Barmah Brumbies

by Soraya Nicholas

  Poppy laughed. ‘That kiwi bird has a pretty long beak. I wouldn’t want to come across him at night!’

  Katie giggled and ran at her, hands tucked up under her armpits like wings as she pretended to peck. ‘Watch out! Big scary kiwi bird coming!’ she squawked.

  Poppy swatted her away, laughing so hard her cheeks hurt.

  ‘If you carry on like that, all the brumbies in the forest will gallop in the other direction,’ Milly moaned, taking the lead. ‘Come on, and stay quiet.’

  Poppy made a face. For once they’d traded places. It was usually them barking at Milly to keep her mouth shut.

  ‘Let’s go this way,’ Milly said, taking them away from the river. ‘I have a feeling about it.’

  Poppy wasn’t so sure, but then she wasn’t actually sure about anywhere they were heading. All she knew was that her heart was beating overtime at the thought of getting close to another mob of brumbies.

  She tied a piece of string around a branch, fingers fumbling as she worked the knot. Before they’d left she’d used a knife to cut it into pieces.

  ‘I wonder what the brumbies’ hooves are like with no one trimming them,’ Poppy said as she caught up to her friends. ‘I mean, we do so much for our horses, but these guys just do their own thing.’

  They walked slowly, trying to be quiet, but every footfall made a tiny noise that Poppy knew horses would easily hear and be alerted to.

  ‘I’ve read that they cover so much ground they naturally wear down and break off,’ Milly said. ‘But did you see those pictures in the news last summer? The ones of the dead brumbies?’

  Poppy shuddered. She remembered seeing the images of the horses with swollen bellies, dead after a bad drought. She pushed the thoughts away. ‘It’s always water they struggle to find during summer. Penny said the other day that it’s the biggest killer, but I guess it’s the same for all animals. Although the ones here would always have water because of the river.’

  They chatted and walked, keeping their voices low. The sun was warm on Poppy’s back and even though they hadn’t seen anything yet, she felt happy.

  ‘How many strings have you tied?’ Katie asked suddenly.

  Poppy stopped walking. She’d been so busy talking and looking around that she’d forgotten all about the string!

  Katie looked at her. ‘Poppy?’

  ‘Um, well . . .’ She spun around, wondering how far they’d walked.

  ‘You forgot, didn’t you?’ Katie asked as Poppy got out her drink bottle and took a sip.

  Poppy gulped. ‘Um, I just . . .’ She could see a clearing up ahead and prayed they’d be able to get their bearings there. She pushed her fingers through the straps of her backpack. ‘I got distracted looking around. I’m sorry.’

  ‘We’ll be fine,’ Milly said, holding up the map in her hand. ‘It can’t be that hard to find our way back out. We just need to find the river again and that will lead us back to camp.’

  Poppy hoped she was right. She fastened the top on her bottle and put it in her pack, then took out a bag of trail mix and offered some to her friends. Milly put her hand in straightaway and took a handful, but Katie shook her head, looking worried.

  ‘Look, we haven’t been walking that long, and it won’t be hard to retrace our steps,’ Poppy said. But when she glanced at her watch, she could see they’d been going for over an hour. And she couldn’t even remember the last time she tied a string.

  She looked up, scanning the trees for animals. She knew there would be koalas somewhere in the gum trees, no doubt snoozing during the day while it was so warm. And there might be kangaroos nearby too.

  The idea that they weren’t alone in the bush made her feel better, even if those animals knew the forest like the back of their little paws and she didn’t have a clue where they were.

  ‘Come on, let’s walk for a little longer and see if we see anything,’ Milly said, taking the lead again. ‘We have a map and we’re smart. We can still get back in time for our late afternoon ride. You guys seriously need to chill out. We’ll be fine!’

  They continued on, and Poppy distracted herself with thoughts about the brumbies they’d seen the day before, and then Storm, thinking how magnificent he would have looked standing amongst the mob, his dark ears pricked at the sight of humans.

  It wasn’t until another half an hour had passed and they were still walking through unfamiliar bush that Poppy started to get worried. She sneaked a peek at Katie, who was biting her bottom lip and peering around as she walked.

  Poppy opened her mouth to say something.

  ‘You girls lost?’

  ‘ARGH!’

  The sudden, deep voice made Poppy scream. She clamped a hand over her mouth and spun sideways and saw a tall man leaning against a tree, a drink bottle raised to his mouth.

  ‘Um . . .’ Poppy stuttered, grabbing hold of Katie’s arm and wondering if they should run back the way they’d come. Why had they ever decided to explore on their own? She’d thought about the animals they might encounter, but not other humans!

  ‘We’re fine,’ Katie said bravely, her voice sounding strong and sure.

  Poppy knew if she tried to speak, she’d be all croaky and scared sounding, but she cleared her throat anyway and stood up tall, her shoulders straight, trying to look brave.

  The man hadn’t moved, but he had finished sipping his drink and his smile seemed friendly.

  ‘I don’t often come across kids on their own out here, unless they’re trying to run away.’

  His voice was warm and easy, and Poppy wondered at what he’d said. Was he in the forest a lot?

  Milly’s planted her hands on her hips. ‘Who are you, and why are you here?’ she asked.

  Poppy would have laughed if she weren’t so scared. Trust Milly.

  ‘I should be the one asking who you are, but fair enough,’ the man said, stepping out into the clearing. His skin was dark and weathered, like he spent a lot of time outdoors, and she guessed he was close in age to Uncle Mark. He moved in an unhurried way and looked completely at home in the forest.

  ‘I’m Jack,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘I’m one of the park rangers here, but I’m not working today.’ He put his other hand in his pocket and pulled out an identification card that he passed to Poppy. It had his name, photo and the words ‘Park Ranger’ across the top.

  Relief flooded through Poppy. She stuck out her hand and shook Jack’s. ‘I’m Poppy,’ she said, ‘and this is Milly and Katie.’

  He nodded. ‘Nice to meet you all.’ He crossed his arms over his chest and considered them. ‘You don’t strike me as runaways, but I still have the feeling you’re lost. Am I right?’

  ‘Not exactly,’ Milly said quickly.

  ‘We are completely lost,’ Katie said. ‘We had this idea of going in search of brumbies and tying string to the trees so we could follow our path back and then . . .’

  ‘Katie!’ Milly hissed, holding up her map. ‘We’re not lost!’

  Jack raised an eyebrow and Poppy smiled. ‘Technically we’re not sure if we’re lost just yet, because we haven’t tried to find our way back.’

  His laugh was deep. ‘You’re in search of brumbies though? Is that one thing you can all agree on?’

  Poppy nodded and the other two mumbled their agreement.

  ‘Just so happens I’m in search of brumbies myself,’ he said. ‘Technically I’m not supposed to interfere with them, but it’s my day off and I want to keep an eye on a young colt who’s been injured. There’re a couple of youngsters who aren’t looking that great. I should take you girls straight back to the muster yards. But since you’re here you may as well come along with me. The horses are nearby.’

  Poppy looked at the others excitedly and they hurried after him as he moved quietly off.

  ‘How did you know we need to go back to the muster yards?’ Milly blurted at his back.

  He laughed. ‘Because you’re wearing riding boots and jodhpurs, and this is one of the
only times of year horse riders are allowed in here.’

  Milly’s cheeks flamed red. Poppy wondered if it would be rude to ask Jack more questions. She was dying to know how long he’d been a park ranger and what his work involved. Did he get up close with the brumbies and other animals? What an awesome job!

  ‘What are you going to do if you find them?’ Katie asked.

  ‘There’s a chance we might be mustering some of them out of here. It’s not something we’ve done before, but the local brumby association are keen to help, and I’m this close,’ he said, holding two fingers an inch apart, ‘to making it happen.’

  They walked with Jack and Poppy realised she was no longer afraid of him. He seemed nice and knowledgeable, and she trusted him.

  ‘What made you want to be a ranger?’ she asked.

  He put up his hand and they all stopped. Poppy wondered what he’d heard or seen.

  ‘My ancestors had a connection with this land,’ he said, his voice low and his gaze fixed on something in the distance. Poppy tried and failed to see what he was looking at. ‘My ancestory is Yorta Yorta on my father’s side. They are the Traditional Owners, and when my father passed away and this job came up a week later, I took it as a sign I was supposed to be here. I love working out in the open and this place is even more special with my connection to it.’

  Milly took a step forward and her shoulder brushed Poppy’s.

  ‘I don’t want this to sound insensitive, but what do our Aboriginal elders think about brumbies? Do they think they’re pests or . . .’ Her voice trailed off. ‘I hope that didn’t come out all wrong, it sounded better in my head.’

  ‘She’s asking because we’re hearing so much about people wanting to cull the brumbies here,’ Poppy said quickly.

  ‘And you seem to care for them and your people . . .’

  ‘They’re not native to this land, but they’re connected to it,’ Jack said, not looking at all offended by Milly’s question. ‘And don’t ever feel you can’t ask questions, okay? That’s not being insensitive. The more questions we all ask, the better we understand one another.’

  Poppy threw Milly a smile.

  ‘I like that, saying they’re connected to the land,’ Katie said shyly.

  ‘You know, some of my ancestors fought in Turkey during World War One,’ Jack told them. ‘Central desert brumbies were used there, and many Aboriginal communities feel very connected to our national horse because of that, and because of how long they’ve been roaming on our land. They’re special the way they’ve adapted to survive here, and we respect that.’

  Poppy opened her mouth to say something, but Jack raised a hand and she quickly shut it.

  ‘Shh,’ he whispered.

  Poppy glanced at Milly and then Katie, but she could see that they didn’t know what they were supposed to be looking at either. She peered back at the clump of trees about fifty metres away.

  And then he appeared.

  The stallion was almost black, the identical colour to Storm, only he didn’t have any white markings, and the tips of his mane and tail were bleached to a dark gold. He was a different stallion to the one they’d seen the day before, but just as magnificent. He held himself so tall, his muscled shoulder strong as he stamped his hoof once and then looked around, surveying the land and bush. He snorted, and she wondered if he’d sensed them.

  ‘I can’t believe it,’ Milly whispered. ‘We’ve actually found a mob!’

  Poppy was about to point out that actually Jack had found the mob, when he held up his hand again.

  ‘The mares are behind him. They’ll move out in a moment,’ he told them.

  Poppy stayed deathly still, her breathing shallow as she watched. The stallion dipped his head to graze, but she could see that he was still alert. He knew they were there and he wasn’t about to turn away from them, but he was showing them that he wasn’t afraid.

  ‘I thought the mares were in charge?’ Katie whispered. ‘But both times we’ve seen a mob, it’s been the stallion at the front.’

  ‘He’s the protector of his mob,’ Jack said. ‘He will fight off any danger and look after his family. But the lead mare is in charge of the mob. The mares are very important to the group, and their foals are given the same respect as their mothers. Alone they are nothing, but beside their mother they are protected.’

  They all watched in silence as the mob moved, grazing for some time and then walking a few steps before grazing again. Poppy was surprised how quiet they were. The entire mob was so peaceful, without any kicking or biting. She’d expected the stallion or colts to be aggressive. Maybe it was because they weren’t confined to a paddock and they could move freely with space between each other when they needed it.

  ‘They’re so beautiful,’ Poppy said to no one in particular. Tears filled her eyes as a mare came out into the clearing. A foal burst from the bush behind her, all long gangly legs and knocking knees. She watched as he drank from his mother’s teat, and the mare gazed down at him. It was incredible. They might end up in a world of trouble for being gone so long, thought Poppy, but seeing this had been worth any punishment.

  ‘I’ll never forget this,’ Katie whispered.

  ‘Me neither,’ Poppy said, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hands.

  Milly was silent, and Poppy glanced at her, surprised to see tears streaming down her cheeks.

  ‘Thanks for making us run away,’ Poppy whispered to her. ‘This is better than anything I’ve ever seen before in my life.’

  She had no idea how long they stood there, watching the horses. There were fifteen horses all up, including foals. Poppy couldn’t stop smiling. She knew that she’d never forget what it was like to see a group of horses in the wild.

  ‘Where is the injured one you were talking about?’ Katie asked.

  Jack looked worried and Poppy could tell he genuinely cared about the brumbies. He pointed further down to the right, past the mob.

  ‘Down there. They’re young colts and they’re staying away from the mob. I don’t know what’s happened to them. Maybe someone has hurt them, or maybe it’s nature taking its course, but either way I’d like to muster them out and see if we can help them. Especially the obviously injured one, because I think it could be the start of something great if we manage to save them, then maybe train and re-home them.’

  Poppy followed his pointing finger, and her eyes finally locked on the pair of colts. They were in a denser part of the trees, whereas the rest of the horses had been in a clearing. Was it unusual for them to be so far from the mob?

  She watched as they moved, making it easier for her to see, and even from the distance she noticed that they looked rangy – slightly underweight and with shaggy manes and chewed-off tails.

  ‘Why aren’t the rest of the mob looking after them?’ she asked. ‘I thought they all took care not to leave one another behind?’

  ‘I think they could be bachelors,’ Jack said. ‘The two of them have moved away from the mob, and they should be off on their own. But something’s happened to them, and because they’re not a threat, the stallion is tolerating them being nearby. I just can’t get close enough to see what’s wrong, but when they move some more, you’ll see one is lame. He’s having trouble with one hoof, I think.’

  They stood for a long time, watching and waiting, until Jack turned to them and frowned. ‘I’d better get you girls back,’ he said. ‘Come on.’

  Jack took a couple more photos on his phone then moved to lead them away. Poppy looked over her shoulder one last time to drink in the sight of the stallion. She hoped that the Barmah brumbies were allowed to stay in their forest home forever.

  ‘Hey, have you seen the time?’ Katie asked.

  Poppy glanced down at her watch and grimaced. They were definitely going to be in serious trouble. She’d told Uncle Mark they were heading off for a short stroll to the river, but they’d been gone the entire afternoon! How long had they been watching the horses for?

&nbs
p; ‘We’re dead,’ she hissed.

  ‘Who’s dead?’ Milly asked.

  ‘US!’ Poppy replied, walking faster to keep up with Jack. He moved quickly and confidently through the forest, even though every tree looked the same to Poppy.

  They walked and walked, and her legs started to ache. It hadn’t seemed so long on their way in, but she felt like they’d been walking forever now.

  ‘You know, I think Mrs D will understand when we tell her what we were doing,’ Milly said, sounding so sure of herself. ‘Trust me.’

  Poppy doubted it. They kept up their fast walk, and Poppy kept hoping that somehow no one had noticed their absence.

  Until she heard a call that made her heart stop beating.

  ‘Poppy! Milly! Katie!’

  The frantic yell sent a wave of guilt rushing through her. It was Aunt Sophie. And from the sounds of her hoarse voice, she’d been at it a while.

  ‘We’re here!’ Poppy yelled out. ‘We’re here!’

  ‘Poppy?’ Aunt Sophie called back.

  Poppy pushed past her friends and searched frantically for her aunt. She could still hear her calling and she sounded so near but . . .

  Jack touched Poppy’s arm and pointed to the right. ‘Over there.’

  Poppy saw her aunt’s figure through the trees. ‘Aunt Sophie!’ she called out, running straight at her aunt and throwing her arms around Sophie. ‘I’m so sorry. We should never have gone so far without telling you.’

  Sophie held her tight and Poppy could hear her heart beating loud against her ear.

  ‘Where have you girls been? Mark and I have been looking everywhere for you!’

  Poppy stepped back. She knew she had guilt written all over her face, and she couldn’t exactly lie and pretend like they’d just got lost.

  ‘Who is this?’ Aunt Sophie suddenly said, taking Poppy’s hand.

  ‘Oh, that’s Jack,’ she explained as the others appeared. ‘He’s a park ranger and he kind of helped us get back.’

  ‘Hi,’ Jack said, holding up a hand. ‘I take it these girls belong to you.’