Ah cripe you idiot! Luke thought face pawing.

"Whoah there! Easy now! Easy! Settle down man! Settle down!" Luke said to the horse, putting his paws behind his back and taking a few steps backward.

Zanna watched the commotion ensue in silence. Mainly because she wasn't sure what to make of a cougar suddenly appearing in front of them. She waved a polite hello to the newcomer, contemplating if she would see more in the wild, and wondering why one was so close to civilization.

"Woah! It's another animal that's bigger than me!"Tesla said in greeting,"What's up?"

"Trying not to startle a horse, of course, heh," he said with a slight chuckle. He then returned Zanna's wave but said nothing, not wanting to pressure her.

Moonbeam prances back and forth, agitated and nervous. Keeping the balloon and the other pets in and around it between him and his corgi rider, and the freshly appearing big cat.. just what is a big cat doing in town? Fighting against every urge to go bolting away..
W-Whats a c-c-cougar.. doing here? Have you escaped from a Zoo?
Don't eat me, I'll take you to where the cows are!!

"Honestly fella, calm down. I'm not going to hurt you. And I'm not going to hurt any of the cows. I had breakfast already," Luke said as calm as he could, taking a step back, "All I saw was 'pets letting horse loose and they're gonna get in trouble'. I didn't mean to startle you like this. As for what I'm doing here, here. I just got off work from a farm 2 houses down. So please calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. Did you not see my collar?"

Moonbeam shakes his mane.
No i didn't see a collar.. Just saw a large wilds predator come running up!
Moonbeam looks around for a minute..
You saw some pets setting a horse loose? that there going get in trouble for?? where are they doing this at???

Doc studied the map for a second, trying to somewhat memorize it and the street names. He looked up and chuckled a little when Zanna was distracted by a nearby butterfly then before he knew it Tesla was riding MoonBeam and a cougar was running up to them. Doc tensed a little even after noticing the cougars collar but still they were both predators and back a while back when Doc was still with is pack, cougars were one of the predators to compete with but as with a few other feral traits Doc had put aside any predatorial differences even if he didn't feel good about it. Doc stood there looking at the map and glancing up at the cougar every so often.

The husky resumed her chase after the fluttering insect until it flew through the gaps in the fence. She clambered up the barrier ending her chase at the top when the butterfly changed its flight course from forwards to up. Seeing as there was no way to proceed in an upward direction at the moment, she abandoned her pursuit with an exasperated huff. She jumped back down and walked back over to Doc. "It's right at the edge of the city. Next to some farmland." Zanna quipped.

Look just stared blankly at the horse.

Your kidding me right? He thought.

"Well, let's see," he said, looking from the pet group, to the horse, then to the empty yard with an open gate, "Your a horse, with pets, and an open gate and an empty yard. Unless of course that's not your yard and you are in fact, a stray horse? Which, by all rights, I, or anybody could and should be trying to catch you right now? Unless, that's your yard and you've been accidently let go?" He finished, raising an eyebrow when he said stray. As he glanced over the group, he noticed an uneasy red wolf trying not to be noticed. Luke waved a hello and then turned his attention back to the horse.

I'll have to talk to him later. Luke thought.

Tesla shimmied down from Moonbeam and waddle up to Luke, "So, Mr. Cougar, My name is Tesla, what brings you to Richmond Acres? Was it the cattle, the yummy yummy cattle?" the little dog asked, completely forgetting his tact

"Actually, it was the corgis, the yummy yummy corgis instead," he said with a grin and a wink, "Actually, I followed a deer on a wild goose chase and ended up helping a local farmer. I liked it so well that I thought it might be nice to have my own out in the woods."

Moonbeam followed along as the big scary cat explained what was going on, an that "HE" was the stray horse who was in trouble!!
Oh! that is not good at all! I'm not a BAD horse!! I better get back into the corral.
Moonbeam turns around bumping into the gate, which swings closed, "CLACK!" the simple mechanism locking the gate closed, with the half panicked equine outside.
Uh Oh!!!

"And my name's Luke, Luke Argo," Luke said to the corgi.



"Now, I never said you Were a bad horse did I?" Luke said, leaning on the fence, "What's your name?"

yes you did...
the horse thinks a minute...
No it was the pets who let me out who were going to get into trouble!.. I'm not in trouble for having gotten out! I'm not a bad horse!!
Moonbeam fluffs up his tail happily.

name is well they are just calling me Moonbeam. swinging his head twords the other pets in the area.

Tesla giggled, "Oh come on, there's only one corgi here." he waggled his tail giddily, "I'm glad to have met you!"

Zanna perked her ears up when she heard this. She was the one who let Moonbeam out. The husky looked at the horse with a slightly distressed expression. "Wait wait wait. I don't want to get in trouble."

Moonbeam turns about in place.. tilting his head to the side like a canine.
How can you get into trouble, no one knows that you stole the horse!
he stops thinking about what he just said. Then looks around suddenly remembering all the pets around them...
Ooohh right, were not alone.. Should we run away?

Zanna smirked at Moonbeam. "I'm tempted... I've always wanted to ride off into the sunset on a horse's back, like in the endings of all those old cowboy movies.". She wagged her tail happily. "But.". She pointed to the corgi atop the horse. "You seem to have a witness aboard."

Moonbeam looks back at his empty back..
The corgi rider dog, jumped off and went running after the cougar.
I guess he wanted to be the appetizer before i was eaten all up.
Moonbeam shivers, having scared himself again.

Zanna facepawed. It made sense. Horses uneasy around predators. But this was too much. "I doubt the cougar's gonna eat you. If he hasn't eaten you by now, he probably won't.". A sly grin crossed his face. "Course there's always the possiblity that he's waiting for you to be alone, when all of us go home, before he eat you.". She teased.

"Same here. And I hear that corgi's taste like marshmallows, from what I've heard," Luke added with a grin to Tesla, "And beside, honestly, who ever heard of eating a horse? Too useful of a critter for just a few meals. Speaking of critters, who are you?" And that, he said to the husky.

WHAT?? Nooooooooo..
Moonbeam cries out!.. pressing his forehead up against the husky's back an prodding her closer twords the cougar.



Moonbeam twitches up his ears, leaning around around Zanna to give the corgi a lick up between the back's of Tesla's ears..
Hmmm just tastes like shedding fur to me..
Rolling his tongue now, trying to dislodge the fur in his tongue, looking over at the water bucket.
which is now locked away on the other side of the corral.
Blllllaaaa

Zanna laughed as she was being pushed forwards. "I was just kidding.". She giggled.



Zanna gave the cougar a sweet grin before bowing dramatically. "Why I. Am the one and only amazingly awesomely awesome Zanna Volt.". When she finished her bow, she put her hands on her hips. "Nah. I'm just Zanna. Some call me Zane...or Zaney.". She pondered other nicknames before shrugging.. "Anyways...yeah. Hellloooo to you Mr. Cougar!". She waved again, grinning.

"Hm?" She muttered, one of her ears twitching in confusion as she subtly expressed disbelief over the latter statement. Intent on correcting him so as to not give him the wrong impression of her, she responded, "No. Why would I hate you?"

"Far from it, my friend," She thought, much to the realization of his unease through his restlessness and fretting, as well as the sudden reach-around for his pencil that she took note of.

As her free paw reached out gently for Mercury, with the intending effort to console him from what she had self-loathingly blamed herself on the matter, upset and remorseful for her own tactful, albeit silent behavior, Travis had stopped him, encouraged to settle the unnecessary tension and preoccupation between the two.

"Come on," She nudged him softly, compassionately laying her paw onto his shoulder afterwards. "You're a really nice person. One that's probably the most caring, and most kindest that I've known so far."

"Please, don't worry about it," Travis appended, letting out a small, cheerful smile.

"Pleased to meet you Miss Zanna," Luke said, then he went to tip his hat, and had none, "Oops, ah well. Who's your friend over there?" He said, pointing to Doc.

Tesla shuddered at the lick, "H-Hey man, yah messed up my fur..." the little dog said, smoothing down his cow- er... Horselick, "And I happen to know on good authority that corgis taste like tofu, we taste like whatever were cooked with."
//

"Well... I thought that you just think it stupid of me to admit a crush on someone I just met yesterday and only last night found out was a girl..." Mercury said shakily. He fumbled with his pencil and dropped it.

Mercury sank into his collar at Travis' touch, but recovered quickly, "Thank you Travis, so much... I won't worry..." he blushed and squirmed, carefully considering something he thought a bit radical. Quietly and suddenly, the cat launched into a hug with the dog.

Doc chuckled a little when Moonbeam gave Tesla a lick, glancing up from the map seiing the shudder as well then he listened as Zanna introduced herself to the cougar then it was his turn as the cougar pointed to him, he knew he couldn't just hide behind this map forever so he reluctantly put it aside and took a few step's, extending his paw towards the cougar.

"My name is Doc"

"Nice to meet you," Luke said, giving the red wolf a firm handshake.

"How did you wind up as a pet? If you don't mind me asking," he said.

Moonbeam looks around now.
Oh it's a wolf! More large predators, who knew there was so many of them just outside the fence line.
Trotting up and back among the pets.

Tesla giggled at Moonbeam's statement, mistaking it for a joke. He padded over to Zanna and said, "Soooo... What's going on now? I lost track..."

Zanna looked around. "Well... We have a horse. Two predators (one with a map). Three pets (one with a hot air balloon.). And a full day ahead of us.". She shrugged. "Anything's possible.". She looked over at Doc and gave him a smirk. "It'd make for an interesting camping trip."

At least there not packing a bunch of stuff on my back for me to carry!...
Giving the husky a lick to see if all dogs taste alike.. Strawberry??

Zanna shuddered and flattened her ears at the horse's lick. "Hey! Moonbeam...". She laughed and pet the horse's nose. "Please refrain from licking the husky. I don't think we're suppose to taste good anyways."

"Neat!" Tesla squealed, wagging his stubby tail, "Oh I can almost smell the adventure! Or hydrogen, it might be hydrogen! It's like adventrogen, or hydroventure!" he jumped up happily

I'm sure were all about to have a huge blast..
the equine says in a deadpan Leslie Nielsen voice.

"Definitely!" Tesla clapped cheerily, his hyperactive glee ramping up steadily

Ah, maybe some other time. He thought. Letting go of the wolf's paw and turning back to the others.

"Blast? Why did someone eat beans or something?" He asked, hoping he had the right pun.

Yes yes Most definitely!! the equine whinnies, cheering the corgi's hyperactivity excitment on!

Zanna shrugged. "Maybe someone likes beans and was hungry... And then ate them!". Personally Zanna never liked beans. They were too...beany. Candy was much tastier anyways.

She pointed at Doc. "Doc has the map, so he is the explorerer captain. Like...Gilligan, or...Louis and Clark.". The dog walked over to Moonbeam. "But in the meantime. Can I ride on you?"