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Darkseeker
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Please do not post unless you are listed in the title
Topic
Rich Heir x Con Man
Plot
Muse A is the son of a wealthy cattle baron and the heir set to take over the family business.
Muse B is an outlaw and a con man, getting by in life by finding ways to make other people's riches his own.
Muse B gets hired by a competing farm to find a way to steal the cattle from Muse A and his family. He quickly finds himself working for Muse A's father, working out a plan to con the family out of their life's work and riches.
However, Muse A takes an interest in Muse B, and the two soon develop a friendship that makes Muse B's job harder. Especially when that friendship starts to evolve into something more. Can Muse B complete his con without revealing the truth to Muse A? Or does Muse B find himself wanting to stop the con?
Characters
Dagger Pack - Muse A (Heir)
Roaw - Muse B (Con Man) |
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Darkseeker
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The Heir
"Either I will find a way or I will make one"
Personal Information
Archie Finn Callaway
Meaning of Name
Archie means moving down
Finn means fair or white
Callaway means place of stones
Nickname/Aliases
Arch
Ace (Family nickname)
Place of birth
Colorado
Birthday
November 15
Age
Twenty two
Zodiac Sign
Libra
Sexuality
Assumed Heterosexual
Gender
Male
Species
Human
"Yes, I know there's a special place in hell for me. It's called a throne"
Appearance
Archie stands tall at a solid 6'0, and carries himself with an air of confidence and athlticism. His muscular physique comes from years of working on the ranch, throwing haybales, working horses and cattle, among other things. His phyique is defined by lean muscule, broad shoulders, and muscular forearms. He can easily toss around feed sacks and square haybales. On his upper body, he boasts an even tan from days under the sun, and he often works without a shirt unless he is riding a horse. However, his lower body has a more uneven tan. Not as tan as his upper body, but still tan. However, obviously where shorts go, is where he is the palest since he doesn't go around naked.
Archie is ruggedly handsome, with jet black hair that he keeps in a tapered slightly curly style. His hair is not long, but it is not cropped short either. While he has dashing, mesmerizing ice blue eyes that remind people of a snowy morning right before the snow hits. His hair is typically hidden under a hat of some sorts, but his hat adds to his charm. He prefers a dark colored baseball cap that he often wears backward. But, every so often, he dons his favorite black cowboy hat that his grandfather passed down to him.
Archie's face showcases his unqiue features, with a slightly round shape and a well-defined jawline. His body is littered from his childhood and just life on the ranch in general. From incidents working horses and cattle or just working, to stupid and silly shenanigans. His voice is slightly deep with a powerful belnd of confidence and candor. He is quiet, yet assertive and unfilitered. His laugh is vibrant and genuine and offers a glimpse into his softer side.
Archie loves darker colors over bright colors. His favorite outfit often is all black, but when it is hotter than the desert outside, he often finds himself in different colors. He rarely wears shorts unless he is out for a swim. He prefers jeans, and cowboy boots. While his shirt varies depending on what he is doing. Usually changing between button up shirts, regular shirts, and shirts with no sleeves. He hates dressing up in formal clothes, which unfortunately happens when he joins his father to do business deals. However, he pulls off the formal look quite well.
"I am who I am, I never said you had to like me"
Personality
Archie is typically seen as a decently calm and collected person, and is very hard to rattle. He often seems thoughtful and keeps himself quite closed off. It is hard to get him to open up and be vulnerable. However, he can also be seen of as a little cocky and playful. He knows how to play into the idea of an arrogant, bad boy cowboy that had gotten him a couple of girlfriends. But, thankfully, he knows when to draw the line and pull back. He prefers to remain more on the quiet and calm side, and just enjoy life on the ranch.
Archie's softer side is usually visible for those who are close to him only, family and close friends. This softer side makes him seem much more approachable and likable. He is loyal to a fault to those he loves and is incredibly protective. He hates when his family gets screwed over in their business dealings. He is also a fantastic business man and has helped his father further evolve the cattle business. Usually he is more emotionally vulnerable around people he feels comfortable around. He can express himself better and his smiles and laughter become more common and genuine.
Overall, he is resilient and persistent and does not give up easily. Even after the multiple injuries he's had from being thrown off horses or charged by cattle, he does not give up easily. He is also quite intelligent and strategic, making him quite a business man which is quite beneficial for his family and the business.
However, Archie is not without his fair share of weaknesses and flaws. He is a terrible overthinker and can drown in it, worried that he is not living up to the man his family wants him to be. He is constantly stressed that he will not be able to properly take over the business and will fail his father. He often bottles things up and it is very hard for him to open up emotionally, which is why he likes to give off an aura of a little cocky and arrogant. It is usually a shield for him that protects him from emotional vulnerability. Anxiety can also be a big problem for him, especially whenever business deals start to go wrong, or if things start to go too bad on the ranch.
"Improvise. Adapt. Overcome"
Relationships
Theodore Callaway
Father. Alive. Theodore Callaway is a popular name in the world of ranchers and business. He made his riches by becoming one of the biggest and most successful cattle barons in the region. Especially when he started to expand. He and Archie are quite close, and he has been training his son to take over the business someday. He started taking his son out on the back of horses as soon as he could.
Josephine Callaway
Mother. Alive. Josephine is the accounting brains behind the Callaway business, as she helps keep all of the money flowing through the business properly. She and her son are incredibly close as well.
"If you are going through hell, keep going"
Miscellaneous Talents/Special Skills Horse Riding: Archie is a hell of a horse rider, having been on the back of horses since he was two. Usually his father would take him out for very casual rides around the ranch as a baby, and then once he was old enough to start riding, Theodore stuck him on the back of a horse and started training him to ride.
Animal Husbandry & Health: Theodore taught Archie all he could about understanding cattle behavior, nutrition, breeding techniques, and disease prevention. He has also learned a lot from other ranch hands and the ranch's vet.
Technical Abilitilies: Archie has been working on the ranch for years, helping his father since he was old enough to. He knows how to fix fenches, work tractors, repair equipment, and ensuring that all the pastures are at their most effective for their cattle.
Business Management: Josephine taught Archie how to handle the financial side of the ranch. Although Archie is not as proficient in managing costs, understanding market trends, and maintaing detailed records as his mother and follows in his father's footsteps a little bit more.
Fast Reflexes: Archie has uncanny fast reflexes which has proven quite beneficial on the ranch and has saved him multiple times.
Problem Solving: Archie is quite skilled in his problem solving, which is very helpful since things can go wrong quite often on a ranch. There are, of course, quite a few things that he still can't solve, but thankfully his father and many ranch hands are able to help as well.
Strengths Confidence: His confidence radiates, empowering him to approach challenges and interactions with a poised and assured demeanor. This sense of self-assurance enables him to navigate uncertainties and make decisiveness a hallmark of his actions.
Open-mindedness: This gives him a unique perspective, allowing Archie to embrace new ideas, perspectives, and experiences with receptiveness. This quality fuels his constant growth and enables him to readily adapt to different situations, fostering a greater understanding of diverse viewpoints. Loyalty: His loyalty is unwavering, making Archie a steadfast and trustworthy companion. His commitment to relationships and causes is unwavering, inspiring a sense of reliability and creating a foundation of support for those around him.
Patience: With an admirable sense of patience, Archie exhibits composure and poise, even in the most trying circumstances. This ability to remain calm and level-headed allows him to evaluate situations objectively and make thoughtful decisions.
Reliability: His reliability is a remarkable quality that others can consistently count on. His consistently follows through on commitments, delivering high-quality results and embodying a sense of dependability that inspires trust and confidence in his abilities. Weaknesses Stubborn: His stubborn nature can be both a blessing and a curse. While it fuels his determination, it can hinder him from considering alternative perspectives or adjusting his course of action when necessary. This inflexibility may occasionally impede Archie's growth and limit his ability to collaborate effectively with others.
Anxiety: Archie's unwavering commitment to honesty, though admirable, may sometimes come across as blunt or tactless. This unfiltered honesty can inadvertently hurt others' feelings or strain relationships, requiring him to learn the art of providing feedback with gentleness and diplomacy.
Quick Thinking: His quick thinking often serves him well, but occasionally leads him to jump to conclusions or make hasty decisions without fully considering all the available information. This impulsive nature can result in regrets or unintended consequences, requiring Archie to refine his decision-making process.
Perfectionist: Archie can be a perfectionist which can often cause him great trouble as it can cause him stress if something is not going according to plan. And, sometimes it is good to have some chaos in life. |
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Darkseeker
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~Elliot Dunn~
~Alias~
Elias “Eli” Bell
~Age~
24 y/o
~Gender~
Male
~Sexuality~
Homosexual and while he does his best to keep it a secret, he's not one to shy away from having a fling here and there, he’s just discreet about it.
~Appearance~
(Credits~ @人間(男)メーカー(仮 on Picrew)
Standing at 5’7 the man would be considered a bit below average in height. Pale skin covers his lean body, never seeming to burn nor tan no matter how much time he spends out in the sun. Due to his height and youthful appearance, it's not rare for him to be mistaken for having a younger age than he actually does.
Eli’s clean-shaven face appears to have a diamond shape with a defined jawline and a straight, ever so slightly upturned nose. His eyebrows are thin with a light brown color while his lashes are rather long and hold a dark black shade. The young man’s hooded eyes with their icy gaze is what most people notice first about him. Under the left one of said eyes, Eli has a small beauty mark.
Platinum blond locks cover the man’s scalp, left parted and medium in length. It's slightly wavy and often hangs down in front of his face but on rare occasions he does go for a more neat hairstyle and then his hair is often swept back. Eli’s hair is something he rarely spends too much time on though, often letting it become far too long between each cut and not ever bothering with much of any upkeep.
When it comes to scarring, Eli doesn't have as much as some others might have, but he has enough. The most obvious is the one running straight across his nose which he received a few years back and it has slowly started to lighten in color. Apart from that, there's a few scars spread out across his body from all types of things, ranging from old bullet wounds and knife cuts to more minor things like cuts and bruises. The man seems to bruise very easily and sometimes bumping into a table a little too roughly can be enough to cause a bruise.
As for clothing, Eli is a simple man, he doesn't need nothing fancy. A pair of worn out jeans and a button-up shirt is more than enough for him. His boots are brown in color with some minor details, and it's the same with his hat, brown-colored and worn out. However he doesn't wear his hat all that much. When the weather gets colder he throws on a denim scout jacket, some chaps and gloves but the less he can wear the better really. If there is the need to, he does actually clean up very nicely, easily blending in with richer folk but he prefers to not have to.
~Personality~
On the outside, Eli has a sweet and friendly personality, not one to shy away from conversation. He’s always happy to help you out if you ask him and he comes across as a genuinely nice and caring guy most of the time. The man is playful and witty, good at reading other people and making them like him.
This isn't the whole truth though, he’s not just this sweet guy eager to help the people around him and be of assistance. No, in fact he’s rather cunning and nearly everything he does is done for the profit of none other than himself, he does however hide this rather well and only few know the real him and his motives.
Eli is good at making you think he’s loyal to you and making you think he’s someone you can trust, which very much could be the truth, as long as it's beneficial for him. His loyalty lies wherever it's the most profitable for himself and it can change in a heartbeat. One day he’s your friend, the other he could be holding a gun to your head, ready to fire with no hesitation.
The young man is equipped with a silver tongue since birth, smooth talking and lying through is teeth just to get things going his way without a second thought or even a shred of remorse. On the flip side though, if he catches someone else in a lie, he will be incredibly offended and annoyed that someone would dare give him a taste of his own medicine.
In general, he doesn't lie as much to those he considers close, but then again, who he's close with changes depending on what is profitable for him.
Anger is something Eli learnt to control a long time ago and his anger doesn't come out as an explosion, he doesn’t start shouting and swearing nor does he get immediately violent. Quite the opposite actually, he becomes silent and calculating, thinking of the best way to deal with the situation. Whatever he decides to do, he often goes through with it, few being able to stop him from following through. Your prior relationship to the man rarely affects how he decides to handle the situation, if you anger or betray him then you immediately lose any and all respect and value you might have had in his eyes.
When it comes to love, Eli is a tricky person. He often refuses to let himself get so close to another person that he starts to develop these feelings and if he does, then he also does his best to remove himself from the situation, leaving behind whatever he had to get away and try to forget those feelings quickly because when he falls in love, he falls hard. He would do anything for the person he loves and they are also the only one who’ll see the true him, not the fake nice or the manipulative and cunning one, just him.
~Strengths~
Good shot ~ Eli learnt to shoot at a young age, having gotten experience with many different firearms throughout the years and thanks to that, he's developed a steady hand and a good aim.
Agile ~ Quick on his feet and able to move through the toughest of terrains and hard to reach places with ease, the man is very agile.
High pain tolerance ~ Throughout the years, Eli has built up a high pain tolerance making him extremely resilient and despite his fighting skills not being the best, he gets up again and again after being beaten down.
~Weaknesses~
Smoking ~ Smoking is one of the man’s many bad habits, resulting in his stamina being quite shitty. He’s resilient when, for example, fighting, yes, and while he would get up a million times to keep fighting rather than laying down and admitting defeat, he’ll also get sloppy and tired quickly, panting for air during and long after.
Fighting skills ~ When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, Eli really isn't that good, he's not got a crazy tone of strength nor is he very skilled, the only thing making him somewhat successful is his resilience and the fact that he refuses to back down easily. Which actually applies to many other things in life, he might not have the skills or strength to do it on his own, but you can bet he will do it anyway.
Control freak ~ If it hasn't already been made obvious, the man thrives when he can control the people around him as well as the outcome of situations. When he can't do just that it’s as if his freedom is taken from him and, obviously, he doesn't like it very much and can go to quite drastic lengths to regain the control he once had.
~Affiliations~
Cassidy Dunn ~ Mother
~Alive~
Christian Dunn ~ Father
~Alive~
Darwin Dunn ~ Older Brother
~Deceased~
Elaina Dunn ~ Older Sister
~Alive~
Iris Dunn ~ Wife
~Alive~
Eli never says a word about her nor does he have any wish to see that woman again but they are still technically married. Last time they saw each other a few years ago, they weren't exactly on friendly terms though.
Tobias Layton ~ Ex-Lover
~Deceased~
Not only was Tobias the only person that Eli would ever admit to have loved, he was also the brother of Iris and one of the causes for the sour relationship between Eli and his wife. Just like Iris, he does not talk about Tobias but that doesn't mean he doesn't sometimes still think of the man.
~Other~
One may not guess it and it would surprise most but Eli was born to a wealthy and rather well-known family however he doesn't have much to thank them for and leaving them and his old life is one of the best decisions he’s ever made. Anything he knows now is thanks to himself, being born with a silver spoon didn't benefit him in the life he now lives.
He never stays long in one place, traveling a lot and doing odd jobs here and there, whatever he can do to make an extra buck. He's really not a person you tie down easily and the moment he feels as if his freedom is slipping away, he’s gone.
Dude has a playlist: Eli
~Horse~
Circe is the one creature the man is truly loyal to, a palomino paint mare standing at roughly 15 hh. The mare has one blue and one brown eye, as if her stunning coat wasn't enough to make her stand out. How she came into Eli’s possession is a bit of a shady story, but the man adores her, always making sure the mare is kept happy and shiny.
As most mares, she has her own thoughts and opinions on things and if she doesn't like you, or feels that she hasn't been treated fairly, she won't move an inch (which is also why Elliott keeps snacks on him constantly). Once you win her over though, she will do just about anything for you. Circe is an amazing ranch horse, excellent with herding and cutting, but at the same time she's a good roping horse, and she has plenty of speed and stamina. All in all, Ce is the whole package, good looks and extremely versatile. |
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Darkseeker
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The sun stood high over the land, weeks had gone by without any rain and thick layers of dust covered anything in its path. The air was dry and the heat intense, but it didn't stop some from working, at least not the cowboys and ranchhands of the Calloway ranch.
From the corrals, shouting and laughter rang out, men moving in the chaos that was cows and dust. It was time for branding and they were all working together to get the job done as quickly as possible, both for the sake of the cattle, but also so they themselves could get out of the heat.
The men worked like a well-oiled machine, which was to be expected at a ranch of this size and status, everyone knew their jobs and places, who did the branding, who held the calves down, who kept a record of how many calves they marked, they all did their part.
In the middle of it all, stirring up a dust storm, was the farms newest hire, a young man on a stunning paint mare. The mare moved with agility, keeping the unbranded calves in check, the moment one of them tried to make a run for it, she was on it.
On top of the firey mare sat a man, hat pushed down to the point where the brim covered his pale blue eyes, shielding them from the sun and it's burning rays, a bandana covering his nose and mouth from dust. The blond wore a shirt that might have been blue once, but the true color was hidden under a layer of dirt, his sleeves rolled up and the top buttons left open to combat the heat.
“Elias, next one!” A shrill whistle caught the man’s attention, followed by a command and he sat up straight in the saddle, holding his mare back slightly to let another calf pass before letting the horse go again with a pat. The palomino payed him no mind though, her full attention on the four legged creatures in front of her.
Elias, as the man was called, simply sat back in the saddle, one hand on the saddle horn as he followed the mare's movements, eyes scanning the herd of young cattle in front of them, but not to see who would try to bolt next, he trusted his mount to do that, the less he got in her way, the better she actually was. No, what Eli was looking for was which of the cattle looked the best, which ones checked all the boxes of his boss.
His boss wasn't Mr. Calloway though, not really. He was here for one reason and one reason only, his client needed some of the finest cattle in the country, and they could be found here.
The fact that they were in the process of branding the calves should be worrisome, unmarked cattle was easier to make dissapear, but his client was shipping these cattle out of the country the moment he got his hands on them, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Normally Elias Bell, or Elliot Dunn, as his real name was, similar but still different enough to avoid connecting him to his actual identity easily, wouldn't take jobs for other people, he didn't like being the middle hand, too many people involved typically only meant more trouble and less money in his pocket, but the cut he had been offered for stealing Calloway’s cattle had been too big, he would have been an idiot to not take it.
His current plan was to wait for when the cattle got moved to the grazing grounds, and then when he was alone he would round up and herd away the requested amount of stock, normally something that would require at least four or five cowboys and their horses, but with Circe, it would be easy enough to get the cattle far enough away on his own before his client's riders could take the herd over.
That was the plan, simple in theory, bit harder in practice, but doable, and Eli felt confident in himself and his mount that they would be able to pull it off.
Now, it was just a game of waiting though, scouting out the stock and gaining the trust of the other hires and Mr. Calloway himself. He didn't mind the ranch work, he never had, and maybe in a different life, he could have settled for this lifestyle, but it just didn't pay enough. He was only a man, a man who enjoyed the pleasures of life and not having to worry about money, you didn't get that working as a cowboy.
Another shrill whistle sounded out across the corral and the young man threw a quick glance over his shoulder as he took the reins of Circe, letting another calf past. They had been at it since early morning, and the bunch of unmarked cattle was steadily dropping, there weren't many left now, not many at all, which meant that soon they could all rest and get some food in their stomachs.
From what he had heard, Calloway was away on business, which seemed to check out as he hadn't seen the man nor his son. It wasn't something that bothered him though, just a mental note he had made for himself, and if anything he preferred it. The more he could stay out of the spotlight of the cattle baron’s attention, the easier his job would be, and his escape. |
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Darkseeker
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"Whoa, Canyon, it's just Cooper."
Archie laughs, shifting his weight to adjust for his stallion's sudden spook. He was astride his most trusted steed. A beautiful, deep rich blood bay stallion with a black mane and tail. There were also hints of black on his lower legs and the edges of his ears. While he had dark brown intelligent eyes, and a small white star on his forehead. He was named Canyon, and Archie had picked him out when he was freshly born out of the ranch's mares. And it had turned out that Canyon had been the absoulte perfect pick for him. As the stallion had grown, he grown into a compact, powerful body perfectly designed for agility and strength in turning. Canyon had proven himself worthy of being a cattle working horse. Calm and level headed too, but he did like to throw his rider or a loop every now and again.
Like now, they were out in the further pastures, checking on fence lines. With one of the ranch dogs tagging alone, a beautiful blue merle border collie male named Cooper. Cooper had disappeared about a minute ago down a hole, chasing what was no doubt a rabbit. And had just popped back up, hence the reason that Canyon had spooked. Canyon's nostrils flare as he snorts at Cooper, as if offended that the dog had spooked him. Archie laughs again as he pats Canyon's shoulder, "Calm down, boy. Let's finish up this pasture and head back up. I bet the ole Roger has the boys branding cattle now." Their ranch, the Callaway Ranch was one of the largest and most profitable cattle ranch in the state thanks to his parents. They had combined their unique skills to create an incredible cattle ranch.
Canyon snorts at Cooper again who simply perks his ears up. Drawing yet another laugh from Archie as he steers his stallion towards the barns. Roger was the head of the ranchhands, and he helped handle the large crew that helped Archie and his father (Theodore) manage the huge herds of cattle that roamed over several thousand acres. Archie was incredibly thankful for the ranchhands that worked for the ranch, he wasn't sure that they could handle that many cattle without help. Each one was tagged and branded by the time they reached age of six months, and definitely no later than month ten. The younger they were, the easier it was to brand them. The biggest problem was typically separating the mothers who could become quite aggressive.
As the trio near the large pens used for separating cattle for branding and loading, he could see the ranchhands hard at work. Roger was astride a powerful looking mare, shouting orders at the ranch hands who were separating the calves from the mothers. Shouts rung through the air as the ranch hands worked like a well-tuned machine, helping each other not only sort, but avoid the aggressive mothers. Cooper's ears perk up. The other four ranch dogs were running around, also helping to sort. A red merle border collie named Rocky. A blue heeler female named Bella, and another blue heeler female named Stella (sisters). Then finally an Australian Shepherd male named Teddy. Cooper lets out a bark and excitedly darts into the action.
Roger catches a glimpse of the young heir, and steers his steed over to the edge of the pen, raising a hand in greeting. "Archie!" Canyon lets out a nicker of hello to Roger's steed as he trots over. "Hey, Roger, how's it going?" Roger nods, "It's going great, we've got the Eastern herd completely done." They had so many different herds, that they labeled them by the area of the ranch the herd was usually found. They also labeled each herd differently. One herd's numbers started with 1 (example; 187), another started with 4 (526). Archie adjusts his cowboy hat, "Really? The Eastern one is the biggest one."
Roger grins, "That's why we did it first. We're working on the Western herd now, and then we'll do the others tomorrow." Archie nods as his eyes scan the action. Cows were letting out loud bellows, angry that they were beings separated from their calves. While calves were bleeting in surprise as they are steered away from their mothers. Roger shouts, "Lionel! To your left!" One of the ranch hands, quickly steers his horse out of the way as one of the cows paths. Cooper comes flying towards them, the nimble dog nipping at the cow and driving it towards one of the pens where the cows were being sorted. Lionel waves his hand in thanks before turning back to the job at hand.
Roger nods, "The new kid's doing well too." Archie's eyes land on the guy that Roger gestured to. Blue eyed and blonde haired, astride a stunning paint mare. "Didn't know we had a new hire." Roger nods, "Your dad hired him last week, he started a couple days ago, I think. He's been great." Archie takes his hat off to a run a hand through his hair, "Seems to be, that mare of his is a great cattle worker too." He muses, as he watches carefully. Roger reaches over for the gate latch, "Wanna join? More hands means we'll finish faster and Canyon there looks like he can't wait to join."
Archie laughs, true, he could feel Canyon trembling under him. If there was anything that the stallion loved more than his daily apple treats was getting to work cattle. Archie guides Canyon into the large pen as Roger shuts the gate behind him. Roger laughs as Archie gives Canyon his head. The stallion explodes from a stand still, heading for the bulk of the herd that hadn't been sorted yet. Cows belt and scatter as Canyon nips at them, steering them towards another empty pen. Archie just lets his stallion have his head as the stallion works, whipping his head around to snap at calves, sending them into a different pen. |
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Darkseeker
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Having been kept busy looking over the cattle, making his mental notes for each herd, Eli hadn't yet noticed the new face that had appeared, not until the man came blowing past him like thunder.
Circe pinned her ears, dodging to the side as the other horse had blown past a bit too close for comfort and her rider was quick to grab the reins in one hand, petting the mare with his other.
His eyes tracked after the other man and his steed, the horse sure had some good cow sense, but the way he worked was faster and more aggressive than what Elias and the ranch hands had been doing all morning, and he loved it. That was the way to get this done much faster.
The paint mare under him seemed to think the same, stepping in her place and starting to bounce on her hind legs, not because Eli was holding her back with a harsh hand, but simply because she knew to wait for a go ahead before springing into action.
The blond shot a quick glance over his shoulder at Roger, not long enough to see if the man would nod or anything along the lines of telling him to go after, more as a sign to say that he was. He wanted in on the action and so did his mare.
By simply moving his hand slightly forward, giving Circe the reins, she shot after the bay, springing into action and moving with both speed and precision to catch any of the cows that were trying to slip past the other mount.
For the first time today, Eli really had to focus on the task at hand now that the speed had been turned up, there was no longer time for daydreaming or planning. His pale gaze scanning the surroundings, moving as one with his mare to clean up behind the stallion and make sure that no cattle managed to slip past the two of them.
Casting a glance at the man on the other horse, Eli took in the man’s appearance, and after a moment of thinking, he came to the conclusion that this had to be the young heir he had heard about from the other ranch hands.
Despite the two never having worked together before, they must have appeared like a trained team to any outsiders, their horses sorting and handling cattle together like they’d never done anything else in their lives.
While Elias preferred to do things alone, it sure was good fun to have another horse and rider who worked at a similar pace as to what he and Circe were used to.
As he turned his head, the blond could see an angry heifer charging towards the other man and his mount who seemed occupied with the cattle in front of them.
“Hey, watch out!” He called out as he whipped his mare around, giving her a kick and sending her charging to intervene and get that mama cow to think twice.
Despite her smaller frame, Circe was a ball of muscles, and that ball slammed into the side of the cow not a second to late, nipping at it as it scrambled to regain balance and get away. There was nothing he hated more than aggressive cows, well yes, there was but cows weren't far behind, especially ones so aggressive they would try to attack an horse.
Casting a glance at the other man, checking if he had even taken notice to what had just gone down or if he was like half of these other cowboys who didn't see or hear anything other than what they wanted to.
His attention was quickly back on the cows as Circe pulled on the reins, ready to go, and go they would, for everyone's sake he figured getting that grumpy heifer sorted and contained should be top priority. |
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Darkseeker
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Canyon snorts and tosses his head. One of the funniest things that Archie thought about his horse was that Canyon loved to snap at the cattle. Even in the pastures when they were simply checking on cattle. If one of the cattle got too close, the stallion would not hesitate to whip his head around, pin his ears back and chomp. The first time Canyon had done that had scared the crap out of his unexpected rider. Especially since Canyon was usually a very sweet stallion. Archie had just assumed that Canyon had favorites and if you weren't approved by Canyon, then you were probably getting bit. So far, though, Archie had not gotten to test that theory.
Shouts rise through the air as the other ranch hands pick up the pace with the sudden movements of Archie and Canyon. Archie tugs his hat lower on his head as he twists and turns with his stallion, maintaining balance. Canyon loved working cattle though, and most times, Archie just had to sit on his back and give the stallion his head. The biggest problems were usually trying to stay balanced on the quick-footed stallion, and Archie had learned all his little tells so that he could stay seated. "Peterson! Miller! Kick it into gear!" Archie shouts as he and Canyon fly past two of the ranch hands who were kind of taking their time. "This herd has to be done today!"
Peterson and Miller whip their heads around surprised like they weren't expecting the boss (well, technically the boss's son) joining them. Which, in reality, Archie couldn't blame them. Archie wasn't planning on joining in today. As he had been working on checking all the pastures and all the other herds. However, it had taken a lot less time than anticipated, especially since one of the herd's was currently being sorted. Peterson yells back, "Sorry, Callaway!" Archie shakes his head amused as Miller joins in, "Kicking it into high gear, Archie!" The ranch hands varied in what they called him. Anything from Mr. Callaway. Callaway. Archie. Just depending on how long they had worked on the ranch, and how long Archie had known them.
Canyon successfully separates two more pairs of mothers and calves, sending each one to their respective pens with swift nips and even a slight kick. Archie grabs the saddle horn and adjusts swiftly as Canyon suddenly digs his hindquarters down and cuts a swift 180 towards another small group. Archie shoots a sideways look as that paint mare with the new hire come flying by again. Not bad, Archie thinks to himself. Inclining his head towards the blonde briefly. Their steeds seemed to work together well as well, Canyon and the paint mare almost seem to be working together to sort and separate the cattle. Archie grip tightens on the reins briefly when Canyon charges the group. "Hey, calm down, Canyon."
Archie's head whips around at the shout. But, at the risk of harming his stallion by yanking him away from his current position, Archie could only grit his teeth. Come on, Canyon, spin just right. He needed Canyon to move just an inch so he could pull his head back around without putting his side or back to the cattle he had just pissed off in front of them. Archie glances back behind them in time to see the blonde and his paint mare slam into the cow. Damn. Archie raises an eyebrow impressed as the mare easily barrels the cow over and redirecting it. He could hear the angry moo from the cow as it scrambles away. "Thanks!" Archie shouts over the noise towards the blonde. The herd was thinning out, there were only a couple of more tiny groups of like 4 to 6 cows and calves that needed to be sorted.
Canyon tosses his head as he spins around, having just finished sorting the group he had targeted. But, the last few of the cattle had just been sorted and a sort of quiet descends among the pen. Except for the angry mooing of cows and the scared and confused bleating of the calves. Archie steers Canyon towards the calves pen, where the ranch hands that would brand and tag were moving in. "Get started, let's aim to get done before sundown. You guys want some more help?" |
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Fall Month: 3 
Day 
