Coorah gives birth

[Tex]

The sooty mare struggled over dense terrain, rocky ground and thick bush, bearing a child and in labour. Pain glazed her eyes, and she could barely see. But it is a horse's instinct to move when in pain, and Coorah was powerless to stop it. Finally, her tired and weak body found a creek, and she collapsed next to it, whinnying in pain as what felt like an electric shock shot through her whole body. It was coming.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An hour later, Coorah was licking a grullo filly. It looked exhausted, and looked around at the fast-moving creek and the kangaroos in some bushland nearby with some apprehension. She had no idea about this new world, and stood, shivering, next to her mother.
A few minutes later, the filly began to drink. Coorah admired the stripes on her hocks and back legs, nuzzling her back affectionately.
"I name you Barina Allira, for you are the daughter of smoke, and I am your mother."

[»Koiji]

Koiji looked about. Where had Yaruka gone? Since they had ran from the top of Mt. Kosciusko, she had been following the filly, but now it seemed that she had lost her. "Yaruka?" She called. She heard nothing. slowing to a walk, the mare noticed that she could hear another horse near-by. Pricking her ears gently, she listened. There was the sound of a crrek nearby and Koiji was thirsty... "I name you Barina Allira, for you are the daughter of smoke, and I am your mother." Came a voice. Koiji stopped just out of sight in the fringe of trees. By the creek was a little sooty mare and a new-born foal. She smiled to herself, and pondered if she should walk over to ask if she was okay...

After a while she thought what harm could it do? She was expecting a foal of her own, and that shouldn't threaten the mare? Walking gently into the clearing her ears pricked and ready to catch any sound. "Hello." She said when she was close to the other mare. "I don't suppose you've seen a chestnut brumby have you?" They needed to find Yaruka, of her experiences in the world, she was probably really scared...

[Valatone]

Althea thundered out from the trees, a little after Koiji. Her recent meeting with a familiar face had made her late to their next stop. She saw the mare and her newborn foal. She realised she had probably scared both the mare and foal out of their wits with her sudden appearence.
Trying to cool things down, she tossed her dark mane and nickered, "Sorry about that," with a smile. It was the best she could do, she didn't know what it was like to have a foal.

[Tex]

Coorah heard something approach she and her foal, and struggled to her feet so she had a fighting chance if it was a rogue stallion or a predator of some kind.
But no, another mare approached them, only know noticing the two bedraggled horses quivering there.
The other mare said hello, and Coorah whinnied back, not really listening to her other words. Ally was practically glued to her side, and she worked on getting her newborn to accept the stranger as a friend. Horses were no good if they were afraid of company. Most equines lived on it.
Another horse rampaged from the trees, and Coorah ushered her filly a little away from them. Ally, being young and reckless, whinnied a challenge to them. Her mother whinnied back, louder, and nudged her shoulder gently. It appeared she would become a fighter one day.
The new mare was talking too, so Coorah turned to listen and speak.
"It's fine. Ally doesn't look too scared."

[»Koiji]

Koiji nickered to the mare Coorah and her foal, to let them know that she meant no harm to them at all. When Althea appereared in the clearing a couple of seconds behind her, she whinnied in a friendly way to tell her friend to stop. Where had Yaruka gone? "Sorry if we scared your little one." She said looking lovingly at the little foal. Oh, how she wished that hers would be here soon. She wished to know if it was to be like her Ryu...

When Coorah said that the little filly was okay, Koiji smiled. "Well, I think I introduced myself and this is Althea," She said the smile extending into a grin. "I hope she isn't too scared," She hoped that she hadn't frightened Ally, what with her running into the glade. "Althea, where do you think Yaruka went?" She asked turning to her friend

[Valatone]

"Far off, her scent isn't around here at all," Althea answered, sniffing the fresh air. "You're foal, she's beautiful!" Althea said to Coorah, stretching her neck out and sniffing Ally. She wished she had a foal, and she would of if Bakoli had lived long enough for her to mature. Unfortunately, the ways of the bush weren't always fair. But now she had this Ryu who sounded friendly. She remembered the red roan she saw on Mt Kosciusko, when something clicked in her head about him. Who was the mysterious stallion, the glowing fire at sunset? They might never know.

[Tex]

Coorah nudged Ally, to encourage her to drink a little milk, and the grullo foal trembled as winds pushed her little body to and fro. Ally stayed close to her mum's side while she felt her way to the milk, and it tasted sweet and warm as it ran down her throat.
Coorah wasn't very experienced with this, as it was her first foal, but knew to keep it safe from any threats that might be nearby.
"She isn't scared. Are you, Ally?" she asked, and the foal whinnied indignantly before getting back to her milk. Her sooty mother whickered wearily in laughter, barely hearing Althea's words.
"Thanks. She's my first one!"

[»Koiji]

Koiji looked at the beautiful little filly at Coorah's feet, once she had gotton up and started to drink, Koiji nickered softly to her, "Hello, little one." She smiled friendly at her and reached out with her muzzle to say hello. The little filly was beautiful and that made Koiji wish that the one she was carrying would hurry up already. "She is beautiful!" She exclaimed looking happily at Coorah. Althea seemed to be thinking along the same lines as herself, they wanted foals...

Looking about she snorted. The bush seemed alive today and the cretures that were about were full of life and enthusiasm for the day. Koiji felt really at home here, and that made her relaxed and happy. She felt a kick from somewhere inside of her, and snorted in suprise. This was to be her first foal, and she worried if that was natural? Eager to make her discomfort unknown to the others, she carried on the conversation as best she could. "So, do you and Ally have a heard to go back to? It's strange to see a mare and foal alone..."

[barina]

Irawaddy climbed up a steep bank through the trees, gently nudging her weary foal along beside her. The wind blew through the trees, buffeting her foal who leaned closer to her mother's side, and also bringing with it the scent of other mares, and a foal. Ira nickered comfortingly to her foal and decided to keep going until they caught up to the other horses. They were mares alone, no threat to her or her little filly. Safety lay in numbers too, that Ira knew. Nudging Omaroo to keep her moving, she patiently guided her daughter to the edge of the trees. She peered out cautiously be sure that there was no danger then stepped lightly into the clearing, just ahead of her foal who stood beside her hindquarters, like her shadow.
"Greetings" she called pleasantly to the other horses "I am Irawaddy and this is my foal, Omaroo. We mean you no harm and ask only for your company and a spot to shelter on this windy evening."

[Valatone]

Althea turned around to face Irawaddy with a smile. All these foals made her feel calm, and she really wished she could have her own. "Thats fine, Irawaddy. I'm Althea, this is Koiji, Coorah and Ally," she achknowledged. The mare was right, the wind had picked up. Some bush creatures were heading home for the night.
The buckskin mare laughed, "How I wish I had a foal, you're all so lucky," she said. Althea had been too young to have a foal when Bakoli took her away. Then she had been left alone for a long time as a youngster once he had that fatal fall. She sighed while remembering this, but looked forward to finally meeting Ryu.
Ryu!
"Hey Koiji, when are we going to continue our search for Ryu?" she asked, curiously.