The Will To Find A Way (R)

[aquiladorado]

Spring was a good time of year. Although its weather was as ever changing as the Sooty Buckskin stallion’s mood, it was never excessive like the other seasons. Yunkara trotted briskly across the new snowgrass of the Brolga’s Country, frequently looking behind him for the shadow that had stuck close to his side. On more than one occasion he had questioned if everything that had happened was nothing more than a dream, but sure enough there was another Brumby behind him and his pulse raced every time he looked at her.

The mare was young and stunningly beautiful. Her chocolate velvet pelt and off-white mane and tail classified her as one of legendary race – a Moon Filly. Shaylx was unique. She only bared similarities to one mare Yunkara had ever met in his life, and at those times, the stallion was reminded of his shameful past and regretted every bit of it. Perhaps that was why he traveled with the mare – she reminded him of what he should never do again. Or perhaps there was another reason, but he was not one to admit to it.

The large stallion whickered to the mare, their coats contrasting as they paced side-by-side, letting her know that they could stop and rest. Yunkara slowed to a halt so that he could speak. ”There is still a ways to go before we reach the North of this land. It would be impossible to cover that distance tonight, and what little distance we could cover would be no different than covering it tomorrow when we are well rested. Therefore, I propose we should wait; it is also nearly dawn.”[/i] Considering the mare was a Moon Filly and preferred the cover of night, Yunkara had been willing to travel at that time over the more open plains. His eyesight was not as affected there as in the forests, and other than that he did not mind the calm darkness.

In all honesty, the Sooty Buckskin had no idea where he was going. He knew where he wanted to go - the location was a completely different concept, though. Yunkara had thought that Shaylx would have taken him back to her birth herd, the other Moon Fillies and Sun Stallions, but she had never come out with the idea and he was too proud to ask. Instead he was dropping subtle hints by assuming it was in the North... but that didn’t seem to be working. Eventually his patience would run short and he would have to say something, yet he seemed to be able to keep it longer than he used to with the chocolate mare in his presence. An improvement, he supposed.

[Shay]

Shaylx moved almost soundlessly behind him, a skill she had learned well from her dam. Keeping her step light, nimbly placed with an conscience grace. There had been occasions since she had come into his company that she had braved a closer proximity. But even those occasions quickly passed, deep down she had a suspicion that her presence caused him pain. Something to do with his past she assumed. She had offered only once before to leave his side if he did not wish to have her there. He hadn't really given her an answer so she had just continued onward.

Staying a step behind him gave her ample opportunity to study the stallion whose company she found herself in. Not to mention what cause the flutter against her chest every time he glanced backward to assure himself that she was still there. What would he do if she wasn't? This had crossed her mind several times as they had traveled to wherever it was that he was taking her. Even now she wondered if he would care. Not that she would ever willingly find out. The longer she spent in his company the more she came to care about him. Of course she doubted that information would be welcomed knowledge. So she simply acted like his shadow,. A quiet mocha and creme fixture on his tail.

A wicker from his lips quicken her pace, coming abreast with him her pace slowed to match his own. Limbs moving in perfect synchronization as a single chocolate twin twisted to catch the deep tones of his cherished voice. A gentle dip of her muzzle showed her own agreement with his assessment. The light brightening the horizon herald the dawn of a new day, the first time he had chosen to travel during the night had brought a strange tightening in her chest. She knew he could not see as well, and while it may have been a meaningless gesture to some it meant something to her. She had shown it in the second time she had touched him, allowing her brow to brush against his shoulder before lipping at his dark mane. She had only braved a third touch before refraining unsure if the small signs of affection would be welcomed.

The serene liquid tones of her vocals rose from long pipes, slipping past the ashen chocolate of her muzzle. "Where to you want to shelter for the day Yunkara?" Dark eyes scanning the slowly brightening terrain before turning her attention towards his buckskinned form. It wasn't that she minded standing in the open, she just preferred to feel protected on all sides while she relaxed. Though recently that hadn't been much of a problem since she nearly always felt safe beside the larger stallion.

[aquiladorado]

Yunkara squinted in an attempt to conquer his loss of sight. It was still too dark for him at such an early hour, and he had no hope of finding a decent shelter. The stallion smirked that Shaylx would have asked such a thing of him, even though it was supposed to be his job. ”I’m sure that you would find a better place than me at this time,”[/i] he sighed. Yunkara knew that the Moon Filly’s vision was as good as his was during the day right now.

Turning toward the silvery strands of her mane that glowed under the small amount of light shed from the pale orb in the sky, the Sooty Buckskin reached out his nose to the mare’s withers, but stopped himself before he actually came into contact with her. A strong, icy wind blew past him and sent chills through his sleek form. It had been a cold night, and Yunkara figured it was going to be an even colder day by how the freezing wind had suddenly picked up. Pushing past his hesitation, he touched his soft muzzle to the Moon Filly’s neck to offer warmth and comfort. The stallion remained only an instant before backing away, and stood awkwardly in the dark.

He never knew how to react to the mare, but the Buckskin did know how the small gestures Shaylx had offered made him feel, and hoped that she would receive them in the same way. After taking a while to search for his voice, he finally found it and broke the silence. ”You may lead the way.”[/i] It did not matter to him where they were to rest, but Yunkara was beginning to realize how tired he really was from the switch of his days and nights, and merely looked forward to catching up on some sleep.

[Shay]

Shaylx gave a soft chuckle, a soft whispery sound hardly even there. She was coming to find that he had a distaste for showing emotion. This included weakness, and poor sight in the dark of the night fell into this particular category. "You travel at night for me..." Vocals rose to be heard even as that gaze twisted about seeking an protective shelter to rest. "Why?" The only reason she had managed to finally ask him one of the various questions on her mind was because she wasn't actually looking at him. One of those 'if I cant see you, you can't see me' feelings. Silly she knows but she had problems finding her voice when he was looking at her.

There in the distance to their right was a small shelter of trees. Turning to inform him of her discovery only to feel the faintest of touches against her neck . Breath caught and held as she caught the withdraw of his head from the corner of her eye. There was a skip in her chest before her heart thundered, cranium ducking faintly in an effort to hid her reaction to such a simple gesture.

His voice telling her to take the lead sent a shiver coursing along her flesh. She much preferred when she was behind him rather then the other way around. With a heavy dose of self conciseness she would nod, after clearing her throat once she managed to make a coherent sentence. "There is something this way, Yunkara. Not great, but it will do I think." She enjoyed the sound of his name, saying it simply for the sheer pleasure of saying it. A shift in weight with a quick glance towards him, optics seeking his one though she would be quick in breaking the contact chiding herself. She was just a mare, nothing special to separate her from any other mare. As much as every filly knows they will one day be part of a stallions herd, they still dream of being special to their stallion, something more then a body in a crowd. But truth be told thats what the majority of them became, loved and cherished with a superficial standard.

Silly mare, to loose your heart to one who...That thought came to an abrupt halt, and nearly so did she. If she had not been so aware of his presence behind her she would have frozen just as solidly as her. Oh no...no thats not going to happen, stupid stupid mare.. Was immediately on the tail of that first thought. She hoped he'd take the slight hesitation that had been in her step as nothing more then her picking a path to tread. Eventually they came to the small grove of trees and stone where Shaylx slowed her pace so that he passed her by. She left it to him to inspect, another small sign of her trust in his buckskin self.

[aquiladorado]

The question caught him off guard. At first he had thought it as a statement – for the reason he did travel at night was for the Moon Filly, and perhaps she had sensed his uncertainty of diminishing his sight and said such a thing to remind him. It did remind him that Shaylx would most likely not be there if he hadn’t. Yunkara had not even realized that the mare had asked a true question until much later, and by then he figured it was too late to answer and let it be. The stallion struggled to find a decent reply anyways.

Instead he followed her, the gleaming tail acting as his sense of direction, down a small dip of the valley and into a copse of trees. Their tall outlines were comforting to him, offering protection, and the sky had lightened just that small bit that allowed Yunkara to examine the area thoroughly enough – it was perfect. The large patches of snowgrass between some large rocks acted as a fairly soft area to lie down. That is, if the Buckskin actually lay down to sleep – instead he offered for Shaylx to take the spot of her choice, while he positioned himself in a square stance nearby so he could be ready for anything unexpected. The large stallion was used to sleeping while standing up on a regular basis.

While he figured the mare was settling herself, he finally answered her. ”I thought it was expected by you. That is why I travel at night.”[/i] Yunkara was not looking at the Moon Filly, for the same reasons that she would not look at him when she spoke. ”I don’t mind it. And,”[/i] he said quietly, fighting with himself to voice his feelings. ”And I didn’t want to take a chance at losing your company.”[/i] Yunkara knew it was true. Something about the mare held a part of him that he wasn’t used to passing around, and the thought of her disappearing made him sick. Gradually, the Moon Filly was relieving the memory of his past mate. She would never take the other mare’s place, though, for Yunkara was not meant to forget the mare and the wrong he had done her. But at least he was able to live with himself, as long as Shaylx was there.

[Shay]

The silence behind her was noted, and made the mare even more nervous to be his guide. When she fell back to allow his inspection she took the opportunity to study him in the growing light. Oh yes she could see just as well during the night as the day, and she preferred the solitude that the nights embrace seemed to drape over the lands inhabitants. But the colors were not the same as when touched by the sun. It had become a habit to covertly study him in the light of day.

She loved the cool cream with a faintly gold overlay dusted by dashes of ebon ash that made up his coat. The way his muscles worked beneath that buckskinned pelt. Even the tease of the wind that pulled at the thick length of his seemingly midnight mane and tail. She found it odd, and strangely poetic that his colors, slightly varied of course, were the opposite of her own. The rich amber fire of his gaze usually held very little if any tale to be told. On occasion when she glanced towards him there was a flicker of something in their silent depths, but so quickly gone that she was sure she must have imagined it.

Shaylx watched the stud square himself and settle in for a standing sleep. It gave her a strange warm feeling deep inside beyond the initial safe feeling she always retained when in his presence. He protected her. So simple, and yet so complex. She chose a place close to him, a few scrapes with a hoof to before starting the process of settling in for a day of sleep. It was then that his voice finally broke the silence. The instinct to shift her full attention on him was strong to resist, though she managed it well enough, instead twisting a single mocha coated soldier in his direction.

It took a moment or two for his words to register, and by the end of his admittance she was watching him. She had chosen to follow him, not the other way around, so for him to admit its what he thought she'd expect. Well to say the least the poor mare was a bit speechless. But added to that he piled on the whole loosing her angle, which caused her to react without thinking. Abandoning the place where she'd been about to lay down, on near soundless hooves she stepped up to his side. Neck muscles tensed, cranium twisted to the side so that her velveteen muzzle rested against his throat, lips tugging playfully at the earth toned blackness of his mane. Her voice slightly muffled by the angle held a gentle warmth different then the ones she had used before now. Words barely above a whisper, easy enough for him to catch at such a close proximity were uttered. "I would not willingly leave your side, for any reason. Unless you wished it so.."

With her heart in her throat she just stood there the length of her frame nearly touching his as she stood side by side with him, head twisted in to rest against his strength. It was the first time she had touched him at any length, she hadn't meant to but her need to reassure him had overtaken the shy uncertainty, at least when it came to him, that had seemed to fill her since being in his company alone. She waited for his reaction, expecting him to at least shy eventually away from the physical contact. After all it was the closest she had come to telling him her feelings. Yes it was a simple fact that she didn't know exactly how she was supposed to act around a stallion, having never seen or interacted with one before meeting the three on her way down. But he didn't encourage her touching him, so she figured he didn't much care for it.

[aquiladorado]

”Then don’t.”[/i] His deep vocals flowed in a stubborn manner, as if creating a law that was not meant to be broken. The dappled pelt had quivered ever so slightly at the mare’s touch, but Yunkara did nothing to stop it. The pull at his mane was a positive sign from the Moon Filly and he stood beside her in a peaceful silence. No words were able to be formed in his usually witty mind – a rare occasion. The stallion pressed his bulk closer to the mare, and slowly closed his heavy eyelids as he willed sleep to come. The gentle physical contact, so unlike the colliding bodies of a battle, was a foreign thing to the Sooty Buckskin – yet it was something he desired deep within. Little by little, the vicious beast was retreating to be replaced by a kinder heart.

That was what he had wanted, wasn’t it? To change his ways - and the stallion felt he had succeeded. Or was at least on the right track. Yunkara had not retreated from Shaylx’s touch, even as it brought back sour memories of his past, for he deserved to be happy and not live the rest of his life in a constant regret. A recurring thought of finding that mare that had cursed his conscience was what had driven him back to the High Country – now it might even be easy to push that thought away since he had found the Moon Filly instead. Shaylx was just as beautiful, if not more, and Yunkara was beginning to think she actually cared for him when no one else had ever offered those same affections.

His mental debate raged on until he could take it no longer. Opening his amber eyes, the Sooty Buckskin turned his neck ever so slightly to gaze upon the mare at his side. She was so peaceful, so relaxed in his presence, that Yunkara felt a twinge of pride. Assuming he was doing his job as a protector well, the stallion rewarded himself with a familiar dose of arrogance. The Moon Filly’s dark coat contrasted the new light of dawn – which resembled his own coat – yet their physical characteristics were comparable. Despite their differences, the two Brumbies still matched perfectly.

Yunkara could feel his heart beating beside the mare’s, and he took deeper breaths in an attempt to fall back asleep. Unfortunately the frosty morning air breathed life into his bones rather than unconsciousness, and the large stallion was bound to have another sleepless day. He remained quietly beside the mare, and watched the sun rising over the hill for a while, before a faint cry drew his attention. Off in the distance came the haunting shriek of a predatory bird – a sound that had rang so often in his own mind that the Buckskin paid it little more attention than a fly, for he was bound to be imagining things again. But the cry was carried on the winds once again, and the stallion immediately tensed and drew himself to full alert - head held high in the air, nostrils flaring, eyes burning dark as they searched the skies, and muscles anticipating under his skin.

The stallion was not about to take any chances. Rapidly turning to face the Moon Filly, Yunkara gave her a swift nudge on the hard muscles of her neck. ”Shaylx. You must wake up.”[/i] His patience was thin under the pressure of anxiety, and when a response did not come, he acted immediately. ”Shaylx move! We must go[/i] now.”[/i] Yunkara moved to her flank and butted his head against it forcefully, passing on the urgency of the situation. There was no time to waste in explaining his irrational behavior. He could only hope that the mare would simply trust him and get the heck out of there.

Ringing through the silent morning, the shriek sounded again – close enough for the Sooty Buckskin to catch the hatred inside of it. Yunkara froze and gazed up in horror as a dark silhouette appeared high above in one of the trees. The feeling of watchful eyes bearing down on him caused his hide to prickle and his pulse to race. The blood that coursed through his body was hot with anger, and the underlying fear for the mare that remained at his side. Moving to stand protectively in front of Shaylx, Yunkara managed to pass a single word through his gritted teeth that came out in a raspy whisper. ”Run.”[/i]

OOC: And the action begins! She doesn't actually have to leave, but yeah... Yunkara thought it best that she did considering that's the kind of guy he is haha

[Shay]

The silence stretched comfortably after his final two words that had drawn a smile from her demeanor, lulling the mare into sleep. For a while her slumber was peaceful, the warmth of the stallion at her side kept the nightmares at bay most of the morning. But even his presence couldn't prevent her from reliving that night so many seasons ago. It was her punishment, to see that night through her mother's eyes. It had been an unusually still night, like the world held its breath in anticipation. The strike had been so loud it had deafened the two Moon Fillies. It had been Shaylx who had panicked first, bolting from her mothers side. The thoughts that flashed through her mind were not her own, they were the thoughts she imagined rushed through her mothers head as she watched the tail of her daughter disappear.She could have saved herself at that moment, instead she had chased after her reckless daughter.

Flames enveloped the dream leaving only a small clearing where the two mares stood, the whites of their eyes showing, the panicked fear in their voices overwhelmed by roar of the blazing inferno. Shaylx had seen the way out had turned to her mother. Shaylx, watching through her mothers eyes saw herself shift to use hooves teeth and bulk to push at her mother trying to get her to move.

"Shaylx. You must wake up."

Locked in fear she could not do what her daughter wanted, could not get her limbs to move. The fire was getting closer, licking at her flanks, leaving smoldering flesh and singed hair in its wake. The scream of pain and fear...

"Shaylx move! We must go now."

[/b][/i]

The force of his shove jerk her from the terror of one dream into the confusion of another. Blinking several times in an effort to shake the grogginess. Midnight optics lock on the sooty stallion's agitated form. The confusion increased when she couldn't' find an obvious source for the stallions reactions. "Yunkara?" Putting the question, the confusion in that one word. The lingering effects of her nightmare, coupled with his urgent demand that she run kept her rooted in place as he shifted his bulk to block her form from whatever danger he sensed. The shriek, filled with hatred, echoed inside her head. Was she still asleep? What was going on? My my this really wasn't the most pleasant way to wake up. [/blockquote][/blockquote][/size][/color]

[aquiladorado]

Light streamed through the tree boughs and illuminated the shadow perched in their midst. The large eagle stretched her wings and swooped down to a lower branch, never taking her harsh gaze off the stallion beneath her. The Sooty Buckskin could feel Shaylx stirring beside him, but the bird held his full attention and whisked him off to the past, where the name the mare called him by was not recognized immediately. He was short of breath; as if he was stuck in a contained area without enough oxygen, and the stallion began to feel dizzy. His nostrils snorted rhythmically as he eyed down the eagle – the weight of her glare holding him in place. ”You!”[/i] he gasped, pinning his ears back and readying a foreleg if the bird came any closer. But she stayed put, with the advantage of height, and twisted her beak into a smirk. ”So we meet again, Dorado.”

Yunkara tossed his massive neck, letting the wild strands of his mane dance uncontrollably as he snaked forward into a crouch – legs spread wide apart like those of a wobbly colt and head low to the ground, teeth bared. ”I do not know whom you speak of,”[/i] he snapped in a malicious tone. The eagle only chuckled and darted from the tree in one quick motion. The Sooty Buckskin ducked instinctively to fear of her sharp talons, and reversed into Shaylx as he spun and saw the bird land in a different tree behind them. ”You may have been able to fool others, but I can easily see what you hide. Your thoughts and memories betray you.” The words caused Yunkara to flinch, while the invasion of his privacy caused his anger to flare. Why have you come here? screamed his thoughts, although he knew it was not for a simple and pleasant conversation. The eagle was truly amused by the large brute. The question in his mind was pointless – she knew he was aware that they had business to take care of, and she had tracked him down to deal with it.

The eagle, Guyra, had become aware of the stallion’s presence in the High Country approximately a season ago and the news was nothing to rejoice over. It had been hard to find him – Guyra knew the fear the stallion had for her, and he had therefore been annoyingly elusive. But she had caught his whereabouts thanks to talk of the Moon Filly he traveled with, and sure enough, here stood a legendary Moon Filly at his side. The eagle had expected the Buckskin to be alone, and the sight of the mare that followed him disgusted her. This was a stallion that did not deserve to have a family, and Guyra intended to do something about it. ”I see you have collected another prize,” said the eagle icily. She spared the mare nothing more than a brief glance of pity before she spoke again. ”You seem to gravitate toward the rare-coated ones, but for a reason I cannot see. It says nothing about your success as a stallion to force a Moon Filly to run with you – nothing, but perhaps your selfishness.”

Yunkara almost lost his temper at the eagle’s play on Shaylx, but he knew that she had every right to say what she had, and backed down. ”I do not run with this mare,”[/i] the stallion snarled, although it hurt him to admit. It was his own fault that he had not asked properly, but he had every intention to do so and hoped that the wretched bird was not about to ruin that. Worried, Yunkara moved in front of the Moon Filly once again and met the eagle’s cold glare with one of his own. ”And I’d like to see you try to take her away from me.”[/i] There was no way the stallion was going to let a bird poison Shaylx’s mind.

[Shay]

The heavy beat of a bird's wings brought the mares attention towards the skies as the focus of Yunkara's distress became known. It took Shaylx only a few moments to figure out that the two knew each other, and the beak brain did not like her stallion. He's not mine! She told herself sternly even as she focused her attention on the dialect that played between the pair. Dorado..who is Dorado and why does she call him that? A step brought her closer as he drew in huge gulps of air though her voice never lifted from its dark cage, a silent show of support as the ebony depths of the Moon Fillies gaze rested upon the raptor.

His denial in knowledge of the name was filed away for later as the feather head took flight. With no time to react since the brute's bulk shifted in her direction threatening to collide with her own Shaylx sank back onto her haunches, muscles straining, rippling beneath the smooth contours of milk chocolate. With an lithe twist of that upper body, forelegs curled in close to her underside the mare pivoted neatly and lept to the side. The movement was sinuous, a liquid grace put into flesh and not nearly as easy as she made it appear. The perfection of balance, a fine line between remaining upright and tumbling over was dance made with precision. It was precision that succeeded in avoiding the stallions larger form, and keeping her attention fully on the threat at hand...err hoof.

The flightful wonder found another perch in which to taunt the two equine below. Gaze dropped towards the sooty stallion in time to see him flinch. Memories..his past? He had mentioned having a rough past before the Nightrunner and his filly had appeared. Perhaps this has something to do with that? These thoughts and others flickered through her mind before being interrupted by the depths of his voice raising in question.

The pity in the bird's gaze wasn't lost nor was it acknowledged, and the words spoken caused mocha twins to flatten. Even as the fire snapped in midnight eyes, jaws part to give the fluffy rodent a piece of her mind, but Yunkara's snarl broke first. The hurt flooding her veins closed her throat and locked down her voice, even as his body shifted protectively before her own. The flutter of hope fanned briefly at his next words causing that narrow defined cranium to lift. No he had never asked her to run with him, but what did that matter, he at least wanted her around. Shaylx would simply stare in silence, as the feathered droppings did not deserve anything else from the Moon Filly. The fathomless contemplation alight in onyx optics, while soldiers returned to attention. Whipcords of icy sunlight twisted in the wind in a tangled dance, the arch of matching creme tickled along the tense muscles of that chocolate coat. It's heavy weight occasionally lifted with the femme's minute movements.

OOC: Her thoughts are in the slightly darker color, and as you can see..she doesnt think much of bords. >>