(2020-09-24) Foggy Bellows
Daisy and Creed attend to a cow in need
Players:
creed..daisy..

The morning started crisp in the low 40s, but as the sun comes up its pushing to 50s and higher, another warm day topping off at 80, but cool nights this high up. Creed was already up and about, business as usual for them both, just his business was off the ranch at first, though he's rushing back as the sun's cresting trees and horizon over in the east, bringing a glimmer to the dew as a fog lifts out of the fields out in this part of the world, making almost feel like a rainy day. They all know it will burn away and be bright soon enough, its that time of the morning between cool nights and warm days.

He's coming back in his truck to catch up with Daisy and whatever business they've been at. Maybe cleaning up the old house now, having done some fence work preparing for winter months to come and no loss of head. With both trucks, they can pull out the remaining wood to burn, the rest to be recycled and such, its a lot of work. Maybe she's just getting there even. If not, he'll look for her truck first, then steer his that way to join her. He's more careful hopping down out of the truck this time. More measured not his usually get out and go. A careful step down and then he's heading on her way, business as usual. Grabbing his hat and moving out into the cool misty air of the morning haze/fog towards her.

*

Early mornings were a necessity at the ranch and Daisy wasn't exempt just because she was dating the owner. Up and at 'em early this morning she'd already ridden out to check fence and the herd. Just arriving back, she parks her truck in time to see the arrival of the man himself. Stepping out of her own, she closes the door behind her, forgetting her cell phone inside again of course. She loses it all the time, mostly in her truck.

Walking over towards his truck, Daisy notices the careful step down from his truck and casts a look over him but she doesn't ask. She doesn't suspect anything amiss. "I got an early morning ride on Dakota." Her horse she rides most of the time, the one she'll use in barrel racing. "Checked the herd, the fences, things seem to be coming together well. How's things on your other property?" A slight smirk at that. His separate enterprise outside of Emerson Ranch.

*

As far as a real enterprise, no telling due to the limited amount of land, Creed had it interim wasn't sure if things here would pan out. He looks her way and nods, "Still standing, wind hasn't blown it over yet." Which is about as much as he can sum it up. Still cleaning up the old barn there, but more work is being done here. If anything pulls in capital, it'll be here first on the old Emerson Ranch. "I checked with Dixon-Jones," the industrial scale construction outfit, not the family though they're connected, "I think I'm going to be gouged to build a facility out here." She said he had to put it on this land here, part of this outfit. "I'm guessing my brother's been upsetting a few folks lately. I might have to go outside the county." To another big outfit from like Pueblo or Denver.

*

"Oh, that's good." Just a quiet comment on things being standing, still. While they stand there by his truck she leans a hip against the huge vehicle, "I could give them a call for pricing quotes, they got no beef with me, nor I with them." She frowns a little, towards the house that needed so much work and cleanup, the charred remains of it. "I've been thinkin. There's a lot to do here already on this land. If you've got a better place for your outfit, you don't have to have it here. I'll have plenty enough to manage with the day to day operations of the ranch." Among other things. She shoves her hands in her front pockets as she regards him, "Morgan's Creek does that a lot. I keep thinking they are going to burn one too many bridges without getting all the way across first and it'll collaps on them."

*

"Maybe," he returns, standing in front of her while she leans. "I don't think it'll collapse," returns Creed, no so much family pride either, jsut straight talk. "I think in their growing markets," around the state, "They bring in outside work to grow there." Other families other areas, can always find someone trying to get ahead. More like Sawyer uses all he can to his advantage. "If you want to all them, that'd be good, you can bill it as a horse compound so they don't catch wind I'm assocaited." Or they will if they check property deeds and such for checking the land and where they can build and such. "You might get a good price. It'll be here, we just need to figure out what to do with that small farm down the road. Its not mine, its ours. Consider the first expansion for our enterprise." There, not an outfit, they can start thinking bigger too.

*

"I can give them a call, not likely I'd tell them it would be anything other than what it's going to be. Small town, they'd find out. Still, we've no bad blood between us, so maybe it'll stand for something." Daisy lifts her chin a little as she looks towards the burned remains of the main house. "Maybe I can get us a deal for the new building and the demolition and removal of the old house." It's been cleaned out of anything good, long ago. Turning her gaze back to his, she adds, "Maybe one day people will realize you're a separate entity than your brother. And if they don't realize it, we'll take our business elsewhere."

*

He looks over towards what remains of the hold house and runs a hand down the back of his neck in thought. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea," agrees Creed as he hears what she says. "If they can get anything from what remains of the foundation, maybe they'll be more willing to help." By help he means willing to do the job at fair price. "If the foundation is good," he ponders, "We could move the old place off the other lot. Move it here and get a jump start on building up a home." The small farm under their umbrella, as he's insisting both are one operation. "Moving the house and starting the complex might take a loan to help jump start all of it, get it up come spring, before summer riding." Then he turns to her, "Maybe they will, only matters that you see me." He doesn't need a big name so much anymore it seems, he has his interests set.

*

"I've done gone through everything of the burned remnants and gotten anything I could find of value," which has likely been sold as the ranch slowly sank into deeper debt. "If they can find anything they are welcome to it." Not that she expects there to be any sort of treasure find within. "I'm fine in the bunkhouse for now, but eventually we'll be getting ranch hands to fill it. For now, we're good. We can save money by not rebuilding a main house yet." At his words, Daisy lifts her eyes to his and offers a smile, "I admit to being slow on the uptake, Creed, but I see you now. You really are different from Morgan's Creek."

*

"I don't mind some ranch hands," he admits with a nod, "Would be good to have them come birthing in the spring. Just we'll have to keep it down out of respect for roomies." He leaves the inneundo there and turns to face her. "I blame Creed's Obsession." He can tease a little see, even smile a little. No matter good or bad day, something to look forward to. "Don't see me too close, don't need you seeing my pimples now." Which he has none, "Want to walk some of the fields, check on cattle, consider where we'll put our riding complex? Can check pastures inside the perimeter while we're doing that too?" He makes the offer, its something to do, they can look over land, cattle, property while forward thinking for that complext just the same.

*

"Always respect the roomies," Daisy agrees sort of in a tongue-in-cheek manner. "I blame that too and maybe while we walk we can toss around some ideas for the name of the ranch, to get it away from Morgan and Emerson both." One represented amazing wealth and success while the other was failure. "Make this new venture our own." Peering up at his face, she tsks, "We'll get you some Noxema, clear that right up." With laughter in her eyes she pushes away from the truck to avoid repercussions of her teasing as she steps back. "Let's do that, let's walk and plan things out in more detail." She turns more towards the fields and pastures. "Looks like it'll be a nice day, we've got plenty of daylight."

*

"Yeah, something to exfoliate the skin or whatever," sas Cred as she looks at his face, like he knows much more beyond irish spring. It is green and is still sold as a soap bar. Not some squirt bottle or salt cream or whatever passes for soap these days. Maybe his already exfoliates even. She can turn to avoid repercussions, but he'll still give a playful swat at her rear. "Noxema you woman," a pause, "Is that the stuff you put on your chest when you can't breath?" Like stuffed something, maybe he's on the right track or thinking of something else. "Its a good day for a walk, we get a headstart, we'll be there when the fog clears up." More a ground fog thats slowly rising and fading too. "So what name are you thinking? Twisted Iron, Double Iron Bend, Iron Mountain," he says, not realizing he keeps saying iron in the names most likely. Maybe that makes it more manly, iron something. He may not be the best name picker either.

*

"Yeahh, something like that." Exfoliate. Daisy can't help but to laugh when he even says that word. There's a slight hop when he swats her and she wiggles but only once she's out of arms reach. "Noxema and Vicks Vapor Rub. Interchangeable. If you want your face burnt off." She's teasing of course, but amused all the same. Falling into step beside him again, she considers names. Maybe she picks up on the Iron part. "Winding River Ranch, Iron River, Iron Grange, Craisy Ranch," she laughs at the last one since it's a combination of their names. Adding nother, "Riverland Ranch." With a grin, she considers his again. "I like Iron Mountain Ranch also."

*

What Creed hears however, "Crazy Ranch, not sure how they'd go over." But grinning as she says it cause she laughed after. "I guess sometimes." Things can be crazy, if only he'd listen more closely he'd get Creed and Daisy in there. "River and Mountain go good, like that but differnt, Cold Forge too? Tough, like you. Leave out the onery part. They start getting in the near pastures, where the cattle spent most of the night. "New names sort of have that ring to it don't they. Cold Iron, or Whisky Brand or something." He shrugs a little. As they walk, the sounds of cows is more near, they're used to that. One seems to bellow, a few others near it are doing the same.

*

"We also got to decide on a brand. Maybe some combination of a CM on it." Because the cattle needed branded, not the old Emerson brand. As the near the cow pasture and the cows themselves, Daisy looks over them with a practiced eye. "Maybe we should raise a few bulls for the rodeo too, start our own brand there, stud them out of they make a name for themselves with the cowboys." It was a thought, another way to make money. At the bellow and then the following ones, she frowns. "Something's wrong, let's check it out."

*

"Yeah, need a brand for sure," can't be a ranch without one, that makes it official even. He walks and kicks at the ground a little, looking over the other cows. "That ain't a bad idea," Creed says, "We figure out how to raise some good athelets, will help the price of the herd too." Breeding rights even better for sure. He hears her say it and looks up to follow her look, hears them too. "Yeah, like one of em is lost or something." That's what he's more used to hearing, but nods to go along with her.

Going that way, she'll notice one is has some spot bleeding, that when getting closer, looks like she somehow got some barbed wire wrapped around her. One of the heifers in the birthing cycle, probably spring cycle but on the way, so two heads on the line in that case.

*

"Good athletes, yeah that would be a big bonus in it." Daisy smiles at the thought, but that cow.. she does approach and finds the predicament, the smile quickly turns to worry when she scopes out the situation. "Happen to have any wire cutters on you? Mine are in the truck, not used to walking out here so much as driving." She doesn't look up at Creed, "Universal tool thing with pliers or something?" Some people carried them. Hers was in her truck. There's a quick look around for somewhere super close to try and corral the cow so it doesn't panic and get hurt worse. "Dammit, I don't have rope on me either." The self doubt comes creeping in again and she backs off. "Help her, Creed. She's got a calf in there." Her ranch had failed because of incidents here, "I didn't come prepared. Help her.."

*

<FS3> Creed rolls Mind: Failure. (5 2 3)

*

Checking his built when she asks and he comes to look, Creed shakes his head, "No pliers or cutter, but I got my knife." Maybe not the ideal too for the situation. "If I get my hands under the wire, you can cut it without damaging her hide too much?" He looks at her and moves towards the heifer, seeing where its tied and trying to determine the best place to get a hold of it. Its around her and her leg, maybe if he gets it from the leg, she'll have space, and won't stress the pregnancy part of it either. He moves to get her leg, the other cows bellowing and watching, they called for help both are hear now. Creed moves to the leg and works to get a finger under it to help with the cutting, seeing if Daisy got his knife, its in his belt and open, he's focusing on getting enough of it free to start cutting it off.

*

<FS3> Creed rolls Body: Failure. (2 1 3)

*

<FS3> Daisy rolls Body: Success. (7 1 5)

*

<FS3> Daisy rolls Presence: Failure. (6 5 2)

*

The thing about knives and metal.. the blade slides down the metal instead of through it, for the most part. But Daisy manages, her strength is enough to get the blade through the metal and get it from around the leg, hopefully, but Creed doesn't look to be doing amazing. Of course the cow is flailing, panic in her big brown, long lashed eyes. "Shhh, shhh.." she tries to soothe, but it's not working, the cow is only getting more irate and now that it is a little more mobile, she uses it to her advantage to try and get away.

*

<FS3> Daisy rolls Cattle: Success. (3 6 3 7 4)

*

He barely gets hand under to hold it up, the knife slips, but his hand is more at risk from the barbs. Even as he pulls one tears into the side of his hand a little, but he holds it as she gets the blade into the metal to cut it out. "There you go girl," said to Daisy for getting the metal cut, but maybe in part to the call to help relax too. He starts to try and unwind the wire from the way its wrapped around her, being careful if he can. He may not notice it, but he'll have to be very delicate around the underside so it doesn't cut up into the belly/uteras and such. He's not thinking of that as he works, just trying to get it off quickly.

*

She can't give up. Daisy just can't. She had failed the ranch before, but saving this cow and the calf she carries was suddenly of utmost importance. Taking the cow in hand, figuratively, she soothes, speaking in low, even tones while gingerly unwinding the barbed wire, not noticing Creed's very wounded hand. "We got you," she says softly to the cow, distracting the cow while both she and Creed work on getting it loose. So much happening but she manages, with his assistance, to finally get the cow free. The cow runs off to get away from it all, it's probably not bad enough to need the vet, but it wouldn't hurt to watch a bit. "How is there barbed wire just laying around out here? I'm more careful than that." She knows she is. And she had no ranch hands. Her lips thin as they are pressed together. The sabotage everyone thought she was imagining. Someone was out to get her. "I know I wouldn't leave something like that laying around."

*

The cow should be good, they got there in time, the wire was limiting movement and why the distress went out from her, then the others. He wipes hands on side of jeans, cause Creed can't keep working with blood (the cows or his), but he looks around. "Could be one of the fences somewhere too," to suggest he agrees, she wouldn't leave it lying around either. "We can check it out and see what's going on around the lots." He looks at his hand real quick one deep barb got in there, it'll heal, but he's checking. Then a look out towards the edges of the property, even if they're no where close to those distant edges and fence lines. "Maybe put up some trap cames, move them around a little, see what we find when we're not looking?" Just a thought.

*

A quick, frustrated growl from her before Daisy finally turns to face Creed to offer him the knife. There's a flush to her cheeks, she's angry, she's embarrassed, self doubt on her features. Crossing her arms over her chest once he's taken the knife, she looks at his jeans. More blood there than there should be. "Are you hurt?" Eyes zeroing in on his hand when he looks at it, then she's all business again. Closing the distance between them, she reaches for his hand and scowls at the wound there. "Did I do that with the knife?" She reaches for that bandana she wears through her beltloops, and now it may be obvious why she has it. Unlacing it from there, she starts tying it around his hand to try and stop the bleeding, the scowl deepening. "I checked some of the fence line this morning. It was fine. I didn't get all of it though." Talking as she tends to his wound. She mentions nothing of the traps, just murmurs. "Maybe I left it out when I replaced that section of fence last."

*

He takes it, slips it back in the sheath at his side, and shakes his head. "No, its good, give it a few days," Creed says, typical answer in these parts. But really no muscle or bone hanging out of it, should be just fine, that hand. She can inspect it, he lets her have it as she does look over it. "Nah, I think it was a barb I didn't notice when holding it up, when the metal snapped it tore it a little more is all." His other hand reaches to pull her head, he leans down to bonk forehead to forehead, "Hey, it wasn't you. We got two eyes now, if it wasn't a wild animal or who knows what, its on both of us yeah? Lets walk these pastures here, then tomorrow we can ride around the perimeter and check there." In their vehicles. "We can check these here, keep them close to home for the day, yeah?"

*

<FS3> Daisy rolls Tracking: Failure. (5 1 5 6)

*

Tying off the bandana around his hand, Daisy grudgingly lets it go since he didn't seem terribly worried about it. She does though, but she doesn't push it. He was a grown man. "Yeah.. yeah, we have lots of eyes to check things. I do want to walk these pastures and look for other things, traps, hazards." She starts walking around the area where the cows were, looking for something there that would entice the cows to come to this particular area. Of course she finds nothing and it frustrates her. "It's looking more and more like an accident.. Tomorrow I do want to drive the perimeter."

*

<FS3> Creed rolls Reaction: Good Success. (8 7 2 3)

*

He seems disinterested, but his stubborn that way. Even though there is that, Creed looks at bandana and then her, "Thanks lady." Appreciative that she took care of it thoug he tried to play it off. He follows along, "We can see if anything's been digging at the fences too, never know." Which was truth, didn't know until you knew it. He does move past the animals to see nearby fence. Not far from the gate to this pastuer, he sees a wooden post, some barb wire still on it. "Over here," he comments, and goes to hold it up. "It match any of your fence?" Or someone elses, whether from wood used or barbs and points to distinguish fence from neighbors, he figures she knows her own the best.

*

<FS3> Daisy rolls 1: Failure. (6)

*

Whether he was worried or not, Daisy casts another look to his had before letting it go. When he walks over to check the fence, she follows. Of course he finds the wooden posts and she inhales.. only to recognize it as one of her own. Biting her lip she nods, letting him know it was indeed her fence. "I don't know what happened. Maybe I just missed it last time I was checking it out." She doesn't know, she doesn't understand it at all. Pressing a hand to her forehead, she grumbles to herself. "I'll call my former ranch hand and see if he knows anything." It bothers her, deeply, that much is apparent.

*

He looks it over but shakes his head, "Lady, you're stubborn you know." HE looks her way. "Missed it or not, it happens. You been doing most of this yourself. Ranching ain't a solo sport, its a team activity right?" He hears that she beats herself up. "You probably saw it and it was standing and just a bit of shuffle in the herd knocked it down. We're on top of it." That or sabotage, who knows until they find the spot it actually happened at. "I get the pride in your work, but I'm not the perfect one to talk." Sure he probably beat himself up after most rides, but he kept going the same. "We know which one to fix now, that's good. We can get some supplies and drive out to where ever this one is, get it squared away yeah?"

*

<FS3> Daisy rolls Alertness: Success. (4 6 3 4 6 8 2 2)

*

"I suppose I may be stubborn, but you have to be in this business, just to keep on doggedly doing it." Daisy smirks at the solo sport and nods, he does have a point in that. "Hold on." She frowns a little and moves in to inspect the post. "Huh." She points out some notches in the post and relays, "It's from the far stretch there," motioning off towards the back end. "Maybe the cow knocked into it and got tangled and dragged it here?" Surely it couldn't just be here on this side any other way. "I mark my posts to the direction they are placed. North, East, South and West."

*

"Its what I like about you," her stubborn-ness. Creed smirks back, raising a brow, then she sees something on the post. "Ah, smart thinking, easier to replace." The marking and notches to know where to go. "Yeah, could of just caught on her leg and she pulled it, got worse when she got here." In the field they found her. He does glance off towards that backfield she mentioned. Its warm enough the fog is lifting, that's good, he can see farther, have an idea where they need to go. She knows her lands, he has to learn it. "We can see what it looks like over there, grab a truck and supplies?" LIke walk back, get what they need fix that fence.

Fade to getting materials and fixing the fence.

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