Ignition

[Xarae]

Dejalo pranced along the shore, splashing water every which way. The cool liquid felt good on her steaming hocks, for she'd spent the last couple of hours running. To where, you may ask? Well, anywhere! The outback was her home, and the little spitfire had gotten it into her head that she would explore every inch of the place before she was claimed.

The mare snorted and splish-splashed out of the shallows, tossing her head gaily. The weather was fine and warm, Australian sunshine warming her black coat. Sparkling waters stretched before her, promising a wet relief if the sun proved to be too much to bear. Dejalo whickered and trotted out onto the damp sands, pausing for a second to scent the air.

Feeling no urge to worry, she dropped her head and began to snuffle in the sand.

[tingara]

On the other side of the steep rises that surrounded the lake a young stallion paced. He had never visited the lake that his adopted father had spoken of so fondly. It was here that Tingara had met his mate and Burnum was hoping to do the same. He wanted some of the lake’s magic for himself as well as being eager to see it. Although he missed his brother Prisma terribly, when the two had parted the appaloosa had a mare by his side, Burnum had felt like he would be an intruder if he stayed with the black colt. It had been a sad parting but one that had been inevitable.

For a year now Burnum had been exploring the High Country he’d even gone South to the tin mines and the Pilot, seen the strange wreck on the Quambat and had met the grey stallion named for the clouds that watched over the flat but nowhere had felt like home. Now the bay roan was back in the Kosciusko Range and ready to truly start his life as a stallion where he was born.

The summer sun began to grow hot on the trotting stallion’s back and he noticed his throat was dry. Burnum reached the peak of the rise and whinnied joyously at the sight of the alpine lake’s waters glittering in the sunshine. With a half-rear the bay roan raced down the steep hill, his sturdy hooves keeping the stallion from losing his footing on the rocks. Without slowing he plunged straight into the lake, whinnying at the incredibly cold water that rose up to greet him. Greedily he drank and blew bubbles with his nose in the water but stopped when he spotted movement on the opposite bank.

Slightly embarrassed that he hadn’t spotted her before, Burnum called out in greeting to the dark mare on the sand. He was unsure as to whether he should approach her or not. Instead he eyed her while standing shoulder deep in water.

[Xarae]

A lazy ear pricked at the sound of crashing hooves. Dejalo knew better than to be this lax with her attention, but currently there was a slow moving snail on the sand that occupied much of her attention. The mare nosed the thing and watched it roll over, receding back into it's shell. Huffing in disappointment, she lifted her head to observe the stallion who had submerged himself up to his withers. Deja chuckled to herself, pricking both ears now and taking a step forward. Her sharp blue eyes couldn't pick out any particulars, due to the fact that he was nearly treading water. She tilted her head slightly, inwardly debating.

It had been quite a while since she'd kept company with a stallion. The last male she'd known was a horrible brute; an old thing, and quite likely gone senile. While he was asleep (during one of his many naps), both Dejalo and a handful of other mares he'd stolen had taken their leave. By the side of a carcass was not her place, this she knew for sure. Deja wanted someone... respectable. Or, at least, a stallion who didn't take more naps during a single day than she had hooves.

Dejalo managed to contain her laughter at her own witticisms. Deciding to take to taking advantage of this pride opportunity, she picked up her sand-crusted hooves and began slogging through the damp stuff. Deja snorted and tossed her head, picking up a choppy canter towards the grass that would provide a far better turf. Once she reached the green, her hooves picked up more traction and she headed around the lake. She was a mare with a mission, no longer distracted by silly snails.

Deja reached the opposite shore in what she'd like to think was record time. Spotting the stallion once again, Dejalo whinnied sharply and threw a lively little buck. It was an easy decision to swim out and meet him; Deja was terribly curious, after all. The black mare trotted primly to the water line before throwing herself into the lake. The water rushed to meet her, sloshing over her hocks and then her canon bones. Before she knew it, the water was pooling around her withers.

She reached Burnum and smiled gamely, her hooves perched precariously on the damp sand below the waterline. "Hi there! I'm Dejalo."

[tingara]

Burnum watched the black mare intently, his eyes rarely straying from her. Her movements were so graceful as she cantered along the shoreline. He found his eyes wandering all along her finely shaped body and himself quivering in excitement. Even when he had run in the south no mare had caught his eye like this one. The beautiful daughters of the stallion of Quambat Flat didn’t hold a light to this strange black mare. The bay roan called to her again, inviting her to join him but it seemed it had been unnecessary. Before his call rang out in the lake’s wide valley the mare had plunged headlong into the icy water.

Burnum was shocked that a mare was willing to swim to a stranger she had not even spoken to before. As she neared the bay roan extended his russet muzzle to greet her. His nostrils quivered, taking in her beautiful scent over that of the water. When she spoke every inch of Burnum’s being strained to listen. Dejalo... the stallion repeated over and over in his head. Such an odd name but strangely fitting for the lively black mare.

”It is an honour to meet you Dejalo. I am Burnum, named for the great warrior my father is,” he introduced proudly. The father he spoke of was the great black King for the bay roan had never met his biological father before he had disappeared almost four winters ago. Playfully Burnum nipped Dejalo before swimming towards the middle of the lake. It scared him a little how fast the sand disappeared from underneath his hooves and that he could not see the bottom of the lake but he took care not to show his fear. ”Come, swim with me beautiful Dejalo,” he whinnied, his head bobbing up and down in the water.

[Xarae]

She could feel his eyes upon her. This attention was nothing new, but with Burnum she found herself exerting a little bit more. Deja focused a bit more, drew her scattered mind together and focused on him in return. It was the least she could do, for his shining eyes made her quiver with an excitement that she hadn't yet felt before. Stallions were one and the same to Dejalo, but this one seemed to have piqued her interest. The black mare tread water nearby, watching him drink in her words.

And drink he did. Burnum seemed to savor her voice like a fine wine, making her feel just that much more special. Dejalo shivered slightly, grinning despite herself. The mare was normally an excitable thing, but she was able to keep a clear head in the face of new situations. This time, however, her mind was a bit cloudy with the many possibilities this new stallion could offer. He traveled alone, and so alone Dejalo assumed he was. Any sane male wouldn't leave his mob alone for more than a few moments if he could help it, and Deja didn't think that Burnum was the type to be careless.

Beautiful?

That was new.

In a land filled with exotic palominos and pintos, roans and rabicanos, it was very rare that Dejalo was picked out of a crowd. This had made her a shade bitter, but Burnum's lovely compliment made her forget all about how plain she truly was. The delicate mare pushed off the wet sand and swum after him, neighing in response to his call. "Wait, warrior! I'm swimming as fast as I can!" Dejalo laughed, churning her legs beneath the water and making good pace towards him. The mare was slightly short than him, and so she had to work a bit harder to keep her head above the water.

Dejalo laughed and nipped his withers teasingly, treading water close enough by his side that her ribs occasionally brushed his own. "And what are you doing all alone, a fine young thing like yourself? Don't you have some pretty ladies to return home to?"

[tingara]

What a glorious feeling it was to be swimming in the ice alpine lake with the beautiful black mare. The bay roan called joyously to his mountainous home, proclaiming his happiness for all to hear. He was back in the High Country and already had found a mare to call his own, he hoped at least. It was up to her if she wished to run with him of course. Until now he had been alone, and alone he had been for so long. The south in all it had to offer had not offered him the happiness this single mare had brought him in one afternoon. At Dejalo’s call Burnum waited for her, his hazel eyes gazing at her softly, patiently. Never before had he been called warrior and the feeling from hearing it was strange but not unwelcome.

For a moment the young bay roan stallion was lost in thought, his powerful strokes keeping his head above water. The nip on his withers immediately brought him back to the lake and he laughed, beaming at the black mare. The touch of her skin against his made his breath hitch and his heart pump faster than he’d ever felt it before. All of a sudden Burnum felt shy as he coyly nipped Dejalo back.

The bay roan thought for a moment before stuttering, ”Alone I was but alone I hope I am no longer.” He had tried to sound like Tingara in all his wisdom and mystique but to his russet ears it sounded as though he had failed dismally. ”I am alone,” he said again, faltering slightly, ”for I have just returned from adventuring in the Southern Ranges .” The more Burnum spoke the more his confidence seemed to return. It wasn’t long before he felt completely comfortable drifting in the dark water beside the dark mare.

”Will you tell me what has brought you so high Dejalo? Where did you come from? What was your life like before this moment? For some reason I want to know every tale you have to tell,” the young stallion chattered excitedly, nuzzling Dejalo gently.