Roaming the Range

[Valatone]

"This?!" yelled Bakoli, furiously standing up. "This has a name, and i'm not his son!" he screamed, foalishly. He snorted and galloped off, "If you want me i'll be watching from up here," he said, motioning his head to a cliffside. He galloped down a hill and began to graze, keeping an ear open and hearing Aleo's conversation. "Who needs fillies anyway.." he said, trailing off as he thought of his sister and Mica. "Atleast their nice," he thought, shaking the thoughts out of his restless head.

[tingara]

Dilali was fuming at everything especially Aleo treating her like he did when he arrived. She could talk to who she liked, after all it was free country! "Stallions," she snorted distastefully, "just because he's the king it doesn't mean he can get all protective of me." Her blue eyes widened as she said this, why was he acting the way he was around her?

[Tiggs]

Tingara's sister? Well, at least this was one filly he didn't have to fight the black stallion for. He caught movement to his left, and swung round as the grey came racing toward him. Squealing in surprise, Nevada wheeled, driving Mica in front of him until they were far enough away. The King had stopped beside Dilali, and Nevada looked on nervously.

Dilali seemed to be repelling Aleo, she even seemed angry at his presence. His first instinct was to get Mica away as quick as possible, but if there was a chance that Dilali would drive Aleo away, he wanted to be nearby to pick up the pieces and prove not all stallions were out to rule the world. He whispered to Mica, "Get a head start. If the King started chasing me, I want to draw him away from you. He'll want to take you, and I know this ground well. If that happens, don't worry, I'll find you. There's a path just by that large rock. Follow it, and hide in the candlebarks at the bottom of the Ramshead. I'll meet you there."

[aya]

Aleo went from annoyed, to instantly guilty at Dilali's reaction to his scolding of her. He hadn't meant for it to sound so... Well, mean, but the truth was he just wanted to look after her. He glanced at Nevada, who appeared to be readying himself to fight Aleo. He had sent his paint mare off in another direction, and by now, Dilali had walked away to graze elsewhere, mumbling under her breath.

Aleo nickered for Binda to stand close to him, and he neighed a warning at Nevada. He didn't want to fight the young horse simply because the paint was not the mare he was after. He turned and, making sure Binda followed him, cantered after Dilali down the ridge.

"Dilali!" He called out to her as he reached her, "I'm sorry. That came out wrong." He nervously rubbed his ear on his foreleg. What the heck was up with him? He was never like this around fillies.
"Please don't think of me badly." He asked, and turned his head to look at Nevada, "though I think I have a problem to deal with over here now. You may want to leave the range if it gets nasty, okay? Take care of yourself."
He stretched out his nose in an attempt to be affectionate, but quickly pulled back after he started feeling awkward again.

[chibinezu]

Badu had lost her way, Aleo had left her with Fira in what she'd guess was a form of punishment for Fira who only seem to want to be rid of her.

And get rid of her she did, after a mad chase through the bushland Badu had lost Fira and also any sense of where she was, leaving her feeling sadly very abandoned.
Badu had instantly perked up at the sound of other horses and cantered in that direction, only to find the air filled with tension and Aleo keening for the mare from earlier.

It did little to improve her feelings as it was obvious that Aleo's favourite was Fira but this beautiful mare was the one that he truly desired. Pathetically she nickered out in his direction hoping for a little attention.

[tingara]

For once Dilali was speechless, she could hear her heart in her ears. Normally stallions passed their gaze and cares over her. Aleo had her full attention. She watched him awkwardly offer his nose and then take it back again. Dilali smiled and said casually, "If things get nasty I'm not afraid. I'm not going any where." She watched him and looked over him. Not far behind him was a chatty looking blue roan mare. Dilali smiled at her.
"By the way Aleo, be careful," this was just said offhandedly but Dilali knew there was a deeper meaning to it, she really hoped if things turned nasty, that Aleo wouldn't get hurt. She had only just met this stallion after all.

[Tiggs]

Nevada watched in rapt attention as the King chased after Dilali. He seemed intent, and Dilali seemed to be warming to him. Pawing the ground in frustration, Nevada decided he'd leave her be. If she was only playing hard to get for the King, then he had no chance. Not yet at any rate. Whinnying his farewell to Dilali, Nevada turned and trotted down one of the paths winding down from the Ramshead. Not the same one Mica had taken of course, but one that he knew well enough that should the King give chase, Nevada could put all his efforts into escape without risking a trip.

If he'd been older and more foolish, he might have challenged the older grey, but for now he was too young, he couldn't dream of besting the King. Maybe one day, perhaps, he'd win Dilali one way or another.

[aya]

As Aleo watched Nevada leave, he saw the frustration in the young stallion's eyes. He knew that Nevada wanted to take Dilali with him, but Aleo's presence put an end to that.
Aleo himself had no intention of forcing the pretty young grey mare to go with him - he'd win her over with his charm eventually - and because of this he turned back to Binda and the now-arrived Badu to make sure they were okay.

"Binda? Badu? Are you alright?" He asked, quickly trotting over to them, "I would have hurt the young stallion if he had tried to steal you." He rubbed his head on Binda's neck and nibbled around Badu's ears to clean out the sweat. The younger of the mares was less aware of what happened in the wild, so Aleo felt he needed to put more care into her. He knew he couldn't divide up all his attention equally to his mares, but he tried his best.

After checking over his mares, he decided he had better leave. He turned back to Dilali with a friendly expression.
"I'm sorry that I caused such a problem here." He apologised, bowing his head, "it didn't actually occur to me that... Well, you might want to go with him. I'm sorry if I scared off your potential mate. I kind of just... Overreacted when I saw him here with you."

[tingara]

Dilali blushed (if horses can blush!) and smiled. "Don't worry about scaring him off," she said, "I wasn't interested." She never had a chance to become interested in Nevada but that didn't matter. Aleo had been jealous to see her with Nevada! She couldn't help but smile at this thought. Dilali had seen the look in Nevada's eyes and knew that it wouldn't be the last of him.
"What are you going to do about Nevada? One day he will challenge you," she asked curiously, although it looked like Aleo was stronger than Nevada now, Nevada still had some growing to do and when he finished he could be a stronger. Dilali finally noticed the mares and standing behind Aleo and acknowledged them with a dip of her head.

[aya]

Dilali had raised a valid point. Nevada probably would become a problem, and usually when stallions challenged the King, it was a fight to the death. Aleo didn't want to think his death would come so early in his life, so he tried to pass it off.

"Yeah, I know." He glanced over his shoulder to where Nevada had fled, "he worries me. He seems to have a rather muscular build, but I don't think he has a bad personality."

He watched Binda and Badu for a moment; the smaller filly was growing tired and Aleo was becoming concerned about her.
"I'm really sorry but I need to take these two to shelter. The smaller one is not used to the wild yet, and I need to look after her." He nodded his head towards the bay filly, "it really was nice to see you again. If anyone hassles you, Dilali, come to me and I will help. I am going back to the Yarraman's Valley, where your brother frequents. He is a good friend of mine."
He went to leave, but stopped first as an idea occured to him.
"If you have no place to graze, you are welcome to join us."

If Aleo had been alone, he would easily have tried to convince Dilali to join his herd. But now that he had Binda and Badu with him, he had to look after them first.