Forest Horses

[clownfish]

Strega looked around. She was so happy for some reason. The danger was over, true, but many difficulties still lay ahead and there was no way of knowing what. At least Aska was OK and had not had any trouble foaling. Strega walked over to Yrsa. " Yrsa darling, are you doing alright? You look a little pale. Are you dehyrdrated or something? While Strega waited for an answer she asked Elding," Elding, do you think it is time to move on?"

[Swede]

Yrsa smiled and shrugged. "No, I'm fine, I think," she answered, "Just a little tired, I need a nap or something." She had good reason to be tired- traveling and running around all day, plus all the excitement, had just plain worn her out. She shook out her thick dark mane into a more comfortable position, and gave her parents a nuzzle. Then, safe with her herd, she stretched out on the ground. It felt surprisingly good just to rest, and soon she was dozing off in the midday summer heat. The occasional fly landed on her coat, making her twitch slightly, but otherwise she was peaceful.

Elding sighed. "I think moving on is out of the question," he answered lowly. "We've been traveling enough, it's good to have a home for once. Besides, Aska would slow us down quite a bit." He smiled fondly at the little black foal, his newest daughter. "Still, I don't like this place much. Too open, too bright and green. Maybe, someday, I'll go exploring a bit, see if we can find a nice dark forest somewhere, mossy and misty, some rocks, and quiet. It would be perfect; just like home." He stepped closer to Strega, swishing flies off his sides. His dark coat absorbed heat, attracting even more insects, and it was irritating. There wasn't much shade around here, either- another reason he preferred the woods.

[clownfish]

Strega sighed with relief at her older daughter's response. Strega looked at Yrsa, her peaceful body heaving up and down calmy with each breath, the occasional twitch of a fly or two. Then she turned to Elding. Elding, I am not very fond of this place either. Of course it is very beautiful, but not to my liking. I like more forest and mosse and rocks and shade. Poor Aska, so young, must be burning just like you. There is no shade and she has your coat. Strega looked at her foal and sighed. So many problems to deal with and so little time to do it. She wanted the best for her dear little foal after she lost the other one. She sighed a deep, heavy sigh once again.


Aska saw that her older sister lying down and she looked very comfortable. She left her mother's warm side and went over to Yrsa. Hoping her sister wouldn't mind if Aska joined, she silently sat down next to Yrsa on the shady part of her so that she could get away from the sun and cool of a bit. After lying down for a few seconds, she let out a huge sigh for her little body. She looked at the grass, which was getting very dry and old and brown, then at the stream, which was drying up and she could see the rocks that used to be under the water peaking up at the world. Soon, too tired to look anymore and very warm, she layed down totally and closed her eyes, trying to look the same as her sister, peacefully resting with the twitching of the flies when they landed on her. Aska wanted to be like her sister. She liked her sister very much. She respected her. Aska almost thought that she was like a hero. She felt the twitch of Yrsa's body every now and then and the heavy, calm breathing.

[Swede]

Elding nodded. "Yes, that would be nice," he breathed. "Like home." He hardly even remembered home anymore, it had been so many years since he left Sweden. Why, he hardly even remembered the humans. They had only been on the loose for a little over two years, but it had seemed like half an age, this constant moving, hiding, being lost all the time. At least they had a somewhat permanent place to stay. Perhaps, when Aska was older and did not require as much guarding, he would go explore and find a forest somewhere, nice and cool, not like this insistent heat pounding into his coat. He was getting a headache from it.

Yrsa stirred slightly when she felt Aska's touch, and lifted her head. But the little filly seemed to be asleep already. The brown mare smiled and lay her head down on the dying grass again. She wasn't really too fond of summer. Now winter was a different matter. Though she was heavy and sunk easily and snow, so did most horses, but she had the added advantage of powerful legs to wade through the fluffy white. And the thick mane, tail, and coat of her ancestors also came in handy. She rolled up into a more upright position, no longer stretched out, and tucked her dark legs under her body. The crisp grass itched her skin. Besides, in this way Aska got more shade. And young foals were especially sensitive to heatstroke; she would need to cool down.

[clownfish]

Strega didn't know what to do. It was so warm and she didn't understand how Elding and Aska could stand it, with their magnificent black coats. When Elding said just one word, home, Strega suddenly felt weak. She sank down to her knee's and couldn't get up again. " Elding.......... But Strega never finished her sentence. Her head fell down and she started sweating so much that in just seconds her coat was gleaming with sweat in the burning, big, yellow sun. Strega was having trouble breathing. Suddenly, in just seconds, she fell into a deep, dark, endless dream.


OOC: I know it sounds like Strega is dead but really she is not.

[clownfish]

Aska, leaning against her sister beautiful brown coat didn't notice that anything was happening to her mother. She instead was asleep in a nice shadow provided by her nice sister. She was sleeping soundly, so soundly, that if a volcano all of a sudden sprouted from underneath her and got really big and then all this steaming hot lava came pouring out with little rocks on fire shooting out from it and started attacking her she would not notice. She was sleeping the best she had ever because she felt secure because she was with her loving, caring family.

[Swede]

Elding's head snapped around. "Strega? Strega! Strega, listen to me, are you alright? What's wrong?" he leaned his head down on nudged her, but she seemed to have passed out. "Strega! Vakna, kära du!" He felt panic rising in his throat. what was wrong? It looked like heatstroke, but he was no doctor and had no clue what to do. He stood over her, lending the shade of his body, in the hope that it would help at least a little. He nudged her muzzle again, hoping desperately for some sort of response.

Yrsa woke to the sound of her father's pleading voice, and glanced over. Her mother seemed to be suddenly ill. Worry immediately welled over her, but she decided not to get up- doing so would probably wake Aska up, and the last thing they needed was a panicking foal to complicate the situation. Her deep brown eyes were glazed with concern for her mother, but she forced herself to remain calm. The brown mare caught her father's eyes, and he shook his head, bewildered. A look passed between them, seeming to say: What is going on? Will she be alright?

[clownfish]

Strega, when she got the nudge from Elding, made a little groaning sound that lasted only for a fraction of a second. She was exausted, no, that was wrong, she wasn't even in this world. She was gone, gone in some dreamy wonderland, that was wrapping her up. She was at the forest in the country she grew up in, Sweden. It was slighly misty,probaly because in real life all the sweat that was on her, and moss was growing everywhere. She was eating lush, soft, delicious grass, listening to the soft twitter of the bird's among the tree's. But still, even when Elding nudged her again, she did not wake up from this dream, the dream that seemed to last forever.

[clownfish]

Too late. Aska was already awake when she felt her sister's body shift and the sudden panicking she felt run through Yrsa's coat. She slowly got up. She knew that something was wrong alright, but she didn't know what. She looked at her sister's worried gaze and followed it until she finally reliazed it was her own mother that something was wrong with. Aska made a horrifying face when she saw her mother on the ground, not moving, unconcious. Now there was so much sweat that it seemed to engulf Strega's whole body. Aska immediatly went over to her father and copied him by putting her body in the way of the sun so Strega would her shade too.

[Swede]

Elding whinnied desperately, and cursed inside his head. Never out loud; that would be a horrible influence on Aska. He stomped a hoof on the dusty ground. "STREGA!" he roared. He had to get her conscious, she needed water, something, anything. He leaned down, and pushed on her side, trying to get her up and at it. His eyes reflected deep concern as he nickered to her, trying to wake her up. His tail swished with frustration. He had to do something, but what? He had no idea.

Yrsa stood up, and followed Aska. Her own body shaded her mother, along with Elding and little Aska. A throaty neigh welled from deep inside her. "Mamma? Come on, wake up!" She nudged the dun mare's side, and licked her face. Sweat was pournig down her body, but at least that would help cool her off.

[clownfish]

Strega felt the constant nudges from her family and heard the roar from Elding. She opened her eyes slightly and tried to get up but could not move. It was gettting harder and harder to breath and she knew if she didn't get water soon, she would be a most definate goner. But she wasn't thinking. It was so hard to think and it took a lot of energy. She tried to make some sort of response but she couldn't make a sound. Outside, in the real world, Elding and Yrsa and Aska couldn't hear her. But inside she was screaming. She needed water, she needed water now. One more time, she tried to make a response, and this time she could make out one word:water. But that took all her strength and she couldn't speak again.

[clownfish]

Aska was leaning over her mother trying to get any response. Mamma! Mamma vakna! Det är morogn nu. Det är dags att kliva upp. Poor Aska didn't understand her mother was in a life and death situation. She thought that her mother was just having a bad hair day and she didn't want to show the world or something. Aska nudged her mother's shoulder. Mamma, om dit hår är inte så fin idag vi brir oss inte. Du kan kliva upp nu. Vi brir oss inte, viste? She turned to her father and sister, smiling like she was right. But she did not get a smile back from them. Instead she got a worried look and a frown.

[Swede]

Elding strained carefully to hear Strega. It was faint, but it was there- water. He glanced around, trying to come up with a solution, an idea. then, he said sharply to Yrsa, "Yrsa, stay here. I'll be right back. Keep her shaded." then, he loped down towards te river. It was low, but not as dry as in summer. He dipped his muzzle in it, the water droplets clinging to the fur that was starting to grow up long and thick for winter. Then, he whirled and cantered back. He leaned down, and brushed the drops off his muzzle onto Strega's. It wasn't much, but at least it was something. He turned back to the river and rpeated the process several times. It was slow going, but it was doing something, hopefully.

Yrsa did as her father had instructed, and shaded as much of her mother as possible. Aska did not seem to undrestand the gravity of the situation, but there was a good part of that- she would not be freaking out as much. She nodded as Elding unfolded his plan, hasty but there wasn't much else they could do. At least, not that she could think of. She squinted at the sun, and shook her head. She did not like this place- first, it had just ben uncomfortable, but now it was killing her mother.

[clownfish]

OOC: nice post with Yrsa!

[spirit1]

Whispered Promises && Fountain Hill trotted through calmly. They came into anothers territory without knowing !!
Fountain taunted her older sister just by moving around her, kicking bucking jumping in every direction. All of a sudden she stopped in her tracks. She could hear a groaning sound. She knew something was wrong so she moved off toward the sound. While her older sister just stood in amazement shouting something which she couldnt hear. As she grew closer she spotted a gathering of horses, foal two mares and a stallion, one mare was on the floor collapsed. She paused in the distance waiting for her sister to egg her forward or go first.

Whispered Promises just watched her sister go crazy !! To think they were related. She raced over to her sister through instinct. As her brown optics surveyed a collapsed mare in a heat-stroke she rushed forward to help with her sister behind her. She stood over the mare to provide shade then ordered her sister to gather some water. As she stood in waiting she swished her tail to cause a soothing breeze over the mare. "I could not help but assist you in your need. She seems to have gone into a heat-stroke. May me and my sister help you nurse her back to health ?" she asked sweetly.

[Swede]

Elding nodded, but said nothing- he was too busy. He nudged Strega, licked her face, and rushed down to the water again. His own hide was beginning to gleam with sweat, but he did not notice. Strega came first, and right now she needed help. The method he was using wasn't working very well, but he had no clue what else to do. Hopefully, they could revive her, one drop at a time. The dun mare was his love, and he could not lose her. To him, a mare was more than just a mare- she was a treasured family member. It was why he almost never went looking for more mares, because he was so family-oriented. His only ambition was to live happily with his herd, in peace. But now, things were not right, and he had to fix them.

Yrsa nodded gratefully to the newcomers. "She was fine a little while ago, but I guess she hasn't had enough to drink or something. She just buckled, we can't get her to react." She nudged Aska, and told her, "Why don't you go and play? Mama's tired, she needs some rest. She'll be fine, don't worry. Look, the banks are all muddy. You could get dirty, and not get in trouble. Or maybe race the butterflies in the grass?" She seemed to be trying to reassure the filly, but really she was comforting herself. Mama would be fine. She had to be. Right?

[spirit1]

Fountain done as her sister told her. She galloped off in the search for water. Finding some in a little creek she lowered her muzzle and scooped up the clear crystal liquid. At her return she saw everyone in some way panicing. As she trotted over none of the water was spilled. As she stood over the mare and lowered her maw she noticed sweat, she was losing moisture, she was getting hotter. She splashed some of the water over her but the rest she sent into the collapsed mares muzzle, it was instinct to open your maw for water !! "Hermana que necesita más sombra y más agua!" she spoke as she lifted her head. She only spoke Spanish for it was the only language she was used to, along the journey she never spoke to other horses than her sister or the ones that spoke her tougn too so she had not picked up other languages.

Whispered Promises could see they loved the mare and were cocerned but it was a mild heat-stroke. As she watched her sister and listend to what was said by her. Her smile dropped from her maw. Her tail began to swish by her sides faster and faster, the results was a humid breeze that moved the mares mane. "My sister only speaks Spanish, she tells me...she told me that she needs more shade and more water." a slight accent came. She answered her sister in which her accent grew strong, "Reunir más agua entonces Hermana! Derrame ninguno y buscar un contenedor para transportar más!" she looked to the stallion and gave a reassuring smile.

[clownfish]

In her dream, Strega could feel the breeze that she got from the other horses, but in her dream, it felt like a hurricane. She was getting sucked into some big hole or another. Strega, all in her head, was fighting the wind and rain, and trying to run away from the big hole, but it was stronger than her, and in a fraction of a second, she was sucked into the big hole and went through what seemed like an hour through some portal whirlwind thingy. But in real life it was only like four seconds. When Strega finally saw the end of this thing she opened her eyes and found herself staring up at some unknown horse. She felt very weak but managed to get to her knee's where she saw Elding, Yrsa, and another unknown horse.

[Swede]

Elding dropped to his knees beside his love. "Strega? Strega, går det bra?" He nuzzled her, softly. Curse this place! but they had no other home to go to, none that would be any better anyway. Still, it was not exactly a dream come true. So there were rainbows. They didn't block this infernal sun. His coat was growing long and thick with the threat of winter, but the days were only a little cooler so far, and it was not pleasant. He raised his head and nodded to the Spanish mares. "Thank you for your help. I cannot tell you how grateful I am." He lowered his head to Strega again, running his tongue down her wet face.

Yrsa nodded. "My father speaks the truth. We are used to cold winters and such, not this blazing sun. We can handle blizzards anytime; but this heat..." She shook her head dejectedly. "But yes, your help was extremely, well, helpful. Thank you." She tipped her head slightly. How they spoke... it was definitely foreign. Spanish, she said. How many different dialects of the horse speech were there? the common one, yes, and then their Swedish, and this spanish. Interesting. "By the way, my name is Yrsa, this is my father Elding, my sister Aska, and of course my mother Strega." Normally, her father would make the introductions, but he was too happy over Strega's revival to remember that.

[spirit1]

Fountain stood over the mare still and nuzzled her sister. "¿Podemos ir ahora? Lo hacen en serio en la lucha de calor, aunque no es lo suficientemente caliente como para nosotros, querida hermana." she said to Whisper.

Whispered Promises perked her head up to the younger mare and answered her, "My sister & me are use to such extremely hot weather, but here it is not hot enough. We are use to helping mares like your mother, in fact, our breed foals have also come over with heat stroke. It was nice to meet you, Yrsa, Elding, Strega and Aska." she turned her head to her sister and snapped, "Hush, podríamos haber encontrado un solo rebaño, no importa si no es lo suficientemente caliente como nunca lo hizo ... me gusta el calor calcinante de vuelta a casa!" Then turning her head back to Yrsa, "So tell me, which language do you speak ? I have never heard it before." she was intrigued as was the mare.

"Usted está traicionando a su ascendencia, querida hermana! No son nuestros, vamos a salir!" she said harshly to her sister. Its not that she didn't like the herd, but she wanted to preserve her bloodline and not mix it...unlike her sister whom did not care. They seemed like a close herd but she was the proud caring one out of the two of them and she would make her sister understand that she would not part with her but would if she carried another breeds foal! She was so much like her mother a purebred freak.

[clownfish]

Aska looked up at the interesting Spanish mares. They were very pretty, but they were very kind too. Aska now realized her mother had been in a life and death situation. She rushed over when she saw her mother sort of half wake up. Oh how happy she was when she saw her mother revive! Aska now knew she wasn't dead, and that was enough to make her want to skip Christmas and just hang out with her mother all day. " Mamma, vem är dom harra hästarna? Hur mår du?" Aska looked from her stressed, sweaty mother to the two horses that had practicly saved her mother's life. Shyly, Aska went up to them, and said in a little squeak, her first word in English: "Thank you" Aska wasn't even sure if they understood her. The words came out as a big jumble. Aska could only hope they did.

[clownfish]

Strega woke up a little more when she felt Elding's soft, warm, sticky tounge rubbing against her sweating face. She managed to turn her head towards the two Spanish horses, who were snapping at each other in some odd language that Strega had never heard before. When they stopped for a second Strega mumbled a thank you and put her head back down. She talked to Elding, " Elding, I need more water" She said in a dry, hoarse sort of way as a soldier on a battle field who was the only one alive and was badly wounded and was saying water in the sort of way.

[Swede]

Elding nodded frantically. "Visst, Strega, jag hämtar direkt," he answered, and galloped back to the river, head held low. The black stallion scooped some of the fresh liquid into his mouth, and trotted up the bank again, careful not to spill a drop. As he grew closer, he realized that the two stranger mares wee speaking some sort of odd language he had never herd before. Hm. He could learn about that later- now it was Strega who mattered. He stopped beside her, and dribbled the water across her muzzle. "Här får du, käraste," he told her. Aska had apparently ealized the gravity of the situation, and he was proud that she had not panicked. He nuzzled his youngest daughter. "You're a good girl, Aska," he said.

Yrsa nodded to the Spanish mares, and gave Aska a fond nudge. "We are Swedish," she answered. "It's a nice language, really, quite simple. My parents were both born there, but I was born tame a distance away from this land, though we became free when I was only a week old, so I don't remember humans much. Aska was born wild, here in Rainbow Ridge." Her head tipped curiously as the younger mare spoke something rapid and clipped. "What did she say?"

[spirit1]

Foutain Hill still did not understand anything in english, she never really listened. "Whisper, No son nuestra clase, estoy despedida ... Usted procedente o no?!" she hissed. With her warning ending with no reply she took the hint and left. If not on search for a purebred of the same breed then for a home.

Whisper grew mad at her sister and just ignored her completely. If she was to be racist then it was her problem she would be the one left alone for it! "Nothing, just reminding me where my duties lie. I know but my home language, our neighbouring language and english. My sister knows only of our home language and wishes to keep it that way I am affraid, while I am interested in the language you speak in...its different!" Then watched as her sister walked off with the hump. "Pay no attention to my sister she is just tired, has had this hobby since a little foal." Then meeting Yrsa's gaze.

[clownfish]

Aska blushed slightly when she was complimented by her father. She loved being the good little girl of the family! Of course that didn't mean Yrsa was bad or anything but just the fact that Aska was smaller and she felt like the little angel of the family. Aska was starting to get rather tired now for she hadn't had milk in few hours because of her mother's heatstroke. She layed down quitely and curled up in a little ball the size of a little black bug. She was tired, so tired, that she fell asleep even before she lay down and fell right to the ground with a loud DUNK! She woke up instantly, and not knowing what had happened made it SAFELY to the ground and fell right asleep.

[clownfish]

Strega gratefully took the water from Elding and gulped it down faster then you could say bam. She choked a little bit but than tried standing up and she found out that she could but it was rather hard so she kind of leaned on Elding for support and started walking towards the river with all the beautiful, mouth watering water and gulped some more down before she began speaking to Elding. " Elding, how are Aska and Yrsa? As soon as I regain my strength again I think we should move on. This place is horrible. Sure it has a beautiful rainbow, a nice waterfall, but it has a killer sun that means death for all of us who are not made for the heat but for the cold. Please Elding, I am not sure that any of us will be able to stand it much longer. Strega gave a longing look at Elding, and then turned to look at her little black daughter, sweating like crazy, then looked up at the sun. She made a face at it, for she was mad at the sun, first of all, it had been very unpleasant, now, it was killing her family.

[Swede]

Elding raised his head, slightly alarmed. "She will be alright, yes? I hate to see someone get hurt on my watch..." He moved his body to stand over Aska protectively, smiling at his daughter fondly. Then he looked up again at the retreating Spanish mare, and frowned slightly. In reply to Sterga, he nuzzled her gently. "I completely agree with you. I've been asking around, but unfortunately there is no unclaimed territory. None that anyone knows of, anyway, and certainly none that would suit us. We'll just have to stick it out until I can find one; but look at the bright side. Autumn is here, and winter will come right after. That will be nice." then he glanced up apologetically to the mare who still remained of the sisters. "I'm sorry, I must seem rude, forgive me. My name is Elding, though Yrsa might have told you that already. By what title may we call you?"

Yrsa nodded, but didn't take her eyes off the distant figure of the Spanish mare. Brow furrowed, she mutterd, half to herself, "Was it something I did?" It was unexpected, this taking off, to say the least. Quite unheard of in NSH circles, but then again, they were one of the most levelheaded, sensible breeds to be found, so that wasn't saying much. Then, she laughed at the remaining sister. "Our language, interesting? Perhaps to you, but to me nothing is as interesting as your own speech. Are there many who speak it?" She understood her mother's worry about this place, but there was nothing to be done. Still, she couldn't wait for winter, and all the fluffy snow that was so incredibly entertaining.

[spirit1]

Whiper smiled softly but snorted a her sisters disancing figure. She was so young and foolish ! "Well many breeds and even cross breeds that inherit it from their mother or father. Do many speak of your language ? I know not of any...apart from yourself and company." she said sweetly. It was Autumn and was therefore cooling from the smouldering temperature, she hated winter but dealt with it as it came. "Think nothing of my sister she is still young and learning, it is nothing to do with what was said or done by you. She is just emotional, tired and rather touchy" she smiled reassuringly at Yrsa.

As Whisper walked over to check upon the fainted mare and father of the young ladies. She bowed infront of the pair and arose with a smile. "Does one feel okay ?? Thys calling is Whispered Promises. You got a bad type of heatstroke, therefore I must insist you move to a cooler and darker territory in which to live...OR perhaps next time you will not awake." she said mock seriously with a tender smile on her gentle maw. Her eyes locked upon Elding as she checked him out, in every aspect, she thought of him rather hansome...whatever would her sister think of her !!

[clownfish]

Strega looked over at Whispered Promises. "Hello," Strega said, "Hello, Whispered Promises. Is it okay if I just call you Whisper? Where I am from, we are used to names that are short and simple." She smiled apologetically. Then, she said, "Thank you for your help, I am extremely grateful," she added. She was still feeling a bit woozy, but it was getting better. Then, she turned to Elding and said, "And thank you too, Elding. It's too bad we cannot find a good home yet, but I am sure something will come soon." Then, in a whisper so that Aska did not hear, she added, "Aska would slow us down a lot if we tried to find a new home now, and she could get heatstroke too if she runs around too much. Thank goodness winter is coming."

[clownfish]

Aska gave a disapproving snort as the younger Spanish mare drifted off. She thought it sounded quite grown up, and she knew that she would never run off like that. She was much too happy with her family to do such a thing. Her eyes widened as the mare, Whispered Promises, talked. It was a pretty voice, with an odd accent, and Aska was fascinated by it. She had never met a foreigner before, and though she was Swedish considered herself a native. After all, she was born in Rainbow Ridge. She belonged here quite nicely, and could be called a local authority, knowing many fun places to play.