Paranoia [OPEN]

[Rivre]

For four days and four nights, rain had pelted the rock and tor of the Brindle bull. Four nights of wailing gales which tore at one's ears and deafened those stupid enough to venture out; and for these four nights, Karanee had slept under a hanging shelter of rock, ushered there by the weather and it's extremities. It was typical, after those first few days of sunny spring freshness, that when she finally plucked up the courage to travel higher, the winds would worsen once more.

The winter had been harsh on the dark-pointed dapple grey, her fissure lean, but not what it should have been. She supposed all the brumbies who had dared to traverse lower had felt the biting grip of the snows - which even in the foot hills had reached hock-height. Then the sun had come, and melted the snows to form the floods, the floods which had taken her young sister and mother, the floods which stilled raged below.

It was on the past she was dwelling, when it first dawned on her that she could no longer hear the drumming of the consistent rain-fall, no longer hear the screaming wind. Had it stopped? The scent of wet snowgrass and heather streamed out on the now gentle breeze, filling her with a wonder and a curiosity. How many others were up here? The rock ceiling dripped with salty condensation, and she shook her hide quickly before trotting out into the lightness of the evening. At least she still had the dusk to travel in.

Picking her way carefully across the rubble hillside, she let her ears fall forwards, tuning in on the bush, listening for other horses, for anything. She heard only the moaning gale which seemed to have wrapped it's way up the main range, and she slipped easily into a trot, afraid that she would once again be caught in the storm, unease showing in every tense line of her body.

From below, the lower country, she knew that she would be more than visible to the naked-eye, to stallions, and she felt a sweat break out behind her ears in fear of something. What was it that whispered through the nearing snowgum leaves? What was it.... Fear, strength, might, running, running, Karanee.... Jerking to a halt, one forefoot raised, to scanned the treeline for movement, for life, and felt like the water of the rain-fall was trickling slowly down her back, raising every hair of awareness she had left. Was she alone?

The sudden and fearful thought wracked through her small frame, and she let a throbbing neigh echo solemnly across the rocks, down the cliffs, tumbling towards other ears. Bringing her forelegs to her chest, she reared upon the hillside, screaming of loss and of fear. Paranoia was all too great a thing.

[Tiggs]

Scaling the damp hillsides, his roan coat oddly segmented with rivulets of water and darkened all over, was a colt. The ground under his overly-large hooves was so damp that he struggled in places but the rocks littering the slopes gave him purchase. The storms may have damped his coat, but not his spirits. Even if he could not see Alinta all of the time, he knew that she wanted to be with him, and as soon as he could steal her away from Fira, they would be together always.

Out on the Brindle Bull, the spring grass sprung from between rocks, spread over them, and even grew in cracks! Omeo snagged the occasional mouthful, trailing long blades from his mouth while he munched his way along its length. The sky was a strange split of light and dark, the black clouds still dropping the occasional spot, but the sun casting warmth down on his wet back when the wild gale did not steal it away.

Spring was a mad time, and Omeo could feel its influence in every nerve. He wanted to call his exuberance to the world, but he knew if an older stallion heard him, he would be in trouble. So he kept his excitement to himself, straining his ears for the voices of other stallions.

It was not a stallion that he heard just then though. The gale whipped around and slammed into his side, and he braced himself. The call was carried away, but what he had heard had been heart-wrenching. The mare was worried. Was she in trouble? Resisting the urge to reply, he set off at a brisk trot toward the voice. The rocks became more numerous, but at least the ground levelled and followed the line of a cliff. The path was well travelled enough that Omeo could focus on making his way to the caller faster rather than worrying about the terrain.

He passed a rocky outcrop, and navigated his way across some grassy tussocks that hugged its base. When his rich brown eyes next cast up, he saw her. She was slight, perhaps a year older than himself, and alone. Her coat was wet too, but she seemed to be of a similar colour to him. Light in body, dark in legs, mane and tail, but her face was pale where his was auburn. His darkly-rimmed ears perked forward, and his nostrils quivered. The moisture in the air made it difficult for him to small anything, but he could find so sign of another stallion.

Taking a chance, the colt nickered. His voice was soft and warm, and his disposition was such that he did not seem threatening. He hoped she would not run. She seemed scared, but of what? He was hardly frightening, but there were some strange characters in the High Country. The bay dun roan came to further, standing beside the rocky outcrop with nothing but curiosity and empathy in his expression.

[Rivre]

The tors seemed to roll with the echo of her call, ringing and ringing - answering with her own reply it was hard to distinguish whether or not she was hearing herself or the whicker of another. But what was that, that melted up the cliff, a reddy dun roan of a horse, seeking the mare who ghosted that cry, whose heart cried for company.
Why, was she so far-gone that she made up her own brumby friends now? Turning her gaze back to the greying skys, she wondered once again about the consistent rainfall, was it- Blimey! What was that?! Almost leaping from her perch, Karanee realized that she had in fact, not dreamed up a horse to frequent the hillside along beside her - this one was in fact, real - as was his nicker of a reply.

White flecking in her desperate orbs she turned her head towards him, throwing yet another sobbing neigh into the night, begging him to stay, neck quivering with the strength of it. Perhaps unwise for her to do so, when this colt seemed to be so young? But he was handsome, and he appeared to be nothing but inquisitive - and so she caved. Leaping from the outcrop she cantered precariously across the incline, slipping on the wet crags and grassy tussocks until she slid to a halt, not quite before she bumped into his shoulder.

Nostrils dilated, she breathed in his rich scent, nosing him here and there, snorting in surprise at the dampness of his hide. How silly, it was raining! Or was it? Why did she feel so cut by the humid atmosphere, why so tense? Energy crackled like a current through her veins at his touch and she almost skidded backwards down the slope, whinnying in fear, but catching her footing just before her situation became dire.

Checking herself and readying her footholds, she extended quivering grey nose towards his own, although she had already covered him in her snuffling, it seemed missed in comparison and she found herself doing it anyway.
"My name is Karanee, for the... night sky" she nickered quietly, totally contradicting the energy and fullness of her actions. But she liked this harmless colt, very much so.

[Tiggs]

There was a slight delay in her turning to his voice, and Omeo wondered if she had heard him. Then her ears flickered, and he turned her gaze on him and there was no doubt that he had been missed. She sent a throbbing call across to him, and Omeo found himself reacting, arching his neck and flagging his tail. Of course he would stay! He had no intention of leaving.

She jumped from her rocky podium, and came fast across the sloping rocky ground. Omeo’s nostrils faired, and he showed no signs of mistrust as she came skidding to a halt beside him. She bumped his shoulder, but the barrel-chested colt did not mind. He was surprised though by her tactile greeting, and after a few stunned moment of being sniffed and nuzzled, he returned the favour but with perhaps less fervour than the excited mare.

He touched her pale bronze body, lipping at her dark mane and sniffing deeply of her lathered girth. She had been nervous recently, but she showed no signs of it now in the way she greeted him with such exuberance. The colt nickered softly, brushing his nose on her neck. She shied then, slipping slightly and Omeo voiced a nervous whinny. She caught herself though, and reached her dark muzzle out to his.

He complied easily, closing his eyes at the electric feel of her velvet skin on his. His whiskers trembled, overloading his senses. He enjoyed the sensation far too much, and indulged himself by blowing warm air softly into her nostrils. The ruddy roan kept his nose on hers as he replied, his eyes warm with excitement. “I am Omeo, for the distant mountain.” He rumbled, his voice affecting a deeper tone as if to impress her. It was a shadow of what he would mature to be: a sturdy dependable stallion.

“I heard your call; will you tell me what you were worried about so I can help?” He asked, gently nosing her pale cheek.

[Rivre]

Karanee welcomed his nose with a returning huff of warm air, almost whinnying with pleasure as his own tickled her whiskers - it was so nice to have company! She almost started with fright at his question, orbs bugging as visions of her past once again shifted through her mind, attempting feebly to blink away the sour things.
"I... I was fearful - because I was dwelling on the past, when my mother and sister were swept away in the f-floods," she quivered, pushing her nose firmer against his red roan, seeking comfort from his closeness.

How awful a day it was, his sooty buckskin hide dripping with the wetness which still fell, even though he willed it not to! The rocks under-hoof were slippy from the storms rainfall and every so often he would slide and bang a knee, or skid and graze a hock as he fell back down the hillside the way he had come. This, of course, made Yileen's foul mood even darker, black gaze burning a hole into the ground as he studied with some determination the ground in front of him.

The wind still blew a gale precariously across the range, tugging at both mane and tail, filling him with a sense of urgency, urgency which was soon justified as once again he slipped and fell. Squealing with rage he stumbled to his hooves, shaking his head to rid it of the ringing which had taken hold. But what was it that traveled on the wind? Lobes pinned forwards, he scanned the horizon for any sign of movement - there was nothing. Roaring in anger, he lowered his muzzle to the damp earth hoping to catch whiff of that enticing scent again. Yes! Squealing again in his stupidity, he began to trot dangerously upwards, making enough racket to alert more than the two horses who stood above to his coming, always falling. By the time he reached the top he would be horribly muddy; scruffy even!

[Tiggs]

Omeo hugged closer to the mare in his compassion, nickering softly. “Hush, hush. The past can haunt you, but only if you let it. Remember your family for the future, but do not dwell on death when there is so much more life to live.” He snuffled her gently, his words finishing just as another gale of wind came blasting up the hill and whipped their chocolate and black manes and tails into a wild dance.

The colt let his nose roam over her pale face and dappled neck, deaf to everything but the wind in his ears. Standing with her was almost a silent vision. Even the smell of her was mostly torn from his nostrils by the mad wind. It made furrows in his damp coat, chilling and drying him at the same time.

A ghost of a sound caused his ear to flicker, but he was just confronted by the roar of wind. Omeo shifted, concentrating a little on the wind. Fickle as it was, it turned against him and changed direction so fast, that any chance of hearing the voice again was lost. In fact it too their scents right to the speaker as Omeo’s vision was obscured by his own forelock. He snorted and tilted his head, looking sideways down the hill.

His earlier suspicion had been right, and he spotted a brown and tan stallion making his way doggedly up the slope. Luckily it seemed his footing was not sure, so Omeo had some time to turn to Karanee before he would be upon them. “There is a stallion coming.” He said directly into her ear so there was no chance of the wind stealing his words. “Should I go, or would you come with me?”

The proposition surprised even him. He was still a colt, but he could not bring himself to leave the timid dappled mare. He glanced down the hill at the approaching stallion and the gale suddenly came to a silent halt. Omeo threw up his head and before he knew it, a foolish whinny of challenge had come from his lips. Oops. He quickly out his nose to Karanee’s. “I would like it if you would come with me.” He said, but then there was no time to think about running. The buckskin was close, and all Omeo could do was find his square footing and wait.

[Rivre]

Karanee whinnied longingly into the wind, lips curled against the blowing gale, mane and tail whipped about as if a ribbon of silk in a storm but she felt no cold seeping into her limbs, just a blinding happiness that she had some sort of company. Noses bumped once more, and attentions shifted to that of the on-coming tide of noise that was the wind -funneling up towards them- and another horse, a stallion. Ears flickering back in unease, Karanee stuck close to Omeo's flank, dithering nervously back and forth - though more down than up. She didn't want to be alone again, and this red roan was kind hearted and handsome!
"I will follow you" she nickered back, his warm breath itching the hair of her ears and causing it to flicker with cautious delight.

---

Who did this colt think he was to challenge him, Yileen, who was so much more developed than he? Squealing in his own anger, he began a purposeful trot upwards, slipping still but this time with more dignity - this time he managed to make it appear as if he were going at a loping and leaping canter. Ears remained pinned as far back as possible, adding a mean and distempered look to his normally handsome features, daggers grinding viciously against rock and grass tor, pulling himself up until he finally stood before the roan colt, teeth bared and neck arched - snatching angrily at the air.

The wind seemed to be whirling around the very peek on which they stood, and although the other two may have been thinking of it's dangers, Yileen thought only of how much more powerful and how much more stallion-scary it would make him appear, wild black eyes merely grazing the dark-pointed grey; she wasn't even that pretty! Snorting away the obvious, Yileen advanced at a screaming charge, not even bothering with civilities. What was the point when you were going to bash their brains in? Teeth grabbed for any spare skin and daggers searched for any flesh which they could bite into, most of the time missing their targets thanks the rough and slippery slime of sharp rock which he had cleverly chosen to fight upon.

[Tiggs]

Omeo felt the warmth of her breathy answer flood through him, and he nosed her gently. “Go. Wait for me on top of this ridge. I will distract him.” He told her with confidence, though he had no idea how he was going to keep this fully grown stallion at bay without immeasurable luck. He was coming ever closer, and Omeo urged Karanee on with an urgent nicker.

And suddenly he was there, surging up the slope and nipping at his chest and legs. Omeo squealed, and backed up. It was hard to find purchase on the slope, but once his hind legs were steady – but not before his chest and neck stung with bites, he could rear up and lash out. Being higher on the hill, his hooves aimed for the other’s face.

Omeo felt cruel kicking at the stallion’s head. If he hit too hard, he could really hurt him, or worse! But he was young, and did not yet have the strength of this stallion. All he could do was to try and keep the high ground, and deter the buckskin from going on after Karanee.

[Rivre]

Throwing all of her previous caution to the wind, Karanee all but tore down the slope towards the shelter of the looming ribbongums, blowing as she went and hooves hit flint-hard stones, digging into her heels. The insistent rain washed the salty sweat from her hide, mane lashing through the air as lightening struck from above, weaving a fluorescent beam of electric light across the heavens. Slowing to a leaping walk, she turned on her haunches as grey hide met with whip branches, head thrown up as she watched the wrestling form of Omeo above her; the sooty was young and strong but obviously in no way clever, stupid even - he was forever slipping on the wet rocks, yet Omeo remained a symbol of strength in her bugging brown orbs. Still the rain pelted at her, and she stepped a little further into the bush, gaze all the while remaining on the two brumbies who fought for and above her.

---

If Yileen had, had the brains to think his attack through perhaps he would have realized that this horse was so much younger than he, and the fact that so far he was winning was only true because he was so bad at keeping his footing. Skidding uncontrollably on the spines of rock, he felt his rear end slip and hooves go from under him, the red roan's hooves cutting at his face. Roaring in rage, he grabbed at the others whithers as he fought to find a foot-hold on the rocks, using the other in an attempt to haul himself up - but again he slid away, felt the scrap of flesh in jagged stones and eyes reeled in pain. What was it that tore at his flank? Forgetting the fight for a moment, Yileen turned dumb features towards his quarters, snorting in shock at the blood which stained him.

Again it seemed sense escaped him, as the wet slashes of rain drummed against his now darkened to an almost black dun hide, thrashing on the stones in another attempted at heaving himself up; but the weight of his already bleeding and tired self seemed to drag him backwards, down and down towards the impending doom that lay in the form of a rocky hillside. One last desperate call echoed through the encroaching night, before all limbs apparently failed and he began to roll and bash against the rocks. Squealing in agony, he felt his hide scarred a million times over as he toppled, sliding to a shuddering halt, head ringing at the bottom of the rock cliff.

For a moment he lay still, then again his squeal rang through the air as he finally managed to haul himself up, prancing on the spot. Where was that stupid colt? He would give him such a beating now! Looking up, he saw as if for the first time the darkened red hide of his opponent; shaking his head in frustration and confusion, he began to canter at the slope, but again fell ill to the rocks as his knees bashed against the ground with excruciating pain.

---

The dun really was the stupidest horse she had ever seen in her three years! What did he intend to achieve in beating up the poor innocent Omeo? His strategy seemed to have gotten him no where, if even down the hill a little more! A sobbing neigh escaped her now soaking lips, and she began to edge her way up, up towards the fight that her new stallion seemed to be winning, an anger that she had never felt before beginning to peck at her subconscious, all the more so that she was about to canter up and give him a beating herself when suddenly he was gliding and bumping down the sheer cliff, head bouncing on rocks as he rolled head over heels and out of sight. Head thrown up she waited only a moment before galloping towards the figure of her roan companion, whinnying as she went.

[Tiggs]

Omeo was not the fastest on his feet, but he was steady. Even in the rain and the window, on a steep slope pitted and dashed with rocks, he kept his ground. The stallion however was swift, but it was his downfall. He did not think to put his feet on the steady rocks, or wedge them into the soft ground where there were no hard surfaces. He snapped and weaved and grabbed, and all the while Omeo fought to keep up, defending himself with the occasional well-placed kicks. He initiated no hits, only striking when the stallion brought himself in range.

His haste would be his downfall, and the buckskin literally hit the rocky ground with a thud. Omeo could have used the moment to kick out, but he was more preoccupied with keeping his breathing steady and his heart from racing. The storm was loud and menacing, and Omeo would rather be dozing under shelter than out here on the open slope, fighting a stallion twice his age.

The sight of blood staining the other’s hide set his ears back and eyes rolling. He did not like this at all! But it was necessary. Karanee was a sweet thing, and as the minutes passed by, Omeo could see that this stallion was anything but! The colt pivoted, evading the stallion’s attempt to steady himself with his withers. He turned and surged up the slope a little further, finding another platform of rocks to hold him steady.

He turned back to see the stallion falling, rolling over the jagged rocks that tore into his hide. Omeo shuddered, but sighed in relief as he got to his feet. Surely this was it? The stallion could not fight him on this hill. Omeo frowned, and tossed his head anxiously as the stallion started forward again. Was he mad?! He must be lame from that fall, and if he wasn’t that next fall would do it.

Karanee must have been watching, because her pale form came out of the cover and surged up the hill toward him. Her feet were careful and swift, and she was soon beside him. Omeo put his quivering nose to her cheek and looked down on the stallion again. “He is trying again.” He said to Karanee, fighting the howling storm to be heard. “Go upward, I will follow, and we’ll escape him. He’ll never catch up if we go to higher country.”

His breath coming fast from exertion and fear, he urged Karanee onward and followed after her, watching every step carefully. If he fell now, he would be at the mercy of the stallion. It felt like a hollow victory. It had been the terrain that had won this fight for him, and he had been lucky to be here when the buckskin came challenging. He would have undoubtedly lost Karanee before he had her otherwise.