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“Where?” Albie asked.
“On the flats, by the river,” he replied.
“We saw ’em from the top of the ridgeline when we were moving the cattle.”
Percy tried to keep his excitement in check but he was just about buzzing. He understood Des’s reluctance over safety concerns but he was the one to bring it up just now, so he’d clearly had a change of heart.
“Oh, we should go take a look,” Percy said. When Albie’s eyes met his, and when he didn’t say no immediately, Percy saw his glimmer of opportunity. “We could go take a look tomorrow! Maybe even take a swag and camp out overnight.”
Albie opened his mouth, clearly about to object, but Percy wasn’t about to give up so easily.
“It’s not that cold now,” he added quickly. “And it’ll be even less so when we’re off the mountain, down on the flats.”
“And what do we do with them?” Albie asked. “How do we corral them.”
“Drive them back up the mountain,” Percy said. He wasn’t exactly sure how that would work but?—
Albie shook his head. “Too risky.”
“Impossible,” Des added.
“Then we take them around,” Percy tried. “Take them around the mountain to the bullock pass road. It’s open now. Then directly into Alpine Falls, into the saleyards. We take the brood mares, yearlings, bring them back here. Sell the rest.”
“Controlling a mob of wild horses isn’t easy,” Albie said.
“You only have to control the stallion,” Percy said. “The mob will follow, right?”
Albie stared at him. “You’d have better luck controlling the weather.”
Percy grinned at him. “We can try.”
Albie scowled as he moved his dinner around with a fork, but Percy caught Robert smirking, and even Des found something funny. Albie looked up at them, seeing their reactions, then he shot Percy a hard glare before he sighed.
“If you get injured, I’ll hear no complaints about it,” he said flatly.
And Percy laughed, wiggling in his seat. “We’ll leave at first light tomorrow.” Albie wasn’t smiling though, so Percy added, “We might not even see them, so don’t worry just yet.”
But he was so sure they would, and he couldn’t wait.
* * *
They took enough supplies to last them a full two days, should they need it. A swag, some bread and cheese, and fruit and water. Percy didn’t particularly want to stay out overnight but part of him wanted to as well.
After all, camping out with Albie would be fun, right?
Even with Des and Robert. There would be no sleeping together, no romps by the campfire, but Percy didn’t even mind.
Although Albie had jokingly threatened Percy with another arse so sore he wouldn’t want to go searching for wild horses. But Percy had been all for it, so Albie’s fake threat had fallen flat. And instead, they’d spent the night in each other’s arms sleeping and doing nothing more.
Percy was all for that too.
At any rate, they were all saddling their horses before the sun had even cracked the horizon. Barely enough daylight to see properly, but Percy’s grin was unmistakable.
Elsie and Clara had made an early breakfast, so when Des and Robert went in to eat, Albie quickly grabbed Percy’s arm. “No foolishness today, please,” he whispered.
“I would never,” Percy said.
“I know,” he murmured. “I just... I know you’re excited, but if anything should happen to you... Percy, I’d never survive it. It was bad enough when you were ill from the knock to your head.”
