Vultures Circling [Tingara/Nev Daughters]

[Tiggs]

It was quite a bit of luck that the King’s herd had passed this way. The trail was impossible to miss. Thalera had heard that there were some young fillies ripe for the picking in the King’s herd! And as they were his daughters, he wouldn’t mind so much if he gathered them all up and took them away!

The sooty palomino trotted along the group’s trail as it meandered through the scrub. He was feeling confident. He was three now, really ready to collect and hold fillies. He could feel his muscles working in his legs and hindquarters, and though there was nobody to see him just yet, he arched his neck proudly. His sooty tail flagged behind him, white-flaxen hairs mixed heavily with black. Unlike his father, his mane was clear of black hairs, it was his tail that was darker.

Finally the trail widened into a valley, and in it grazed a herd of mares and fillies. Thalera couldn’t help but stare. The mares were all very interesting, but it was the group of fillies dancing on the fringe of the herd that caught his attention. Wow. If they weren’t prime stock, he didn’t know what was! They might not have been goldens or silvers, but the collection of dark and mottled coats were just stunning. he’d never seen so many beautifully-built fillies. He supposed that’s what you got when you visited the King’s herd. Good blood.

Making his way around the adult mares, he neared the fillies (luckily downwind of the King – a happy coincidence) and began to buck and rear in his excitement. Some were only yearlings – not much point taking them yet – but the two and even three-year-olds were just what he was looking for. Cantering a circle to burn off his excess energy, he came to a halt and called to them.

He was pleased to hear that his voice was deeper now, more fitting to a stallion of his calibre. He called again, trying to be appealing as possible. It was the slate grulla and roan three-year-olds that really caught his attention. He called to them specifically, tossing his dark head so his pale flaxen mane caught the breeze. He tried a deep nicker, attempting to lure the fillies away from the yearlings.

[yaruka]

It was a beautiful day, the sunshine seeming to chase away the cloud of sadness that had hovered over the herd since that fateful night and bringing out the life in all the horses. Bindaree was acting unusually immature, racing after Wyralla to nip her teasingly on the flank. Just as she was spinning about to run off she caught sight of a young golden stallion standing watching them from a few feet away. Bindaree stopped dead, apparently they had all been too busy playing to notice this newcomer. But instead of calling worriedly to the other mares as she might have done last year Bindaree felt herself inexplicably intrigued by this odd young stallion. She stood frozen, ears pricked forwards curiously, long legs braced exactly as she'd stopped. Her dark eyes watched the palomino as he called to them, and suddenly she felt an odd tremor run through her body, the blood in her veins coursing with excitement. This new horse was, thrilling. Not to mention pretty handsome too. For once the faultlessly sensible filly felt impulsive. Had she not been waiting for her moment to start over her life, to forget about the death of her father and the departure of her dam, Kala, and the other young horses that had left recently? Not fully sure what possessed her to do it, she answered his call, her whinny much higher, shaking slightly in her uncertainty.


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Bindaree had stopped so suddenly that Wyralla almost went crashing straight into her. Luckily, the little chestnut had good breaks and managed to pull up just before she hit her friend's shoulder. Noticing Bindaree's occupation with something, the chestnut turned to look and was astonished to see a strange stallion watching them. Not as cautious as her cousin, Wyralla immediately began to approach the newcomer, prancing up to him and squealing excitedly as she got close enough to bump her nose against his muzzle. The chestnut filly was still too young to feel the desire that possessed Bindaree to look for a new herd but she was never one to pass up the oppertunity for some fun.
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Boorana had been unusually calm throughout the other fillies' games, choosing to tease playful Kurrawa instead. The slate grulla filly had heard of her sire's death and come to pay her respects to the noble grey and check to make sure that Taworri, Biara and Kurrawa were all okay. She had spent the last few days with the herd, sharing in her grief with what was left of her family and with wise old Durroon, the filly had always been fond of Nevada's lead mare.

When the palomino called Boorana picked up her head with interest, she had not noticed him approach, having been so focused on her dam and siblings. She then noticed Bindaree's unusual focus on the young stallion, and snorting softly came trotting up to her half-sister, giving her a teasing nip to the shoulder that Bindaree acknowledged with only a brief flick of her ears. Wyralla went prancing over to the stallion, and not one to miss out of anything exciting, Boorana followed. She could feel the stallion's eyes on her, clearly he thought she might like to come with him. Scoffing at his audacity, she sidled up to him before giving him a sharp nip on his shoulder, clearly expressing her disinterest, and in this case, unavailability. She squealed and went running off into the thick of the herd, she had no idea who this stallion was, and she certaintly wasn't going with him, but she wasn't going to make it easy for him to walk off with her half-sisters. He was going to have to work for it. Plus, this could be a good game.

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Biara had also raised her head curiously to watch the palomino, but unlike Boorana she did not go over to him. Pressing closer to Taworri, she hardly ever left her dam's side these days, she began to groom the Moon Filly's back gently, keeping an eye on Kurrawa who was shaking with surpressed excitement beside her. Even without looking Biara recognized the loudest squeal as Boorana's. The silver grullo sighed, poor colt, he was only trying to charm some unclaimed fillies, why did her sister always have to make trouble? Any initial surprise element the palomino had been hoping to have was quite clearly lost now, Boorana had made sure of it. And poor Werrilah, her sister never made it easy for him, she hoped he wouldn't interpret her sister's foolish and excitable behaviour as infidelity.
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As her daughter began to groom her withers Taworri raised her own head to reciprocate the favour. She glanced briefly at the palomino colt, assessing him as no danger, he was only a foolish three year old, brimming with overconfidence as all males were in the spring. When Biara was the only filly not to have a closer look she nudged her daughter gently, wondering why she expressed no interest in the quite handsome colt. She was worried about Biara, her father's death still disturbed her, and she seemed to feel it was her personal responsibility to look after everyone else in the herd. Rather like herself actually. Taworri nudged her daughter again, wordlessly inquiring why she did not go to the young stallion. The only response her youngest daughter gave was to groom her withers more vigorously.
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Curiousity was finally getting the best of him. As an unrelated male in the King's herd, Kurrawa was generally pretty self-contained and well-behaved, for a colt at least. But this new stallion was just asking for a fight. Making to sneak off while Taworri was occupied with his sister Kurrawa froze in his tracks at Taworri's nicker, a gentle reprimand. Unable to deny his mother anything these days, she always seemed so sad, Kurrawa turned back, a frusterated look on his face. But when the palomino nickered to his half-sisters again he couldn't help but fling his own challenge out, his whinny still coltish but impressive, in his mind at least. He had to protect his sisters from this ridiculously brash new stallion. He was sure they wouldn't want to go with them.
Taworri just sighed, Kurrawa was only a yearling but he was ready to take on the world. Given that he was only a yearling, she had to keep careful tabs on him, or she was afraid he was going to get himself in too deep.
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Wirruna, like Taworri, basically ignored the young stallion. It was quite clear he was not much of a threat, and those were not her daughters that he was flirting with. Kooralaoo remained indignantly by her mother's side, ears halfway back at the bold attitude of the palomino. He wasn't getting her to go anywhere near him.


OOC: sorry some of it's a bit sloppy. It's hard writing everyone in reaction to just one thing lol.

[Tiggs]

Thalera was pleased to see that the young roan was rapt with interest: exactly what he had hoped. The grulla was promising up until the point that she nipped his shoulder. He squealed and flicked his ears back in warning but she pranced away before he could return the favour. He called her back but she raced off to the herd, though the sooty palomino was soon distracted by the younger chestnut filly.

She seemed to have no hesitancy and he greeted her with a firm nuzzle, rubbing her cheek with his dark and pink nose. He looked over to the blue roan when he rubbed the chestnut filly’s back, conveying his promise to give her the same affection in his dark eyes. The chestnut filly was a delightful little thing, but it was the three-year-old that really caught his eye. He was not the sort to pass up an opportunity, however.

As the sounds of the herd fade into background noise, Thalera ignored the sound of the yearling’s challenge and the stares of the other on looking mares. “What’s your name, filly?” He asked the chestnut, attempting to sound mature and suave. He might have managed to sound genuinely interested if he wasn’t glancing to the roan every other second.

[Corowa]

Werrilah had been grazing on one snowgrass slope. A light wind lifted his mane and tail, and the bars of sunlight glistened brilliantly in the silver-white hairs of his mane and tail. All of a sudden, the young stallion lifted his head from the snowgrass, and stood with ears pricked. His nostrils quivered and he stood completely still, searching for something he had been sure was there. When the wind gusted more strongly, the young stallion squealed furiously, for the scent had returned, and he could feel himself suddenly, terribly afraid. Werrilah remembered Boorana had been grazing with the other mares and fillies on the high grassy flat, and he gazed up towards where the mob had been.

He began to feel uneasy. Boorana was only a young mare, and even though she was spirited and swift, she could not match the strength of a mature stallion. Then he heard a call from somewhere up the steep slope, and Werrilah hurried on up the narrow corridor of snowgrass, both sides surrounded by bush, the huge mountain ash and slender candlebarks. He leapt swiftly up the slope, bounded from one snowgrass tussock to another, and muscles rippled beneath his silver-white hide. In the full light of the sun, Werrilah was a splendid young stallion, with the promise of swiftness in his powerful hindquarters. And he trusted in this very swiftness now, for faster and faster he raced until his hooves barely touched the snowgrass. Only when he reached the summit of that great slope did the colt stop to catch his breath, no longer so noticeable in the thick leaves of the snowgums.

The mob of mares and fillies were spread out over the grassy flat, and from here, Werrilah looked anxiously for Boorana, as for a moment, he wondered if she had vanished. Then something moved through the mob of mares, and it was Boorana, the young mare more beautiful than he had ever seen. Werrilah’s gaze moved towards the line of trees at the other end of the flat, and he realised while palomino stallion was only young, not much older than he was, he was near his prime. Never had Werrilah been so enraged, and he could feel himself filled with a terrible furiousness, but surely, this stallion would not take Boorana. Suddenly, unable to contain himself, Werrilah went up on his hind legs and gave a great trumpeting challenge. While all of these fillies belonged to his sire, Boorana was his, and she would never run with another.

The colt burst from the cover of the snowgums. He raced on through the mob of mares as he chased after the brown filly. Werrilah realised he might have to fight this young stallion, and he could feel himself tense all over, for he was not sure he was strong enough to drive the stallion away so he might never return. Finally, he neared the foolish young mare, and Werrilah rolled his eyes as he cantered in a wide circle about the filly, driving her back to her sister and mother. When his shoulder bumped hers purposefully, Werrilah reached over and nipped her. “Do not think to do such things again,” he said, not unkindly. The mare and her two-year-old daughter stood with the other mares, and Werrilah stopped in his headlong gallop. Biara huddled close to Taworri, and Werrilah extended his nose to both mare and filly to reassure them.

Her yearling colt was there, and Werrilah wondered where Tingara was, for he realised Myrrina was not with the other mares either. And surely, he did not think two colts, one no more than a yearling, strong enough to chase off another stallion. The young stallion was heavier than Werrilah, with the broad chest and thick neck of a stallion near his prime. Werrilah gave a nervous snort, and looked over at Kurrawa, for it had been the yearling, whose call had gone ringing out over the mountains. “Boorana,” he said, turning to the filly, “Stay close to your mother and run if I tell you. I may have to fight if Tingara does not come, and I could not stand to lose you to another.” For a moment the colt stood, let his nose move gently over her face and about her ears, and then he stepped lightly away, suddenly aware of how strongly he felt for her. With that proud, swinging step, Werrilah moved purposefully forwards, even as he could feel himself trembling all over, so torn was he between excitement and fear.

OOC: Haha poor Werrilah, so jealous. Also sorry for the somewhat powerplay of Boorana, hope she won't hold it against him!

[tingara]

Thalera’s antics had not gone unnoticed by the King, only ignored for the moment. The young stallion had not shown any interest in the older mares and so Tingara would tolerate him until the time came for him to step in and chase the youngster away. For the moment the black stallion grazed contentedly, still moving stiffly from his latest fight. It was a fight he did well not to dwell on for it was one that had drained him both physically and emotionally.

Eventually Tingara realised that he could not ignore the other stallion forever. Eventually he stopped grazing and wandered to where the younger horses of the herd often played and frolicked. His step was light but did not mask previous injuries, and his head was held high with pride and strength. The King regarded the pale colt, calling out a warning to him but he did not yet intervene. Instead he watched Werrilah, his pale son was so ready to challenge to stranger over Boorana. It filled the black stallion with pride to know that one day his son would make an excellent leader.

||OoC: Castelle and Cooma will come later in the thread if I remember >>;;||

[yaruka]

OOC: lol Corowa, I don't know, Boorana's pretty independant...she may just

BIC: Huh, this was a little bit more attention than she'd been expecting thought Wyralla as the palomino rubbed his muzzle along her back. She did not fail to notice that his eyes remained trained on Bindaree, though this did not upset the chestnut. Actually, the roan was welcome to share in some of this affection, Wyralla was finding it to be a little too much, at the moment.
What's your name, filly? inquired the stallion, gaze still flickering more often than not towards Bindaree.
Wyralla snorted, "Who are you calling "filly" colt? Don't you know that's not the proper way to address someone you don't know?" The chestnut tossed her head, wondering if she should play up the whole "daughter of a king thing." Nah, not yet, though if this stallion insisted on impoliteness then it may come up sometime in the near future. Still, in spite of the fact that she was currently at the mercy of a quite powerful looking, strange stallion, Wyralla remained completely, and perhaps foolishly, unafraid.
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The willowly blue roan filly barely noticed as Boorana galloped past her into the midst of the herd. She was too busy watching the fascinating young stallion. He was standing with Wyralla, and Bindaree felt herself tremble with unknown emotion as the gaze of the sooty palomino passed over her. He was affectionatly rubbing at Wyralla, and though the chestnut filly looked more disgruntled than appreciative, Bindaree thought that it might actually be nice to be loved by a stallion in that way. So, hardly believing that she did so, the blue roan stepped forwards, her long legs carrying her forwards towards the stallion, and a new life. Her mother, aunt and cousins had all left the herd and her father was dead. There was no life left for her here, so why not take the chance?
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When Werrilah first appeared over the slope Boorana had not realised just how angry the colt was. But as he tore after her, ears pinned she had slowed, flicking her own ears backwards and kicking out sideways in warning to the colt when he got too close. When the silver stallion's shoulder bumped hers and she felt his sharp teeth pinch her skin the filly squealed angrily, propping to a stand still just as she reached her mother and siblings. Head raised high and eyes also rolling, the smoky grulla filly looked angrily at the colt as he spoke. Tossing her head as though to throw off a bothersome fly she snorted, "Do not think to boss me around, for I shall do what I want."

But the colt's attention was already focused elsewhere. Boorana's ears looked just about ready to be permanently plastered to the back of her head when the colt spoke again: “Boorana,” he said, “Stay close to your mother and run if I tell you. I may have to fight if Tingara does not come, and I could not stand to lose you to another.”

The filly just clacked her teeth angrily in response, refusing to look the colt in the eye. Who was he to boss her around? And besides, what made him think he needed to fight the other stupid stallion? She certainly wasn't going with the palomino, so why bother fighting? The sooty couldn't make her go with him. But though she would never admit it, she was slightly concerned by Werrilah's words. He was at least a year younger than the other stallion, any fight he took a part in he would not escape without injury, and that was if he was lucky. If the white stallion wasn't careful, he could end up killed by the other.

Suddenly Boorana felt Werrilah's soft skin against her nose, still annoyed with him the grulla stood unmoving, head raised high, as the colt's muzzle moved gently over her face. She did nothing to stop him, but she wasn't softening, not yet. And when the colt did move away towards the palomino she followed. If Werrilah was going to fight then she was going to watch, not from behind the sidelines, but right up front.

Boorana had intended to watch the fight with as much cold indifference she could muster, for Werrilah's 'benefit', yet watching the white colt approach the palomino a sudden shiver of inexplicable fear ran down her spine. Werrilah looked so young and fragile next to other stallion, there was no way he could hope to win. And though she had never said it outloud, she could not bear to lose him either. So for once in her life Boorana was afraid, the unfamiliar feeling gripping her insides like ice and welding her legs to the ground so that she could not have moved away even if she had wanted to.
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Taworri looked on in concern as Werrilah appeared on the scene, driving Boorana back towards herself, Biara and Kurrawa. The dynamics had changed now, as long as the palomino had assumed Boorana belonged with Tingara's herd the stallion was unlikely to try and force Boorana to come with him. But now that he had surely realised Boorana belonged to another colt, well who was to say the sooty wouldn't challenge Werrilah? Especially since Werrilah was clearly younger than him. Chocolate eyes wide with worry, she nickered to the white colt as he bumped noses with her.
"Be careful Werrilah," she said "The palomino is older than you, and much heavier. Do not fight unless you must." The Moonfilly could feel the colt's sense of anticipation and it concerned her. Many a fight had been lost by an inexperienced colt overcome by new feeling and excitement. And she did not wish to see Werrilah fail. Or worse, be maimed by this older colt. As the colt pranced away the mare sighed softly, nudging Biara whose eyes were also round with concern. Oh what trouble her eldest daughter always created. She only hoped that it wouldn't cost Boorana something she held dear this time round.
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Biara had flinched as Werrilah touched his nose to hers briefly. To be perfectly honest, the white colt slightly intimidated her. And besides, he was Boorana's, that was undeniable. She did not wish to compete with her sister for the white colt's affection. She had a feeling that would be a losing battle anyways, the two shared some queer bond that at two years of age Biara could not quite understand just yet.
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This was all too much for poor Kurrawa. Between Werrilah making his grand entrance, to his sister and the colt rushing into their midst, and then the challenge Werrilah had clearly issued the palomino Kurrawa was being driven mad by a desire to do something. Half-rearing in frusteration as Werrilah spoke to his mother and sisters, the colt tossed his head impatiently. He wanted to do something. With no outlet for his energy the colt began to paw furiously, digging a deep furrow with his front right leg.
The white colt finally acknowledged him and Kurrawa stopped pawing. He somewhat idolized Werrilah, the young stallion being the only older colt in the herd than him. Snorting eagerly, he half reared to demonstrate his eagerness to help fight, barely able to contain this wild energy that coursed through his veins.
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Kooraloo remained unbothered by Boorana's mad dash through the herd and Werrilah's pursuit of her. Only when the white colt passed a little too close to her (about five feet but still...) did she show any sign of noticing them, and this was only to pin her ears and raise her hind leg warningly. Stupid colt, with his stupid love for that foolish Boorana. Honestly, if she were a stallion, the grulla wouldn't be worth her time, no matter how pretty she was. Wirruna grazed quietly beside her daughter, only her flickering ears belying her focus on the what was going on up the flat. But still, Tingara was here and that reassured her. He wasn't the king for nothing, he'd have that sooty palomino out of here in no time if it became necessary.

[Tiggs]

Thalera paused in his affections toward the chestnut at her hard remark. His soot-smothered ears flicked back against his pale mane for a moment, and his dark eyes turned stormy. She was just a chestnut, yet she spoke as if she were the most beautiful mare in the High Country. Only a mare like that was permitted to talk to him that way. He might have scoffed at her until he reasoned that she was a King’s daughter, and while she was boring to behold, she might one day carry for him pristine foals.

His ears eased forward and his eyes softened again. “You are right – your majesty – who am I to call you ‘filly’? I am in awe, for I am faced with a multitude of princesses!” He arched his neck, pleased at the words he was crafting. She would have to believe such a convincing act. “It is only my dream that you and your sisters might run with me, for we would spread our – your – beauty across the High Country and be the envy of every herd!”

His attention was caught then by a white shape darting between the herd, chasing after the slate grulla who had nipped him. Another colt after the King’s fillies? The other mares did not seem bothered by him, so his protective nature over his sisters must be commonplace. After a brief evaluation, Thalera deemed the white colt handsome and young enough to beat. He threw his head high, showing his confidence over the prospect of a challenge from the white. He did not even register the uptight yearling as a potential threat.

While striking his defiant pose, he saw the roan he had been trying to impress making her way over. She seemed unsure, but Thalera was delighted. He whinned, excited and expectant. The white was getting closer, and he could see the hulking black shape of the King himself making his way over. His heart lurched with excitement, and he danced backward, still tossing his head with ears perked forward.

He called to the beautiful roan and her chestnut sister. As though he couldn’t help himself, he gave another call to the smoky grulla, and another to each of the young fillies he could see. He propped on his haunches, ran a little distance and threw a taunting neigh to the white colt. He spun, reared and called loudly for the fillies again. As soon as his pale hooves bit the earth again, he spun and ran a little more, pausing to see who might be following.