[Spiritstar3]

Jessica Robb and Joy in the Heart
-Basics-
Jessica Robb
About 5' 3" and fair of skin
A little shy but loves this adventure and her horses
Red curly hair that goes past the shoulder about 4-6 inches
Brown eyes
Violet is her middle name
She resides at the Dancing Winds ranch in Ohio -Riverbend is the other Ranch-
She was rather excited for this event
She is 19 years of age at this time
Joy in the Heart

Breed: Paint x National Show Horse
Gender: Mare
Color: Sooty buckskin overo
Age: At time of event, 6 years and 10 months
She is known by her people as just Joy
Her home is the Dancing Winds Ranch in Ohio
Stats
Courage: 2
Stamina: 1
Speed: 2
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 2

Inventory
First Saddle bag (navy blue with dusty red):
1 camera
1 sketchpad
2 pencils
1 pen
2 erasers
1 ruler
1 flip phone -cell phone is in jeans pocket-
1 Walkie Talkie
1 Map so they don't get lost, of the area
1 small first aid kit
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Acquired a Sky Blue Ribbon (1x) -4/8
Second Saddle Bag (brown and dusty yellow):
2 sandwhich in plastic bag
1 package of cookies
2 water bottles
Some apples and carrots for Joy
2 breakfast cereal bars -with yogurt flavor stuff on top-

The Adventures Start
Joy had been watching the vehicles drive off, leaving the horses and their riders alone together. She flicked her ears a little bit as she looked round and spotted a few familiar others, then looked away again. She awaited me to mount her up so we could get this show on the road. I shook my head a little at her impatience.

The mare snorted and nosed me, and it seemed with the intent to knock me off my feet. Stubborn mare. I thought, as I finally did swing up into her saddle and looked round at the scenery. I smiled a bit and hummed softly to myself as I saw the others doing the same. And then Joy whickered to me and I sighed.

I allowed her to move a few paces forward, then stopped her once more to wait for the rest of our group. When they were all together, then I allowed my bull headed mare to finally do as she wished, and go. We were ahead of the others by a few feet, and Joy seemed just fine with that.

Yellow Team! -written about a week ago-
Our starting point really is a pretty nice place to look at, easy on the eyes as in the eyes of the riders going through there. It is a nice open field looking grassy place with a few bumpy areas here and there, it seems a little hilly to me. Well, then there is the big gray mountain duo behind it that is breathtaking, and all those pines giving off their scent, how wonderful. Joy reminds me of the task at hand by whinnying, and I jolt from my day dream to see the others have all gotten far ahead of me. I urge my wonderful mare from a walk into a trot, then a canter and as I get close enough that I feel we are all good, I allow her to slow down once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>Joy was only too happy to get moving after the announcement had been made that they were now going to pick a direction and ride. I nodded at my lovely mare and smiled, should we head for those beautiful mountains? Or should we head for the lovely trees that seemed to offer the promise of adventure? I decided we would head towards the mountains, because they could more then likely also off some form of adventure. And so off we rode towards those gray and snow capped tall mountains. When we reached nearer to them, I saw that there was a path going up, up, up. I gently urged Joy onto it, and we began the ascent. About halfway up, Joy lost her footing of one hoof, and I tipped precariously towards the edge with a gasp. But it was no time to panic and I kept my head, gently urging her back from the edge and sighing a bit with relief as we turned into the path a bit, Joy scooting over so it wouldn't happen again. And on up we continued, coming upon the most glorious sight of red and purple wildflowers in a small field of them on an outcropping of the mountain. I moved Joy over to them and picked some, keeping them for later. I smiled a little bit as we continued on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joy and I continued on our path into the stone gray snow capped mountains, her ears flicking and shifting this way and that as she seemed to take it all in with me. I smiled and hummed softly a little bit as we continued to rise up through the air almost like a bird but not quite, as our bodies never actually left the ground we moved upon. I hummed as I heard the incessant buzzing of a fly or two, then smiled a bit as I heard in the distance what must have been some wild horse or perhaps a strayed one, seeing Joy's ears flicking as I looked out between them. And then I heard, the distant whinny of another horse. I shrugged a bit and moved us on.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(4/8)
The path we followed on into the lower mountain was actually pretty easy to move on, and it offered up some pretty views of the meadows we just had left. We had a slightly rocky start, but were doing fine now, and the meadow where we had rested had offered those pretty flowers, they appeared native to this area. I didn't pick them all, deciding the mountain meadow needed a splash of color. Now, we only heard and saw the occasional mountain bird. I realized that far off whinny must be the horse of another competitor- apparently, two other riders had taken a similar direction. Mine and Joy's upward travel was cut short when we saw that the path we were on dropped off into a gap, there was no way we were getting over that. I sighed a little bit as I turned Joy to go back down the path and find another way, perhaps a different path forking off the one we were on, when I spotted the pretty sky blue hair ribbon fluttering from the breeze, caught in a crevice of a rock. I smiled and hummed a little bit as I plucked it from there, put it away in my first saddle bag, and guided Joy back down the path, soon finding another path that came off of ours, and deciding to go down that one. I could swear I heard a stream or something in the distance, but could not be sure, it could just be my desire to find another adventure, even if in just a source of flowing water.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(5/14)
As we rode a little bit further up, Joy and I, a flash of sparkling caught my eye and I realized that I had indeed heard a source of water, it came in the form of this lovely babbling brook that wound and bubbled its way down the side of the mountain, most certainly springing up from a rich spring source beneath the mountain, or somewhere up above. My eyes picked up on the lovely rainbow effect it created, and I smiled a bit as I saw how the rocks glistened from it as well. The summer sunlight was beginning to get hot, the water was beautiful and the clear color of it told me it was safe to drink. So, i dismounted but for a moment and left Joy ground tied, hearing the tiny plish of her muzzle descending into the water to drink, as I cupped my hands and splashed my face then drank a small bit. I had drank about three quarters of my first water bottle, and now I filled that back up with the brook water, which tasted crisp, cool, clean, and most of all absolutely delicious. I looked up at a small bird on the branch, identifying it as a robin, then remounted to leave it in peace to drink, and thought Dare i go up further on this trail? I shrugged as I continued up the mountains, and I swore I heard a rustling from some bushes on the slope, but could it just be the wind playing tricks on us again?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fourth Round (9/23)
I had a short conversation with Seren, then I continued to ride on and we encountered this little gap in the path. It wasn't all that large, and I figured Joy could get across it but it looked slippery. Shaking my head, i turned the mare and headed us down lower through the mountains. it had been fun up there, but it was time to go lower. I smiled as I saw the valleys and trees up ahead. It was rather peaceful and gorgeous out here, what could go wrong? All of the sudden I noticed Joy was stomping a hoof. Shaking my head, I applied some bite cream and spray to keep others off, and asked the mare to walk on.

Journal
Today, Joy and I were riding up on one of the path's that takes you up, up, and up in the mountains. As we were doing so, one of her hooves slipped over the edge, and I began to slide. I knew what I had to do, and I calmed her then backed her up from the edge. We continued on, it's been pretty alright so far today other then that.
-----------------
We happened to also hear another horse somewhere, but we kept on going though.
-----------------(4/8)
We were on the mountain path, a few birds flying here and there, when we found the path had dipped off into a downward drop. I knew we had to go back, but we did find a small prize: a small sky blue hair ribbon. I tucked it away in the saddle bag, then guided Joy onto another path. Now, we are going down it. Is that a stream I hear, or just my imagination deciding to play?
----------------(5/14)
Joy and I came upon a lovely small brook today, I found that it was indeed the thing I had heard and that also it happened to be safe to drink from. Yum, what a tasty delight that was. We saw a bird up in the branches, and then continued up. Is there something there in the bushes, or once again am I being played tricks on, this time by the wind?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(9/23)
Well, it was going great until that horse fly bit Joy...

Radio Communications
"Hello, Seren? This is Jessica." -whinny in the background- *Laughs* "And Joy."

"Hi Jessica and Joy. I read you. Is something up?"

"We found a sky blue ribbon, wonder how it got there, and also this lovely brook. Anyway, I think I just heard rustling from this bush off to our left, and I'm not sure if it's just the wind. Should we keep riding, or turn back?"

It's probably fine. No predators are out this time of day. Be careful that Joy doesn't get spooked, but at most it's a bird or a rabbit probably. Please be careful, I've had some reports of noises in the area.

"Yes, I will be sure to keep her calm and not allow her to spook, don't want to be in danger of going over any edges again. Hmm? What kind of noises were they reporting?"

Just...noises. Don't worry about it, I'm handling it. Just steer clear if you run into any loud noises. Also, just a warning... there's a small dip if you continue down the trail I believe you might be on, by your talking about a brook. It's gonna be slippery, and there's a gap. You can probably jump it, but only if you feel comfortable!

"Alright, i will be sure to be careful, and if I run by any loud noises I will turn Joy round and come back down the trail. Small dip in the trail, got it! Thank you for the warning, i will make sure to keep an eye out for that. Slippery and a gap? Hmm, we will just have to see when we get there, but i have faith in my mount. Thank you again. Jessica, out." *Radio fizzling noises*

[ImmyWimmy1]

WIP- so not done yet! XD

~Imogen Doddes and Russet Leaves~


~Basic Information~

Rider:
~ Her full name is Imogen Louise Doddes (not my actual middle name, for the record)
~ She's 22 years old at the time of the event
~ Her home is the Woodland Trax Stables, located in East Anglia, England, UK
~ Her main current occupation is being part of an equine genetics research team, who study everything from coat colour to event performance and genetics. She is also a breeder and her stables are heavily affiliated with their American cousins, the Cottonwood Wild Horse Ranch. Most of the equines at her ranch are from Cottonwood.
~ She's quite a quirky individual, who will randomly burst into song in the middle of town or randomly start making cat noises and 'pawing' her friends. Despite her small sense of dignity, Imogen is a heavily introverted person and finds it hard to communicate with people who don't share a common interest with her and prefers the company of animals, notably horses, cats and dogs, as a result. Other words that have often been used to describe her are crazy, loveable, adorable, compassionate, kind, gentle, shy, loyal, friendly,
~ She's not the most experienced of riders, but competes at local-level English competitions. She often loans out her higher standard horses to other riders if they go beyond this level, as she doesn't consider herself good enough. She knows a little bit about Western riding, but doesn't compete. Instead her best friend, Lucy Jackson, will ride her horses in Western events.
~ Aside from zoology, she adores music and actually plays both clarinet (her primary instrument) and piano (her secondary instrument). She has a slightly-above-average knowledge of musical theory and western classical music, to the point where she can hear a piece of music and tell you the key it's currently in with a 90% accuracy rate! She also enjoys other art forms, such as drawing and sketching.

Horse:
~ Russet Leaves is her show name, whilst Imogen, her family and her friends know her as Russet
~ She is 10 years old at the time of the event
~ Her home is the Woodland Trax Stables, located in East Anglia, England, UK
~ When not being an adventurer's horse, Imogen rides her in Show Classes (ridden)
~ Russet is a quiet, reserved mare.


~Inventory~

Saddlebag 1:
~ Digital camera (x1)
~ Mobile phone (x1)
~ Set of keys (x1)
~ Radio or 'Walkie Talkie' (x1)
~ Basic First Aid kit (x1)
~ Map of the area (x1)


Saddlebag 2:
~ Bottled water (x3)
~ Apples (x2)
~ Cheese sandwiches (x2)
~ Energy bars (x2)
~ Carrots (x5)
~ Sketchbook (x1)
~ Pencils (x2)
~ Erasers (x3)
~ Ruler (x1)

~~*~~


~Thus begins the adventure (Post One)~

The truck shuddered as it ground to a halt, a small growl erupting from its bowels. Imogen awoke with a start at the sudden change in movement. She felt a cold blast of air hit her cheek as she lifted her head up, as sleeping with her lower jaw hanging wide open had allowed a trail of saliva to trickle down the side of her face. Her face flushed red as she wiped her cheek against her shoulder as subtly as possible, hoping that no one had noticed.

She hopped out of the vehicle as soon as the door opened, eager to get out of the cramped environment and explore this wild landscape. And what a wild landscape it was! A pale sapphire void lay above her and the other explorers, the occasional cotton-white cloud adding softness to it. In the distance, a fair way away from where they were standing, immense, stoic, mountains reached up and kissed the sky. Higher than any mountain the Briton was used to, at any rate. In another direction Imogen saw a myriad of forest, a colourful blend of coniferous and deciduous trees. In yet another, an open vastness of gentle hills where the sky stretched out beyond the horizon. And another direction offered mystery, with hints of stream rising up into the sky like whispers. the young woman's jaw dropped. Never before, in all her years of visiting the United States, had she ever seen such beauty. The air was so fresh here, every intake making the zoologist feel lighter than a feather. The sweet sounds of birdsong and the gentle buzz of grasshoppers formed the orchestra of this natural haven and caused Imogen's heart to flutter. This was idea of paradise. This place offered everything she had ever dreamed of. She smiled to herself. This was going to be her wildest adventure yet!

The sound of the horsebox door being opened caused her to snap out of her trance and spin around. The other riders had already begun to unload their mounts. Imogen walked over to the truck and waited quietly for the riders who had reached the box first to fetch their horses. Once the third of the five riders was clear, Imogen stepped up the ramp and went straight over to Russet's stall and was greeted by a deep copper pair of ears and deep brown eyes. "Hey, girlie," the rider whispered to the horse, who was already tacked up and ready to go. The mare snorted softly as to greet the rider, as the woman reached and ran her hand down from in between the mare's eyes to the top of her muzzle. Russet blinked softly at her rider's gentle touch and followed her willingly out of the box as Imogen turned and led her out by the reins.

The mare relished the sensation of the soft grass beneath her hooves in comparison to the unforgiving metal of the horsebox stall, her muscles relaxing completely once she and her rider had come to a halt. The woman turned and looked at the mare. "You ready, girl?" she asked, moving around to mount her horse. The mare merely stood fast, waiting patiently for her rider to mount. Russet was a sensible mare. Not the brightest spark, but she was strong and silent. She obeyed any command given to her, within reason of course. Not too dissimilar to her rider in many respects. Imogen had no trouble from the copper horse as she clambered onto her back and sat comfortably in the saddle. A small sigh escaped her lips as she adjusted herself in the Western saddle, a strange, but not alien, feeling to the rider. Of course she'd ridden in Western style back home, but never for long periods of time. She found that it took a little while longer for her to settle into the Western saddles than it did for an English all-purpose saddle. However, Imogen had wanted to fit in with the rest of the crowd on this once-in-a-lifetime occasion and was more than prepared to sacrifice a brief moment of her time to get comfortable.

Soon enough, they were ready to go. Imogen reached down, unzipping and plunging her hand into one of the saddlebags. After rummaging around for a few seconds, she produced the map of the area Seren had given to each of the riders at the start and zipped the bag up again. Studying it carefully, she hummed to herself quietly. It was hard deciding which direction to head in, as they all seemed equally enticing. Her bottom lip curled into her mouth and she bit down, looking around for a clue to draw her in. But something kept catching her eye every time. White whisps. She turned and looked in the direction of the steam. It held her eyes as its captive as she continued to stare at it, mesmerised. When she was younger, she'd been on a field trip to Iceland. The Land of Fire and Ice, as the locals called it to tantalise the tourists. Oh, how its natural beauty had captured Imogen's heart! A rugged landscape, carved by the omnipotent volcanoes and merciless glaciers that still had their reign over the land. And now the woman could not take her eyes away from the steam. In each white cloud, she could see the volcanic echoes of the Earth's soul. Could it be geysers? An unknown volcanic hotspot? She was no geologist, but she could help but allow herself to answer the beckoning call reaching out its hand towards her. She gently tapped Russet's sides with her feet behind the girth, clucking her tongue as she did so. Russet responded immediately, walking in the direction her rider asked of her.

And so the duo headed east, in the direction of the steam...

~~*~~

~A fond memory~

The mare’s ears flicked uneasily as the pair travelled through this mysterious landscape. The smell of sulphur caused her to jerk her head uneasily, warning her rider of her increasing discomfort. Imogen picked up on Russet’s uneasy state and patted her on the neck tenderly. “It’s alright, dear,” she whispered to the mare as a pair of copper ears locked onto her voice. The rider looked up, hoping to find something to assist her in calming her mare down slightly. It took her a while to spot a slight ledge they could stop rest upon. Steering her mare towards this spot, she smiled to herself in pride. “See girly, we can stop there if you want to calm down.” The mare plodded on, still cautious, but obeyed her rider’s commands. After all, when had her rider ever been wrong before?

Once halted near the edge, Imogen dismounted the mare. The rocky ground provided much resistance as her legs collided with the ground. Even bending her knees, the young woman winced slightly. “Shoulda seen that coming, really,” she muttered. Still, she wasn’t injured- just a bit melo-dramatic. Opening the saddlebag she pulled out her binoculars to study the landscape carefully by standing at the edge of the ridge. Placing them to her eyes, she scanned the area for signs of life. Though there was little of that to be found, she had to admire the landscape. Scattered rocks, possibly from prehistoric lava flows, law strewn across the patchwork land of rock and pale grass. Steam rose from the ground, the breath of the land. This land was very much alive. Imogen felt a pang in her heart as she thought back to Iceland’s geysers and volcanos. It all came flooding back, her heart beginning to ache. What she would do just to go back for one day…

The sound of grass crunching in between horse teeth woke her from her daydream. Looking around to her horse, she saw that the initial fearful nature had left Russet. She giggled. “We can’t stop for lunch now; the day hasn’t even begun you silly mare!” She reached round and put the binoculars back when a hint of green caught her eyes. A small lizard caught her eyes. The zoologist within sparked to life. Fumbling in the bag, she produced a digital camera and quickly went to take some pictures. She managed six photos before the lizard noticed her and, fearing for its life, scuttled away. But the zoologist was happy. With her photos, so put the camera back in the bag and mounted her mare. “Let’s go, Russet!”

Ready to go, Imogen clucked to her mare and gently applied aids with her legs, urging her to go on. The rider was keen on getting down into the valley below, as long as it wasn’t too hot. The search was on to find a small incline which the pair could use to get down and explore…

~~*~~


~Imogen's Sketchbook~

As her adventure has only just begun, Imogen is yet to take the time to sketch anything.

[ty_tay]

Calvin's Journal:
I promised Nadine I would keep a record of what happened during my exploration since she didn't get to go.
Calvin opened to leather-bound journal to find a picture of Nadine and himself.


Entry one:
Kesali took me on a wild ride today. I SWEAR SHE'S TRYING TO KILL ME! She nearly threw me off when she took off at a dead gallop and stopped just as quickly. It turns out she had caught scent of a feral horse. Other than that the day was pretty uneventful.

Entry two:
Well Kesali started the day by trying to tear apart the map. Luckily I already made a copy of it. We bagan by going south towards the overgrown orchard. We managed to miss getting hit by some falling fruit and I grabbed a few apples as we rode by.

Entry three:
This forest is reminding me of home. Maybe after everything settles down back at the barn I'll take a little vacation and go home. I'm sure everyone would be thrilled... They always are.

Entry four:
We heard a gunshot, and as far as I know none of our people were carring firearms. I alerted Seren about it over the walkie. Kesali and I are going to stay on alert.

Kesali's Saddlebags:
Nadine started sorting through Kesali's saddle bags when she found Calvins sketch of Kesali.


Journal
Pencil pouch
Emergency blanket
Swiss army knife
Horse first aid kit
Human first aid kit
Water canteen
Map
Radio
Apples x5
Buffalo Belt Buckle x1

The Adventrues:
(I'll be updating the information above during/after each of Seren's event posts so be sure to look trough everything!)

It begins:
Kesali watched as the vehicles drove away. She was excited and ready to get on the move and explore this new terrain. She nosed Calvin's shoulder as he looked at the rough map. Come on! Let's go! We don't need that stupid piece of paper! Getting frustrated that Calvin was ignoring her, she began nipping at the paper.

"Hey!" Calvin pulled the map away from Kesali before she shredded it. "We kinda need that!" How did I know she was going to try that? Good thing I made a copy of it in my journal... He took one last glance at the map before storing it away in Kesali's saddle bags. He looked at his watch before climbing into the saddle. "7:13... I believe we are at or near the Wild Orchard..." Calvin peered around the surrounding landscape trying to determine the direction they should head. He turned Kesali to the south. "What do you say Kesali. To the- ack!"

Kesali growing even more impatient jolted forward into a trot. She nickered happily as she strolled through the trees. Her ears perked as she side-stepped to keep a piece of falling fruit from hitting Calvin. You could pay more attention...

Calvin patted Kesali's neck. "Thank's for not letting that hit me." He chuckled, "I guess we're going south..."

As the pair headed southward into the trees, they were met with the sound of rustling leaves and underbrush, as critters moved around. This forest was surprisingly full of animals, despite lacking the giant trees that populated old woods. Most of the trees were not much taller than the top of the horse trailer that had just left. A few small rodents peered out before darting away from the intruders that trekked down the old dirt path. A soft 'thud' came from shortly behind them, drawing attention to something ruby-red hanging from the lower boughs of the trees. An...apple? On closer inspection, apples and even some pears were growing in the trees flanking the edges of the path- the whole place was an overgrown orchard! A number of deer trails branched off from the main path, which continued south.

Item Found!
3x Apples

Calvin closed his eyes and took in the crisp air. He observed serveral of the deer paths as Kesali happily trotted past. He patted Kesali's neck, "The fresh air and this forest, small as it is, almost makes me homesick." Calvin spent so much time at Cottonwood that it made him feel guilty whenever he returned home. His family was always so happy to see him, and he almost expected one of them to come running out of the trees at him at any moment.

Kesali shook her mane and nickered happily. Her ears perked at the sound of the small rodents scurring around the underbrush. You better share those apples we found, or I might just have to take that hat of yours...

Kesali was handling the rustling of undergrowth and critters around with surprisingly grace and calm attitude. The lush woods were full of little animals, all disrupted now by the presence of the single horse and rider. There was a sudden flash of red-brown fur, and a slender-legged fox with a bushy white-tipped tail dashed out onto the road. He halted to stare at them, berry-bright eyes glued on the pair. At a step from Kesali, he took off, bounding into the foliage across the path, sending a host of grouses fluttering into the air right in front of the duo.
Far off, a gunshot could be heard, dull but resounding.

Skill Point Acquired!
Intelligence +1

Calvin jumped as the grouses suddenly took flight. Birds... Ehk...

Kesali nickered happily at the birds as they flew by. Careful you don't let one hit you Calvin. That'd be histarical, but you wouldn't think so. At the sound of the gun shot Kesali halted her ears alert.

Calvin tried to discern the origin of the gunshot. He patted Kesali's neck, "Easy girl. It sounded like it was pretty far off." He reached for the radio and clicked the talk button, "Calvin Lore reporting in. We've got a gunshot in the east. I'm not sure what direction it came from, so whoever is listening, please be careful." Calvin clipped the radio to his belt. Better safe than sorry. He urged Kesali forward keeping to their path south, "keep on alert Kesali. We don't want to run into anything nasty."

The radio crackled as a woman's voice sounded from it. "Calvin, this is Seren. I heard it too. I'm going to tell people to be careful. Hunting isn't allowed in this valley."

"Thank you Seren. Thats good to know. I'll keep you posted if I see or hear anything more."

Kesali moved into a canter eager to get out of the trees. In the open at least we can see the danger, but in the woods not so much.

Heading out from under the trees gave a better perspective on things surrounding them, but it also meant less shade. The sun was warm, but the breeze that blew up from time to time was better. A few birds darted far overhead, tiny black dots against the billowing masses of cloud.
A gleam flared up in front of them, metal sparkling in sunlight. A belt buckle lay by the trail, far too shiny to be rusted. There was a buffalo's head engraved on it, with the words "_______ of Herne" over the bison's image. The first word looked rubbed out and wasn't legible. It was rather new, but it may be worth something... or someone else on the trail might of lost it. Ahead of them, the grass began to thin out and turn more brown-gold in color.
Item Found!
1x Belt Buckle

Calvin turned the belt buckle over in his hand as Kesali continued to trot down the trail. Initially it was too hot to pick up, but it had cooled down some. It doesn't look that old, so why would someone just leave this out here? Maybe will find the answer at the end of the trail...

Kesali snorted and shook out her mane as she trotted along.

[silver ~]

Simple Treasure's Stats:
Courage: 1
Stamina: 2
Speed: 3
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 2

Inventory

Saddle Bag's:
First aid kit, water, basic map, radio and apples [2].

Leah's Diary

Round 1: Green Starting post

GREEN STARTING POST

Allie Meluki, Leah Silver, Emma Hunt, Anna O’ Reilly, and Noelle Ansell
Their truck and trailer departed while kicking up a bit of mud, making the riders and horses back up. While the members of the blue riders were in a plainer place, the green riders had been dumped in a rich area of greens and browns. In the midst of the forest, practically in the bank of a tributary stream run dry. Lots of rustlings filled the air as little animals and breezes moved about. There were so many choices. North, through the dry streambed and around the bend, or south along the stream bed, towards the sound of gurgling water. Of course, they could always head to the west where the woods grew thicker; or east around the jutting rocks and see if things cleared up that way.

When they said this was the green starting post, they weren't kidding. I look around at the lush green and brown hues of the forest surrounding us. I heard the sounds of animal and the a gentle breeze which blows the musky smell of the forest through the area. I see that I can go north to a dry stream bed, South to steam bed, West where the woods thicken and East where rocks covered the landscape. My head spins, which way should I go? I narrow down the choose in my head, I don't like the idea of riding in a dense forest, Aphrodite (Simple Treasures) she spooks to easy that also narrow down the stream bed. Leaving me with the dried stream bed and the rocky landscape to the east. By the time I made up my mind, the other riders have dispersed among the paths. I'll go to the rocky landscape I deicide quickly and start to steer Aphrodite that way.

I careful ride Aphrodite through the peaks of rock. This whole place looks like a scene for a cowboy movie. I can't help but feel small around the giant peaks or shake the thoughts of the one of those peaks falling on us, but, I just paranoid like that. I try to move those thought to the back of my head but, the thought of peaks falling refuse to move. I squeeze Aphrodite side to tell her to go faster, I getting a bad feeling about staying among these tall rock there's just too many thing that can go wrong here. The scenes of the tall rock pass and I feel relief when I see a area with some grass peaking out from the rocks and I go towards it. To my relief the area has fewer peaks. I start to explore the grassier area knowing their is beyond to something hiding in it's crevasses.

Round 2: The Doe

Leah and Aphrodite ride past a few scattered rocks that look like a giant had thrown them down. Moss has long overtaken much of the rock, and soon the trees and rocks give way to a clearing. More trees circle around the clearing, leaving a grassy area that makes for prime grazing land. A few flowers wave in the breeze that slides through the branches of the trees. Suddenly a head peeks up above the grass, and a dark-eyed mule deer doe stares at the rider and horse, her tan pelt quivering when a fly lands on it. She is tense, and ready to bolt in the opposite direction should they come closer.
xXx

I stop short, I didn't think a deer would be hiding here. I don't know where to got or not. Sadly, I don't have a choice Aphrodite speeds up towards the doe. The deer look like she is about to run.

Round 3: Towards the river

We've had a few bits of drama this ride around, but everyone is doing pretty well for themselves! A few people have reached the extremes of the landscape, but almost everyone is still safe. That is, except for the strange gunshot that just went off. No one is in sight of any shooter, but people on the eastern half of the valley can clearly hear it.

- - -

The doe took off, bounding through the undergrowth and rocks, heading out for the open meadows south of the forest. Leah and Aphrodite had come out to the meadows that stretched out before a grand river, which was fed full by springs of the mountains. Clattering away, the doe spooked off a few songbirds from the grasses. They had a choice: head back into the rocks and woods or continue on towards the river.

Aphrodite throw her head in the direction of the deer she way of saying that we should go there. I here bird chirping and turn my head to find a wooden area on the opposite side which is most likely where the deer came from. I look back at Aphrodite to see her ears perked up and she her glance is glued to the area where the deer which is a area with a large river cutting through it. I figure the river would be a more ideal place for looking for gold unlike the forest. I think the real seller on going to the river was the woods is the prefect place for a hunter would be in and I don't feel like getting shot. I squeeze Aphrodite's side telling her to walk again I decide not to go any fast so I don't make anything dart out and spook Aphrodite. I see the sun's golden rays reflect against the surface as I pass by it and I hope to see some gold fleck in it.

Round 4:

The open meadow leading towards the river is definitely a good place to go gold-hunting! Though one normally needs a gold-pan, just skimming the banks isn't a bad idea! The treasure hunters road on until the came to the rushing river, only to spot something surprising. Um... a bridge? The river was fast moving, and suddenly dropped down in a water fall into a deep canyon laying ahead. A bridge stretched across this gorge, leading to the other side.
xXx

I glance at the bridge, that's strange. A bridge in the middle of nowhere. It looks to be made of rope and woods planks, it look strong enough to hold me but I wonder about Aphrodite. WIP

Leah's Sketchpad:

xXx She all tacked up and ready to go!
xXx there is the Doe in Round 2 and 3 (it's the one thing I thought of drawing at the time XD)

[sapphirespirit]

This won't be too terribly pretty- but this space houses Erebus Gotzon andMy Old Blue Jeans
The truck drove off, leaving a mix of tan, bluish, and spotted horses with their riders. They were standing on a dusty path that seemed to have seen wagons long before- now it was peppered with deer prints and the like. All around them were trees with leaves of amber and dark emerald, with a few hints of ruby red and topaz gold fruit peeking through the leaves.
There were many choices they could take. To the west slightly were the towering mountains; to the north and east, open meadows. They could also head south, into the trees, and see what lay beyond them- on in them.

Post one:
Erebus watched the truck pull away, leaving behind a trail of dust, and four other horse and rider pairs besides himself. He turned around to survey the group- a wonderful mixture of horses and riders. Erebus stepped closer to his own mount and patted her neck with a smile.
" Alright, Jean, this is it! " He spoke softly to her, his emerald gaze meeting her own crystal gems. She nudged his arm lightly, softly snorting in response. She wasn't too terribly interested in the other horses- she'd been sort of a loner since she was foaled- and that bit of her personality was the very reason she and Erebus got along so fetchingly. He smiled and patted her neck again before he was checking the saddle. HE also double checked the saddle bags - in which held a radio- provided for the ever lurking dangers someone was bound to encounter- first aid kits for both horse and rider, extra water, a couple of apples, and not to be forgotten the very roughly sketched map fo the area- with only basic landmarks provided. He sighed, taking the map in hand, and mount Jean, urging her gently towards the red flags which marked the start of their escapade. The other riders had already taken off, but Erebus didn't pay them much mind. He withdrew a compass from his shirt pocket, and studied what they had to chose from as far as paths went. He knew deer roamed this area- their hoof prints- among others- were embedded in the dirt path before them.
And, if there were deer , then there was most likely a wide range of predators around too.
Erebus inhaled the fresh air deeply- much, much better than the swamp lands they'd found a few days before- and studied the map again. There were grand and beautiful mountains to the west. While beautiful- Erebus wagered them far too dangerous for Jean and himself. While Jean was surefooted- Erebus hadn't dressed for cool weather- and he certainly wasn't keen on encountering any sort of bear or mountain lion. He was ill prepared for that.
He turned his eyes north- noting the wide, open meadows that stretched to the east as well. Beautiful, too, but Erebus didn't like feeling vulnerable. From his time in the forces- open spaces spelled trouble. No vantage points, no hiding places. Just grass and holes. He turned Jean towards the south, studying the tree line intently. Jean's tail thrashed lazily as she shifted her weight from one side to the other. There were a few trees nearest them with splendid bright colored fruit peeking from the autumn colored leaves. and further on into the tree line it seemed a bit thicker- a bit darker than the others. Something about it drew Erebus to it. " Alright, ole' Girl, giddy'up!" He urged her to a trot- Erebus's indecisiveness had cost them precious daylight. He was at home in the trees- as was Jean. And though the things that had crossed his mind previously could very well have been lurking in the tree line he was entering- He was okay with that. It wouldn't have surprised him if he had found other large predators- wolves or other big cats . He'd take his chances in the trees. Besides- there was bound to be a river or a stream in there some where- judging on the vast forest there had to be a water source. And, if it were indeed moving water- then Erebus would surely find some sort of golden nugget there, no matter how small or large.
______________________________________________________________
Post Two:

9. sapphirespirit
Erebus Gotzon & Jean
Erebus and his loner steed had made a good choice, among the rich trees and shining fruit, they would not have to worry about going hungry. Apples and pears hung, teasing as a forbidden fruit, above their heads. Some rotten ones lay on the ground, already ravaged by rodents, birds, and insects. A couple squirrels chattered as they leapt from branch to branch, continuing along past the rider. By following the denser forest, they were treated to the soft gurgling of a small tributary stream, that flowed south. Pebbles of all colors were nestled in the water, and one sparkled intensely. Sparkled....
Hey now.
Gold Acquired!

1x Gold Ore
They were flanked by trees on all sides, and the stream could offer a larger body of water, if that struck their fancy. The man and his mare had a blank canvas ahead- the map was sketchy about this area of land.

The forest was peaceful. Sunlight scattered the ground- peeking through the various leaves. A few squirrels chittered as they darted among the branches. The fruit bearing trees were plentiful- various apples and pears hung above and littered the forest floor below. The latter were rotting away- already scavenged by the small rodents and birds, leaving an empty skin for the flies to buzz over. Erebus guided Jean deeper into the trees, often times lifting branches out of the way for the duo to pass. eventually he dismounted , leading her towards the soft gurgling coming from further ahead. Her ears swiveled lazily, listening to the forest. They slammed forward at the sound of the stream. Erebus patted her nose gently, carefully stepping over a fallen log , and watching to make sure she cleared it with ease as well.
He couldn't see the sun now, so he couldn't tell the time precisely. Though, from his stomach's incessant grumbling, He figured it was far past lunch time. Especially sense He had skipped Breakfast. Jean nudged his shoulder gently, nickering softly.
" You're hungry too, huh, Ole girl? " He laughed gently. Once they reached the stream, he removed the bit and reins- having used a halter/bridle combo, and permitted her to drink as he withdrew an apple for himself and his wonderful mount.
He'd also taken the advantage of the fruit trees and collected several apples and pears as they had went along.

" Here ya go, Jean," he murmured, offering her the apple. She took it greedily, and munched away as he reached for his notepad to scrawl their rather uneventful journey thus far.
" The trees have grown more dense as we have continued along, and there is a stream in the forest's depths. Plenty of fresh food here, so far it's been quiet. I have yet to find anything." He sighed, lowering his notepad and studied the stream. Did it house fish? or frogs, or turtles? Or was it too shallow? At the rate it was moving, perhaps it fed into something larger?
He noted in his pad also how the rocks shimmered- various wonderful colors that jumped out at him. One even seemed to glitter in the sunlight. It was a wonderful yellowed color and-
He blinked, and moved further into the stream , stooping to collect the rock.
" Well ,All be..." He dried the mass on his shirt, and laughed half hysterically.
" Jean, Lookit here!" She flicked her tail and lifted her head unenthusiastically towards him, her maw still working on an apple piece.
" The trees have grown more dense as we have continued along, and there is a stream in the forest's depths. Plenty of fresh food here, so far it's been quiet. I have yet to find anything. I have found what appears to be one golden ore . This is very promising, and we will continue to follow the stream . If it feeds into a larger area as I assume it does- There could be more of these priceless pieces. "
They rested for a moment more, permitting Erebus to add a few sketches to the map, and for Jean to finish her snack- before Erebus re-bridled Jean, mounted, and trotted along an old deer path near the stream. If they happened to find a larger body of water, it would be good. But according to the map- Who knew what lied beyond! They had a blank canvas, and it was one that Erebus hoped to fill with brilliant, vibrant colors.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Post Three:

Round Three
We've had a few bits of drama this ride around, but everyone is doing pretty well for themselves! A few people have reached the extremes of the landscape, but almost everyone is still safe. That is, except for the strange gunshot that just went off. No one is in sight of any shooter, but people on the eastern half of the valley can clearly hear it.

9. sapphirespirit
Erebus Gotzon & Jean
Erebus and Jean were lucky to have picked up some gold ore! That would come in handy when they returned to camp. Now they were following the stream. As they followed the deer trail, it began to duck some, dipping in closer to the stream bank. The ground began to squelch a bit under Jean's hooves. It had grown muddier closer to the stream's bank, and soon it grew harder for Jean to move past. Suddenly the ground crumbled away from under Jean's front left leg, wrenching Erebus and her forward. Jean had stepped into a small sinkhole- some burrowing critter had dug a tunnel a long time ago, and the wet soft ground and weight combined had put the pair in a rough situation.

Wrap-Up:
Some things are picking up. Please take note, no one can spot the shooter. :3 Seren doesn't know who it is, but she has her radios on! You can contact her at any point during the ride to talk/ask a question! Hope you all are having fun, make sure to re-read the rules if you haven't done so recently, and make your third post whenever you have the time and inspiration! (You make your second post IN THE ALREADY MARKED POST.) I would appreciate it if you kept a record of your past posts- you can do so via the post you have, a word document, or something. Any questions can be directed via PM or the discussion thread, two posts above this one!

Post coming soon!

The path they were following had started to narrow- pushing the duo closer to stream, which in turn, had started to widen ever so slightly. It was almost as if the land had decided to encase the pair in an ever shrinking room. Erebus had half a mind to turn back and try their luck in the trees and try to keep the stream in sight. The bank was far muddier than he figured it would be on such a warm day. Though, judging by the treetops hanging over them, it wasn't any wonder why it was so muddy here. Their ride was silent for the most part- peaceful. Erebus went on rides like this at his own ranch. He had yet to pick a name for it- but with all of his horses and his various friends world wide- He had hoped to open up a cattle ranch. It was one of those quirky dreams of his.
" Just look at those silvery minnows dancing in the water, Jean." Oh, he knew she didn't understand- or at least chose not to respond. But, he enjoyed his one sided conversations with his mount when the silence became too much. His life on the force had been far too much excitement for him to handle. He quite enjoyed the simple, quiet life .
" And the birds, Jean, Listen! Oh, they sound pretty as bells, don't they?" Jean flicked her tail, uninterested in Erebus's musings.
" Hmmm.. Silver... Bells.. That's it Jean! I've got it! The ranch, we'll name it Si-" His words were cut short, drowned out by a thunderous noise that echoed off the far off mountains and resonated through the trees. ERebus knew that sound anywhere. Someone was shooting. He started at the sound, accidentally tugging Jean's reins. She had picked up her pace to from her lazed walk to a half panicked trot, veering roughly to her left when Erebus tugged the reins. His heart hammered away in his chest, and sweat beaded on his forehead. He murmured nonsense to Jean- not sure really who he was trying to calm down, he or she. Then suddenly- Erebus was jerked forward and soaring through the air. He saw a flash of grey and white as jean's neck passed under him.
He hit the ground with a thud- the air escaping his lungs with a deep "OOF!". Spots danced in his vision, and his hearing faded in and out. He hadn't taken a good fall from a horse in a long while- since the last young horse he had trained. His heart was determined to break free of his chest- and his chest heaved with the effort to catch his panicked breath.
Of course, this all happened within a matter of seconds. His lungs finally filled with air, and as if frightened to ever loose it again, forced him to take short, rapid breaths. This, in turn, caused his extremities to go numb, and his vision to dim. He couldn't breath- he couldn't move- he couldn't think. All he saw, smelt, heard, and felt was whatever nightmarish thoughts and memories danced in his head.

"Gotzon! You and Kuger flank the survivors!" Erebus nodded, his helmet bobbing on his head. He and Kruger ushered the remaining survivors from the crumbling fort. They were like cattle- panicked and rushing over one another to get away- unconsciously allowing themselves to be driven which ever way. Kuger was shouting at them- waving his hands and trying to push to the front to stop them. ERebus knew it wouldn't do any good- They didn't speak English. and Erebus himself had tried to speak in their native tongue - only to be ignored. There was far too much shouting for him to be heard. The group had run itself into a dead end, and turned wide eyed and for the first time silent to stare at the uniformed duo. Erebus shouldered his AR15 and spoke calmly to them. They seemed to calm and were compliant to follow Erebus and Kuger, and silently at that.
Repositioning his weapon, Erebus moved them back through the dark corridors. Electricity sparked here and there, an din a few secluded places flames licked up the walls and across the floors. Erebus was careful to keep them as distant from danger as possible. There was a shout behind him, followed by several more- and before he knew it the only sound he heard was the crumbling building and muffled shouting- which too soon faded. Erebus was only left with a handful of others. Kuger and the rest of the group was gone. And it had been his fault.

Erebus murmured a faint, groggy - "No! " as he stirred, lifting his head slowly. He pushed himself up , his elbows popping with the effort. His eyes focused to see Jean dancing awkwardly in place by the stream- a mixture of mud and water flickering around her. His ears woke to the frantic whinnying from his mount. He scrambled over to her , muttering a curse as he did so. How stupid of him! He had panicked. He let his anxiety creep in and take hold of him. He was retired from the force because of said anxiety- and now look where it had gotten him!
He grabbed Jean's nose band and calmed her, cooing and murmuring to her softly, his free hand stroking her velveteen nose. After a few moments she calmed enough for him to assess the situation.

Someone had taken a shot with a what he assumed ot be some sort of high powered gun- most likely a rifle. Of course,he was only guessing. In his blind panic, he had cause Jean to veer left- closer to the stream. And moments after doing so- her left front hoof landed smack dab in the middle of a sinkhole. Just large enough for her hoof. Their combined weight had been too much for the mud filled trap- and when she had hung herself up- the force of her panicked trot had sent him soaring over head. Granted- had he been aware of everything- he could've easily calmed her, and avoided this mess. But curse that random, unseen Shooter! Erebus's cheeks were filled with chagrin. He kept a shaking hand on Jean's bridle, the other reaching and fumbling for the saddleback. He withdrew the hand held radio and flicked it on. After a few unsuccessful moments to free Jean, He knew he had to call it in.

He was terribly embarrassed. He- Erebus Gotzon, the cool, level headed, quiet fellow he fended for the weak and for himself had gotten spooked by a little ole gunshot. And now he had endangered not only himself but his beloved mount. With a heavy sigh, Erebus cleared his throat and pressed the button.
" Seren, this is Erebus.. We've hit a bit of trouble here. Over. "

Round Four:
Seren had quickly headed over to the pair, and, with the help of her sure-footed gelding, pulled out the poor mare. Between the two of them, they had checked out Jean's leg and figured she was fine, just surprised. No lameness, thank goodness. Seren wished the two the best of luck, and took note of the gunshot.
She headed off to find out the source, leaving the two alone. Erebus and Jean had a scary situation, but something had paid off. They were left with a few choices now. They could keep going through the trees, or turn back towards a blip on the town that could mean a town. Then again, there was a box canyon to the south that may bring them some interesting views.
Skill Point Acquired
Agility +1

Erebus thanked Seren, watching the duo trot off into the trees. With a sigh, Erebus Patted Jean's neck, murmuring a soft apology. Thankfully, Jean wasn't one to hold grudges. He offered his mount a slice of apple, taking her moment of distraction to observe the map. There were a great many miles left of forest, it seemed. And While he was at home in the trees, Erebus figured it was high time to change their course. The Mud being one reason,and the mystery shooter being another. He'd endangered Jean enough for one day. And it seemed to the south there was some sort of Canyon. While the views would likely be breath taking, Erebus wasn't keen on that Idea, either. It was too open, too vulnerable. Besides, the last thing he wanted to run into was any sort of mountain lion, or anything of the sort. They weren't equipped for that. He frowned as he thought, giving Jean's nose a soft nudge to the side when she'd nudged his shoulder, impatient.

"Alright, ole girl, Let's turn back a ways. We know that its safe back that way, and besides, there is a little spot on this map that would be an ideal spot for a town. " Granted, Erebus hadn't a clue what lay in wait for them. taking the reins in hand, and resting his hands on the saddle horn to keep Jean still, Erebus swung into the saddle, adjusted his weight, and turned his beloved ount about, careful to avoid the softened mud bank. They'd take it easy on their way to this little smudge on the map. The'd both had plenty of excitement in the past hour, and Erebus was starting to feel every bit of that mini vault.
WIP

[Penultima]

The rider:

Jamie LaValhauser
Age: 19 years old
Height: 5'3"

Personality:
Open minded, spunky, outgoing. She can sometimes be reserved, but can make friends with anyone.

The horse:

Dun Gonna Run
aka "Gunner"
Age: 13 years old
Breed: Quarter Horse
Coat: Bay Dun Roan

Stats:
Courage: 3
Stamina: 2
Speed: 2
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 1

[cn_spots]

Post one.
Cory listened as the rumble from the trailer faded away, nothing more than a pin point in the bland landscape.
"Hm well Hombre shall we get moving and get something done?" Cory bent over asking Hombre to lift his hoof amd pull in the leg forward to stretch his muscles. Bre let out a cross between a groan and sigh.
"Oh really? Silly man." Cory smiled and pulls the gelding ears. Mounting and checking the cinch, Cory nudged Hombre to a walk. Eyeing the pale landscape the wall of green pines caught Cory's eye.
"Oo pine smell. This way Bre!" Cory giggled.

Weaving though trees Cory breathed deep, the smell of sap and thud of hooves on deed needles made her want to close her eyes and rock in time to Hombre's walk. Cory was to distracked for notice Hombre prick his ears and eye sime trees to the left. A snapping twig and flash jolted Cory back to reality.
"Gah!" Cory nearly jumped out of the saddle as a pair of deer bounded past them nearly cutting them off. Hombre felt Cory wobble above him. What did he miss? Was the danger? He remembered the small jumping horses from his wild days.
"Jeez I almost can out of my skin Hombre! I never saw them til they were in our lap! Well they must be headed somewhere, lets follow."

Post two:
Weaving between sweet smelling pines, Cory and Hombre heading towards a thining part of trees. Hombre huffed a shy and streched his neck.
"Good boy Hombre, you really kicked up dirt after those deer, but they have home field advantage." Cory ruffled the geldings mane. Coming into the thinong tree the sunshine was stronger, spreading warmth through Cory's body. Tree suddenly fell away to reveal a rocky shored lake.
"Cool!" Cory blurted digging for the map.
"Mirror lake. This must be where the deer were headed for. I think a rest is in order, maybe a swim?" Cory smirked she could just feel the cool water on her feet already. Cory slid down, opened her right saddle bag to pull out Hombre's royal blue rope halter and lead.
"Come here bud, I'll take thay heavy bit."
Cory ground tied Hombre and slipped off her boots and socks off. Hmm maybe if I get on bareback he'll swim. Hombre's cinch jingled as Cory loosened it. Pulling the saddle and pad off, Cory was careful to set the saddle on its horn on a dry place and flip the pad over to dry.
"Alright dont kill me." Cory took a flying leap to scramble onto the little bay's back. Death gripping with her knees Cory pointed Hombre to the shore.
Hombre's first reaction was to drink deeply. Having his fill Hombre walked farther and farther in, he often splashed in water holes when he live with his old herd. Chest deep Hombre stoped feeling Cory tense on his back.
"Just- just dont dump me out here amd leave me to drown." Cory nudged Hombre.
The sudden sensation of riding a swiming horse hit Cory.
"Wee oh my gosh 'Bre this is amazing." Cory and Hombre circled a couple of times before heading for shore. After Cory dismounted on shore Hombre shook water from his coat. Happy beyond words Cory preched on a boulder holding Hombre's lead rope in one hand, skipping stones with the other.

[o s h u n]

Sinners Cathedral

Basic information:
Sin
Blue Roan. Mustang. Mare. cactus green eyes
wearing black western saddle, red striped saddle pad,
black bridle with D ring snaffle
Calm and patient, very loyal,
My first CWHR horse

Oshunaria Wolfe

Basic information:
Oshun
Brunette, Slim build, female, 5'2", golden hazel eyes.
wearing black hoodie, red boots, jeans,
Quiet, smart, patient, determined
My first 'persona'
(recently changed hair color)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stats:
Courage: 1
Stamina: 2
Speed: 2
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 2

Saddle Bag Contents:
Bag #1: Sandwiches (2), Cell Phone (1), Gloves (1), Apples (2), Bag of horse treats (1),
Water Purifying Solution (1), Canteen (1), Guide to edible plants (1), Pencils (2), Map (1), Note pad (1)
Bag #2: First Aid kit, Spray on band-aid(1), Iodine Spray (1), Fly Spray (1), Lead Line (1), Pocket knife (1), Marker tape (2), Rain poncho (1), Advil (1), 'Vet Wrap'(2), Toilet Paper (1)

First Aid Kit Contents:
Healthcare card (1), Human Gauze (2), Horse Gauze (2), Disinfectant (1), Disinfecting wipes (1), Scissors (1), Needle & Thread (1), Tweezers (1), Adhesive Band-aids in assorted sizes (32), Burn Cream (1), Eye Dressing Unit (1)

Round One
"Well Sin, looks like this is where it begins." A brunette girl stood by her horses head, her hand wrapped under the horses neck to scratch lazy circles over the horses face, causing its dark lidded eyes to droop lazily. The morning sun beat down on the sight in front of them, dancing off the leaves of the nearby trees and grassy meadows. The heady mix of drying dew and dirt was a startling contrast to the dry air of the truck she had traveled in, making her want to gallop across the fields and revel in the sweet sunshine. But Oshun knew better, today was a day of careful exploration, and so after checking her cinch and stretching the last of her morning weariness away Oshun patted her blue roan mare and jammed her foot into the left stirrup, swinging herself up onto the little mare. With a gentle cluck Oshun sent her mare forward, walking in a small circle before turning toward the wooded area. Oshun knew that it was a bit of a risky move, it was easy to lose direction and get lost in such dense woods, or to be caught off guard by various creatures, but she could tell by the set of her ears that Sin was curious about the sweet smelling forest.

The morning sun sent slanted bars of light through the dense forest, casting everything with a gold outline. Steam rolled out of the mares nostrils as she heaved a sigh, so far the horse and rider had not encountered many other animals in the woods, just a few morning birds whose calls sliced through the quiet air. Oshun sat relaxed on her mare's back, her golden hazel eyes taking in everything around her with a thirsty observance. The vibrant colors of the morning forest had her itching to take pictures or pain, to capture the beauty somehow, but she stifled the urge and tried to simply remember each little detail as best she could. As the pair waded through a particularly large bushed area Oshun noticed a thin deer trail cutting through the brush and decided to follow it. The two had been walking through the forest for some time now and Oshun thought it might be a good idea to follow the path, thinking it might lead to a stream or watering hole. Stopping her mare Oshun reached into her saddle bags and pulled out a roll of orange marking tape, which wasn't really adhesive at all, and tied a length of it to a nearby branch. She had been marking their path most of the way here, but now that she had a trail to follow she wouldn't have to be quite as meticulous with her marking, one more marker in plain sight of this one so that it would be clear which way she had turned onto the path and then she would only have to mark every half hour or so, unless she turned off the path. With the tape tucked safely away Oshun gathered the reins and trotted Sin forward for a few paces before placing another length of tape around a branch and trotting forward again.

The noon high sun beat down through the now sparse canopy, catching the gleam of ripe fruit that weighed down each branch. Oshun reached out and plucked one off its branch, causing the branch to sway gently and drop a few of its overripe fruits to the earth. Sin huffed and flicked an ear but seemed more focused on the sight ahead of her. An expanse of water that gleamed lazily in the sun. The deer trail emerged from the trees onto a wide grassy bank before turning sharply left. Oshun dismounted and tied another orange marker to a branch before leading her horse over to a shaded area. The water had once been a flowing stream but the large beaver dam that lurked on the far edge of the meadow had caused the water to pool up in what had once been a large meadow. Sin ducked her head and began gorging herself on the lush grass as Oshun loosened her cinch and tied her to a thick branch on a fallen log, grabbing a sandwich and a water from the saddle bags. Once she had finished her lunch Oshun reached for a waxy piece of paper which had been a rough map of the area, with a thin black marker Oshun drew out more of their path, connecting it to the previous line before adding a small circle and writing 'beaver pond' inside it. She could see on the map that her and Sin had ended up on the right most portion of the forest. Checking her compass one last time Oshun placed all her items and garbage back into the saddle bags and began tightening Sin's cinch and checking her feet again before leading her down to the stream bank for a quick drink. Oshun lead her horse back to the deer trail and walked a short ways down it before setting up another tape marker to show what direction she had traveled in. Once the orange tape was secure Oshun swung up into her black saddle and set out on the trail again.


{{Click for full size!}}



Round Two

As the pair set out on the trail the trail narrowed and tall grass closed in on either side. The two had set off at a leisurly walk, Sin swishing her tail to swat at the flies that had seemingly come out of nowhere. Irritated by the buzzing insects Oshunaria dismounted yet again, this time reaching into the saddle bag for her trusty fly spray. After misting the left side of her horse Oshun ducked under her horses neck to spritz her other side, only her boot caught onto something and drug it through the dirt, earning a head toss from her mare. A confused Oshun looked down to see a dusty leather halter hooked over the toe of her boots. "Huh" she muttered, stooping to pick up the halter. "J.M.F?" she read the letters aloud, taking note of the grey horse hair that poked out from a few crevasses. Oshun took a quick glance around to see that some grass had clearly been trampled, sometime within the last week, by an animal bigger than deer. With a light shrug she tossed it over her saddle horn and wrapped the end leather lead around the horn so it wouldn't bother Sin, then continued misting her horse with the fly repellent. Still thinking about the mysterious halter Oshun put the fly spray back into her saddle bags before swinging up onto her horse, staring down at the halter one last time before Oshun pulled out her map to take a mental note of their path: the two had entered the woods from the center south entrance and had followed the deer trail in a gentle right curve that had led them to the marshy beaver pond. The orchard still rose up to their left and to their right the land flattened out and contained a sea of long and untamed grass. They were currently facing north, but Oshun wondered which direction to take. Grassy hills rose up in front of them some distance away, but the path of the runaway grey cut straight west, back into the orchard. With a shrug Oshun decided to steer her horse along the trampled path, following the direction of the half a hoofprint that edged onto the deer trail. At least this way she would still have trees to put her markers on, once she got out in the open it would be a bit harder to mark her exact path. And so the two turned into the tall grass and closed the distance between them and the orchard, Oshun not even bothering to dismount to mark a tree this time, she simply tied it to a branch she could reach from horseback. The two headed back into the dense woods, the hollow sound of Sins hoofbeats were the only sound in the uncharacteristically quiet orchard.

[flight;;]

marking. c:
Alaska & Cat

Ｆｕｌｌ Ｎａｍｅ
Alaska Rose Culver
Ｎｉｃｋｎａｍｅｓ
I go by Alaska, but some people call me Ally.
Ａｇｅ
22
Ａｌｌｅｒｇｉｅｓ
n/a
Ｈｅａｌｔｈｃａｒｅ Ｐｒｏｖｉｄｅｒ
North Bay Hospital
Ｒｉｄｉｎｇ Ｅｘｐｅｒｉｅｎｃｅ
I ride primarily English, although I dabble in Western. In English, I compete
in eventing. I don't compete in Western, though for pleasure I will barrel race and
trail ride.
Ｌｉａｂｉｌｉｔｙ Ｒｅｌｅａｓｅ Ｆｏｒｍ Ｃｏｍｐｌｅｔｅｄ
yes: ☑ no: ☐
Ｈｏｒｓｅ
Can't Catch Me
The above information is fictional, any coincidences with real people are merely coincidences.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stats:
Courage: 1
Stamina: 2
Speed: 2
Agility: 2 +1
Intelligence: 2

Ｒｅｇｉｓｔｅｒｅｄ Ｎａｍｅ
Can't Catch Me
Ｂａｒｎ Ｎａｍｅ
Cat
Ｇｅｎｄｅｒ
mare
Ａｇｅ
4 years
Ｈｅｉｇｈｔ
15.1 hh
Ｃｏａｔ
bay blanket extended appaloosa
Ｂｒｅｅｄ
Appaloosa
Ｈｅａｌｔｈ Ｃｏｍｐｌｉｃａｔｉｏｎｓ
n/a
Ｌｉｎｋ ｔｏ ｐａｐｅｒｓ
xxx
Ｏｔｈｅｒ
n/a
The above information is fictional, any coincidences with real people are merely coincidences.

♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘

The Bags

this color means it was found on the journey

- sandwich x3
- apple x3
- first aid kit
- handheld radio
- digital camera
- cell phone
- map
- body brush
- hoof pick
- hair brush
- journal/sketchbook
- pencil x3
- pen x2
- emergency blanket
- halter + lead
- hand towel
- neon blue trail markers
- water bottles x3
- water purification tablets x5
- gold ore x1
- bighorn sheep sketch x1

♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘♘

-- bleak area
-- blue group
-- goes north towards mountains
-- finds a gold ore

Gravel crunched under leather riding boots as Alaska walked around to the horse trailers. She quickly got to her business, unloading her horse: Can't Catch Me.She was on a little exploration trip for Cottonwood, and was rather excited for the adventure. Her soft blue eyes glanced around at the other people in her group. She wouldn't exactly be riding with them, but it couldn't hurt to see who she might see on the adventure. She studied their faces, trying to click some names from the list of attendees to the faces she sa before her. She grabbed her saddlebags and smoothly attached them to the saddle. All set. She thought, putting her foot in the stirrup. She smoothly swung onto Cat and gathered her reins. She gave the area one last surveying look, making sure she didn't forget anything.
"Let's go girlie." Alaska clicked to her mare and directed her north, towards the mountains. She assumed that most of the group would head south, where resources were more apparent and where the scenery would be more pleasant. The mountains needed to be explored as well, and she was open to taking a risk. After all, she did go for the adventure and to help out Cottonwood. She wasn't on the trail long before the monotony started settling in. There really wasn't much that was interesting along the trail she had picked. The trail thinned out as the pair moseyed along. It was fairly silent, besides the soft thuds of hooves hitting dirt and the occasional chirping of a bird.
A scraggly tree came into view, so Alaska pulled Cat to a stop and dismounted. She grabbed the neon blue trail markers from her saddle bag. They were reflective, and could be seen in the dark; perfect for following a bleak trail. She tore off a piece of marker, wrapping it around the tree and tying it in a little know. She knew that if she left all the markers on the left side of the trail, she knew to get back that she would just have to follow them back with them on her right side, just in case she got lost. She put the tape away and grabbed a pen and the map of the existing Cottonwood area. She carefully drew in the shape of the trail so far before folding it up and tucking everything back away in her saddlebag.

Alaska clicked the mare to a bouncy walk as they made their way down the trail. Things were slow, and she was debating whether there was actually anything on the pathway at all. The thought finally occurred to her that since there was a trail, it had to go somewhere. Trails had to come from somewhere. She thought that it's existence probably came to be by an animal, but it seemed a tad too wide for that. Plus, animal tracks often led to water and there was no sign of water in the vicinity. Perhaps it was man-made, by explorers that had come through long before her.
The trail turned around a bend, and a little outcropping came into view. "A little break wouldn't be bad, huh Cat?" She murmured, pulling the appaloosa to a halt beside a small growth of gnarly trees. She looped the reins around a branch and pulled the marking tags, along with a water bottle, out of her bag. She took a sip from the water and walked to the outcrop to mark a tree. She didn't plan on staying long, just long enough to leave a marker and get some water. She tethered the marker to the tree before dumping the water and tape back into her bag. Something caught the corner of her eye.
An unusual reddish-brown color caught her eye. Most of the area was muted colors, except for the sky. A rusty handle poked out of a bush, so she walked over to investigate. It was an old iron pan, probably used for gold mining. Something else caught her eye as well. A little glint in a bush. She walked over and peered into the bush. It was just a rock. Her hopes dropped, and her mouth tightened to a thin line. She was hoping for something exciting. She picked up the rock, peering closer at it. Why had it glinted in the sunlight? She turned it over in the sun, and noticed little streaks of gold running through the rock. She poured a little of her water over the rock, wiping it off on her pants. Upon washing the rock, she found that it was primarily gold, it had just been covered in dirt.
It was gold! A grin crossed Alaska's face. She had finally found something worthwhile. She jogged over to her saddlebags, tucking the gold safely inside. She couldn't believe her luck. She scribbled a picture down of the outcropping in her journal and added it to the map, circling it and adding a little note saying gold with a little arrow. Also in her journal, she scribbled a few notes down so she could share a little more information on the trail: -probably made by people -goldminers? Her decision of mountain climbing was already paying off.
Alaska pulled an apple out of her saddlebag, offering it Cat. The gentle mare didn't hesitate to snatch the apple away and slobber as she devoured it. "You need to learn your manners." Alaska laughed, patting her mare on the neck. Their little break was nice, but they would need to get moving again. She untied the reins from around the tree, and mounted Cat. Alaska directed them back on the trail. The trail had to lead somewhere, eventually. If old settlers really did use it, which can be assumed with the gold ore and rusty gold pan, then there was a good chance that there would be more to be found further along the trail. The tricky part was that she had no idea how long the trail would go on for. It could be hundreds of miles before anything came to view. "It could be miles before I find anything. Do you think I made the right choice, heading down this way?" She wondered aloud. The question was more to herself than towards Cat. After all, Cat was only a horse. Even so, the mare had flicked one of her ears back, appearing to listen to Alaska. "I guess if it really doesn't go anywhere, I could find something new. Who knows where this trail goes? And, since travelers did use the trail, I might find more. It really is an adventure!" She laughed, patting Alaska on the neck. She had a habit of talking to her horses, even though they weren't real people. A bird chirped overhead, and Alaska grinned, raising her hand to block the sun from her eyes. Surely enough, there was a little red bird that flew overhead. She scrambled to grab her camera and snap a picture, but it had disappeared as quickly as it had came. Alaska shrugged, and tucked the camera back into her saddlebag. It was merely a bird, and it wasn't like they were rare at Cottonwood, although was nice to get a glimpse of something other than dusty trail.

Alaska let her mind wander as they meandered down the trail. She wondered how the others were doing, and if they were having any success, such as her little find. She sipped her water every now and then, remembering to stay hydrated in the heat. There wasn't much eventful going on, but she still enjoyed the trip. Every now and then, rabbit ears would poke through the shrubbery along the trail. They would swivel around once they heard hoofbeats and then freeze for a moment. Alaska would giggle, and Cat would reach out her nose towards the strange creatures. The rabbit would disappear into the undergrowth to get away from the mare. Cat shied away for the first few, but came to accept them later on. They weren't unusual either. Birds and rabbits. Alaska made a mental note of the more common creatures she had seen so far. Animals weren't all that common along the trail, but still, it couldn't hurt to make a list of the ones she had seen.

The trail they had chosen was definitely an enjoyable one, leaving Alaska to wonder if all the trails had been this nice. Her mind wondered back to the clip-clopping of hooves she had heard earlier. Nothing seemed to click. She assumed it had been another rider, but that seemed a little odd considering they all split up. The question rang around her head for a while, and she began to overanalyze and overthink it. Is someone following me? The idea seemed ridiculous, but she couldn't seem to connect any other reason to the sound of hoofbeats other than Cat's. Turning the reins loosely in her hands, she pondered this idea. That was, until there was a break in the trail. There stood a herd of bighorn sheep. Sucking in a sharp breath, Alaska slowly reached for her sketchbook, being careful not to startle them. She quickly sketched a picture, hoping that they wouldn't bolt. It was amazing they hadn't bolted on sight. Even Cat seemed to be stunned into a frozen state.

Everything was stilled into silence until a rock fell loose from the surrounding cliffs. Not only did this startle the sheep, it startled Cat too. Cat stumbled backwards and threw herself back into a rear. The sheep tossed their heads and rounded themselves off and the sketchbook tumbled to the ground. The perfect moment was quickly obliterated. Alaska grappled for Cat's neck in an attempt to stay on, and although it was close, she managed. Cooing to Cat, she worked to calm her horse and regain her own composure. "It's okay Cat... It's okay." She hushed, settling her own nerves as well. Alaska dismounted from her mare and picked up the sketchbook. To her fortune, not of the pages had fallen out. She tucked the sketchbook away, sighing in relief. Remounting, she directed the now-somewhat-temporarily-skittish Cat back towards the trail. She figured getting moving again would be the best way to compose themselves further.

[PollyPoos]

Appearance

Hello everyone! My name is Addison Mae Dennison,
everyone calls me Addi though! I'm a 17 year old
wild child! I'm from Pinedale, Wyoming but moved
out here by Cottonwood ranch! I am 5 foot 4 inches,
so average height I guess. I weigh about 127 pounds
from the fact that I eat way too much candy! Well
I usually ride pleasure, but I perform mostly in
Western riding. I have green eyes and for the most
part I'm very happy and positive! I'm also quite
the people person so don't be afraid to know me!

Appearance
Stats
Courage: 2
Stamina: 2
Speed: 1
Agility: 2
Intelligence: 2

Alright, you see the beautiful spotted mare right here?
Well her and I are pretty much made for each other. We are the best of
friends too. Her name is Holly since she was born around Christmas time.
She is a Colorado Ranger/Appaloosa/Pintaloosa her dad
carrying most of the spotted horse genes while her mother was a
Pinto. Her coloration is a red dun messy spotted blanket, which
makes her personality pop even more than it already does!
She's pretty tall standing at 15.3 hands high.
She can be very stubborn since she has Pinto in her, and fiery.
She is very brave and has a heart of gold.
Holly will be wearing a tan western saddle, with a woven red and tan
saddle blanket, a tan bridle, and to top it all off she will have a tan
breastplate with golden accents. Anyways this is my Holly who I will
be riding for this adventure.

Digital Camera (x1)
Map of Area (x1)
Walkie Talkie (x1)
First Aid Kit (x1)
Cell Phone (x1)
Pocket Knife (x1)
Rope (x1)
Navy Trail Markers (x25)
*New* Gold Ore (x1)
*New* Deer Sketch (x1)

Apples (x4)
Carrots (x3)
Water Bottles (x6)
Pickle & Cheese Sandwiches (x3)
Pencils (x2)
Erasers (x2)
Sketch pad (x1)


As the trailer drove away disappearing in the dust of the land which had seemed to be barren only filled with dry grass and a few rocks here and there. A blonde teenaged girl stood by a horse that seemed to stand out in this tan colored environment. She held the reins of her horse in her hand with a gentile grasp knowing her noble mare wouldn't move if she dropped the reins at her feet anyways. "Wow, I guess we got to be in the luckiest group of them all." the girl spoke quietly to the mare who seemed to snort in agreement. She walked north seeing mountains in the distance. "You want to go to the mountains?" Addison asked the mare who pawed the ground indicating she would rather stay on a flatter surface than the mountains. Addison let out a sigh and made her way south, "I bet the forests are pretty want to go adventure those?" she asked and the mare replied with a small whiney. Addison smiled knowing they both loved to go adventure in the forests back at home where they could see wildlife galore. Addison mounted Holly and made their way off into the tree infested land with a slow and steady walk. The path was rocky but had plenty of room, only thing to worry about was a slip on the soft dirt. Holly seemed to know what she was doing avoiding the edge of the road as much as possible. They reached the end of the blank land, standing on the outskirts of trees and undergrowth that seem to bring the surroundings to life. "It's so beautiful! I'm sure there's loads of other animals I'm there! Be careful though Holly we don't want to run into anything too dangerous." Addison warned her horse. Holly shook her body making her rider move side to side in the saddle. They continued forward, observing the land taking all the shades of green and brown in. Suddenly the two knew they weren't alone anymore when a loud crack of a stick was heard nearby. Holly halted her ears flicking back and forth making sure there was no danger. A strong legged deer with antlers branching out from its skull walked out in front of the two. It had its head low in grazing the new green sprouts of grass, the moment was beautiful for a sketch or picture. Addison pulled out her sketchbook and quickly started to make the scene with a swipe of her pencil. The buck finally left the pathway, making it easier for the two of them to continue their exploration.

Addison Mae Dennison & Holly
The buck had been pretty gorgeous, a perfect idyllic symbol of the wild lands they were currently trekking through. Better hold onto the sketch- that may come in handy later. Once he had moved on into the underbrush, Addison and Holly were treated to more towering pines, with some smaller deciduous trees sprinkled about. The underbrush rustled, and there was a black-and-white flash of fur. Uh...maybe it's best not to linger here. Having an adventure cut short due to smelling horrendous would be kinda disappointing. If one cared to glance up, they could spot a small, lithe-bodied pine marten as he carried his mousy meal home to his tree hollow. This section of forest was full of wildlife among the dappled light, and one felt very cut off from civilization here. There was flora, fauna, and the light only here. The light that was...mysteriously flashing off of that ground over there...huh?
Underneath some pine needles, there was a small stone studded with flecks of brilliant gold.
Gold Acquired!

1x Gold Ore

Addison looked down at the shiny golden rock and dismounted her steed that seemed to be mesmerized by the brightness it gave off in the woods. "Are you seein' what I'm seein' Holly?" Addi asked her eyes focused on the stone below. The horse snorted in confirmation as Addi went to pick up what she had found. It was heavy and just then she knew it wasn't fools gold. "We are definitely going to tell Seren about this when we get back to base!" she exclaimed before placing it in the left brown leather saddlebag. She grabbed Holly's reins figuring she should walk a little while before her behind started to get numb from all the sitting. "I should probably be putting some markers down so we don't explore the path we already have been on." she thought aloud. She grabbed some of the dark blue markers and tied them around branches of the trees. They continued walking before coming across a small forest stream that allowed Holly to get a drink from. They stopped a little to take a small break, grabbing a sandwich and a carrot for the mare. "Here ya go girl." Addison praised her mare by feeding her the carrot which seemed to have brighten Holly's mood a bit. "We should probably continue exploring who knows what we will find next!" she explained as she hopped back into the saddle. They continued forward into the woods stopping so Addi could tie her markers around some of the tree branches. Holly immediately stopped her eyes swiveling in all directions trying to listen to her surroundings. "What is it?" Addison whispered to her horse who soon trotted into a different direction. She was lead to a stream where Holly could get a drink and relax for a second. As Addi looked down into the water she noticed little minnows and trout swimming with the current. They looked graceful being able to not worry about anything but going with or against the current. Holly jumped into the water splashing Addi with the cold liquid. "Holly!" Addi screeched when the water hit her skin. The horse continued to play in the water and would flick her owner with water every now and then.