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Brought to you by Narylis , who provided the following text:

“One of the most important things a cowhand needs to know is the terrain. A herd will move with the land, ebbing and flowing in accordance with crests and gullies around them. A good cowhand studies the shape of the land around them so they know where they need to be in order to help move their herd where they want it to go.”

Liz hadn’t truly understood the words her mentor had taught her until she finally managed to wrangle a position with a ranch out west. Learning to work the sofa herds with a slug girl like Maggie meant learning how to think slowly and methodically. Yes, the greater plains beanbag might fear crossing a line of gastropodal mucus much as a demon might fear a circle of salt, but when your partner’s “full gallop” is slower than your most leisurely walk, the terrain quickly becomes an intimate friend.

“You think we should circle back up to the western mesa up there before looping back, just in case Cinnabar and her hangers-on move up that way?”

“Mmm…” Pulling a straw free of her mouth, Maggie shook her head. “Nah, there’s a couple a’ Persimmon’s group movin’ east towards the flats. If we don’t get a move-on and close off the creek, they might end up gettin’ lost on the other side.”

An old hand on the ranch, Maggie knew these lands in a way Liz, with only eight months tenure, could only dream. Still, with her old business partner Tex still in parts unknown after skipping town following their last run-in with the local sheriff, she was grateful for Liz’s assistance in keeping the ranch going. Liz might only have been here eight months, but Maggie could tell she’d already mastered sofa ranching twice as quickly as Tex had.

“Just let me know if they move any closer to the creek so I can hop off and wrestle ‘em back this way.”

It didn’t hurt that Liz was a much better (not to mention cuter!) ranching companion for long days out on the range. After all, while a slug girl like Maggie might be able to work the herd well enough on her own, a good cowhand able to pull their own weight and wrangle furniture pieces was worth their weight in gold. Especially a cowhand with the heft to throw around and steady themselves like Liz did.

“I’ll keep an eye on ‘em, hon. Don’t worry, we’re still makin’ good time. Should be able to get them all movin’ back to the pens by the day after tomorrow. I know you’re eager to go into town later in the week…” The slug girl popped her canteen back open to take another swig from her curly straw, before pausing to glance back at her partner. “Where was it you said you were thinkin’ of goin’?”

Liz’s mouth curled into a characteristic half-toothed grin. “That,” she said, craning her head to whisper into Maggie’s ear, “is for me to know and you to find out. Promise you it’ll be good fun for when we’re back home at the ranch house!”

Maggie’s cheeks suddenly blushed a bright pink. “Is it…”

Liz then suddenly dismounted from Maggie’s saddle and placed a finger on Maggie’s lips. “I’m gonna have to leave you guessing. Just saw one of Burgundy’s kids moving off west towards the mesa. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an errant loveseat to coax back to its mama…” Then she bounded off, lariat in hand, leaving Maggie to her own sluggish devices.

Maggie sighed wistfully before taking one last swig from her canteen. “That girl, I swear…”

Description
Brought to you by Narylis , who provided the following text:

“One of the most important things a cowhand needs to know is the terrain. A herd will move with the land, ebbing and flowing in accordance with crests and gullies around them. A good cowhand studies the shape of the land around them so they know where they need to be in order to help move their herd where they want it to go.”

Liz hadn’t truly understood the words her mentor had taught her until she finally managed to wrangle a position with a ranch out west. Learning to work the sofa herds with a slug girl like Maggie meant learning how to think slowly and methodically. Yes, the greater plains beanbag might fear crossing a line of gastropodal mucus much as a demon might fear a circle of salt, but when your partner’s “full gallop” is slower than your most leisurely walk, the terrain quickly becomes an intimate friend.

“You think we should circle back up to the western mesa up there before looping back, just in case Cinnabar and her hangers-on move up that way?”

“Mmm…” Pulling a straw free of her mouth, Maggie shook her head. “Nah, there’s a couple a’ Persimmon’s group movin’ east towards the flats. If we don’t get a move-on and close off the creek, they might end up gettin’ lost on the other side.”

An old hand on the ranch, Maggie knew these lands in a way Liz, with only eight months tenure, could only dream. Still, with her old business partner Tex still in parts unknown after skipping town following their last run-in with the local sheriff, she was grateful for Liz’s assistance in keeping the ranch going. Liz might only have been here eight months, but Maggie could tell she’d already mastered sofa ranching twice as quickly as Tex had.

“Just let me know if they move any closer to the creek so I can hop off and wrestle ‘em back this way.”

It didn’t hurt that Liz was a much better (not to mention cuter!) ranching companion for long days out on the range. After all, while a slug girl like Maggie might be able to work the herd well enough on her own, a good cowhand able to pull their own weight and wrangle furniture pieces was worth their weight in gold. Especially a cowhand with the heft to throw around and steady themselves like Liz did.

“I’ll keep an eye on ‘em, hon. Don’t worry, we’re still makin’ good time. Should be able to get them all movin’ back to the pens by the day after tomorrow. I know you’re eager to go into town later in the week…” The slug girl popped her canteen back open to take another swig from her curly straw, before pausing to glance back at her partner. “Where was it you said you were thinkin’ of goin’?”

Liz’s mouth curled into a characteristic half-toothed grin. “That,” she said, craning her head to whisper into Maggie’s ear, “is for me to know and you to find out. Promise you it’ll be good fun for when we’re back home at the ranch house!”

Maggie’s cheeks suddenly blushed a bright pink. “Is it…”

Liz then suddenly dismounted from Maggie’s saddle and placed a finger on Maggie’s lips. “I’m gonna have to leave you guessing. Just saw one of Burgundy’s kids moving off west towards the mesa. So if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an errant loveseat to coax back to its mama…” Then she bounded off, lariat in hand, leaving Maggie to her own sluggish devices.

Maggie sighed wistfully before taking one last swig from her canteen. “That girl, I swear…”