Grazing fields

Mika watched them talking and decided to go ahead and start working with the mare. She walked most of the way towards the mare and stopped. Averting her eyes she watched her out of the corner of her eye. The mare lifted her head and snorted at her. Then raising her head defiantly she gave off a buck and took off cantering around the pasture. Mika smiled slightly. "If that's how you want it" she said under her breath. At that she started steadily pushing the mare with her proximity around the pasture. Around and around they went. This was how a lead mare would treat a trouble maker like the paint and Mika wasn't going to give in. Finally the mare slowed to a walk and still Mika pushed her. She noticed the mare starting to move her mouth like they did when they wanted to stop. Mika went back to the center of the pasture and turned her back to the mare. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the mare stopped and looked at her. With a sigh it walked cautiously towards her.

Bardon watched Mika as she got the mare running around the pasture. He smiled and knew she could do it.
Ardeo came over and sniffed Bardon's hair, ruffling it.
"Hey boy." He said, reaching up and grabbing the big studs head right on the jowl. Ardeo jumped and drug Bardon back. Bardon let go and laughed, laying in the grass.
"You lard butt." He told his horse, rolling on his stomach and watching the horse.
Ardeo came back over and sniffed his face, blowing at him. Bardon blew back into Ardeo's nose and the stud jumped, turning and running towards the tree. Ardeo skidded and turned, running towards the barn and stopping, trotting over to Bardon and stepping on his pants leg.
"Hey!" He said to his horse, pulling at his trousers. Ardeo picked up his hoof and stepped back, looking at Bardon with eyes full of laughter. Tunani laid in the sun, sunning himself, and laughing in his lion way at the same time.

Ty had been right behind her the whole time without her even noticing. She watched as the mare took tentitive steps forwards.

Bardon sighed and watched the two girls work. He smiled at Ty and forgot he still had the flower behind his ear. He pulled it out and set it in the grass where she had been laying before, hoping Ardeo wouldn't eat it.

Mika looked over and saw Tyler there. She smiled but didn't make a sound. The mare took a few more steps forward. She was blowing slightly from running around but she sniffed Mika's hand. Mika didn't move. The mare sniffed it a little more. Mika walked a few steps forward, away from the mare. The mare followed. Mika smiled "Good girl" she whispered. Mika quietly explained what she had done to Tyler. "I acted like the lead mare of herd would. She was acting like a brat so I disciplined her like a lead mare does. I made her keep going around till she accepted who I was and my discipline. When she was ready to stop and make friends I let her. When she comes toward me I reward her by moving away, this makes her want to be with me more. You see?" Mika asked gently

She nodded but stayed silent. She had gotten a lucky fluke with Zip. Normally breaking could take months. She had done it many a time.

Mika smiled "Every trainer has a different method..but we can all learn from each other. This is how I was taught by my people." she said gently. At that Mika softly walked out of the field and then turned and leaned against the fence watching the horses once more. After a few minutes the paint snorted and took off trotting towards the others. Zip raised her head and tail and took off at a gallop around the pasture playfully bucking. The paint joined in and started playing a game of tag with her.

"Ha" I laughed at my filly. I bent down near the troft and Splashed some of the icy water over my face. I herd a shrill squeek from under the Rusted barrel. I looked under it and saw a tiny black and white face with light blue eyes. "MEEEEEEEEWWW" IT cried. "Aww" I cooed and pulled the tiny kitten out from under the Troft. "And who are you little girl?" I asked her. She couldnt have been more than 6 weeks old.

Mika looked around at the squeak. Her face softened "Kittens" she said softly "I wonder where her mother is..." At that she saw a fast streak of black through the grasses toward the trough. The small cat darted under the trough and started calling for it's kitten. "Mother is feral.." Mika observed

There was a coarse Meow from behind me and a pretty black tabby cat was streaking through the meadows. "And You must be momma" I said gentilly watching. Within 20 minutes 4 more kittens apeared from the same direction as there mother. There was the little black and white girl, and a Little Calico with a pink nose; an All black tom kitten that was twice the size of the others and two little tabby toms. "Looks like there is a whole Hord of Barn cats here!" She smiled at mika, Bardon and Jarl. "What should we name them?" I asked playfully. "I'm gunna call the little black and white one Neoda"

Bardon heard the small squel and stood up, looking around. He saw a tiny black and white bundle at Tyler's feet and walked over to her, grabbing the flower.
When he got to her, he stuck the flower in her hair.
"She's adorable, just like you." He said softly and smiled.
He looked at the Lavender flower he stuck in Tyler's hair and smiled.
"She looks beautiful, like the flower in your hair. And like you." He chuckled.
His smile dissapeared when he saw the mother and heard Mika.
"Tyler, we can't keep a feral cat. They are too much work. And you have a horse now...." He told her gently, not sure whether she would argue or not.

Mika saw how taken Tyler was with the kitten. "Well..if you raise the kitten it should learn to trust humans, but I would leave the others for now. We need to see what the balance is here before we start messing with the natural order to much" She smiled slightly and happily watched the kittens.

"Thank you" She said. "But does this little girl look ferel to you?" She asked as the kit weaved inbetween her feet, purring, while the other 4 pounced playfully in the long grass.

"But I do agree" She said looking over at Mika.

"But dont you think that once the barn is back up that we will need these cats?" She lookedover hopfully at Her leader. "We might want them to trust us if we want to use them as Mousers."

"No she isn't feral acting yet" Mika smiled but she watched how with one call from thier mother all the other kittens darted back under the trough. All but the little one that Tyler liked. 'hmm must just more trusting' "Good thing you are taking it home, it probably wouldn't survive very long out here. Trusting isn't a good trait when you are only a foot tall and almost everything thinks you are a delicacy. She'll be safer with you" Mika nodded. She considered Tyler's comment/request. "Well the barn is already up..and they will naturally move in their this winter. They don't need to trust us to be mousers...I think for now it is better if they gradually get used to us. If we take all these kittens away now several things will happen. One..they really aren't mature enough yet. Their mother still has alot to teach them if they are to survive out here. Being a house cat is alot different than a mouser. You can't take good mousing kittens away until they are at least 12 weeks old. Otherwise they get picked off and don't know how to hunt." Mika said gently.

"And two..if these kittens get taken away now, the mother will automatically go back into heat. We don't need two litters right now" Mika laughed softly. "She will be having another litter this fall anyway."

"I dont mean taking them all home." She said Quietly. "I mean people coming out here and sometimes giving them a few pets or just some attention. This isnt an instant process, but if we could just get them to trust us"

Bardon sighed and smiled, closing his eyes and shaking his head slowly.
"Ok, I guess having that one," He said poitning at the one at her feet. ", is ok. She won't be a pest." He chuckled, reaching down and picking up the kitten.
She slapped at his hand and tried eating his finger.
"Ow! Well she is fiesty." He laughed, handing her to Tyler.
"Oh, Mika, is it alright if I talk to you for a moment?" He asked Mika kindly and gesturing to a few feet away, towards the fence.

Tyler was on gaurd again. She sighed slightly and sat down on the fence. "Do I always have to do the wrong thing?" She whispered To Neo

Bardon looked at Tyler surprised.
"No Ty I didn't mean anything like that!" He told her kindly, putting his hands in front of his chest.
He walked over to her and put his hand on her hand. He leaned forward and kissed her lips quick and patted her hand, walking over to Mika.

Mika smiled "Ok, that would be fine, just realize the more trusting they are..the more danger they are in" Mika said kindly. She didn't want to hurt Tyler's feelings and she wanted to cuddle the kittens too, but she knew sometimes one had to be careful when taming something wild. The tamed creature would lose a bit of it's self. Mika looked up at Bardon. "Sure" she smiled "If you'll excuse us" she said quietly to Tyler and walked a little ways away with Bardon "What's up?" she asked

"Well, I was talking to Chaya sometime ago...and she said it would be alright if I moved into Cahoon, but I need yours and Jarlon's approval." He said, scratching the back of his head.
"I just didn't know when would be the right time, and now seemed ok...." He muttered, not knowing exactly what to say.

She sat there still feeling like an oaf. She was always saying and doing the wrong thing. Seeming to feel her discontent, Her Chestut filly Started towards her with a soft nicker.

Tunani looked at Tyler and sighed in his lion like way. He stood up and strode to her, rubbing his head on her legs. If only he could speak to her.