"Yer f***in' kidding me, right?" Tunnel Rat questioned, with a surprised raised brow and a dumbfounded look on his face.

He'd even raised a hand to point absently at the line of transportation that had been assembled for himself and the Joes he was with.

"Yeehaw, mother f***ers!" Cross-Country and Dusty cheered in unison.  Clearly they seemed to find humor in this and had used a movie reference to emphasis it.

"Hush it, ya idiots." Beachhead muttered in slight annoyance.  "Actin' crazy ain't gonna help ya sit atop one."

The Chinese-American jerked his attention to the higher officer.

"Sit atop one?  Yer tellin' me we're gonna ride these things?"

The Ranger paused before the nearest mount.  He softly rested his hand under the beast's chin and lifted the nose until the eyes were level with his.

The mount, a beautifully sleek and shiny black Arabian gelding, rotated his ears to point forward with all attention on the man.  His already high set tail lifted slightly and his sides expanded with air.  A soft nicker left him.

Snake-Eyes was the next to approach and his quiet and soft hands found the narrow, elegantly curved and slender head of a dappled grey mare.  While his face was covered by a black balaclava, his bright blue eyes were visible, soft and understanding towards the equally interested and gentle equine.

Wild Bill even jumped in in favor of a chestnut gelding with a snip, followed closely behind with Cross Country and Dusty partnering up with a pair of Mahogany bay geldings in nearly identical white blazes and two rear white strips.

Scarlett and Cover Girl handled the reins of a chestnut mare and a second black gelding with white socks.

Jinx settled on a nearly white mare.

Stalker found himself faced with a flaxen palomino mare.

Recondo selected a light bay gelding.

The last two Arabian horses, a dappled palomino gelding and a flea-bitten mare pointed their ears knowingly towards the two remaining Joes before them.

Kamakura had taken Tunnel Rat's side.  He wasn't finding this idea very favorable at all.  If anything, he was terrified of being dumped in the sand and left for dead with a broken arm or crushed in head.

Scarlett and Cover Girl snickered.

"Typical city boys." the redhead jested.

The strawberry blonde chortled softly in agreement.

"So unwilling to try new things."

Both males folded their arms over their chests and almost seemed to pout at the insult.  However, they were clearly and very firmly planted where they were.

"Are you nuts?  A one ton animal with a brain between my legs and you think I'm gonna feel safer on it than a Humvee surrounded by IEDs?" the Ninja Apprentice snorted.

The rest of the Joes mounted up.  Most waited, but Beachhead softly squeezed his knees and his mount plodded slowly forward, then stopped with a light pull of the reins.  His nose was only inches from touching the young Ninja's chest.

"If yer gonna act like asses, I'll have the owner find ya a pair.  Donkeys 're just as dependable as any horse.  More so th'n most horses, really.  Too bad I got stuck with a pair a wimpy, unreliable and gutless ninnies." the Ranger grumbled.

Tunnel Rat stepped back and away from the black gelding when the Arabian slowly and carefully moved his head to sniff the two standing Joes.

"My life depends on my skittish instincts.  I live in Brooklyn for f***'s sake-"

"Then yer used te horses.  You ain' scared a them poor, abused carriage horses, are ya?"

"Well... no..."

"Then mount up 'r stay here 'n' bake.  I'll jus' tell Hawk yer both permanently chained te desks fer the rest of yer careers.  Can't trust ya in the field, so yer better off at home."

Kamakura looked horrified and his eyes darted to his master.

Snake-Eyes didn't make any attempt to counter his CO.  Beachhead was right and he wasn't going to argue the point.

He himself had been a little hesitant the first time he'd been asked to ride a horse in the military, but he'd found it oddly comfortable now.  Horses, donkeys, mules and camels were now common modes of transportation in the Middle Eastern front.  They could go places where tanks and Humvees would bog down or clog up.  They could go over rough terrain that would tear up treads and blow tires.

Granted, animals were independently thinking, but as long as they were treated well and with respect and no pain, they provided great companions.

Cover Girl and Cross Country couldn't argue the point of vehicles either.  Equines and camels were far cheaper here and needed less maintenance.  They made less noise as well, giving them access to places vehicles would be spotted and destroyed.

Sometimes, simple and low-tech were better options.

The thoughtful silence lasted long enough for Beachhead to tolerate.

He and the others wrapped their heads in scarves and turned their horses away from the remaining pair.

Tunnel Rat and Kamakura were being left behind on their own choice.

Eventually, the majority of the Joes were out of sight and the blowing sand was quickly covering their tracks...

Finally, the two men gave in and awkwardly approached, mounted and began to ride in the direction their companions went.