Returning to the Lake

[Corowa]

Myrrina plunged into the deep, freezing waters of the lake. Droplets of water twinkled in her forelock, and the mare came to stand beside her mate, in the bitterly cold waters of Lake Cootapatamba. The great flock of lorikeets flew over the wide slope of mountain, towards Brindle Bull and Myrrina threw up her head and listened to their high, wild cries. The clouds had grown heavier and darker, for the wind played through the bare snowgrass ridges, and snow swirled around them. Weather-wise, Myrrina gently nudged the stallion, for they must get down out of the snow. Of the elusive white brumby mare that had vanished into the bush, Myrrina knew not. Jittery, she could not stand still. The stallion must not follow that pale streak. They must get lower down, below the blizzard where the snow fell as rain. With a shrill whinny, the queer brumby mare called, half-vanishing in the snow, called desperately to both the black stallion and white brumby mare. Then she disappeared into the snow, hidden in the falling flakes.

[Tiggs]

It was a strange thing to be watching the pale mare dance in the snow. Nevada was half-convinced she was a wraith, a figment of his imagination. It it wasn't from the dark King with her, he would have remembered her as a beautiful dream. As it was, he was sure she was real. And she belonged to Tingara.

Nevada cursed himself, and Tingara, under his breath. Stood on a rise above the lake, he could barely see the horses below through the flurries but one thing was for sure: he wanted the dancing mare. Since starting to build his herd, he had never seen a mare he wanted more. It was like seeing Dilali for the first time. That initial rush, and the heart-felt knowledge that he must have her.

He still owed Tingara for his help. Could he steal away one of his mares without earning a bad reputation? Was it worth angering the King and disgracing himself for this one mare.

Probably.

Even with his senses trained on the pale mare, he lost her in the snow. With weather like this, he couldn't hope to find her now, much less woo her away with Tingara so close. He would have to do this carefully. Wrenching himself away, Nevada headed south, trying to formulate some sort of plan to steal away the beautiful mare.