Ep 1 (AR) - Guns and Horses (Oregon) - Open - Finis
Sept 15, 2013 20:20:55 GMT -5
Post by Dart on Sept 15, 2013 20:20:55 GMT -5
In the Steens Mountain of Oregon, a light, cool mist of fog drifted across of the valley. Condensation silvered the scrubby trees, sagebrush, and the long yellow tufts of grass. The landscape dipped and rose, full of small washes and rises before stretching up into tall snow-covered peaks. Winding along it here and there were dirt roads; mostly traveled by BLM survey vehicles. Once in a while the occasional hard-core wildlife photographer traveled on them into the back country to seek out subjects that were found nowhere else...
On this morning though, there was no human sounds to be found; no whirr of shutter or the desperate wake-up gulp of convenience store coffee. The only noises were wildlife; a concerned call of a killdeer to her brood, the scuttle of a ground squirrel avoiding a red-tailed hawk circling overhead, and the occasional snort as one of the members of a herd of Kiger mustangs cleared dust from their nostrils.
The horses were mostly shades of dun with long dreadlocked manes and tangled tails. They moved silently among the brush - a few steps here, pause, a sniff, and then back to chewing the dry scrub. The animals didn’t seem to be nervous or wary at all; their ears were half-mast and lazy. A colt or two gamboled around their mothers. Even the usually watchful stallion a few yards away from the rest of the band was half-dozing for a change.
Which was surprising, since there was a giant robot sitting and watching them.
Dart had her knees drawn near her chest, and her forearms resting across them. The courier had been sitting as still as possible for a few hours now, simply observing the interactions of the animals.
That light dun didn’t appreciate the two younger red duns near her space. The stallion had favorites; he liked the palomino and that grulla, but totally ignored that pinto mare. Dart was fascinated with this bit of equine society, and there was humor in the fact that all social beings weren’t that different. Including Cybertronians.
Not that she’d ever say that to a mech; most Decepticons took offense to being compared to organic beings. A wince, she dropped her hand and rubbed fitfully at her chest. As if in response to her thoughts, static abruptly burbled across her private comm-channel. It hissed and chattered before it coalesced into a terse question.
::Where are you?::
In a scrabbling rush of lanky limb, the dark courier was on her feet. The horses spooked with the sudden motion and quickly trotted off into the brush. Dart turned immediately to face the long dirt survey road behind her. She shaded her optics with the flat of her hand; a gleam of red was apparent in the distance.
::Here, sir,:: Dart replied. The spoiler affixed behind her shoulders rattled softly, then stilled.
::Ah. I assume that means that there’s nothing around this forsaken place but more dirt? ::
::Er, no?:: the courier quickly offered. ::I mean, no sir. Patrol was clear, sir.::
::It better be,:: the voice replied. ::Stay put, I'll be there in a moment. I have news.::
On this morning though, there was no human sounds to be found; no whirr of shutter or the desperate wake-up gulp of convenience store coffee. The only noises were wildlife; a concerned call of a killdeer to her brood, the scuttle of a ground squirrel avoiding a red-tailed hawk circling overhead, and the occasional snort as one of the members of a herd of Kiger mustangs cleared dust from their nostrils.
The horses were mostly shades of dun with long dreadlocked manes and tangled tails. They moved silently among the brush - a few steps here, pause, a sniff, and then back to chewing the dry scrub. The animals didn’t seem to be nervous or wary at all; their ears were half-mast and lazy. A colt or two gamboled around their mothers. Even the usually watchful stallion a few yards away from the rest of the band was half-dozing for a change.
Which was surprising, since there was a giant robot sitting and watching them.
Dart had her knees drawn near her chest, and her forearms resting across them. The courier had been sitting as still as possible for a few hours now, simply observing the interactions of the animals.
That light dun didn’t appreciate the two younger red duns near her space. The stallion had favorites; he liked the palomino and that grulla, but totally ignored that pinto mare. Dart was fascinated with this bit of equine society, and there was humor in the fact that all social beings weren’t that different. Including Cybertronians.
Not that she’d ever say that to a mech; most Decepticons took offense to being compared to organic beings. A wince, she dropped her hand and rubbed fitfully at her chest. As if in response to her thoughts, static abruptly burbled across her private comm-channel. It hissed and chattered before it coalesced into a terse question.
::Where are you?::
In a scrabbling rush of lanky limb, the dark courier was on her feet. The horses spooked with the sudden motion and quickly trotted off into the brush. Dart turned immediately to face the long dirt survey road behind her. She shaded her optics with the flat of her hand; a gleam of red was apparent in the distance.
::Here, sir,:: Dart replied. The spoiler affixed behind her shoulders rattled softly, then stilled.
::Ah. I assume that means that there’s nothing around this forsaken place but more dirt? ::
::Er, no?:: the courier quickly offered. ::I mean, no sir. Patrol was clear, sir.::
::It better be,:: the voice replied. ::Stay put, I'll be there in a moment. I have news.::