Barmah Brumbies

by Soraya Nicholas

  ‘Poppy?’ Penny asked.

  ‘Hey!’ Milly complained, as Joe bumped into them.

  ‘They’re there,’ Poppy croaked. ‘The brumbies are ahead.’

  Penny held up her hand high and the chatter behind her, the rise and fall of hooves, stopped suddenly.

  Poppy gulped as she watched the brumbies move properly into view and then stop, heads raised, no doubt smelling that they had company.

  Poppy squinted in the rising sun, leaning forward slightly to get a better look. Crystal edged forward and suddenly she was looking right at a beautiful chestnut, his head held defiantly high as he studied them. There was some distance between them, but it didn’t take away from how special the moment was.

  ‘That’s the lead stallion. You see how he’s a little apart from the others?’ Penny said in a low voice.

  Poppy nodded. She had read so much about the mobs and how they worked, and she was bursting with excitement to see the stallion staring them down like that, ready to protect his mares and young against any threat.

  The mob soon moved off, and Poppy counted nine of them. Just a small group, but still so special. Her heart was leaping when she saw a young foal skip alongside his mother, and she could hardly breathe as she watched the stallion survey them one last time before following his mob. In total silence they melted away into the forest.

  ‘That was incredible,’ Poppy sighed.

  ‘We were very lucky to see a mob so early in the day,’ Penny said. She urged her horse forward and Crystal fell into step beside her. Penny continued sharing information about the forest with them, but Poppy hardly heard a word. Her head was filled with the chestnut stallion and his beautiful mares. There had been bays and dark browns amongst the group, and she turned to look back at Storm. Aunt Sophie raised her hand in a wave and Poppy smiled. She studied the white blaze on Storm’s face and his strong jaw, and wondered if they could have been related to him. Could that stallion have been his sire? Could any of those mares have been his dam?

  She wished she’d been riding him so she could have felt the change in his body when they’d seen the mob of brumbies. Had he tensed up, his muscles bunched and ready to gallop off after them? Had he held himself rigid, like he knew where he was and what he was seeing?

  A ripple of excitement made her shiver and she stared ahead, scanning the forest for any more signs of movement. Others were desperate to see kangaroos and koalas, but all she wanted was to spot brumbies, and the week had got off to a pretty good start so far.

  ‘Hey, look at that!’ Katie whispered, swatting at Poppy’s hand and making her drop the cookie she was eating.

  Poppy stared silently at the bushy-tailed fox that trotted between trees in the distance. Dusk was sweeping across the sky and Poppy’s eyelids were starting to feel heavy as they sat together away from the yards, but seeing the fox made her wake up fast. She loved all animals, and seeing them in the wild was incredible. Their ride had been amazing and she’d seen so many birds and other animals, but to see a fox up close was even more special.

  ‘I thought they were terrified of humans?’ Milly asked as it disappeared.

  Poppy picked up her cookie and dusted it off. ‘Me too. But he’s not exactly coming close, and he’s probably hungry.’

  ‘What are you three whispering about?’ Uncle Mark appeared behind them, holding out a plate of fruit.

  ‘There was a fox, just over there,’ Katie said, pointing. ‘He was so beautiful.’

  Poppy imagined what it would be like to run her fingers through the thick red fur of a fox. When she was younger she’d always dreamed of having a fox as a pet.

  ‘Have you ever rescued one?’ Milly asked. ‘Or, like, done your vet thing on one of them?’

  Uncle Mark laughed. ‘Yes, Milly, I’ve done my vet thing with a fox before. You make it sound so unofficial.’

  Poppy stifled a giggle, not wanting to make Milly feel silly.

  ‘Well, you know, I meant, like . . .’

  Uncle Mark shook his head and ruffled Milly’s hair teasingly. ‘I knew what you meant. And actually, working on a fox isn’t my favourite kind of job.’

  ‘Why?’ Poppy asked, reaching for some mango and straining to catch another glimpse of the fox.

  ‘Well, they stink to start with,’ Mark said, wrinkling his nose. ‘There’s this smell about them – it’s hard to describe, but it’s very strong. And they’re extremely timid. I had a client who rescued some young pups once and secretly kept them, and I was always happy to help him when he needed it. But there are more fox haters than lovers around.’

  Poppy groaned. ‘It’s like the brumby all over again! Why can’t people just leave animals to be animals? Why do they want to kill them?’

  Her uncle’s arm looped around her and she leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder. ‘I know how frustrating it can all be, Poppy. Trust me, I do.’

  ‘Sometimes I feel like we’re the only ones in the world who even care,’ she muttered, sighing.

  ‘Look,’ Katie said. ‘Look!’ she hissed.

  Poppy blinked and stared at the spot where the fox had been. She could see something that looked like small brown smudges in the dying light. Surely they weren’t . . . Pups. She looked back at Uncle Mark.

  ‘Sometimes the universe gives you something to smile about,’ he said, placing a hand on her shoulder for a moment before leaving them.

  ‘I can’t believe it,’ Milly whispered, leaning in to her as the little animals wriggled and played. ‘I’ve never seen fox pups before. Aren’t they gorgeous?’

  Poppy nodded and traded smiles with her friends as they watched the pups leaping and wrestling while their mother tried to usher them away. Something about seeing the mother fox made her think about her own mum.

  Even though she was having fun, she still missed her, and it reminded Poppy of something Katie had said, about how her mum might be lonely without her around. Maybe it was kind of nice for her mum to have someone to hang out with. Poppy just wished it was a friend and not a boyfriend.

  ‘I hope we see more brumbies tomorrow,’ Katie said.

  ‘Me too,’ Poppy agreed, yawning. Her body was aching from hours in the saddle, and probably from the rough sleep she’d had the night before. The ground wasn’t exactly comfortable, even on her little roll-up mattress.

  They sat silently, munching on fruit and staring into the gathering darkness for any other signs of wildlife.

  Just as Poppy was about to suggest they head to bed, she heard a nicker and then a loud whinny. She glanced over to where the horses were, but it was too dark now to see them.

  ‘What is it?’ Katie asked as Poppy leapt up.

  ‘I was just . . . I don’t know . . . I thought that sounded like Storm.’

  Milly reached out and Poppy helped haul her to her feet.

  ‘Want to take a look?’ Milly asked.

  There was another loud whinny. This time Poppy was certain it was Storm’s call. ‘We need to check on them before bed anyway, right?’

  Katie leapt up and they made their way over to their tent to get torches. There was plenty of light around the camp – the muster yards were full of lamps and there were lights strung up across the fences, casting spooky shadows.

  ‘We’re just going to check on the horses,’ Poppy called over to her aunt and uncle.

  They were busy chatting to another couple and she received a wave of her hand and smile in response from Aunt Sophie.

  The horses were quiet; the only noise the soft rustling and chewing of hay as Poppy led the way down to where their ponies were being kept. She shone the torch ahead and looked for Storm’s familiar face.

  ‘Eeek, sorry, Joe!’ she apologised, swiftly dipping the torch when she shone it right in his eyes. She pointed it up a little and saw Crystal, then Storm.

  ‘He looks fine,’ Milly said. ‘What were you worried about?’

  Poppy bit her bottom lip and sucked it in, watching him. Storm was standing with his
head held high, ears pricked.

  ‘Something’s not right,’ she said, passing Milly the torch and watching as he pawed the ground. ‘Can you keep it on me, so I can see?’

  ‘He’s very alert,’ Katie said. ‘Do you think he can hear something we can’t?’

  ‘Wouldn’t the others all hear it if he could?’ Milly replied.

  Poppy walked over to Storm and stroked his cheek. Then she moved closer and slid her arm under and around his neck, leaning into him, breathing in his sweet horsey scent and staring into the dark with him.

  ‘I think he knows where he is,’ she told her friends. ‘I think that maybe he’s remembering, or that this place seems weirdly familiar to him or something. Maybe he can hear a horse he recognises?’

  Her friends didn’t say anything and Poppy’s cheeks warmed as she realised how stupid she probably sounded. ‘That was silly, I just . .’

  ‘It’s not silly,’ Katie said right behind her, making her jump.

  ‘You don’t think so?’

  ‘Horses have amazing senses, so he probably knows where he is. Maybe he’s calling out to his old mob?’ Milly’s voice was low, but Poppy could tell she was excited. ‘Maybe there’s a mob of brumbies right there somewhere, watching us now, but we can’t see them?’

  Poppy pressed her cheek to Storm’s and imagined the stallion or maybe a lead mare standing in the dark, completely hidden by the blanket of nightfall. Maybe one of them did recognise Storm’s call? They knew very little about how long he’d been out of the forest or what had truly happened to him, so there was a good chance the mob he’d grown up with was still here, since the brumbies weren’t allowed to be mustered out.

  ‘What do you see?’ Poppy asked him. ‘Is your family out there?’

  Silence stretched between them, and Storm shifted his weight, nickered and then dipped his head to his hay. Poppy noticed that his ears were still flicked forward though, his attention not solely on his food.

  ‘I think we should investigate,’ Milly said from the other side of the fence.

  Poppy gave Storm a final pat then she and Katie ducked low beneath the temporary fencing to join Milly.

  ‘You mean go see if there’s a mob of brumbies secretly watching us in the dark?’ Katie asked. ‘No thanks.’

  Poppy looked around, suddenly noticing just how dark it was. The low hum of noise and the flicker of lights from the muster yards wasn’t far away, but she suddenly hated the thought that something could be watching them. It spooked her big time. She shivered and wrapped her arms tight around herself.

  ‘Why are you guys suddenly so spooked?’ Milly asked.

  ‘I’m not scared,’ Katie said defiantly. ‘But there’s being adventurous and then there’s being stupid.’

  Milly huffed and Poppy giggled, grabbing hold of her and yanking her in for a hug. ‘Hey, don’t go getting all grumpy on us! I just don’t want to walk off into the dark and get in trouble so that I miss out on more riding.’

  ‘Tomorrow then?’ Milly asked. ‘Why don’t we explore a bit? We’re not riding until the afternoon, so we could go take a look around?’

  ‘But the rules are that we can only go on scheduled group rides,’ Katie said. ‘Otherwise the organisers get in big trouble and they might not be allowed to do another event here.’

  Milly looked between Poppy and Katie, her grin wicked in the torchlight. ‘Who said anything about exploring on horseback?’

  Poppy’s eyes widened as she digested Milly’s words. ‘I suppose you’re right. They did only tell us not to ride on our own.’

  ‘Poppy, are you seriously taking her side?’ Katie questioned, her mouth hanging open. ‘We could get in big trouble for this!’

  Poppy glanced back into the darkness and wondered again about Storm’s relatives. She was desperate to see more of the Barmah brumbies, and even though she didn’t want to get in trouble, she really wanted to explore.

  ‘Just for an hour,’ she said. ‘If we’re not long, then no one will even realise we’re missing.’

  ‘So you’re in?’ Milly whispered.

  ‘Katie?’ Poppy asked.

  They were all silent for a beat until Katie banged her shoulder in Poppy’s and groaned. ‘Okay, yes, I’m in.’

  ‘Me too,’ Poppy whispered.

  Milly let out a whoop and Poppy slammed her hand over her friend’s mouth to hush her. Her skin broke out in goosebumps and excitement bubbled through her. Tomorrow they were going to search for brumbies.

  ‘Are you absolutely certain we should do this?’ Poppy asked, chewing on her bottom lip as they fed the horses hay and lugged water over to them.

  Milly stuck her hands on her hips and gave her a long, cool stare. Even if she hadn’t actually said anything, Poppy totally got the message. Loud and clear.

  ‘You’re not backing out now. Come on! Where’s your sense of adventure?’

  Poppy hesitated before saying what was on her mind. ‘Look, I don’t want to get into a crazy amount of trouble. I think we should just tell someone that we’re going for a walk.’

  Milly groaned loudly, but Katie was quick to agree with Poppy. ‘Let’s tell Mrs D we’re going for a walk down to the river. She’ll be fine with that, and no one said we’re not allowed to go for walks, did they?’

  To Poppy’s surprise, Milly shrugged and blew out a big breath. ‘I know when I’m outnumbered. But you’re probably right – we shouldn’t walk off without telling someone. I say we tell Mr D though. He’s not as strict.’

  ‘One other thing,’ Katie said.

  ‘What?’ Poppy asked, setting down the bucket she was carrying and used the hair tie around her wrist to secure her hair back. She was sick of it falling around her face, and the back of her neck was getting hot and sticky.

  ‘I think we should use markers if we leave the main track. You know, so we don’t end up lost in the forest,’ Katie said. ‘Maybe we could use a red marker on the tree trunks that we turn past, or we could sprinkle something?’

  Poppy wasn’t so sure. ‘I don’t think we can mark the forest. We’d have to do something that wasn’t permanent.’

  Poppy picked up her bucket and went to do one final scoop of water for the troughs. What could they use?

  ‘Wasn’t there a ball of string in the tack box?’ Katie suddenly said. ‘I remember seeing it in there and wondering what it was for.’

  Poppy nodded. ‘Genius! I’ll get it. We can tie bits of string around branches to find our way back.’

  ‘Now you’ve got the markers figured out, do you want to talk to Mr D or shall I?’ Milly asked. ‘I think we should ask if we can go straight after lunch. The adults will be so busy sitting around drinking coffee and chatting, they won’t notice if we’re gone for a bit. And we’ll just make sure we’re back for the afternoon ride.’ She flicked water at Poppy.

  Poppy dodged the spray but water sloshed out of her bucket, wetting her leg and trickling into her boot.

  ‘Milly!’ she yelled grumpily, trying to run after her friend without losing any more of her water.

  But Milly was long gone, laughing and tipping water into the makeshift troughs before sprinting back in towards their tent. Poppy guessed that meant asking Uncle Mark was definitely up to her.

  ‘Want me to help you get her?’ Katie asked, falling into step beside Poppy as they walked back.

  ‘One day I’m gonna get her back so bad,’ Poppy muttered. ‘Like dead-frog-in-her-sock or something-gross-in-her-bed kind of bad.’

  Katie giggled and linked her arm through Poppy’s. ‘Yeah, but if we did that to her, imagine what she’d think up next?’

  Poppy knew they weren’t doing anything wrong. Yet. But as they walked slowly away from the campsite for a stroll to the river, she couldn’t help glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone was watching them.

  ‘You look guilty,’ Milly said. ‘Just keep walking and stop looking back.’

  ‘Do you really think we’ll be able to find them on foot?’ Poppy
asked, trying to take Milly’s advice.

  ‘Maybe,’ Katie said. ‘Even if there are only a hundred of them in the forest, we’ve already seen a handful. There must be small mobs everywhere.’

  She was probably right. ‘Want to go to the river and walk a bit along there?’ Poppy asked. ‘We probably should have got a map or something.’ They may as well have been blindfolded, she realised, as they had no idea where to go or what they might find on the way!

  ‘A map like this?’ Katie asked, whipping something out from her back pocket, waggling her eyebrows and making them laugh. ‘Ta da! I got it from one of the camp guides. They had a stack of them with all the first-aid kits and things.’

  Poppy snatched it from her and took a look, pleased that they at least had something to go by. She adjusted the strap of her backpack and looked ahead to the river. It really was beautiful. She’d read that it was over one hundred kilometres long. She remembered the sign she passed every time she drove from Melbourne to Geelong to visit Starlight Stables; that was only eighty kilometres and it took almost an hour to drive that far. Imagine walking the entire length of the river!

  ‘Is that an emu?’ Katie asked, pointing at something rustling in the bush.

  Poppy froze for a moment, hoping that Katie wasn’t right.

  ‘They’re so freaky with their glassy eyes and long necks!’ she exclaimed when it stood up and wandered off.

  She saw another one and shuddered, hoping it didn’t chase them. She loved almost all animals, but big birds like that weren’t her favourites. They were scary and the last thing she wanted was one of them chasing after them!

  ‘Let’s go over this way,’ she said. ‘I don’t think we should go near them.’

  ‘Don’t you think it’s crazy how many wild animals we have in Australia?’ Milly asked, following Poppy as she detoured them away from the emus. ‘Like, we have to be careful about snakes and stuff, even crocodiles in the rivers up north, but my mum told me that New Zealand doesn’t have any scary native animals.’