[dreamwalker]

username: klovesugar2
name: Magic In Mind
gender: mare
eye color: brown
dam: --
sire: --

[Bayfire213]

Show Name: Magic In Mind
Call Name: Magic
Gender: Mare

1) First Encounter

They milled about in the pens as she watched. Blacks, bays, dapples and greys. Mares, stallions, geldings. Young and old alike, horses gathered from far and wide. It was a bit mind boggling when put into perspective like that, because otherwise it seemed as though just a bunch of horses separated into groups of fours and fives. They didn't seem wild, not right now. No, munching on their hay, sipping at the water troughs, they seemed just like any other horse. Of course, despite the people on the other side of the bars, no one was really bothering the tolters. No one was poking, prodding, or just generally annoying them. The only humans allowed into the pens were the BLM workers and a few qualified volunteers, which didn't include her. No, her job was darting out to the pens and marking off the numbers as horses were adopted, helping ensure no one accidently adopted the same horse as someone else. She was young, and thus, inexperienced. No one wanted to see her hurt, so here she was. Not hauling hay or filling troughs, and certainly not helping chase adopted horses into a middle chute of sorts, shepherding them towards a waiting trailer.

Like now, the grey mare from Colorado she'd just marked off clashing, and clanged, and slamming into the metal fencing in a right frantic state. A desperate bid to return to her new herd after being separated from her previous, an equine cry resonating through the area, echoing even as other tolters returned it. While they didn't seem so wild earlier, in these moments it wasn't so hard to believe. This was more along the lines of what people expected when they heard the words 'wild', 'untamed', 'untouched'. They expected fierce rebellion and defiance, a vicious streak more in tune with that of a predator, they expected an unconquerable challenge of a beast. Yet no, as things settled down, a few of the tolters crept towards their audience, curious. That was what defined them, she thought. Their curiosity, and their stubbornness. She'd seen sweethearts, and she'd seen these mean old things, but those two traits were ever present. Tempered by caution and past experience at times, true, but they were curious, and they wanted to learn.

That was what had sealed the deal, so long ago, signing her heart away to these sorts of equines above all others. That was what appealed to the bookworm she was at heart. At first she'd been drawn to the symbolism and history the equines had, the things most of the public knows. The tales of an unyielding will and the freedom they represented. Yet then she met one of these once wild creatures, now tame, and traced the freezebrand on the gelding's neck with a sense of wonder. She watched children pull on his tail, riders come and go, and saw for herself that there was more to it. They weren't just symbols anymore, they were horses. They were gentle giants who'd let her cry on their necks after a hard day. They were powerful creatures who'd lend her their hooves so that she might fly. They were poetry in motion, beauty in life, nature's royalty- they were wonderful. The only difference between an untrained domestic horse, and a wild one, were those two traits.

Curiosity - for they'd never been around humans before, were they helpful or harmful?

and

Stubbornness - there was a reason they were still alive, after all, despite the harsh conditions.

A clamor drew her attention, a sharp squeal ensuring it was held. It was in one of the mare pens, some of the younger ones if she wasn't mistaken. A large chestnut had chased a smaller mare away from the newly delivered hay, fiery orangish ears pinned all the while. Yet is wasn't the more heavyset mare which caught her eye and stole her breath away, but the smaller, daintier one. This mare's coat seemed almost black in the shade, though a few lighter spots hinted at some sort of pattern underneath the caked mud. A long, pale mane and tail were matted in a most unattractive way. Yet the way that tolter moved as she darted away from the larger mare... it was almost like she was dancing. Watching the graceful little mare deal with her tormentor much better than the human child had in her place, said human's heart might as well of melted. Spellbound, it was with magic in mind that she marked off number 3489, despite there having been no enquiries thus far.

That mare was taken.

2) Settling In

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3) The Halter

Days had turned into weeks, and weeks very nearly a month, and thus far nothing had gone awry. Magic had gotten used to her presence, and had no issues with having a human in the pasture. The chestnut mare was fine with being touched as well, having learned that no harm would come of it. In fact, the lovely little mare had discovered quite quickly afterwards that she loved the partial grooming sessions. Nothing more than a curry comb, a regular old hairbrush, and two brushes with hard and soft bristles, respectively, but Magic adored it. Trying to tend to her hooves, however, would have to wait. All of this had been introduced in the small pasture, at liberty, where the mare could move away if she felt uncomfortable with anything. The tolter had set the pace throughout everything thus far, but now it was time to introduce the mare to a halter.

For the occasion, a new halter had been bought, which would belong to Magic and Magic alone. A simple, pastel, red to orange gradient, with brass hardware, there was a slight worry that the warm colors and jingling metal would spook the mare. Of course she'd worn some rather vibrant shirts and an occasional necklace over the near month she'd had the mare, but still. There was always something to fret over, yet she couldn't allow such nervous fears to rule her when she was dealing with any equine, nevermind Magic, to whom all of this was new. The mare would pick up on her mood in a heartbeat, and then she'd really have something to worry about. So the emotion was brutally squashed, and she resolved not to let it rear it's head again. Magic would love the halter, just as she adored the sound of grain in her bin, and the sight of the grooming tote her human would carry out each day. Everything would be perfectly fine.

A smile curved at the approaching human's lips, finding the mare waiting for her at the gate. Dark brown ears pricked as the mare noticed not only the grooming tote containing her beloved brushes, occasionally a treat or two, but also the halter slung across the human's shoulder. Nimble fingers soon combed through the tolter's flaxen forelock, dark brown eyes meeting the mare's own burnt sienna shade as a softly spoken greeting was offered. Slipping through the gate was done with little fanfare, and she calmly made her way to the mare's side- Magic having backed away with a wary look towards the hinges as they groaned. Setting the tote on the ground, the mare's attention was once more directed towards her. The fire-toned halter was lifted for inspection, being sniffed at and chewed on as Magic pursued the strange nylon contraption. Once the mare seemed content that it wasn't a threat, the human was soon being poked in the stomach by a curious nose. Why weren't the brushes out already, the mare seemed to ask.

The halter was unclipped, and gently pulled over Magic's muzzle, before being fastened again. Seconds ticked by as the mare's ears swiveled, mouth moving as she licked her lips and chewed on air, considering. An equine head ducked down to rub the nylon against an outstretched leg, poking back up not to long afterwards to gladly accept the offered chunk of banana. Dark whiskers and peach fuzz tickled the human's hand, dark eyes lighting up with relief as the curry comb was plucked from the tote's collection, much to Magic's delight.

4) A Friend

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5) Extra: Picture Perfect

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6) A Test of Trust

Her back hurt and her arm was cramping, sweat was creeping down the back of her neck, and the sun beat down upon her, relentless. Yet placid, patient eyes never faltered even under the celestial body's fiery glare. Time ticked by, an hour passed, and she remained immobile, only moving when the mare at her side did. Backing up, crowhopping, neither was the right answer, and so the pressure remained. A rope was noosed around one of Magic's forelegs, looping around her barrel and allowing the human to keep the one leg snug against itself. A steady pressure on both sides of her halter, lead rope tied in an imitation of reins specifically for such a purpose, asked the mare to drop her head, and keep it down. That part Magic had already figured out, it was the end result the mare was leery of.

The tobiano tolter groaned, reluctantly leaning back until her knee brushed the ground. She jerked a bit, hesitant, testing. Is this really what you want? Soft words and gentle murmurs reassured her, and Magic settled, knee resting on the ground. A dark nose blew at the loose sand below, nudging it around as she considered. Pressure on her hindquarters asked her to go all the way to the ground, to lie down, to make herself completely vulnerable to attack, to trust the odd human. Trust that nothing would happen to her. Licking, chewing, blowing, ears flicked, unsure. Yet she had been given no reason to distrust the young woman, and every reason to do so... Was it really so much to ask for? Was it really such an impossible leap of faith? With that thought in mind, the mare flopped to the ground with another groan, legs now parallel to the ground.

"Atta girl, atta girl, that's my sweetheart..." A soothing voice crooned, hand pressing against the equine's large head to coax her to remain down. As it became clear the mare wasn't going to pop back up, that hand joined it's mirror in stroking along the nearly obsidian coat. A smile curled at the human's lips, tickled by the progress.

[Bayfire213]

7) First Saddle

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8) Groundwork

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9) First Ride

Trepidation flourished like wildfire within her chest, a pit in her stomach and a lump in her throat. Or, at least, that was the case an hour ago, before she started working with Magic. Now it was only calm determination, tempered with caution. Around and around the showy mare trotted, practically prancing on the end of the lunge line. The saddle had long since become commonplace, the bridle as well. There hadn't been any issues once Magic realized that no, the saddle wasn't going to eat her, but now it was time to step things up a bit. It was time to actually get in the saddle. Exhaling, she called the mare to a stop with a tug upon the line and a glance towards the stunning white on the tolter's hindquarters.

Striding closer to Magic, the line was swiftly unclipped. The mare's ears pricked, watching in curiosity as a boot was slipped into the stirrup. Dark brown met burnt sienna, before the human lifted herself over the saddle, sprawling across Magic's back. Ears flicked, unsure, as an equine head twisted around to investigate. They flattened, then pricked, as she wiggled about on Magic's back. Pleased the mare wasn't about to tear off like hounds were on her heels, a leg was slung over the tolter's hindquarters as she righted herself in the saddle. Minutes ticked by, Magic eventually growing bored with the entire thing. There was a bunch of grass right by the pen's perimeter which seemed to be calling to her with a siren's sweet serenade. Taking a step towards it, the mare froze as the weight on her back shifted. Blinking, ears swiveling, the tobiano tolter licked her lips and chewed on air as she considered. There wasn't any pain, and nothing seemed to be trying to eat her... Gingerly, Magic picked her way closer to the fence, pausing every now and again to check that the human on her back wasn't doing anything suspicious.

When the mare stopped to munch on the flora, the young woman slipped from the saddle, positively beaming.

[Bayfire213]

Finished~!