Luidaeg Spooky times part 02

[salty_witch]

[OOC: Milli-timed to evening time.]

The fogs and winds are still making things chilly and spooky outside. Leaves rustle and swarm about, trees creak, and branches snag in hair and clothing. As what passes for a sun dips below the mountains, the plaintive neighing a horse echoes through the twilight. Those curious or brave enough may follow the sound to the lake, where they will find a beautiful black horse seemingly caught in the mud a length or so from the shore.

It certainly could use some help. Are you a kind soul? Do you help?

[OOC: And week two of the Luidaeg's fun begins. Since I got this up later in the week, I'll leave it open until Saturday. For more info as to what the Luidaeg is up to, read here.]

Comments

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

Bossuet is a kind soul! A kind soul who likes horses. He hears the sound, comes poking along to see what's up, and then sees the situation. Ah, hell.

"Steady there," he calls in his best horse-soothing tones. "Steady there, we'll have you out--" Er. Somehow. If the horse is stuck, he's unlikely to get far helping.

[salty_witch]

Did the horse just grin at Bossuet? Nah, couldn't be.

The horse does turn to look Bossuet's way, looking over its shoulder as luck would have it; the horse's broad, powerful (and perhaps inviting) back is facing him as he comes towards it. The horse is in fairly deep, the water coming to its stomach.

Does Bossuet mind getting his trousers wet?

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

He doesn't care in the least about his trousers, but he's not too keen on the idea of slowly being sucked into the mud himself. There's a good stout stick at hand, though; he approaches, probing the mud ahead as he goes. It doesn't seem too bad?

"Easy, now," he continues to say, along with other such murmuring nothings.

[salty_witch]

The horse whinnies in am manner which would suggest friendliness* and pulls a foot free to step towards Bossuet. This brings the horse closer to him but still not within reach.

[OOC: *I don't know horse body language and so I hope this is somewhat accurate.]

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

"There you go, girl. The ground's better over here, just come a little closer--"

He's extending himself, shuffling and sloshing forward while trying to still test the bottom with the stick; it's only a few seconds before he over-extends himself and catches at the horse's mane for support.

[salty_witch]

The horse, of course, steps into his reach. In fact it kneels so that he may climb upon its back if he so chooses.

So helpful.

[tire_moi_mes_bottes]

It hardly seems right to climb onto a horse that's struggling in the mud--but perhaps if she's so used to a rider, it will calm her? At any rate, the mud really doesn't seem so bad.

He puts an arm around her neck, first, to see if she's really willing to be ridden, and then climbs on. "There now, girl. Better? Let's get out of this wet."

[harryhotspur]

As if Harry Percy can resist that. He wades in without hesitation-- though not so hastily as to spook the horse, of course.

[salty_witch]

For a brief moment, it almost seems there is a predatory gleam in the horse's eyes, but that would be silly wouldn't it?

For her part, the mare shifts towards Harry, hooves pulling in the mud, and nods her head in greeting*.

[OOC: *I don't really know horse body language and so may get some things wrong.]

[harryhotspur]

[ooc: oh man, I know nothing either, don't worry]

"Hast caught thyself?" he asks in a soothing sort of tone. "Come, let us see."

[salty_witch]

The mare whinnies and steps a little closer, almost within reach, before slipping and sliding into deeper water.

[harryhotspur]

"Ah, take care, take care!" he says, not that the horse can understand (as far as he knows). He wades in right after, this time drawing close enough to grab hold of her mane. "Come now, calmly now."

[salty_witch]

She stumbles back his way, managing to not tread on his feet but knocking him hard enough that she leaves him with a choice of lunging for her back or falling back into the water.

Chose wisely.

[not_his_pa]

The horses have been worried and William's sees them settled before noticing one out in the water.

He heads out with a sigh and a rope over his shoulder, "Come on, how'd you get out here?"

[salty_witch]

The mare side steps away from William as if shy. It's just happenstance that she heads towards deeper water isn't it?

[not_his_pa]

"Hell, you're goin' to get stuck out there,"

He reaches out a hand as he goes into the deeper water.

[salty_witch]

She stops with a mischievous look in her eye and a friendly neigh. She also pulls her front hooves slowly up in the water, as if they were stuck in even deeper mud.

[not_his_pa]

The neigh is reassuring and he is able to get to her nose and neck, "Hey, don't worry. I'll get you out of there."

[salty_witch]

She sidesteps and tries to knock him off his feet.

[sunbaked_baker]

Rae had come out to view the sunset, but the clouds and thick fog had made the effective end of the day earlier than she had expected. Still, even with the chill, she didn't feel like going right back indoors again. She wanders idly along the shore of the lake, her hands in her jacket pockets, enjoying the quiet solitude.

Her walking becomes a little more purposeful when she realizes the neighing sound she's hearing isn't coming from the stable or the paddock behind it, but somewhere in the fog ahead of her. She quests forward, curious, until she spies the shape of the horse in the lake mud.

"Oh, hello," she says, in mild surprise. There's no sign of saddle or bridle, and no one else around to suggest the horse had a rider. Rae may not be very familiar with horses, herself, but she is still friendly to animals. "Did you get out by yourself?"

[salty_witch]

The mare turns to look at Rae and in the flash of the gloom, the eyes almost seem dead. If this is enough to rouse her suspicions, the mare's shadow is going to be very alarming, no doubt.

While Rae's reaction is being decided, the mare nods its head in greeting and lets out another plaintive neigh. "Help me," it seems to say. "Come closer."

[sunbaked_baker]

"Where's your owner? Poor thing," Rae murmurs, stepping closer but not going into the water. "They should be taking better care of you."

She wants to see if she can reach the horse and lead it back onto firmer ground - should she go get a... bridle, or whatever it is, to help lead the horse? Probably a better idea would be to get someone who knows anything about horses, really.

But Rae's Dark Sight is trying to get her attention, so she doesn't go any closer than the water's edge, holding out a beckoning hand as she gazes at the strange horse. She frowns slightly as she figures out what's bothering her about it - there's something wrong with its eyes.

[salty_witch]

The mare neighs again, so helpless and trapped. It flounders in the mud, forelegs trapped in some ropy plants. It tried to buck, but the mud holds it too tightly. It pauses, chest heaving for breath.

So sad.

[sunbaked_baker]

"I know, I'm sorry," she says, her heartstrings - never a difficult instrument to learn to play - tugged. "Let me go get someone who knows something, anything at all, about horses. I'm afraid if I came in there to get you, we'd both end up worse off... than..."

Sunshine's voice trails off as she stares at the figure of the horse.

With its strange, dead eyes, and its unnerving shadows, and its piteous, plaintive neighing from the deep mud.

Rae's eyes widen, suddenly, and her hands cover her mouth. "Oh wow," she breathes, her tones muffled by wonder rather than fear. Doubt has shifted into wary respect (and no small amount of amazed glee). "You're... oh wow, you're beautiful. I know what you are... I never thought I'd see one in real life. Oh man."

[salty_witch]

At her words, the mare pulls up, turns her head to the side as she examines the woman. All seeming of thrashing and helplessness forgotten.