When a small party had set out to forage after the heavy rain, it was only natural that Horatio had decided to accompany them. Being separated from the open ocean was an unwelcome change, but at least there were still many opportunities for adventure, and with due caution, he planned on investigating them - and investigating this place.
The dark, rich ground of the pine stands was soft and damp beneath his feet as the party approached a gulley carved two meters or so into the earth. The forest was beautifully quiet, so much so that he could hear the spaced-out plips of leftover rainwater dripping down leaves onto the ones below them - and then there was the sudden sound of earth giving way, roots snapping, boot treads struggling to find purchase against hard, wet soil. It was punctuated by a thump as his fellow villagers hit the bottom.
Horatio quickly made his way to the edge of the gorge, or at least as close to it as he could get while remaining absolutely certain the ground under his feet wasn't part of an overhang, and peered in.
"Are you hurt?"
wildcard - option b
"Will you please--" The zalpaca tried again to free her foot from the young man's grasp and set it back down, this time knocking the shears resting atop his thigh onto the ground. Horatio let out a frustrated groan and let go as he retrieved them, using his forearm to wipe sweat from his brow. "Damn animal," he muttered, shifting his weight on the balls of his feet and pulling her closer again with a hand on the side of her rope halter. "Stay still this time so that I can just trim your hooves and be done with it. I don't like this any more than you."
The other does in this particular paddock had been very well behaved, quietly yielding each hoof when asked and patiently standing through Horatio's fumbling attempts at farrier's work without issue as he had been told they would. It was only this one, an old, matronly thing presumably in charge of the others, who seemed to be annoyed with his inexperience. Even then, the overall docile nature of these animals seemed to have won out, seeing as her protests had only extended to trying to escape from his reach or put her feet back onto the ground, not kicking or biting like he could only assume most other animals in need of these sorts of services would, so he supposed that much could be said for her - but nonetheless, Mr. Hornblower was no fan of Princess the zalpaca.
With a frustrated huff, he wrapped a hand around her near pastern and returned the hoof to his lap, lips drawn into a tight line. He actually managed to trim off a few pieces of nail before her attempts to keep all four feet on the ground resumed - but when she did inevitably try to yank her hoof out of his hand, he doubled down, she swung toward him, and all at once his balance was thrown, sending him onto his back and into a pile of droppings.
"You infernal creature!"
It took him a moment to realize that he had an audience - and when he did, he sighed heavily. Another great first impression. First man to get seasick in Spithead, first person to get pushed around by an elderly zalpaca.
Horatio Hornblower ➣ Hornblower (1998)
When a small party had set out to forage after the heavy rain, it was only natural that Horatio had decided to accompany them. Being separated from the open ocean was an unwelcome change, but at least there were still many opportunities for adventure, and with due caution, he planned on investigating them - and investigating this place.
The dark, rich ground of the pine stands was soft and damp beneath his feet as the party approached a gulley carved two meters or so into the earth. The forest was beautifully quiet, so much so that he could hear the spaced-out plips of leftover rainwater dripping down leaves onto the ones below them - and then there was the sudden sound of earth giving way, roots snapping, boot treads struggling to find purchase against hard, wet soil. It was punctuated by a thump as his fellow villagers hit the bottom.
Horatio quickly made his way to the edge of the gorge, or at least as close to it as he could get while remaining absolutely certain the ground under his feet wasn't part of an overhang, and peered in.
"Are you hurt?"
wildcard - option b
"Will you please--" The zalpaca tried again to free her foot from the young man's grasp and set it back down, this time knocking the shears resting atop his thigh onto the ground. Horatio let out a frustrated groan and let go as he retrieved them, using his forearm to wipe sweat from his brow. "Damn animal," he muttered, shifting his weight on the balls of his feet and pulling her closer again with a hand on the side of her rope halter. "Stay still this time so that I can just trim your hooves and be done with it. I don't like this any more than you."
The other does in this particular paddock had been very well behaved, quietly yielding each hoof when asked and patiently standing through Horatio's fumbling attempts at farrier's work without issue as he had been told they would. It was only this one, an old, matronly thing presumably in charge of the others, who seemed to be annoyed with his inexperience. Even then, the overall docile nature of these animals seemed to have won out, seeing as her protests had only extended to trying to escape from his reach or put her feet back onto the ground, not kicking or biting like he could only assume most other animals in need of these sorts of services would, so he supposed that much could be said for her - but nonetheless, Mr. Hornblower was no fan of Princess the zalpaca.
With a frustrated huff, he wrapped a hand around her near pastern and returned the hoof to his lap, lips drawn into a tight line. He actually managed to trim off a few pieces of nail before her attempts to keep all four feet on the ground resumed - but when she did inevitably try to yank her hoof out of his hand, he doubled down, she swung toward him, and all at once his balance was thrown, sending him onto his back and into a pile of droppings.
"You infernal creature!"
It took him a moment to realize that he had an audience - and when he did, he sighed heavily. Another great first impression. First man to get seasick in Spithead, first person to get pushed around by an elderly zalpaca.