|
Post by Tiggs on Jul 2, 2008 12:08:42 GMT
Stepping cautiously from the trees, Nevada's nostrils flared at the lingering scent of men. Their shod hooves had ripped up the soft ground, leaving the grass torn and dirtied. Nevada wrinkled his nose and stepped out fully from the trees. He was ghostly in the moonlight, his coat lacking its full glory, covered in dried sweat and dirt.
Huffing, Nevada trotted along the tree line, checking that the far end of the Bogong was empty. Satisfied that the men were gone, Nevada lifted his head and called out. Dilali he knew at least was safe, but what of Baramay and Yooralla? Poor Birubi had been captured for sure, but Brael's whereabouts was still a mystery. Hopefully the moon filly had not returned before the men had left.
Nevada called again, hoping Baramay and Brael could hear him. He had left Dilali back in the trees, not wanting her to be seen if the men had laid a trap. He called her out, glad that at least he still had one mare to call his own. He would be saddened if sweet Baramay had been caught, she was a charming addition to his herd and she could even deal with Brael's constant chattering and social gaffs.
Ahh, Brael. She undoubtedly caused him more stress than all his other mares put together, but she was such an exotic prize that he would never give her up. He was starting to warm to her odd personality too, if not for the reasons Brael would want but for his own., She was entertaining with her brash nature and snide tongue. Nevada found himself calling for Brael, pushing his lungs to carry the call far across the bush. Where had she even gone to in the first place?
|
|
|
Post by tingara on Jul 2, 2008 12:40:18 GMT
Standing amongst a thicket of thorned bushes a liver chestnut mare stood trembling, eyes wide. Baramay was still free but, still extremely shocked, was rooted to where she was, even with a tremendous amount of thorns sticking into her sides. As she shivered small drops of blood rolled through her coat but she didn’t care. Baramay was finally brought out of her shock induced trance by Nevada’s calls. She shakily answered as loud as her voice would allow and stepped painfully out of the bushes and headed towards him. Every inch of Baramay’s muscles ached and her coat was dull from the amount of dried sweat. Through the trees she weaved to the edge of the Bogong. Warily she stepped out into the open and whinnied quietly across the flat.
|
|
|
Post by Tiggs on Jul 2, 2008 17:32:22 GMT
Excited by Baramay's reply, Nevada loped over to her as she came onto the flat. Greeting her with a brush of his muzzle on hers, he snuffled at her shoulders and investigated the scratches. At first he thought they were the marks of a whip, but he then realised they were too thin for that. Her dark coat hid most of them, but the attentive young stallion sniffed most of them out and licked each one.
"I'm glad you're safe." He told her, nibbling at her withers to calm her. He could feel the quivering of her tired muscles under his nose. "Don't worry, we're safe now. The men are gone."
|
|
|
Post by Illu on Jul 3, 2008 9:15:09 GMT
Wow, Nevada sounded worried. With a nudge to Taworri and Yarran, Brael stared off in the direction of the sound, now worried. That wasn't a 'where are you, I miss you' call, that one sounded much more serious, serious enough to keep her quiet for once as the taffy mare quickened to a worried trot towards the direction of her stallion. Looks like Taworri's grand enterence wasn't going to be as grand as she'd hoped.
What on earth could have happened? Brael slowed down when they started comming into view. She looked at Taworri, wondering. "If you feel like you want to come, I'll be waiting," she said quietly, then almost jumped forwards the broken herd.
Yarran was almost between her legs and wide eyed at the sight of the big stallion and the bleeding mare, but Brael wasn't slowing down for him and accidently steped on his hoof once, causing the little colt to squeal and get out of the way of her feet. Brael nickered once at Yarran, then was right next to Nevada out of nowhere, comming up behind him with her ears pressed back and slightly sweaty. "Nevada? What happened?"
|
|
|
Post by tingara on Jul 3, 2008 9:31:01 GMT
Dilali finally decided it was safe to come out of her cover and she silently stepped through the trees. Trotting quickly and quietly to Nevada’s side relief flooded through her to see the sweet Baramay safe and well. She nuzzled her and took over licking her various cuts and scratches from Nevada.
Baramay barely registered what was happening but at Nevada’s soft voice her quivering began to subside. She finally began to come back into reality. She whickered her thanks to Dilali and her warm tongue and shakily dropped her head to graze. What finally brought her out of her trance was the sound of Brael’s voice. “Brael you’re back, you’re ok, where have you been? Oh he’s so cute!” Baramay began to rattle off and the noticing of Brael’s foal stopped her fast gittering. She dropped her muzzle and began to sniff at the fuzz between the Moonfilly’s legs.
|
|
|
Post by Tiggs on Jul 3, 2008 9:49:03 GMT
Nevada nickered to Dilali, nuzzling her shoulder. Hearing another horse approach, he turned to face the oncoming Brumby. Seeing Brael emerge from the darkness, he let out a shrill whinny of relief. "Brael, where have you been?" He chastised, though the fact that his ears were perked forward and his tail was held high in excitement told that he was far from angry. He moved forward to meet her, extending his nose to touch hers. "It was men." He told her quietly. "They took Birubi and perhaps Yooralla."
Wondering what Baramay was looking at, he peered underneath Brael's chest. "Oh." The stallion sniffed cautiously at the foal, his nose quivering. He wanted to ask where she had found the little colt, though logic and scent told him it was their own. Nevada nickered, lifting his head so he could nibble at Brael's star-light mane. "He's beautiful."
His first foal was a colt, and a handsome one at that. He swelled with pride for his rarest of mares. He suddenly could not wait for next year when Dilali and Baramay could bare him foals, and perhaps Brael could again too. He'd hide them away, no men would steal from him again, he'd make sure of that.
|
|
|
Post by Illu on Jul 3, 2008 10:16:42 GMT
Men? Oh wow, that was definitely troubling. Oh well, as long as it was just Yooralla and that stuck-up foal, it wasn’t too bad. It’s not like anyone of importance to her was gone. ”Oh yeah, I know! He is!” she said proudly, ”He was up walking really quick and stuff, and he looks just like you too!” she giggled, nudging the violently red, gangly foal.
Her eyes caught Baramay, and she could immediately spot that the mare wasn’t doing so hot. She barrelled forwards then started hurriedly snuffing over her best friend. ”Oh my god! Are you okay? You look like you ran through a thornbush!” she exclaimed, missing that that was probably what the liver chestnut had gone and done.
|
|
|
Post by tingara on Jul 3, 2008 10:35:03 GMT
Dilali huffed at Brael’s apparent lack of concern that two of her herdmates were in trouble. Seeing the new foal only brought back the pain that had, until then, subsided. Sullenly she shifted herself closer to Nevada and rested her head on his flank, eyes closed. Dilali didn’t want to look at the foal it hurt too much.
Baramay snuffled Brael’s mane and rubbed her friend on the neck. “I fell into a thorn bush actually,” she laughed weakly, “I’m glad you and uh... the foal are safe. Those me were animals with their many dogs and whips and savage horses...” Baramay shuddered at the memory and then returned her attention to the foal. “Hello there, you’re so cute and handsome! What’s your name little one?”
|
|
|
Post by Tiggs on Jul 3, 2008 10:52:04 GMT
Nevada craned his head round to nibble at Dilali's mane. Birubi's absence must be worrying her, though Nevada was still lost as to how to get her back. Men were cunning, they used tall fences and their huts were guarded by the horrid dogs. Nevada was sure that Birubi was lost to them forever. But he had to try at least for Dilali's sake. He nuzzled Dilali a little more, then looked on as Baramay cooed over the colt.
|
|
|
Post by Illu on Jul 4, 2008 6:52:06 GMT
“Oh, his names Yarran!” Brael interjected for him. ”Anyway, at least you’re okay right? Lucky you didn’t get caught or anything! I mean, it sucks for Yarran the filly got nicked ‘cause now he’s going to be all alone, but it could have been worse right?”
Yarran sniffed in Baramay’s direction, and then turned around to stare suspiciously at Nevada. So this was daddy huh? Wow, he was big, but he was being nice to the white and brown horse, so maybe he would be nice to him too. Slowly he untangled himself from his mother’s legs and approached slowly, head down in as though he would rather not be spotted.
|
|