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[yaruka]

A strange stallion wandered down from the moutain passes out of the trees, over to the flat grey surface of the lake. He reached the edge of the steely expanse and dropped his nose to drink, the ice cold water tingling his nostrils as he drank the strange water. He raised his head and looked around him. What strange country this was. He had never seen a lake before, nor crossed a mountain range. Currong's mottled grey brown coat blended perfectly in the evening shadows of the trees, but the light coating of powder at his feet told him that he would not be safe here for long. Winter was here, snow would come and he was much too high for comfort. Currong glanced around at the stark, still landscape infront of him, the last light of the day reflecting unusually in his right eye, the one the colour of the sky in spring. The eye whose colour had led to him be ostracized in his former territory, had been the cause for the scars he bore, both inside and out. Currong had come to make a fresh start. He would keep to himself, but he wasn't going to be intimidated by anyone. He never had been, and he wasn't going to start now, no matter how cruel the last group of stallions he had met had been. Currong took one last look at the icy expanse of water, then melted back into the trees and began to head downwards, silently and unseen through the night.

OOC: if anyone wants to join in this thread (please do!) I can have him catch there scent and turn around or something

[»Koiji]

OOC;; I'm gonna try out Aminta, seeing as she's never been used lol

BIC;;

//~AMiNTa

How could it possibly be this time of year again? Thought the mare as she slipped through the trees like a silent ghost, floating to some unknown location. Aminta had been alone for too long, her dark bay coat that used to be so smooth and shiny was growing out into it's winter comrade, and without having a human to come and sooth it down, or even brush it, it had grown unruly and she had almost grown to be something that the humans who used to own her wouldn't recognise. She pined for them, she did, she missed thier care and passion towards her, and she couldn't help but wonder why the horses up in the High Country hated them so much. She was seemingly lost in thought to anyone who saw her, as she slipped quietly through the trees, looking for the lake that she knew was about somewhere. She stopped suddenly, as a scent drifted towards her delicate muzzle, the darker skin around her nose quivering. A stallion. She stood still, looking about her. She could hear the sounds of the lake somewhere in the distance, and she wondered if he was taking a drink. Moving forwards slowly, her keen browny black eyes picked out movements in the bushes; she slipped into a trot, all the grace of her throughbred breeding evident in that movement, and after a whileset her eyes on the stallion. Unsure of what to do, she stood there looking at him. Forgetting that she was perfectly visable from her "hiding place".

[yaruka]

As he walked through the woods Currong suddenly caught the scent of a mare. Surprised, he swung his head to the right and immediately caught sight of her watching him. Snorting in amusement he wondered if she thought she was being sly. He sure hoped not, if she did then she was going to have a hard time surviving out here. In fact, Currong was at a loss to how she could have survived to the age she was. None the less, she was beautiful, of a delicate sort that he didn't usually see around here. Suddenly he wondered if she had been a tame horse and his nostrils flared with sudden distrust. But he couldn't smell any humans around her, she was quite alone. So, nickering gently, he made his way towards her, stopping just before he reached her and stretching his nose out in greeting. He blew softly through his nostrils, nickering again so that his nostrils vibrated slightly- a stallion's greeting to a mare.

[»Koiji]

Aminta was a little taken aback to see the stallion - fully grown and powerful looking none the less - looking back at her. She took an uncertain step backwards. What to do? She thought, seeing that he was advancing, she knew that wild and feral brumbies looked upon her as different and so, being a humans horse once herself, a traitor. Of sorts. She snorted looking at him, she was nearing the same height as him, her 15 hand high frame making her feel a little better, at least she wasn't able to cower before him like she would have if she was a few hands shorter. In the time she took to think this through, the stallion was approaching closer, and closer.... She looked at him, nostrils flaring to catch a scent. He was quite... handsome, in his way, and she felt her body relaxing. He came up to her, and reached out his nose in greeting, blowing gently through his nostrils as he did so. It was his way of greeting, and she accepted it, gently bumping her nose against his, before drawing back to look at him. He seemed content enough, but was she confident to say something and break the ice?

[yaruka]

Currong was pleased when the mare accepted his greeting and touched her own nose to his. She looked at a loss for words so he took the oppertunity to introduce himself "Greetings, fine mare," he greated her "I am Currong, named for the silver wattle that grows in the spring. May I enquire as to your own name?" He stepped back a half-step, giving her space, wanting her to feel comfortable. He noticed that though her winter coat was growing in, it was much thinner than his, than any wild horse's. He concluded that she must have been a tame horse, which didn't bother him, though he did wonder what trouble it could bring to the High Country. He wondered if she'd seen his blue eye yet, probably not as he'd not yet seen the customary look of horror and shock pass across her face. Inwardly he grimaced, this was usually when things went wrong, when the mares in his old territory gaped and the stallion's made their challenges despite his innocence. He was used to being rejected for being slightly different, but this didn't stop him trying nonetheless. Maybe this mare would understand, being that she was different herself from the rest of the brumbies.

[»Koiji]

Aminta couldn't keep the smile from her muzzle when he spoke. She knew that he wasn't a threat, and also knew that he genuinly wanted to be friends. Or eep her for a herd, which she wouldn't have minded, seeing as this was pretty much all the social contact she'd had this month. She also noticed that he seemed a little worried - about where she came from prehaps? - and he introduced himself. She giggled as he called her fine mare, she could be such a filly sometimes. "I am Aminta, named after... I don't really know, I just think the people thought it sounded nice." She said, laughing a little at the end of her sentence. Whist she looked at him, more close up she saw that he had a pretty blue eye, she gazed at it, and smiled. She thought it looked very nice. And after building up a little more giggle provoked courage, she spoke again. "I like your eyes, Currong." She whispered shyly, and bumped her nose gently to his. Aminta looked at the floor. Where had this courage come from?? A few moments later she had a question in her head, a valid one, at that. "Might I ask, what is it a nice stallion like yourself is doing out here without a herd?" She began to wonder had she said too much.

[yaruka]

Currong snorted in mild surprise at the filly's sudden giggles, gazing at her curiously until she replied. Shaking his head, he recovered his good manners "Aminta is a very nice name," he said graciously, "Regardless of what it means." He noticed the mare looking at him intently and suddenly realized she was staring into his eyes, Uh oh, here is comes he thought sadly, and not without frusteration. Honestly? Couldn't anyone give him a chance? But what the filly said surprised him "I like your eyes Currong," she whispered. Currong's eyes widened in shock. She had complimented his eyes? He had heard a lot of comments about his eyes in his time, but never anything to do with "like" or remotely positive at that. She bumped her nose against his and he nuzzled her gently-finally he had found someone who didn't judge wrongly him for his blue eye. He began to arch his neck proudly, feeling for once as though maybe his eye was an enhancement, not a hinderence to his appearance. But then the filly spoke again, bringing him back to reality quite harshly, though he was sure it wasn't her intent to do so. "Might I ask, what is it a nice stallion like yourself is doing out here without a herd?" said the bay mare, and Currong's eyes clouded with the angst he had felt for the most of his four years, years that he had been constantly hounded and beaten on by mulitple colts and then stallions at once. But the question had been genuine, and Currong forced himself to reply to her "In the past, I have not had much look with charming others. Most find my eyes disturbing, and are thus uninclined to stay around me". He looked at her, almost desperately. He hoped she wouldn't change her mind and leave him, just when he was starting to think that maybe he could finally find happiness. Tentatively, he nuzzled her neck again, wondering if she might pull away.

[»Koiji]

"Thank-you, Currong, I like your name too." Aminta's giggles stopped when Currong snorted in a mild sort of suprise. "I'm sorry," She said, stopping the giggles and making sure he had her full interest. "I just realised how silly it is, I used to have two names, one would be used for when I was in the stables, and the other would be used if my old master ever showed me. Twilight's Song was what I used to get called at anything that was considered a formal event."[/b] She nodded slowly, thinkning of her old home, and how far away she was now. Not that she regretted that those horse stealers had lost her, the High Country was something of a magical place to her, and she loved nothing more than the feeling she got when she ran free across it's wide mountainous plains.She noticed that she seemed to have shocked the stallion even more with the compliment about his eyes. She wasn't lying, she had felt mesmorised by their beauty, and how the blue colours darkened as it got closer to his iris.He seemed to take this info on board himself, and shuffled up proudly,and nuzzled her. She smiled, knowing that she was making him feel good, which was what she liked doing. Whenever someone was down, she liked to give them a little lift up. When he responded to her question, he seemed downhearted, and a wave of sadness rushed through Aminta. He nuzzled her again, and she felt the urgency that he didn't want her to run - well, he had no worries, - if it was to be okay for her to stay with him, she would. She nuzzled him back, taking in a whiff of his sweet scent as her nose touched his neck. "I can't see how anyone wouldn't like them, I have to say, out of all the horses I've seen out here, you're the only one that's seen me. I mean like, not bothered to run away from me, or snort in disgust about my past. How no-one can see that you are a true gentleman I do not know..."[/b] She left her head against his mane, hoping that he'd see that she didn't want to run.

[yaruka]

The concept of having two names was silly indeed, but Currong didn't say anything. Those foolish humans, how ridiculous they must be- why would anyone need two, completely unrrelated, names? He was relieved when the mare responded warmly to his explanation and his touch, and his heart lifted as she nuzzled him back. Gently, he began to groom her neck with his teeth, flicking his ears back and forth to catch her next words. So she had suffered in the name of ignorance and misunderstanding as well. Hmph. Well if she wished to stay with him she would never have to face that again. How cruel that such a sweet mare should be treated unkindly. When she called him a "true gentleman" his heart lifted again with pride, and he nickered warmly to her, happier than she could possibly imagine for the compliment. He stepped back to look at her, and taking a deep breath he spoke again "I for one, cannot imagine how anyone could possibly treat you unkindly. You are too sweet and too kind for that sort of treatment." He looked steadily into her eyes then spoke again "If you would like, you are free to roam with me, and I will make sure that you never suffer from the misguided judgement of other again. I would be happy to protect you".

[»Koiji]

Aminta couldn't help wondering if Currong thought it strange that she did used to have two names - two that didn't seem to have any realted meaning - courtesy of the humans? The only reason she could think of was to do with her coat colour, her old master had often spoke to her in a gentle voice, telling her she was as pretty as when Twilight covered the lands. All that was a long time ago of course - but it didn't stop the mare feeling a pang of sadness. That old man had treated her like she was a human. Well, at least equal to him. She shook her mane, and smiled at Currong, snapping out of her daydream. That was the past, and she was going to leave it behind her, as there's never any use wallowing in it. She was glad to see that he seemed to be uplifted by her words. He groomed her neck, and she returned the favour, marvelling at how out of touch she felt. She'd been wandering a while now, mabe she'd finally found another home? She hoped so. She beamed when he nickered to her, a warm tone that portayed how happy he seemed to feel, and she moved her head to show him she was glad he was happy, just as he stood back from her a bit. She didn't know if she'd done anything wrong, so she just carried on smiling.She let out a happy neigh at his mention of how nice he thought her, and her own heart swelled with pride. Yup, still got it![/b] She thought happily, and was taken aback at Currong's next few words. "Oh my!"[/i] She started, the beamig smile spreading across her face, a whinny of utter joy errupting from the back of her throat. "Would you mind? I'd love to keep your company!"[/i] There wasn't a word in their language that could have described how happy she felt at this moment; and she closed the space between them again, nuzzling his neck with all the fondness of an motherly mare to her foal. "I'd be honoured to be protected by you, Currong. And to roam with you would be great fun I just know it!"She had a sudden thought, stepping back the tinyiest amount, she looked at him fondly and asked: "Say, would you like to walk and find a grazing ground?"[/i] Aminta wondered if he'd mind, and went back to nuzzling him once she'd asked.Silently thanking theGod's above for such a gentleman to hae come and found her.