Peace and Quiet {Nepelle Herd}

[Ehetere]

Nepelle proudly led his little band through the narrow valley mouth and into the wide basin it revealed. There was a spring in his step and his head was held high; showing none of the anger or disappointment that he had shown in the days following his banishment of Goolara. He was now healed again; by the love of his two loyal mares.

He paused and snorted quietly, signalling that this would be where they were to stop. He trotted over to Kurrin and gently snuffled at her soft mane. Fira, he knew, needed no such affection to keep her happy. He was extremely grateful for her guidance when it came to things like organising everyone, not that there was actually that many to organise. Just Kurrin and Alinta. And he could probably have done that on his own without having to nip them. But well, she was good at it none the less.

He dropped his head to graze with his shoulder still brushing Kurrin’s. The valley itself was quite shaded, only being lit by the fading afternoon sunlight further dappled by the snow gums on the ridge above. It was quiet and peaceful, just right for a small herd such as this although it could quite easily feed a much larger herd. And it was a larger herd that Nepelle was thinking about. He loved his two mares very dearly; their little family was quite cosy. But he was six now that spring had come around again, and that urge to fight was stirring in his veins again. As was the longing for a larger herd. Surely a few more mares were not too much to ask for?

But to be perfectly honest; mares just floating around on their own were rather scarce at the moment, and Nepelle knew the only way to get some would to be to fight another stallion for some. Which meant the possibility of losing Kurrin or Fira to the. Not that he thought that Fira herself would leave without a fight, but if she thought him losing was an act of weakness who knew what she would do. But he simply couldn’t bear the thought of dear Kurrin in some other stallion’s herd. They were meant to be together, and Nepelle wasn’t about to put that future in jeopardy.

[Tiggs]

Spring was a new sensation for Kurrin this year. At the age of three years, she was ready to bare foals as her hormones repeatedly told her. She stuck close to Nepelle, her emotions in turmoil but generally with her overwhelming love for Nepelle presiding over the rest. Her fear about having her first foal made her stomach churn but when she looked to Nepelle, the fear was chased away by warmth that was too carnal just to be her love for him.

While the pregnant Fira grazed a little distance away, Alinta at her side as usual, Kurrin fussed over Nepelle. She was quite in the way when he wanted to graze, but he would persist in nuzzling his cheek and nibbling his ears and nose. They’d already consummated their love for the first time when her heat started, but it wasn’t called the breeding season for no reason, right?

Fira meanwhile ignored the couple. It would be another moon cycle until her foal by Nepelle was due, and only then would she pay Nepelle that sort of sickening attention. Each of her foals so far had been by a different father, and born every-other year. She was not getting any younger, so while she had a dependable stallion, she was going to eek him for all his worth. If this foal was healthy, Nepelle would be the first to father more than one foal out of her.

[Ehetere]

Nepelle felt that content warm feeling build up inside of him as Kurrin continued to fuss over him. He kept on sending her happy nickers, happy at she was happy. He would be a father soon, and as a stallion he felt a massive responsibility to keep his family safe. This was a wonderful basin and they could spend however long they liked here. That was one of the beauties of a small herd, you could move pretty much wherever you liked.

Fira was still standing a distance away, with not so little anymore Alinta at her side. She was resolutely cropping grass as usual, paying him almost no heed, but the fact that she was not currently harassing Kurrin was an improvement. Actually; Fira had been on exceptional behaviour lately. She had settled in almost comfortably since he had first convinced her to come with him, and for that Nepelle was extremely pleased indeed. She was after all a handsome mare, a prize for any stallion.

Experiencing the sudden need to go and at least compliment her leadership skills, Nepelle whispered in Kurrin’s ear, “You should eat some grass, dear one. You need to keep your strength up. I’ll be back in a minute.” He snuffled once more at her smooth muzzle and ran his own along her graceful neck before ambling over to where Fira was standing.

Her stomach was bulging; and she would give birth to her foal soon. Their foal. Nepelle had never fathered a child before; and it was a somewhat surreal experience. As on previous occasions, he found himself tongue tied in the older mare’s presence and while he thought of what he might say to her he nibbled absently at her mane to get her attention.

[Tiggs]

Kurrin whinnied to Nepelle and started to follow him but when she realised she was going to Fira, she paused. Blowing out a breath, she turned and snached up some blades of grass. It wasn;t too long before she became restless and seeing Nepelle was still with Fira, she kicked up her heels and jogged around the basin’s edge to burn off some energy.

Fira glanced up as Nepelle came over, and pleased by his affection which was rare toward her, she nickered and groomed his shoulder. She could see the filly prancing about, but she paid her no mind. For once she could sympathise with the little princess – this time of year was quite stressful. She nosed and nibbled at Nepelle’s back, lifting a rear hoof in warning when he spent too much time fussing over her abdomen. She might be allowing him the privilege of her presence, affection and child-baring capabilities, but he wasn’t to get too comfortable with it. He still had to prove he could be King.

The chestnut mare glanced to Alinta and gave a flick of her ear. The time would come soon that she might leave this herd, following some inbuilt instinct to do so, but Fira was wary. He last filly, Kimba, had become besotted with the wrong type and had wasted herself by being caught by man. Fira was determined that Alinta would not meet the same ends. Only the best was good enough for her daughters.

A thought occurred to her as Nepelle’s teeth grazed her spine. The only stallion worthy of her was Nepelle, so why shouldn’t Nepelle be the only stallion worthy of Alinta? She was not related by blood to him, and he had proven himself to be a protector. Smiling to herself, she nudged Nepelle away toward the trees so they could talk privatey.

“I want you to keep Alinta. You won’t let any old riff-raff lure her away – she is at that age – because you will be her stallion.” She told her chestnut stallion, meeting his gaze as if to challenge him to refuse. Whist Alinta might not be ready to bare foals just yet, she was ready to be wooed in preparation for it.

Meanwhile, Kurrin had stopped trotting about on the far side of he small basin and stood at the edge of the trees. She dare not go out of sight of Nepelle, and she stared wistfully over as he talked to Fira. She missed the rustle of leaves behind her, and only when a muzzle brushed her flank did she wheel in surprise.

Before her stood that sooty colt who had tried to woo her away last year. He’d grown and filled out a little since then, and she felt a traitorous stirring of attraction toward him. A gleam of something in his eyes suggested he’d realised what she’d been thinking, and she shied away. With perpose, the young stallion stepped closer, nickering softly, encouraging her. She stood and trembled, unsure of what to do.

He circled round her, glancing ever so often in the direction of the chestnut stallion but he was preoccupied with whatever the mare was saying. Thalera could barely contain his excitement. He could steal her away now! But that smell, it was so inviting, he couldn’t resist. He came to her rump and though her ears flattened in uncertainty, she did not move away. Taking it as an invitation, Thalera rose up on his hind legs behind her.

Kurrin spooked as his chest landed on her white-spotted rump and she squealed loudly and kicked out. She ran and after gathering his wits, Thalera chased after her. Forgetting the stallion, he followed the palomino mare back towards the chestnuts. Kurrin called out to Nepelle in panic, the sooty stallion gaining on her.

[yaruka]

OOC: Enter Wangara; aka "riff-raff" xD lol. I thought he'd make his entrance while Thalera was there to distract the others, given Fira's latest comment. So here we go, Wangara, the thread crasher....

BIC: Just downwind of Nepelle's herd grazed a sooty blue roan stallion, his body tough and lean, already scarred from the multiple conflicts he had engaged in his five years of living. His closeness to the other horses was no accident, Wangara had smartened up a little in the past year and was now determined to go after a mare he may actually have a chance of winning. He had seen the chestnut's herd, a pretty palomino appaloosa, a fiery chestnut mare, and an elegant bay that he could only assume was the daughter of the two chestnuts. The bay was at the right age to leave her herd, and, as she was his daughter, the stallion wouldn't likely put up too much of a fuss if he stole her off right? So Wangara had been following and waiting for the right moment to make his move, sure, she was a free mare, but better plan rather than act rashly like he had before. Wangara was determined not to spend this spring alone like he done the past two years.

And now it seemed the oppertune time had come. As the squeals of one of the mares met his ears, and then the scent of another young stallion, Wangara flung his head up and listened intently. The mare being chased was definately not his bay filly, so all was good. And surely the chestnut stallion would go after the other colt, rather than the one who sought his daughter, Wangara had seen how he doted on the palomino.

Hastily, the blue roan trotted off through the brush, the mottled light from the leaves helping to camouflage his dark coat. He wasn't quite as silent as those mythic silver brumbies the birds sung of but the two palominos were making sufficient noise to cover the sound of his hoof falls. As quickly as he dared he made his way around the clearing where the herd had been grazing, until, finally, he was directly behind the bay filly. Luck was with him, the palomino mare was still being chased by the sooty and the two chestnuts were farther up the clearing than the bay was. Cautiously, Wangara poked his head out of his cover and nickered gently to the filly, "Come with me."


OOC: ick, sorry this didn't come out very well :/

[Ehetere]

Nepelle’s heart warmed when Fira actually greeted him and returned his own grooming with some of her own. It was actually somewhat of a miracle in his eyes, but he wasn’t about to go and complain about it. Kurrin was trotting around the basin; seeming to Nepelle rather impatient that he was spending time with Fira and not her. But Fira was an equally part of the herd and he couldn’t simply ignore her.

Much to his surprise, Fira nudged him away and led off into the trees. Nepelle followed, despite being more than a little confused. Fira stopped and turned to face him. “I want you to keep Alinta. You won’t let any old riff-raff lure her away – she is at that age – because you will be her stallion,” she said. Nepelle had to resist the urge to step back a pace.

“I will?” he choked out uncertainly. It was a wonder he could even form comprehendible words he was so taken aback. To be perfectly honest he hadn’t even really considered Alinta as a member of his herd, since he had been sure it was only a matter of time before she left the herd in search of pastures new. It had never even crossed his mind to consider her as one of his own mares. As far as he was aware, Fira was the only reason she hadn’t left already.

Nepelle’s ears twitched ever so slightly, and the strangest scent was borne to him on the wind. But it was Kurrin’s terrified squeal that made his wheel around, his made and tail flying. Kurrin was thundering towards him with a colt on her heels. He couldn’t believe it. It was the same colt who had been foolish to come after her last year. And who knew what he had been trying on with Kurrin.

Nepelle saw red and positively roared as the sooty colt gained on Kurrin and he charged at them both; intending to chase the cheeky rascal down and then make sure he never came near Kurrin or any other young filly again.

[tingara]

Off in her own little world, Alinta had wandered a few paces from her mother’s side. The urge to leave and explore was stirring within the wild bay filly but it had be satiated with the arrival of a soft white butterfly. Curiously she watched it; soft brown eyes open wide in wonderment. She wanted to follow it as it fluttered between the snowgums and then into the surrounding country but Fira never would allow it. Life with Nepelle was good but mundane, he was kind and her mother seemed to like him but there were no other young horses to play with in his herd.

Instead Alinta had made her own fun whenever her mother wasn’t looking, like she was now, or dreamt of roaming the mountains and meeting her father. Once she had been told by a kangaroo that she had many brothers and sisters; oh how she wished she could meet them and play and frolic with them. Caught in her day dreams of her great family Alinta did not hear her mother give her to Nepelle but she did hear the voice behind.

With a loud squeal of fright the lithe bay filly took off but, upon seeing Thalera, shied again. Blindly she took off into the trees, unconsciously following the path of her snow white butterfly. Poor Alinta had received double the fright that she would have liked to have while day dreaming. It didn’t take long before she stopped, breathing hard and covered in sweat. The bay filly lowered herself into a ti-tree thicket and hid herself amongst the leaves, the strong scent making her sneeze as she did so.

[Tiggs]

Fira nipped her stallion, disapproving of his uncertainty. “Yes, you will. And you’ll treat her with the same respect you treat me, she’s—” describing how perfect her daughter was was cut off by their simulataneous turning at Kurrin’s squeal. The sooty colt gaining on her had grown, and by his stride, he was fast enough to outrun Nepelle now. The colt seemed intent on Kurrin, and Fira snorted in amusement when he noticed the enraged chestnut stallion and veered so sharply it looked as if he might fall.

Thalera had learned his lesson last time and rather than challenging the chestnut, he turned tail and fled. He’d taken a beating last time, and he was not keen on another one, even if there was a receptive mare involved. Ears pinned back, Thalera raced off toward the safety of the trees. He was more nimble now than the last time the chestnut had chased him, and he stood a better chance of losing the heavier male in the brush.

While Thalera was too busy escaping Nepelle to hear anything else, Alinta had squealed and bolted with a speed to match Thalera’s. Fira had turned back instantly at the distress of her filly and on seeing the other stallion peeking out from the trees, she screamed with enough fury to match Nepelle’s. She roared her challenge to the dark roan, her heart thundering in her chest as she reared and kicked out her front legs in a display of strength. How dare he frighten her daughter? This was exactly the sort of riff-raff she didn’t want chasing after Alinta, and he fact he’d scared her clean away was enforcing her point.

She advanced on the roan, warning him away. Alinta was out of her sight, and she was not best pleased about that. For a brief moment, she wished Nepelle were here to take care of the roan while she went after her daughter to keep her safe. She called him, expressing her worry for Alinta over Kurrin. The other colt would be hesitant to return, so this other stallion was the larger threat.

[Ehetere]

Nepelle was still charging full pelt towards the colt; throwing his whole body weight into it. The sooty veered sharply, avoiding a collision that would have sent him flying. He almost fell over anyway he changed direction sho sharply. Nepelle did not even falter in his run, thundering past Kurrin in pursuit of the colt. But he had grown and Nepelle had also; becoming heavier. The colt was far fleeter of foot than he and escaped into the trees.

His furious chase was halted however by Fira’s equally furious squeal. She skidded to a halt, having to dodge out of the way of a tree and spun around to race back to the clearing. Kurrin was back there, and if Fira sounded that enraged it could be nothing good.

He remerged to find Fira advancing on a roan stallion; only looking a little younger than him. He snorted incredulously: it was raining other males all of a sudden! How had their peace and quiet been shattered so quickly? Alinta was nowhere in sight, Kurrin standing around safely in sight thought which made him feel better. Fira looked worried, and that was hardly surprising. She was very protective of her daughter, and it seemed to Nepelle as though this roan was trying to lure her away. He then remembered Fira’s previous conversation, and figured he should do something about the new stallion

He trotted up to Fira’s side with purpose in his steps, his stance daring the other stallion to make a move. Any punishment that the younger stallion could dish out was far less than what Fira would do to him than if he did not at least try to protect her daughter. His stance offered challenge to the other stallion; because in this situation it was either the roan or him. Fira was a force of nature that could not be ignored.

[yaruka]

OOC: LOL I love how Nepelle deems Fira more of a threat than Wangara. I'm not even insulted on his behalf, because it's probably true xD

At his soft nicker a million things seemed to happen. The bay filly took fright and ran off, and Wangara was just about to go after her, regretting having startled her when suddenly that chestnut mare appeared, hurling maledictions at him and flinging her legs out like a stallion. Wangara was quite astounded and merely watched as the chestnut stallion approached him, offering him a clear challenge. Scrambling to get his wits together the blue roan snorted incredulously, "You would fight me to hold onto your daughter when she is of age to leave?" he asked the stallion, still reeling from the whirldwind of energy in the clearing. "But whatever is the point? It is only natural that she leave the herd someday, why not now, with me?" As he spoke, Wangara was eyeing up the chestnut stallion cautiously. This did not look like a battle he could win easily, if at all. And he wasn't all that keen on fighting for one mare that he should have been able to tempt away with too much fuss, it wasn't as if he was going after the chestnut mare or the palomino appaloosa who was quite clearly the stallion's mate. Silently he weighed his options, he could run off after the bay, stand and fight, or cut his losses and run off. He wasn't really pleased with any of the options, but he certainly didn't like his chances in a battle. Cautiously, he kept his gaze trained on the other stallion, waiting for the chestnut's next move.

------------------------------------------------------

Not far away a small group of horses were moving through the brush. At the sudden crashing of leaves the mare in the lead stopped, throwing her head up in the first sign of interest she'd shown in life in the last week. The blue roan watched as a bay filly raced through the bushes, her gaze slightly puzzled but still overshadowed by the grief that seemed to take a permanent hold on her. At the back of the group a chestnut roan had also stopped, her gaze flicking between her half-sister and the young ones to the bay. Kala wondered what the filly had been running from for she could see nothing to threaten a brumby in the brush today. But then the sound of squealing and angry stallions met her ears and she understood. Up ahead was some sort of fight, the bay must have fled it. Kala was just about to suggest that they go after the filly to try and comfort her when Jannali suddenly swung in the direction of the screaming, pushing through the undergrowth purposefully. Astonished, Kala followed, knowing that Jannali would not respond if she called her back and not willing to let her half-sister go off alone in her current state. But why on earth was Jannali so intent on going towards the sound of a certain fight, when the last one they had heard had brought with it such tragedy and personal loss for her blue sister? Kala did not question Jannali outloud though, simply kept an eye on the yearlings and watched for any sign of threat to them.

After only a few minutes they reached the edge of the brush and were overlooking a small clearing. In it was a very strange sight indeed. There was a young sooty blue roan stallion, and facing him were two chestnuts, both looking equally hostile though one was a mare. Kaiela, standing at her brother's flank, stepped forwards to get a better look at the situation, being so tiny that she was unable to see over the lower branches. Unfortunately her movement caused a twig to snap loudly and all three roans froze. There would be no time to retreat, any moment now those in the clearing would notice their prescense.


OCC: ewwwwwwww :/