Headstall

The next chapter is posting now, a day early. I hope you enjoy it. Merry Christmas to you all!!

One Step at a Time Jubal was sitting in the dark close to the fire, making breakfast. A tin cup of lip-smacking good, sweetened coffee sat on the stump next to him, steaming in the cool morning air. It wouldn’t be long till the heat arrived, the orange glow already spreading across the horizon to the east. There’d been a healthy rain during the night, but it ended after a good seven hours of pouring down. It’d been nice music to fall sleep to, but he’d woken up soon after

I was actually thinking of posting today, Doc, if I find the time to do another read through. Most people are very busy today, though.

Merry Christmas Eve, everyone! Have a wonderful day /evening.

WTAF?

Hey, Bft. Yeah, lots of tension, not something Jubal was expecting or prepared for. I felt so sorry for him in this chapter. He was out of his element in so many ways. It was new for these two men, and maybe it's part of the aftermath of the trauma. Then again, maybe feelings have gotten too big? Whatever happens, time is definitely needed, so we'll see what happens. Lucas does overthink, and I'm sure he's doing that right now. Thanks for this, my friend. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Gary.

Merry Christmas to you and Mum, bro.

Thanks for the holiday wishes, t. n.! I hope you have a Merry Christmas as well. I agree the wildings have been symbolic, and you put forth an interesting thought regarding the stallion. Stallions can be nasty, vicious animals when in protection mode, and some are quite likely to charge at wolves, risking themselves while the lead mare takes the herd away. We may see him again, or we might not. Nature is cruel at times, and he may have been taken down. One thing for certain is he would not desert the herd if he is alive. At any rate, Jubal helped the stallion do his job by getting rid of the two threats... maybe that can be seen as more symbolism? I'm sure Reid feels bad for his part in the tension that happened between Lucas and Jubal, so yeah, there was most likely something said after Jubal left. It seems that Jubal has already realized Reid is a friend, if we go by his thoughts after he left Bearpaw. The chase gave him a chance to just be and let things fall into a netter place... or at least we can hope that is the case. I love when readers are so engaged in a story, and I thank you for sharing your thoughts, my friend. You've made my evening. Cheers! G.

Trying to. Hey, B. Two more sleeps.

Hello, all!

Y'all are crazy... but we love you, Emerald Prince.

Fight or flight. Couldn't have said it better myself, dear lady. That constant loop his thoughts were on seem to have eased by the end of this chapter. We can hope. So glad you liked the chase. He ran the gamut of emotions during it, and I'm pleased you felt that. He did what he could, and Jubal should be satisfied that while he might have been too late to protect the paint and her foal, he did make life safer for the rest of the herd. Shooting those wolves is something I see as cathartic for him on that day. Someone else mentioned they thought that too, that it would contribute to his feelings of self worth, something he sorely needs. So yeah... stay and fight for whatever he can have, because he understands he has found something he doesn't want to lose here in Bearpaw. The chase wasn't a cure for his fears, but we can hope it was a start. Thanks very much for this, my friend, and Merry Christmas to you!

Hey, J J! I assume you mean the PTSD? Yeah, that astute reader is @drpaladin, and I agree he got it exactly right. You make a good point about helping the herd maybe boosting his confidence after a tough couple of experiences that set him back some. Jubal is a strong man, but I don't think he sees himself that way. Things tend to go south when Jubal is pushed into an uncomfortable spot, but hopefully that won't happen again with Lucas. Getting past his issues might require some help... we'll see. Cheers, and thank you so much for the support of this chapter. Merry Christmas, my friend. G.

My goodness. A certified blast from the past. This was wonderful, Parker, and perfect for Christmas. Surprisingly, I remember these guys well, but it makes me want to go back and reread the older chapters. Alas my time to go for my walk has come. Thanks for this. Cheers!

More connections. Awesome. Missy is the best, and every story needs an animal. Well done, sir. I enjoyed this and am happy for Michael. Cheers!

Hey, all.

Thanks, Doha, for sharing your take on this chapter. There hasn't been much engagement on this one, so I appreciate hearing how you saw it. I see it as a reflective chapter too. Jubal is in turmoil, second guessing everything, and retreating to the farm was key to sorting his thoughts. And yeah, I totally agree that taking that second day to explore the north country with his mare helped him immensely. Finding the herd might not seem like good news considering the circumstances, but knowing is better than not knowing. He has something to tell Lucas when he sees him, though it might mean the end of that dream of sharing a herd. Absence is often a good thing, so maybe... Appreciate the support, my friend. Cheers and Merry Christmas to you. Not sure yet when I will be posting the next chapter. Maybe early?

It does, doesn't it? And mental health wasn't even a thing back then.

Onward and upward. Good job on a great chapter, Craig.

Drewth!

You're lying now. We call that the Drewth.

Yeah, when I wrote shiny man, I wasn't sure of his motivation. There is a truth I have learned... the ones who squawk the loudest about gays are more often than not closeted. We've seen it a million times over. Is he one of those, thinking he is diverting attention from himself. I picture him as a dandy, immaculately dressed, and isn't that a clue in itself? I agree with you, though. Whatever the reason, it was hateful. You'd have to be a fool not to see Jubal squirming under the barrage of questions, so his question seemed to be going for the jugular. It wasn't necessary to know where Jubal slept at night. So... does this illustrate that 'god-fearing-folk' fear Jubal has. Some of the meanest people I've ever met call themselves devout. As if! Bless their hearts...

Howdy.

Hi, All.

Agoraphobia? Ah... I see... his reluctance to go to town. The farm and nature is his house? He's definitely suffering from a traumatic incident, so PTSD fits. And yeah... he does have panic attacks. Maybe he did something today to ease them. Thanks, Doc. I think Doc Vance realized the state Jubal gets himself into at times, and Reid sees how hard Jubal is on himself.