Word Count → 368 :: Here you go. <3

Wayne found himself thanking his wolf ancestors for the thick winter coat that kept him warm even in the freezing winter air. He was still used to southern weather, having traveled through states like New Mexico and Texas, but the timber wolf in him had awoken with the journey north. His breath foggy in the cold air, he squeezed Fern lightly with his legs and directed her around a treacherously icy patch of road that hadn’t yet been covered with grass here in the village.

“Think we’ll find anythin’ today, Fern?” the cowboy asked the mare, petting her neck lightly and checking to make sure her hair wasn’t standing on end. It was pretty cold out, but so long as she wasn’t shivering, he felt safe riding the large animal outdoors.

Luckily, it seemed to be warm between the buildings, and he kept the pace leisurely as he looked for broken doors and windows. There were sometimes salvageable human artifacts within, and even if not, he was looking forward to further investigating the farmers’ fields in this area. If Casa di Cavalieri expanded, he hoped that they went out in this direction so that they could take better advantage of the fertile land—though their pack was supposed to be a militaristic one. Wayne wasn’t much of a warrior, though; he was toned for work, but he didn’t think he would do very well in a fight.

Might have to change that, the man thought, frowning. He wanted to be useful to his pack in whatever way he could, though that was mostly providing food and taking care of the horses nowadays. Luckily, the surrounding packs seemed quiet and peaceful if still not altogether friendly, but he didn’t think he’d have to worry about preparing for war anytime soon.

He reined in the mare when a scent blew toward them; the animal stamped a hoof against the ground and tilted her ears back toward him, awaiting words in the form of orders or reassurances. He mumbled something soothing and sniffed again, identifying the scent as Cercatori d’Arte.

“Smell from the borders must’ve blown over here,” Wayne muttered to himself, knowing he was fairly close to the other pack.

Word Count → 236

What the man had assumed was a distant scent turned out to be a very present one. Scanning the area as Fern flicked her ears, Wayne unexpectedly met the deep azure eyes of a dog hiding behind a tree. Quickly, he stroked the mare’s neck, but the gesture was more for his own comfort than hers. She only bobbed her head at the sight of the blue merle girl stepping out into full sight, greeting her with a sweet look if anything.

Abashed at assuming he’d been alone, the Labrador mongrel offered a weak smile and slowly dismounted. He barely heard the other’s quiet greeting as he stepped down from the saddle, though Fern swiveled her ears forward attentively. Slightly amused by the mare, he patted her again then dipped his head to acknowledge the girl.

“Howdy,” Wayne replied in his characteristic greeting. The mare shifted her weight to lean a shoulder into his, and he smirked. “I’m Wayne McCoy, and this here lovely lady is Fern.” At her name, the horse nickered and turned her head, nibbling along the brim of his hat before he took it off with a sweeping motion, holding it by his heart. Such theatrics were usually far from his mind, but with the encouragement of the mare and the timid disposition of the d’Arte girl, he wanted to make a friendly impression. “A lil’ cold for a stroll, ain’t, miss?”

Word Count → 224 :: S'all right. x3 And Bambi's so cute. D:

The mottled girl was quiet, unusually so, but while that might have bothered a more talkative luperci, the dusty-colored young man hardly even noticed the lapses of silence. He was a quieter guy himself, or at least not one to initiate conversation very often. He had no problem talking to others and could be very friendly, but the silences to him were just as comfortable as any conversation could be. He only read her expression and body language with faint curiosity, wondering about her formal bow and smiling at the look she gave the horse—which seemed to be a reciprocated one, as Fern was keenly interested in the young woman. Perhaps it was the mare’s mothering instincts that made her behave so.

Her shiver and accompanying remark made Wayne frown suddenly, feeling guilty about what he’d said, but then he caught the teasing note in her voice and a chuckle escaped his smiling mouth. He was about to shoot her an amused look before his brown eyes fell to her outstretched hand.

Hesitant, his ears pulling back slightly, the man took another step toward her and extended his own paw. He was familiar with handshakes, but this gesture seemed to be a more tentative one. Regardless, he let his fingers rest lightly on hers, and he ventured to ask softly, “What’s your name?”

Word Count → 183 :: Ohmygod my posts keep getting shorter and shorter I'm sorry ;___;

The young woman extended her paw to the horse, and Wayne could not suppress his warm smile as he watched the mare interact with the stranger. He patted the animal’s side in praise, glad but unsurprised to see Fern’s sweet and gentle nature extend to the quiet girl.

His ears perked when she offered her name: Bambi Five. He tilted his head, wondering if he’d heard the surname correctly, but he didn’t make any remark on it. Instead, he offered a warm, “Nice to meetcha, Bambi.” It was a cute and simple name, somewhat like Dixie.

Her question made him frown before he followed her gesture to the horse, and his naturally protective and friendly demeanor only strengthened as he shot a grin at the black-splotched dog. “You mean teach ya to ride? Sure!” He was sure that Fern would like all the attention as well; there probably couldn’t be a better horse to help out a new rider, either, with her usual gentleness. “You don’t even have to go and give me nothin’ in exchange. No fur off my back.” He winked.

Word Count → 372 :: Raze hasn't riden a horse since she was a wee child.

Those who knew the cowboy only in passing might have been surprised that he’d offered the free riding lesson to a stranger. He was an intimidating figure to those far from him, tough and grumpy and sparing with his words, but when it came down to true heart, Wayne was a generous soul. He was gentle with his horses and those who needed gentleness, and this timidly quiet girl was deserving of warmth. He grinned encouragingly as she approached the horse and watched carefully as she mounted Fern, who kept still and well-behaved.

“Looks like you have some experience,” the man remarked, noting that she hadn’t been clumsy in getting on the mare. He came to the horse’s side, reaching for the reins and offering them to the young woman, guiding them so they would rest properly in her hand. They were tied in the Western style, as he’d learned to ride, though he knew he might have to explain other techniques in case she hopped on a differently trained animal.

“Okay. Steerin’.” Wayne smiled at her again. “Fern is trained so when she feels the reins on the left side of her neck, she turns away from the pressure—right.” He demonstrated, pushing Bambi’s hand so that she was pulling the reins right, causing them to fall on the left side of her neck. “You could also tug the right side, so she feels it in her mouth; it’s easiest to do it two-handed that way.” He frowned then reached back to scratch his neck. “Sorry if this is all confusin’ to ya… Not used to havin’ students. But so long as the reins are goin’ in the direction you want to, Fern’ll figure it out.”

He took a breath. “When you want her to move, squeeze with your legs or give her a little kick in the flanks—light now, she don’t need much more ’n that. And pull back on the reins to stop, light again.” He knew that the large mare could handle some roughness and would be forgiving to a new rider, but others might be more affected by such accidental abuse.

“So… Whenever you’re ready,” Wayne finished awkwardly, hoping that he hadn’t left out anything important.