Peanut, come! Leave him alone, he's a chicken," Chess commanded bending down and clapping her hands. Peanut yipped loudly, but turned away and barreled into her mistress' outstretched arms. "See? Friendly," Chess told him, a hint of mockery in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Roo grumbled, trying to brush the rest of the dirt off his pants.

"Nope!" someone else exclaimed, and both Roo's head and Chess' turned to pinpoint it's source. They found it quickly; a girl on a buckskin gelding, with dark brown hair and a somewhat exasperated look on her face. "Can't find him. Maybe he's dead. Should we call the cops? I think I have reception on my mobile, so -- hey! You found him!" she added when she caught sight of first the terrifying shirt, and then it's bedraggled wearer. She shoved her mobile back into her pocket and slid gracefully out of her saddle. "This... is him, right? Or should I actually call the cops?"

"No, that's him. A tad worse for wear perhaps, but him all the same. Cat, Roo. Roo, Cat," Chess introduced, getting back to her feet as Peanut went to sniff in Spawn's general direction.

Before Roo could shoot her a greeting, Spawn trumpeted loudly and reared up high, ripping the peg from the ground. She threw herself forward with an excited whinny and charged the black and tan dog, head down as she raced through the grass.

"NO!" Roo shouted desperately, throwing himself after the mare as she flew at the dog. Peanut barked excitedly and leapt into a run, darting playfully away from the mare that was hot on her heels, Roo trailing after them. "SPAWN, STAY!"

Spawn ignored him, whipping her tail forward as she chased after the happy dog, a look of heated determination in her deep brown eyes, quickly leaving Roo in the dust.

He stopped, panting, as he realized it was a hopeless cause. He cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled after her: "BREAKFAST!" but the mare kept going. "SPAWN, COME!"

She screeched to a halt as her ears picked up on the anger in his voice; the panic she could gladly ignore, but after these past years, she knew better than to leave him when he sounded like that. It meant all day in her stall, or no snacks between meals, or something else horrible like that. She snorted indignantly as she trotted back toward him, her lead and peg dragging dejectedly behind her as Peanut barked, trying to get the mare to chase her again. But this time, Spawn ignored her, though the dog trotted purposefully after her. When she reached Roo, she shoved her head into his shoulder, as though to say "come off it; it was only a game," and dipped her head to graze.

Hope I got everyone's characters right! If not, murder me and make me change it! Also, sorry for the scant ending. Tis time for food!

Cat: I think I got Cat's horse correct, but if not, let me know and I shall correct it! -dies-