talent reel [Cavvy/Yearling thread]

[Ripley]

WITCH CREEK YEARLINGS

Horses:
Gold Rush, Kismet, Shatter, Pele's Wrath
People in Order of Mounts:
David Carter, Reese Balling Jones, Justin Santiago, Laura DeComte

A misty fog swirled around the track at seven in the morning on the track's dark day. Ripley didn't have to worry about racing, she didn't have to worry about anything other than preparing horses for shipment back to Witch Creek today. The day after racing was an easy day for the track team. The previous day's runners only needed to be walked and gone over with liniment and fed. The barns were peaceful and filled with resting horses.

Ripley dabbed liniment onto the legs of Sun King, admired the muscles and power of the handsome chestnut. He'd beaten older horses for the first time yesterday, giving Ripley confidence that the trial in the Breeders' Cup Mile would not be too hard on him. She was steadily building him up. He required more patience than Mastermind had. He was a different horse, one whose mood greatly impacted his running. She patted King's shoulder, smiled when he let out a soft sigh and cocked a hoof. At one point, King had been a hot headed foolish yearling hell bent on making the lives of his care-takers miserable. How fast things changed over the span of a couple years.

"Ripley!" Mal called, startling her as she left King behind. She eyed her yearling and weanling handler, eyes narrowed. He had an awful lot of pep in his step for seven in the morning. The black haired man quickly reached her on his long legs and placed his hands on her arms. "What's?" Ripley asked tentatively.

"Since you're really not doing anything this morning, can you spare the time to watch my next crop? Adele says Landing might be open to doing a group educational gallop."

"For someone who doesn't like the guy, you sure are keen on testing our stock against his," Ripley said without really answering his question. She walked by him and looked down to the end of the barn. She saw David, Reese, Justin and Laura gathered and sensed the beginning of a mutiny if she were to say no. Four pairs of eyes lifted to her, full of excitement and expectation. She glanced at Malcolm, "I suppose. No more than a mile gallop though and they aren't flying at the end. We'll do the speed workouts in December."

Mal's smile spread slowly and then he was flashing a thumbs up at his gathered crew. "Awesome. Adele and Landing will meet us in 45 minutes to a hour. I expect you to be there to handle Jamie and Landing."

Ripley glared at the man's back as he hustled off. A horse let out a whinny at the sight of Malcolm, but she could have happily shaken him for disturbing one of her peaceful dark days. Feeling a little bit of excitement crawl into her gut, Ripley moved on to rub down Awestruck and Coveted Faith's legs.

******

Malcolm held tight to Kismet's bridle as the filly headed toward the track. Her legs flew every which way and lather was already being flung around from her maw. The Frozen Motion filly -the first of his daughters to grace the track with her presence- had moods as varied as black and white. In the stall she was lazy, petulant, sulky. Outside when she was working, she might as well be performing "Airs Above The Ground." Reese kept her weight spread evenly over the dappled gray's back. This wasn't her first rodeo aboard a semi-not-there horse. Spotlight Pride and Taboo had turned out just fine. Surely, Kismet would as well. Her dam, the Hall Of Famer Deadly Desires, certainly threw runners. Demonic Desires, Athena's Desires and Winged Pegasus were all speedy horses.

Kis was slightly different from the rest. She wasn't the one to immediately gun for the lead or run short speedy distances. She had a brain similar to Demonic Desires. She was patient once she got to the track. Her fireball tendencies tended to be quenched by the sight of a huge oval made for running. Mal grunted when the filly lifted off the ground again, striking with those deft front hooves. "Knock it off," he growled. Kis snorted, let loose a whinny and pranced sideways, eyes rolling as though she expected Mal to come after her. He never had, but he was second guessing that decision at the moment.

David patted Gold Rush's neck, admiring the light bay. He strode along full of confidence, head bobbing in rhythm with his quiet walk. His ears flicked over his head, but mostly they were focused on the dancy-prancy filly in front of him. The Frontier son had the distinguished attitude of a horse who knew he was a prince. He very well was with his bloodlines. He was one of only two half-siblings to the great, future Hall Of Famer, Nightshade. He was regally bred and he was very intelligent and kindly. David thought the colt was vastly different from Notorious, his other mount. Notorious, as regally bred as Rush, had the attitude of a horse with a thorn up its ass at all time. But boy could that sucker run when he turned on the afterburners. It would remain to be seen if Gold Rush could live up to his familial promise, but David wouldn't mind being along for the ride.

He patted the 16.1 hand colt again when Kismet let out a buck and snorted again. Gold Rush did nothing but watch. "Thank God for your good head, Rush." The colt only flicked his ears, as if he'd seen it all before.

Ripley tightened her grip on the lead rope that was clipped to Shatter's head when Kis bolted sideways once again. The filly was an absolute handful, the reason why Gold Rush was placed between Shatter and Pele's Wrath. The chestnut filly beside her twitched nervously with every sound of stone crumpling beneath Kis's feet. Shatter, the second daughter of Screaming Mimi, had her mother's high strung tendencies and her burly physique. Ripley patted the filly's tiny head, loving how much her mom impacted her body type. She was the tallest of the young horses today and she stood out with her pumpkin bright coat.

"You might have your daddy's coloring, but I wouldn't mind a little more of your mama in your racing temperament." Atty pulled away to gaze at something, but Ashanti was too good of a track pony. The regal looking bay mare slid up to the youngster like Velcro. Her eyes flashed in warning when Atty pinned her ears out of defiance. "You do not want to mess with her, Atty. She's raised enough babies to know how to kick your ass."

The eyes of staff from various other barns traveled over the youngsters. The group was a who's who of racing and everyone wanted to be the first to spot the next big horse coming out of Witch Creek. Their eyes moved from the flashy Kismet, the regal Gold Rush, and the hyper-alert Shatter. A few people narrowed their eyes on the horse that shadowed everyone else. The filly was the smallest of the bunch, although she really was 16.0 hands. She had a super fine face and was the darkest black anyone had ever seen. Her coat almost glimmered purple in the morning light. She wasn't all black, her muzzle and the inside of her hind legs were brown. She was the perfect example of a seal brown filly and she was a relative unknown. No one knew her lineage.

Laura could feel the mystery deepen around Pele's Wrath. She was a daugther of freshman sire Ashes to Ashes and the second offspring of Candid Silver, who was already dam to the grade four colt Ares. Leah had drawn looks for her spectacular coloring, but no one had really seen her run. Mal had been careful to keep Leah under lock and key. She was too pushy, too much of a bully. She couldn't handle an outrider horse and she didn't like the control they had over her. Leah was too much horse, but Laura was excited. She was fast and it was about time for people to get their first glances.

The little caravan arrived at the track, stepping right out with a commanding air. Ripley backed Ashanti to the rail and unclipped the lead rope from Shatter. The chestnut filly dashed away, head cranked high up and little ears flicking far forward. Justin eased her to a gentle jog, felt some relief when Gold Rush joined them. David smiled and asked Rush to step out into a trot, found the handsome horse very appealing.

Kismet settled into a half-trot, half-lope stride beside Lea. The gray filly moved like she was a stick of dynamite. Beside her, Leah powered over the ground with her head down and legs moving swiftly beneath her light frame.

Malcolm settled in beside Ripley and smiled. "This is only half of what we've got for next season. Perhaps, the best crop we've raised yet."

Ripley nodded in agreement, but her brain thought she would never see the likes of Mastermind, Bella Luna, Cross My Heart, Red Herring, Hokum or GS Royal Crown all in one season again. She would keep up hope though. The best was yet to come for Witch Creek and this next year would truly be the first time WCS was raising a majority of horses it had bred.

[Cavallo]

Intrepid Yearlings.
Featuring: Silent Front, Faded Dreams, Ensignia & Fading Embers
Riders Respectively: Michael Landing, Jeff Saunders, Kyle Landing & Adele Floyd

Ethan Marino was facing one of the most exciting times of the year, the moment when the babies he'd been training and handling got to start strutting their stuff. He'd told Nick and Jaime that the yearlings were ready for a mild track breeze and of course all the jockeys had been abuzz with the excitement and none more so than Adele Floyd. She'd discreetly let him know that she may have mentioned their yearling workout to Mal. Ethan had leveled her with a blank stare, to which she had shifted sheepishly back and forth on her feet with an apologetic smile. Fortunately for her, Nick had already approved their yearling workout and probably wouldn't be too opposed to ever so casually bumping heads with their partner and rival WCS and that had led to Adele in a stare down match with the primed looking Ashes to Ashes filly. There was a ring of white to her eyes as she raised her head temperamentally, trying to break the hold Adele held over her, but she was not to be shaken. "Easy there Ember...easy girl..", she soothed through gritted teeth. She knew all she could do is ride the wave and maintain contact. She needed the consistency. Ethan had hounded it into her head and she'd made a point of making time to handle and bond with the filly after seeing just how labor intensive Ethan had to be with the hard headed gal.

"You plan getting into the saddle at some point today Floyd??", Jeff teased the willowy blonde. It was all in good humor, but she still managed to flick him the bird and get Ember grounded once more on all fours. He chuckled as he led his own frisky bundle of horse flesh out of her stall and into the shedrow. Faded Dreams was the next and last generation of Speed Demon foals to be hitting the track. The hall of famer sprinting sire was simply no longer accessible with ARS retirement from the competitive fields and it was a loss everyone would be feeling. It also made horses like Fae cherished and anticipated. Jeff already liked the looks of his new charge. He'd done well with her sister Lilith Wind, but it was quickly becoming apparent that the two were not to be compared. It seemed though that both fillies had been stamped with their sire's flaming chestnut coat, as were all but one of his offspring. There was really no denying familial relations in the Speed Demon family, but there was also denying the difference between the two half siblings. Lilith had a unique thin white blaze from her snip to her forelock and three white stockings on all but her left foreleg, but fae had less chrome. Just a simple star on her forelock and a white hind stocking. There was a similar vibrating energy between the two, but where Lilith was mischievous Jeff was quickly learning that Fae was just out right stubborn. The chestnut filly had pranced about in her stall impatiently, hearing the commotion and see her stable mates moving about had triggered the filly's need to be apart of the action. Tacking up was a nuisance for her at this point, but Jeff had managed to get her groomed and tacked in record time, if only to get them out of the confines of the stall so she didn't squish him. Free of the stall, Ethan walked over and gave the jockey a leg-up into the saddle. He settled lightly on the filly's back, her ears swiveling around trying to take in it all and find where the action was. Jeff chuckled and soothed the filly with a palm to her muscled neck. "Let's go slow pokes! We have new shiny toys to play with!", he teased and Ethan simply rolled his eyes and shot him a warning look not to undo all his hard work with the yearlings.

Adele saw her window with Ember as she settled and leaped off the ground in her fluid motion to claim her seat. The bay filly chomped on the bit and shuffled her weight, but she hadn't missed a beat. She'd noticed the human's coiling power and had expected the extra weight. Ember may be hard headed, but there was no denying the flaming intelligence in her eyes. She pressed the filly forward with only slight leg and the filly was off at a trot after Fae and Saunders. The two fillies had an easy camaraderie. Fae loved the company and Ember felt empowered, nosing her nose in front of her partner. Though the fillies were of the same height, the builds were certainly different. Fae boasted a more muscular frame with a muscled chest and haunches. She was bred to be a sprinter. Ember had a more streamlined form, her form was deceptive. On a first glance, one might think the filly lacking in muscles, but then as soon as she was in motion those thoughts could be put to rest. Her head was more refined, her eyes bright and intelligent with a deceptive cunning in both her intellect and appearance. She was a mentally hard filly and it showed in the way she moved and the way she carried herself.

Ethan watched the two make their way to the track and nodded as Jaime as he rode by on Destined For Glory. The bay broodmare was taking some time off and was laid back enough to be the perfect companion for today's green crowd. The mare was practically bomb-proof and Jaime had a feeling that is just what they would be needing today. Destiny trotted along effortlessly at her rider's request and they closed in on the two blooming youngsters. "They're both fine looking fillies. How they feeling?", he asked as Destiny and he settled on Ember's right. The filly snorted at the older mare, but was content to simply keep minding her own business at Adele's guidance. Both Jeff and Adele smiled their excitement. That was all that needed to be said. Jaime laughed and kept them company and in line as they drew closer to the tracks.

Reassured that his yearlings were okay with Jaime present, the Italian man turned around and yelled back into the barn. "Where the hell are you Landings??!", he snarled as two men emerged from two separate stalls. "Easy there poppa bear...", Michael drolled, but meanwhile had his hands quite full with a stunning roan filly. Everyone had a suspicion that she would grey out as she got older, but for now everyone enjoyed the unique coloring of the Frontier x Sillenia daughter, who was currently using Michael's chest as a scratching post. "Cut it Sill," he groused, but there was a touch of affection in his tone. Here she was. The next wave of Frontier offspring and with Nightshade getting ready to step into retirement, it was special for Michael. It was like keeping a piece of Atropa around, except not. Silent Front was no Nightshade and she'd made that clear since day one. The only thing those two filly's had in common was their demanding natures and that's where it ended. Nightshade was a mare that needed to dominate and she pushed that into every aspect of her life - from the barn to the racetrack. Sill however was proving herself to be a filly that demanded to be center attention, a completely different motivating factor, but Michael still had a feeling that she was going to wow the crowds just like her big sis, despite if that was her intentions or not.

Nick chose that moment to make his appearance with Admirable all saddled up and ready to go. The older bay mare stared at the roan filly with an intense gaze, her presence demanding people to notice and as Michael went to pat the mare, Sill quickly voiced her opinion of her human showing affection to another. Her ears pinned and teeth bared, she would have lunged if both brother's hadn't moved quickly. Michael snapped the reins, pulling her head down and Nick was quick to back Admirable. The mare had raised her head in her own shrill cry of outrage, a promising look of retribution in her eyes. Nick patted the mare and she simmered down, only just, but both men quickly noted the touchy subject with Sill for future remembrance.

Note to self. Don't push Sill's buttons by giving anyone else attention. Michael scoffed mentally and out loud at the possessive filly, who had calmed down the moment Admirable had backed off and Mike's attention was once again solely on her. He rolled his eyes and motioned for Marino to help him up. "You silly filly. It can't always be about you, you know..." , both other men laughed at Michael trying to rationalize with the filly. "She's like a woman, Mike...Rational thinking does not apply.", Nick teased and they all got a good laugh out of that as Michael found his seat on the prancing filly.

"What I miss??", Kyle asked as he led a stunning colt down the shed row. He carried his head high, his warm brown eyes automatically locking onto the two other horses. He sent a piercing shrill to them. They needed to know the boss had arrived. A sound to which both the filly and the mare flicked their ears at and their tails. The colt offended, bunched his neck to his chest, his motion more pronounced as they got closer. Kyle rolled his eyes at the colt's antics, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. Nick smiled at the last Rosalind foal IRS would ever have their hands on. She'd done IRS a stellar job and now her last foal on the way was going to SOPS come Y16 and the longtime producer would be pensioned. She had definitely earned it. Everyone gave the colt a fond perusal. He may be loud and outspoken, but there was no denying the affection every had for this last Rosie baby. He seemed to know it too.

"Okay, no more jabbering. The other two are probably at the track by now." Kyle smiled, but let the suddenly gruff sounding weanling and yearling trainer give him a boost onto the colt's back. He danced sideways in his excitement. Nick swiftly mounted Admirable and motioned for Kyle to be on his right and Michael on the other as they moved to catch up.

Excited was an understatement. Everyone was bouncing with the thrill of seeing how these new "soon-to-be" racehorses would turn out. They caught up to Jaime and Adele and Jeff as they talked, their horses shifting impatiently. Nick's eyebrow furrowed. Why weren't they on the track waiting? Why in the gap? He clucked to Addie and the bay mare willingly put a bit more speed into her steps, loping up to the three of them.

"What seems to be the hold.." He stopped mid-sentence and clearly saw what all the hesitation was about. It looked like IRS wasn't the only stable taking their new prospective racers out for a little stretch. He was quick to note the Witch Creek workout pads and couldn't stop a smirk and casting a sidelong glance over at Adele. "I guess you have no clue what WCS is doing here right now, do you Adele?", he teased as she blushed and fidgeted in the saddle. Ember stamped her right foreleg with impatience. She was over waiting around. Nick looked over the four yearlings all tacked and ready to go. Well. There was no point in turning around now after all this hullabaloo.

"Okay everyone listen good. There will be NO, I repeat, NO speed duels done today. We're just keeping everything to a mile. It looks like we will be sharing the track today, so everyone play nice and for God's sake, keep your mounts under control." That got a good laugh out of everyone as Nick and Addie went out first, Fading Embers and Adele, followed by Silent Front and Michael. The two paired off in Nick's wake leaving Ensignia and Kyle to pair with Faded Dreams and Jeff. The yearling's eyes were all bright, interest piqued with all the going-ons of the track. Ethan silently strolled up from the barn and went to the rail. He spotted the Witch Creek crew and briefly noted them and nodded to Malcolm and Ripley by the rail. They had some solid horses, but then again they always did. His eyes however strayed back to his approaching crew. Ember was a collected piston, ready to fire and Silent Front was suddenly very interested in the racket, one of the WCS fillies was making. Michael soothed her with a touch, content for the moment to at least have his attention. Silly filly.

Faded Dreams and Ensignia were a bounding duo of energy and they fed off one another's hype, trotting with animated action, but not out of hand. So far, so good. No one was out of control. Nick waved called out a greeting to the Witch Creek crew and then glanced a formidable look back at this crew, a reminder of his instructions. There'd be hell to pay if they didn't follow them as they allowed the yearlings to creep closer to the WCS crew.

"I should say, fancy meeting you here, but then I guess I really shouldn't be that surprised to see you and your crew," Nick commented to Ripley Marsh, his long-time partner and competitor. He checked to make sure his posse hand't infringed on the WCS stock and noted they'd hovered at respectful distances, the riders now looking to him with inquisitive faces. Would they be running the mile with their own pairs or would there be some mingling action?

"Here for a mile gallop today. You guys?", Nick asked with a quirked eyebrow. 

[Ripley]

WITCH CREEK YEARLINGS

Horses:
Gold Rush, Kismet, Shatter, Pele's Wrath
People in Order of Mounts:
David Carter, Reese Balling Jones, Justin Santiago, Laura DeComte

"Here comes trouble," Malcolm murmured to Ripley. The trainer didn't even have to look to know who Mal was referring to. His voice whirled with dislike and distrust reserved for only one person. And it wasn't Nick Landing. Jaime McGrady, the PR rep and assistant trainer at IRS, rubbed Mal the wrong way. He'd invaded Mal's world, bringing with him the old attitude of dear Ireland and reminded Mal why he'd left the motherland forever ago. Ripley reached down and placed a hand on Mal's shoulder. "Hold the hounds of hell back. May I remind you that you and Adele cooked this up? Did you think Landing's PR would stay home when the next generation went to the track for the first time?"

Mal glared at Ripley and answered Nick's question rather than his boss's. "Landing, you couldn't leave my parasite of a cousin at home?" He shot Ripley a look when she slapped his shoulder. "Yeah... We're here for a mile gallop. They've all been over the track at least three times this week at a jog. We need to step it up with a gallop."

Ripley shot Nick a look of apology and then nodded to the horses on the track. "I'm sorry for the black cloud that my yearling trainer has dangling over his head. Your horses look very good."

It wasn't a lie, Malcolm thought. Intrepid's group looked fantastic. He knew Fading Embers, the handsome filly Adele was aboard. Witch Creek had bred her after all. Like Pele's Wrath, Fading Embers was from the first crop of Ashes t Ashes. She looked a handful, a spitfire and a stubborn one at that. Mal was sure the filly got her stubbornness from Inspiring because Ashes was the easiest stud to work on the property. While Pele wasn't the most willing, she had a blue collar attitude and never missed a gallop.

The Intrepid roan type filly was a stocky thing. Gorgeous, but nothing like he'd seen before. She intrigued him. Her sharp eyes were locked on Kismet and he wondered if she might feed off of Kis's high energy. The WCS gray filly was playing now under Reese. She floated now, legs swallowing ground, looking every inch the elegant daughter of Frozen Motion.

Mal pursed his lips and analyzed the chestnut colt. He was, of course, Ensignia. Intrepid had publicized the colt as much as a monarchy would have publicized the birth of the heir apparent. He didn't look like Rosalind's other foals. Her others were dark bay, not chestnuts. Mal had only seen a burly colt like him once before. They owned him. Man O' War had thrown another sharp eyed, intelligent monster. Casualty Of War was just rounding into form and Ensignia was likely going to pick up as soon as he hit the track like Rosalind's other foals. "He looks like he means business," Mal murmured to no one in particular. He had an itch between his shoulder blades. He'd keep an eye on that one.

He heard Ripley gasp and looked up. She was eyeing the filly that galloped side by side with Ensignia. A sixteen hand, copper red filly with a dished faced and a perfect body. Mal slanted a look at Nick. "She's a Speed Demon," Ripley proclaimed before Mal could open his mouth. She was perhaps the loveliest of the two fillies Speed Demon had thrown. Sugar Demon, her juvenile counterpart, was running off the tracks, but she didn't look this elegant. She didn't looked like Mastermind. This one was his female counterpart.

"She looks a lot like him," Ripley murmured. She wasn't meaning to be so impressed, but she had to admit Faded Dreams packed a punch. Ripley shifted in the saddle, patting Ashanti on the neck absentmindedly. Mal eyed her and then turned back to Landing. "You want to gallop with us in pairs or each group stick to its own?"

Mal turned his gaze back to his crop. Pele's Wrath was warming up that well oiled stride. The midnight black filly pulled up and eyed the new horses like a human considering his lunch options. Shatter tossed her and pinned her ears when Justin brought her to a full stop. The heavy filly bristled with irritation. She didn't want to stop. She wanted to keep going. She didn't care for the newcomers. Gold Rush could have cared less. The lean colt circled around the gathering group at a long legged trot. He blew through his nose and cocked a hip. Mal smiled. A variety of personalities, but it wasn't a matter of personality. It was a matter of speed, will and the ability to focus.

[Cavallo]

Intrepid Yearlings.
Featuring: Silent Front, Faded Dreams, Ensignia & Fading Embers
Riders Respectively: Michael Landing, Jeff Saunders, Kyle Landing & Adele Floyd

Nick's eyes were quick to land on Kismet. The grey filly with her high energy, but elegant looks struck him clearly as the highly anticipated daughter of Frozen Motion. She would be the stallion's first runner and he had to admit he was intrigued to see how she would do. He patted Admirable's neck thoughtfully as he ignored Malcolm's jabs (for once not directed at him) and pondered their best course of action. He looked over to Marino who was leaning with his back on the rail as he closely watched his charges with a clear line of vision. He arched an eyebrow in question and Ethan simply crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. Guess that mean it was safe to play along with the WCS horses.

He admired the dark bay filly, intrigued. Was this the other Ashes to Ashes filly? He couldn't help but compare the two fillies. Fading Embers was dainty in the head, whereas Pele had a firm head, but both had stunning toning and musculature. Deep chest, made perfect for running and it looked like both had sharp intelligence and cunning. Nick was liking what Ashes to Ashes was producing. It was a good sign for the stallion's future, looking at his first crop ready to hit the dirt. He looked over at Ripley, the thoughtful look still on his face.

"We seem to keep making this an annual thing Marsh." He teased mildly before continuing. "Might do my horses good to have some more outside exposure before race day. I'm down to partner up with yours." Admirable shifted her weight underneath him watching the youngsters with a mother's eye. That of course was when Jaime decided to make his presence known. He sidled Destined For Glory in close proximity to the other trainers and gave Malcolm a special smile, just for him of course. "I think I heard someone calling me a parasite...." He looked at Ripley and Nick with an amused grin. It was too easy to get under Malcolm's skin where he was concerned. So what? Does that make you the dog I get to bite and bleed dry then? Nick shot the trainer a warning glare, but coughed briefly into his shoulder, turning his face away for a moment. "Hush up McGrady."

Jaime only laughed and then proceeded to look at the track where the eight yearling/soon-to-be-juveniles stood getting worked up. Jaime immediately liked the looks and manners of the WCS golden child. The lithe light bay colt had an easy going nature about him, but his build screamed of streamlined power. His cousin had done a fine job prepping his charges. They were each solid horses and he knew instantly that some of these horses would be normal pain in the ass competition once these horses started performing on the tracks.

Nick looked apologetically at Ripley before continuing. "I know Adele's mount, Fading Embers is a bit high strung, so I recommend pairing her with your more level headed mounts. The others should be good to pair with whomever."

Jeff and Kyle were laughing at their two chestnut mounts pranced sideways and then back again. Faded Dreams was ready and so was Ensignia. Michael sat poised on a fixated Silent Front. The Frontier daughter wasn't taking to kindly to the "other grey" who was a serious threat to her need for attention. Michael soothed the Sillenia daughter with a kind hand, but she wasn't having it the longer they waited and the more Kismet kept acting up. She trilled her vocal challenge and stamped her right foreleg into the ground, making a statement of her own. Jaime was quick to notice and nodded at Ethan's signal from the rail to get his horses moving. They were burning daylight.

Nick caught the signs and nodded back to business. He'd done his stalking and felt confident in his ability to name who was who. "What do you say to Gold Rush and Fading Embers, Kismet and Faded Dreams, Shatter and Ensignia and Pele's Wrath...and Silent Front?" He was open to modifications, but the sooner the better. They had horses to run afterall.