Early Morning

[Heidi]

Niamh's face burned with embarrassment. She knew to check the hooves, she'd been around horses all her life...but she had still missed it. The Pavee made no move to make a remark, but only nodded, as if she hadn't known to check the hoof in the first place.

”You wait here with your horse, I’ll ride into town and get someone.”

The girl vigourously nodded, her eyes shining brightly. "T'anks, Misther!" yipped she, smiling at the man. "I'mma really 'preciathin' ith!"

As the man rode off into the distance, the girl sat down beside her horse, stroking his neck gently and speaking soothing words in The Cant to him. The sound of tongue was like music to his ears, and he nickered good-naturedly, pushing against his mistress's stomach with his muzzle. Niamh smiled, and she gave him a little kiss on the nose.

"Don't worry, Horse-Brother," said she, like a mother would to a child. "Help's on the way."

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The sound of hooves against pavement caught Niamh's attention, and she looked up. Her face bright as she saw a man in a horse-drawn cart along with Stephen, Niamh gently placed her horse's head down on the ground, then stood up and ran to the pair.

"T'ank God! I t'ought he was done fer, t'ank you sooooo much, Misther - "

She was cut off by the look the newcomer was giving her. Face falling, Niamh began to say, "Whath? Whath's wrong?" but stopped as something dawned on her.

Oh...$&#@...

"Steve," the vet began calmly, nearly glaring down at the girl, "do you realize this is a Gypsy?"

"I'M NOTH A GYPSY!" the girl roared at the vet, causing his horse to shy back a little. "I'M A PAVEE!!"

"Hold your tongue, young lady!" the man snapped, beginning to get off the cart. "I know your kind; you're the reason why everybody's so nervous around here about their children and livestock. You stupid Gypsies, always stealing things because you're too lazy to work..."

"I've never stholen in my life!" cried Niamh indignantly, fists clenching. "And t'at horse is mine! And I do work!!"

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OOC - Sorry...forgot to log out of this account. >.<

[Stephen Colly]

Stephen rounded the corner with the vet, he was sure now that the man could help the horse and then he would have to face his father’s belt for not getting on with the work.
He glanced over at the vet whose face was falling and he started to glare at the girl, the girl was a gypsy! His parents didn’t like gypsies, that was why his mother had looked at her oddly.

”What’s the difference?” Stephen asked as the girl roared in anger at the vet saying she was a Pavee, ”Have you been helping the war effort?” Stephen asked, climbing down from Zoey, ”If this man is true about you being a gypsy, then have you not realized there is a war going on? So, are you telling me sir,” Stephen turned to the vet, ”That you won’t help her horse, forget the girl, just look at the horse sir, I care more about the horse, I’ve seen too many deaths with horses over the last year, please.”

At the back of his mind however, he was thinking what his father would be like, the vet and his father were close friends and if this vet went to tell his father, he would get a very large beating...

[Niamh Dunlevy]

"T'e difference?! T'E DIFFERENCE?!!" the young woman screeched, whirling around and storming towards Stephen. "Pavees ain't Gypsies! And DON'TH call 'em t'at, eit'er! T'ery're ROMA!! I shoul' know, I've meth 'em b'fore!"

"Don't listen to her, Steve," said the vet, who was now carefully examining Drummer's injuries. "They're uneducated. This girl probably didn't even finish school. Watch your wallet, too; it's in their nature to steal."

"It ain'th!" the girl cried, stomping her foot. "An' I beth you didna finish, eit'er! HYPOCRITHE!!"

"Oh, watch your mouth, Missy," the vet snapped, turning his head to look at the girl. "I think you remember what happened last time we fought like this, hm? Should I get the constable again?"

Niamh went to yell another insult, but then clamped her mouth shut, and shook her head no. She remained silent for a few minutes, but then turned to look at Stephen, a glare in her eyes.

"An' I do help, t'ank you very much. I work wit' horses an' fix sthuff. I was on my way tho London tho look ath a few horses who needed t'eir hooves thrimmed."

"Once again, she's lying! She probably drove this poor animal into wounding itself!" the vet called from where he was working. Giving him a glare even more heated then before, Niamh raised her hand up and reversed it, then held two fingers up for a second, her hand falling back to her side soon afterwards.

[Stephen Colly]

”Well what are Pavees? I’ve never heard of them.” Stephen said, standing his ground as she came storming over to him, feeling rather threatened and upset that she shouted at him, he heard the vet speak to him and he glanced over to listen.

”No offense, but I think Mr Timmins here did finish school.” Stephen muttered, putting his hands into the pockets of his trousers. Stephen glanced over at the girl as she raised her fingers in a rude sign at Mr Timmins, ”Don’t do that to the person who is looking after your horse.” Stephen said loudly to the girl, ”And have you seen the shape horses at like in France? There’s talk of not using the horses much any more, most of them go off and don’t come back…” he trailed off, remembering Joey, his horse Joey would never come back…

”You should have your rifle with you Steve, kill this little missy.” Mr Timmins said as he now started to take out medical things from his bag, ”I don’t kill innocent people sir, I only kill Germans, I wouldn’t even kill her.” he threw a look at the girl, shaking his head and walking over to Zoey, ”I don’t even kill horses, do I eh?” he said, no speaking to Zoey who was eating the grass on the road side, ”Good girl.” he muttered to the mare, stroking her muzzle. ”One day I’ll find Joey.”

Mr Timmins glanced over at Stephen, ”You do realize Steve, that there are millions of horses out in France.” he said, Stephen looked over at Mr Timmins and then at the girl, saying nothing, turning back to Zoey.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

The young man just went back over to his horse after saying something about finding his own. This perked the Pavee's interest; she knew of many people who were selling off horses, and all over Britain, too. Some of them were too poor to keep their steeds any longer, and wanted to make a pretty penny to feed themselvees with; some just wanted an excuse to get rid of the stock they didn't like. Reasons varied, but Niamh was well-acquainted with the horse market, and she wondered if she had heard the name "Joey" dropped before. It was a common name for a horse...

After a few minutes of silence, the Pavee went over to Stephen. Tapping him on the shoulder, she said quietly, "Look, I'm sorry. I'm justh...justh noth a Gypsy, okay? And don'th call people t'at...it's mean."

The girl paused for a moment, biting her lower lip, and then sighed tiredly.

"'Pavee' is whath you counthry folk would call a 'thinker' or a 'knacker'. Were justh a bunch o' people who don'th live in houses all t'e thime, and a loth of us work wit' horses and thin. Goth t'at? An'...an' 'bouth yer horse...m'Fat'er works wit' 'em. I'lla see if he's heard of a horse called 'Joey'. Can ya thell me whath 'e looks like?"

[Stephen Colly]

The three lapsed into silence, Stephen was just stroking Zoey’s nose, thinking and humming to himself, it was an awkward position that he was in, he hadn’t meant to be rude to the girl and he thought that she would hit him or something as he heard her walk over, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around to look at her, listening.

”Yeah, alright, sorry I didn’t mean to be rude to you.” he muttered, taking his hand away from Zoey who had been standing with her eyes closed, enjoying the attention that she rarely got when Stephen was away.
”Oh right.” Stephen still didn’t get what she meant by the term Pavee but he wouldn’t press the subject as the girl found it touchy.

”My horse? Most likely not, father sold him to the war at the beginning, was taken straight to France with the first lot that went over there, he is probably dead or lying in a pit right at this minute.” Stephen bit his lip, trailing off, his eyes filling with tears.

”Steve? You alright?” Mr Timmins stood up, walking over to the two, ”She’s upsetting you now, isn’t she?” he said, glaring at the girl, Stephen shook his head, he glanced up at the sky…it had risen quite a lot by now.
”Bloody hell, I need to get going, father’s going to kill me.”

Mr Timmins nodded, ”Saw your pa in the pub this morning, drinking himself silly he was.” Stephen nodded as he took hold of Zoey’s reins.

[Niamh Dunlevy]

Niamh had a sudden feeling that she had overstayed her welcome. She said nothing as the vet glared at her, save a simple, "T'ank you," that he...that he rightly deserved. Drummer wasn't paying attention to anything; he had fallen under the curse of the equine version of being "morphed to the gills". He batted his eyes sleepily, temporarily relieved of the pain that had been plaguing him.

"I'll call for someone to come and pick you up, missy," Mr. Timmins said curtly, "and then, I expect you to be gone before the day's out. We have no time for Gypsies here; remove yourself from this area before someone else makes you. Be thankful I'm not as dodgy as some of the other blokes around here - they'd beat you and your horse to death in minutes."

Niamh paled, nodding vigourously. "Y-yessir," the Pavee mumbled, looking down at her feet. The vet merely raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more to her. Instead, he turned to Stephen, getting back on his cart.

"Steve, I'll keep your father busy as long as I can. Get back to those fields, though - you'll be a mighty sorry lad if he gets his hands on you. And no more making Gypsy business your own, all right?"

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OOC - We can close this any time, Kitty.

[Stephen Colly]

"Steve, I'll keep your father busy as long as I can. Get back to those fields, though - you'll be a mighty sorry lad if he gets his hands on you. And no more making Gypsy business your own, all right?"

Mr Timmins had turned to Stephen who was mounting Zoey, he looked at the vet who had climbed back into his cart. ”Thank you sir, I know what father can be like, don’t say anything about what happened here please sir.” he felt like a little boy who had done something terribly wrong not like a soldier, he felt suddenly so stupid.

”I’ll see you around sir.” Stephen shouted at Mr Timmins as the man went back to the town to go and get transport for the horse, Stephen then turned back to the girl, ”Sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” he said to her, holding Zoey’s reins tightly as she started pawing the ground, wanting to go after the cart.

OOC - Want to close it soon?

[Niamh Dunlevy]

OOC - Makes sense. I'll post, and I think that should do it.

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"Niamh. T'at's m'name."

The Pavee smiled at the man as he mounted his horse, but said nothing else. Instead, she went over to where her drugged horse was now sleeping, and crouched down on the ground. With all the gentleness of a mother, she patted him on the muzzle, smiling a bit.

"Hoo scared mweelsha, sharpog."

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Translations (there aren't many resources on the Cant, so don't take my word for it):

You scared me, boy.

[PuNk! ™]

Moderation Post:

Hmm, some well written posts and short ones.
Although, it's nice to see this thread went on for two pages, most die towards the end of the first page.

Stephen Colly: 10CP

Niamh Dunlevy: 10CP

CP will be issued in a moment...
~Danny