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Post by bullseye14 on Mar 26, 2008 18:45:54 GMT -5
Patriot took no interest in the other horses. For now, he was very happy with just spending time with Firedancer, the first mare he had ever invited into his herd. His herd had grown remarkably small over the past few months, but he didn't mind. To him, life had once been about having a large herd and producing many offspring; now it was just about enjoying what he had while he had it. Maybe losing three of his mares had been what had created that desire, maybe he was going soft, maybe he was finally living up to the promise he had made himself when he had arrived here at Sunshine River or maybe it was the run in with the dark mare here at the Watering Hole. He didn't care what the case was. In fact, he was comprehending such petty things less and less. Living life was what matter. Yes indeed.
And so, he plodded steadily along, enjoying being in the presence of his fiery mate and the feel of the chilly winter air. His coat had actually had a chance to grow this year, for which he was thankful. Weaving between the other horses, he directed himself in the direction of a vacant spot at the edge of the Watering Hole. A light film of ice covered the nourishing liquid, but that was easily taken care of with the thrust of the black stallions hoof. He made sure it was big enough for their muzzles before he nodded his head to indicate that Firedancer should drink first. While waiting for her to drink her fill, the dark stallion scanned his eyes over the other equines- no familiar faces were visible. Maybe that was a good thing, maybe it wasn't.
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Post by Swede on Mar 26, 2008 19:43:29 GMT -5
Firedancer gave her love a grateful smile, and lowered her muzzle to the icy cold pond. Her velvety kissers sucked up the life-giving liquid. After only a moment, she lifted her head again. Water was necessary for survival, but it was freezing, and her throat burned with the cold when she drank. In a minute, perhaps, she would have some more. Bit by bit, that was the ticket. With a sigh, the fluffy chestnut mare her head on Patriot's shoulder. "Things have changed so much... Mystical Illusion vanished, and Oceana and Night Star... and Dream is so distant these days..." Her voice trailed off into nothingness, lost in thought as she was. What would happen in the future? Why did the past meander so brokenly, and what did it do to the present? Suddenly, she spoke again, standing straight and looking across the pond at some distant, invisible memory. "But that is nothing compared to the rest. We ourselves have changed." Her fond gaze transferred to the stallion for just a moment. "I remember when you were just a lonely bachelor, when I first arrived here. And then, the next time we met, you had a herd and a home. It seems like ages ago, though it's hardly more than a year, really..." Yes, he had matured into a fine horse. And she herself? She felt like another mare, and wasn't sure whether it was a heart-warming thought. From independent and curious, she had fledged into a mother-to-be and bottom of the herd's pecking order. By your own choice, she silently reminded herself. But had it been the right one? Was it her heart or her mind that had made those decisions? Sometimes, she felt as though she was not ready to face the world. And doubt had chased its own tail throughout her mind the past fall and winter. You have no wisdom, experience in nothing. Flighty and unruly, and you can't make up your mind. What happened to you? You have changed, but into what? For the first time in her life, Firedancer had been doubting herself. And it was not an easy feeling.
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Post by bullseye14 on Mar 27, 2008 19:23:46 GMT -5
Patriot didn't even bother with drinking the ice cold water as she spoke to him, lost in thought as he was. She was right, Dream had been very distant, along with Parlos. He figured that probably meant that they were spending quality bonding time together, which was all right with the black stallion. He did not require the constant presence of other equines to keep him happy, though he had to admit that he was missing the company of his two mares. That's why this time at the Watering Hole was so valuable to him. None of them were the same since the herd had split up. He had stopped pondering what he had done wrong- it was too time and energy consuming.
"Lonely and pathetic," he laughed. "I thought I understood herd life at that point, but I don't think I did. Not like I do now, at least.
"You were a lot more skittish then, too. You've certainly changed for the better." For the most part, at least. She seemed a lot different... Not quite as depressed as she used to be, but not nearly as confident either. Of course, who was he to talk? Depression was certainly not something he had been above over the past few months. Sometimes Patriot thought coming to Sunshine River had been the dumbest thing he had ever done, but sometimes he thought it was the best; it really depended on the day.
"Having a foal bouncing around will change us even more. It's been a while since I've helped to raise a foal." Several years, actually. Once his old herd had gotten bigger, he had stopped working with his foals and started focusing on trying to keep everyone safe and other stallions away. It had been a much more difficult than colts tended to think. "It will be exciting, I think, though," he added, grinning at the thought.
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Post by Swede on Mar 27, 2008 19:47:07 GMT -5
Firedancer shrugged. "I wouldn't say 'skittish'. How about, oh, energetic? I was more innocent then... I can't decide if it is for the better or for worse. I remember those days when I just scampered around, completely out of control. But the thing was, I didn't need to control myself. No one blames a feisty filly for things she does. But once you're a fully grown mare, you're expected to settle down, be sensible, raise a family, respect those higher than you, and all that. But I don't know... I just have a hard time picturing myself functioning in that way. I think I would go insane. But I try..." She sighed again. Try. It was the best she could do; it would have to be enough. Quite suddenly, she shook her head. No, this mare was resolute. No wallowing here, self-pity, whatever you wanted to call it. "Oh yes, a foal will be most... interesting. A new experience, for me, anyway. What do you think, colt or filly?" Firedancer could not decide which she preferred. In truth, this whole process made her nervous. Firedancer, a mother. Well, soon anyway. She wasn't exactly the type you would associate with motherhood.
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Post by bullseye14 on Mar 27, 2008 20:03:50 GMT -5
With sad eyes, the black stallion nuzzled his love. "Your energy is a big part of the reason I was drawn to you, I think. I've seen a lot of broken mares- ones that were tossed around from stallion to stallion. And I'm sure I helped to create some myself. Where I come from, mares are dispensible. I tried hard to avoid being a big-time monster, but I do wonder if I succeeded...." he trailed off. "Change is inevitable, but not always welcome." Patriot looked into Firedancer's eyes. "We'll take it one step at a time. No one ever said you couldn't continue to enjoy life when you had a foal. Foals have a lot of energy and are as curious as you were when you initially arrived here." Would the foal bring out that side in the two of them? How about Dream?
"I most certainly would like to see a colt, but I doubt that shocks you," a smile lit his maw again. "What do you think?"
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Post by Swede on Mar 27, 2008 20:18:56 GMT -5
The firey chestnut mare rolled the idea around in her head. "Hmm... a colt would be nice, yes, but I dunno... I kind of like the idea of a filly to grow up like I did, so I can sort of relive my own life as a spectator, know what I mean? But it's so hard to really imagine, I mean, I've never had a foal before, so I have no idea what sort of feelings I might end up having. As long as it doesn't have five legs or something, I don't think I'm too fussed about what it is." Firedancer wondered if Dream would ever stop being so withdrawn, come out of her shell. What did she want in her life, how did she feel about being in this herd? Firedancer hadn't lost her curiosity, just subdued it; and she was eager to know what her quiet friend thought. Odd, to think that she was subordinate to the black mare... hopefully, such things wouldn't get in the way of their friendship. Firedancer was dominant by nature, but she had forcecd herself not to challenge for the position. Why? Sometimes the answer was clear; sometimes, it made little sense.
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Post by bullseye14 on Mar 29, 2008 15:10:38 GMT -5
(OOC: Bad post! Sorry!)
What a shocker- the mare wants a filly, the stallion, a colt. It seemed to be the natural order of things, the way all horses worked. Of course, Patriot knew both horses in the pair would be happy with whatever foal they got. All the same, he could barely contain his excitement at the thought of a new life in the herd, a new horse to mold just how he and Firedancer wanted. Was Firedancer as excited as he? Was Dream? And why was he so excited? Just because it had been so long since the last foal he had paid heed to? Would he lose some of his excitement if it was a filly and not a colt? Doubtful.
Foals tended to be troublesome- always requiring their parents full attention and watchful gaze, but the joys they brought made up for that. Patriot knew he would be especially uptight about the safety of the two expected foals because of his knowledge of the great cats in the area. Even if he hadn't seen the damage they were capable of back in the desert, he would know now, after losing his lead mare. Cougars spared no horse. Ever. If you were a piece of meat and they were hungry, you were in trouble.
He took a few seconds to take a couple careful sips of the frozen water and then spared the horses around him more attention. Funny, how the Watering Hole was always busy. "So many new faces," he whispered, not sure if he had really intended to speak the words aloud.
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Post by Swede on Mar 30, 2008 18:46:58 GMT -5
Firedancer nodded. So many new faces... and how many would they ever see again? Imagine, one of these strangers could end up being a great friend or a mortal enemy in the distant future. They all lived lives so separate from their own, and yet so intertwined. It was frankly rather odd to think about. Her coat was beginning to shed, and it was a bit itchy. She swung her head around to nip at a particularly irritating clump, and a tuft of old winter coat fell away. Ugh, it was hot. She was even breaking a sweat. That thought gave her a double-take-- surely it wasn't warm enough to be feeling this sticky? Firedancer looked to Patriot and opened her mouth. "Patriot, I-" But then an odd, uncomfortable sensation rippled through her body, her breath caught, and her words changed tone abruptly. "Excuse me," and shaking her head, she turned away, desperately seeking someplace quiet, somewhere, anywhere. She wasn't sure why, except instinct told her to.
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Post by bullseye14 on Mar 31, 2008 17:42:50 GMT -5
"Where are you-" but Patriot didn't get to finish his question before Firedancer took off. He had to admit that the weather was definitely getting warmer, but that didn't explain the sweat on her coat. For a few moments, he stood in silence, jaw slack. As the minutes wore on, a thought started to dawn on him. 'She's having the foal,' he thought. Of course! He had seen mares act that way before! "She's having the foal!" he exclaimed out loud. The only question was, where was he to go? Following her was not appropriate, but he wasn't sure where to go. Back to the territory, maybe?
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