Owner: Salute The Private
Battle/Show Name: Tears Of A Saint
Barn Name: Kalvik
Gender: Stallion
Age: 3 years
Height: 15hh
Halter Colour: Surprise me :3
Halter Floof Colour: Surprise me :3
How I met and tamed Kalvik: Oh a calm winter's day, I was out making an attempt at an evening hunt. My rations were running low due to improper preparations in the short summer days, fixing a lot of buildings at camp but not hunting nearly enough for the furs and meat I needed to survive this deadly cold. Feeling like the Inuit people, I was loaded to the brim with old furs from last winter just to keep me warm, pulling a toboggan behind me for safe and easy transport of meat, and my hunting rifle as I searched through the thick snow to find prints of my prey, any form of prey really but mainly fur bearing. I had a pack upon the Toboggan that had overnight supplies in case I got stuck in a storm or was too tired to head back.
As I moved along at a fairly slow pace, I noticed the deep imprint of a horse hoof in the snow. Stopping to examine the print, I noticed a small amount of blood in the surrounding snow. It wasn't fresh due to the dark color that had stained the pure white terrain. I knew there was a wild strand of Old Nordic Draft horses that roamed the area but I had never seen one so close to camp before. Sure I was six miles out from my base but they had never been this close. Looking around, I didn't see any shapes that differed from the normal and I also didn't see any other horse signs meaning this horse was potentially injured and travelling alone, making him an easy target for predators.
Quickly moving along the trail the horse had made, I adjusted the rifle that sat upon my shoulder and studied the snow: He stumbled here, ran there, bled a little more in this area. I was determined to find this horse in hopes of being able to help him. I watched as the blood became a brighter red as I moved along, he had slowed down. I studied the snow once more and saw what looked like a line beside the hoop. Was he dragging something? Like a chain or a rope? Frowning, I hurriedly followed the trail until I heard a sharp snort.
I placed my hand upon my gun and quickly looked up, seeing the rouge stallion standing fifty yards away. I released my gun and studied the creature for a moment at a safe distance. The stallion had a loose rope around his neck and a small trap stuck upon his leg. That must be where the blood is coming from, I can see it glistening as it runs down his leg and falls upon the snow. It wasn't strong enough to break his thick leg but it was just enough to break the skin, probably irritated it upon his travels. I bit my lip and approached, leaving behind my gun and toboggan so as not to scare the beast.
"Hey pretty boy." I spoke soothingly, taking a very slow approach, being very cautious of this wild stallion. He tossed his large head a few times and snorted once more, stamping his rear hoof in protest to my approach. I stopped and stared into the stallion's eyes for a moment, seeing the fear deep within, "It's ok boy, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help." I said softly, moving slowly forward once more. He let out a sharp, deep whinny and tossed his head only to stumble slightly upon his injured leg.
As I got closer, I could see that he was stuck by the trap, the chain attached to it deeply lodged between two trunks of a twin pair of black spruce. He was watching me closely now, ears flickering around in an uneasy, unsure way. I glanced from the trap to the rope around his neck. There was a lot of wear upon his neck, changing the color ever so slightly against his sooty fur. Someone had been trying for a really long time to tame this wild beast. Looking up at the stallion, I offered him a soft smile, "I'll get you out of this boy and you'll be on your way in no time." I said quietly, moving to the opposite side of the spruce trees, observing the situation at a close distance but kept the trees between them so he felt a little safer. With a sigh, he looked around the trunk of the tree to observe what I was doing. I looked up at him and smiled before looking at his leg from the split in the trees, "You really irritated that leg of yours boy." I said softly, shaking my head. He let out a low whinny and looked forward as if he were saying 'I know'.
After a while of allowing him to get used to my presence, I moved back in front of him slowly. He lifted his head slightly to stare at me as I extended a cupped hand to him slowly, "You going to let me get you out of that trap? Or will you trample me?" I asked, arching a brow. He hesitated for a moment but slowly extended his muzzle to met the palm of my hand. I smiled as his warm breath shot over my skin like the wavering heat of a fire. I then slowly leaned down to get into a squatting position, remaining calm but still cautious of his every move. He leaned his head down to run his whiskery muzzle across the hood of my thick jacket, snorting softly as he took in my scent as I slowly reached forward to place a hand upon the trap. He flinched and released a low whinny, his ears flicking back yet he didn't move. I looked up at him before looking forward again at the trap, "I have traps like this, this will be quick and easy boy, I promise." She said, reaching forward quickly to release the pin and quickly scrambling out from beneath him and standing to face him, a couple of yards from him just in case he freaked out.
The trap immediately released the stallion and he tossed his head up in pain, neighing loudly before stepping backwards, shaking his head. He leaned his head down to lick at his leg in an attempt to ease the pain. I stood still, not wanting to spook him in any way, but I watched as he neither ran nor attempted to fight. When I thought the appropriate time had passed, I began to make my way back to my items, smiling to myself in slight triumph. I had free'd a beautiful, rare horse from a trap that wasn't meant for him. Glancing back to see the horse, I was overtaken by his beauty. I saw him as the wild spirit of this country, un-tamable and beautiful. He was looking directly at me, a soft breeze moving his mane and tail ever so slightly. Smiling, I continued my trck through the deep snow back to my items.
As i moved along, I heard the soft sound of snow crunching beneath the heavy weight of the horse coming closer to me. I turned to see him following me and stopped. He stopped as well when he had gotten a few feet from me, tilting his ears toward me, "What are you doing? You're free now. Go find you some pretty mares and be free." I said with a chuckle, observing him. He whinnied and came closer, standing beside me as he leaned his head to my toboggan, nudging the pack softly as he took in its smell. I laughed and looked at the sack, "Do you smell something you want? I have some oats you can try." I said, moving to the pack to open it. He moved to the side slightly as I moved, still favoring his injured leg. I produced some oatmeal and poured some into my hand, offering it to him, "That's all I have that you'd want. Unless you eat dried meat." I said with another soft laugh, watching him as he extended his muzzle toward my outstretched hand. Moving his prickly lip across my palm, he licked up the oatmeal and chewed, flicking his ears toward me as he did. I closed the pack and looked up at the sky once he had finished, seeing the darkening clouds upon the horizon, "I have to go boy, I am not like you. I can't survive out here in the cold like this." I said, reaching a hand forward to run it along his cheek. He allowed it and almost leaned into my hand.
I took my toboggan string in my hand and began walking forward again, glancing back to see that the stallion was still following me at a safe distance. I chuckled and continued, thinking he would move along when we got close to my camp. After a thirty minute walk,
I reached my camp, the stallion still right behind me. I reached my shed and pulled the toboggan inside, closing the doors after it before moving back out. I stopped when I saw the stallion had stuck his head into a shed that was meant for holding horses of travelers that came across her camp. I placed my hands upon my his and shook my head, "Trying to move in, huh? Well, go ahead then." As he moved into the 'stable', it then began a long lasting relationship between us. Every morning he greeted me as I stepped outside. I was then able to get a halter upon him after many months and gaining his trust. I fed him feed that I had brought to camp by a sled from town.
A year had gone by since our first meeting and he now goes on hunts with me, pulls my toboggan, helps me gather firewood, and gives me constant companionship. I couldn't be happier to have found this lovely boy and he made my life out here in the bush ten times easier.
Erhmahgerd Sooty Buckskin <3333 I know I got carried away but I couldn't stop XD
