Midnight Visits

[aquiladorado]

Without a hint of fear, Yunkara maintained his stance. The position he had between the blue roan and the frightened mare gave him an advantage, and he liked it that way. Quickly glancing up to the Nightrunner stallion Kambigo and his filly, the buckskin began to take deeper breaths to calm his fast-paced pulse. For some reason Yunkara had begun to trust the strange Nightrunner; or at least grant him with a small form of respect, as he seemed loyal enough to his black companion to not trifle with the Moon Filly while an older and more powerful stallion was around. Smart choice on his part.

When her voice washed over the Brumbies, Yunkara returned his attention to the frightened mare. Shaylx, he thought to himself, exercising the name. Suitable name for a mysterious Moon Filly. He also detected the slight quiver to her voice. Surely the unexpected company she was receiving was coming as a shock, and that thought was only confirmed when her large, questioning eyes rested upon him. Yunkara bowed his head to her, the muscles under his sooty coat tightening with the gesture, to show he understood. He had to get her out of there.

How to do so was another story, and he pondered the countless situations until a sharp voice cut into his plans. 'You do not have any reason to ask such a question. I am not so disrespectful of others as to harm anyone for no reason, especially not a mare. I have not bothered her in any way, shape or form.' Within an instant, Yunkara was facing the roan. Their eyes met, exchanging looks of distaste, before the younger stallion took up whatever pride he had and addressed the mare - although he left all his dignity behind. The buckskin stallion gave a quick snort as he shook his head. No doubt this repulsive creature had been named after a river; he probably had enough sense to drown in one too.

His customary attitude returning to him, Yunkara rose gracefully into a half-rear and bared his teeth at Barwon. His urge to grind the obnoxious colt who dared to challenge an older stallion into a bloody mess on the ground was strong, and as the thought appealed to him, it also gave the sooty buckskin stallion an idea. Once all four hooves were placed on the ground again, he slowly reversed until he was beside Shaylx. Lowering his voice, Yunkara spoke words to the mare that only she could hear or even notice. "Go. If you feel the need to leave this mess behind, escape any confrontations, then run. And do it quickly, please - I shall follow, if you wish, when it is safe." The large stallion was able to stop any of the others who tried to follow her, although a true battle was unnecessary. It was not that Yunkara would decline one - he was more than in the mood, but pulverizing younger Brumbies would probably not appeal to the gentle Moon Filly.

[Shay]

Beautiful? He thought she was..? A thought that had never crossed the young mares mind. With a quick shake of that skull sending pale strands of white gold dancing through the air. Shaylx watch with puzzled curiosity as the buckskin twisted around at Barwon. A heartbeat later the large presense of the stallion beside her, his voice lowered for her ears only.

With a dip of that muzzle Shaylx pivoted, half rearing with the motion. The action preformed with near perfect balance, as the chocolate mare twisted away. Eyes landed on the strange red-eyed stallion and his little black filly, before all fours planted against the earth once more.

"Farewell..."

With that simply spoken word the moon filly was gone. Hooves striking the earth, before leaving once more, easy shifts of her compact frame wove the fleeting form through the ashen trunks that surrounded.

Eventually she would slow to a stop, leaning her weight against a thick tree. Her mind racing over the encounter. The blue roan, Barwon, he wanted her to run with him. The mysterious red-eyed white coated stallion with his little black friend. The interactions she had briefly witness had brought a curious feeling to the chocolate mares heart. One she choose not to explore and thus disregarded for the moment. It was the final addition, the older buckskin stallion who stood and spoke with authority, who had given her permission to escape, to gather her scattered wits.

The sudden confortation had been more then a shock to the gentle hearted mare. It hadn't mattered that they hadn't been aggressive, hadn't given her reason to be so upset. Muzzle dropped, nearly to the ground.

Like a coward she had fled at the first offered chance. Her mother would have been disappointed. She herself was disappointed, prehaps this was a bad idea. She had nothing to offer a herd. And with three stallions and one filly-mare standing as witnesses to her weak character, she doubted she'd even have a chance at a home with others. Sides expand out in a deep heavy sigh, pushed through flared nostrils.

Cranium lifted eyes drifting over the terrain. Hiding and running, it's what she does best, came the bitter thought.

[Cheyenne]

The little black brumby watched as the moon filly span around and galloped away from the small crowd of stallions that had all come to try their luck with the beautiful filly. Then she was gone, hidden among the trees. Arana took a quick glance at Kambigo before saying: "Wait here," and then she too was gone, small hooves picking their way carefully over the damp floor of the forest.

Arana dropped her nose to the floor, attempting to pick up the scent of the Moon Filly. She would go carefully, trying not to scare the filly any more that she already was. Long branches tangled in her thick mane as she pushed her way through the bushes.

It didn't take her long to find the very well hidden set of hoofprints that Arana thought must have belonged to the filly. She followed them, taking in her scent.

A deep heavy sigh made the unusually small filly lift her head up, ears pricked in the direction of the noise. Small whinnies came out of her quivering nostrils, letting the chocolate mare know that someone was near instead of sneaking up behind her as she would probably run off again.

Then she saw her, resting against a trees, her beautiful coat shimmering even in the musky dark. Arana stepped out from the shadows quietly into the view of the filly, showing no sign of aggression. "Hi," said the black filly slowly, hoping that she would talk back. Her nose stretched out towards hers, offering her friendship.

[Shay]

A clearing up a head revealed a break in the thick black clouds looming overhead. The brillance of a lone silver beam flashing across the skies briefly before flickering away danced across her chocolate hide. Nostrils flaring in the wind, she wouldn't be caught unaware again, such could have been a costly mistake. But it was not the equine scents on the wind, that held her attention. It was the quickening of the wind, the friction in the air. The storm would hit soon, and with no real knowledge of the terrain, the moonfilly would be caught in the middle of what looked to be a fierce rain.

It wasn't a pleasant thought, but one she was resigned to it. Unless luck would favor her and she find something more then the towering trees to shelter beneath.

A soft sound brought the mares attention back round down the nearly invisible trail she had made in her escape. It was the little black mare, eyes swept behind her, seeking the others. Weight remanined relaxed against the tree when no sign of the stallions showed.. Twins flicker catching the fillies single word. A faint smile passed velvetine lips. "Hello.." Honeyed vocals would lift in reply. At a loss of what else to say or do the mares head dropped once more, speaking what was on her mind instead. "I did not handle that very well...did I?"

[aquiladorado]

Muttering grumpily to himself, the large sooty stallion made his way through the trees at a smart trot. He had picked up the scent of the Moon Filly and was following it in an irritable mood, the approaching storm only making it worse. His bright coat stood out in the shadowed darkness, glowing under the sparse patches of pale light that seeped through the trees. Yunkara was not minding his footing due to his lessened sight, but he did not care. He was not fazed by the dark - it was the storm that loomed overhead that worried him slightly.

The buckskin emerged into a clearing where he figured he would find the Moon Filly, and he ended up finding more than he had bargained for. The small black filly of the Nightrunner was there. Yunkara, who had been infuriated when Arana had left Kambigo's side to follow the Moon Filly, paid her no more attention than a sharp glare and pinned ears as he trotted past her. It had been that filly of all the Brumbies that he had least expected to disobey him. But so far, nothing had been heard from the other two stallions - although he knew that if he didn't act quickly they would come, considering Kambigo's own filly was here.

Yunkara slowed to a halt in front of Shaylx, taking a moment to shake the remains of broken twigs and leaves off his coat before he looked at her. Immediately his features started to soften - his bad mood deteriorated. She seems better, he noticed. The large stallion prepared to address the Moon Filly, giving a low whicker that continued to sound even after he knew he had stopped, and reverberated around the clearing. Yunkara glanced up at the sky, the dark clouds that had taken shape, and was greeted with another low rumble. The beginnings of thunder.

A slight panic framed the edges of the sooty buckskin stallion. This storm was sure to bring lightening - lightening was known for bringing fires. Without a safe place to hide, even the storm itself was bound to have consequences on the Brumbies. "Shaylx,"[/i] he said as he quickly dipped his head in acknowledgement. "I pardon my demands, but we should be moving."[/i] With some reluctancy, he turned his eyes to the black filly. "All of us."

He set off into the dark trees once again after explaining the urgency the storm gave to his request. Hoping they would follow, he started to search for some means of shelter.

[Cheyenne]

The moon filly stayed where she was, leaning against her tree still and replied to Arana's greeting. "If I was surrounded by three stallions I probably would of done the same," she answered, trying to make her feel better. It was true, one stallion was enough for the black filly.

A movement in the trees caught her attention as the buckskin stallion emerged from the trees taking one quick glare at Arana, ears pinned to the side of his head. Arana did the same, teeth bared, ready to attack if necessary. Although she was only young and small she was quite strong too.

"Shaylx," he had said, bowing his head a little. "I pardon my demands, but we should be moving. All of us." Arana's hide prickled with fear. A storm. She could feel it coming more than anything but she had to get back to Kambigo, Moon Filly or no Moon Filly.

She stepped forwards, lifting her nose to the fily's left ear and whispered: "I give you the choice to come quickly with me now and run with the Nightrunner, Kambigo and I or the buckskin," and then she turned around with one more glare at the stalion and galloped off swiftly through the trees, easily hidden in the shadows. Would the Moon Filly follow? She didn't know.

[KAREE]

The moon filly was quick to react, turning to gallop away into the bushes. Kambigo thought little of the movement, watching the older buckskin stallion take off after her. He snorted, obviously irritated, he could have taken the blue roan, but the buckskin had more experience in fighting than he and would pose a real threat, more so, now that it was still day. Suddenly, he felt Arana look at him. He glanced over, with wide eyes. "Wait here," He snorted, but had no time to retort as she was off within seconds. "A..Arana!" He called, his heart raced and he could feel sweat prickle at the back of his ears. He glanced back over into the clearing, the blue roan hadn't moved yet and if he caught the scent of Arana, or saw her take off, he would probably be after her. And that buckskin! He tossed his head, ears flattening against his neck. "You silly brumby," He thought, tearing after her through the trees.

The large, grey storm clouds now covered the sky. The wind was beginning to pick up and would send his scent off into the direction of the other horses if he was not careful. Arana had told him to stay where he was, so she would be annoyed if she found him not standing there in the trees like she had told him. He came to a halt, quickly scanning the bunch of ebony trees around him. His soft pink nose lifted to the air, he quickly picked up the three different scents, Shaylax, the stallion's and Arana's; who seemed stronger to him than the others. He moved around them, heading downwind so that they would not pick up his scent. When the sun peered through the clouds, he was quick to move into the shadows, keeping as silent and stealthy as possible as he moved on.

He went a couple more metres before he heard their voices. They were muffled, so he could not understand what they said, but he was sure he heard Arana's distinct voice. Arching his neck, he moved in a giant circle, right around them. He figured that they would not catch him if he could not see them. He was not looking for trouble, but he really needed his black filly back by his side, where she was safe. His white coat stood out strongly against the dark colour of the trunks, unlike Arana's which camouflaged well when she stood against them. He found a nice spot behind some growing yellow wattles, where he could hear their voices clearly, but where he could not be seen, and where he could not see. Straining his ears, he made out a soft, feminine voice, it was unfamiliar, so it must have been from the moon filly, Shaylax. "I did not handle that very well...did I?" He waited pateintly for a moment, pondering on what that meant when he finally heard Arana speak, "If I was surrounded by three stallions I probably would of done the same," He suddenly tensed, bringing his head in to his chest. He quickerly shut his eyes. He so wanted to go charging into that clearing and to snatch Arana back up, even the Moon Filly, if she wanted, before that stallion got there, but he fought the urge. They needed a moment, Arana would be able to become friends easily with the moon filly, so maybe she would even coax her to come with him.

There was movement in the bush, the faintest rustle of leaves and twig snapping, "Shaylx," the voice said and this time it was not Arana. Snapping his eyes open, Kambigo quickerly became alert and ready to charge into where the brumbies stood..if needed. "I pardon my demands, but we should be moving." The voice paused, and Kambigo held his breath, his blood began to boil. "All of us." Kambigo thought there was something in the way the stallion said it...as if he really didn't want..shaking his head, Kambigo flattened his ears. He took a moment to glance up at the boiling sky, the grey clouds bubbled and churned. This storm was going to be big...almost as big as the storm on Kosciusko had been when he had raced that pale buckskin mare, Nirribi. Twisting around the trees, Kambigo quickerly raced through the trees. Lightning suddenly lit up the sky and the darkening forest, making the nightrunner look illusive and dangerous with his feiry red eyes and gleaming pale coat. Following the lightning was a sudden crash of thunder, as if Kambigo's fury had awaken the storm and pusled energy into it. "Arana!" He called, darting around another tree, he suddenly found his black filly galloping his way. Skidding to a halt, he tossed his head, and almost gave her a nip on the shoulder, but held back as he swung around to race after her. "What do you think you where doing?!" He snapped, snorting furiously in her direction. "You could have been lost.." Was what he was about to say...but didn't.

OOC|| Sorry about the length >.< I really think we should have a posting order, cause this thread seems a little all over the place and keeps skipping people's turns. What do you think?

[aquiladorado]

OOC: I agree lol, it just got a little wierd when another thread was started with the same idea and then Shaylx moved her post into here instead and etc. I don't know what Barwon is doing but he seems lost haha and I was hoping you would reply before I did. Besides that I was gong to wait for Shaylx to get her turn before I did too. So once everyone has had their round on this recent part, why don't we just keep that order for the future?

[KAREE]

OOC|| ^^ that sounds good to me.

[Shay]

(OOC: x.x; My fault. Sorry guys...-.-.; )

The low rumble of a chuckle vibrated free past velveteen lips. Perhaps she would have said more, but a slight sound heralded the buckskin's arrival a heartbeat before his presence was seen. The pinning of his ears and the glare sent towards the dark one, revealed in the flash of brilliant white across the skies lighting up the quickly darkening woodlands. Cranium twisting, allowing ebony eyes to peer skyward. The coming storm was not something Shaylx feared. After all she had been brought into this world in the bosom of such a storm. No, it was the aftermath of a possible fire that would cause the prickle of fear to dance along her spine.

Attention returned towards the buckskin, at his brief pause before her. The dip of his muzzle before his demands that they all get moving. Shay stood solid, watching the last strands of stallion tail disappear into the night. A single twin twisted towards the dark filly, catching her own words of running with the Nightrunner and herself before she to vanished into the night.

Again that muzzle lifted to the skies, her choices carefully weighed. Kambigo, the ghost like stallion had held back amid the small gathering earlier. Another flash of lightning made the choice for her. It was more the direction she was facing when the clap of thunder sounding exceptionally close sent the chocolate mare bolting through the brush in the general direction the buckskin had taken. Later she would think back on the hastily made decision, perhaps she'd cross paths with that pair again one day. After all, despite the shortness of time, she rather liked the little black filly.

But for the moment her choice was made, the flaring of nostrils, the flicker of dark chocolate ears allowed the mare to followed the retreating stallion at a steady unbroken rhythm that soon brought her to his side. The rich darkness of her coat, a stark contrast to the pale gleam of a moonlit tail and mane, added to the illusion of a shadowed wraith matching his stride. The clarity of her vision in the fading light made it possible for her to move nearly soundless at several paces to his left, weaving through obstacles without thought. No she was more occupied with the, what and why this stallion had appeared. Did he wish that she would run with him, like the others? Or was it a simple helping hoof he offered. Either way he moved with enough purpose that she was hopeful he knew of a safe place to shelter during the storm.