A challenge

[snowy_river_man]

The cattle station is quiet with everyone gone. Not as quiet as the mountains can be, but close.

Jim has grown used to the chorus of chickens and hogs, the occasional dog barking, unbroken by the sounds of hooves and gruff laughter. He has stopped looking over his shoulder and expectantly watching the horizon. Up in the hayloft, he makes as much noise as possible, choosing to delight in the solitude rather than continue sulking. Bale after bale of hay is tossed below, and Jim grins to himself, wiping the faint sheen of sweat above his lip with the back of a work glove.

It's a beautiful day. Not even the lone man left behind can find fault with it.

He climbs down the rickety ladder, jumping the last few feet to the dirt aisle between stalls. The colt gets his hay first, like the magnificent king he is. Jim finds it hard not to spoil such an animal, and smiles with pleasure as he enters the stall and offers the largest bale of the bunch.

"There," he croons softly, a fond look in his eyes. The colt takes a large bite and snorts, as if receiving his due.

Comments

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

Done with Mrs. Hume for the day, Jessica eagerly changes into her work clothes and immediately heads out to the stables. She doesn't mind the quiet of the under-manned ranch at all—it means that there's much more horse husbandry left for her. Of course, that also makes her mandated class time all the more infuriating. She's determined to find a way to get back at her father for this high-handed imposition.

On spotting Jim about his business, she wanders quietly up to the colt's stall. Some days have passed since his hurried exit from the music room, and their paths haven't crossed since. She wonders whether to quiz him about it, just to get an encore of his fluster. But she decides not to.

Instead she just watches the preferential feeding in progress for a few moments, noting the lad's unbridled affection for the colt. An idea begins to take shape, and she announces her presence.

"He's a pretty thing."

[snowy_river_man]

Jim isn't particularly surprised to hear footsteps or the sound of Jessica's voice. Eventually they were going to see each other, whether here or in the main house. Glad it's to be here, where they are at least on equal footing, Jim looks at her over his shoulder with both eyebrows raised.

"He's a handsome thing," says Jim. Mildly affronted on the colt's behalf, he feels it necessary to set the record straight. "And knows it."

His eyes, bright blue in his tanned face, study Jessica's features for longer than is strictly polite. He nods, turning back to the happily eating colt.

"There's not a mean bone in his body."

As if to prove a point, the colt pulls another mouthful of hay from Jim's arms and lightly butts the young man's shoulder.

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

Jessica is instantly gratified by his lingering gaze. So much so that she passes over the opportunity to quibble with him on semantics, and decides to stay on track with her forming plan.

She steps up onto the bottom rail of the stall gate and casually rests her forearms on the top one. Her expression remains neutral, showing nothing of the scheming mind at work behind it.

"Curly will find one," she notes indifferently.

[snowy_river_man]

After several days of not hearing it, the name is unexpected and unwelcome. Jim whips his head around, glancing at her with horrified disbelief and indignation. And maybe a little accusation.

Curly.

The man is a menace to humans, let alone animals.

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

Jessica seems unfazed by his reaction, almost as if she was expecting it. She knits her fingers together calmly and continues in the same flippant tone.

"He does all the breaking around here. Didn't you know?"

[snowy_river_man]

In fact, Jim had no idea. There's really no need to admit as much; his incredulous expression does the job nicely.

"Curly?!" he finally manages. Looking up at Jessica, expression unchanged, it's clear he thinks the lot of them have taken leave of their senses.

He shakes his head, saddened and repulsed by the idea of Curly getting his filthy, cruel hands on this magnificent horse.

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

Jessica couldn't have scripted his response any better.

"Yes," she confirms matter-of-factly. "He's quite good at it too."

Criss-crossed fingers lift, then come together in a flat steeple, reflecting the girl's artful thought processes and betraying her impassivity somewhat. She catches the tell, and schools it away by clasping her hands together.

"You've got to be firm with a young horse."

[snowy_river_man]

Good at crushing an animal's spirit, maybe.

"But not cruel," Jim snaps, barely waiting for her to finish. His face slowly heats to a dull red. "I've seen him with the stock, and his own horse. You work with a horse, not against him!"

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

His buttons have been successfully pushed. Jessica finds herself fighting a losing battle to keep the triumphant grin off her face, even as she sends over an owlish blink and tries to feign wide-eyed naïveté.

"Really...?"

Her poorly hidden glee tickles the edges of the question.

[snowy_river_man]

Jim fails to recognize that he's being handled. The hair on the back of his neck is practically standing up in his displeasure. He watches the play of emotions on Jessica's face without really seeing her, lost in memories, and smiles slightly.

"That's what my father taught me," is his earnest reply.

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

From her elevated perch, Jessica spares the colt a glance, then returns her downward gaze to Jim.

"This is not just a... mountain brumbie."

She's properly unmasked now—her smile bright and chipper. Amusement mingles with her smugness, exposing the teasing nature of her comment and undermining the sincerity of all her previous needling.

[snowy_river_man]

Why is it that lowlanders always assume life in the mountains is just anything?

Most wouldn't last a day up there. It seems both Harrisons could learn something from mountain brumbies.

Jim raises both eyebrows at her, then gives a soft, almost condescending laugh. "It's no different," he tells her, tone walking a fine line between exasperation and amusement.

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

Jessica's smile fades somewhat, and her tone becomes more serious.

"Are you saying you could break this horse?"

It's a challenge more than a query.

[snowy_river_man]

"Yes," he replies hastily. It's out before he has time to think about his answer or the consequences.

Warily, Jim regards the determined look in her eyes. He straightens under her scrutiny, brimming with youthful pride and only just beginning to consider what sort of game Jessica might be playing.

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

Her mouth twists into an affectionate smirk. She has no doubt that he's up to the task, but she finds herself charmed by his unfettered dignity. He's not boastful or arrogant about it—just self-confident. And that's rather endearing.

"Well...?" she says, eyebrows lifting expectantly, effectively sealing the dare.

"Why don't you then?"

[snowy_river_man]

Jim is having a hard time believing she's serious.

"What about your father?" he asks slowly, eyes narrowing with suspicion. The challenge doesn't concern him; the rising stakes do.

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

"Him?"

Jessica rolls her eyes at Jim's concern.

"He'll be away for quite some time yet," she informs him, nonchalantly shrugging one shoulder. "If the job's done before he gets back, what can he say?"

[snowy_river_man]

A voice in the back of Jim's mind reminds him that Harrison could say plenty, but it's quickly buried by his desire to prove himself a man. Maybe this is his test. He can do this, he knows, and gentling the last colt from Old Regret is an achievement no one could ignore.

He'll make sure no one on this cattle station belittles the mountains or the men who live there. And maybe, in the process, he'll earn the right to return.

Jim remains silent while the colt finishes his hay and dunks his head in his water bucket. Wiping his hands on his trouser leg, Jim turns to Jessica.

"I pity the man foolish enough to underestimate you, Jessica Harrison," he says, bemused but too firmly entrenched in the idea to back out now

It's both an answer and a backhanded compliment.

[knot-helpless.livejournal.com]

Jessica acknowledges his comment with a sly smile.

"I suspect that I will soon be saying the same about you, Jim Craig."

Eyes narrowing guilefully, she tents her fingers again and rests her chin on them. Now it's up to Jim. She has faith in him. She can almost see her father's reaction already, stunned and choking in disbelief. And to rub salt in the wound, she fully intends to play truant when she is able, so she can observe Jim in action and help where necessary.

The whole experience should be very gratifying...