Strikes in the rain(Open)

[Valatone]

It was roughly around midnight when a golden stallion stirred on the mountain side. Sheets of lightning and rain were flung down from the dark, clouded sky with roars of thunder. A large storm was right ontop of the Ash Forest, and a nearby BOOM woke the sleeping Yalkara, who slowly moved his graceful head up above his shoulders. The rain was only getting heavier, and his current shelter- a small, crooked tree - wouldn't do any good if there was a mudslide.

The storm didn't show any signs of ceasing through the dark clouds as the large chesnut galloped across the tilted slope, stopping once to have a small drink at a gathering creek. A clash of thunder, and a bright strike flared in his eyes like a matchstick striking the box, lighting a flame. Once he could see again, Yalkara shook his head with a snort. It was too wet for anything to set alight, luckily. Otherwise, Yalkara would of been consumed by thirsty flames.

He ran only faster, spooked by this show of nature. But he was not stupid and flighty, and after gaining some distance he stopped, looking over a bronze shoulder and flicking his tail. The storm was still going, but the sky seemed to have gone silent for the time being. Content, the stallion headed for the closest, biggest tree in sight, then lay down with his legs tucked beneath him.

[stormsnow]

A pale shape flitted among the trees of the Ash Forest. Eira, a two-year- old silver filly, moved noiselessly around, like a ghost. She looked for a suitable shelter from the rain, and she emitted soft snorts of frustration whenever she thought she had found a tree big enough, only to discover that there was a gap in the canopy of branches, letting water through and making her wet and irritable.
Finally, she thought she had found the perfect tree- only to find that a lot of the space beneath was occupied by a golden stallion! She would have scented him earlier, but the wind and rain made it hard to smell anything. Sighing with exasperation- being awake this late was not good for her- Eira whickered, "Excuse me, O stallion, do you mind if I share the shelter here awhile?" She told herself to calm down, as she waited for the golden stallion's reply.

[Valatone]

He looked up from his resting place beneath the tree, having heard sounds of an approuching brumby. Snorts, hoofbeats, then the sight of a silver filly. When Yalkara had been a youngster, silvers had been a lot rarer. But at the moment, there seemed to be many of them. But with them came all the many more legends. And he had no problem with them either- in fact, if he did have a problem with them, it was that other horses were bothered by them. He knew what a stirr they could cause around man. But really....

Hearing her question, he hated to see a young girl like herself in the cold rain. Before he even answered he rose, shifting over as far as he could without freezing in the rain himself, the plonking down again. "But of course," His quiet reply came after a moment, thunder rumbiling when he opened his mouth to speak. "This tree belongs to no one," As far as he knew, no herds were around. Yalkara didn't like to flit around them, but he did have intentions of seeing the great King one day.

The rumours of him striking down the white were everywhere, and the chestnut was curious to see this King. Tingara, they called him, with a mighty herd often grazing down in the valleys further away. It was not surprizing that no herds were around this Ash Mountain- he was fairly hungry at the moment. The grazing really wasn't well here, and every hour or so if travelling at a good pace, he'd find a clump of grass. But a big stallion like him couldn't sustain himself on just that.

[stormsnow]

Eira dipped her head and collapsed beneath the tree, a few inches from the stallion, her sigh of relief drowned out by a clap of thunder. Stretching out comfortably, she snorted and whinnied so she could just be heard above the storm. "If you do not mind my asking, what is your name?"

[Valatone]

After a moment of quiet and rest, Yalkara flicked his gentle eyes up to the mare. "My name?" He asked, hovering his voice above the storm. "Yalkara. What would the name be of a silver filly such as yourself?" Perhaps he was trying to charm her...or perhaps he was just being a gentleman. Either way, the storm seemed to be slowly little by little, and he knew it wouldn't be much longer until it slowed to a light drizzle.

Excited by the prospect of being able to move once again, Yalkara was soon up and moving around in the rain, never straying too far from the tree, yet happy to feel the rain in his eyes and mane as it slowed. Eventually, he sped up to a slow gallop around tree and tree, again and again, in almost a figure 8.

When he felt his legs were comfortable and stretched, Yalkara moved his brave face up, looking at the silver filly underneath the shelter of the tree. "And what brings you out here, silver one?" Just quiet chatter to fill in the time. Although she seemed hesitant to move since going underneath the tree, he was itching to romp the mountain side.

[stormsnow]

The silver filly replied, "Pleased to meet you, Yalkara. I am Eira, named for the snow in which I may hide." Looking around, she added wryly, "There's none around here, though." Turning her face toward the stallion, Eira heard his second question. "I was here looking for shelter, but mainly exploring, as I don't mind storms, and I've never been here before." She neighed softly, a thunderclap booming distantly. She twitched her ears. The storm was gettinf further away, she could tell, because the lightening strikes were less frequent, and the thunder wasn't all that loud anymore. But the rain still cascaded down. Eira whinnied to her companion, "Do you think the storm will be over soon?"

OOC: Sorry my posts are so short.

[Valatone]

(Would you mind making your post a bit bigger, please? It's hard for me to reply at the moment with my current muse level xD)

[stormsnow]

OOC: Done!

[Valatone]

(Sorry about that)

"Indeed," The stallion replied, looking around as if spying for snow. He smiled lightly, glad to be out and about. He moved over to a clump of grass and stuck his nose into it, tucking in for a light feed. But that only took seconds, and there didn't seem to be much more grass around. "I haven't been here for a very long time..." He replied, "There seems to be less and less grass each time I come back though!"

With a light chuckle he twitched his ears as she did, hearing the thunder passing off as he stood up, flicking his tail. "I think so, but this rain doesn't seem to stop, does it?" With a patient look to the sky, his eyes wandered back to Eira. "Why don't we move from here? Maybe further down the mountain, there'll be more grass,"

[stormsnow]

Eira readily agreed. "Alright. Will you race me?" She asked, getting up. Her eyes shone challagingly at the handsome stallion.