Surprise Recruiting [Balaroo's Herd//Baragoola]

[Rivre]

ooc; Balaroo's Herd and Baragoola only please, in a posting order as per usual. Oh! And Yaruka, feel free to add in Imbrium too if you like, the more the merrier x)

Summer was a good time to be moving; with the arrival of the longer days and the constant easy living, good grazing and heated rays of the sun, a horse could grow strong, as could a herd. The lorikeets' settled in the stunted trees of Stockwhip Hill, calling heedlessly to the bush and rock ridge slopes, few of the springs wild-flowers wilted but still present in the torrid heat of the day, wound between snowgrass stems. Balaroo much enjoyed the feeling of a breeze through his mane, but there was no such joy today, as he stood -head thrown up and lobes pricked, electric- silhouetted by the sunlight on his rock slab perch, golden palomino hide a-shinning.

He had moved his little band further south for the summer, where there was lesser chance fights arousing that could be avoided, and where his mares would feel safe to run. After all he was a five year old now, and had seen all the excitement of his world to the full, but he was not yet ready to risk loosing it. He could see the sparkling liquid rays of light as they hit the creek just below his ledge, and felt his throat clench at the thought of drenching it again, gaze wondering towards the glossy bay hide of Qana, his first mare, then to Wyralla, who he had won from Thalera, the evil sooty stallion; life was good enough for him to be satisfied, and it seemed there was no-one to question him today - anyway, who was there to beat him? He felt glorious -apart form the annoying sprain in his shoulder as a result of his recent run-in-, and he was nearing his prime.

Muscle ripping he began the descent, shoulder strained against his purpse and twinging in protest, hooves clattering on the rock with dulled ringing echos, but it didn't bother him, even as he lowered his lips to the cool dancing water, not quite warmed by the sun. It felt good, trickling down his nose, and he snorted to the slowly quaking surface, blowing the tides astray. Stepping back he looked once more at his two mares, whinnying joyously into the breathless air, a clammy sweat breaking out on his coat. If all was well, why did he feel this nervous fire chorusing through his veins all too strong? For surely something was to happen?

[Ehetere]

To put matters quite simply, Baragoola was a mess. All she’d done was go for a drink down at the creek, but when she had returned to where she had been dozing with Koora, the glorious bay stallion with his glowing silver mane had vanished. She had called and searched and searched and called, desperately for days with her two worried daughters trailing her anguished movements.

But eventually the mouse dun mare had to admit defeat - Koora was gone. And this was not a scenario Baragoola had ever thought she would have to deal with again. At the time, she had lain down where she stood and closed her eyes - wanting nothing more than death to take her. For she had no life without her stallion. But insistent nudging and the hungry bleats of her youngest bay daughter had her struggling to her feet again: knowing that she must live for her daughters.

Life continued, but Baragoola was in a trance like state. She drank, she grazed, she travelled, but her eyes were glossed over as if she was seeing something far away, despite her daughters’ attempts to break her from this daze. Her eldest, Milyali, with the mysterious dappled grulla coat and the silver mane and tail, had to really take the reins and mature far faster than many young horses would be expected. The bay filly Killuna was an intelligent little thing with a sensible head on her shoulders, but she was not even weaned and did not fully understand the gravity of the situation.

So summer brought the trio south, far further south than they had ever ventured with Koora. Milyali wanted to take her mother away from familiar haunts where she had once walked with her father in a hope that it may finally cause her mother’s heart to heal and that she might live again.

They had left the rugged valley’s of the Brolga’s country behind, and now the south was stretched out before them to explore. There was an air of mystery about the south - its valleys and hideaways little known compared to the well travelled High Country. There was always mystery in the unknown. Milyali actually found it rather exciting.

Wind blown trees who looked permanently shaped to the harsh winds that must blow through here during some point of the year gave way to a steep snowgrass slope where it looked like there would be plentiful grazing. Milyali stepped from the trees cautiously, but neither she nor her sister or her mother knew much of the ways of the bush, and their tracks were never hidden on purpose, and their travel never silent. Though with their current nervousness and wariness of new surroundings it was quieter than usual.

Sniffing the air, the silver grulla filly tensed - there were other horses near by, and suddenly Baragoola threw up her head: the first sign of life they’d really seen from their mother since their father’s disappearance. Baragoola threw up her head and let out a sobbing neigh that sang of heartbreak and loss before plummeting down the slope as fast as her legs would carry her.

Killuna was in shock for a moment before letting out a terrified cry and plunging down the slope also, though her littler legs could not hope to gain enough ground on her mother’s frenzied gallop. Milyali followed quickly after, he head thrown up in concern. What had galvanized her mother to react so? She could only think that her mother might be hallucinating now: the ghost of a bay stallion seen galloping down the slope before her tortured eyes.

But when Baragoola did reach the flash of silver bay hide that had so gotten her hopes up, she stopped dead - halting her head long run with startling suddenness so much so that Killuna nearly crashed into her rump. Baragoola let out a strangled cry of anguish - the silver bay was not Koora in all his shining glory - and sunk to her knees in defeat. Until now, Baragoola had been holding on to the shred of hope that if she kept on going, kept on searching, she might find her lost stallion hidden away. But now she was forced to accept that he was never going to return to her. She did not believe for a second that he would have left her intentionally anyway. Some cruel fate had befallen him, and so befallen her.

Milyali caught up finally: she was stouter than her mother and rather heavily set, and the look of concern on her face was clearly evident as she sent an apologetic nicker to the palomino coloured stallion before attempting to comfort her mother, who was no longer responding to the outside world.

[aquiladorado]

The sun was a monstrosity. The bright rays burned her eyes, and there was too much activity of creatures celebrating the warm weather. Alkina did not know why she had chosen to travel during the day compared to her beloved night, yet the chances of coming across the other Moon Fillies were definitely lower. Which was a good thing. Back as part of that wretched herd, Alkina had no free will – she was supposed to act a certain way, talk a certain way, and age nicely until a certain Sun Stallion whom she had hated all her life was supposed to assume control of her. All that time, she was supposed to stay with the Moon Fillies. Well! A life like that sounded horrid. Alkina had left her legendary herd on a momentary impulse and had now ended up here. Wherever that was.

Every mare in her herd had seemed to naturally fit in, to follow the plan without even thinking of setting one hoof astray. Alkina had always been different. She knew the younger fillies never accepted her for that, and neither had some of the adults. Except for that idiotic stallion, who pursued her like a constant bothersome fly. No power on Earth could ever force her to obey him. The lone Moon Filly huffed at the thought. Her mother would have sent him after her, no doubt; Alkina had wandered far from the herd and had been gone for days now so chances were slim that anyone would find her. Good.

The Moon Filly moved through the bush carefully, longing for her cover of darkness despite the fact that she was quiet enough without it. Her frustrating thoughts consumed her as she worked her slender frame around the numerous tree trunks, until there were no more to work around. Without thinking Alkina emerged into the clearing and continued her questionable journey. Why had she not been able to simply go with the flow, fit in with the rest of the Moon Fillies easily? Alkina hoped it had been some crazy twist of fate; something might have been telling her that she belonged somewhere else, and now she was off to find that place. As she crested a small hill at a trot, the wind blew past her with the scent of Brumbies. Alkina tensed momentarily and moved to the edge of the hill where she might not be noticed, before cautiously walking over the remainder of the hill.

Below her were two valleys, and in the farther of the two, Alkina could make out the shape of two mares. From what she could see, there was no stallion with them at the moment. Perfect. The Moon Filly picked up her floating trot and made her way over to the pair of Brumbies. She wondered how they would react to her – like the other Moon Fillies had, or if they would find her perfectly normal. Alkina took her time approaching them, as she noticed another mare tearing down a far slope seemingly to where these mares stood. Perhaps she was just part of the herd, as she did have young ones at her flank. When the Moon Filly finally reached the valley, she nickered quietly to announce her arrival. There was a Bay and a Chestnut grazing contentedly on the dry snowgrass, and Alkina’s heart throbbed to make their acquaintance. As much as she enjoyed her solitude, company from another mare or two would do no harm every once in a while.

The mares were plain in comparison to her, and Alkina felt somewhat self-conscious of her dark coat. She loved the shiny copper color of the one mare, and the rusted brown of the other. Their coats allowed them to do whatever they wanted, while hers came only as a restriction. If she could switch with one of them, she probably would. Her babbling mind had taken up her attention, and failed to point out a key part of the picture she had put herself in. Up on a ledge stood a stallion – the stallion, she assumed, that controlled this herd and the very same one she had missed at a first glance. Alkina was ready to bolt, but remained in the hopes that he hadn’t seen her yet. The Moon Filly’s eyes widened as she sized him up more intently – he was a Sun Stallion. Her gaze turned into a glare as she slowly backed away from the herd. What was a Sun Stallion doing here, and with an average herd of mares? Hatred coursed through her veins at the life she would have been forced to live, while the stallions that took part in that life could just decide it wasn’t for them and go off to do whatever they pleased?! No wonder she had never took a liking to any of the Sun Stallions she had grown up with. They were all wretched beasts.

[Rivre]

ooc; Yaruka is very busy at current so she'll be dropping her posts in when she has the time - she has said to assume her mares are just grazing as normal x)

bic;

The peace of the morning seemed to shatter before his very eyes, and he almost sighed in resignation - a lonesome call spilt the air, full of despair and one that shook the near-by lorikeet from his perch, skwarking as he sped away. Head rising slowly from the rippling sheet of water, Balaroo found his ears pricking with interest at the mouse dun mare who threw herself so eagerly down the hillside towards his gleaming self. Limping back a few paces, he turned to face her, neck arching as he realized she was, indeed, focused on him. What was it that pushed her to such a thrilling pace?

And then suddenly she was there, a flurry of hooves and a scatter of grass stems as she skidded to a halt, startled out of a daze it appeared. Tilting his head quizzically he was about to ask if he could be of any help to her, when she fell to her knees -letting out another anguished cry-on the grass in front of him. It was only now he noticed the two younger fillies who traversed beside this curious mare, and the elder of the pair stepped forwards to offer her apology. Shaking his head quickly, Balaroo nickered a quiet greeting of his own, pacing towards the fallen mare with lighter step than was characteristic of him, cautiously extending white flashed nose to dun shoulder in the hope of comforting her sorry self.
"It was with some intent you threw yourself down that hillside as you did, and I can only hope that meeting me here was not the thing which seems to have caused you so much stress?" he asked her gently, stepping back so that his head remained at a lower level, but he was quite as intimidatingly close.
"I am Balaroo - for the rain."

There was a sudden sound from below, and Balaroo's head shot up, lobes flickering; a stallion should come now of all times! But it was no hyped-up sooty seeking revenge, but a sparkling filly of the moon. Brown eyes widened in surprise, and he was about to nicker her a reply of greeting when he realized that she was gazing at him with some degree of hatred. Shocked into silence, he began to wonder at just what it was that seemed to have drawn all these unwilling mares from the bush today! He could only be so patient.

[yaruka]

OOC: hey guys, I'm going to put in a token reply for my mares, and I'll throw in Imbrium just for kicks ^^
BIC: It seemed Stockwhip Hill was the place to be today. Imbrium certainly thought it seemed so as she followed the trail of three mares, pausing every so often to question why she was doing so. In reality the pinto mare was lonely, she had always been social, in spite of her sarcasm, and she was bored out of her mind with exploring the bush solo. She had heard rumours of a Sun Stallion living nearby, and wondered if it might perhaps be the bold one she had encountered over a year ago on Paddy Rush's Bogong. Then he had been driven off by the other stallions, a foolish youngster, before she had got to know him, but now that he'd had a chance to mature a little she reasoned he should be a more worthy herd leader. Meeting him was certainly a more exciting prospect than wandering by herself! So she had followed the little gang of mares, hoping they'd lead her to the stallion's herd, though she didn't think they were of his mob, at least yet. As it turns out she was in luck. Welll, sort of. Winding her way through the last of the trees she just had itme ot catch a glimpse of a shiny golden and silver coat when the eldest of the mares she'd been following plunged down the slope and collapsed. Imbrium could hardly believe her eyes. The only thing that dragged her gaze away was the sudden appearance of a silver maned Moon Filly. The spotted blue roan nearly rolled her eyes. Drama.
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Throughout the various disturbances Qana had remained relatively calm, though she had come forward in concern when one of the new mares collapsed to the ground. Standing just behind Balaroo she watched in amazement as a Moon Filly then made an appearnce, and was that anothe rhorse she could see drifting in the brush down the hill? Wyralla was beside her quite astonished by the sudden influx of horses, though not at all fazed, simply soaking up the aura of excitement. The silver grulla's reaction puzzled her, and she did regard her with concern even as she trembled with eagerness to meet all these new brumbies.

[Ehetere]

Milyali was at a loss as to what she could do. Killuna continued to try and revive her mother’s activity, bleating and nudging her insistently. She was hungry and wanted a drink, but sincerely hoped her mother’s loving nature might be awoken enough for her to rise again.

The silver bay came trotting cautiously over, and Milyali shied back a few steps. Though neither of Baragoola’s possessed her anxiety to the same extent, they were wary creatures who would take a bit of persuading before venturing into friendships or social occasions.

It was only when the stallion spoke however that Baragoola raised her head, her glazed eyes barely seeing the horse before her. She could hear and smell her daughters as they anxiously tried to get her to her feet again, but Baragoola had not been sure she ever wanted to again. For with her hope snatched so utterly from her grasp, her life seemed to lose all meaning, its direction gone and left nothing but an empty shell behind. But the concern within the stallion’s voice and that of her daughters reminded her that her life did mean something to others.

She rose then, much to her daughters’ relief, though it was a shaky attempt that almost had her on her knees once more. Killuna ducked her head under her mother’s flank and began to drink in earnest then, and Baragoola turned to nuzzle her dear bay daughter. Milyali she saw, stood a little way off – watching, with a tenseness in her being that Baragoola wondered whether she would ever shake. How these last few months had aged her daughter, made her wise beyond her years. No yearling should be forced to take such responsibility.

She shook her head at the stallion’s words, finally responding but not trusting her voice not to crack if she mentioned what pained her so. The loss of Koora was now so absolute, but she would try everything in her power to forget those memories lest they destroy her for good.

“I am Baragoola, for the flood,” she replied quietly, not unusual for her. “And these are my two daughters, Milyali and Killuna. I apologize, Stallion of the Sun, for disturbing your peace so utterly. If it is your wish, we will leave directly.”

Baragoola did not know where they would go should Balaroo not desire their company. She need only glance over her shoulder to spy a herd of mares in the field behind her, and with them a filly of the moon. She was plain, oh so plain, and what stallion would want such a broken mare? Balaroo seemed wholesome and good, a stallion any mare might aspire to belong to, and perhaps given the chance Baragoola might find it within her heart to learn how to love again in time.

[aquiladorado]

The stallion made his way over to the distressed mare, and while he occupied himself with her well-being, Alkina lifted her gaze from him and took the opportunity to move in with the two mares that were closest to her. The Moon Filly had considered leaving, but the presence of yet another mare from behind grew stronger as her decision-making time passed – eventually the consideration of how large this stallion’s herd must be, with all the mares appearing and what not, provoked the mare to act upon the hope that he had enough to deal with and would not bother her. If he knew what was good for him, that is.

The dark-coated mare tossed her head, unsettling her silvery mane for a time, and looked to the more curious of the mares. She extended her nose in greeting, but lost her attention when an ear twitched to catch the stallion’s words. Alkina was quite surprised. He sounded nothing like the Sun Stallions she was used to, but then again he didn’t really look like them either. His coat was too light. Listening intently to what he was saying to the pretty Grulla, she could catch that the mare and her offspring were not a part of his herd at all. Puzzled by how he was reacting to an outside mare, so kind and comforting, the Moon Filly marched toward the stallion. She kept her head held high, each step cautious, and her thoughts concealed from her face.

She stopped a short distance from the four Brumbies. ”Why is it, o wise stallion of the Sun, that you are here?”[/i] Her tone was flattering, but in a sarcastic manner, for she did not consider the stallion wise at all. At least without any knowledge on him. Pushing past the golden beast, Alkina moved to stand beside the shaky mare who was now on her feet. The mare was very beautiful, as were her young, and the Moon Filly offered her presence in comfort to them. Although to the stallion, she showed no respect. Her curiosity might have won over her distaste, but she was still not fond of his freedom.

OOC: Okay crappy sorry. And yes Alkina is being a tad nasty, but she’ll come around eventually X)

[Rivre]

Balaroo watched the mare rise shakily to her hooves, and itched to rush over and support her, but kept his cautious distance, instead choosing to whicker encouragingly as she spoke. So she was named for the flood?
"I have no wish that you should leave: stay, be born away by the winds on which you came - either way, this grass, this place does not belong to me, it is the high-country's to do as it wishes. Come, perhaps you will graze with my herd a while, until you have your strength returned?"
He tired, in what few words he could put together in order to reply without hesitation, to imply he would rather she stayed a while, but to him, and probably most others, it sounded like he was just concerned.

It didn't take long for curiosity to get the better of the silver bay filly - he had kept his gaze carefully flitting to his mares, interested - and she came marching with a cautious stride, an odd combination and hard to examine without a light snort of amusement on his part, towards the group.
”Why is it, o wise stallion of the Sun, that you are here?”
Once again taken a back by her startlingly forth-right manner, and let his gaze narrow, did she speak with distaste before even knowing him? Shaking out rough golden, cream and brown threads, he answered her with matching tones - emotionless.
"I am here, because it is my right - and my herd's -to graze here. Why is it that you challenge me, and why is it that you are here if so apparently displeased by my presence?"

[Ehetere]

Baragoola nodded gratefully with some encouragement from her daughters, who both knew their mother needed rest and safety now. They could do little for her in this respect, but this stallion could.

Even though Milyali had grown so much, at least in her maturity, since her father’s disappearance, she was still very young and did not yet fully understand how herds functioned – how was she to know, for her mother had been her father’s only mare? Baragoola, though the very opposite of a social horse, may have picked up the inkling of the stallion’s desire for her to remain for longer, but in her emotionally exhausted state, all she felt was gratitude for the safety in numbers.

Milyali, who was still rather tense and alert even though her mother seemed to have relaxed into almost a daze, flicked her ears around in alarm and swung her head around to assess whatever horse she’d heard approaching. It was no secret that Baragoola often found it difficult to deal with social situations, and the more horses added the more likely she was to freak out. Milyali had always been quiet, but watchful, and knew her mother’s needs well by now. The approach of the bold Moonfilly was… concerning.

The situation was tense, no doubt about it, and Killuna who was slightly more attuned than even her mother and sister, shrunk away as best she could under her mother’s belly, peering out with wary eyes. The Moonfilly seemed to be no fan of the Sun Stallion, and Milyali wondered why. She, considering her heritage, had at least learnt about this particular legend in depth, and could see no reasoning behind such hostility. Then again, her father had been a very kind horse.

Baragoola shied when the silver-maned mare pushed her way forward, and Milyali took a half comforting, half defensive step forwards to stand beside her mother. She had developed a brave streak in their travels, which no one would have guessed from one of Baragoola’s offspring, but it had been a necessity. Her expression was not hostile however, just wary. She did not want her mother bolting for cover after coming this far.