Wise O' Bush ((OPEN))

[KAREE]

His back hooves hit flesh, pleased with this outcome, Kalti turned around, only to find that the white stallion hadn't been damaged much at all. He scowled at himself for a moment, but couldn't think of anything further as he found the white fury bowling towards him.

The impact hit him well, knocking the breath out of him. Kalti was left defensiveless, trying to breath. He rocked away, almost falling over as the impact finally got to him really well. Sweat clogged up on his sides and he could feel his breathing coming out in ragged gasps. He turned around, about to move, but his legs felt heavy. He staggered forward, before his knees finally buckled under him. Finally Kalti gave way to exhaustion, the rest of his body falling down with a heavy thump. The air whooshed out of him. His lids closed automatically. He had lost the fight. He peered through his lids to see if he could find the white stallion, but he couldn't his eyes blurred up and he gave way to sleep.

OOC|| lol, it sounds so corny. xD

[Ehetere]

His barge had hit the colt well; it was actually quite a bit more solid than he had first imagined. Kalti tottered, trying desperately to keep his balance and stay on his feet. Jirrand made to charge at him again, and latch his teeth on to him and shake the colt till he dropped to the ground. But it seemed that he was having enough difficulty breathing without any more of Jirrand's assistance. He tried to turn back to Jirrand, but he staggered before finally collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Jirrand could already tell that he was deeply asleep, and could not bring himself to do any more damage to him; since they were only really fighting because they had wanted to test the other's strengths. Or had the colt been fighting him for his appearance? It wouldn't be the first time someone had just fought him because he was beautiful or different. Jirrand simply roared his triumph to the sky and the moon, which was now fading along with the want to do something dangerous and daring, and trotted off in the direction of Tallerk's overhang.

He threaded through the trees, a pale ghost, and emerged a little sore with a few cuts, but otherwise victorious and proud, arching his neck so that his mane tumbled down and his forelock his his red eye. He danced a few steps for her, not that he had much of his strength and energy to spare, and held out his muzzle to her. "Well met, Little Mare, how have you fared since our last meeting?" murmured Jirrand, knowing that no one would interrupt them this time, "And what are you doing up here, so high on the Ramshead on such a glorious night as this?"

OOC: Haha! Fight is finished, the moon is leaving the sky and now Jirrand should be returning to his form of normality...

[{ Opal }]

As Tallerk saw the colt give way, slumping to the ground in defeat, she raised up her head and gave Jirrand a whistling neigh of congratulations. Eyes shining, she watched him approach, and as he danced a few steps for her her heart warmed. "Well met, Little Mare, how have you fared since our last meeting?" Tallerk swished her tail; she was not afraid to recall the state she had been in when they first met, though she hoped she'd never stoop so low again. "And what are you doing up here, so high on the Ramshead on such a glorious night as this?" Tallerk snorted softly at the last question, and promptly answered, "How does 'looking for you' sound?" Then she glanced away from the white stallion, to glance up at the fading moon. "'I'm doing well, and you may call me Tallerk, you know," she then replied, and though she shivered with slight foreboding, she stated her name in all normality. Tallerk turned back toward the nightrunner, catching his eye for a moment, then speaking again. "It means thistle," she said, referring to her name, and looking a bit uncomfortable as she spoke. But Jirrand has a right to know, Tallerk said to herself, and remained calm for the most part.

Tallerk had missed Jirrand while she was away. It was dreadfully lonely by yourself, and unsafe, but Tallerk hadn't the heart to join a herd. She knew she wouldn't feel right there, surrounded with strangers, while her mind was wandering back to that special encounter. And now Tallerk had found him; more by luck than anything else, really. But she was sure glad she could see him again.

[Ehetere]

“How does looking for you sound?” stated Tallerk boldly; and Jirrand was pleased that she seemed to have recovered from the depressive state she had been in during their last meeting. Tallerk looked away from him and up at the setting moon and continued; “I am doing well, and you may call me Tallerk, you know.” Maybe she did not appreciate the little nickname he had come up for her; and after all, he would not have forgotten her name. All the same, Jirrand did not miss the slight shiver that passed over her coat when she said her name. “It means thistle…”

Jirrand snorted, in an almost melancholy way; what mother would name such a beautiful daughter after a thistle? It was beyond cruel, but he knew worse. “The thing with thistles is; that when they flower, they are most beautiful,” murmured Jirrand, holding Tallerk’s gaze, “Do not think that you are your namesake. I should know that better than most; my mother named me Feared.” And for the most part, this was true, he was feared by almost every horse he came across, at least to some extent. But he had decided long ago that it was not his fault; it was his mother’s, and his father’s, and every horse that was biased against the unknown and different. It had never been his fault, and he had to show this to Tallerk, who for some deep, dark reason; lamented her namesake.

[{ Opal }]

Jirrand snorted with a sad tone. “The thing with thistles is; that when they flower, they are most beautiful." Tallerk's ears pricked without her willing, and she tilted her head a bit, caught off balance by the statement. She wanted to shy away from his steady gaze, but instead found herself drawn into it. “Do not think that you are your namesake. I should know that better than most; my mother named me Feared.” Tallerk nodded slightly at first sentence. She wasn't quite sure why she had blamed herself for all that time; after the catastrophe, everything went downhill, and with no-one to lean on she lost herself. Though Tallerk still dreaded her name, she at least knew the truth: she wasn't to blame for it, not the name, nor her filly's death.

Tallerk missed her filly terribly. It had been a year, but the memories were still fresh in her mind. Finding that little body, laying still and cold, broke her heart. Tallerk's legs trembled slightly, and she instinctively stepped closer to Jirrand, as if he would protect her from her memories. But lately she had found herself actually wanting another foal; something inside her head screamed no, but her heart was nagging her, saying yes.

[KAREE]

Kalti let out a low groan, rolling on to his side. He blinked unwearily towards two figures, one being a white stallion and the other being a bay mare. So the voices he had heard wasn't just in his head? He pulled his front legs out infront of him, only to find them stiff. "Arg." He mumbled, licking his dried lips. His whole body ached from the battle that had taken place only a short time ago. He got up stiffly, shaking the dust from his red dun coat that was coated in dried sweat. He glanced up again at the two figures. He could hear them conversing to one another quietly.

He felt awkward standing there, but he felt rude for intruding. He nickered slightly, knowing they would have seen him getting up. He nodded at the stallion that had beat him last night, all the anger had vanished from the night before, Kalti felt more normal, more him now. He stalked over stiffly, a hint of embarrassment inbedded in his face. "'lo." He nodded towards the seal bay mare, she was pretty, but nothing worth another fight over.

[Ehetere]

Tallerk’s spirit seemed to waver for a moment, some memory of the past upsetting her, and she moved closer to Jirrand’s side. He gently nibbled at her mane in a comforting manner. “Come with me,” he said, some unknown part of him breaking through and causing him to blurt this out “Come with me and we can both leave all of the sorrows of the past behind us”

Then Jirrand noticed the red dun beginning to stir. It took him several attempts before he finally found his feet, and even then Jirrand could see that in every line of his body that he was stiff and sore. Kalti looked in his direction, and Jirrand wondered what the colt intended to do. His own anger had rapidly retreated with the sinking of the moon in the sky, along with Tallerk’s surprisingly calming presence. But the colt nickered in an almost friendly manner to them when he saw both Jirrand and Tallerk looking. He nodded respectfully at Jirrand, acknowledging his victory from the night before. He limped stiffly over to them, looking rather awkward at intruding. Jirrand stepped forward ever so slightly forward, so that he was just between Tallerk and Kalti. He may have fought the fight for the moon, but he had won it for her.

[{ Opal }]

Tallerk couldn't quite decipher how she felt as Jirrand beckoned her to join him. It was some mixture of shock, disbelief, and the wonderful feeling of delight, as if she was waiting all along for this moment. She was so confused with herself that she stood completely still for a few moments, and when she was about to vent her joy, movement caught her attention. Tallerk flicked her ears, slightly annoyed, as the beaten stallion slunk forward. Nonetheless she greeted him with the softest nicker, then looked away, to press her head against Jirrand's shoulder. It was the most silent and subtle answer, but it was final, Tallerk was saying yes.

Everything felt so right, and so safe. Tallerk hadn't even been aware of the stress she was under, taking care of herself, until she finally didn't have to do it anymore. And who would dare approach a nightrunner? My nightrunner, too. Tallerk thought, with a rush of glee through her being. She decided to let the two stallions work things out themselves, and so allowed herself to rest her head upon Jirrand's back, in a way like how she had those months ago. Tallerk looked up at the sky; the light was bleeding back into it, and the stars were almost gone, but Tallerk still felt a sense of wonder. It was a new start.

[KAREE]

Kalti glanced away, trying not to eavesdrop, but he felt his closer ear turn toward Jirrand's voice instinctively. He watched the sky light up, going from a rosey pink colour into the orange, yellow colours of the earth. He glanced back over when he could hear no more murmurs from the direction of Jirrand and the mare. He saw the mare move over to Jirrand, placing her head onto his shoulder. He looked away, once again feeling awkward in butting in.

Jirrand had heard Kalti approach, all he gave was a simple nod in return. Kalti sighed, turning away slightly. Feeling they needed - well preferred - privacy. He took a step away, then another. He stopped when the mare nickered back at him. He watched her for a moment, then turned away again. Kalti would find somewhere else, somewhere where he was wanted and needed. He knew he wasn't particularly wanted here, he could sort of feel the vibes, whatever they said. He made his way across the sparkling wet grass, his coat sparkled slightly, but his movements where not graceful, more stiff and robotic.

[Ehetere]

Jirrand felt an unusual sense of joy radiating from somewhere in his chest as Tallerk silently laid her head across his shoulders. He knew that she would follow him now. They were so alike, and together they could go wherever they wanted and look fear and scorn in the face and know that they would be safe and never alone again. He craned his neck around and blew softly onto her face, brushing her think forelock out of her eyes, and he saw the glowing light of dawning shining in them. She was the beginning of his life as a stallion. There was the feeling in the air, a rush, electricity; call it what you will, but Jirrand knew instinctively that spring had come to the mountains.

The dun now looked throughly uncomfortable; his expression so awkward that Jirrand almost felt sorry for him. Kalti turned again, obviously the atmosphere between he and Tallerk had become too much for him. All the same, Jirrand called out to him, "I hope that you leave tonight with no animosity in your heart, as I have none in mine. Perhaps I we shall meet again." Jirrand once again looked up at the lightening sky and knew that the wonderful night was over and a glorious dawning was near. He tilted his head upwards, in the direction of the east and not that in which the moon had set, and called that mysterious ringing call once again; this time a call of call, hope and friendship. It was call for a new beginning. He playfully nipped Tallerk on her shoulder and then whinnied to her as he raced off in the direction of the Ramshead, so that when the shining dawn did come, there would be two brumbies; one near white and the other near black, silhouetted against the sunrise.