Howdy! Welcome to #BlogBattle Tuesday, hosted by the awesome Rachael Ritchey! I was busy being productive last night with my NaNo project and an older project that had fallen by the wayside. More on that later. Anyway, lunch breaks are awesome things. So now I give you this week’s story based on the word MUSK! Remember to read all the entries and vote on your favorite TWO stories!

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Marty the purple unicorn thoughtfully chewed the leaves of a yellow sagebrush. If he was not mistaken, Mandy (a drop dead gorgeous green unicorn) was winking at him from behind a fern. Either she was winking or there was a swarm of midges around her head. Well, he thought, there really was only one way to find out. He casually nibbled his way towards the fern where Mandy’s eyes was still peculiarly twitching.

“Good morning, Mandy.” He sampled the delights of the orange fern leaves.

“Hey, Marty!” she perkily replied.

“How’s uh…how’s it going?”

“Oh, pretty great, I guess. It’s almost a perfect day!”

“Almost perfect?”

“Yeah well I was hanging out in the clover over by the orange river, minding my own business, when along comes Mick…”

“Ugh!” Marty groaned.

“Ugh!” Mindy agreed. “Anyway, he comes up to me and asks me if I want to go see the Singing Cliffs with him.”

“And?” Marty interrupted, a peculiar weight on his chest. The Singing Cliffs was a serious date.

“I said no. I mean sure he’s a handsome stallion, but just the other day he was asking Mariah the same question!”

“Seriously?” Marty was feeling a little out of his depth. What did any of this have to do with him?

“Yeah, so I ran over here to get away from him. I hope you don’t mind that I asked you to come over here.”

She’d asked? He just came over to see if her eye was all right.

“No problem,” he replied instead. They lowered their heads at the same time to nibble at the fern and their golden horns clacked together. Mindy turned a deeper shade of green.

“Oh! Sorry,” she mumbled. They lapsed into awkward silence. Marty chewed furiously, trying to think of something to say.

“So is the clover ripe by the river?” he asked.

“Yes! I was about to head to my favorite patch when Mick showed up. Come on, I’ll show you!” she trotted off and Marty hastily followed.

They reached the banks of the orange river and were promptly spotted by Mick.

“Hey, baby!” he cantered over. “You never gave me an answer on the Singing Cliffs. Yea or neigh?”

“I don’t think so, Mick,” Mandy replied.

“Come on! It’s our destiny to gallop into the sunset together!”

Marty snorted a bit louder than he intended to.

“Oh, hey, Marty!” Mick threw his shoulder against Marty, knocking him back a few steps. “How’s it going, man?”

“I’ve been better,” Marty replied. This time Mandy lightly snorted.

“So are you two together?” Mick asked.

“Um…no not really.” They both stammered.

“Then come on, Mandy! What are you hanging around with this purple guy for when you could be with red-hot me!”

“You are really red,” Mandy agreed.

“Vermillion, baby!” he strutted proudly. As he passed by, something tickled Marty’s nose and he sneezed. Something smelled weird.

“Is that you?” he asked Mick.

“My natural musk.” Mick tossed his red mane.

“I don’t think so. I think you rolled in something.”

Mandy leaned in, smelled Mick, and promptly sneezed.

“It’s definitely something’s musk, but I don’t think it’s yours.”

“You two are just pulling my foreleg, aren’t you?”

“No, not really.”

“I’d recommend an immediate bath.”

Mick spotted another unfortunate unicorn and galloped toward it, shouting “Hey! Do I smell weird?”

Mandy and Marty whinnied loudly in amusement as the unicorn took one whiff of Mick and took off.

“What do you think he got in to?” Mandy asked.

“I don’t know. It probably needs to be buried.”

Mandy nickered helplessly as Mick pursued another hapless unicorn.

“I could watch this all day,” she said.

“Or would you rather get out of here before he decides to come back?”

“Good point.”

“I know rather lovely shaded spot upriver with some bluebonnets.”

“Bluebonnets are my favorite!”

“Really? Then may I escort you over? I know it’s not quite the Singing Cliffs…”

“Oh, Marty. That’s completely fine with me!”

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For you fans of Clancy and Frankie, please bear with me! They will come back. I’m trying to decide which day of the week to devote to them. Since I’m weaning them off the #BlogBattles, I have a little more freedom with the stories, therefore I can write in advance and make sure you get your weekly dose! 🙂