As We Are

Outlaw Trail
Faerie Promise ridden by Chess Knight
Number: 13
Team: Lawmen

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Here's moar!

I'm sure I'll get over this at some point...

And yes, I have a serious lack of inspiration for titles

Hehe, I really like this There's still all sorts of quirks and issues, but on the whole...

I went for a bit of a cartoon look here. Mossy's pasterns are insanely long (if a real horse had these, he'd almost always be lame) but I liked how it looked, so they stayed. She could also be a little short, since I was attempting to draw her at an angle, but again, I liked the compact- long legged effect (we're definitely explaining away this one by calling it 'cartoon' ) There's also something off with her shoulder - it looks too low, but I just wanted to share it already, so I may edit that later

And I don't actually know where 'photos' are being taken of horses and riders on the prep day for the trail, so I just dumped these two in a field at AVRRA

Sepia/parchment Version: [link]

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Event: HARPG Outlaw Trail
Host:

Horse: Lakewood's Faerie Promise "Mossy"
Horse Age: 7
Rider: Chess Knight
Rider Age: 21
Costume: [link]

Tack: Plain headstall western snaffle bridle with beaded cheekpieces and split reins. Western trail saddle with easy turn cut fenders and latigo straps on both sides. Woollen cinch with no pins. Two twist toggle saddle bags and a bed roll.

Story:

Mossy trailed eagerly after Chess as she strode through one of the fields at AVRRA. There were others milling about, some still in stable uniforms or old jeans, and others - like her - already in their costumes. Horses were scattered over the field, too. Some were tied outside their lorries or trailers, snacking away on rapidly depleting haynets; others were standing quietly under the lazy sun, dozing as their riders adjusted the bulky western saddles and a dark coloured horse far off near the fence line was trotting away, trailing his split reins as his owner raced after him.

Chess sniggered. Becca had looked remarkably similar just yesterday, trying to get Matches in from the field. Mossy lifted her head and snorted, quickly trotting a few steps to catch up. Now level with the little mare's shoulder, Chess smiled fondly and let her lead them through the gate. Though she rarely wore tack - or even a bit - Mossy had taken to it without a fuss; just as keen as ever. She curled her neck up and in and lifted her tail high, even as she walked placidly, her eyes soft. Her warm golden coat had shed after the worst of the weather, and had come through beautifully for the summer, making her peculiar marks stand out all the more.

Chess led them both down a small track and through another gate into another field with a smooth uphill slope. There - on the rise at the back - was the man with a tripod and several reflector boards. The photographer who had been brought in to get images of all the competitors before they set off.

There were no other horses in the field and Chess smiled at her good fortune. She stopped, turning to Mossy and slinging the rein in her hand over the mare's withers. She planted her feet and curled her neck in anticipation and didn't twitch, even as Chess curled her fingers around the rounded horn and leapt off the ground, fairly swinging up into the saddle without touching the stirrup. If you did it bareback enough, it became the easiest thing in the world if you actually had something to hang on to.

She settled into the seat comfortably, picking up the reins loosely where they crossed over the Arabian's neck, and gently pressed her legs to her sides.

Mossy skipped into a trot, letting herself break into a canter when she wasn't checked. Chess neck reined her gently up to the far side of the field, pulling her up in front of the photographer.

"Oh, lovely!" The man beamed, leaping off of his stool and bending to dig in a bag. "A wonderful pair."

Chess smiled; the man's good humour was infectious. He was a little person; stout with a smile that touched his eyes and shocks of grey shooting through the dark hair at his temples. "Thank you," she replied, absently patting Mossy's shoulder.

Sat up on this hill, though, and now in the comfy saddle, the breeze trapped in the folds of her long skirt, and caught around her legs, making goosebumps rise across her skin. Chess found herself grateful not for the first time that her hair was so long it could act as a wind buffer, even braided back at the sides as it was.

"Now, I think we'll just get the pair of you from this side," the man said cheerfully, brandishing a complex looking camera as he moved around to Mossy's offside. She lifted her head and tracked him with eyes and ears. "Then maybe a couple of you next to her?"

Chess nodded agreeably. She was the only one who'd come up to the Academy; Becca, Austin and Twitch had all remained at Lakewood, given she was to be gone an entire week. None of her extended family would see much, otherwise - though she had packed a disposable camera into the saddlebags, so that she, Roo and Cat could get as many pictures of the six days as possible.

The little man was incredibly trigger happy - snapping away and occasionally asking Chess to move or get a response from Mossy. After nearly ten minutes, she swung back into the saddle and nodded her thanks.

"I'll have these labelled by this afternoon and you can collect them then," he said waving the camera to indicate the photos.

"Thank you," Chess said again. "Nice to meet you."

"And you, my Dear," he beamed, waving.

Chess let Mossy trot away, finding a path through the grass back to the gate.

"Right," Chess muttered to the mare. "Heck knows what Roo and Cat are up to. Or where they are. What's say we go exploring?" Chess lowered her hand and rested the reins.

Mossy took the passivity for what it was - this was her choice to make. She snorted and turned to the left - away from the field of trailers (and a runaway pony that had been caught) and began trotting along the track that looked like a hacking route around the Academy.

"Exploring it is."

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I forgot this side of her saddle was supposed to have a buckle strap to the cinch. Apparently I get carried away with drawing latigos XD. I like this way better, though.

Hopefully an arrival pic at least to come

*MissDudette and ~LeavingNeverland I really hope you're both okay with my mentioning your characters. I'm apparently fond of doing that XD. If you'd rather I didn't just tell me and I'll take 'em out

Taken a couple of days, on and off
Sketch scanned in and all done in Photoshop
Art, characters and story are copyright to *Tattered-Dreams
Cat belongs to *MissDudette
Roo belongs to ~LeavingNeverland
...I don't know who owns the run away horse in the field...XD
Do not take, copy, edit, redistribute or manipulate.