Headstall

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.

Hi, Terry. Yeah, that was two times in one day he went into the mercantile. Maybe it was for sugar to sweeten his coffee, or maybe it was because after feeling he let Lucas down, he wanted to prove something to them both. He tried, and I think when all was said and done, upon reflection, he sees the town folk accurately, and in a better light. They are not to be afraid of. It wasn't a cure, but maybe it was a start. Exactly right about the wildings... he was chasing a dream, and just maybe he caught it. At least he knows what happened to them... and that will be important news to take to Lucas. That journey allowed him to figure out what he truly wanted, what he didn't want to lose, and while there are no guarantees, he hopes Lucas and he can maintain their friendship. Maybe Bearpaw is the right place for him? We may never know the fate of the stallion... or the rest of the herd. They may be gone forever, and that's the way it works. Even if it was all just a dream, it was a good one. Thanks, Terry, and Merry Christmas.

Hey, Dan! Yeah, those two trips to the mercantile were made on the same day, which was surprising given his state of mind. I think he knew he might face more people, and might have wanted to prove something to himself... and possibly Lucas. Getting back to the farm allowed him to relax and think, and yeah, that was future planning. I think he reached the conclusion but the end of the chase that he doesn't want to leave, but it will depend on what Lucas might say. Cheers and Merry Christmas, my friend.

Hey, centex! Did you know that some mares, right after they get in foal, like within a month, will try to isolate themselves from other horses, often kicking out in warning for them to stay away because they know a kick or bump can end the pregnancy at the beginning. After a few months, they relax. I had one mare, an older mare who the vet checked, and determined she wasn't in foal, so he said to bring her back to the stallion to get bred again. I said check again because I knew she was in foal by the way she was acting with my other horses, and I wasn't going to put her through the stress of travel and the stallion both... and I also said his arm wasn't in far enough to be able to feel the end of the horn. He got terribly offended--he was the stallion owner's vet, not mine-- so I called my own vet to come down and he said she was definitely in foal after checking. The stallion owner was present, and I pointed out his arm was a good half foot farther in than his vet was, and he agreed. My point is in all this is that you are right. Pregnant mares are very protective, and always try to go off alone to foal. Until the foal is up, they want no other horse near them. As far as the wolves, it depends on the size of the pack, but yes, losing two will definitely make them extra cautious, and they may even leave that territory, deeming it unsafe. Wolves are all about survival. At any rate, Jubal did all he could. He was lucky to get so close to that second wolf. I think Jubal is on the way to making choices he wasn't ready for when he left town the day before. I think we could see him changing as we heard his thoughts over those two days. And yeah, Lucas has to make choices too. All Jubal expects is to continue their friendship. Your words about this chapter are very kind, my friend. I did spend a lot of time trying to get it as right as I could. Thank you for the support, as always, and Merry Christmas.

Exactly so, re. This one was contemplative, and truly a reflection of Jubal. We got a real glimpse not only into his thinking, but how he might actually be changing. He has something to fight for, and is figuring that out. Thanks so much for the support, and Merry Christmas to you. Gary.