A Love of Kissing No One

[Xarae]

The ridge was lonely at this hour. With the moon high above and a soft breeze blowing across the terrain, Epitaph felt comfortable for the first time in a long time. The mare raised her nose to the breeze, snorting softly and stamping a fore hoof against the rock. A ringing clattering, something like the pitter-patter of angel's footsteps filled her ears as her hoof struck stone. Epitaph closed her eyes briefly, savoring the noise. Her heart was empty, devoid of emotion, much like the sky above - devoid of color, of all sense of direction. It expanded endlessly every way. She envied its massive expanse and calm it induced. It was effortlessly beautiful.

Epitaph let her muzzle drop to the stony ground as she snuffled at the rock, looking for a few choice morsels of greenery. Nothing but stone. The mare whickered softly, nosing a pebble before lifting her head. Silence. A breeze whisked by again, lifting her tail and playing with her mane. She smiled faintly before beginning to walk slowly along the ridge in search of food. Tonight, she would wander. She would follow the moon - let it lead her wherever it may.

[chibinezu]

Niama stepped around the rocky areas, hooves automatically seeking patches of dirt to minimise the sound she made with a practised ease that only came with experience.

She spotted the mare as she searched for food and debating momentarily about speaking up, but she found the last few months lonely without a herd and could not help herself.

"You'll not find much grazing here I'm afraid."

[Tiggs]

The Brindle was a maze of zig-zag paths, climbing the giant rise of rock. The great tors of rock hid many things, and it was a favourite place of the young stallion, Nevada. He'd secreted Mica away for the night, taking great pains to leave no trail. The rock made scent difficult to track, and after the encounter with Aleo, he did not want to be found.

With the moon high in the sky, casting silver light upon the rise, the white stallion took on an almost ethereal glow. He stood now up on a large precipice, looking down on the winding paths in case the King had managed to follow. Perhaps standing up here in full view was foolish, but if the older stallion had picked up the trail, Nevada wanted a head start.

A cool breeze swept across the tors, lifting his mane and tail and cooling his warm body. He was on edge tonight, but from a distance another brumby would see a proud young stallion surveying his home, fit and healthy with the vigor of life thrumming through his veins. His mane fluttered and twisted about his neck and covering one half of his noble face as the wind danced in the silence of the night. Somewhere a mopoke called and a dingo howled but the stallion maintained his vigil on the steep-sided valley below.

A swift updraft of wind brought to him the scent of horses: mares. Analysing the breeze for signs of a male and finding none, he relaxed some. Looking down onto the paths leading up to the top of the Brindle Bull where he stood sentry, he picked out the shapes of two mares. From this distance, it was hard to pick up any more detail than that. The fact they they were mares was only distinguishable from the scent of them.

He looked on, keeping an eye out for a stallion before he let the urge to call out overcome him. The excitement of seeing mares, especially ones alone, made him restless. He wanted to rear and dance, impress them with his looks and strength. He could be a good stallion to them, look after them, protect them from men and challengers. He sighed to himself. Or at least, he could keep them safe from men. Challengers were another matter until he reached his full potential.

He'd admitted to Mica his weaknesses, but she'd be his only confidant in that manner of things. To build a herd, he had to build the confidence of the mares he collected, and he'd destroy it be admitting his own weaknesses. As a three-year-old, he was old enough to gather mares and breed with them when their season came, but despite his best efforts, an older stallion would beat him in a fight of brawn. He would not lose his mares to his own stupidity. Even if he had to take them on wild chases through the highlands, he'd never take a challenge he didn't have a chance of winning.

Keeping still upon his vantage point, the young stallion stayed alert as he watched he pair of mares. He was downwind for now, but the wind could change its mind like a fickle mare, twisting and turning so his scent would blow right to them. That wouldn't be so bad unless there was a stallion nearby. He didn't want to have to move Mica at this hour. Nostrils quivering, he paid special attention to the scents carried to him b the wind, his eyes locked on the mares.

[aya]

Nevada's scent had come right down the path and was magnified by the humidity of the night. Aleo was sure that the young grey was trying to keep his scent from something, simply because he'd failed to realise that the older stallion had followed him. Though he had been good at covering his trail, Nevada still showed a little of his inexperience by letting his excitement get the better of him once he had reached the Brindle Bull. Aleo made sure to that he might not have any unwanted interference. He just had to see what this Nevada was all about, and he couldn't do that with mares or other stallions showing up.
And so, leaving his mares safely in Yarraman's Valley, he climbed after Nevada and saw what he had been looking at - two mares conversing. No sleep for the wicked, it seemed, and Nevada was obviously rather anxious to expand his herd.

So Aleo waited to see what his next move was - whether he'd talk to the mares, or whether he'd notice Aleo behind him, it wouldn't matter. This encounter would have one of many outcomes, and all of them were outcomes that Aleo could handle easily.

[tingara]

Dilali silently weaved her way around the rocks, every step sounded one word to her even though she tried to block it out. She looked up at the sky hoping it would give her a sign on what to do. Nothing, just the stars twinkling over head. She looked down and turned her head slightly to her left. She froze. There skulking amongst the rocks was Aleo. He was looking at something, she followed his gaze.
"Oh no," she groaned, it was Nevada. There were two mares which Nevada had his attention on. Something pushed Dilali out of her cover and to the mares.
"Evening," she said to the mares, she had no idea why she hadn't just stayed in her cover and turned and left.

[Xarae]

Both stallions still downwind, Epitaph had only the two mares in her immediate vision. She smiled politely at the both of them, tilting her head towards the one who spoke of grazing. "I suppose so, but isn't everything worth a try once in a while?" The mare's quiet voice was reminiscent of the moonlight that shone down above, placid and almost surreal in its beauty. Epitaph did not speak often, but when she did it was a pleasure to listen. She could have made jibberish sound interesting. The dapple grey mare turned her head towards the new mare, nodding her head briefly in acknowledgment.

[chibinezu]

"I would suppose so but why look for slim pickings here when the high country is filled with so many other choices?" Naima will flick her tail back and forth ridding herself of threatening flys, her own voice is a little raspy but even and calm.

"Good Evening to you both. I am Naima and I've not seen either of you in these parts before, what brings you so far from good grazing? Men? Young Stallions?", she speaks the last suggestion almost as if she knows of the young stallions nearby but you can't be sure.

[Tiggs]

Aleo's presense went completely unnoticed by Nevada, his atten now rapt on the view below. Another mare joined the two, and Nevada stated scouring the bush below for the light grey stallion who was in fact hidden some distance behind him. He'd left the Ramshead before the conclusion of Aleo and Dilali's meeting, and apparently she had refused him! She was alone! Stepping down from his rock, he made his way swiftly along the narrow stone path toward the trio of mares. If he could woo Dilali away, that would be perfect, but the other two might be a good addition to his herd. He'd find out soon enough.

In his haste, he kicked a few stones rolling with his hooves and he winced. Well, at least he wouldn't surprise the mares by appearing suddenly. When he was close, he nickered as he trotted the last stretch of path. Earlier Dilali hadn't seem impressed by his prancing and display, so he toned it down a little, keeping his neck arched and tail aloft, but not lifting his legs to high. He had too keep up appearances for the sake of the other mares, and convey to Dilali that he was still a proud stallion but he wasn't so arrogant.

He neared them, clustered on a wedge of rock that served as a large platform for their meeting. He approached slowly, bobbing him head to each mare in turn, Dilali first. She looked glorious in the moonlight, her body shimmering in the light while her brown points seemed to fade a little into the shadows. The first mare he'd spotted was a pretty dapple grey. Stunning in fact. The longer her looked, the more fine points he could see hidden by the gloom of the night. How fabulous she'd be in the light of day with her dappled coat complementing the pure white of his! What beautiful foals she'd make.

He was almost entranced by the mare, finally looking to the third mare with a wistful smile. To his surprise, she was an older mare. Chestnut, from what he could tell in the silver light of the moon. He wondered why she was not safe with a stallion who's claimed her long ago. Despite her age, she looked pretty. The night hid most of the detail about her, and he wished it was daylight so he could see clearly. He offered a respectful nicker to the chestnut, bowing his head briefly to the mature mare.

"I'm sorry to intrude so suddenly. My name is Nevada." He settled his eyes on the dappled mare again, almost forgetting Dilali in the sudden rush of excitement generated by this graceful new discovery. He had to wonder why any of these mares was out alone, and his ears began to flicker, catching the sounds in the night that might tell of a stallion coming to gather up his mares. "May I ask: What are your names? And where is your stallion?" He said, directed at the two strangers. "And where is Aleo?" He asked Dilali. "Did he... displease you in any manner?" He pondered on for what possible reason would a mare reject the King of the High Country? Perhaps Aleo had angered her.

[aya]

Unusually, Aleo restrained himself from dashing off after the young grey stallion. So the King remained behind, hidden by the snowgums. He saw Nevada speak to the mares, though he didn't know exactly what he was saying. Then he saw Nevada speak directly to Dilali, and he was sure that he heard his name mentioned on the wind.
Aleo felt the hot-blood in him rise. Today was not going to be your day, Nevada, and Aleo was rather determined to assert himself. There was a reason he was the King, and he was getting rather tired of younger stallions' lack of respect.

So he pushed out from under the trees and walked the path Nevada had taken - there was no need to rush and make himself look over-eager - and when he reached the group, he planted himself right between Dilali and the striking dapple grey. For some reason, perhaps it were the strange light in this night, or the way it caught all three mares and turned them into ethereal beauties that maybe even Aleo couldn't have - but he knew he wanted all three of them.

"Nevada," He spoke calmly, his words precise, "you should probably look behind you sometimes."
He rubbed his head on Dilali's neck in welcome.
"Good to see you are safe." He said in a low nicker.

[chibinezu]

Niama seemed to toss her head as if she was half smirking, half smiling at the two stallions and the way they had introduced themselves, asserting their dominance over each other.

She knew this new grey one, knew word of him at least. The new King. And she could see why, there was an authority behind those eyes you could not deny.

"Good Evening to you my King, and what do we owe the pleasure?"