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Description
As Ganso goosed Song AGAIN Kendrick sighed. He thought he had chosen so well when he had picked the gray tawny wolverine Ganso Bandito, the tawny gray rain-marked female Songbird's Melody and Daiyu, the black female tokota as Zyndel's tokotas to herd through a canyon for his third rite of dominance. Song had been the obvious first pick, she was a sweetheart in every possible way when it came to other tokotas and riders, and she carried herself with a certain grace.
Ganso, well he had been the first mistake. While Kendrick had been aware of Ganso's playful nature he had thought the wolverine would not act up as much in a group, instead he had been even more playful.

At least Song's sweet tempered nature meant though she was not pleased with Ganso's antics, she was willing to put up with them. Zyndel had been decidedly ignoring the young pup, apparently he did not care if Ganso goosed the other tokotas and to be fair Ganso had not gotten near Zyndel, and Kendrick had the feeling if the wolverine tried anything Zyndel would not be willing to ignore him.

Maybe it was because Zyndel had taken the position of leadership early on, perhaps it was the fact that Kendrick was atop Zyndel's back, or maybe it was the fact that Daiyu was a willing participant in Ganso's playfulness.

She was goosing him in return for his, making whining, happy noises, crouching down on her front paws and jumping up at Ganso, inviting him to play, gently nipping at Ganso's fur and running away in a playful sprint, wagging her tail wildly.

Despite all their lagging behind, sprints and goosing the two youngsters were still keeping up with Kendrick and Zyndel. They also did not have any halters so besides spoken commands or if Zyndel asserted his authority there was not really any way to enforce them to stay close behind them.

It was really Song's eyes pleading with Kendrick whenever he glanced back at the three that he felt the most guilty, while she was sweet that did not mean she was down to play or that she was fond of pranks. It was time to intervene before Song's patience broke so with a sharp command Kendrick ordered Ganso and Daiyu to behave and for Song to come closer to Zyndel's side and he reached down to run his finger's through the female's dark gray rain-marked mane. “Its okay girl” he whispered.

Song looked gratefully up at Kendrick and for a while peace reigned once more. Kendrick had known that while he could have a map this time, that controlling three tokotas without the goal of a prey or other riders to help rein in their bad behavior was a challenge, but he had still tried to find the most convenient canyon for the task and supplies had been checked and double checked.

In the end he had picked an open but deep canyon that had many rivers crisscrossing its bed, and weeping willow trees that had started shedding their leaves for the upcoming winter. While he would not have chosen this canyon in the spring for fear of flooding it had been at least a week without rain and many weeks without heavy rain. He had also had no desire to repeat the experience of a rockfall which was why he had picked this more open canyon in comparison to a more dry, more rock filled valley.

The peace did not last long, as there were rabbits and other small creatures that bounded through the canyon floor, along with ducks and geese that would soon be heading south. Though the tokota's romping about had been a distraction from the surroundings, the weather was pleasant, there were a few darker clouds signaled rain, but Kendrick was not too worried. Not that he had much time to be worried, what with Ganso once again starting up his shenanigans.

He wished he could be at the The Late Autumn Festival with Robyn and Alex, or even with Elena and Jaime back at the barns. Somehow taking care of twenty or so tokotas seemed like it would be easier than keeping these three – two of which were very unruly and one who was a very patient tokota in line.

As Daiyu grew tired of Ganso's game, the black female panted and her playing became half hearted until she finally nipped at Ganso, not seriously, but enough that the wolverine picked up the message and knew to leave her alone for a while Kendrick knew it would not be long til Ganso turned his attention to Zyndel and he felt himself tense up in anticipation.

Ganso tried to invite Song to play once more but she kept ignoring him, as she had been doing, and instead went over to Daiyu inviting the young female into her protection, allowing the black tokota to catch her breath while Song glared at Ganso.

For a while even the two females had rejected his playful antics for now Ganso was amused with chasing his own tail, bounding after squirrels, rabbits or even his own shadow, all of which was just fine in Kendrick's opinion.

Then he saw the glimmer in Ganso's eyes, the way he looked at Zyndel and knew the prankster was planning his approach.

The attack came out of no where, Ganso having snuck up on both Zyndel and Kendrick and had managed to goose the creamy male tokota very quickly and was already dancing away, mischief in his eyes.

Zyndel whirled on his haunches, and even though Kendrick knew that Zyndel likely knew who the perpetrator was, he was willing to forgive one such trespass but the way his ears flattened and his posture suggested that if Ganso tried it a second time, woe be unto him.

For a while that bought peace once more, Song still protecting Daiyu who seemed content to play a gentler game of follow the leader with the gray rain-marked female and Ganso sulking at the rear, dragging his feet and looking for all the world like he had just gotten slapped on the nose with a giant newspaper.

They also crossed another creek, this one a bit wider then the one before, but no deeper and everyone once again willing waded through the muddy but gently flowing water that was part of the Eco-system giving this canyon so much life.

It was quite strange to be atop a tokota when it shook out the water in its fur, disorienting or dizzying were often words used to describe the experience. Kendrick imagined it was kind of like being in a tumble dryer, except without the heat and without actually going in a full circle around the tokota. Others described like a theme park ride, except there were none that shook you side to side in quite the way a tokota could with their lithe bodies. Oh, and the water tended to get all over your clothes, in your face, and even in your eyes and unlike a tokota you could not just shake the water off so you were often stuck with strange wet patches of clothing, possibly for hours, and a blur to your vision.

Around the creek there were trees, bushes, and animals everywhere, even though it was fall. Kendrick someday hoped he could travel through here in the spring before it became flooded and see it in full bloom, that would be a beautiful sight indeed.

As it was the canyon held its own for autumn, the orange, red, and yellow leaves that had dropped scattered the ground like drops of paint, some gently floating in the breeze, and others littering the water that got stuck in the tokota's fur.

Grass still carpeted the canyon floor, though it had turned a green-brown color long ago it blended nicely with the tan, brown, gray, beige and other colored rocks that made up the walls of the canyon which were covered in moss or ivy in some areas. Fir trees, some young, some ancient and too stubborn to have been washed away added a touch of life to the fall landscape.

It was as Kendrick was admiring the landscape that Ganso struck again, surprising him once more, and again the wolverine danced away, and bowed playfully to Zyndel, inviting him to play. But Zyndel had Kendrick to look out for, besides he was tired of this pup challenging his authority.

A growl came from Zyndel and Kendrick hung on tightly in preparation, knowing there was no way to stop Zyndel now. Ears back Zyndel raised himself to full height, glaring down at Ganso, his brown eyes piercing into Ganso's now ashamed gaze.

Zyndel lashed out, his teeth bared at Ganso who quivered, now crouched down in submission, but that was not enough for Zyndel and he bit the air over Ganso's head, another growl, louder then before and he lunged at the young tokota.

Whining for pity Ganso rolled over, showing Zyndel his belly, his paws up in the air, his eyes pleading for mercy. Carefully Zyndel put a paw over Ganso's throat for just long enough to show the gray wolverine he meant business and then let him up and let out an angry huff.

Ganso's ears flattened, his tail drooped and his head went down and he trudged to the back of the group while Zyndel watched, hie eyes showing his pride and pleasure at being obeyed. Zyndel's eyes turned to Song and Daiyu, looking for any signs of trouble from the two female tokotas and Song was quick to bow her head and wag her tail softly, while Daiyu, seeming to take Ganso's punishment a bit more personally crouched down and made a plaintive whine.

Kendrick saw Zyndel's chest swell, and rightly so and he gently caressed the tokota and whispered “Good boy”, watching the black tipped ears flick back toward him, ready to listen and he breathed a mental sigh of relief. It would not do for Zyndel to go wild with Kendrick atop him, and as simple as an ear flick was, it was enough.

After that there were no more disruptions from Ganso or Daiyu, though Song and Daiyu remained closer together with Ganso bringing up the rear. An order had been agreed on and reached, with Zyndel at the top, Song as the “alpha female”, Daiyu as the second ranking female and Ganso was the lowest ranked of the bunch. It was not a large pack, but the important thing was that now they all knew their places and looked up to Zyndel for leadership and that would make the challenge they would face before the end of their journey together a lot easier to conquer.

Late afternoon approached, Kendrick knew they had one more river to ford, the largest of the bunch before the canyon opened into a wide grassland that would mark the end of this little expedition. He could hear the water up ahead and he urged Zyndel into a trot, and the rest of the tokotas quickly followed behind.

It was only when he saw the swollen banks, heard the sound of the water as it roared past that he started to have some doubts. The group halted a few feet away from the waters edge. Foamy waves hit sharp looking rocks further downstream and while Kendrick did not hold out much hope he searched up and down the banks for an easier way to cross. It did not help matters any that the water was full of debris, making it hard to see how deep it was, though it was obvious the river had been experiencing some flooding and some remains of logs scattered onto the banks suggested that perhaps a beaver had been trying to dam the river somewhere up stream, and for a while succeeded but either some rain, or perhaps other cause had made the dam fail and they were left with this as a result.

“Looks like we will have to swim for it boy. Think we can make it?” he asked Zyndel quietly, his confidence shaken. While he was not afraid so much for himself or Zyndel he had no clue how Song, Daiyu or Ganso would take to the rapidly moving water and he was not eager to find out, not without some safety measures first.

He attached the bear rope to his pack, and tied it around each tokotas waist, though he made sure not to tie too tightly, and that if need be the tokota could reach back and snap the rope. They would cross in a group, with Zyndel as the strongest leading the way, facing up stream though they would actually be headed down stream. Rolling up his pants he shivered as the cold air chilled him, but better then to have them be soaking wet when this was all said and done. Tinder box, water proof matches, a flashlight and other supplies were placed in water tight bags to help protect them from the elements and he made sure his knife was readily available.

Once everyone was harnessed together he took a deep breath, as he kicked his heels against Zyndel's barrel and he sent a prayer to Aippaq or whatever gods might be listening right about now.

At first Zyndel was able to walk through the water, making it easier for him to shoulder through the current. Then the ground beneath his paws gave way to silt and water, Kendrick felt the jolt as the tokota transferred from walking to swimming. Steadily they headed for the shore, Kendrick keeping one eye on the prize and the other on Song, Daiyu and Ganso who so far, though wet and concentrating looked as if they were doing alright.

Stroke after stroke they inched their way closer to safety, Kendrick could feel his heart beating faster as the water soaked his pants despite his efforts to keep them dry, the waves hitting his belly now and the water started to soak through the backpack and his socks as it got into his boots. The water was cold and Kendrick watched worriedly for any sticks or other objects that could cause them unexpected trouble.

After what felt like an eternity there was another jolt as Zyndel found land and the tokota heaved himself up onto the banks, stumbling as he dragged himself out of the river, drenched, and covered with mud, leaves, and sticks. Zyndel made it to a dry area of land, Song, Daiyu and Ganso, still tied together followed him closely and all four tokotas panted.

Immediately Kendrick slipped off Zyndel's back, praising the tokotas for being so strong and working so well together. His fingers fumbled with tack as he got the wet leather saddle and the blanket off of Zyndel. Once he was standing aside Zyndel shook himself, flinging mud and river water everywhere and the others followed suit. Kendrick however did not have the advantage of being able to shake water off and he gathered up firewood from fallen branches and dry leaves, quickly starting a fire and peeling off his wet clothes to huddle by the fire. All four tokotas joined him, using the warmth to dry their fur further. Soon Zyndel had snuggled up next to Kendrick, keeping him nice and warm and Kendrick got food for everyone out of the plastic bag which they all eagerly wolfed down.

It was dusk by the time everyone felt as though they could probably move again without getting chilled. Kendrick knew though that Elena and Jaime would not be too worried if he did not make it back tonight, and while staying meant hungry tokotas in the morning he figured that was better then over exerting them. So making sure the supplies were nearby, with the tack and clothing set out to dry as best they could he settled down for the night.

With the warmth of the tokotas behind and around him, the fire burning for the night, Kendrick had barely closed his eyes before he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Description
As Ganso goosed Song AGAIN Kendrick sighed. He thought he had chosen so well when he had picked the gray tawny wolverine Ganso Bandito, the tawny gray rain-marked female Songbird's Melody and Daiyu, the black female tokota as Zyndel's tokotas to herd through a canyon for his third rite of dominance. Song had been the obvious first pick, she was a sweetheart in every possible way when it came to other tokotas and riders, and she carried herself with a certain grace.
Ganso, well he had been the first mistake. While Kendrick had been aware of Ganso's playful nature he had thought the wolverine would not act up as much in a group, instead he had been even more playful.

At least Song's sweet tempered nature meant though she was not pleased with Ganso's antics, she was willing to put up with them. Zyndel had been decidedly ignoring the young pup, apparently he did not care if Ganso goosed the other tokotas and to be fair Ganso had not gotten near Zyndel, and Kendrick had the feeling if the wolverine tried anything Zyndel would not be willing to ignore him.

Maybe it was because Zyndel had taken the position of leadership early on, perhaps it was the fact that Kendrick was atop Zyndel's back, or maybe it was the fact that Daiyu was a willing participant in Ganso's playfulness.

She was goosing him in return for his, making whining, happy noises, crouching down on her front paws and jumping up at Ganso, inviting him to play, gently nipping at Ganso's fur and running away in a playful sprint, wagging her tail wildly.

Despite all their lagging behind, sprints and goosing the two youngsters were still keeping up with Kendrick and Zyndel. They also did not have any halters so besides spoken commands or if Zyndel asserted his authority there was not really any way to enforce them to stay close behind them.

It was really Song's eyes pleading with Kendrick whenever he glanced back at the three that he felt the most guilty, while she was sweet that did not mean she was down to play or that she was fond of pranks. It was time to intervene before Song's patience broke so with a sharp command Kendrick ordered Ganso and Daiyu to behave and for Song to come closer to Zyndel's side and he reached down to run his finger's through the female's dark gray rain-marked mane. “Its okay girl” he whispered.

Song looked gratefully up at Kendrick and for a while peace reigned once more. Kendrick had known that while he could have a map this time, that controlling three tokotas without the goal of a prey or other riders to help rein in their bad behavior was a challenge, but he had still tried to find the most convenient canyon for the task and supplies had been checked and double checked.

In the end he had picked an open but deep canyon that had many rivers crisscrossing its bed, and weeping willow trees that had started shedding their leaves for the upcoming winter. While he would not have chosen this canyon in the spring for fear of flooding it had been at least a week without rain and many weeks without heavy rain. He had also had no desire to repeat the experience of a rockfall which was why he had picked this more open canyon in comparison to a more dry, more rock filled valley.

The peace did not last long, as there were rabbits and other small creatures that bounded through the canyon floor, along with ducks and geese that would soon be heading south. Though the tokota's romping about had been a distraction from the surroundings, the weather was pleasant, there were a few darker clouds signaled rain, but Kendrick was not too worried. Not that he had much time to be worried, what with Ganso once again starting up his shenanigans.

He wished he could be at the The Late Autumn Festival with Robyn and Alex, or even with Elena and Jaime back at the barns. Somehow taking care of twenty or so tokotas seemed like it would be easier than keeping these three – two of which were very unruly and one who was a very patient tokota in line.

As Daiyu grew tired of Ganso's game, the black female panted and her playing became half hearted until she finally nipped at Ganso, not seriously, but enough that the wolverine picked up the message and knew to leave her alone for a while Kendrick knew it would not be long til Ganso turned his attention to Zyndel and he felt himself tense up in anticipation.

Ganso tried to invite Song to play once more but she kept ignoring him, as she had been doing, and instead went over to Daiyu inviting the young female into her protection, allowing the black tokota to catch her breath while Song glared at Ganso.

For a while even the two females had rejected his playful antics for now Ganso was amused with chasing his own tail, bounding after squirrels, rabbits or even his own shadow, all of which was just fine in Kendrick's opinion.

Then he saw the glimmer in Ganso's eyes, the way he looked at Zyndel and knew the prankster was planning his approach.

The attack came out of no where, Ganso having snuck up on both Zyndel and Kendrick and had managed to goose the creamy male tokota very quickly and was already dancing away, mischief in his eyes.

Zyndel whirled on his haunches, and even though Kendrick knew that Zyndel likely knew who the perpetrator was, he was willing to forgive one such trespass but the way his ears flattened and his posture suggested that if Ganso tried it a second time, woe be unto him.

For a while that bought peace once more, Song still protecting Daiyu who seemed content to play a gentler game of follow the leader with the gray rain-marked female and Ganso sulking at the rear, dragging his feet and looking for all the world like he had just gotten slapped on the nose with a giant newspaper.

They also crossed another creek, this one a bit wider then the one before, but no deeper and everyone once again willing waded through the muddy but gently flowing water that was part of the Eco-system giving this canyon so much life.

It was quite strange to be atop a tokota when it shook out the water in its fur, disorienting or dizzying were often words used to describe the experience. Kendrick imagined it was kind of like being in a tumble dryer, except without the heat and without actually going in a full circle around the tokota. Others described like a theme park ride, except there were none that shook you side to side in quite the way a tokota could with their lithe bodies. Oh, and the water tended to get all over your clothes, in your face, and even in your eyes and unlike a tokota you could not just shake the water off so you were often stuck with strange wet patches of clothing, possibly for hours, and a blur to your vision.

Around the creek there were trees, bushes, and animals everywhere, even though it was fall. Kendrick someday hoped he could travel through here in the spring before it became flooded and see it in full bloom, that would be a beautiful sight indeed.

As it was the canyon held its own for autumn, the orange, red, and yellow leaves that had dropped scattered the ground like drops of paint, some gently floating in the breeze, and others littering the water that got stuck in the tokota's fur.

Grass still carpeted the canyon floor, though it had turned a green-brown color long ago it blended nicely with the tan, brown, gray, beige and other colored rocks that made up the walls of the canyon which were covered in moss or ivy in some areas. Fir trees, some young, some ancient and too stubborn to have been washed away added a touch of life to the fall landscape.

It was as Kendrick was admiring the landscape that Ganso struck again, surprising him once more, and again the wolverine danced away, and bowed playfully to Zyndel, inviting him to play. But Zyndel had Kendrick to look out for, besides he was tired of this pup challenging his authority.

A growl came from Zyndel and Kendrick hung on tightly in preparation, knowing there was no way to stop Zyndel now. Ears back Zyndel raised himself to full height, glaring down at Ganso, his brown eyes piercing into Ganso's now ashamed gaze.

Zyndel lashed out, his teeth bared at Ganso who quivered, now crouched down in submission, but that was not enough for Zyndel and he bit the air over Ganso's head, another growl, louder then before and he lunged at the young tokota.

Whining for pity Ganso rolled over, showing Zyndel his belly, his paws up in the air, his eyes pleading for mercy. Carefully Zyndel put a paw over Ganso's throat for just long enough to show the gray wolverine he meant business and then let him up and let out an angry huff.

Ganso's ears flattened, his tail drooped and his head went down and he trudged to the back of the group while Zyndel watched, hie eyes showing his pride and pleasure at being obeyed. Zyndel's eyes turned to Song and Daiyu, looking for any signs of trouble from the two female tokotas and Song was quick to bow her head and wag her tail softly, while Daiyu, seeming to take Ganso's punishment a bit more personally crouched down and made a plaintive whine.

Kendrick saw Zyndel's chest swell, and rightly so and he gently caressed the tokota and whispered “Good boy”, watching the black tipped ears flick back toward him, ready to listen and he breathed a mental sigh of relief. It would not do for Zyndel to go wild with Kendrick atop him, and as simple as an ear flick was, it was enough.

After that there were no more disruptions from Ganso or Daiyu, though Song and Daiyu remained closer together with Ganso bringing up the rear. An order had been agreed on and reached, with Zyndel at the top, Song as the “alpha female”, Daiyu as the second ranking female and Ganso was the lowest ranked of the bunch. It was not a large pack, but the important thing was that now they all knew their places and looked up to Zyndel for leadership and that would make the challenge they would face before the end of their journey together a lot easier to conquer.

Late afternoon approached, Kendrick knew they had one more river to ford, the largest of the bunch before the canyon opened into a wide grassland that would mark the end of this little expedition. He could hear the water up ahead and he urged Zyndel into a trot, and the rest of the tokotas quickly followed behind.

It was only when he saw the swollen banks, heard the sound of the water as it roared past that he started to have some doubts. The group halted a few feet away from the waters edge. Foamy waves hit sharp looking rocks further downstream and while Kendrick did not hold out much hope he searched up and down the banks for an easier way to cross. It did not help matters any that the water was full of debris, making it hard to see how deep it was, though it was obvious the river had been experiencing some flooding and some remains of logs scattered onto the banks suggested that perhaps a beaver had been trying to dam the river somewhere up stream, and for a while succeeded but either some rain, or perhaps other cause had made the dam fail and they were left with this as a result.

“Looks like we will have to swim for it boy. Think we can make it?” he asked Zyndel quietly, his confidence shaken. While he was not afraid so much for himself or Zyndel he had no clue how Song, Daiyu or Ganso would take to the rapidly moving water and he was not eager to find out, not without some safety measures first.

He attached the bear rope to his pack, and tied it around each tokotas waist, though he made sure not to tie too tightly, and that if need be the tokota could reach back and snap the rope. They would cross in a group, with Zyndel as the strongest leading the way, facing up stream though they would actually be headed down stream. Rolling up his pants he shivered as the cold air chilled him, but better then to have them be soaking wet when this was all said and done. Tinder box, water proof matches, a flashlight and other supplies were placed in water tight bags to help protect them from the elements and he made sure his knife was readily available.

Once everyone was harnessed together he took a deep breath, as he kicked his heels against Zyndel's barrel and he sent a prayer to Aippaq or whatever gods might be listening right about now.

At first Zyndel was able to walk through the water, making it easier for him to shoulder through the current. Then the ground beneath his paws gave way to silt and water, Kendrick felt the jolt as the tokota transferred from walking to swimming. Steadily they headed for the shore, Kendrick keeping one eye on the prize and the other on Song, Daiyu and Ganso who so far, though wet and concentrating looked as if they were doing alright.

Stroke after stroke they inched their way closer to safety, Kendrick could feel his heart beating faster as the water soaked his pants despite his efforts to keep them dry, the waves hitting his belly now and the water started to soak through the backpack and his socks as it got into his boots. The water was cold and Kendrick watched worriedly for any sticks or other objects that could cause them unexpected trouble.

After what felt like an eternity there was another jolt as Zyndel found land and the tokota heaved himself up onto the banks, stumbling as he dragged himself out of the river, drenched, and covered with mud, leaves, and sticks. Zyndel made it to a dry area of land, Song, Daiyu and Ganso, still tied together followed him closely and all four tokotas panted.

Immediately Kendrick slipped off Zyndel's back, praising the tokotas for being so strong and working so well together. His fingers fumbled with tack as he got the wet leather saddle and the blanket off of Zyndel. Once he was standing aside Zyndel shook himself, flinging mud and river water everywhere and the others followed suit. Kendrick however did not have the advantage of being able to shake water off and he gathered up firewood from fallen branches and dry leaves, quickly starting a fire and peeling off his wet clothes to huddle by the fire. All four tokotas joined him, using the warmth to dry their fur further. Soon Zyndel had snuggled up next to Kendrick, keeping him nice and warm and Kendrick got food for everyone out of the plastic bag which they all eagerly wolfed down.

It was dusk by the time everyone felt as though they could probably move again without getting chilled. Kendrick knew though that Elena and Jaime would not be too worried if he did not make it back tonight, and while staying meant hungry tokotas in the morning he figured that was better then over exerting them. So making sure the supplies were nearby, with the tack and clothing set out to dry as best they could he settled down for the night.

With the warmth of the tokotas behind and around him, the fire burning for the night, Kendrick had barely closed his eyes before he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.