What A Beautiful Day

[becca]

Zuriel trotted into the area rather gracefully for his great size. He stopped by the river and took a long drink of the cool water. After he was done drinking he walked over to a large patch of grass and began grazing.

He spotted some foals starring at him frightfully and walked over to them in a non threatening manner. He began to play with them while their mothers were grazing. When their mothers were done grazing they thanked him for giving them a few minutes of peace and they were on their ways.

Zuriel continued to graze after that and he waited for some other horses to show up. He was hoping to find a few mares and possible a stallion or two to start a herd. The stallions would be allowed breeding rights to a mare of their choice, but in return they would fight for him and his herd, as well as help protect the herd.

[blackcatluvr]

Vanker and his sisters were new to this area. He cantered in front of them, his head held high. He didn't have a herd of his own, though his sisters and he could be called a herd if one wished. He didn't call it that. He called themselves wanderers. They weren't a herd, at least not that he considered a herd, because he didn't have a lead mare and didn't think himself capable of leading a herd. He slowed as he reached the river, seeing a chestnut stallion drinking from it. The stallion was rather big, bigger than he and his younger sisters. He nickered to his sisters to stay behind him. Vanker slowed to a walk, stopping a few feet away from the stallion. "Hello stallion. May my sisters and I get a drink here? We haven't had a drink since the sun came up and we started our journey ag-" He was cut off by his sister Lea, who had decided to take a hold on the situation.


Lea was trying to get next to Vanker, she didn't like being behind others. They had been crossing the terrain all day, and she was thirsty. She looked at the ground as it whizzed beneath her hooves. Her twin was next to her, matching her stride for stride. Although slightly smaller than her sister, she was the more outgoing one, the one that always had to be out front. She almost ran into Vanker as he slowed. Confused, she looked around him to see another stallion at a river. They stopped, and he called out to the stallion. She rolled her eyes in a horse-like manner. Lea cut Vanker off, bored by his mini-speech. She went around him and stopped not even a foot away from the chestnut stud. "Hello. I am Lea. The other stallion is my brother, Vanker, and the other mare is my twin sister, Kilii. We would like a drink, so could you move?"

Kilii looked ahead and to the side, watching for danger. This is what she always did. She was cantering behind her brother and next to her twin. She was content with being behind her brother. It made her feel safer. Her brother slowed, and she slowed. There was a chestnut stallion ahead, getting a drink at the river there. She looked at the ground. The only difference, appearance-wise, from her twin and she was that she had stockings, where her sister didn't. She noticed this, looking at their legs. She listened to what her brother was saying, and jolted her head up when her sister went forward and started introducing everyone. Kilii was appalled and went forward to talk to the stallion and apologize for her sister's way of talking. Quietly, she spoke, looking at the ground. "I am sorry for my sister's way of speaking. She isn't trying to be rude. That is the way she talks. She is very bold, and it sometimes comes off as being rude." She looked up at the stallion then. She hadn't realized he was so large. He was much taller than herself, taller than even her brother. She knew they were looking for a herd, or that was what her brother had told her, anyhow.

[becca]

Zuriel was drinking from the river when a stallion and two mares came up to him. The stallion began to speak to him, but then the mare cut him off. He looked to the mare and then stepped out of their way. He spoke in a gentlemanly manner to the mare. "It's all yours." He smiled at the trio. He spoke to the mare that had first spoke to him. "Nice to meet you Lea. I am Zuriel." He bowed his head in respect.

He looked to the mare that spoke to him secondly. "It is quite alright, Kilii. You have no need to appoligize, neither does she." Zuriel bowed in respect before looking to the stallion called Vanker. "It is nice to meet you Vanker." He nodded in respect to the stallion, as was custom from where he came. "By any chance are you and your sisters looking for a herd?"

He looked around before continuing to speak. "I have been looking for a stallion and a few mares to start a herd with me. I have spotted some land that seems like it would support a wonderful herd." He thought about what he said and then spoked appoligetically. "I am sorry if I have been too forward." He looked at the other horses around and then back at the stallion.

[blackcatluvr]

Lea nodded her head. "Thank you, Zuriel." She went over to the river, lowering her head to catch some water between her lips. She stepped in the river, the water rushing over her ebony hooves and her slight feathering above her hooves. Her mane and tail were long, her tail long enough to drag on the ground. Her mane got wet a bit, so she shook it, spraying water everywhere before taking a drink again.

Kilii sighed at his reaction. He seemed nice. She bowed her head to him as well, murmering a 'Thank you' before joining her sister. The spray of the river cooled her down some from their journey across the terrain. They ha traveled a long time it seemed, but it had only been a few short hours. They had covered much land. She took several long gulps of water before going back to her brother and grazing.

Vanker nodded his head to the chestnut, Zuriel. "It is nice to meet you as well, Zuriel. And yes, as a matter of fact, my sisters and I have been looking for a herd to join. It is too dangerous to journey with them, for if I were killed protecting them, they would be left to fend for themselves." he paused, thinking. "No, you haven't been too forward, it's a relief we met you when we did. Otherwise I would have to keep searching for a stallion like yourself to join or make a herd with. Yes, my sisters and I will join your herd. Either one would be suitable for a lead mare, if you wish one of them to be. Kilii is soft-spoken and rather shy, and I have a tender spot for her." he nuzzled his sister affectionately before continuing. "And as you saw, Lea can be a bit -- no, she is straight forward, bold, and occasionally bordering on rude. I, of course, will stay with them and be your Knight, if you wish it. I will do whatever I can to protect the herd."

[becca]

Zuriel smiled at the mares as they thanked him and responded in a gentlemanly voice. Your both very welcome." He turned back to the stallion that agreed to join his herd along with his sisters. "I belive that lead mare is a matter that the mares should get a say in. I will allow them to choose which one of them will be the lead mare." He waited for the stallion to talk to his sisters about it.

He wouldn't want to cause one of the mares to be upset by his decision and he knew that they would choose who would be best for the herd. "Vanker, as my knight you will have the right to have a mare of your own. You may choose any mare in these lands to have exclusive breeding rights to. I promise not to touch your mare as long as you will not breed mine. I will protect you, your sisters, your mare, and my mares with my life."

He looked at the two mares and noticed how very beautiful they were. The only physical difference he could see was that Kilii had stockings and her sister did not. He looked back at the stallion to continue their conversation about the herd.

[blackcatluvr]

Vanker kept an eye on his younger sisters, as he always did. He flicked his eyes to Zuriel. "Yes, of course." He whinnied to Lea, who came over. "Now then, you two, we are going to join Zuriel's herd. As we are the first, one of you may be the lead mare. You may have a choice in this, but Zuriel will ultimately decide who he wants as lead with him." He scanned his sisters faces. Lea was practically jumping from joy, and Kilii, well.....one could never really tell what she was thinking or feeling. She always had either an alert look or a dreamlike look, which was on right now when she thought about things.

Lea listened to the two stallions talk. She pranced over to him, her hooves landing rather heavily on the ground. She never was as quiet at walking as her sister. She pranced in place as Vanker explained that one of them could be lead. She turned her head to Zuriel, still prancing around. "I would love to be a lead mare!" She informed Zuriel.

Kilii lifted her head from grazing when Vanker started to talk to her sister and her. Lead mare? No doubt Lea would want to be it. She always had. But then, secretly Kilii had wanted to also. Would she tell anyone? Of course not. She spoke to the chestnut stallion. "I too would like to be lead. I am obviously quieter than my sister, but I can act like a lead when need be. I guess it's your choice who you want to be lead."

[becca]

Zuriel watched as Vanker called his sisters over and then as the mares each anounced that they would both like to be lead mare. He would have both as his lead mares if if was possible, but he couldn't, so he would have to make the painful decision. He looked from one mare to the other he had decided who would be his lead mare and mate.

He stepped forward and nuzzled each mare gently and lovingly. "I believe that you both would make great lead mares, but I can only choose one. I have chosen to have Kilii as my lead mare. I believe that she would make a great lead." He paused to bow to Kilii. "Kilii, would you accept the place of lead mare and my mate?" He lifted his head to look at her as he awaited her answer.

[blackcatluvr]

Vanker smiled and nuzzled Kilii lovingly as Zuriel made his choice. He had feared no one would ever choose Kilii to be a lead because of her quiet and peaceful disposition, like him. He turned to Zuriel. "Well, Zuriel, where to now? Shall we stay here for a bit or find a place to call home?"

Lea stopped prancing when Zuriel came over to them and told them his answer. She was a little disappointed, but also happy for her twin. Kilii had never been courted nor asked to be lead of a herd. Lea was always the one most stallions wanted, her sister just a horse trailing behind her.

Kilii whinnied happily. She stepped over to the chestnut, always light on her feet. When she galloped she looked like she was literally flying. She nuzzled the chestnut, whispering, "Thank you, Zuriel."

[becca]

Zuriel responded to Vanker's question. "I think it would be best if we stay here for a while. I am sure after your long travel you would like to eat, drink, and rest. When you are all well rested we can leave to find a home." He looked to Lea and nuzzled her gently. "I hope that you will not be upset with me for my decision."

He then turned to Kilii and nuzzled her gently also. As she thanked him he whispered back to her. "No need to thank me, Queen Killi." Always the gentleman, hey? Yes, he was a ladies man. He nuzzled her and nipped her gently and lovingly. He hoped that he could take a trip to the breeding canyon with her so that he could show her just how gentlemanly he could be.

He looked around and spotted a few rogue stallions coming toward Lea and he charged them. He let out a sharp whinny as a threat. He kicked out at them and then trotted back to the small group, his herd. He would make sure that everyone was safe and comfortable with him as their leader. He returned to Kilii's side and waited for someone else to talk.

[blackcatluvr]

"Okay. I believe thats a good idea as well. We should rest, and then we'll be on our way to find a home for the four of us." Vanker replied before walking over to the river and getting a drink himself. He started to graze, alert as always.

Lea nuzzled Zuriel back. "No, I am not upset. A little disappointed, maybe, but I'm happier for Kilii. She's never been courted nor asked to be lead of anything. I am glad you chose her. None of the male horses in any herd we've come across would even go up to her, they only saw me because she's normally quiet."

Kilii laughed (or how a horse would laugh, anyhow) as he nipped her gently. She stood alert as suddenly some rogues were coming toward them, or, toward Lea mainly. Zuriel chased them away, thankfully. Kilii hadn't even had much time to register that the rogues were going to her twin. "When should we leave, Zuriel? We've rested some while talking to you and everything. Shall we go find a home now?"

[becca]

Zuriel nodded to Vanker in response. He then looked to Lea. "I am glad that you are not upset with my decision. You will still be a high rank in the herd." He nuzzled her gently and lovingly and then walked back to Kilii's side. He nuzzled her and nipped gently at the base of her mane.

Zuriel responded to Kilii as she talked to him. "If you would like to leave now we can. You are the lead mare afterall. I have a beautiful place in mind if you would like to visit it now." He kept watch over his small group and kept alert. He would make sure that those rouges would not come back again.

[blackcatluvr]

"Alright, Zuriel. Thank you." Lea nodded to him before grazing at the grass that was there. She truly was happy for her twin. Kilii had always been the follower, the quiet one. That was why she was never courted nor asked to be lead in anything -- a game even. Lea had always asked to make up games for the other foals to play when they were younger, and Kilii followed along with Lea.

Vanker put his head up at the mention of finding a place to live. "My input is that we should go see this place you talk about, Zuriel."

Kilii nodded. "I think its a good idea. We dont want rogues like those three catching us off guard and we might meet bad horses if we stay here. Show us the land, Zuriel." She shook her black mane of the flies around her face. Her body had cooled down from being sprayed by the water and standing in the shade of the trees near the riverbank.

[[ooc: okay, have Zuriel respond and then go post in one of the empty territories, claiming it as his. And also, do you want Zuriel and Kilii to breed? They can, since its still aloud. ]]

[becca]

Zuriel nodded and lead the group away.

[okie, the rest can post there after him. And yes I would like for them to breed He will ask her in the claiming thread]

[blackcatluvr]

[[ooc: k, we're done here. can be locked/ deleted/ etc.. ]]