treading water (Phantom)

[Forte]

The air and the lake were finally warm enough to swim in, and the day itself was sultry with humidity and unusually hot for the Springtime. At the water's edge stood a heron, snapping up fish that hid and darted through the reeds. A sudden noise from the path startled it, and in one lazy, graceful motion it took of rather clumsily across the water, getting it's wing tips wet. Rowan drew in breath as she watched it fly away over the trees, sorry that she startled it. The air really was much to hot. Ginger, on whom she was mounted, lifter her head a bit to watch the heron suspiciously, having never made the acquaintance of a wading bird before, but with a nudge from her rider went on as quiet as before. Rowan was up for a bit of adventure, a bit of mischief. But that would have to wait. she was seated bareback, which was unusual for her, not being a particularly experienced horsewoman.

"Alright, Ms. Ginger, you ready for a bit of a swim?" She asked after a moment. Ginger snorted, not really understanding what she said but hearing the mischievous tone in her voice. the "April showers" had been coming on hard and fierce the previous week, and the lake was well above it's normal level. It was perfect for horse and rider to have a little bit of a dip. Rowan grinned and urged Ginger into a canter, which she took up reluctantly. They hit the water, sending sprays of vapor up into the air. It caught the sunlight and cast iridescent rainbows across the grass. Rowan was soon lying parallel to Ginger's bulk as she met the deeper waters, and they floated along quite in a daze, horse and rider as happy as could be.

[Phantom]

Jason sat deep in his horse's saddle as he led him on at a walk through the area. He patted the brown gelding thick neck as he nudged him into a trot. Jason lookd around his surroundings enjoying the quiet scenery, he noticed a flock of birds take flight from one of the nearby trees, and his mount's head looked in that direction but soon the gelding focused on the direction ahead of himself and he whinnied loudly into the distance. Jason reached over and patted the gelding's neck "What has gotten you so excited Cal?" The old horse usually never made a sound when Jason was riding so apparently something has got his attention. Jason looked up, his grayish eyes gazing into the distance but he saw nothing but he did see a lake a little ways off, maybe the gelding wanting a drink of water. "Come on boy, lets go" He gave the gelding more rein and the gelding moved out into a lope towards the lake.

[Forte]

Ginger's ears pitched towards Cal's whinny, and she answered with a shaking neigh of greeting, snorting to keep the water out of her eyes. From her back, Rowan twisted around to look curiously down the path from which the other horse's call had come. Ginger had swum the whole length of the lake and was now standing in the water, turning towards the path. Rowan patted her neck absentmindedly, but did not seem overly concerned, or even surprised, that there was someone else here. "Hello, there," she called dreamily, waving as the gelding came in sight. Ginger shook her head and snorted, sending water in a fine spray away from her. Rowan was smiling rather dreamily at the other rider, seeming to be lost in her own little dreamland, looking through him rather than at him. She eyed his mount quietly, thinking him a rather nicely built horse.

"Hi," Ginger said in the direction of the other horse, shaking out her short mane. She sounded rather less enthusiastic than her owner about having company, one ear turned back slightly in a defensive manner. She was dripping with water, and, seeing as Rowan had quite let her have her head she turned and moved more out of the lake, so that she was no longer covered up to the withers in water. Here, she shook herself out decisively and glared at the gelding suspiciously. Apparently deciding that he was not a threat after all, she simply said, "My name is Ginger. Who are you?"

[Phantom]

The dark brown gelding came to a quick stop as the mare and rider came into view. The gelding snorted as he turned his head observing this new area. Jason gathered up his reins as the gelding came to a stop and he patted the horse's neck. He looked up and noticed the the rider and horse for the first time and he waved back soon after "Hello" He flashed a smile for a few more moments and then he patted the gelding again as the horse nickered back in response to the mare.

The brown gelding pricked his ears as he turned to look at the other horse. He hadn't seen another horse in quiet a while. He nickered again but in a much quieter tone It is nice to meet you Ginger, my name is Cal The gelding snorted and gazed at the lake for a few more moments.

Jason watched his gelding and soon after he dismounted and walked the gelding closer to the lake, he took the reins in his hand as the gelding lowered his head and drunk from the clear lake's waters. Jason absentmindly patted his gelding again as the horse raised his head up once more looking around.

[Forte]

Rowan wheeled Ginger around and they set of around the edge of the lake, closer to where Cal and Jason were standing. When they had come fairly close to the pair, she swung her leg over and dismounted, allowing Ginger to scrutinize Cal more closely. The one ear was still turned back, the air reserved, but Ginger saw no reason to distrust the gelding. "My name's Rowan," the rider said, grinning and offering her hand to shake, "and this is Ginger. How do you do? It's rather hot out here, isn't it?" She seemed to find nothing wrong with making small talk with a complete stranger in the middle of nowhere. Rowan, although an intelligent individual in some ways, found no reason to distrust anyone and was completely unsuspicious of most people.

Ginger eyed Cal for another few moments, not as trusting as her owner. "Nice to meet you," she said finally, swishing her tail to rid her flanks of gnats. She found no reason to take offense with the gelding, but it was just her way. Her head was craned in a rather imperious manner, her eye carried a warning glint that seemed to suggest that she was going to stand no nonsense from this stranger.

[Phantom]

Jason smiled and shook Rowan's hand in turn "It's nice to meet you. My name is Jason" he said and he looked around for a few more moments "It is really hot out, but I'm pretty used to the heat. It was always hot in Texas" He looked back at Rowan and let go of her hand. "Despite the heat, it is really nice out here"

Cal's ear flicked again, he was completely oblivous to the mare's way of acting, for the old gelding treated every horse the same, whether they had a good or bad attitude. He looked at the mare for a few more moments and then he turned his head focusing his attention on the woods once more, he wasn't trying to ignore the mare not at all, for one of his chocolate brown ears was still turned in the direction of the mare awaiting for her to speak again.

[Forte]

"Nice to meet you, Jason," said rowan amiably. She lifted her eyebrows at hearing that he was from Texas. "I was born in Houston," she said with a grin. Of course, she'd only lived there for three years, but that fact either slipped her mind or didn't bother her in the least. "They don't grow blue bells quite the same anywhere else... It is nice out here." Her voice had a kind of dreamy, in-and-out quality that suggested that her mind was always occupied with something of much greater interest, however it carried a perfect amiability and openness. She could carry a conversation pretty well, even when day-dreaming. "Nice to have a break from the rain. Not that I mind rain, after all, it makes the flowers grow."

Ginger was a little perturbed by the gelding's indifference, but it suited her fine. "What are you doing out here?" she asked after a moment. It sounded like more of a demand then a question, but seemed a little weak given the fact that she found nothing wrong with this stranger. After all, he didn't seem to be very interested in fighting or gamboling or anything like that, and that suited her fine. Definitely better than a lot of horses she had met.

[Phantom]

Jason smiled again at hearing that Rowan was from Texas as well "You lived in Texas as well? I'd never thought I meet someone else from Texas around here, especially not in the middle of no where" Jason started to realize that he was starting to ramble a bit, he was running out of things to say apparently, he usually didn't talk this much, at least not on a normal basis anyway. "It's good to get a good deal rain everyone once in a while. I mean, if it didn't rain, we wouldn't have grass for our horses and cattle right?" He smiled again as he remembered what it like was to own plenty of cattle and horses

The gelding turned back to look at the mare Why am I here? The answer to that question had completely slipped the gelding's mind. He thought for a few long moments and then he threw up his head as the answer suddenly came back to him Just a short adventure throughout the woods I guess, if I am remembering correctly With that, the gelding lowered his head and munched at the short grasses that lay just beyond the lake's shore.

[Forte]

"Well, not for very long," Rowan admitted, although it seemed less of an admission then just a statement. She clearly wasn't trying to impress, not exaggerate. "And surely it isn't that strange... Considering how big Texas is." She did not seem to notice the fact that he had been rambling, and if she did she didn't mind. Rowan was generally a happy-go-lucky person. "That's true. and it's not all horribly unpleasant, is it? I find storms quite exciting, personally." Well, that was true, so long as she wasn't outdoors during a storm.

"Kind of forgetful, aren't you?" Ginger snorted, perhaps a bit too harshly. She swished her tail again, ridding her flanks of a few pesky dragonflies that flew off and hovered, grappling, over the surface of the water. She lowered her head to graze, enjoying the texture of the watercress and reeds that grew here on the banks of the river. These were a rare treat for her.

[Phantom]

Jason looked towards the woods, he had clearly run out of things to say, so he was just trying to pass the time, gazing at the lush woods. He thought hard about something to say but he could not think of anything to say. He sighed quietly Oh man... He turned back and looked at Rowan and smiled simply "I am truly sorry, I seem to be at a lost of words"

Cal raised his head up, grass hanging out of the side of his mouth as he chewed his grassy feed slowly. Yes, I am forgetful. Old age is finally catching up to me he said matter of factly to the mare as he watched her graze on her find near the lake.

[Forte]

Rowan shrugged, "Happens to me all the time." Which was true. Except generally it only happened when she was bored and had nothing to say. The silence stretched out for another long moment, as she looked off into the distance. There seemed to be some kind of a disturbance in the treetops. She watched lazily as a heron, likely the same one that they had seen before, rose from somewhere in the forest, calling hoarsely as it swooped by, gliding low over the lake and snatching a fish on the wing, apparently deciding that it was hungry enough to risk the company of humans.

It wasn't so much the bird as the fast, predatory motion that made Ginger jump, her whole pelt shaking suddenly as she jumped and wheeled around in the same motion. Without really knowing why, she bolted off, terrified, into the woods. Rowan's jaw just about dropped to her feet. "Oh... kay..." she said, drawing the word out in surprise. "Well, I guess I have to go fetch my horse now before she gets spooked by a squirrel or something... Honestly, she could ignore a UFO, don't know what got into her..."

[Phantom]

Jason looked up as the heron passed over the lake's waters, watching nonchalantly as it snatched up a fish for itself, he didn't really pay attention to it until he heard to commotion nearby of the mare that belonged to Rowan. Next thing he knew, the mare was spooked and then she was gone.

Cal shook his head quiet calmly as he watched the mare run off into the woods Young horses these days the aged gelding snorted to himself as he took a few steps to stand closer to Jason. The old gelding already knew what Jason would do, the gelding didn't understand human language of course, but he knew what humans were doing just fine. The gelding knew Jason would offer to help the female human to find her runaway mare.

Jason looked at Rowan again and smiled calmly "Would you like to me to help you find you mare? I would be happy to help"

[Forte]

"...Silly mares, always spooking at the sunshine... don't know what got into her head... Oh!" Rowan, who had been mumbling incoherently to herself, snapped out of her reverie at Jason's word. She looked a little taken aback, fiddling with a bit of her curly hair sheepishly. "Uh. Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks a ton!" She hadn't been expecting him to immediately offer help like he did. she was grinning broadly now, although her nose had turned a rather delicate shade of pink. she coughed to hide her apparent embarrassment at the whole situation, but this was not extremely successful. However, with that she made a good attempt to set her jaw and tried to imitate Jason's affability.

"Well, at least she's pretty easy to spot, and she's left all the plants bent and torn up where she gallumphed right on through. Shall we go?" She didn't wait for his response, but went right on ahead, intrepidly, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead and feeling all the fool. "Thanks again. Honestly, usually she wouldn't do something like this..." She stopped herself before she started rambling again, the tips of her ears flaring so that she felt compelled to shake her hair out over them in embarrassment. This, unfortunately, sent it right over her eyes and, rather ungracefully, she threw back her head to clear her line of vision.

[Phantom]

Jason smiled happily at being able to help Rowan find her horse. He didn't quite understand why he was so happy to help someone though. Perhaps he was just trying to be a good person? Nah... he thought to himself. "Okay lets go find your horse. Just let me get my....um..." he studdered then hesitated. "My horse" he finished finally. He didn't know why he hesitated but he finally got himself together and held his gelding's reins tighter in his hand as he walked a little ways ahead. I already have my horse... he realized quickly. His face turned slightly pink from his embrassment at his realization and he slowly wiped his face with his free hand. Oh man....whats wrong with me?

The gelding nickered quietly as his reins were pulled slightly as he followed close behind Jason and he turned his gaze towards the human, Rowan. The gelding didn't mind following his owner on his quest to find the spooked mare but why was Jason trying to be the "knight in shining armor?" The gelding shook his head abruptly, he himself just wanted to sleep, he showed this off by stretching his silvery muzzle and yawning.

[Forte]

Rowan was certainly glad for his help, and wouldn't dare question his motives. she was just happy to know that she was in the company of such a decent person, one who would leap to help out when they could. She smiled to herself as she went along, looking back and giving a little giggle as he stammered and stuttered, but otherwise not acknowledging the nonsensical statement. After all, she'd just been the one raving. "Really, I can't tell you how happy I am to have you help," she said, giving him and impish little grin over his shoulder, "and, of course, your noble steed. You never told me his name, what is it?"

They had reached the trampled down plants in the forest now, and Rowan squinted into the gloom to see if Ginger was anywhere in sight. "Ginger!" she called hopefully, but of course the horse didn't come. She took a few steps into the undergrowth, avoiding a tangle of bramble, looking back to make sure Jason and Cal were still following. "Watch out for these brambles, Jason, they bite." She said dreamily before string off cautiously through the undergrowth. "Ginger! The heron's gone, you can come on out now!"