Post by Kaylee Price on Jul 22, 2013 1:22:08 GMT
Taking a breath, Kaylee sighted down the barrel of her rifle for a moment. Her herd had been restless lately, at least more than usual, and she had found the source - or so she thought. With a deep breath, she released it slowly to steady her aim and squeezed the trigger to fire the weapon. The buck against her shoulder was linked to the crack of the shot from the high powered rifle. While her blue eyes didn't leave her prey, Kaylee did pull her gun away from her shoulder to push the bolt up and back to release the empty cartage. The motion didn't take her concentration from the cougar that had sprang ahead a good distance but had collapsed in a writhing pile, only to remain still a few seconds later. Nodding her approval, Kaylee turned to where her gelding had cocked his hind leg and was gazing at her in only mild interest. Accustomed to the firing of weapons, Kaylee trusted her steady buckskin above the other ranch horses.
"Got a cougar to skin, eh Maverick?" Lifting her stirrup, Kaylee shoved her rifle into the scabbard and readjusted the leather over it once more. Once accomplished, she gathered her reins, stuck a foot in the same stirrup and mounted with the ease of a motion accomplished thousands of times in the past. "Second one in a few months." Here she was, talking to her horse again. Seemed to be common place lately. She'd have to go to more of those parties they put on to 'relieve stress.' She wasn't sure how much stress it would relieve, but she supposed it was better than going batty and talking to her horse more than two legged companions.
Astride her sure footed gelding, Kaylee confidently reined him toward the rough country to get down to where her cougar was awaiting. With the nimble hooves of a mountain goat, her gelding picked his way down the rocky terrain. To help keep the balance, she leaned further back in the saddle and gave her mount his head. In about fifteen minutes they'd left the barely recognizable trail they'd been following and entered ground more flat. It was there, with her eyes peeled for the possibility of danger, that she picked up the bootprints. Reining Maverick in and dismounting, Kaylee crouched down and studied the prints. Recent, but not too much so. "Hmm." With her gelding trailing her, Kaylee followed the prints for a few yards until she had established the direction and pace that had been set by the person - a man. Or at least she hoped it was a man. If not, that woman had the largest boot prints she'd ever seen.
None of her hands were supposed to be out this way today, and if they had been looking for her, they would be heading in the opposite direction. Her mind instantly jumped to hunters. On guard, Kaylee mounted her gelding and slid the rifle out of its scabbard to rest the butt on her hip - her hand grasping it so she could rest her finger against the trigger. She'd had enough of the hunters in the area - and if they were going after her cows, she'd be damned if she would let them get any of her beef.
"Got a cougar to skin, eh Maverick?" Lifting her stirrup, Kaylee shoved her rifle into the scabbard and readjusted the leather over it once more. Once accomplished, she gathered her reins, stuck a foot in the same stirrup and mounted with the ease of a motion accomplished thousands of times in the past. "Second one in a few months." Here she was, talking to her horse again. Seemed to be common place lately. She'd have to go to more of those parties they put on to 'relieve stress.' She wasn't sure how much stress it would relieve, but she supposed it was better than going batty and talking to her horse more than two legged companions.
Astride her sure footed gelding, Kaylee confidently reined him toward the rough country to get down to where her cougar was awaiting. With the nimble hooves of a mountain goat, her gelding picked his way down the rocky terrain. To help keep the balance, she leaned further back in the saddle and gave her mount his head. In about fifteen minutes they'd left the barely recognizable trail they'd been following and entered ground more flat. It was there, with her eyes peeled for the possibility of danger, that she picked up the bootprints. Reining Maverick in and dismounting, Kaylee crouched down and studied the prints. Recent, but not too much so. "Hmm." With her gelding trailing her, Kaylee followed the prints for a few yards until she had established the direction and pace that had been set by the person - a man. Or at least she hoped it was a man. If not, that woman had the largest boot prints she'd ever seen.
None of her hands were supposed to be out this way today, and if they had been looking for her, they would be heading in the opposite direction. Her mind instantly jumped to hunters. On guard, Kaylee mounted her gelding and slid the rifle out of its scabbard to rest the butt on her hip - her hand grasping it so she could rest her finger against the trigger. She'd had enough of the hunters in the area - and if they were going after her cows, she'd be damned if she would let them get any of her beef.