Nothing's Sweeter Than Summertime (Wirinun Herd)

[aquiladorado]

The sun rose awful early in the summer months. Today was no different, yet it still succeeded to amaze the young stallion who stood at peace while the warm rays of light washed over his body. He had brought his mares to the banks of the Cascade Creek for the soothing nature of the water, along with the good grazing - although there was not much, the luscious grass was plenty for himself and his small herd.

Wirinun closed his eyes and let the gentle rolling of the river lull him to sleep in the mere hours after sunrise. He could feel the reflection of the sun on the water, reflecting back to him, and a sigh escaped his lips. A warm breeze tousled his mane and tail, the familiar touch of a friend. He had grown extensively since his last summer; having been raised on love and kindness, the painted Grullo was maturing into a well-rounded stallion. The mares he had found, or had more or less found him, were also young but wise all the same. And now they were bearing his foals.

The thought caused his eyes to flutter open. He turned from the gurgling water to check on them – their completely opposite coats gleaming in the flattering light – and gave a soft whicker while he strode forward in their direction. The closest mare was the sturdy Black, his first mare, and Wirinun stood at her side and began to nibble on her mane. He worked his way down her neck to groom her withers, and then moved down to her still-average belly. The young stallion gently pressed his nose into the mare’s side; he waited patiently, but of course there was no response.

Slightly disappointed, he moved off to another mare and touched his nose affectionately to hers, breathing deeply as he took in her sweet scent. Then he did the same grooming routine to her Grey and more delicate frame, nudging her side also. Wirinun stood with his head pressed against the mare’s side for a time. ”Are you sure they’re okay?”[/b] he inquired, worry lining the edges of his voice. His offspring were no doubt too young to be noticed, but the young stallion feared for them despite that fact.

The patterned colt of the past had never imagined he would be where he was today – Wirinun figured he would have spent his days running free with the wind until he was well on in his years and able to settle down. Instead he had fought an older Brumby, gathered his own mares, and trailed another only to find that he had been beat by the very stallion that had decorated his coat with battle scars. The disappointment was almost non-existent. The mares he currently had meant the world to him, and the life he had with them was his own choice.

Despite the fact that he had responsibilities, the young stallion still ran with the wind and set off on adventures of varying sorts – dragging his herd along – so that he could live out his youthfulness the way he had planned. Wirinun thrived on excitement, and his mares seemed to enjoy it too. But for now the peaceful morning took its toll on him and the painted stallion set about grazing between his mares, his coat appearing to be a combination of both of theirs. The picture was immaculate, for nothing was sweeter than the taste of the summer grass or the reassuring presence of his loved ones.

[stormsnow]

The black mare, grazing beside her Grey companion near the river, lifted her head to look at the sun for a moment. If one looked at it too long, they could be blinded by its fiery intensity. Returning her gaze to the grass, the mare could not help but notice the very slight swelling of her stomach.

Pengana had been running with Wirinun for a good few seasons now. It was, in some ways, pleasing to have company. Having been cast out from her herd at a young age, she was not used to being in a large group of horses; but the pair of horses she traveled with could hardly be called a herd.

She looked over at the painted stallion, her mate, but not, she liked to think, her leader, for Pengana would always be fiercely independent, as so she sometimes needed to be away from Wirinun, and his other mare, Alkira. Casting her wild-looking brown eyes over the stallion, she noticed that he was trotting steadily in her general direction.

Pengana returned Wirinun's gesture of affection as he groomed her by nibbling his ears gently. She had never thought that she would ever be proud to call a stallion her mate, but she was. All three of them had become close in the time they'd been together; now she could barely imagine what she would feel like without them.

After pressing his nose to her side, hoping to feel the stirring of a tiny foal, no doubt, Wirinun drifted over to Alkira, and Pengana gave a small sigh of happiness. All was well; she hoped that all would remain so, at least for a while, for what was life without excitement?

[E!]

The days since Alkira had been up on Mt. Kosciusko and found Wirinun and his sweet companion Ballie had been wonderful, and as Winter had passed into Spring, Spring into Summer - she had settled into a kind of dream, a daze and wonderment at how life could be this lovely. One thing that had made her giddy with pleasure, was the very slight bulge in her slender side. Pregnant.

So the delicate grey mare stood higher, prouder..more lovely than ever in the warm rays of golden sun. Alkira stood a little away from Wirinun and Pengana, her velvet nose lowered to the cool waters of Cascade Creek, sucking in the sweet water for a few moments before raising her pretty head to gaze quietly at the mixed gold and green grasses on the opposite bank. She thought of nothing in particular, but allowed herself the pleasure of focusing entirely on the feeling of being pregnant. It wasn't much of course, her foal had not developed enough yet to be kicking out strongly, but she did feel heavier - and she knew she was caring for more than herself.

Her pale mane lifted slightly, the breeze a little hot as it lifted the silky hairs off her fragile neck. Her forelock seemed to have grown longer than it usually lay, likely due to good feed and her own happiness, and it slid over one of her sky blue eyes. Alkira shook her head impatiently so that it slid further, and impaired her vision no longer. Her fine boned face raised a little higher, eyes fluttering closed as the sun warmed her eyelids.

The soft touch of Wirinun didnt suprise her, she had grown accustomed to his affectionate touch. As his nose rested on her belly, Alkira turned her head, eyes flicking open as her lips curved into a warm smile. She had not yet grown irritated and grumpy - like some mares do when pregnant, and was pleased at the interest her stallion showed in his foal. "It hasn't kicked yet, but i'll be sure to tell you when it does" Alkira's voice was a beautiful thing, like the chime of tiny, lulling bells - a pleasure to hear. Her ears flicked forward, waiting for Wirinuns response.

[aquiladorado]

The stallion huffed, allowing his worry to be absorbed by the sun. The words of his mate might have put his fears at ease, but Wirinun was still restless. The duty he owed to his mares had him twitching constantly, unable to stand perfectly still for any amount of time. Already with what he had, the young stallion would enter his prime years well-off – but for some reason, it wasn’t enough. He whickered softly to Alkira in thanks for her offer, and gazed to the creek as it rolled by. Across the way, on the soft sands of the opposite bank, a pack of Dingos could be seen striding into the sunlight. A couple of the younger ones strayed from the pack and made their way to the cool waters, some with pups at their side. Wirinun stiffened, and grew restless once again.

”The Dingos told me,”[/i] he said at last – completely off topic from what his mares were most likely expecting. ”They spoke of it last night, under the light of the full moon while the rest of this land was resting.”[/i] Wirinun turned back to his mares and his eyes shifted between the two of them. ”The King is in battle – for his title, and his mares.”[/i] The patterned stallion shuffled his feet uneasily. Just one more, he thought. Three was a good number. ”If the both of you agree to it, I should like to travel to his herd and bring a filly back with me – if that is at all possible. To have a daughter of Tingara’s would earn this herd a good status, to place us higher in the pecking order so we may live easier.”[/i] Wirinun hated discussing this kind of stuff. He was the stallion, and could easily just grab one of the King’s fillies without consent from his mares, but he would live in guilt of doing it. Their approval was necessary, if he was ever going to get one.

”It is Nepelle who challenges him. Should Tingara lose, and the Chestnut stallion win his herd, then those fillies will no longer be available as Nepelle is not their father and could keep them for himself should he wish. Although he is a reasonable stallion and may see the dangers of having such a large herd, I would rather not risk my chances with him if that is not the case.”[/i] Wirinun could not answer why he wanted another mare, but he simply did. Perhaps it was the summer, the wretched weather that drove stallions mad until they turned against even close friends for mares. ”There is not much time, so I would expect to leave tomorrow. The grazing along the way is good, and no harm should come to you or your foals.”[/i] The young stallion spoke the truth, for he would risk everything in defence of Alkira and Pengana. How he hoped they would understand his longing, though.

[stormsnow]

Pengana twitched her ears uneasily as she listened to Wirinun, and then gave her opinion. "I do not think it is a good idea," the wise black mare neighed. "Would you risk Tingara or Nepelle, if he wins, chasing after us? I think that life is good enough as it is now. Having more mares is a vauenrability as much as it is a strength."

The black mare tuned to look staight into the painted stallion's eyes. "If you wish to do this, I cannot stop you, although I will say one last thing: What if this daughter of Tingara does not wish to leave the comfort of her herd? And what if she tries to claim dominance over Alkira and myself, simply because she is the King's daughter?"

[E!]

Wirinuns worry seemed to ease itself under Alkira's contentment, and she shifted uneasily - though her worries held no support. Wirinun spoke, his voice both excited and nervous, and though the pale mare continued to feel uncomfortable, her stallions voice calmed her, soothed her. Her pretty head dropped to crop at the snowgrass, and she lifted it only when Wirinun posed a question.

The question seemed silly to her - of course he should gain more mares, all stallions should carry a herd of the number he wished..if he were a decent beast. Alkira rested her velvet muzzle on the sweet beasts shoulder, murmering her consent softly. "If you wish it, I wish it too". Ballie then gave her opinion and Alkira shot a glance at the sturdy black mare, unsure of why she disagreed.

However, Alkira disliked conflict, and remained quiet, slender ears twitching. "Any mare that Wirinun chooses will be of a companionable nature, Tingara raises his daughters well - they are happy to be in the excitement of the world outside of their sires herd." Her thoughts seemed to slide from between her lips without her noticing, and her wide blue eyes revealed her uncertainty of speaking them. Still, as an afterthought, she continued "His sons, however, lack the nobility of their sire." Believing she had said enough, the beautiful pale grey nibbled Wirinuns shoulder gently, affectionately.

[aquiladorado]

The painted stallion listened only half-heartedly to what the black mare had to say. He knew he was being thrust in the direction of his longing by some unknown force that was impossible to go against. Her refusal was noted with slight frustration, but Alkira’s acceptance and her gentle touch on his shoulder made up his mind. ”Tingara would not fight a stallion that would rid him of a grown daughter; it is his duty to let them go. And he dare not go against the order, as he is King and such a thing would be unthinkable. Apart from that, Alkira is right - his daughters are well brought up and mannerly. Nepelle would be the only worry, which is why I prefer to move as soon as possible.”[/i]

Switching to a more persuasive tactic, the painted stallion approached Pengana and rested his muzzle on the black mare’s forehead and lipped at the long strands of her forelock. ”It’s only one mare,”[/i] came his voice in a very enticing manner, his long lashes batting innocently. ”Trust me on this one.”[/i] Wirinun took a few steps back to meet the mare’s gaze. ”So it is agreed then... we head out only a few hours after dawn. Today we shall spend grazing to our hearts’ content before such a long journey is to be made!”[/i]

Wirinun then moved off to a decent patch of grass, after he had given one last affectionate nuzzle to his mares, and began to crop at the stems. Hmph, he thought to himself, the summertime. It was a crazy thing indeed.

OOC: Well there you go... lol quite late I understand but that should finish it up given my circumstances lately, as long as there are no further objections. I will start up a new thread soon as well.