Here's just a little snippet of an idea of mine. I hope you guys like it. Feed back would be appreciated. If I actually get a reader to respond, I'll actually work on the Epic I've got in mind for it. I've read alot of the epics here, but one thing startled me. Few of them have actually been finished! So, I hope to make an enjoyable story and finish it for everyone. Just so you know, html is not my strong suit, so don't expect anything too fancy.

Ranching Rosie

The sun beat down upon the scrap of land that had been waiting for me these past three years; when my parents had sent me off to a ranching academy, my uncle, a successful rancher known around the world, had bought out a rival rancher to join him as an assistant. Lo and behold, the rancher-turned-assistant's plot of land, which happened to be on an entirely seperate continent, was given to me as a present.

Joy.

It was an acre of land, maybe even less, with a pair of small, dilapidated buildings on the grounds, that looked more like compost piles than a cabin and a barn.

"You've got to be kidding me..." I muttered as I turned to look at the man who had dumped me in this hole. Uncle Berton simply laughed. "Seriously Uncle B, those things aren't even good for scrap wood.": I muttered, kicking up some dirt as I went to inspect the larger of the two which I hoped was the cabin. With little ceremony, I gave the sloping side of it a kick with my boot and a section of the rotting wood fell from the wall, which triggered an even more disturbing site; a mushroom hopped out and ran off to wards the woods that bordered the ranch's rickety wooden fencing.

"It's just a fixer upper. I've already hired some of the local townspeople to come out here around noon, and I'd say we'll get the house and barn liveable by dusk." Uncle Berton gave a hearty chuckle as the odd creature ran off and added to his ramblings, " I haven't seen a Mushtan in years!"

I looked at him and sighed before returning to the wagon. Patting the Zuum that had pulled it all the way from the port, I reached into one of my rucksacks and produced a leather bound book. A checklist greeted my eyes as I flipped it open to the first page, and with a fountain pen that I kept in my pocket, I began checking off things from the list I'd made earlier that week. "Let's see, I've got a ranch, so that's a check. Do I have a house and barn?" I paused and glanced over at the wreckage, " How about I wait till sunset for that?" A laugh broke through my lips as I checked off the few other ranching staples I'd bought back in town, things like straw, potatoes, and meat.

Uncle Berton was booting in the barn's decaying walls, so I set down the book and went to help. After all, I couldn't really let other people do all the work, it was my ranch. My mind wandered back to the rucksacks as I began to haul rotting pieces of wood to a spot in the center of the ranch, where a bon fire would purge the old and make room for the new. At least the basic frames were still good on the barn, though the cabin's loft was a lost cause by the time noon rolled around and several able bodied men, young and old, showed up with a pair of Zuum drawn carts of their own.

"Hello Mr. Berton, Miss. I'm Mayor Raynerd, and these are some of the townsfolk who agreed to help. You sure have been busy, eh Mr. Berton?" The leader, an older guy with salt and pepper hair and a pair of grey eyes spoke.

"Ah, it wasn't much of a problem Mayor. Me and my niece Rosie can do our share too, right Rosie?" He asked me, tousling my sweat dampened red curls. They were my only vanity, each strand a loose coil of copper fire the fell down to my lower back.

"Sure Unc." I muttered, blushing at the public embarassment. A younger man, maybe a little older than my own 16 years, stepped forward. He was thin, and wore a pair of overalls and boots in a bland tan color; actually, bland was really all he was, from his out fit to his face. Easily forgotten, or so I thought, until he opened his mouth.

"So, where exactly is the rancher at?" said Mr. Gaunt

"Excuse me?" I asked, irritation rising as I narrowed my blue eyes at him.

"Well, Miss Rosie, I was just asking where your partner was. My assistant's a slip of a girl her self, but where's your guy, to do the lifting and dangerous stuff?"

"I'm the rancher, thank you very much. I don't need a guy. If you couldn't te
ll, I did help my uncle tear down a pair of buildings for the past four hours."

Mr. Gaunt just shook his head and laughed before the men went to work. He mentioned he was a rancher, so I reasoned that I'd just have to show him how tough I was when I was ready for tournaments.

I thought it was pretty good and I would like to read more into the story.

Yay! I haven't checked the board in a while due to computer difficulties, so I just got back online today. Not to mention I finally got my copy of MR4 back; my last one got sold off to a store before I could even finish my file so I could buy a mother's day present. As such, I've spent a good week doing the story line and some extra adventuring. Took a breather before heading to Kawrea, and here we are. Rosie's adventure will be continued!