What, Where, When, How?

[tingara]

Tingara nibbled Crayola's mane and lowered himself next to her. He whinnied to Valatone and Cobalt to join them, Tingara nudged his excitable son as he galloped clumsily over.
"Time to settle down little one," he said gently. Tingara could already feel himself drifting off to sleep.
"It's been a long couple of days," he said to Crayola before almost instantly dropping to sleep.

---

Dilali nudged her filly, Birubi, away from the milk.
"That's enough young one," she laughed as Birubi burped and whinnied loudly. Dilali led Birubi over to where Tingara, Crayola, Fira and Valatone were and dropped herself down next to Tingara.

Birubi followed and watched as her mother lowered herself to sleep for the night but Birubi didn't feel like sleeping. She bounced around the mob of older horses and stopped when she noticed Cobalt and Kimba. More foals!
Birubi whinnied to them, asking to play. She blinked her blue and brown eyes at them and began to bounce away and play in the moonlit snow.

[Valatone]

Valatone setlled down near Tingara. He was right, the last few days had been very tiring for everyone, mares with their foals and the king's disapearence. She just wanted to forget about that for a while and slowly drift off to sleep.
Whenever she was next to Tingara or Cobalt, her coat disapeared into snow. It was handy that Cobalt inherited Tingara's coat so she could see him, however. Soon she was drifting into a cold sleep.
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Cobalt pulled his ears back and jumped in fright of Kimba and Fira(Hey, Kimba the white lion lol). He wondered if all foals were like this. His father called him but he ignored it, because then he saw Birubi. Instantly he reared up and whinnied back. Joyously he fallowed her and nipped her shoulder to start a game of tip. Cheekily he leaped away into a clump of snowgums and encouraged her with a nicker.

[tingara]

Birubi jumped back when Cobalt nipped her and then instantly whinnied with excitement. She tried to nip Cobalt back but he had his father's speed. Just as she was about to follow Cobalt into the trees...
"Birubi! Come here, time to settle down now," called Dilali. Dilali shook her mane out and neighed to her daughter. Her heart was still broken at Aleo's shock disappearance but she had other things to worry about now, like a bouncing baby horse. Birubi groaned and trotted obediently back to her mother.
Dilali watched her daughter trot to wards her in the shinning moonlight. She could see Birubi's father's pride echo in every of her tiny footsteps.

---

Tingara woke at his son's neigh.
"Cobalt," he called sternly, "it's time to come here, I mean it." He flicked out his tail from under him and nuzzled the mares around him. In the back of his mind the thought of Binda and her and her foal's wellbeing, he couldn't bare the thought of losing another mare. He thought about staying up for the night but the urge for sleep was overwhelming since he hadn't slept in 3 days.

[Valatone]

Cobalt was disapointed when Birubi had to go. It was nice to know he wasn;t the only foal around that was friendly, he thought while glaring at Kimba. He heard his father's call and smugly trotted over beside his mother. He wasn't very tired, he was still bouncing with energy. Somehow he eventualy fell asleep, black against white in the melting snow.

[Illu]

||OoC|| Well, everyone basically fell asleep, so I’m going to annoy the pants off of people by starting an hour and a half cut scene just so Binda can get back. xD ||

The quiet broke with a sound of rustling and the snapping of branches on the ground. And, without any warning, a small, ungainly looking foal tripped onto the scene, stumbling and landing heavily on his front knees. He was panting with the effort, and his little eyes widened in fright at the appearance of so many horses. He didn’t get long to get over the shock, or even catch his breath before a blue head came out and pushed him forwards again.

The colt didn’t want to go forwards, but Binda relentlessly forced him until the distance was closed, then she finally let his young legs give up and collapse. He looked only about twenty minutes old, still too young for even a foal to be walking, so the miracle was he even stood. Somehow, Binda’s attitude left the impression she hadn’t given her young son much choice in the matter, and the way she just left him in the snow and wandered over to Tingara had a strong air of indifferent neglect. The little bay roan colt, just about to sleep, almost panicked at the sight of his mother walking away. He valiantly tried to get up again, and after failing gave a scared little whinny for her to come back and help.

Binda still seemed too depressed to care much, even about her foal, and there was a distinct empty sort of look in her eyes as she turned around in an automatic movement to go fetch him. Rather than comfort him, she just nosed him back up onto his legs and kept butting him forwards until he was right up next to Tingara. The foal was horrified to be so close to the sleeping stallion, but equally as terrified to be away from his mother, but before he could make a choice, his hind legs slipped from beneath him.

Binda started trying to headbutt Tingara awake earnestly. ”Any news about Aleo?” She was almost croaking, her voice sounded absolutely exhausted.

[Valatone]

Cobalt had only been half awake. When he heard the sound of another colt, he instantly jumped to his feet, waking Valatone. Ignoring Binda, he leapt over the grass to the wobbiling bay roan and tried to help him stand. Using his mouth, he grabbed his legs and straightened them up, hoping he would be able to stand. Another play was what he wanted.

Valatone wasn't too pleased when her son awoke her, and probably half the herd. She saw his awakening standing next to her, a mare headbutting Tingara. She curled her lip at the mare and gave her a nip on the leg, "I feel sorrow for your poor colt, being rejected doesn't help in life," she whispered, snapping at Binda.

[tingara]

Being simultaneously woken by an unlimitedly energetic colt and an anxious mare wasn't the best feeling but Tingara obliged and opened his eyes to Binda and the ever awake Cobalt. He nosed Valatone to go back to sleep, "Don't worry, I will handle Cobalt." Tingara sighed and forced himself up.
"I'm sorry Binda there has been no news," he said shaking his head sadly. He noticed the new addition that Cobalt was trying to play with.
"Cobalt," Tingara said with a lot more force in his voice, "leave the little thing alone and go back to your mother. That is a very handsome colt. Binda you and your foal need rest." He nodded and gently nuzzled Binda.

[Tiggs]

Crayola had not been sleeping well, so she had been up and grazing while the other horses slept. Watching the approach of Binda and her foal, the spotted mare smiled at the little animal. She wondered what her foal would look like, and she knew it would be arriving soon. As the mottled red and white colt fell down next to Tingara, Crayola ambled over to nuzzle at it while her herd mate snapped at the mother. Crayola didn't mind so much that the mare was ignoring her foal, only that the foal was unhappy.

She gave the little colt a few experimental licks, and then began to groom the newly born animal. It tasted strongly of his mother, and it was not a pleasant taste but the spotted mare pressed on, oblivious of the other horses around her.


Fira awoke at the sound of Valatone's angry voice and she was about to voice her own annoyance when she realised the anger was directed at Binda, who looked significantly less self important. Gleeful, Fira got to her feet and stood over her foal who slept soundly on. "Yes Binda, you're looking a little worse for wear. Why don't you rest?" She said with none of the concern that Tingara said it with and all of the smugness that she felt now that Binda was no longer the proud favourite of Aleo. Even her newborn colt was being ignored, something Fira was somewhat confused about. Aleo would not be pleased with her when he returned which gave Fira an even more inflated ego.

[tingara]

"Fira that is enough," Tingara shot sternly at the chestnut mare. He slowly helped Binda lower herself and then went to check on the tiny colt, Aleo's only son. He watched as Crayola nursed and warmed him. Words couldn't describe at how proud and full of love he was of Crayola.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered appreciatively, nuzzling her before patrolling the mob under his care.
As the sun rose Tingara began to get restless, something had changed, the dynamics of the bush were different on this new day. A nearby Mopoke called out, "New king, there is a new king."
'Who is this new king?' Tingara thought, he must find him to congratulate him and tell him to be as well mannered and respectful as the old king. More birds, gang-gangs, flew over head, that's when he heard it. Rumors of a grey and black stallion that had come to the High Country.
Still anxious, he returned to the mares and foals, who were still asleep in the early morning light.

[Valatone]

Cobalt had left the foal when his father called and slept next to his mother, who too fell asleep. Soon it was the beginning of the next day, but this time Valatone was the first to wake. She had half- forgotten the night before due to her sleepiness. Foals were hard work! As soon as she stood, she gaved a little whinny of fright as she felt her abdomen being attacked. Valatone laughed at herself a little bit after that, Cobalt might have been a ver naughty colt, but he was the spark of joy to his mother. After he had enough milk, Cobalt bounced around some more and left Valatone to graze on the sweet, spring grass of the valley.
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Where was Birubi?
Cobalt called out to her with his high-pitched whinny. On his thin, lanky legs he sped around the herd, calling for a playmate.
Then he stopped for a bit and watched the herd like his father did. He stood ontop of a rock and looked as if he was studying them all. Ridiculosly, he tried to let his magnificent call ring out to the sky and valleys, but all that came out was a little squeal.