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Description
Kendrick could not believe he was going to do this again. Well, actually he could. He just could not help himself. Every time the posters went up, every time there were whispers of a new TCA approved wild tokota, he would look through the pictures or ask the other tamers for the stories of what they saw out there. He had tried a handful of times for a tokota here and there, but nothing he had put his full heart into until Skunk. But Skunk was tamed and had adjusted quite well to her new home, and even had a new name that he could never remember. After her though Kendrick thought it might take some time before he tried for a wild again.

And despite a desire to tame the bob-tailed wild named Sahara, he had not thrown his hat into the ring that round, and she was also happily tamed and adjusting to life. But now, now there was another temptress. He had first seen her himself yesterday, certainly not the first to see her, but word had spread like wildfire when Buttercream had become tamable. Almost every tamer worth their salt had seen the creamy tawny tokota at least once. And if they had had anything for her to eat at their camp, well probably every single time since then. The TCA had judged she had become too close to humans to really remain wild any more, so along with a few other tokotas they had released her for taming.

Taming her, however would not be as simple as getting her to eat from the palm of your hand, or having a stick of butter with you at all times. No, despite the chubby tawny's reputation she still shied away if anyone tried to come near her with any sort of tack. He would have to earn her trust, and not just with treats.

He had chosen Diagrams for his ride out to try and see Buttercream today. Diagrams was a black half maned male who was almost as popular as the infamous Balan with the other tamers, Diagrams simply seemed to have a secret language he communicated to the wilds with.

Bolstering his backpack Kendrick mounted Diagrams, urging the tokota to a trot, he knew his time with the half mane was precious, so the sooner he found Buttercream the better. Fortunately, and unfortunately for him Diagrams had been through this same ride many times already today and led him straight to the location where the tawny female had last been seen with very little tracking involved. It was only when they reached the place, where one or two others tamers lingered, hoping to have Buttercream return that Diagrams starting using his nose.

Sniffing around for quite some time over the muddied and faded tracks many tokotas and riders had left that day was slow going and Kendrick kept glancing at the sun anxiously. If they didn't find Buttercream soon he would not have any time left with Diagrams to have.. whatever the black tokota did to try and convince a wild to go home with him – or another tamer. The thing about a mediator is while they were happy to help you, they were also happy to help everyone else and their brother so long as the mediator thought the wild would be well taken care of.

It was much to Kendrick's relief when Diagrams picked up the trail, though much to Kendrick’s chagrin an ambitious tamer, who had brought his own tokota, was following closely on their heels, but it wasn't exactly like Diagrams could track any faster.

Finally Kendrick spotted the tawny female, and he slipped from Diagram's back, the other tamer continuing to ride in on his tokota, and they had dug out a halter from their back. Kendrick's heart skipped a beat, would he be watching as Buttercream was literally taken right out from under his nose?

The tamer got closer, inching forward. Suddenly there was a blur of black as Diagrams darted forward, standing between the strange tamer and Buttercream, sniffing at the man and his tokota. His hackles were raised, and Buttercream backed away, tail tucked between her legs.

Hands raised, the tamer held the halter high, unashamed of his blatant attempt and Diagrams spent a good two minutes sniffing the man before begrudgingly letting him pass. Kendrick could see the smirk on the man's face from here. Slowly the other person approached Buttercream holding in one hand a stick of butter, and behind his back in the other hand, the halter.

Buttercream perked back up at the sight of her favorite treat, though she still seemed a bit wary of the man after the way Diagrams had intervened between them at first. Reaching out dainty she snatched the butter, wrapper and all from the man's hand, the butter was gone in almost an instant as the tokota wolfed it down. Reaching out cautiously with the halter the man tried to slip it over Buttercream's head. The tawny female must have seen the contraption out of the corner of her eye, for at that instant she shied away like a bullet taking off from a gun.

Kendrick smiled, despite Buttercream having taken off meaning he would have to spend more time looking for the tawny female, it also meant he had more time to convince her he wasn't like that, though that in itself was a task on its own.

Diagrams, ignoring the befuddled tamer walked back over to Kendrick, he still had a little time with the half mane. Maybe if he was very lucky he would get to see the sweet female once more before Diagrams had to get back to the many clients he had waiting.

As he rode the summer sun beat down on Kendrick, and he wiped his brow, taking a deep drink of water. If he was a betting man, he would have bet Buttercream was doing something of the same sort right about now. After all she had had just had a whole stick of deliciously, but salty butter, and also had just had adrenaline pumping through her veins, sending her into flight mode. She would need a cool-down after a jolt like that.

With that in mind he urged Diagrams towards the nearest clean water source he knew of, a nearby river, which seemed to be where the trail the panicked Buttercream had left was taking them anyway. Shortly before they reached the cool waters of the river Kendrick spotted the golden tawny once more. Sure enough she seemed to be engrossed with cooling herself down.

Once again Kendrick slid off Diagram's back, but he didn't try to approach the wild female. He knew she'd likely be too spooked to let him anywhere near her, so instead he patted Diagram's neck and set up camp. “I'll probably see you again tomorrow. Stay cool”. Diagrams padded over to where Buttercream watched this exchange with some trepidation. He nuzzled the female and groomed her for a few minutes, seeming to calm her down quite a bit. With that Diagrams was off again to fetch his next appointment.

Kendrick expected before long this river bank would have a few more tents like his. Well he might as well start catching his supper now. It didn't matter to him that other people would be coming to share his space, or that they were all after the same wild. He just could not give up on Buttercream and he hoped for many more days of earning the tawny tokotas' trust.

Description
Kendrick could not believe he was going to do this again. Well, actually he could. He just could not help himself. Every time the posters went up, every time there were whispers of a new TCA approved wild tokota, he would look through the pictures or ask the other tamers for the stories of what they saw out there. He had tried a handful of times for a tokota here and there, but nothing he had put his full heart into until Skunk. But Skunk was tamed and had adjusted quite well to her new home, and even had a new name that he could never remember. After her though Kendrick thought it might take some time before he tried for a wild again.

And despite a desire to tame the bob-tailed wild named Sahara, he had not thrown his hat into the ring that round, and she was also happily tamed and adjusting to life. But now, now there was another temptress. He had first seen her himself yesterday, certainly not the first to see her, but word had spread like wildfire when Buttercream had become tamable. Almost every tamer worth their salt had seen the creamy tawny tokota at least once. And if they had had anything for her to eat at their camp, well probably every single time since then. The TCA had judged she had become too close to humans to really remain wild any more, so along with a few other tokotas they had released her for taming.

Taming her, however would not be as simple as getting her to eat from the palm of your hand, or having a stick of butter with you at all times. No, despite the chubby tawny's reputation she still shied away if anyone tried to come near her with any sort of tack. He would have to earn her trust, and not just with treats.

He had chosen Diagrams for his ride out to try and see Buttercream today. Diagrams was a black half maned male who was almost as popular as the infamous Balan with the other tamers, Diagrams simply seemed to have a secret language he communicated to the wilds with.

Bolstering his backpack Kendrick mounted Diagrams, urging the tokota to a trot, he knew his time with the half mane was precious, so the sooner he found Buttercream the better. Fortunately, and unfortunately for him Diagrams had been through this same ride many times already today and led him straight to the location where the tawny female had last been seen with very little tracking involved. It was only when they reached the place, where one or two others tamers lingered, hoping to have Buttercream return that Diagrams starting using his nose.

Sniffing around for quite some time over the muddied and faded tracks many tokotas and riders had left that day was slow going and Kendrick kept glancing at the sun anxiously. If they didn't find Buttercream soon he would not have any time left with Diagrams to have.. whatever the black tokota did to try and convince a wild to go home with him – or another tamer. The thing about a mediator is while they were happy to help you, they were also happy to help everyone else and their brother so long as the mediator thought the wild would be well taken care of.

It was much to Kendrick's relief when Diagrams picked up the trail, though much to Kendrick’s chagrin an ambitious tamer, who had brought his own tokota, was following closely on their heels, but it wasn't exactly like Diagrams could track any faster.

Finally Kendrick spotted the tawny female, and he slipped from Diagram's back, the other tamer continuing to ride in on his tokota, and they had dug out a halter from their back. Kendrick's heart skipped a beat, would he be watching as Buttercream was literally taken right out from under his nose?

The tamer got closer, inching forward. Suddenly there was a blur of black as Diagrams darted forward, standing between the strange tamer and Buttercream, sniffing at the man and his tokota. His hackles were raised, and Buttercream backed away, tail tucked between her legs.

Hands raised, the tamer held the halter high, unashamed of his blatant attempt and Diagrams spent a good two minutes sniffing the man before begrudgingly letting him pass. Kendrick could see the smirk on the man's face from here. Slowly the other person approached Buttercream holding in one hand a stick of butter, and behind his back in the other hand, the halter.

Buttercream perked back up at the sight of her favorite treat, though she still seemed a bit wary of the man after the way Diagrams had intervened between them at first. Reaching out dainty she snatched the butter, wrapper and all from the man's hand, the butter was gone in almost an instant as the tokota wolfed it down. Reaching out cautiously with the halter the man tried to slip it over Buttercream's head. The tawny female must have seen the contraption out of the corner of her eye, for at that instant she shied away like a bullet taking off from a gun.

Kendrick smiled, despite Buttercream having taken off meaning he would have to spend more time looking for the tawny female, it also meant he had more time to convince her he wasn't like that, though that in itself was a task on its own.

Diagrams, ignoring the befuddled tamer walked back over to Kendrick, he still had a little time with the half mane. Maybe if he was very lucky he would get to see the sweet female once more before Diagrams had to get back to the many clients he had waiting.

As he rode the summer sun beat down on Kendrick, and he wiped his brow, taking a deep drink of water. If he was a betting man, he would have bet Buttercream was doing something of the same sort right about now. After all she had had just had a whole stick of deliciously, but salty butter, and also had just had adrenaline pumping through her veins, sending her into flight mode. She would need a cool-down after a jolt like that.

With that in mind he urged Diagrams towards the nearest clean water source he knew of, a nearby river, which seemed to be where the trail the panicked Buttercream had left was taking them anyway. Shortly before they reached the cool waters of the river Kendrick spotted the golden tawny once more. Sure enough she seemed to be engrossed with cooling herself down.

Once again Kendrick slid off Diagram's back, but he didn't try to approach the wild female. He knew she'd likely be too spooked to let him anywhere near her, so instead he patted Diagram's neck and set up camp. “I'll probably see you again tomorrow. Stay cool”. Diagrams padded over to where Buttercream watched this exchange with some trepidation. He nuzzled the female and groomed her for a few minutes, seeming to calm her down quite a bit. With that Diagrams was off again to fetch his next appointment.

Kendrick expected before long this river bank would have a few more tents like his. Well he might as well start catching his supper now. It didn't matter to him that other people would be coming to share his space, or that they were all after the same wild. He just could not give up on Buttercream and he hoped for many more days of earning the tawny tokotas' trust.