Once Were Wild by Leslie Scott

Author:Leslie Scott [Scott, Leslie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781761067143
Publisher: Allen & Unwin
Published: 2022-06-17T00:00:00+00:00

15

Thirsty Horses

I really wish horses could speak English. When I saw Milo and Lucy the morning after finalising the date with Tom, I wanted to tell them about what would be happening soon, and how, I promised, they didn’t need to be afraid of the Benambra Buck Runners. I also wanted to let them know that the less they resisted the Buck Runners, the easier it would be for them. Of course, horses can’t speak. I could yabber on all day about how safe the Buck Runners were and what kind of lovely new life they’d have off the mount, but they wouldn’t understand a damn word. They’d still be terrified when strangers came out of nowhere, with two new horses, roped them and forced them down the mount.

Instead of suddenly connecting with them so profoundly we could speak with each other, I found something was up with them. It was warmer than usual as we headed fast into summer, and they were both on edge. Something had made them anxious.

I had a pat of Milo, put down some hay and went and sat on my usual rock. Milo didn’t seem too interested in the hay, nor did Lucy. They both just stared at me accusingly. They were probably thinking: ‘I really wish humans could speak Horse’. I tried to focus in on them, especially Milo, to see if I could somehow figure out what was wrong.

Nothing came. No horse brain to human brain interaction that I could decipher, that’s for sure. I don’t know why I thought it would work, because I was finding it difficult to concentrate wholly on anything at the moment—with all the noise in my head about the logging, the Buck Runners and the future of the horses after they got off the mount.

I sat back on the rock and got out my sandwich and water bottle. When I opened the water bottle to have a drink, Milo watched me intently. I took a sip, and Milo began to lick his lips. Did Milo want a drink of water? I put a puddle of water in my hands and he sipped it eagerly. Lucy watched on, agitated. Did Lucy want some water too? I put some more in my hands and went towards Lucy. She wasn’t having any of it, but Milo had followed me to Lucy, was over my shoulder and was over the moon to sip his second handful of water.

‘Lucy,’ I thought, ‘you’re such a nutbag. What do you think I’m going to do to you? I’m offering you water from my hands, after hanging around with you for months and not hurting you once? For God’s sake.’

Yep, it was one of those days. Thankfully, that cranky thought gave way when I remembered how vulnerable they both were, particularly Lucy. And how far they’d both come with their trust. They were obviously thirsty, and they were looking at me, part of their herd, to help them find some water.

‘What about your well, little mates?’ I asked them.

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