Another Brick in the Wall [Nand Mares/Opan]

[Tiggs]

The shorter days and cooler temperatures were a welcome relief from the heat of summer, and Nandalie and his large herd were grazing peacefully on the Bogong. The patriarch stallion chased off the occasional colt or inquisitive stallion, but otherwise there were no real threats to the herd this day. The onset of his winter coat had darkened the stallion’s usually pale pelt, and he was not so distinctive from most brumbies.

The boldest colours in his herd were a golden palomino mare and her silver son, a creamy mare and an older grey mare. The rest of his mares were a collection of browns and chestnuts, each with a son or daughter. The only mare without a foal was Aquila, but the presence of Baramay’s two sons equalled out the ratio of foals to mares.

For the most part, Nandalie allowed the foals to play as they liked, trusting their mothers to keep them close enough. He was a good-natured stallion, and even joined in with a few of their games. Thackory was the most docile of his sons while Lowan, this season’s bay son of Irawaddy, pranced and squealed and challenged his brothers to mock fights.

In a break from a game of chase with his daughters, Nandalie went to each mare for a nuzzle and a few warm words, lingering on Binda and Baramay whose sides were beginning to swell with the next season’s foals. He rubbed his forehead gently against their sides, and groomed them both before returning to grazing. The stallion knew he was lucky for such a loving family, but now he was leaving his prime, he knew that each day in peace was a blessing.

Winter would be hard with just a large herd to feed, and come Spring, he would face more challenges than he ever had before. It was inevitable, so he chose not to worry himself, and to concentrate on keeping fit for as long as possible.

[yaruka]

Irawaddy was content. She always had been with Nandalie, trusting the red roan stallion fully, and never expected to be anything less than happy in his company. Sometimes she worried that their peace would be disturbed sometime in the near future, after all, his was an impressive herd, and Nandalie would not be young forever, but for the most part the bay mare lived without stress. Now she flicked her coal black tail at the occasional fly, keeping one ear and eye trained on her spirited bay son. She would not bear Nandalie a foal this year, unusual as the mare so loved to raise foals, and her daughters Amarina and Kiata had left in the spring. Her eldest, not of Nandalie's blood, had long since left he side, and she expected that Omaroo had a foal or two of her own now. For some reason though she had not taken to foal this year, but she trusted that next year she would give Nandalie another beloved child. The morning would have been perfect if it wasn't for the sudden distubrance that came announced on the wind. A bold whinny met her ears, and up the hill, prancing and tossing his head, came a strange stallion, and it was clear to Irawaddy that he meant to fight.
--------------
Yaruka, of a less quiet disposition than Irawaddy, was watching the stranger too, but instead of standing calmly as the tall bay mare did, her head was thrown high, nostrils flaring. She danced a few steps in place, flaxen tail flagged over her chestnut quarters. She looked from the newcomer to Nandalie anxiously, sweat already breaking out across her flanks. It was true she had calmed greatly in the presense of the kind stallion, but any break in their quiet lives distressed her greatly. Her chestnut daughter, usually so close to her side, was as of yet unaware of the disturbance, eagerly chasing after Lowan, but a sharp snort from Yaruka brought Ukamirra cantering to her side, sliding to a halt next to the small mare.
-----------------------
Camira watched the new arrival intently, noting his brash confidence but obvious inexperience. He was already lathered in sweat as he approached, and the palomino mare's nostrils flared as the sour smell of his sweat came on the breeze. Beside her Nanyima stood mirroring her position, the spitting image of his sire save for his pale coat. Camira broke her gaze and swung her head to look to Corowa. Her dark eyes questioned the older mare, threat or no threat?
-------------
In the general direction of the Bogong came a large stallion, nose trailing on the ground, trying quite in vain to track the horses whose scents he was following. He was a handsome silver bay, his coat no longer as gorgeous as it had been when he had been tame, nor his creamy mane and tail so free of tangles, but still a good-looking specimen, even covered in mud from his latest blunder through the Big Boggy. He certainy thought himself impressive, and though he was missing the luxuries of his former life, he was still alive, a fact which should have surprised him if he had any commen sense. Of course, if he'd had any common sense he would have made his wayb back west to the ranch he had come from long ago, but that was another story.

Dinjerra had not seen another horse for weeks-months really. And a mare? Forget it. So when he finally worked his way to the clearing and saw the large mob of horses he felt a rush of excitement. There was a host of smaller herds and a gaggle of colts but at the top part of the Bogong grazed the real prize. A herd of about sixteen, mostly plain-jane mares as far as colour went he noted with disappointment, but containing a couple of jewels, two pale mares. He had no eye for the simple beauty of the other's more sensible coats, or their fine heads. He wanted flashy mares, fit to be part of his harem. Or his soon to be harem at any rate. Throwing his head up he whinnied a bold challenge and went plunging and rearing up the hill, tossing his handsome head. Nevermind that the last, and only, horse he had fought had given him a thorough thrashing, something which the gang-gangs had mocked him for for weeks (those birds had been so stupid they hadn't even understood his death threats). In fact, they had only just shut-up about it.

Dinjerra reached the crest of the hill and half-reared (he thought rather impressively), landing heavily and arching his mahogany neck. Then he lowered his neck and nickered deeply to the creamy mares, completely ignoring the rest of the herd.

OOC: bleh, it's kind of choppy, sorry :/

[Ehetere]

Hey guys: roll time!
Dinjerra: 1-10, Nandalie is 11-27

And the roll is... 8! Congrats to Dinjerra!

[yaruka]

o.O that was so not supposed to happen...Dinjerra's an idiot....well, he'll be happy for sure but poor Nandalie

[Corowa]

The particularly large mob of brumbies was spread out down one of the steep snowgrass slopes of the Bogong. The yearlings played wild games of chase amongst the great granite outcrops, while their mothers grazed. There was no sign of stockmen so high up, only the faint smell of smoke which drifted up from the south.

Corowa stood alongside the young creamy mare and her silver son. She was only half-aware of her own bay yearling grazing further down the slope, hidden from sight by a slab of granite. There was a change in the wind, and Corowa stilled and threw up her head. There was something menacing in the distant call of the currawong and the mare stirred uneasily, looked towards the sheltering stand of rough mountain gums.

It was then, that the big brown stallion came high-stepping up the slope towards them. There was silence, and Corowa watched him, both fascinated and afraid. Just then, his trumpeting challenge rang out over the hushed stillness of the bush. Corowa was trembling badly. She gathered up the large mob of mares and pushed them on further up the steep spur, to where the bush was thick and they might be able to dodge a heavier stallion in amongst the snowgums.

The grey mare felt herself filled with a sudden panic and she could hardly stand still. At her flank, Warriwillah stood, shaking all over with terror, frightened by the sight of the big fierce-looking stallion. Corowa gently reassured the yearling, and then she turned to Camira and her creamy son. “You are a prize to be won, and surely, if Nandalie is beaten it is you that will be sought,” she told the mare, sweating with fear now. “You must come with me, soundless and without track, for we must escape before he notices.”

OOC: Ok all the mares and their yearlings/foals are further up the slope now since they got rounded up by Corowa.

[Tiggs]

It seemed Nandalie’s peace was to be short lived. At the sound of a challenge, Nandalie threw up his head, instantly alert. He looked down the incline to the stallion coming up and he inwardly blanched. A sun stallion. He had heard of such brumbies, but never had he seen one. The strawberry roan answered the call with his own trumpet of defiance. No matter the stallion’s colour, the only way to determine the victor would be to fight.

The challenger looked younger than Nandalie by comparison. The roan’s pelt was marred with dark red cornspots, old scars and new ones. He was a seasoned fighter, but he was only getting older by the day. He came cantering around his herd, putting himself between them and the stallion while Corowa sensibly gathered the mares and foals and pushed them up the slope.

Nandalie gave a shake of his head and came stepping forward, displaying his strength with high steps and bunched muscles. If he was lucky, the fight would end before it began if the younger stallion decided against fighting a more experienced stallion. Ears flattened and teeth snapping, Nandalie did not look like the same loving mate and father that his herd knew. He was fierce, almost frightening. But he would defend his herd to the last.

[f u z z z u m s]

She slipped and slid over an icy patch of ground, the dead grasses wrapping around her muddy ankles in a vice grip. Though she easily pulled out of them the grey mare was still disgusted with the slimy feeling they left her. She wrinkled her nostrils and her whiskers quivered under the action, her brown eyes gazed across the "Bagong" as she's been alerted to its name. She couldn't say it was the most attractive title, but the place itself, even in the winter seemed to be rather homely in its own little way. Already she'd spotted random herds dotted throughout the small hillsides, inquiring stallions sniffing her way. But of course she denied these colts any rights to come near her, she was not interested in being drafted.

Kendall shook her head and gave a little hop to clear the rest of the knoll. Her hooves crunched satisfactorily into the snowdrifts below as she landed, though swaying just barely. The slender mare craned her neck and began the strenuous process of digging through the snow, hopefully there'd be some stray sprouts caught unawares. Though she wasn't hoping to strongly.

It was the piercing cry of a stallions challenge that sent her head up and ears pining forward. Her body shivered and her muscles tensed instinctively at the call. She'd heard it many times before in her old herd, then she'd watch her father come forth to brutally battle it out with another horse. Which she did not approve of, but knew it was something that had to be done. that didn't mean she had to like it though, the pale grey mare whickered softly before gathering her torso and plunging through the icy snow, towards wherever the sound took her.

Note: yay!

K e N D A L L
everyone needs a best friend...yeah, that means you to!

[yaruka]

With one swift movement Corowa was in charge of the herd, driving nervous and calm mares alike before her, foals and yearlings clinging to the sides of their dams. Camira kept cllose to the older mare's left flank, Nanyima pressed between the two of them. She trusted the grey implicitly, and so it seemed, did the rest of the herd. Corowa came to a halt in the thick of the snowgums and turned to her. Camira listened, quite overwhelmed but attentive to the other's words. Suddenly she knew what Corowa said was true, for whatever reason mares with her creamy coat had always been sought after by stallion and man alike, so it was surely she the intruding stallion would pursue. With a silent nod she followed the grey, Nanyima clinging to her side, away from the rest of the herd.
-----
Dinjerra was not phased by Nanadlie's show of strength. In fact, he hardly noticed. Unaware of the decorum of the bush, he simply flattened his ears, pawing the ground furiously before lunging for the roan's right shoulder. Luckily for the mares, he remained equally unaware of their departure.
OOC: bleck, sorry for the rustiness

[Tiggs]

The world narrowed to the challenger, all other brumbies pushed to the back of his mind. He could trust his mares to watch from a safe distance. It seemed the strikingly-coloured stallion was hell-bent on this fight, and Nandalie met him with a squeal and thrashing legs.

The clash of teeth on his shoulder was bruising, and he snorted in discomfort. He too made a grab for the other stallion’s shoulder, but his opponent was the younger, the stronger. He struggled to get a hold, as the other stallion had a first from over his withers. He bucked, trying to free himself.

The fight had barely begun, and already Nandalie was beginning to waver in strength and confidence.