I shied away from my newly awarded lands. The open plains a mere blur as I galloped through them. Crashing through the river South of Nuska Plains my dial lowered and drank the cool stream in small gulps. I splashed around, rolling in the river, cooling down my hot body. My breath slowed down to normal. I stepped out, shaking off the water as I headed back into my lands. I began to graze on the lush grass. The silence often broken by the screams of stallions, and hooves pounding on flesh as the mating season began. The Hawks that had looked over me for so long had already left, soaring back to the King. As much as I respected them, their presence annoyed me for once. They judged everything I did with a frown, although I know that I made them proud. The grass grew taller as I waded more and more into it. In some areas the grass reached over my head, and that grass was a now great light brown color. It matched my hide nearly perfectly. For any of my kin that will live with my hide, it will be the perfect place for them to hide if any stranger were to wonder in. I grazed for a little, shying at the sound of a hawk not too far off. I leapt into the tall grass, not moving. The hawk landed on a limb right above me, looked around my lands and then soared off. I sighed with relief as I lightly stepped out of the grass, my handsome dial scooping down for one more mouthful. As the final sound of hooves upon flesh echoed through the terra, I noticed how lonely it felt. How empty the miles and miles of lovely lush grass and plain was. I knew it was time for me to venture and gain myself a herd. I trotted off through the miles and miles of open plains, with the exception of a few large hills. Not wanting to tire too early, I rarely broke out into a small canter. Even still, my stride was big and I covered much ground quickly. Going slow to me was going fast to other horses, for my sire was a thoroughbred. He was a champion, a tamed horse whom escaped from his owners one day, whom lived not too far from where my dam lived during the summer seasons. My dam was a Brumby, and I am a mutt. And I couldn't wish to be any other way. I am a strong sturdy horse, wise as the bush and wild itself, as was my dam. And yet I am tall, nimble, and faster than the wind itself, as my sire had been. My coat was from my grandsire, on my dam's side, the King. He was very much proud of me, as was my dam. But I do not remember her too much, for grown horses almost never remember their dams, and dams almost never remember there foals as they leave there sides and go off into other herds.

As soon as I left my land I leapt into a forest, the tall trees sheltering me from the hot hot sun. Sweat had already broke out onto my cream like hide, making it darker along my withers and behind my ears than it seemed to be. I weaved through the trees without a sound, not bothering to cover up my tracks from the stallion whom lived here. I was too confident in myself at the moment to care, although I knew it was a foolish thing to do. I had wandered these lands once, in a large circle, before I claimed my own. Somehow, I knew exactly where to go, although I couldn't remember myself where to go. I knew it was a land called Neutral Glade, a land where a mist hangs over it on most days and Neutral mares wander when the wish to join a herd. I knew there I would find a lead, or atleast a mare. I wouldn't make the first mare I saw my lead, unless I knew she was the one. My old herd was quite big, with atleast 25 mares following me. I wish to have a smaller herd this time, way smaller. They were too much for my land to support. The grass often had thinned, and I often had to fight for new lands, and only hope for spring to come early for the lands to replenish. Now I felt no need for such a number of mares. Scars will always lay on my beautiful cream coat, as a sign of wars and battles I have been in amongst every stallion. Yes oh yes, and wars. One war to be exact. The King of the North, against the King of the East. We outnumbered them. Sending over "loyals" to the King of the East; he told them everything. And then they told us. We outnumbered him, for we banded together with the Western lands. The South being left out of everything, for no equine ventured down there. These lands were far too good to leave. Or atleast they were. Anyways, our hundreds of thousands of stallions and warrior mares were rearing to go, screaming in rage as many set a distraction, while the rest of us silently attacked from behind. We raped the kings best mares in front of him, and then killed him and any other stallion of the lands, but we were kind enough to leave the colts that did not have the King's blood. Then we took all the mares and the foals. Most went willingly, and those whom didn't were left behind while the wild dogs called out the hunt, and moved into attacking position. We never saw those horses again.

I shook out the memories from my head, turning down a thin stream, steadily trotting down it. I made splashes of many sizes, but they were all fairly silent. No stallion resided in this land yet, for the moment. Although I had little clue as to where I was. I hesitated a moment as I took a few more gulps of water. I decided to quicken my pace. I took long strides at a canter. Once I heard men saying I would be a great Eventer, for my power, my speed, and my grace. I was only a young stallion then, hiding from the men in a thicket of light hued brush. I had no wish to become anything that involved being tamed. Although I enjoyed galloping through the empty ranges, screaming out my joy to the wild, leaping over the biggest logs and widest creeks, dancing lightly through the thick forests. That was what any wild horse enjoyed the most, just being free. I shortened my stride a little in the canter, not wanting to tire too easily. My journey was half way over, but even still I dare not waste precious energy. Through trees I weaved easily through, a silent ghost amongst the darker forests. And finally I came to a land with many tracks of mares, with following stallions near by. I knew for certain this was no breeding ground. Ahead of me lay four lands: Sunlit Valley, a land where the sun never dies out over the miles of brush and ranges. Neutral Glade, a land that was balanced with the sun and the moon, always with a slight mist sliding over it. Shadow Plains, always a dreary darkness about it, where shadow horses move through the darkness with ease, mocking the mare of Sunlit Valley. The last was the Plateau of Whispers, the largest of the four, this was for wolves. And I certainly was no wolf. I stared at all four lands for a moment, suddenly picking up a lovely trot to Neutral Glade. I tossed up my head, screaming out to any mares there. No answer came. The land seemed empty of all mares, I knew stallions claimed them easily. I pranced onwards, weaving through the forest and such. I kept silent, for I knew that stallions would be weary of other stallions during the mating season. As I ventured deeper and deeper into the wild brush, still no equines lingered near. But my senses told me others. I looked over to my right, and there glinting through the trees I could see a Paint Mare faintly, with a small horse afoot. I stepped into lighter colored thickets, getting a better look. Her color was beautiful, as my own hide was. She was a prize with such a rare coloring. I had seen paints, but only black and white ones, before. I walked proudly trough the trees, and yet out of sight to the mare, making sure no stallions were around. I was still weak from my long journey, but my strength will return in a few more good nights rest. I was more silent the the slight breeze that wafted through Neutral Glade. I stopped near the edge of the opening next to the mare, hiding between some snowgums. I glanced around quickly, without a stallion to be found. I walked out of my covering, a grand walk, my head held slightly up in pride. I looked down at the equine afoot. A young colt, with another rare hide to him. But I knew my cream/silver hide must of been the rarest of them all. I took pride in my color. I went up to the mare, touching her nose softly. I pulled away slowly, looking at wound that would surely make her limp, or lame. Dried blood covered it in a layer, seeming to hold it together. A good cleaning of it in the river, and great lush grass followed by little stress would heal that up back to normal quickly. As I looked at the gash I was aware of my own wounds from my most recent battle. My hide was still slightly ripped above my withers, and a small gash layed on my shoulder but did not make me lame nor limp. My vocals began to ring out, soft yet strong, to the mare and her colt. I be Emperor, of the great Northern lands. What would one call you and your beautiful young colt? I glanced back around quickly. I did not fright easily, but I was too weak to carry on another fight. It felt like everything was just drained out of me, and yet I felt so good over every hair on my body. I looked back over to the mare, looking for any sign of expression or waiting for any sound coming from her. I waited, as I knew she has for quite some time.



-done-

I sensed something about this mare that was slightly odd. She seemed to be hiding from something, while I hid from everything. I knew something was there, in the back of her mind, scratching away until she couldn't stand it any longer. It would drive her mad. Or atleast that's what I thought. It was hard to tell what was really going on with the mare. He colt clung to her as if he were a magnet, and couldn't move even if he wanted too. He looked at me with wide eyes, seeming quite frightful of my presence. I do not know what has happened to this mare, nor do I wish to unless she chooses to tell me herself. My past was not bad, if you liked being hunted by men daily. Hence the reason for The King's lessons, how to hide, how to leave no trace, and almost no noise. I was still learning, but I've known enough to be caught by men. When I was a colt I wandered too far from my mother with another herd member my age. I remember running blindly through The King's lands. My breath rushing in and out faster than my speed as I tried to catch my breath. I was fast, even for a foal. I could almost outrun any man. My heard member was just a pure black Brumby, no special coloring or attributes, but he was quite handsome. Even still the men only went after me. I was save by The King, for I was only a small yearling. That's when The King realized it was a dangerous life for me. He told me that my color would stick out on any range in the middle of the day. That through snow and storms I would be a ghost. Even the night would cover my hide almost completly. I was clingy to my mother for a while, until it came time for me to leave and start a herd of my own. I've always been a little bit on edge, but never afraid. I knew it would make me blind, as does rage. You don't know who you are anymore, or what you're doing, or why you're doing it. Fright can make anyone do crazy things. And rage can blind even the best warrior into losing a fight, to a yearling. I knew better then to become frightful or too angry, this colt here must have some rough time somewhere in his young life to be that attached to his mother. Or maybe it was his dam that was frightful, and the fright always channeled through to the colt. I'm sure that she'll tell me, eventually.

I sighed as time ticked on. The mare seemed quite weary of me listening for other brutes. She seemed intent on me for quite some time before answering me. "That is an intresting name, sir." Her vocals sounded sweet and kind hearted. I knew I was not fooled by it. There was something about her, a darker side. She was obviously frightful of strangers, but that wasn't for me to speak aloud. My mind waited for her next response, as still her name was a mystery to me. In my old lands, we would often name mares of our own, but I knew Empire was only way to far away and way to different to pick up on such traditions. I heard the call of stallions from not far off, in battle once more. Hooves upon flesh and teeth ripping off their hides. It was a never ending battle for mates every mating season. Wise stallions left their challengers defeated, but not dead. The foolish younger ones killed them on site. I had half a mind to just leave them defeated, to let them know that I was a force to be reconed with. But even still, the life of just laying there, lame and limping to the bachellor grounds as the blood drips down your sides. And every breath brings out even more bloods as it trickles down into your mouth. And your too weak to stand up, it must be a hard life. Which is why I finish off the older ones, for they will not recover as quickly as the younger ones did. Most of them knew it was time, and they accepted it, the foolish ones always struggled to keep on fighting and injured themselves even more. My harks flicked between the mare and the sounds of Neutral Glade. Birds fluttering and smaller animals sniffing about at the sight of three odd-colored horses. The mares vocals rang out again, "I am Apala, but my dam shortened my name as Ava...And this is my son, Noah.". Ava, that was a name that seemed slightly familiar to me. How weird. I couldn't figure out how or why it was so familiar and yet so far away. I quickly changed the puzzled look on my face to a more solemn one, knowing that the mare would tense up the moment she saw it. I looked down to the colt, nodding my approval slightly, in hopes that the colt would relax a little. I was not to hurt anyone unless necessary, besides it was foolish to hurt a mare. She was defenseless with a foal afoot, and mares have a connection with the lands that not even the wisest stallion can posses. Maybe it was because they created life, as did the earth. Something between them made that strong connection.


I waited a moment, seeing if the mare would speak up again. She stayed quiet. She seemed sorta surprised at hearing her name, as if she has not heard it or said it in quite some time. I smiled a little for a few seconds. My vocals breaking the awckward silence, although I had no clue what I was to say until I said it, Why, Ava, must you be so tense? I know it is none of my business to ask this of you, but you seemed worried, and you're colt is so frightful. I promise you I dare not hurt you or your colt, for I am wiser than most stallions of these lands. I paused a second, seeing if I would say anything else. We both knew why I was here, but I couldn't change what I had just said. I knew it wouldn't change much, or maybe it would create more of an understanding between the three of us. I looked around again, half expecting to see the hawks soaring over my or leaning near by a tree. As I gazed around quite quickly, I had a doubletake to my right. I swear I saw a smaller, nearly silver stallion standing amongst the snowgums, not daring to move, and yet tempting himself to come out and talk to me. I looked over to Ava, and then Noah. There may be a way Ava could sense him, since she seemed a wise and cunning mare, for she needed to be with a coat like that. But I was sure Noah wouldn't notice. I looked back to where the stallion was, and he seemed to be gone. Not branches swung, and no twigs snapped. Overhead, miles and miles away, I could see two kings of the sky. Two hawks, a female and her strong mate. Only I would know that the Hawks watched over the King, and any equine whom would be far greater then the King. And then I noticed to hawks soaring quite low over me, Ava and Noah. They landed on a branch some what far off, keeping their tense gaze on me. And I knew the King hadn't sent them.

I understand, I'm busy too. x] you can post first in Nuska Plains since I'm off in a few minutes, and I won't reply here since there is nothing really to say or do. lol. And yes, very cute couple, although may be a strange couple with a tri colored paint mare and a cream stallion with dark points on his ears. hehe.