shining white foal,

[Corowa]

Blue roan brumby mare and queer white foal, made their way up towards Dead Horse Gap, the grazing ground of the great black stallion Tingara. Fearful, the mare travelled in the shelter of the snowgums, the colt a lissom ghost at her side. One moment half-seen between the rough pale trunks of the snowgums, and then seemingly vanishing into the mist that curled around their legs so it as though the little white foal floated along. Without a sound the mare pushed steadily upwards, and behind her, the colt carefully put his hooves where she had put hers, remembering the lessons she had taught.

Only the mopoke saw the brumby mare and that strange white foal, flitting through the bush, floating along on the mist. Was this the foal of the gentle black stallion Tingara, King of the Cascades brumbies? The mopoke wondered. This foal of floating mist and cloud, of snow and moonlight streaming through silver-grey leaves. Yet surely, there were tales of a brumby mare who had danced for the King beside the deep, deep waters of Lake Cootapatamba, and perhaps it could be this same mare, the wise bird thought. The queer white foal born of this dance, blended with the snow itself, a pure white foal, perfect as a snowflake.

Arching her neck and stepping proudly, Myrrina trotted down the snowgrass slope to where the mob of brumbies grazed. Nervously, Werrilah followed, unaware of what the mopoke spoke. With a shrill whinny, the mare greeted her herd, and the white snow-daisies twinkled beneath them, so that it seemed the grassy flat was carpeted with the shining white flowers. Shining white as this foal that followed strongly at her side.

OOC: for tingara/caity, but anyone can join

[tingara]

On a small rise stood a black stallion, restless in both mind and body. Two mares had left the herd and neither were back yet. Both Myrrina and Kala were beautiful mares and the memories of his first breeding season flooded his mind. Three mares had disappeared into the snow, never to be seen again and since then Tingara had become paranoid whenever a mare went to be alone to foal. Fretting, the stallion lifted his head and trumpeted a forlorn call. One that almost matched that of the mopoke himself.

Tail flicking against his hocks agitatedly, Tingara cantered back to the herd. He couldn’t help but fear Nevada. What if he had gotten to the mares? Wooed them away as was the white stallion’s way? No, Tingara shook his head, Myrrina would never do that. The pair shared something too special for even Nevada to break. But Kala was different. It had been obvious she missed her sister, that and she felt segregated from the others. The black snorted, Fira had definitely not helped either.

Like a ghost in the mist, Myrrina finally appeared through the trees. Tingara couldn’t help but whinny with relief and pleasure when the beautiful mare caught his eye. But where was the foal she had disappeared the bare? Through the mist he spotted a white shape flitting behind the blue roan mare. Greeting his mate with a soft nuzzle he then proceeded to investigate his son. Surely it was not his. The sire, black as night, had fathered a foal as white as snow? Sure enough the foal had his scent; he was the product of the enthralling and enchanting dance of the lake. “Myrrina, he is beautiful, like his mother. He shall be a noble stallion when he is older,” the black exclaimed proudly, snuffling his son’s forelock as he did so.

Positively delighted, Tingara began to prance back to the others. A son, a white son was now his and the black was ecstatic. He couldn’t wait to see what Kala brought back... if she came back.

[Corowa]

Myrrina ears flickered and the white foal trembled with nervousness, for what was it that the gentle black stallion neighed to the sky? Black stallion, white foal, moonlight blended over snow, so told the black cockatoos, their weird cries echoing out over the wide mountains. “Like his sire before him,” Myrrina said wisely. “Both proud and cunning, inheritor of all his sire’s wisdom and all his sire’s strength.”

Then Werrilah let out a silly-sounding whinny and playfully nipped his mother, white foal playing on this carpet of white flowers, and Myrrina gave a joyous neigh and half-bucking, half-rearing cantered over to her son.

She was tingling, the sweaty hair on her back standing on end so that when the colt bumped her shoulder the mare threw up her head and squealed. Werrilah snorted, sharing his mother’s excitement so that the grassy flat rung with their gay calls. No longer did Myrrina remember a fierce grey stallion vanishing into snow, an unspoken promise to be fulfilled when the moonlight faded and the winds howled. Wildly alive, the mare cantered on down the slope, the queer white foal at her side, swift and sure; a beautiful shining colt. Calling to Tingara as she went, the mare raced downwards, the foal swept up in her mad gallop, stretched his legs out mightily, his breath sobbing and heart pounding.

[tingara]

Tingara’ son, a shining white foal that rivalled the colour of the spring flowers. A glowing colt that had impossibly come from a father as black as coal. He was everything the black stallion could have hoped for. Already he showed the strength and wisdom his mother was gifted with, as well as taking his good looks from her also. Werrilah was a perfect foal, the firstborn from Tingara’s mate.

Although beckoned to play, Tingara couldn’t help but stand back and watch for just a moment. Myrrina, now leading their son in a dance across the gap, looked beautiful. There was a look of peace across her face, being a mother suited her well. With a joyous, trumpeting neigh the black stallion tore after the mare and foal, dancing across the plateau. It was now time to include their son in their enchanting dance.

[yaruka]

OOC: do you mind if Koonaka interrupts?

BIC: The bold coloured family's dance did not go unnoticed by equine eyes. Eyes belonging to Koonaka, half hidden in a dark grove of the treees, mottled features blending in with the branches and shadows, made note of each horse's every move. The appaloosa stallion watched the family curiously, mulling over in his mind what he saw. Surely the foal could not have been sired by the stallion that danced with it? But it must have been, for the big black did not recoil in jealousy as he scented the little creature. He snorted, white rimmed eyes following their every movement. What a strange place this High Country was, full of oddly coloured horses, none of which looked the least bit like him. He listened to the mopoke's song, carefully, flicking his ears with interest when it informed him that he was watching the dance of a King. Snorting bemusedly he watched the black prance foolishly with his family. Undoubtedly the other stallion had other mares hidden somewhere else but surely such undignfied play was not the behaviour of a king? Shrugging to himself he stepped out of the shadows. He had nothing to fear. He wasn't about to steal the mare, not with a new foal at foot, so the stallion should have no reason to attack him. He wasn't afraid either, his deceptively strong body was in fit condition and ready for a fight if need be. He took a few steps towards the other horses before stopping and calling to them "What energy possesses you to dance so?" he asked of the stallion, not bothering with a greeting. Koonaka didn't have much time for titles or niceties.

[Corowa]

Myrrina snorted amusedly as the stallion danced gaily upon the twinkling white carpet of snow daisies. Werrilah squealed and cantered after the great black stallion, half-bucking, half-kicking. Here the dance ended, for Myrrina stopped her headlong gallop, watched the odd white colt gamboling in the early morning sun, so that he seemed to glisten. There was faint movement in the line of snowgums, and Myrrina gave a shrill whinny, stopping Werrilah in his tracks. Whirling about, swift as the wind, the colt galloped towards his mother, heart pounding in his chest. The menacing stallion moved towards the three brumbies and Myrrina felt anger rise in her.

Gathering up her frightened son, she drove him towards a dense thicket of eucalypts. Shaking with fear, Werrilah moved further into the tangle of branches and streamers of bark, his pale coat hidden by the leathery leaves of the snowgums. Ears laid back, the mare turned to the strange stallion. “What brings strange stallions to us here?” Myrrina answered, and the laughing cry of a kookaburra seemed to mock the fierce looking stallion. Hide prickling uncomfortably, the mare moved closer to the trees where Werrilah stood, violently trembling.

[tingara]

The black stallion whinnied with pleasure, his pure white son and blue roan mate at his side. Tingara danced to show the High Country the joy it brought him, to show it that he would be forever tied to the mountains and valleys that made this country so incredibly wonderful. Just when he thought his good mood would go on forever it was interrupted by a stranger.

Tingara stopped dancing and looked over the stallion. Judging by the appaloosa’s body language deemed he was not a threat. His question made the black think for a moment. What was it that possessed him to dance so? “I don’t really know stranger, the joys of having my mate and son by my side,” Tingara answered truthfully, gently nibbling Myrrina’s withers.

“What brings you here to the Gap?” his turn to ask questions now. Although Tingara was in a good mood he was still suspicious of the stranger.

[yaruka]

Well the mare had certainly overreacted. No matter though, the stallion seeemed level-headed enough-well, apart from the dancing of course. "A fair enough reason, I suppose" said Koonaka politely, privately thinking that it was a waste of energy to prance around like a colt, particularly when you were the so-called king of the High Country. But then again, maybe the black king didn't have anything else to do with his time. Koonaka half entertained the idea of giving him a real reason to use his energy but quickly pushed the thought aside. If he were to win what would he do as King? He had no time for all the formality and the dynamics of a large herd. No, he was much better off as he was. Well, he wouldn't mind the addition of a mare or two, so long as they were sensible and not flightly like this splashed mare of the black's. He was shaken from his thoughts as the black stallion spoke again.
“What brings you here to the Gap?” he asked and Koonaka caught the first trace of suspicion in the other stallion's demeanor. If the appaloosa stallion could have shrugged then he would of done. As it is, shrugging is not a very natural movement for a horse. Instead he simply paused, weighing his answer carefully. "I suppose I came to see what all the fuss was about." he said, indicating the loudly calling birds. "Though as I hear it, it isn't all good news for the King." He almost hadn't added the last part but in the end he simply couldn't resist the temptation of revealing what he'd learnt from a bunch of overly talkative gang-gangs. Despite his grumy demeanour and general impatience, Koonaka had a respect for the creatures of the bush, and when it came to it he could bear with their rambling in hopes of news. His walled eyes gleamed as he looked to the King, wondering how he would react. Nonchalantly the blue roan appaloosa dipped his head to down to grab a mouthful of grass, though his eyes never left the other stallion's face.