A Cup half Full [O/R]

[Rivre]

OOC; Balaroo's herd and mares/fillies ONLY. He has five mares at the moment and I really only want him to have 8/9 at the most. He is a wonderful stally so give him a chance.

Defeat was something Balaroo dealt quite well with it turns out. News of the Kings death spread like wild fire through the bush, as did the calls of rampaging stallions trying their luck in the spring battles. Even he had been draw into the muss of blood and injury, but to no avail this time - no, he had been disgarded by a clever silver grullo stallion two years younger than himself. And although it bit him like the heels of the victorious grey, Balaroo was far more interested in the goings-on of herd life than in taking out his grievances on other horses. After the callous winter, spring had been good to them, having remained in the south this year, he found that far many more herds were moving this way now, for the better grazing. It was of no concern really, for he knew he had enough experience to defend his growing herd now, and that in itself made him proud to have them under his watchful eye.

Qana had come to grow into a beautiful bay mare, heavily in foal yes, but still beautiful; as had the quietly reserved Baragoola, his mouse dun mare with unusual hide. Alkina was still the glorious moon filly she had been last spring, even more slendid as she grew into the panes of her fissure and Imbrium the black paint whose personality so amused him. It was Wyralla who reminded Balaroo so often of the imposing threat of other stallions, having stolen the royal filly from a handsome but fearful stallion last spring, but she too had developed a liking in him too strong to express. It was unknown to his mares whether he favoured a particular one of them, and also to himself, but he didn't think he would ever be able to choose between them.

They grazed near Tin Mine Creek, scattered between the pale snowgum copse, bay, chestnut and rich chocolate hides melting into the verdant heather and snowgrass earth and scrub; the fresh ringing song of the waters echoing, calling to dry lips as he dipped white face to the surface, golden sunlight hide threaded with whispers of silver and bay legs, tan and cream stockings with the promise of soft whispers of cream and mouse dun threads. Spring made him a wonderous stallion, and he knew that his mares cherished him almost as much as he did them, his throat soothed by cool waters. As he moved back to his previous grazing spot, he dipped his head graciously to a near-by mare and foal, black as night and cloud, watching him as made his way proudly over to the dark bay mare. Was he valued for his reputation or his colour? Shaking the question from his thoughts, he moved quietly to stand beside Qana, teeth moving to her withers, gently itching just where he knew she loved it the most, brown eyes soft with affection.

For a while they stood side by side, head to rump, comfortable in the silence, before Balaroo heard something moving quickly through the trees, something that was not that shadow mare and her colt foal. Ears pricking, he looked apogogetically at Qana as she grazed, peeling himself reluctantly away. Whoever had disturbed his peace this time would surely wish they had never been foaled.

[aquiladorado]

It had taken a fair amount of time for the Moon filly to become accustomed to her stallion. Now, Alkina found it impossible to look back on her decision to run with him with feelings of regret. She had spent many a season now happily following the Sun stallion’s herd, relishing in the company she had been granted with and the long-lasting relationships she was establishing with the other mares.

They had all been through so much together – the harsh winter, the terrifying anticipation of the fights Balaroo had thrown himself in. It was those matters that had caused Alkina a fair amount of stress; unable to rest properly and finding she had lost her appetite, the young mare stuck to pacing restlessly and frequently leaving the herd to watch for her stallion’s return. But he had returned. Not victorious or without damage, but he had returned. The day had brought her such relief that she had ran out to meet the Sun stallion and share with him one of her riddles. ”You gave it your all,”[/i] she had said as she gently bumped her nose to his. ”The other stallions fought for a title, the power, but you fought for more. Most of them ended up worse than you, scars that can’t be removed, visions that will cloud their sight in the future. And although you return without what you left for, you have grown in the experience. Your heart knows this, and when the time comes again, you will prove yourself above those who have beaten you. Your time will come.”[/i] Deep down, Alkina knew that she had been changed through the experiences her stallion had gone through. The walls she had originally put up against him had softened, and her heart beat in the same tune as his.

Now that the quieter times of spring had come, the herd stood grazing peacefully under the warm sunlight. Although the Moon filly was slightly uncomfortable, she had accepted to remain visible during the day. She had been resting beneath the shade of a line of ribbongums, avoiding as much of the harsh sun as possible, when Balaroo’s powerful movement roused her attention as he moved off to the bay mare, Quana. Alkina watched his alert stance as he scanned the area for disturbances, and the young mare huffed. She strode away from her comforting, cool tree line to follow her stallion. The sun caught and reflected off the silky strands of her creamy mane and tail, but not causing them to shine as brilliantly as they did beneath the light of the moon.

Catching up to Balaroo, she stood quietly beside him for a time as she watched him with a concerned gaze. Eventually giving in, the Moon filly lifted her elegant head to run her muzzle along the length of his prominent wither. ”You must not bother yourself with every sound that comes to your attention within the undergrowth – no wombat would dare challenge such a strong stallion as yourself for your mares,”[/i] she teased, pressing her sleek shoulder against his own as a distraction.

[Ehetere]

The grulla mare grazed flank to flank with her bay daughter a little distance from the other mares. Baragoola would never truly lose her shy streak, although herd life had tried its best to banish it forever she would always be timid, shy, wary. She did not flee or become stressed in the way she used to however, so at least it was improvement.

There was an impatient kick in her swollen sides, reminding her of the foal she would soon be welcoming into the world, her first with Balaroo. Baragoola actually loved foals, and it was around her offspring she felt the most comfortable, the most safe. This was especially true of the pair who had supported her through the loss of her first stallion; Milyali and Killuna. The silver dapple filly was even further off than she, and Baragoola suspected the pull of adventure had it’s grip around her firstborn and the filly would soon be leaving the herd. She had no affinity to the Sun Stallion, and aside from her mother had no reason to stay. Never the less, Baragoola would miss her.

Sweet Killuna seemed to know her sister would be departing soon as well, always remaining close to her mother as though to remind her that she would never be alone. The bay filly had done quite a bit of growing, and had reached that gangly strange where her legs were long and distorted. Despite this, she could weave patterns with them like no other in an enchanting dance – one she performed for her mother if her mood turned decidedly blue. She did not have her sister’s mysterious coat, but she was build more lithe, more swift. Quite the handsome filly, despite her plain coloured coat.

Killuna watched steadily as the Moon Filly who had come to them on the first day made her way over to the Sun Stallion, and wondered about their destiny. The filly was down to earth, but at her still young age the mystery of legends gone by held her attention in rapture. The mouse dun mare beside her was dozing, rhythmically chewing on her grass as she grew slower and slower, weighed down by the foal in her belly. Killuna realized she was going to become like her sister, and would one day leave her mother’s side in search of her own fate, but would remain until this new foal was enough to comfort the fragile mare.

[Corowa]

The grey mare picked her way slowly down the steep slope, stopping every now and then to throw up her head and listen to the sound of the wind as it sighed its way through the great streamers of bark, the first of the spreading candlebarks. The fairly large mob of brumbies grazed down in a fringe of snowgums, and Noorinbee propped and shied away at the sight of that fierce-looking stallion and his shadowy mares.

Noorinbee melted back into the cover of the snowgums, half-breathless with excitement and fear. The mare could feel her skin crawling, but she stood, perfectly still, waiting tensely to see what would happen. The sweat broke out behind her ears and Noorinbee could feel her heart pounding in her chest, every nerve tingling. Yet it was not possible for her to vanish away into the snowgums, nothing more than a lissom wraith, no sound or track to mark her passing. Something called her back, and the mare moved slowly forwards.

Noorinbee gave a soft, shy whinny. The mare stood, brilliantly outlined by a shaft of sunlight that streamed through the snowgum leaves and turned mane and tail glistening silver. She pawed restlessly, and called again, compelled by her own profound sense of longing.

[Rivre]

He was sure that something more stirred in the undergrowth - and yet his vision was clouded by snappy whip-gum branches and wattle flower stems, dampening his certainty. Beside him his chocolate silver mare stirred, sunlight shifting so that it no longer touched the brilliance of either coat, milky whisps of mane caressing his neck as she stretched to run her muzzle along his wither. He shivered at the sensation, chuckling at the thought of a wombat rampaging through the bush, "A wombat would not make so much rackett, they are far too interested in eating," he replied, turning to return the guesture, but something catchin his eye.

So he had been right! There, between two snowgums, wove a pale grey mare, silvered by the dappled light into pure white glory. For a moment, he stood stock-still, gazing, ears pricked, and then the sunlight broke through cloud and with it came a profound sense of beloning, the sun lending him his strength and beauty. A quiet yet sweet nicker escaped the filly's delicate mouth, and Balaroo had to squint at her brightness, offering quiet rumble in return. She pawed impatiently, and beside him he thought he felt Alkina shift away, but could not be sure. Looking towards the now lit-up moon filly with silent apology, he strode out towards the pale mare - stride short, knees pulled up high with pride and neck arched - silver white froth of a mane shimmying over sleek hide. His apporach reminded him so much of when he had first met Qana, a shy bay mare all alone in the lower-country. Shaking away the thought, he returned to the present, offering striking blazed nose to the equally striking filly.

"Greetings mare of the Tin Mine, I am Baraloo - named for the god of rainfall. What service may I do for you?"

[aquiladorado]

Alkina enjoyed the warm moment she was sharing with Balaroo, until the disturbance actually presented itself and he left to perform his duty. The dark mare let out a sigh, and after a quick mental battle, slugged after the Sun stallion. She dragged her feet across the grass, tearing up stems as she went, and hung her head low to prove that she was irritated. The Moon filly had nothing against this white mare, really. When Alkina finally decided to gaze upon the thing, she could see the sense of loss still fresh on the mare's features. But after the worry she had been put through when Balaroo had left, the sickening feeling that there was a chance he might not have come back, it was only slightly exaggerating to say that the Moon filly had become slightly obsessive.

She would have to find a way back to the center of his attention. But thinking back to when she had first met the Sun stallion, Alkina shook off her irritation. Her arrival could easily have been classified as a disturbance to his herd as well - not as much of a disturbance as Baragoola had caused, mind you, but a disturbance all the same. So pulling herself together, the chocolate mare took the last couple steps toward the grey mare with a more acceptable demeanor and came to a halt beside her stallion. She did not introduce herself to the mare - she figured she would wait. Alkina also figured she had a way to reel Balaroo back in. But she would wait for that as well.

[Ehetere]

OOC: Baragoola and co. are doing much of the same. Continue on! XD