A Crystal in the Snow...

[Ehetere]

The pale grey mare stepped cautiously through the thick blanket of tree branches and leaves and out into the secluded little glade beside the frozen creek. The trees leaves; ecrusted with ice and frozen solid, tinkled quietly as she pressed through, making pretty ice music. She tapped the ice covering the stream tentatively with her hoof, and finding a suitable place, broke a large hole in it so that she could bend down and take a drink. She could feel the frigid water as it trickled down her throat, filling and invigourating her. Silence enveloped the clearing, however Allirea was sure that she was being watched.

OOC: Sorry for the really short post, but really, what more is there to say???

[Corowa]

The stallion grazed his way towards the fringe of snowgums. Yet when the wind stirred in the leaves, seemed to whisper his name, he threw up his head and stood listening. Silently like a ghost, Boolee crept through the trees, and there on the banks of the Cascade Creek, was the beautiful grey filly, pale and perfect as the snow. Proudly, he raised his head and arched his neck so that his mane played like silver over his gleaming grey coat. With a ringing neigh, he gaily pranced towards her.

The filly was young, and perhaps foolish enough to be fearful. However, she was beautiful, and she was his. Ears flickering nervously, Boolee stepped lightly over the snow until he came to a standstill close beside her. “Such a filly should not wander the bush alone,” he said with a snort, dropping his head to drink. The water was cool and it soothed the restless fever in his blood. But still he trembled when a currawong gave its queer wild call, for it spoke of the sorrow and loss, of that which had been, and of that, which was yet to come.

“Men might still be in the mountains, might find such a filly entrancing as the snow itself,” he went on, shaking the snow from him, so droplets of water clung glistening to his mane. Then just as suddenly, he reached over and teasingly nipped her. With a mocking whinny, the stallion leapt away at a canter, inviting the filly to follow, full of high spirits on such a fine morning.

OOC: No worries, I hate starting threads anyways so at least you did.

[Ehetere]

Allirea snorted in a rather sarcastic manner at the stallion's antics; as she always had. Not one for fearing stallions; on the contrary actually as there were a number of stallions who feared her sharp teeth and hooves: she tossed her head, sending her mane flying and showering the nearby bushes and leaves with stray snowflakes. However, this stallion seemed much wiser and far more respectful than the arrogant youths that Allirea had met in the past, so she cantered after the strangely beautiful stallion.

"I do not fear men, especially during the winter months," Allirea snorted to the pale grey stallion, "My coat hides me well enough if I ever feel the need to escape. Besides, their tame horses couldn't possibly catch me! I know the country all the way from Quambat Flat all the way to the highest peak of Kosciusko! I would just like to see them try!"

Allirea pawed at the snow in indecision and anticipation. Should she follow this stallion? He seemed to respect her enough not to come snorting and prancing immaturely and trying to round her up, and he appeared to have no other mares of his own. Allirea felt a little glimmer of pride at the thought of being the only mare in this stallion's herd; to be lavished and cared for above any other. Yes, she liked this idea quite a lot; for no matter what her heart said; her head knew that one day a stallion would come along and steal her; because despite her ferocity; some stallions were too strong even for her. Not that she was going to openly admit that to anybody. This stallion at least seemed an honorable choice.

Allirea leaned over and nipped the stallion in return; reassuring him that she would follow him wherever he wanted to go; at least for now. But Allirea had few close friends whom she wished to travel with; and this lone stallion was the perfect companion.

OOC: As you can probably guess; Allirea is a rather vain and arrogant filly; but hopefully Boolee will grow to love her!!!

[Corowa]

The pale grey filly floated over the snow like mist, and Boolee was pleased to see that she had followed him. She was a fine-looking filly indeed, and he would use all his cunning and strength to have her. Yet he understood her to be quarrelsome and proud, though she was young, and perhaps would become a wise mare indeed.

When the filly nipped him, the stallion whirled about, quick as the whirlwind for which he was named, and struck her playfully. With a squeal of delight, he propped to a standstill in a cloud of snow, and the snow glistened in his mane so he seemed a silver-grey wraith, fading into the whiteness. The wind told of snow to come, and nostrils quivering, the stallion was ready to lead his filly further downstream to where the low snowgums would shelter them.

“Well come then O swiftest and wisest of fillies,” he mocked from where he stood in the softly falling snow. “I do not like the look of these clouds, and there is a storm on the wind. Come filly if you will follow me, or if in your wisdom you would stay.” With a flick of his tail, Boolee turned, and though his ears were turned back to listen for the sound of hooves placed carefully after his, he did not slow and turn to see if she came silently behind.

[Ehetere]

Allirea snorted playfully; this stallion had a very similar personality to her. But if he thought he could dominate her, he was in for a surprise. Silently; she drifted into the tree line beside where she and the stallion had been running, and nimble darted between the snow-plastered trunks, knowing that the stallion wouldn't have seen her if he had wanted to; she would just blend in with the whiteness.

Allirea overtook the grey stallion; who was foolish not to look back to be sure of her location; and then whirled around and appeared in front of him; as if from nowhere but the wind-blown snow itself.

"Do you challenge me in a race, O Grey Whirlwind? You are indeed wise in the ways of the bush, and two minds are always better than one for surviving the winter. My mother taught me well in the ways of the bush, and I agree, we should head to a more sheltered area, for there indeed appears to be a fearsome snowstorm on the way," whickered Allirea, glancing up at the imposing clouds in the sky. Not waiting for a reply from the stallion, she kicked up her heels; flicking a puff of snow in the stallion's face in the process, and raced off down the creek to the shelter of the snow gum forest.

[Corowa]

The filly slipped silently from the line of snowgums, and Boolee propped to a standstill, flinging his head up with a shrill squeal of surprise. Nostrils flared and fine head thrown up, Boolee’s highly-strung nature showed in every line of his body. “I challenge you to follow me,” he snorted. “I do not think you are a filly who would follow, for already you try to lead.” With that, the stallion leapt away at a gallop, easily catching the grey filly, for he was as swift as the winds and as fierce as a snowstorm. Bumping her shoulder with his, he gave a mocking whinny and then like a ghost, vanished into the snowgums.

The joy of galloping through the snow, chasing the elusive wraith of a filly, was singing in his blood. Nimbly, he weaved through the low cover of snowgums and candle heath, leading the filly on a dance through the bush. Only when the snowgums thinned, did Boolee slow his headlong gallop. Staring back into the darkness, ears pricked, the stallion waited in silence, for the pale grey filly.

[Ehetere]

Hmm, this stallion was a quick one, but Allirea loved playing games such as this when she was still with her herd, so she let out a high pitched whinny of delight and charged after the pale grey stallion as he thundered on ahead. Not even slowing to check her pace, Allirea bounded through the snow gums with ease, and was surprised to find the older stallion was able to keep pace with her; and dodge the trunks and branches with the grace of a much younger horse. Allirea let out another fleeting nicker before circling around in the trees and emerging from the gums directly behind the stallion. She nipped him playfully on the withers as she cam up silently beside him; the blood pounding through her veins after such a glorious chase. This was what it meant to be alive and free.

[Corowa]

Boolee flicked an ear back towards the spirited filly, this lissom wraith who seemed to fade into the grey light. Yet he did not return the filly’s playful greeting. The snow had started falling more heavily, great white flakes that swirled about in the wind, caught in his forelock and mane so Boolee seemed indeed a creature of the snow. Troubled, he moved further into the thicker bush, and when his rump brushed the rough bark of those twisting snowgums, he felt the sweat break out behind his ears.

Boolee hated snowstorms, and he shook his head bad-temperedly, worried the filly might be lost to him in the blinding whiteness. “Come,” he said, reaching over and gently nipping her. Sidestepping nervously, he threw up his head and snorted. Every hair on his hide prickled uncomfortably, his skin crawling with dread. “When the storm blows over,” he said, turning to the filly. “We should go southwards to the Brolga’s Country.” Anxious, he swung around and nosed the grey filly’s shoulder as if to make certain she had not vanished into the darkness.

[Ehetere]

Snow had started to fall now, and it looked to Allirea as though it had no intention of stopping any time soon. Still the wild weather and the flurries of snow that it brought excited Allirea. Snow made her coat shimmer like there were thousands of crystals embedded in her pale hair; and it was for this glimmering display that she had been named, along with the beautiful crystal cave in which she had been born. However, this snow storm made the stallion next to her visibly nervous, and Allirea guessed that as a stallion he was worrying about her well-being, and perhaps losing her amongst the swirling white around them.

"Come"commanded the stallion, but his voice wasn't exactly threatening, it was more concerned, which Allirea was pleased with, but there was a little bite of annoyance in his voice too; did he not like the snow? He nipped her lightly on her shoulder, reinstating his firm but kind message of wanting to leave. Still,the storm was closing in, and there was no way that they would be able to go anywhere until the storm had blown itself out, or Allirea was sure they would lose each other in the thick whiteness that surrounded them.

"When the storm blows over, we should go southwards to the Brolga's Country," suggested the stallion, and because of the storm his outline was beginning to blur with the white whirlwind in the air. It was a smart idea, because although Allirea loved the ice encrusted world that was winter in the High Country, her stomach was beginning to ache with hunger and longing for decent feed. The stallion gently nosed her shoulder, but to be sure that she was still there or to reassure her, Allirea was unsure. Allirea whickered gently, to tell him that she was indeed still there and was quite alright. Tired of standing up against the wind, Allirea promptly sat down on the cold but comfortable ground to wait out the snowstorm. It was less windy on the ground too; the ice less nipping on her coat, and she nickered to the stallion again, encouraging him to join her.

[Corowa]

At once the filly quietened, and Boolee moved closer so that his shoulder touched hers and he could feel the steady thrum of her heart. He was proud of how beautiful she looked, snowflakes glistening in her mane, and shining on that ghostly white coat. Southwards he knew, would be many brumbies, driven down by the heavy snows to their winter grazing. Slightly worried, Boolee could see it would be a troublesome winter ahead, for he would let no man or stallion take her from his side.

Suddenly the filly dropped to her knees in the snow, and Boolee turned and looked at her curiously, ears pricked and eyes uncertain. With a throaty nicker, he stood over her, lowering his nose to gently rub her ears. Blowing noisily through his nostrils, he half-closed his eyes and rested. However, every sense strained to its fullest to hear anything but the moaning winds and softly falling snow, and every nerve tingled with excitement and fear.

OOC: Did you want to skip forwards to the morning when the storm blows over?