The Places You Have Come To Fear The Most(OPEN)

[»Koiji]

((OOC;; Hope's it's easy to jump into, and Valatone, when your online I still want to continue the other thread I have with you ;D))

Koiji was a wanderer. There was no other was to describe her, the young black mare just couldn't stay in one place for too long. The Brindle Bull was welcoming to the young horse, with the harsh slopes and the little amounts of grass that magaged to poke their way through the ever deepening snow. The mare had hoped, like she did often, that maybe give her a while she could find her mate, Ryu, who hadn't been seen by her for a very long time.

She was surprised at how long she had been travelling, and at how she had managed to make it this far. She wasn't origionally from this part of the brumby country, her grandmother had had been a Welsh Mountain Pony, and the blood-line had been passed onto her. She was a hardy pony. Her jet black coat was always smooth and silky, even though at the moment, it was a bit coarser than normal due to her winter coat growing through.

It was night now, and the horse couldn't help herself thinking about her mate. The night she had lost him was quite alike to this one, except it had been snowing hard. She looked at the moon and sighed. It was so beautiful, reaching it's almost full state.
"Oh Ryu," She whispered into the night. "Where are you now?"

[Illu]

A form started to materialise out of the darkness; a complete behemoth of a horse. Giant fawn coloured hooves where sinking deep down into the snow and leaving a wide trench behind him in his wake. Any other season would have caused his startlingly pale white coat to stand out like a beacon, but here, against the backdrop of the snow and in the dark were it not for his huge bulk he would have to be right next to you before you even knew he was there. There was a growing agitation in his movements as the stranger continued, nose down in search of stray grass.

Koiji didn’t share his benefit in colour, but there was still a delay for him to actually recognise that another horse was even there. As he lifted his head to take a look, there was a hesitation, then with a high stepping, extravagant walk he began making his way over. ”Good evening,” he introduced with a suave, sophisticated tone and a polite inclination of his head. ”A bit of an odd time to find yourself alone, is it not?” he asked, but despite his practised elegance and chilling beauty, his seemingly unnatural blue eyes betrayed a barely contained viciousness as they fixed upon the lone filly. As he got closer the brute strength that came with such a sizeable height difference was becoming more and more pronounced.

[»Koiji]

Koiji looked about. She thought she heard a animal approach her. She couldn't see anything though so she ducked her head and snuffled about in the snow, in search of grass. It was only when a voice disturbed her thoughts, that she noticed a stallion had approached her. ”Good evening,” Came the poilite voice. ”A bit of an odd time to find yourself alone, is it not?” The stallion asked her. She wouldn't have noticed him, if it was not for the fact he was coming ever closer to her. "Good evening," She returned the comment, eyeing the newcomer suspiciously. She was warey of stallions, as she was trying to live in hope, that she could be reunited with her mate Ryu.

As the horse came closer to her, she noticed how big he was, and she stepped back slightly in suprise. "Ryu?" She asked uncertainly. This stallion was shockingly white, alike so much to her mate, but she didn't remember him being so big. She paused before she continued. "Well, I wouldn't be alone, as it would seem, if it wasn't for this snow." She told him, hoping that possibly she had found him. "I lost my mate in one of the snow storms of recent." She added, wondering that if it was who she thought it to be, then he would remember. As she said that she shuffled back a bit more in the snow. The sheer size of the male intimidated her, and she wasn't looking for trouble.

[Illu]

The filly was looking a little disconcerted and he slaked his pace and came to a stop at a distance that wasn’t uncomfortable. By now he’d been out of his barn long enough to realise to realise that he wasn’t going to find a competition type horse out here, so rather than his usual through conformation inspection, he just passed a quick eye over her and let things be. It was bloody freezing out here and he’d just be content with someone to talk to. So what if they weren’t a textbook thoroughbred (this once)?

An ear pricked when she said gibberish, or no, sounded more like a name. ” I don’t have the pleasure of being an acquaintance of his. Apologies, but you may just be stuck with me. My name is Dämon for short. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The polite manner was still staying, even though he was privately wondering how he could have sunk so low as to be forced to talk to ill-bred brumby scum again.

So what if he didn’t like her and technically couldn’t have her? It still didn’t sit well with him that she was pining after some other stallion. After, all he was (convinced that he was) the single most perfect male specimen out here! Being unable to breed aside, he’d always been treated as the best, and surely she’d realise he was sooner or later. Any horse who could lose his black mare in a snowstorm couldn’t be too intelligent, he thought. This should be easy. Then again, his knowledge of snowstorms extended to just knowing how to say the word.

So after a toss of the head to snow off his golden flaxen mane and tail, he put extra care on keeping his movements perfect and effortless as he scratched (or shovelled, might be a better word) away some of the snow to search for grass. There we go. All those wasted hours learning dressage had to have some use out here, and now seemed as good a time as ever to show off the control he had over his body. There was a little grass, soft and heavy because of the snow, but still edible, a nice feast for a brumby perhaps, but Dämon was much to spoilt to even consider it just now. Instead, he backed off from it, hoping it looked like he’d dug up the grass for her benefit.

Somehow he’d never quite realised that his fancy colour, beautiful build and ability to look pretty happened to be his only assets.

[»Koiji]

Something was telling Koiji that there was something about this stallion to be wary of. The mare wasn't sure what of, but the sheer size of this horse was enough to frighten her. She stood her ground though, she wasn't one to show others when she was vunerable. His poilte tone must be hiding something, no stallion could be like that twenty-four-seven, everyone has their off days. Dämon, he'd said his name was, Dämon... it sounded like Demon, why would any mare call her son after a evil force?

There was something in his posture that was saying 'arrogance' the way he held himself, he was in control, obviously, but there was something screeching at the mare to back the heck away. "Pleasure's all mine," She said carefully. There was a vibe that was floating about and Koiji was picking up on it. Although the stallion was being nice, he obviously didn't want to be talking to her. She raised her head proudly, showing off her neck, which, as she had Welsh Pony blood in her, was long and slender, her mane falling over it smoothly. "So," She tried to make subtle conversation with Dämon. "I suppose a big stallion like yourself has plently of mare's waiting for him somewhere?" She wasn't expecting much of a happy answer, and hoped that he wouldn't want to claim her as his own.

Looking at him was painful for her. That night that Ryu and her had been seperated, the snow was falling heavily and they had misjudged where they were. There was a waterfall, and Ryu had been carried away by the current. Koiji hadn't stepped fully into the rapids, and had had to watch in horror as her mate sturggled horribly aginst the tides. She had a feeling her was still alive, but that was still to be proved.

Koiji noticed that Dämon had shuffled the snow off some grass, and looked in it's general direction. It did look good, she hadn't had the best of feeds in the past few weeks and the amount of grass the giant hooves shuffled and revealed was quite mouth watering. The mare stood there for a few moments, she didn't like eating in front if strangers, and lowering her head by this stallion was a bit intimadating for her. Again, she raised her head proudly and refused to let her fear show. "Thanks," she said, letting her head drop slightly to towards the grass. She decided that it didn't look like he was going ot harm her so she quickly grabbed a mouthful. A thought entered her head; "Why?" She thought. "Why couldn't I have stumbled across my star?"

[yaruka]

Yaruka moved quietly up the valley, pausing every so often and sniffing at the tracks on the ground. It seemed that a young mare had moved along this same path just recently. Suddenly she heard a faint noise and looked up, her ears pricked forward in alarm. Just ahead she could see a horse, no two horses standing talking. They had been downwind to her, so she had not been able to smell them, and their voices only just barely carried to her attentive ears through the thickness of the air. She shivered, it was a strange night. Looking closely at the two horses, she could tell that the black mare, the one whose tracks she had just found, seemed uncomfortable and nervous. The other horse was much taller and a creamy color that virtually blended into the snowy surroundings. Yaruka backed quietly into a grove of trees, melting out of sight. She watched the two horses with wide eyes. Should she go over to them? She was desperate for company, ever since her herd had been rounded up and split she had been virtually alone, and she was only a yearling filly, she needed the company and protection of a herd. But a month of wandering by herself made her cautious, she did not want to get herself into a bad situation. She wasn't that strong and she had not yet matured fully, she could easily get bullied into submission if she was backed into a tight corner. Well, she resolved, she wouldn't let herself get into a bad situation. Lonelyness made her belly ache and her desire to be near other horses over powered the waryness she felt of the male horse. Stepping quietly out of the grove of bushes she walked daintly towards the two other horses, the nearly full moon picking out the highlights in her coat and setting her flowing mane and tail aglow with light.

[Illu]

Koiji’s unease was becoming more and pronounced, and that in turn was starting to put him on edge in turn, simply because that was just how it worked among herd animals. Apart from that, Dämon was quite pleased with himself that his size and assets weren’t completely lost on the creatures out here. Let the commoners have their sample of what it was like to mingle horses of true breeding and class for once. If he’d had his way, humans would just cull the lot of them, get their filth out of the gene pool for good.

Nevertheless, if anything was going to make him quite anxious enough to break his usual ability to keep still, it was that question in particular. He shifted to the right and then tossed his head showily again to brush it off before answering. ”Ah, yes, well...” Think of an answer damnit! ”Perhaps someday then,” he replied in a tone which momentarily dropped all its finesse, and some of the disguise of a friendly nature. Someday not. Pathetic.

Yaruka’s entry seemed horribly ill-timed after Koiji’s herd question; he’d been put into a sour mood. Any beauty the newcomer may have possessed was completely lost on the larger horse, all he saw was a small thing of poor breeding and no potential, just as he saw every other horse here. It was enough to wonder if even Thowra was enough to make this arrogant fool look twice. Therefore, after a quick, very evil look in her direction which did as good as hiss ‘run off and die’, the gentlemanly manner was slapped back on in the same way as an adhesive. Yaruka was still a little too far off to notice, thankfully.

Looking as welcoming as ever, Dämon made an inclination in her direction by way of greeting. ”Must be filly hour, hmm?” he said, sounding amused, but the warmth never made it to his eyes. What on earth were they both doing here? The second one was still too little to be on her own, so there was only one thing he could think of, ”Were you both of the same herd before your stallion disappeared?” he questioned, looking between the two.

[»Koiji]

”Ah, yes, well... Perhaps someday then,” Dämon muttered, Koiji was curious to what exactly he meant by this; surely something as big and as strong looking as himself would have no problems surcuring his mares? She wondered what possibly could have happened to make him so... well, agitated by that simple question. 'Gosh, some stallions..' she thought tossing her mane elegantly.

Koiji's ears pricked at the sound of another animal. She looked about her, in a slight hope that it could be someone she knew, like Althea, who she was always wandering with. But when Yaruka appeared she relaxed. The filly looked as nervous about approaching as she herself was about this stallion. She glanced quickly at Dämon, his eyes were narrowing in a 'what did I do to possibly deserve this?' way, but the mare quickly looked away back to the approaching filly.

Koiji smiled welcomingly at the little one who was approaching them, and stamped her hoof in greeting. "Hello there!" She said in her gentle manner, looking at Yaruka kindly. ”Must be filly hour, hmm?” came Dämon's responce. He sounded amused, but what he could possibly be finding funny was a mystery to her. ”Were you both of the same herd before your stallion disappeared?” he questioned, looking between the two.

She looked fondly at the filly, who still hadn't said anything, out of fear prehaps? Dämon was big enough to Koiji, who stood at aobut 14 hh, and this filly was shorter than she herself. "I don't think so," She answered. "Ryu only had a couple of mares including myself, but we were ambushed one summer by man, and lost them in a drive. It had been me and him ever since." Her soft brown eyes filled once more with sadness. "I'm pretty much alone now," She informed the filly. "That night that Ryu and me had been seperated, the snow was falling heavily and we had misjudged where we were. There was a waterfall, and Ryu had been carried away by the rapids after trying to cross what we though in the dark was a stream. I hadn't stepped fully into the rapids, and had had to watch as he sturggled aginst the tides." If horses could cry, Koiji would have been having a downpour, she shuddered slightly and continued to talk.

"So, I have told you both of myself, now, may I hear a little of your pasts too?"

[yaruka]

Walking quietly towards the other horses, Yaruka froze for an instant as the cream colored horse turned to look at her. She wasn't yet close enough to see the expression in his strangely pale eyes but she felt an unexplicable tremor of fear in that instant he looked at her. She shook her head though and continued on, she had made her descision now, and they had seen her anyways, she'd have to go on. She reached the two of them and stopped awkwardly, a few feet away. She lowered her head and blew out softly in greeting. Hello there said the black mare gently, and Yaruka looked at her, relaxing slightly at her friendly tone. "Hello," replied Yaruka shyly.
Must be filly hour, hmm said the big male horse. Yaruka swung her head around to look at him instead and couldn't help shivering at his seemingly innoccent, yet strangely threatening, comment.
”Were you both of the same herd before your stallion disappeared?” he asked, looking at each mare in turn. Yaruka shook her head, then hesitated before replying to the black mare's question, "My name is Yaruka," she said quietly. "I am very sorry to hear of your loss. I too have been seperated from my herd. There was a giant brumby drive to the north of here, I know my father and most of the mares, including my dam, were captured. When I caught up to the remainder of my herd, the rest of the mares chased me away. They were busy taking care of their foals and none of them wanted the responsability of a yearling to deal with. Being not yet full grown I was of little use to them, and I had potential for attracting trouble from two year old colts just gathering a herd who would not dare try and steal a full grown mare but may attempt to take a filly." She felt slightly uncomfortable sharing this information in front of the cream horse, but she really didn't see how it could hurt. She was obviously alone and not yet fully matured and besides, what could they really do to her with this information that they could not do without?

[Illu]

Whoot, tragic past time, Dämon thought bitterly. Honestly, he didn’t care about knowing either them let alone their stories, but for the same of politeness he listened anyway. Though he at least had enough decorum not to try and hurt either of them, emotional pain was still lying on the table and waiting to be prodded. What? What else was he supposed to do when he was bored? Sing songs?

On his past he didn’t want to say a lot, but it felt rude not to give them a little something after they’d already spilled their troubles. ”I was a Lord once,” he reiterated, breathing loudly out his nose in a manner much like a sigh, the cold air turning white against the sudden heat. ”Humans would come; watch me perform in shows and contests... And they would cheer when I was finished, and I would win.” A short pause for dramatic effect before he continued. ”Alas, man always seeks to possess the beauty he cannot have, and there was an attack on my stable. Be it for me or my friends I am still not yet sure. There was panic, confusion. I ran. We all ran. And, in the morning I was out here... ‘No problem,’ I thought, ‘They will come back for me’, but did not. I have been forgotten.”. Hopefully they didn’t actually choose to forget him just because he couldn’t make them thousands by siring foals. They’d come any day now and save him from this filth. ... Aaaaaany day now.

But, to business. He turned to speak to Koiji, and then realised she hadn’t even introduced herself yet, so turned to Yaruka first instead. ”My name in Dämon, and I apologise for what befell both of you. But, for you I have news that may be troublesome.” he said solemnly, turning to Koiji. ”A day or so ago as I was coming up here I had the misfortune to run across the body of a dead stallion, white or grey or of that type, lying on the edge of a swollen creek. I do believe he was swept away and killed, but I didn’t want to get close. Of course it’s not exactly unusual for this time, and I sincerely hope it’s not the one you seek.” he said, a hint of worry in his voice. Lying out of his teeth of course, he had become very good at that throughout the years. Worried mares always feared the worst even if they said they had hope, and this was huge log on a pilot light. All he needed to do was let her mind fill in the details and watch the squirming.