Recovery

[Illu]

Garrong had gone as far as he wanted that night. Dawn was pushing over the sky and they had finally arrived at where he wanted to be. The small group moved between a bottlenecked opening into a medium seized valley surrounded by jagged hills. It felt a lot like walking into a trap, but it wasn’t snowing yet, and there was good grass and water.

Thus far he had managed to avoid stiffening up because he hadn’t stopped, but the blow Nevada had landed on his head before was finally starting to take its toll, and the steadily niggling headache was now becoming unbearable. His left hind pastern was also starting to get very sore and walking was getting harder, he must have landed on it funny or something. They reached the creek, and Garrong decided it was far enough.

The cold water was nothing less than a kick in the gut, but he was thirsty, so he drank his fill, now feeling slightly worse off than before. He hoped he wouldn’t get sick because of it, cold water wasn’t good for someone in his state.

That accursed Nevada, he’d come for him again next time in the Spring when he was older and stronger, do the job properly and get rid of any glittering little white or cream creatures he’d spawned two from those two freaks. This place had seemed perfectly clean before he learned about Nevada, and hopefully if he could fix it, there could at least be one place in the High Country where everyone was equal. But now was winter, Nevada’s domain, and he had to work on avoidance and defence rather than attack.

Argh, now wasn’t the time to dwell either. Where was Kinta? He’d left her here the night before and hopefully she hadn’t wandered too far. He sniffed the air and, smelling nothing, he neighed for her once, not risking a second call lest someone else come instead. The Friesian turned his head to look at his two new acquisitions, ”Make yourself comfortable.” he said quietly, already feeling the muscles in his back tightening now that he had stopped moving.

[yaruka]

OOC: hey- do you guys mind if me and Tex bring Waiirri and Doowi through here briefly? I figure that Waiirri is going to have to figure out about Garrong's hate for silvers sometime and I'd rather do it at a time that Waiirri has a chance of surviving as Garrong's still recovering from his battle with Nevada *hopefully* he's not going to have the strength to kill either Waiirri of Doowi. They won't be looking for touble, just passing through on their way to lower territory-what do you think? let me know

[tingara]

Dilali and Baramay followed Garrong silently, neither was brave enough to say anything to their new stallion. When they stopped Dilali stared at the black warrily, making sure she put herself between him and Baramay.
"Who are you exactly? Where do you come from and why did you attack Nevada?" so many questions and Dilali wanted answers, "since I am now your mare, the least you can do is give me straight answers."

Baramay watched wide-eyed as Dilali put herself between her and Garrong and started to talk to him. The poor liver-chestnut mare had done nothing but shake ever since Garrong had taken her and that was not about to change anytime soon.

[Valatone]

Kinta emerged from the trees, fallowing Garrong happily along. Oh wow, she liked this stallion thing- being protected by some tough guy every moment! She fallowed behind the great black stallion, not noticing his wounds. Then the others appeared- other mares. Uhh oh...she didn't like that.

She looked coldly over her shoulder, giving them a mean eye. The two mares were talking about something. "Who in the world is..."Nevaaadaaaa"? she said, mockingly. "And why are you talking to Garrong like that?!" she snapped, stepping towards the chestnut and white with her teeth bared. She was bigger and more muscular than those mares, being part clydesdale.

[Illu]

Garrong didn’t really have a chance to respond to Dilali before Kinta returned. He was glad to see she hadn’t gone and disappeared while he was off on his little escapade. Kinta first, as she was rightfully his first mare until a lead emerged among the three. ”They’re no threat Kinta,” he replied wearily with a wary eye on Dilali none the less. Out of the two newbies, she seemed most likely to cause trouble or string the liver chestnut along to go back to Nevada in the middle of the night. ”They’re an investment of sorts. Nevada’s the stallion I defeated to get them, and I know he’s too proud to just forget them, he’ll be back... and that’s what I’m counting on.” he explained, the last bit finishing on a decidedly sinister note.

”And I know this has to be frustrating,” he continued, looking at Dilali now, ”But it’s a long story and I’m in not exactly in the best condition right now to tell it. Let’s just say I was wronged a long time ago, and now I’m here to stop it happening to anyone else.” he muttered. Well, Nevada wasn’t going to be his only problem. One day Maluka was going to go call him up on that deal to kill the King assuming he hadn’t gotten distracted with that pathetic silver shit. ”I promise I’ll go into detail tomorrow if you still want to know. My turn now, it’s a bit late, but what are your names?”

[yaruka]

Waiirri was still leading Doowi further down the mountainside, looking for a place where they would be safe for the winter. They had travelled quite far that day, and Waiirri was just about to consider stopping in the next grove of trees for the night when he caught the scent of other horses. Halting, he flung his head up in the air, nostrils flaring. A stallion and about three mares. Looking anxiously at Doowi he realized that if they weren't careful this could be his first challenge to keep his silver mare. Luckily, with the way the wind was currently blowing, the other horses shouldn't be able to scent them. If they kept going carefully and quietly through the trees, round the back of the area where the others were, they should be able to make it without detection by the other horses. Of course, they'd have to hope that none of that other herd happened to be looking into the trees at the moment where they passed behind them. Waiirri was a proud stallion, and would fight to keep Doowi, but after travelling all day he wasn't exactly in the best of shapes for his first serious battle. He didn't want to lose her. Waiirri didn't know that Garrong had only recently come back from a tough battle with Nevada. Glancing over his shoulder at Doowi, he signaled to the silver filly to be quiet. He walked over to her and gently nuzzled her on the shoulder "It'll be ok," he whispered "We'll have to be careful for just a little bit. Just stay silent and we'll soon find somewhere to rest." He touched her nose then turned round and kept walking they way they had been going, desperately sifting through his memory for all that Warring had ever told him about moving silently. He placed each hoof carefully, wincing at the slightest noise he or the filly made. Finally he rounded the first grove of trees and unable to help himself, peered between the branches to see what the stallion and his herd looked like. The mares were very pretty he thought but shook himself,now was not the time to be thinking of expanding his herd. Besides, none could compare in his eyes to Doowi. His gaze travelled the rest of the length of the herd and he almost snorted in horror. The stallion was a monster! He was a big massive hunk of black horse, at least 500 pounds heavier than Waiirri. Now certain more than ever that he didn't want to fight the black horse just yet, he painstakingly backed up and made off again. Though they were travelling through the trees there was a sparse section ahead, where the little growth that was usually there had already been killed by the frost. Desperately, Waiirri looked behind him at Doowi, willing her to be careful. He glanced at the herd, praying none of them would notice the two pale horses passing behind them. They all looked pretty occupied, for the moment. Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of his cover and walked painfully across the open ground. What he did not realize was that a silver filly and the palest of blue roan stallions shine frightfully bright. There had not yet been enough snow for either of them to blend in. The sole horse who had the advantage of the night without snow was the black.


oOC: sorry for the long and potentially confusing post...hope it makes sense

[Tex]

The silver filly wasn't bouncing, for once. Her head drooped a little, and she was very quiet. That was because she was thinking. Yeah, major surprise, she's thinking for once. But it's true. Everything that was happening was making her think, where thinking had not ever been needed before. For one thing, this stallion- Warri! (Remember, can't say name xD) He was really mysterious. Or maybe he didn't like his real story, so he acted all quiet and mysterious to make himself look special. That didn't matter to the filly, though. To her, he was still God himself.
She noticed they had stopped, and glanced at her stallion for an answer. All she got was a cautious look. This really fired up her curiosity, and Doowi happily played spy pony for their small journey around the other horses. The light was dappled on her flank, and she lifted her legs up high with each step for no reason other than a growing spark of excitement. She smelled other horses! Maybe they were bad guys, and Doowi and her stallion had to spy on them!
When they had made it to the other side of the strangers, Doowi trembled, full of energy that had sprung up from nowhere. Yep, she'd stopped thinking. Maybe thinking was tiring for her.

[tingara]

Dilali waited edgily for Garrong to answer but before he could a new mare announced her presence. As the new one spoke it became very clear the she and herself would be butting heads in the future. Eventually Garrong answered.
"My name is Dilali and this is Baramay," she answered softly. Baramay barely acknowledged the fact that her name was said, shock had taken over her entire body.
Dilali began to make her way over to greet Garrong politely, as a mare does to her stallion. Half way to him she stopped lifting her nose to the breeze. Dilali gave a warning nicker.
"Two new scents on the breeze," she motioned in the direction of the scents, standing rigid and alert.

[Valatone]

Kinta shrugged these....intruders off and nudged close to Garrong. Lowering her head, she began to graze, taking small tufts of what was left of the grass and chewing. She flicked her tail, trying to strike the strangely-printed white-and-brown mare in the face with her tail. This new herd thing might not be such a good idea, if someone else was going to take the one who was protecting her away. No, Garrong was hers.

When 'Dilali' mentioned the scents flickering amongst the air, Kinta gave a flick of her ears and pulled her head from her grazing. Yes, there were more intruders coming. Ugh...couldn't they go oogle over a different stallion? It wasn't her fault she'd picked the best. Looking at his condition, the other stallion must of given him a little bit of a fight, but no doubt he'd won by far. Garrong would always win for her now. Or he'd better....

Feeling tired after this hard day of looking for a place to stop and finding a stallion, she opened her large mouth in a yawn and let her rather large bulk lie down for a while before realising how cold the snow was. Grumbiling a little, she lifted her almost clydesdale-sized body up again. Why did she have to do so much work? Life was too tiring, and now she had this big belly, swollen with foal, it didn't make anything better.

The pinto mare felt like kicking at her stomach, if she could. This baby was weighing her down, and Kinta realised how she'd become more and more tired each evening. The mare hoped having a foal was worth it, but even if it wasn't she'd be proud to raise the child of her magnificent mate.

[Illu]

||OoC|| I love Kinta now, officially. xD||

Dilali was right, someone else was here. Garrong had closed his eyes to try and get a little bit of rest in after the fight and the hours of travelling, and as a result had missed Waiiri’s face momentarily poking in through the foliage. Damnit, that other mysterious black hiding in the trees had been a lucky break at best, all he could hope for now was that fortune would stay with him. He couldn’t lose Dilali and Baramay now, he needed them for when Nevada would come for them. Extra points if he could get to them before Nevada arrived to reclaim them, then even if Nevada won he’d have a stark reminder of the events following him on miniature hooves.

”Kinta, come with me,” he instructed quietly. She was much bigger than the other two mares and when it came to intimidation factor, him and Kinta would probably make the best horse uneasy. Usually he wouldn’t dare drag her into it but in his state he felt he needed the emotional support. Then again, he didn’t want to alienate Dilali and Baramay either. Despite his intents, he didn’t quite want them to feel like prisoners. ”You two can come, if you want, but it will be safer here.”

Granted, he was still exhausted, but aside from the massive wound on his right cheek there were not many other signs, his black pelt easily hid all the large bruises he’d received. Of course, that didn’t remove the fact that the lower half of the right side of his face was still utterly drenched in dried blood. He hoped it might at least work to his advantage. Arching his neck dominantly, he pulled his ears and lips back and surged forwards, only to feel his left hock give a sensation like it was about to pop out. His stride faltered and he made a hiss of pain. Waiiri wasn’t going to see any sign of weakness here today, he decided that right there. Thankfully the roan was still looking the other way.

Garrong quickly changed his strategy, and made off to the left before the other horse could realise he was gone, the fresh snow silencing the sound of what would otherwise have been laboured footfalls. Once he was close enough he barged at Wairii out of the trees with his teeth drawn in a move he hoped would scare the other stallion at least momentarily. Intimidation was best weapon at the moment. ”What are you-“ he started furiously, but he cut himself off when he spotted the mare behind him for the first time.

Jesus Christ, she was one of them.

The change over Garrong was instantaneous, the look of stallion protecting his own was gone in a flash, his face twisted in a hideous expression of distilled hated. His veins bulged and muscles bunched up in rage and his expression was livid, absolutely livid and distinctly homicidal. Teeth bared and the blood on his face made more glaring by the bloodshot look of the whites of his eyes, Garrong reared up half-way only to have his leg almost give out and send him back down in a move that looked as though he was doing a half-lunge in warning.

”OUT!” he screamed with sheer rage. That thing would NOT be here! NO mutated creature like her was EVER stepping foot into HIS territory! ”BOTH OF YOU NOW OUT UNLESS YOU WANT HER BLOOD ON THE GROUND!!” If it was possible for a horse to breathe smoke out their nostrils that was a fair bet that would be what was happening to the furious stallion at that moment. ”OUT!!"[/U] Thanks to a fresh course of adrenaline, he had enough strength at least to make a furious leap at Wairii in an attempt to crash into his hindquarters and hopefully knock him over.

||OoC|| Don’t worry, if Wairii doesn’t run off Garrong will have burned himself out already by next post and have to pretend to be letting them off with a warning. It’s a solid bet that if he wasn’t in this state already he would have gone for Wairii’s life instead. ||