Wild Echoes Ringing [Nepelle Herd / Open]

[Ehetere]

It was a warm autumn afternoon in Yarraman’s Valley. There was very little movement - the windless weather and cloudless sky provoking an overall lazy atmosphere. The bush creatures could be found sprawled out under shady overhangs or elsewhere playing in cooling streams.

The peace was shattered why a trumpeting neigh - which echoed loudly off the valley’s walls and filling the air with noise. A flame red stallion stood at the mouth of the valley with his proud head thrown up high, leading his herd. A few of the kangaroos looked up with interest: this was the valley of Kings. This stallion certainly was not one.

Nepelle knew this for sure, but had come here with the confidence that there would be no other brumbies in the valley. In truth he had come here not only to seek new fresh grazing for his herd, but also to escape from the looming shadow of the real King, Tingara. Feeling guilty about having his entire herd comprised of members who used to follow Tingara, Nepelle had travelled northwards to finally reach the well known valley.

He loped forwards - the valley’s desolation giving him confidence in himself. He was a stallion in his prime, and there was no other horse, save the King, whom he knew of who could take that away from him.

He nickered encouragingly to his mares and their offspring, indicating that this was where they were stopping and that they could graze if they so wish. He could not help but feel his heart swell with pride at the sight of them - his own herd.

It had even increased in size from his modest herd of none but Kurrin and Fira, to accommodate two new mares - Kala and Jannali who had come from Tingara’s herd, but to Nepelle’s understanding had come from another stallion whom Tingara had fought and won them off. Nepelle liked the mares - they were sensible and had lovely coats. They were indeed welcome additions to his growing family.

Each mare aside from Kurrin already had a foal at foot, sired by another stallion. Nepelle did not treat these foals as of lesser importance; they were young life that needed protecting. However he did feel a closer bond and fatherly pride towards his firstborn from Fira - Wallina. The filly had certainly caused a bit of trouble as it seemed she had inherited a stubborn spark from her mother. But she was beautiful - everything a stallion could wish for in a daughter.

[tingara]

Just like any old day that she had lived through the past two years, Alinta the wild bay filly followed the herd obediently at the back. Normally she would have been at her mother’s side but lately Fira had been pushing her towards Nepelle and away from her. Alinta just assumed it was because of her new half-sister, not because her mother willed her to become the mate of the stallion she followed. The filly gave a contented sigh as she wandered behind the others, her soft brown eyes surveying a land she had not seen in a long time.

The valley of the great Yarraman had been where her father had resided, perhaps he and all her half-siblings were still there. Oh how Alinta would have loved to see all of them again. Alas there was neither sign of hide nor hair of the black king’s herd, just an eerie silence. As they neared the entrance to the valley a feeling of dread made the bay filly’s skin crawl. Apprehensively she still followed but the deeper they travelled the more she felt they shouldn’t be here. It occurred to her that the King’s herd would not have relocated unless absolutely necessary but she did not voice this concern for she knew it was not her place.

Although usually docile even Alinta had her limits and the feeling of dismay and sadness mixed with fear of something unknown was more than she could take. With a whinny of fright, the bay filly shied and took off, back the way the herd had come. Unbeknownst to her the feelings coursing through her were ones that went with sensing that another horse had died nearby.

[Tiggs]

Kurrin, who always followed Nepelle closely, came to a halt beside him. With wide eyes, she looked around the valley. Usually it was teeming with life, he father’s gargantuan herd taking up the whole space. But since the last challenge for Kingship, the herd had left this place for lower country and now the bones of that challenger were scattered and bleaching somewhere in this valley.

The spotted palomino gave a sad sigh, and she rested her head on her mate’s neck for comfort. This was the valley where she had grown up, and so see it so desolate brought dismay down on her like a fog.

Omeo and Jiba both recognised the valley, and along with their mothers Jannali and Kala, and Omeo’s twin sister Kaiela, it was here they had witnessed the death of their father. Jiba started as she realised where they were, but Omeo – who trusted Nepelle’s judgement – gave each of his sisters a comforting nudge. The bay dun roan, determined not to let his sisters mope, tried to entice them into a game.

It was at this point that Alinta shied and bolted. Her mother, Fira, who had been travelling behind Nepelle turned to look. She tossed up her head, and called her back. She was genuinely surprised when her daughter did not skid to a halt and run back! Normally she would have gone after Alinta herself, but with Wallina by her side, she looked to Nepelle to perform the task.

To Fira, she was being ridiculous. Brumbies died all the time, and she could at least be proud that it had been her father that had been the victor here. Fira was not bothered in the least by the oppressive nature of the valley. She was even glad to be back. She dropped her head to graze, encouraging her more sensible daughter to do the same.

Omeo had gestured or his sisters to stay close to their mothers, and he took off after Alinta. He should have perhaps asked Nepelle first, but the yearling colt could follow Alinta much more easily through the bush than the bulky chestnut stallion. It was lucky that Fira had not seen him follow her daughter. She was always scolding him for even talking to her, and his roaned pelt already had dark marks from her vicious bites.

Jiba watched her half-bother go, and then turned to her half-sister Kaiela. The twins were usually inseparable, she’d noticed, but when that bay Alinta was in the picture it was another story. She comforted her sister with an affectionate nibble, assuring her that Omeo would be back soon. The dread that had spooked Alinta hovered over the young blue roan filly, and she stubbornly resisted the need to flee for the sake of her sister, mother and aunt. They had all seen the death of Nevada, and they did not need to be reminded.

[yaruka]

Kaiela, like Alinta, had felt a sense of dread when she realised where Nepelle was leading them. Though once a happy place, her memories of this valley were now tainted with sadness and horror, the death of her sire the first thing she associated with it now. As they entered deeper and deeper into the valley she began to tremble slightly with dread, it was only Omeo’s reassuring nudge that calmed her slightly and enabled her to continue to follow Kala’s reassuring figure. Suddenly Fira’s bay daughter bolted. Kaiela threw up her head in surprise, watching with dismay as Alinta fled the herd. Her body shook as she longed to follow her away from this dreadful place, but Omeo’s reminder and her bond with her mother kept her frozen in place. It was still harder for her to resist fleeing when Omeo took off after the filly, Kaiela hated being separated from her brother and was full of concern for his welfare. Flashes of dreadful memories clouded her mind as she began to panic and shake even harder than before. But Jiba’s touch reawakened her to the present and allowed her to calm again, turning, she nuzzled her half-sister and cousin affectionately in return, they were going to have to stick together on this one.
---------------
Kala was also disturbed by their return to the valley, though she did not blame Nepelle who could have hardly guessed their connection to both victor and fallen in that dreadful fight. Perhaps the chestnut stallion wasn’t even aware of the bloodshed this clearing had seen not all that long ago. Even so, her association with Yarraman’s Valley was overwhelmingly painful. Almost desperately, she concealed her distress at the memories that returned, more dreadful the deeper they got into the valley. She wasn’t all that concerned for herself, but she knew she needed to be strong for her son and daughter, and their cousin, and perhaps most of all her half-sister Jannali. For though Kala had loved Tingara and Nevada both, Jannali had been absolutely devoted to the fallen grey stallion, his death having affected her perhaps the most deeply of all. It had taken months for her to regain any semblance of normality and Kala feared this return to the place of Nevada’s death would set her half-sister back into her private world of grief. When first Alinta, and then her son Omeo, bolted off, Kala grew more upset, though trusting her son to be sensible she focused her energy on reassuring Kaiela and Jiba, Jannali seemingly beyond help already. The blue roan mare couldn’t even reassure her own daughter now, walking mechanically, her eyes were clouded with unconcealed grief.
Finally Nepelle called for them to stop, Kala breathing out a sigh of relief as he did so. They had not yet reached the place where Nevada likely still lay, she could only imagine the distress the sight of his body would cause among her family. Dropping her head to graze, though she hardly felt like eating at all, she tried to maintain an air of normality, encouraging Kaiela and Jiba to do the same and casting occasional anxious glances at Jannali who still stood trembling, staring about her at the valley she had never loved like the others.

[Ehetere]

Nepelle noticed the unrest of his mares quite soon, but was quite mystified as to why they might react to this valley in this way. He could not have known what transpired here, nor did he know the participants. Tingara he had met but the once, but Nevada never.

Alinta bolted back up the valley after shying violently, and Nepelle called after her, commanding her to come back. Her pace did not falter however, and Nepelle was torn over what to do. Chase after Fira’s wayward daughter, or stay here and try and calm his restless herd. Fortunately, Kala’s colt Omeo made the decision for him, streaking away after Alinta. Nepelle snorted half in annoyance, for he was the stallion here and not some weanling colt! But he resigned himself to an impossible situation and returned to trying to sooth his anxious mares.

He whickered softly; trying to reassure them, yet at the same time listened closer to the silence of the bush creatures. There was oppressiveness… heat? No, it was something more subtle, and Nepelle began to get the impression that something terrible had taken place here. Coming from southern lands, he had not grown up in the High Country, and therefore did not know all of its many legends; however he had now been living here long enough to know that Yarraman’s Valley had once been a place of death. Perhaps history was repeating itself.

The cries of the birds now seemed more mournful, and Nepelle could only guess about what great battle may have taken place here. He snorted determinedly, stamping a foot. He did not fear the dead as some other brumbies may. As a young thing, he had discovered the body of a young stallion who had been courting his father’s fillies, and fear had gripped his heart. His mother had told him to hush then, and that the dead were nothing to fear, and neither was death. He would not go fleeing from a dead horse like a startled rabbit - the dead were to be remembered and honoured.

He could not have guessed though, the closeness this particular body might hold for the rest of his herd. They were all from Tingara at one point or another, so perhaps he should have guessed that it may cut them deeper than simple fear. But he did not think this; for it could have been any stallion that Tingara had beaten to the ground. Instead he nuzzled Kurrin for comfort, recognising her fear and trying to make her see without the aid of words that she should not fear it.

Jannali, the handsome blue roan whom he had only recently acquired, seemed the worst affected with half possessed pacing. Compassion shot through him, for the thing he wanted most in this world was for his mares to feel happy, safe, content and loved. He walked over slowly, extending his nose out for comfort should she seek it, and whispered soothingly, “Hush now, hush now…” just as his mother had done so many winters ago.

He did not know whether his words and sympathy would help in the slightest, for words from a mother always had more effect. Desperately he called Kurrin over, dear sweet kind Kurrin, hoping that she may be able to help him calm the anxious mares. He hated seeing any of them in a state like this.

“What is it that you wish?” he asked the blue roan, looking at her with sad brown eyes. “We will leave for better country if it will bring you peace.”

But in reality, Nepelle knew that this valley did hold some of the best grazing for a growing family, especially at this time of the year. They might have to travel a great many more days if they wished to find grazing to equal it, and there were many herds of whom may have already beaten them there. He was in no mood at the moment to fight for his food, although he would if he must.

[Tiggs]

Fira was furious. Was that all he would do, call her back?! She wheeled toward him, the colt’s departure unseen. She gave Wallina a nip on the shoulder, warning her not to try any similar tricks, and stormed over to Nepelle.

In the short time that that had for Fira reached them, Kurrin had come up beside her mate, her softly-rounded flank meeting his. She too offered a comforting muzzle to the blue roan mare, but it was her grulla roan daughter who came forward.

She was determinedly brave in front of the chestnut stallion. Jiba lifted her proud young head, and touched her nose to the stallions out of respect. “This is not a place we have fond memories of.” She told him in a voice that was not completely confident. “I think we should move on, before—” The young filly was cut off by Fira’s arrival.

The chestnut mare snapped her teeth brutally on Nepelle’s rump. “What are you doing?! My daughter has run off alone, and you have not gone to fetch her!” Her ears were pinned so close to her skull, it was a wonder they had not fused there. “Instead you comfort your sappy little mares and their whiny little daughters! You’re not going to take the little runt seriously are you? This is the valley of Kings for a reason. The grazing is perfect this time of year, and with that good-for-nothing King grazing his mares elsewhere, we’ll have it all to ourselves.”

The chestnut mare ranted. Bullying had got her way in the past, and she wasn’t about to stop now. “You better go and get Alinta back. Your flighty mares are rubbing off on her, that’s why she bolted. You should teach her better sense! She’s your responsibility now; I have Wallina to worry about.” She said this as if it were the most troublesome task in the world.

Jiba had retreated to her mother’s side, and Kurrin cowered behind Nepelle. The chestnut mare was frightening, and neither filly wanted that temper to turn on them.

[yaruka]

At first Jannali didn’t even notice than Nepelle was talking to her. When she finally came to with a gentle nudge from Kala she looked at the chestnut stallion with sad eyes, though a hint of gratitude shone through as well. He couldn’t know…couldn’t possibly imagine what pain returning this valley brought to them. Kurrin nuzzled her too, and with a sigh she touched the gentle palomino appaloosa back before returning her haunted brown gaze to Nepelle’s own troubled one.
“I do not know,” she barely whispered, “I will never be comfortable here, but I cannot ask you to move the entire herd for my own sake. The rest are managing just fine up here, I will stay if you decided to.” She did not even flinch at Fira’s outburst, Jannali was no flighty filly, but even if she had been once, she was way too far gone now to bother with such silliness.
Kala kept her eyes on Jannali, concern for her half-sister plainly evident. Kaiela clung closely to her, seeking comfort from her mother’s warm presence, reassuringly alive. The chestnut roan mare was immensely grateful to Nepelle for the kindness he was showing Jannali and the rest of them. Thank goodness Jannali had come at least somewhat out of her inner black hole to speak too. But as glad as she was that Jannali had at least answered the chestnut, she felt that they owed the chestnut a better explanation. So, choosing her words carefully, she began with a gentle sigh.
“As you are probably aware, at one time or another each of us called this valley home. What you wouldn’t know is that Jannali and I did not always belong to Tingara, and that Omeo, Kaiela and Jiba are not his offspring. They were sired by a stallion called Nevada. Tingara and Nevada fought for the kingship not long ago. Nevada was killed.” She stopped there, unable to continue and fearing upsetting her sister. She knew that she hadn’t done justice to any of their feelings but she had done her best. Now she lapsed into silence, her normally laughing brown eyes dulled with concern and remembered and refreshed sorrow.