First Meeting

Banks passed the halter and lead between her hands, ignoring the way her palms were sweating. The wooden gate behind her groaned, as it was pulled shut. While she refused to glance backward, a nervous swallow was involuntary. It was now just her and the Tokota alone in the pen. She couldn't help switching the halter between her hands again, wondering all the while which end was up. If she fastened it wrong what would happen? Would they refuse to let her leave with the Tokota. What was his name again? Rourke? Would he even lower his head enough for her to put the halter on?

For all the time Banks had spent around Tokotas, she had only ridden a handful of times. Some lessons when she was younger; that was all. Now that seemed like another lifetime. Even with all the research she had done, Banks couldn't ignore the worry that she was already in over her head. Despite that feeling, Banks quickly stepped away from the gate. She walked resolutely towards the Tokota, who had yet to notice her. He was staring over the fence at the activities of the busy camp, namely the preparation of some smoked fish.

The snow was swirling in eddies around her feet, as the wind blew around the enclosure, Rourke raised his head and snuffled hard at the air, exhaling little puffs of steam as he quickly turned towards Banks, He seemed to have just realized a stranger was in his paddock. He shook out his mane, which only served to make him look larger. Banks steps faltered for a moment. Was it her imagination or was he even taller than she had calculated? In fact, he looked more imposing than ever now that he was standing at attention, regarding her with a speculative expression. She thought back to the Tokotas that she had ridden before, “They were giving me the smallest ones that whole time, weren't they!”

The thought seemed to rally her, and Banks moved forward with renewed purpose, clicking her tongue to call to Rourke. She held a hand out for him to sniff. Rourke pressed his cold mottled nose to her palm. Though he wasn't trained yet, he had obviously been handled well. Banks felt her fears melt away as she gave him a scratch under his chin.

“Good boy, Rourke, good boy! You're so friendly, aren't you!” Banks exclaimed in a voice that raised into a higher tone of it's own accord.

The great spotted Tokota lowered his head to receive more attention and scratches. He snuffled at her treat filled pockets. Banks seized the opportunity, while scratching him behind the ears, to slip the halter over his head, continuing to coo to him and praise him as she clipped the snap into place. The halter was, remarkably, not upside down. She beemed up at Rourke as she patted him on the shoulder. Fastening her grip on the lead rope, there was no doubt in her mind that she could handle a Tokota of her own. She even wondered if she shouldn't have held out a bit longer and looked for one of those taller, dire built ones. She would certainly have looked imposing on something so tall.

At that moment the clunk of another rack of fish being stacked over a fire reached the pair. Rourke's head jerked up, he cranked his neck towards the sound. The small woman's feet momentarily left the ground, before she could slacken her grip on the rope. Landing off balance, Banks toppled to the ground. Rourke turned back, and seemed surprised that the red-faced new handler was now sitting on his front paws.


(Word Count: 630)

Finally finished fiddling with this little story and picture Decided that I need to be "commissioning" myself more often, not just doing sketches but taking the time to do full images of my characters or things I enjoy. So this was my birthday gift to me. I needed a bit of a push to get back to writing some as well.

I just had to get some pictures of Banks and Rourke out of my head and onto paper.  Hopefully in a few more pictures I will totally understand how to navigate the Toko group