Searching Through The Snow...

[Tiggs]

Crayola paused in her ministration to greet the grey mare with a throaty nicker. She was entirely hospitable, and seemed quite pleased to have another friend. She sniffed and nudged Muyan with her mottled nose before turning to Kurrin who was looking striken.

Go? Kurring thought. Tingara wanted her to go? His tone was kind as always, but he was telling her she could go and he wouldn’t mind. Crayola nuzzled her but the palomino shied from the usually comforting touch. Crayola nickered in confusion, “Kurrin? What is the matter?”

Kurrin looked down at her pale hooved in the snow as she spoke. “I don’t want to go.”

Crayola nuzzled her daughter’s withers. “You don’t have to. You can stay with us.” She knew deep down her daughter would have had to leave with a stallion at some point, but Crayola never wanted her foals to leave her. If she could, she would always look after them all.

Kurrin shuffled anxiously. “I don’t know what to do.” She mumbled and Crayola draped her head over her withers.

“I lost my first herd, but Tingara found me. Maybe you should lose us, and a stallion will take care of you.” Crayola realised that Kurrin might want a foal of her own, and for that she would need a stallion. The mothering appaloosa was saddened, but Kurrin would be less confused with a foal. They made everything that much clearer. “You should go sunshine. Lose yourself, and the stallion to find you will make everything better.” She nudged her daughter’s shoulder, giving her a final nuzzle.

Kurrin trembled, looking between her mother, father and Nepelle. Indecision was clear across her features, and for a moment it looked like she was frozen. Then her mind made up, and she squealed, kicked up her heels and raced off into the snowgums. She called as she ran, saying her farewell to her family. She felt free and unburdened all of a sudden, her worries left in that clearing as she ran wild and independent. She left a clear tail in the newly-settled snow, and a little voice at the back of her mind wanted the big stallion, Nepelle to follow.

[Ehetere]

Muyan Post:

Muyan stepped gracefully out of her cover to greet the spotty mare; Crayola Tingara had mentioned her name was. they rubbed noses and then Muyan stepped back slightly to Tingara's side; where she had faithfully stayed since she had first encountered the stallion in autumn. Crayola seemed friendly enough, and Muyan could sense no hostility radiating from her. This gave Muyan more hope and confidence that the other mares from Tingara's herd would accept her. She politely greeted the fiery stallion who stood by the pretty palomino filly, and guessed that she seemed to have walked into some kind of family turmoil.


Nepelle Post:

The oddly coloured grey mare stepped out of her hiding place, and were it not for Kurrin, he would not have noticed her. It seemed almost as though she was made for the bush, and her coat blended in perfectly, or at least it would have in the months of spring, summer and autumn. She nickered a greeting to him and he nodded in his way of formally greeting another horse. It was not his place to call to the King's mare. But his attention was once again focused on Kurrin; she looked almost heartbroken, and even when kind Crayola reached out to comfort her she shied away. "I don't want to go." whispered Kurrin; and from the tone of her voice Nepelle suspected that she had never dared to defy her father or her mother in her entire life. But all the same, those words hurt him in some strange way. Had he not cared for her and her mother? Had he not danced and played with her in the snow? Had he not brought them to the safety of their father, even at great personal risk? All of these sacrifices he made for her and she still did not want to stand by his side. She could not stay with her father forever; some stallion would have to claim her; did she not understand this?

Crayola nuzzled her daughter and told her that she could stay. Perhaps it was Crayola's fault for not teaching her child that she must someday leave the safety of the herd; leap from the nest, spread her wings and fly. At least Kurrin's indecision heartened him a little. “I lost my first herd, but Tingara found me. Maybe you should lose us, and a stallion will take care of you.” suggested Crayola comfortingly to her pale golden daughter, but Nepelle was anything but comforted. How long would he have to chase Kurrin before she was finally his? What more did he need to do?

Kurrin trembled, and Nepelle thought that she may crumple to her knees her expression was so troubled. Suddenly she took off into the snow gums at a pace far faster than Nepelle had ever seen her run before; letting out a squeal as she went. he heard her call to her family and knew that she was finally leaving and letting go. But Nepelle could simply not bear to lose her now. He reared on his hind legs; a salute to everyone in the clearing, and then neighed, wild and loud, to the sky and to the pale golden filly Kurrin. He would always follow her. And with that she charged off into the snow gums as fast as his strong legs would take him, after the filly who had captured his heart.