[PQ+] Radio set to my favorite song

The gates kept coming up in the long, shimmering stretch of afternoon. At each, Taco surged with the same eager insistence as before, ears forward, body already coiling to push on. Marcus sighed softly and guided her in, sliding down once more to shoulder the work. He found the more he leaned into Taco's strengths and fought her less the better they got along, and felt overall the second day of riding was more of a success than the first. As the others passed through, he kept a steady hand on the gate, murmuring to Taco when she inevitably tossed her head and pawed. True to form, the moment the last rider cleared and the gate was secured, she leapt forward, carrying them back into place with a brisk, ground-eating trot. The rhythm was almost soothing despite the burn in his thighs and the sun pressing down like a branding iron on the back of his neck.

By the time they finished making camp and Hank’s nerves began to fray over the thought of snakes in the grass, Marcus couldn't let go it it. After helping settle Taco on the highline, the young hybrid crossed over and, trying to fit into the culture of the hands he had been observing on the drive, he slapped the man's back and kept his hand there. "Damn snakes, huh?" He said, cocking an eyebrow up. He let his magic slip through the contact, subtle and warm, a calming current meant to smooth the sharp edges of fear. When he finally withdrew, the relief wouldn’t last forever (it was new and he had only used it on Margot so far), but it was enough for now. With a small, reassuring smile, Marcus turned back toward the fire, ready to help where he was needed next as the Longheat evening settled in.

---

Marcus helps with any and all gates, tries to get to know his horse better, and helps using his Ease magic!

Magic: Ease | Can soothe the emotions of one person by touch. Heightened emotions are harder to soothe and require constant contact. Effects wear off quickly. Has narrative effects only in KQs/PQ+s.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic | Cost: Bonus Action

marcus

a song for a scribbled out name

COLT

I had a vision last night
Horses on the granite plains
That sound of freedom stampeding
Why can't I feel the same?

Colt extends a wry smile to Marcus as he slips in and settles Hank down. Sometimes, you need a man’s touch, evidently. Colt mouths thank you his way, because as temporary as the ffect might be, it helped Hank get a lid back over the worst of it and ease back into camp for the night. Meanwhile, Mikey is over the moon with Nova and beginning to badger Colt about hiring more shifters more often, which earns an eyeroll. ”She’s always welcome to tag alone,” Colt offers instead, passing off a small smile to the shimmering girl. ”Although I don’t think her dreams are being your bird dog, er cat. She’s working on a nice little shop for town, the Sunbean, ain’t that right Nova?”

Another good evening of food provided by Nova and cooked by Mikey is pass out, and another round of stories and ribbing chatter into the night. Colt departs before the first stars come out again, offering her reminders like a choice, though there’s more warning in them than that.

- - - -

Dawn breaks with Colt and Mikey already rustling up breakfast and readying the horses for the day. Coffee, plus biscuits and gravy with sausage. ”We should hit the herd today,” Colt thinks aloud as she rolls up her bedroll and fastens it back behind the saddle. Hank and Jesse work to break down tents as everyone awakes, and it’s a group effort to clear out the cooking ware and get it put on Applesauce. ”Let’s go before we lose more daylight!”

The mounts await their riders, the open fields ready and willing, and true to form each of the newer riders is beginning to bond a bit better with their steed, directions being heeded quicker and with less resistance.

---

Awake to morning breakfast and camp stowing, then mount up and ride! You will get to the herd about midday.

I've been sipping on a poison
Even on the days I taste it
Run into the same wall
All because I just can't face it

If you live your life slowly, you live only half life;

She comes back with a bundle of cloudwyrms in her jaws, ignoring the bit of scorch marking on one or two would-be escape artists. Dropping them proudly at Mikey's feet, she shifts, head tilting to accent the bright smile on her face. Despite Colt's words, Nova isn't sure she'll be 'tagging along' with many of the rancher's events after everything between her and her brother. Even the compliment feels weird, like a blanket that's slightly too heavy. 

Still, Nova won't pass up an opportunity to advertise, grinning at everyone within the vicinity. "Right! You'll have to stop by! We're going to have the best drinks in town!" And for the rest of the night, she takes every chance to talk up the new shop. 

---

When she wakes up in the morning, Nova is back to humming and bonding with Custard. She feeds off his energy and shares her own like a wildfire blazing forth. Pointing her finger to the herd hidden beyond the distant horizon, Nova giggles and puffs her chest. "Go Custard go! Let's find these cows first!"

---

Nova mounts up and encourages Custard to lead the charge!

Nova

if you live your life fast, you live five lives or ten lives or fifteen lives!

He gave a nod to Colt, and chatted with Hank as they worked. Marcus, like all Olsons since their line started, was happy to help. Ingrained so deeply in his blood that he wasn't sure he could let it out even if he bled his entire self, it would always permeate what he did. The thought settled in him as they ate. In the morning they broke camp and the horses were gathered, the sky already bright and promising another merciless day of Longheat. He swung into Taco’s saddle with practiced ease, settling his weight and letting the familiar rhythm of her breathing ground him, sweat alreaady wetting the line of his hair.

They rode with purpose now, Colt's hope of reaching the cattle by afternoon lending an urgency to the line. The land rolled open before them in wide, sun-washed stretches of grass and stone. Sweat gathered at Marcus’ temples and along his spine, and soaked beneath his horse's saddle and left dark lines down her sidees and belly. Taco seemed ready as ever despite their lack of gates, stretching into her stride, ears pricked forward, eager to eat up the miles.

Seeing how excited Nova was to get to the cattle, Marcus couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his mouth at the sight. That same energy lived in Taco, in the way the paint danced under him, eager and alert. Marcus kept watch as they went, eyes sweeping the slopes and low valleys, mindful of anything that might resolve into a herd. Halo’s endless white felt very far away now, replaced by heat and color and motion, but the work was the same at its core as when they gatheted the luxere.

---

Marcus rides and keeps a look out for the herd.

marcus

a song for a scribbled out name

COLT

I had a vision last night
Horses on the granite plains
That sound of freedom stampeding
Why can't I feel the same?

Nova spots the herd nearly the same time as Hank does, or better said, they each spot their own clusters. The cattle are spread out well and truly through the portion of pasture, clustered in small social networks. Marcus and the rest arrive not long behind, everyone drenched in the sweat of the day.

Some are slaking their thirst at the pond, while others are wallowing in the mood to beat the heat. Or, so it seems. Upon closer inspection, it's memory mud that's worn out some of the cows struggling to free themselves. Where trees dot the meadows, other groups are arranged in idle cud chewing, standing or resting while they escape the heat. Up close, it becomes clear some of the cattle are in a defensive posture, tossing their heads not at flies, but at the tangleweeds that aren't so obvious from a distance, a storm having rolled a bundle in that's continued to press in on the livestock. Further still, lazy lines of cows are walking and grazing. They seem to be free of trouble, until the riders will draw up and spook the slumbering and well camouflaged Highland cows that will rise up out of the grass.

"Alright!" Colt calls out to the assorted riders. "Go off in pairs, work together to get behind the cattle and push 'em in slow, let's gather up one big herd. Remember, they wanna go away from where you are, and the closer you are the more pressure you put on 'em. Don't make 'em panic, that's when shit gets sideways."

---

We've found the herd! Select which section of cows you'll try to gather, which ranch hand is with you, and work through the challenge facing them.

1. Pond cows, memory mud
2. Tree cows, tangleweeds
3. Grazing cows, highland cows will spook your horses

I've been sipping on a poison
Even on the days I taste it
Run into the same wall
All because I just can't face it

If you live your life slowly, you live only half life;

The herd expands before them, cows dotting the grass in a display that flares excitement. They've been riding for days, doing nothing, and Nova can't contain how ecstatic she is to finally do something. 

The saddle jostles with her hopping, energy flowing off her to sparkle down around Custard. Colt's warning might have registered, but she's already urging her mount forward, eager to begin. "Come on, Mikey! Let's go to the pond!" She's grown to like the chef and his abundance of appreciating compliments, always happy to hear when someone is smart enough to acknowledge her brilliance. Therefore, he'll be the lucky winner of her company. 

Racing off to the muddy water's edge, ice and magic weave before them in a broad path towards the cows. 

---

Nova picks 1 - the pond cows and memory mud. She drags Mikey with her then uses water magic to freeze the mud!

Nova

if you live your life fast, you live five lives or ten lives or fifteen lives!

The sight of the scattered herd immediately put the Halovian to steely focus. He listened to Colt’s instructions, nodding once, eyes already tracking the clusters. The groups near the water and the open meadow would be easier, he knew; the ones half-hidden among the trees and snarled in tangleweeds would take patience and care. Nova moved first, headstrong and reaady, and Marcus reined Taco aside.

“I’ll take the ones in the trees,” Marcus called, glancing toward Colt and whoever might pair with him before turning Taco in that direction. The paint seemed to understand the shift in intent, her ears swiveling forward, body gathering powerfully as she angled off at a controlled walk for the first time on the drive.

They approached wide and slow, giving the cattle space to register them without feeling cornered. Cicadas buzzed like a living curtain of sound, and the cows there were half-shadowed in the trees, trying to escape the blazing sun of Longheat. Marcus kept Taco on a shallow arc, careful not to drive straight in. Pressure, Colt had said. Not panic. He remembered gathering the luxere and leading them through the Hollow Forest, and tried to use those same tactics. Taco moved with restrained eagerness, stepping laterally when he asked, holding the line he needed her to hold.

---

2. Tree cows, tangleweeds

marcus

a song for a scribbled out name

COLT

I had a vision last night
Horses on the granite plains
That sound of freedom stampeding
Why can't I feel the same?

Mikey is more than happy to join Nova at the water's edge, giving her an audible, "yep!" as he turns Sausages along to follow suit, Chocolate trotting along beside him. The approach of the riders immediately gets some cattle moving, but the braver sorts remain, staring down a challenge at Custard, and others yet would love to leave but are tied up in the mud. One bellows out a warning, thrashing renewed as the ice creeps out like a new threat it can't escape. The memory mud does still beneath the cold power of Nova, and a few of the contained cattle pop up, stumbling. Mikey grabs for his lasso, tossing it around the horns of one that won't rise. "Gonna have to pull this one, it's too tired to keep trying" he informs her, angling carefully through the water, grip tightening on Chocolate's lead. The stud colt snorts as the water strikes his belly, supplies clattering on his sides. Mikey winds the rope around the saddle horn and Sausages leans into the pressure as Mikey kicks. "Get behind the downed cow and put pressure on it with your horse! he tells Nova. Custard will prove a touch opposed to that idea, shying away from mud as if he's got his own past history with it.

Hank follows after Marcus, Shrimp and Beans joining Taco's path with enough space not to crowd. With Marcus' patient approach, Hank splits off from him in similar fashion, fanning out. It's then that Hank spots the tangleweed through the shade, calling out to Marcus about them and positioning himself and Beans behind them so none of the cattle will blindly run through them. This leaves Marcus to do most of the pushing in some cows more readily moving away than others. One in particular, a mother and her calf, aren't moving. That's because the tangleweed is well and truly wound around the calf's back legs, trying to eat it. The mother won't leave it, and her front hoof paws anxiously at the dirt, warning the approaching Taco and man that she's got no problem fighting weeds as well as them.

Colt and Jesse move to the fields, their horses splitting apart to run down either side of the open plane and regroup behind. They've worked together long enough that all it takes is a few shouts and some nods, a point here or there, and they each catch the other's intention. Whistling, slapping their thighs, and directing their horses, the lazily grazing herd starts to group up and reluctantly head along with the other clusters that are starting to move. At least, until the grass comes alive. Highland cows rise with urgency amid her cattle, their camouflage so extreme that she hadn't even noticed. "Motherfuc—" is all she gets out before Biscuit attempts teleportation beneath her. Colt sits on her ass and hangs on, one hand grabbing at her hat as the other curls around her horn. Biscuit drops low, shuddering and then is dipping her shoulder to the ground and sprinting sideways with impressive speed and agility. Donut and Applesauce meanwhile stagger back, and Jesse can't keep 'em both contained. Applesauce hauls ass, again, her supplies clanging with added chaos to her panic. Donut's spook bends into crowhops that deepen as Jesse's balance bites into her. Colt and Biscuit recover in time, reins and breath gathered, but she sends the mare out after Applesauce again to reclaim the runaway.

---

Nova successfully got most of the cows free, but one is still down and tired in the mud. Mikey roped it and asked Nova to put pressure behind it by getting close, but Custard says ew mud.

Marcus pushes out most of the cows, but he'll need to walk under the tree to get the rest to leave, and one mom and calf pair aren't budging because the calf's legs are caught in a tangleweed and momma is mad.

Colt needs to chase down Applesauce.

I've been sipping on a poison
Even on the days I taste it
Run into the same wall
All because I just can't face it

If you live your life slowly, you live only half life;

Nova guides Custard, giggling as most of the cows scatter. She feels like a dog barking through a flock of birds, watching them take off to the sky, except that these are really big birds that aren't as easily moved. One particular cow is more stubborn, digging its legs into the mud and refusing to follow the others away from the pond. But Nova is just as stubborn, magic already preparing to shove the creature off his butt.

Mikey's words carry to her, his directions stopping her immediate instincts. It's a tad disappointing, but she doesn't let it show, her smile bright and dazzling. "Okay!"

She tries to urge her horse forward only to find that Custard does not agree with the plan. He throws his head, shuffling his hooves in the mud and resisting her insistence to approach the cow. Thinking it's primarily the menacing look the cow gives, Nova pats the gelding's neck with a chime of encouragement. "You got this Custard! I'll help!" Her magic moves forward with the words, paving the way with ice and solid earth to and around their ward. The muddy ground shifts slightly before hardening, even pushing up slightly beneath the stubborn creature like a gentle nudge.

---

Nova encourages Custard and solidifies the mud under his hooves with earth and water magic.

Nova

if you live your life fast, you live five lives or ten lives or fifteen lives!

As the line of cattle began to shift, Marcus’ attention snagged on the small, frantic movement near the trees that Hank called out about. A calf had strayed too close to one of the bundled masses of brush and now stood frozen, its flank caught by something that looked like a nest of sticks. The sphere had unfurled just enough for a few branch-like limbs to coil around the calf’s legs, the creature rolling slightly as if adjusting its grip.

Taco shied sideways, ears snapping forward, and she snorted wildly. Marcus didn’t know what the thing was, only that it was not harmless., and the calf’s distressed bawl sent a tight twist through his gut. He reined Taco to a halt at a careful distance, eyes scanning for the heifer pacing nearby, torn between charging him and staying with her young. Panic would make everything worse. He turned in the saddle and lifted a hand, calling out, “Hey! I’ve got a calf tangled in something here—can I get backup? One of you keep the mother off me while I try to free it!”

The tangleweed shifted again, branches flexing, and Marcus swallowed. He didn’t know if he would be able to wrestle it off the thing, but leaving the calf felt worse. He slid down from the saddle anyway, immediately unsheathing a knife he never left home without. Born and bred Halovian, he was no stranger to the fact that the world around them was dangerous and he always needed at least one weapon--or tool, depending on its usage that day. 

“Easy, girl,” he called to the cow, voice low and steady, trying to project calm he didn’t entirely feel. “We’re helping." He crept closer to the writhing bundle, heart thudding, already forming a plan in his head as he closed the distance. His knife hand moved to try and hack away at a branch, while his free hand went to touch the calf and send his magic pulsing through to calm.

---

Marcus dismounts to try and free the calf, using a knife on the tangleweed and his free hand to use his calming magic.

Magic: Ease | Can soothe the emotions of one person by touch. Heightened emotions are harder to soothe and require constant contact. Effects wear off quickly. Has narrative effects only in KQs/PQ+s.
Type: Light | Rank: Basic | Cost: Bonus Action

marcus

a song for a scribbled out name

COLT

I had a vision last night
Horses on the granite plains
That sound of freedom stampeding
Why can't I feel the same?

Nova's soothing of Custard doesn't quite stick, and he ends up rearing up a few times, still refusing the move onto the new ground she's crafted. It's an impressive sight honestly, but she'd better grab hold or risk tumbling off. The stuck cow meanwhile, is giving whale eye at the presence of the ancy horse, and it begins lowing in greater urgency. Ultimately, it's the magic from Nova that frees the beast, along with Mikey's tugging, and it staggers and stumbles free, falling to its knees a few times in the pond as blood flow works back into the weary limbs. She's filthy and weak, but up and alive. Mikey leads her to the rest of the group sauntering away, wiggling the lasso free and shouting out praise to Nova, a sign for her to join him so they can keep their cluster together.

Marcus ' instincts serve him well. Dismounting is best in this scenario, and it keeps the upset cow from immediately charging because now there's two figures to contend with. Hank calls back over to Marcus that he already has the best helper with him, and sure enough Taco's disposition of threats is not just leveled at other horses and being stuck behind anyone. She gets her name from her savagery when it comes to standing down cattle. She has Marcus' back as he kneels to cut, head snaking out and teeth flashing as she drives the mother back. The easing magic helps keep the calm, so Taco doesn't end up needing to take any chunks out today, but she mirrors the cow, body low and confident as she shifts, cutting. The blade in Marcus' hand does the trick, and the calf wobbles off, not too worse for the wear. Hank whistles over, shouting praise to Marcus and telling him to join along so they can group up their cluster now that all of them are gathered.

Colt and Biscuit tear over the meadows after Applesauce, who is already a bitch and half about bolting. The thunking supplies on her back add a good amount of weight, but the chaos of them all thumping and clanging keeps spurring the mare on with a panic that's bled into instinct. Colt grabs for her lasso hooked on her saddle, wheeling out the honda until she's got a loop she can spin over her head. She leans over Biscuit's neck, urging the mare on with low words and rolls of her spurs, speed competing with speed. Biscuit's energy is not wasted though, guided by Colt's awareness of the situation, and eventually the arc in to cut Applesauce's path off, close enough now that she can send her loop out and hope this isn't one of the times her accuracy fails her. Sharpshot as she is with a lariat, she doesn't land them all the time. Today she does though, and the slack winds around her saddle horn. Going full tilt, she can't just pull back on the tether, but she applies as steady tension, and like a brake line, eventually the two mares slow, and she hauls Applesauce up alongside her. Biscuit trots back, Applesauce ponying beside her, and Jesse has since recovered. "Lose something?" Colt asks with a quirk to her lips as she passes the mare back to Jesse, who just rolls his eyes and grumbles as together they round up their herd. "Gonna have to find how those highland cows got in here," she mutters as an aside.

A series of shouts, whistles, and calls aligns everyone back together as a group, pushing in slow and steady in fan shape behind the cows. "ALRIGHT!" Colt shouts, standing in her stirrups and holding her hands around her mouth. "WE KEEP ON KEEPING ON, JUST LIKE THIS, NICE AND EASY!" As long as they don't push the cows too hard, none should try and break off, but they can't give them too much space either or the cattle slow, stop, fuck around, or turn back to challenge them. The idea is to keep a rhythm of travel and direction, going back the way they'd come.

---

Great job gathering your cows! Ride out the rest of the daylight.

I've been sipping on a poison
Even on the days I taste it
Run into the same wall
All because I just can't face it

If you live your life slowly, you live only half life;

"WOAH!" Nova grips at the saddle horn, nearly losing hold of the reins as Custard rears back. She squeals, leg and abdominal muscles straining to keep her seat. It's a situation she's not experience before, and although the thrill is great, hanging nearly vertical is not quite enjoyable. "Custard! Chill out!" Hat flying from her head, her blonde curls snap around her displeased face. 

Luckily, when she stops pushing him forward and the cow is moved, the horse calms down, snorting and throwing his head as he stamps his hooves towards more solid ground. Not quite loosening her grip yet, Nova takes a deep breath and mumbles under her breath. "Geez. It's just some mud." Not that she would have been any happier getting thrown in. 

Huffing an exasperated breath of her own, she steers Custard around the bank towards the grassy fields. "Come on. It's dry this way." A current of air swings behind her, dropping the not-so-white hat back in her hands as they move to join the herd. She dusts it off as best she can, combining magics and aggressive hitting tactics to clear away the mud before placing it back on her head. 

Nova guides them to rejoin Mikey, resisting the urge to race forward by weaving slowly back and forth. All the way, she hums a jaunty tune to keep herself and Custard entertained, occasionally lobbing questions at Mikey.

---

Nova weaves and follows the intended path.

Nova

if you live your life fast, you live five lives or ten lives or fifteen lives!

Relief hit Marcus in a wave as the calf stumbled free, legs wobbling but holding, the mother lowing in a rough, grateful huff as Taco finally let her give ground. He sheathed his knife with hands that trembled faintly from the duration of his magic, then swung back into the saddle, giving Taco a pat on her neck. He smiled broadly at the praises he received, even though his eyes dipped slightly and his ears turned red, the coiling pride within him braced down by the Olson humility.

They fell back into formation as Colt called them on, the herd knitting together in a slow, living tide of muscle and hide. Marcus kept his place near the trees at first, but the cattle moved steadily, their initial agitation smoothing into a workable flow. The hours stretched long and hot. Dust clung to sweat and turned every inch of his clothing muted shades of brown and gold. Marcus’ thighs burned, his lower back ached, and his mouth tasted constantly of grit, but the rhythm of it all carried him through. He watched for stragglers, nudged Taco into gentle arcs to keep the line even, and felt a quiet satisfaction each time a wandering cow chose the right direction.

---

Marcus gets back in formation and keeps on keepin on!

marcus

a song for a scribbled out name

COLT

I had a vision last night
Horses on the granite plains
That sound of freedom stampeding
Why can't I feel the same?

It’s a rythym of hooves and dust that her pulse hums to like they’re one and the same. Steady and familiar, and beautiful in the way half-wild things will always be. Chatter wanes to whistles and yells, leg pats and leather slaps, horses snorting and cows lowing. Colt finds herself smiling without even meaning to, and parts of her that have been wound up for too long ease, the release recognizable as stiffness yields into tested comforts and pains. The weariness of legs, the heat beating down, the hunger that balks at another dose of jerky, they’re a discomfort she embraces like a long lost friend.

As the sun starts to dip though, it’s time to break for camp once more, but this time they’ve got the added fun of cattle to babysit. ” Nova ,” Colt calls out to the girl as she drags a saddle off one of the horses. ”Could you take first watch? Be in your jaguar shift, it’ll scare off anything that’s considering any easy meal out of this herd.” Not that King’s End has too many predators, it’s usually boasting much worse things and closer to the burial sites, but with the cows clustered in tight, it’s a meal worth of predator notice if they’re hungry enough. ”Try and keep ‘em together and tight too. Marcus, can you relieve her? I’ll take last watch. Mikey, Jesse, Hank, you all stagger in between, that way we got two people except at the very start and the very end.”

The camp unfolds as normal, everyone keeping a watchful eye until nightfall and Nova’s shift begins.

---

Watch the cows overnight! Nova has first shift, then Marcus, then Colt.

I've been sipping on a poison
Even on the days I taste it
Run into the same wall
All because I just can't face it