Me and Polo. :D :D {Can You Hear Me?} **Mature Content**

((Dunno what the plot is. XD You can post a plot later if you wanna.))


Rosa-Leigh Anne Timber
Seventeen
Female
Five feet, four inches
Looks:
Rosa-Leigh is called Rosa in most instances. She has long dark brown wavy hair and soft brown eyes.
Her personality wavers from one day to another. She has days where she is dark and very reserved and distant. Other days she is bubbly and friendly. It seems she has more days when she is dark. She is constantly afraid of making mistakes or saying the wrong things. So she doesn’t talk unless she absolutely needs to. The rest RP out.
History: RP out

Horse
Plains of Gray
Lusitano
Black
17.2 Hands
Cross country and show jumping
RP out

Rosa-Leigh

Character:

Name: Sloan Terse
Age: 21
Appearance: A link, because I'm WAY too lazy to type up a new character... XD You'll have to just imagine him a little older. He aged a few years since I first conjured him up. XD

Other: Owns a 9-year-old, black Thoroughbred mare named Poison Dart. She's long and lanky, standing a tall 16,3hh.

"Wonderful," Rosa-Leigh muttered to herself as she walked through the muddy paddock to retrieve Gray. She shook her head as rain pelted down on her head and flipped the hood of her sweatshirt up to cover her brown hair. The rain seemed to fall harder as she peered around for the black horse, he always found the best places to hide and she hated having to look for him in the rain. Her brown eyes searched the paddock through the rain. This was one of the worst days, first her halter broke, now she had to bring the crazy stallion in with only a lead-line. He was normally good for her, but whenever storms like this broke loose he hated listening.

((Dah, that was short. Sorry.))

((If this doesn't work for you, let me know, and I'll edit. XD It was just the only twist idea I had, so I was naughty and power played a bit... O.o Well, a lot. XD ))

The dainty thoroughbred mare pranced on slender legs, snorting nervously as thunder rumbled overhead. Sloan soothed her with a reassuring pat, but Dark shook her head - starting to fidget and prance worse than ever. "Easy, girl. Easy..." Sloan crooned, his voice humming along in a gentle monotone to calm the mare.
For a moment Dart tried to settle - but after a few tense walk steps, the mare's back humped and she launched a massive buck - twisting in the air to try to throw her rider.
"Dart, no, girl, easy... Easy..." Sloan crooned. Taken by surprise, the buck had unseated him slightly, and he'd lost a stirrup. He retrieved it quickly, while Dart pivoted and pranced beneath him - threatening to buck again. Clearly, something was upsetting the mare.
Letting his eyes follow the curve of her delicate ears, Sloan saw - galloping toward them - a huge black stallion. Lightning flashed in the sky, and the horse's eyes rolled as he swerved around Dart.
Without a second's hesitance, Sloan spun the mare around and set her after the stallion. She leaped off the ground - all four legs suspended in mid-air for an instant - then plunged into a gallop, dashing eagerly after the stallion. Dart - aptly named as she was - soon caught up to the big horse - allowing Sloan to watch the horse's inky back as it rippled and surged. He murmured calming words - but though the stallion's ears flickered, his stride barely slowed.
So Sloan simply matched Dart's stride to the stallion's, and waited for the pair to synchronise - relying on the horses' herd instinct.
Once he felt their strides were matching, Sloan began easing Dart back. As he had hoped, the stallion followed suit - and soon Sloan had both horses in a spanking trot, then a walk.
At that moment, he unbuckled his saddle bag to take out his spare halter, then dismounted from Dart and calmly approached the stallion.
"Easy does it... There's a boy." Sloan crooned gently, slowly slipping the halter over the horse's magnificent head.

***

A short while later, Sloan - mounted on Dart and with the stallion in-hand - saw a vague human-like figure in the distance. "Hey!" He called out loudly, "Did you lose a horse?"

((I shall reply later be back in few hours.))

((Kay))

((Here we go. Sorry for the crappiness. I have anemia and keep falling asleep.))

Rosa-Leigh’s eyes widened as Gray reared then galloped off. The unruly stallion was bucking and going absolutely crazy. She ran after Gray as far as she could before collapsing onto the ground. “You’ve got to be kidding me.” She muttered to herself. This was the first time he had ever bolted. Normally he was fine, he pranced around sometimes but never took off. When lightning flashed she ducked down again with a wince feeling the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. When she saw another rider coming towards her she stood up and eyed the figure curiously through the rain. When the person was distinguished enough for her to tell who it was she nodded and stepped forward. She didn’t say a thing, but stood tall and held onto Gray’s halter. He pulled his head back with a roll of his eyes and she cooed something softly to him. “Aye love.” She whispered and stroked his neck softly before turning her dark eyes back onto the guy who had caught Gray.

((Anemia?! O.o Are you okay? ))

Sloan gently released the lead rein clipped to the stallion's halter as the girl took it. He reined Dart back a step, but she bunched her quarters under him - threatening to rear. Sloan hushed her, and she gradually relaxed, but he was still frowning in concern. The storm was terrible... He was drenched, even through his thick raincoat, and the usually sensible Dart was beside herself with stress - her sweat lathering to white foam where the reins rubbed her dark neck.
"He's a beautiful horse." Sloan commented, gesturing toward the stallion.
He barely heard his own words above the spitting rain, howling wind and crashing thunder - yet he spoke anyway. "Moves like liquid silk."
He hesitated a moment, suddenly feeling a little self conscious as he realised how poetic his final comment had sounded. Or, as his 'friends' would say, how gay.
"Anyway..." He mumbled gruffly, "I guess the storm spooked him. My girl's pretty riled up, too..." He patted Dart's damp neck, and the mare instantly tensed and shifted her weight onto her quarters.
"Dart, girl, you're okay." Sloan soothed, then glanced back toward the girl. "Anyway, I guess I should be going now, so... You can just hang on to that halter, I'll pick it up another time."
He clucked gently to Dart, and she took a nervous step back, then followed Sloan's urging and pranced on dainty hooves back toward the path the pair had been following before the stallion had appeared.

Rosa-Leigh simply nodded before shaking her head. "You crazy horse." She whispered to Gray when the man was out of sight. She chuckled to herself before leading the prancing stallion back towards the barn. The lights in the barn flickered and a blinding flash of lightning seemed to fill the earth. Rosa felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she bent down, making herself smaller next to Gray.
She swallowed thickly again when the lights flashed a numerous amount of times before the barn turned completely dim. Another flash came and the thunder was monsterous. It made Rosa jump towards Gray. Gray tensed, feeling his master's fear as another flash filled their eyes. Rosa pulled Gray towards the barn, they at least needed to be inside. The stallion reared and pulled back violently. "Gray no!" Rosa called to him as the halter was ripped out of her hands. The stallion didn't go anywhere, he just stood there, prancing but staring, eyes full of fear.
Rosa looked around through the rain before shaking her head. "We have to go inside Gray." She called to the horse just as another deafening crash of thunder sounded. The horse whinnied and stepped back when she went to grab the lead again. "What's wrong Gray?" Rosa asked, knowing that most horses would want to get out of a storm like this.
Crack.
Crick.
Crack.
Crick.
Whoosh.
Bang.

Rosa bit her lip before looking around quite frantically for the man that had returned Gray to her. When she didn't see him she turned back towards Gray and noticed the stallion's eyes widening again. He arched his neck and stepped back several paces. Rosa grabbed onto his lead tighter and tried to pull him towards the shelter.
Whoosh
Bang
Crack
Flash
Crick
Crack
SMASH!
Rosa turned when another deafening sound filled her ears. But it was not thunder. Her heart stopped at what she saw. A once sturdy pine tree was now crushing the barn, and everything in it. Once she caught her breath Rosa turned and walked up to Gray's side. She pulled her little shivering body up onto the tall horse. "We've gotta find that man." She whispered to Gray, through the storm. She hissed as something hard fell on her head. She looked up then back down at the ground, hail. Rosa pulled the lead line around and gathered a hand full of Gray's mane. She heeled him slightly and the stallion began to trot. She peered around through the storm to see if she could find any form of a figure. Then her heart stopped again, What if he was in the barn? Now she would have to use her voice, regardless if she wanted to or not. She cleared her throat before yelling out at the top of her lungs, "HELP!" She hoped her voice would carry through the storm and to whoever was out there.

((Dah, it's not that bad. I just want to sleep all the time. Low iron is all.))

((Gah, bummer. *Pats back*

*Holds up iron* Would it help to bash you over the head with this? ^_^ ))

"Help! Help... help... help... help..."
The single word reached Sloan's ears, echoing dimly beneath the roar of the storm. He closed his fingers on the reins, hurriedly cuing Dart to halt, but the mare resisted and threw up her head, bunching her quarters beneath her. She was a highly-strung sort, and the storm was upsetting her terribly. She trembled beneath him, and her dainty hooves felt as though they barely touched the ground. It was as though Dart was too afraid to stand on it, in case it fell out from under her.
"Whoa, Dart. Easy, girl." Sloan crooned - this time engaging his seat and shifting his weight back to ask Dart to halt. Reluctantly, she responded - arching her neck and giving Sloan her full attention, though she still mouthed the bit nervously. "Good girl." He praised, taking a precious moment to run his hand firmly down her neck, then gently touching his calves to her, and wheeling her around.
Dart was with him now, and she responded precisely to his aids - pirouetting around, then plunging into a gallop in the direction Sloan had heard the shout. "Where are you?!" He called.
Dart spooked at the urgency in his tone - and before Sloan had readied himself for her movement, the mare leaped sideways. All four of her legs left the ground as she twisted around. When she struck the ground, Sloan was unseated. He shifted back into the center of his saddle, and hurriedly tried to gather his reins - but it was too late. Dart snatched at the bit, getting her head between her knees and leaping upwards - back arched to a vicious point beneath the saddle. Sloan felt himself jounced right out of the saddle, and had to grab a handful of mane to keep himself from falling.
If I come off now... He thought bitterly, gritting his teeth in determination, I'll loose Dart. Maybe forever.
The mare touched down again, then kicked her heels in another direction, before bolting forwards into a gallop. Sloan saw his reins hanging in a dangerous loop near the mare's hooves, and snatched them up, taking a sharp pull. "Halt!" He demanded firmly, and Dart skidded to a standstill - tense and shaking like a leaf.
Sloan was equally shaken, but he masked it well - hoping not to add to his mount's nerves. He readjusted himself in the saddle, found his stirrups, then urged Dart into a trot toward the figure of a horse and rider suddenly visible in the distance. Dart shied and spooked on every other step - but now Sloan was ready, and he moved with the mare as though they were one entity - allaying all her fears with a kind word or a pat to keep her moving forward.
"What's the problem?" He called as he got closer - taking care to keep a low tone for fear of frightening Dart again.

Rosa winced when thunder barreled through again. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the wind whipped around her small body. Gray pranced beneath her, obviously sensing her fear. “Easy Gray.” Rosa murmured trying to calm the frantic horse, and her frantic heart.
She could see into the distance and heard a voice. She urged Gray to walk forward as she eyed the figure. It was that man. The wind and rain, mixed with hail whipped at her face and she swallowed hard as tears stung at her eyes.
Never mind the fear, this was getting plain out painful.
“A tree fell!” She called back hoping her small voice would carry over the sounds of the storm around them.
She moved Gray closer to the figure and soon she could see his face. She held Gray back knowing the mare easily got excited. Rosa hoped the man couldn’t see that her small body was actually shaking, from shivering and fear running through her. She could feel the stallion’s body tense under her as she clung to his slippery body with her small legs. Her hands trembled as she gripped the lead line and his mane tightly. She prayed the man had heard what she had said, and would be able to help. Because if he didn’t, she didn’t know what else to do. The storm seemed to be dying down at least slightly as she sat there waiting for a reply. Waiting for a voice to just reassure her that she was not alone.

((Dah that was short. Sorrryyy. Lol. -hides- No irons dear. Vitamins.))

At the girl's words, Sloan swore loudly, peering past her to see the tree crushing the barn. "I'll do what I can." He promised grimly, urging Dart toward the barn.
Just as she began to step forward, another thought struck Sloan, and he wheeled Dart around hurriedly - feeling a stab of guilt as the nervous mare jumped away from his heels.
"Is there anybody inside?" He asked quickly - his eyes locking intently on the girl. "Actually - talk to me on the way - let's just get over there." He decided, his voice becoming calmer as he took charge - lending an authoritative aura to his every action. This seemed to give Dart confidence, too - and she moved boldly forward as Sloan clucked to her, setting her into a steady canter toward the barn. The mare's ears strained forward, and she snorted uncertainly as she approached the fallen tree - but her stride didn't falter, since she had decided - for now - to place her trust in her rider. Sloan drove his confidence into the mare, and she responded by showing it in her every step.

((Hehe! No worries, mine was shorter. I'm in a lazy mood today anyway. XD

I know, I was just messing. *Offers home-grown mushroom* Feel better soon! ))

Rosa nodded and bit her lip, here she was now forced to talk. “I don’t know if anyone was in there. Brad and Mira left already.” She told him as she continued to grip Gray’s bare sides with her legs. The rain seemed to slow and hail no longer fell as they neared the barn. Her eyes widened, there were horses in there. Hopefully no people, just horses… Rosa shrugged mentally to herself and blinked her eyes several times. Horses were the only thing she got a long with. Even though she had Gray she didn’t want to loose all the rest of them. She didn’t say anything else, she was completely silent as she looked down at Gray’s mane, unable to let her eyes drift back up to the wreckage.

((Dahhh mine was WAY too short. My brain isn't functioning correctly at the moment. -blames it on anemia-))

"Sh*t, the horses!" Sloan hissed in a horrified whisper. "Hold Dart!" He instructed the girl - neither noticing nor caring how bossy and demanding he sounded. He threw Dart's reins to the girl - then dashed into the stable. As he entered it - chills scuttled violently up his spine. He could hear the entire barn creaking with each step he took, and he suddenly knew how Dart had felt before... The ground beneath his feet didn't feel like it could support his weight.
Nervous snorts, whinnies and stamps echoed throughout the stables - and Sloan's sense of urgency was renewed. He threw caution to the winds, and ran down the stable aisle - throwing every stall door open.
Of course, the horses didn't move - though the volume of their whinnies increased, and some began kicking madly.
Sloan's breath caught in his throat, and as a sickeningly familiar scent burned his nostrils, he turned slowly. The pine that had fallen had crushed a section of the barn, and now lay amongst broken glass and splintered wood. Near its tip, a broken power cable writhed around like a dying snake - spitting sparks in every direction. The sparks were showering the tree and the wrecked wood around it, sending smoke rising in coils from the smouldering wreckage.
For a moment, Sloan froze - simply staring as the flames began to rise. Soon they towered above him, bringing back memories he had hoped to forget....
The screams that had haunted his dreams for so long were all but fading now - but the screams of the horses remained. Frantic whinnies, getting louder and louder...
Crash!
The loud sound of a hoof smashing wood jerked Sloan back to the present, as one sensible horse overcame its fear and dashed out of the open door and into the stormy night.
The others became more frantic, but they pressed themselves further back into their stalls - eyes rolling in fright.
"Hey! C'mon guys!" Sloan shouted, clapping his hands loudly before rushing into the nearest stable.
The frightened horse shied and pulled away from him. Keeping his actions calm and soothing, Sloan wrapped his fingers around the cheek piece of the horse's headcollar and clucked gently, urging the gelding forward. Again, he snorted and shook his head - then half-reared when Sloan refused to let go.
Without a second's hesitance, Sloan fumbled with the zip on his drenched raincoat, then wripped it off. He tied it around the gelding's head, blindfolding him, then urged the frightened horse forward with calm words and a steady hand.
Finally, he got the horse out of the barn - then ran back for the next one.

***

In this same way, Sloan had managed to get most of the horses out of the barn - except for two particularly nervous ones which had been unwilling to move. He went back for these now - coughing and choking in the thick smoke that now consumed the stable - stinging his eyes, and pressing on his lungs.
He stumbled clumsily into the first mare's stall, and after much coaxing - finally turned her out into the storm outside.
Without a second's hesitance, Sloan turned around and sprinted back into the barn for the last horse.
But before he could reach it, the roaring flames finally managed to completely devour one of the support beams in the roof. It gave way, and a whole section of roof suddenly collapsed.
The last thing Sloan remembered was a horse screaming - its pained, fearful whinnied sounding out even above the roar of the flames and the crashing of thunder.
Then there was heat - then pain... Darkness fell over him, and suddenly, there was nothing at all.

((No worries. Quality over quantity. ^^^ This, of course, is an example of the opposite. *Facepalm*))

((Might take me a little while to think of something to write for this one Polo dear. XP))

((Sorry... XD Bad Polo. Want me to edit? ))

((Nah that's okay. Might just bea little while.))

((Okidokes... ))

Rosa took the reins from Sloan and watched him disappear into the barn. Her heart throbbed as she bit her lip praying he'd come out again. Her head shot up when she smelled a smell all to familiar to her.
Smoke.
Horses were running out of the barn that was now being devored by flames. She looked around frantically for Sloan. Where is he? She thought before staring at the barn for several moments. She wrung her hands together and swallowed thickly. It was like memories flashed through her mind as she sat there and watched the barn being enveloped in the flames that so greedily ate it up.
She heard the horse scream and soon the smoke carried so close that it burned her own eyes and stung her lungs. She slid down off of Gray and dropped both his and Dart's reins, not caring whatsoever. She ran towards the burning building holding her arm over her mouth and nose. She stood in front of what could be the entrance before ducking down. She uncovered her mouth for a moment to scream, "SLOAN!" But how could she be heard over the sound of the flames? She looked up at the barn and shuddered before taking a deep breath of smoky air then coughing violently. She shook her head as to shake memories out and pulled the sleeves down on her long-sleeved shirt. This was obviously going to be a test of courage for her. Mental and physical courage. She could already feel the heat burning into her skin and face. She crawled through the opening and let out a scream when a pair of hooves pounded on her back. She looked up to see a frightened horse that once was white. "Shhh." She cooed as she climbed up off the ground and covered her eyes with her arm as the smoke stung them. "Where's Sloan?" She whispered and winced when the flames grew larger around them. The horse's eyes flickered back and forth and it pranced in place. Rosa scanned the barn through the flames before her eyes fixed on one spot where it was more lit up with light from the fire. She got down on her hands and knees again and made her way to the spot. Wincing every time a flame would reach out to try and lick her clothes. She lurched away from them and whimpered when memories flooded her mind again. She moved closer and closer. "Sloan?" She managed to rasp as she got closer to the body. She covered her mouth with her hand as if trying to hold in a sob. She knelt next to Sloan's limp body and shook his shoulder gently, then harder. She couldn't breath as the oxygen was completely stripped from her lungs. But she had to save him.
She had to try.

Sloan heard a voice through the gloom – a voice calling his name – and slowly, it pulled him back to reality.
He came to with a groan, wincing, then slowly opening his eyes and blinking up at the roaring tower of flames above him. He could see and hear them, and he could feel the heat, yet he did not feel any sense of urgency. He merely lay there, perfectly still, staring up at the flames and feeling dull, aching pain wash over his body -–yet it refused to settle. He attempted to track its source, and suddenly it struck his arm sharply. Sloan gasped, then sat up abruptly – only to crack his head on a beam of wood overhead and fall down again.
He groaned, then coughed – clutching his arm and swearing under his breath.
Only then, did he become aware of the fact that somebody was leaning was leaning over him.
That girl from before… What was her name again? Did he even know? If he did, he didn't remember.
Sloan glanced away, coughing painfully.
“I… Can’t breathe.” He choked, slowly trying to lift himself into a sitting position, and wincing as he moved his arm.
“My arm…” He groaned, coughing again as lack of oxygen made him feel faint.
He glanced dizzily up at the girl – trying to focus on her face, though it swam before him.
“Get out of here…” He murmured breathlessly. “We’ve got to get out of here… C’mon…” Finally, some determination entered his voice, and Sloan heaved himself to his feet. He managed to keep his balance a minute – then his legs buckled, and he collapsed against the wall beside him. It groaned beneath his weight, and Sloan cursed loudly as his vision began to blur again.

Rosa coughed violently and closed her eyes before holding Sloan’s hand in hers with a wince. “Please.” She whispered, begging him to save her from this nightmare, begging him to save himself.
She didn’t say anything more. She pulled his hand lightly and shuddered when he fell back down. She didn’t want to say anything else, she couldn’t waste anymore oxygen. Images flashed before her eyes and she squeezed them shut. She just wanted to get out of there, but she wouldn’t leave Sloan by himself. She could have easily left him there and gone to get help elsewhere but something told her to stay, something told her not to leave. Even though her worst fears were coming true, she was again trapped by flames. “oh god oh god.” She whispered to herself when she saw Sloan’s head was bleeding. She bit her lip to keep herself from crying as sweat dripped down her face. She pulled the sleeves down further and over her hands on her shirt and shivered even though it was like an oven. All she wanted to do was give up. But she knew she couldn’t. She had to get him out of there.

((Gahh another shortie. Sorry. Meh muse is missing and I'm falling asleep sitting up.XD))

((No worries, I can totally relate. And gosh, sorry about my last post... I was watching a movie at the same time, so my head wasn't all there. ))

"Please." The single word sliced like a knife, and Sloan felt guilt flood through him at the pleading tone in the girl's voice.
Sh*t. He thought angrily to himself, I'm really making her worry... Get it together, already!
He raised his good arm and mopped his sleeve over his eyes - wiping away the sweat and smoky grime in the hope that it would clear his vision. It did help, slightly - and Sloan used this as motivation to get himself moving.
He stumbled toward the girl as he felt her grip on his hand. "I'm okay..." He managed to say between coughs. "Go... Get out of here..." He didn't mean those mumbled words. In fact, his grip on her hand tightened in the fear that she really would leave him to burn to death.
He wasn't a hero - he was just a man, and he was scared of dying. Check that - he was terrified.
He stumbled forward through the wreckage, speeding his pace into a jog as he tasted a gasp of fresh air.
They were almost out... Nearly there...

Rosa held tighter to Sloan's hand. She didn't even know him but she knew that they needed each other to get out of there.
Coughing fights came quite frequent as they made their way to the door. Rosa could feel her knees becoming weak but she kept going. She would never stop. She let out a hiss when the flames reached out and angrily licked at her shirt sleeve. She patted it wildly with her other hand until the little bit of flames that were eating her shirt were out. She shoved at Sloan towards the entrance. "Get out of here now!" She said pushing him down onto his hands and knees so he could crawl through first. She was terrified, but for once in her life she wanted to save someone and not just watch them suffer. "Go." She begged him and shoved at him with her tiny hands. She just wanted to get out of there, but knew he had less oxygen than she did. She held her breath and closed her eyes as her lungs started to sting unbearably.

"I'm coming back for you if you're not right behind me." Sloan growled threateningly, and with that he scrambled through the collapsed entrance to the barn. Fresh air struck him like a desert rain, and he drank it in in deep, grateful gasps. He hurt everywhere... He could taste his own blood, and lack of oxygen made the world swim around him. All he wanted to do was collapse where he stood, and just sleep and sleep until the world ended - but he couldn't. He wouldn't. He had promised...
Sloan forced himself to his feet - willing his shaking legs not to buckle, and peered through the smoke for the girl.
Ten... Nine... Eight... He thought to himself, beginning to count down in his head. Seven... Six...
If she wasn't out by one, he was going back. He had to go back...
He really didn't want to go back...
Five...
If only she'd hurry up...
Four...
Come on... Come on!
Three...

Rosa's reached half of her body out to slide through the hole. She coughed when the fresh air hit her lungs and she sucked it all in. She felt weak, extremely weak as she went to pull the rest of her body out. She heard a crack and her eyes widened in fear before hot pain stung her right leg. She let out a weak scream which came out more like a squeal as she tried to pull her leg out from under whatever was restraining it. "Oh god oh god." she breathed as she could feel the fierce heat trying to eat it up. She was glad she had learned Sloan's name long before she had even talked to him before. Being quiet often helped in instances like that, she knew everyone's name even if they didn't know her's.
"SLOAN!" She managed to squeak out as her voice was ripped away from her. Painful memories flashed mercilessly through her mind as she struggled to break free. She kicked at the object, which she had assumed to be a fallen beam with her left foot as she clawed at the ground trying to drag herself forward with all the energy she could gather in her small body. Finally she kicked the object off her leg that was crushing her and was able to at least drag herself with her arms out of the burning building and about a foot away before darkness took over her world.

((Sorry it's short. ())