My Own Worst Enemy

[Saz]

Dragon, Altair

A low snort and the dulled sound of hooves racing through the sand announced another sparring session had begun between Altair and his grand-nephew. A low stallion bellow erupted from the grey stallion as he lunged at the younger colt. Dragon dodged the attack and retaliated by bumping his muzzle against the elder stallion's shoulder, signalling a point to him. The back and forth continued for a while until Altair reached ten points to Dragon's meager 4. The two year old was getting better at fighting however, with Ranger's friesian blood bulking up his build but his mother's natural slighter build gave him the speed and agility a pure friesian wouldn't have. He was capable of dealing harder hits than his grand-uncle too, though slower he could almost match the experienced stallion. And soon he would be able to defeat Altair in a sparring session, then he would be ready to fight for his family and defend them in battle.

~*~*~

Ranger, Eden, Azazel

Eden squawked in outrage as Azazel tackled her into the sand, the rambunctious colt had been adopted by Ela, and got on well with the slightly older filly. "Gerroff me!" She squealed, nipping at his mane and neck as he lay on top of her. "Nah, I'm alright thanks." He grinned, resting his head on her neck so she couldn't move properly. "Daaaaaaad!" The slender arab cross whined as she spotted her father moving toward them through the desert. "Azazel, get off of your sister, she won't be able to breathe otherwise." The stallion admonished the dark colt before nipping at his forelock. "No pouting, why don't you two go find Ren? See whether she wants to play tag." He suggested, nudging his daughter softly as she got to her hooves and shook off the sand before bolting after Azazel as they spotted the bay yearling in the distance.

Ranger tossed his head, flicking his long, wild forelock from his green gaze as he continued along at a slow saunter through the desert. He moved swiftly up to the summit of a nearby dune to look over his herd. He watched keenly as Altair and Dragon sparred, the elder stallion was teaching his son good skills, some that would most likely save his life in the upcoming battle. The kingly stallion had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't live through the war. But he was determined to be the one that dealt the killing blow to the monster that called himself Hunter.

~*~*~

Scarlett, Zephyr, Mercy, Ranger

The slender filly steadily followed her mother and elder brother into the hot summer sun. Scarlett whickered softly to her offspring, gently brushing her muzzle over the filly's back before turning to Zephyr. "Are you sure you want to leave?" She asked quietly, watching the elegant yearling with a saddened gaze. "Yeah, Mum. I want to go see Kiss, and then maybe see dad... I'll come back though." He assured the friesian mare with a soft smile. Scarlett shook her head, "No. You will not come back here. Zephyr, listen to me. Ranger may put myself and his own herd in danger, but you will not be a part of this. I want you to go and find your own herd, stay with Kiss for a while if possible. And go see Tanza. But do not come back here, I will come and find you once this is over." The dark mare sighed, a tear welling up in her sweet eyes as she nuzzled the colt lovingly.

"Be safe my son." She whickered. Zeph nodded, bowing his head slightly and giving his sister a gentle nudge before darting off across the desert and out of sight. She then raised her head, spotting the familiar figure of Ranger upon a nearby dune, she flattened her ears and shot him a fierce glare before retreating to the oasis. Ranger followed, a low sigh shaking his kingly figure. "Scar, wait!" He called, loping after his sister. She turned, snapping at him with a deadly glare, his stride faltered and he skittered to a halt. "Leave here. Go find haven with her father. He will keep you safe." He whinnied, lowering his head, an apologetic look in his green eyes. Scarlett's expression softened momentarily and she sighed, moving forward and gently nuzzling his shoulder. "Be safe my brother. I will return to aid you in battle." She snorted before moving off at a jog. She halted, a thought occuring to her and turned back to the magnificent stallion. "Oh, and tell Lilian not to worry about them. I'll sort it out." She snorted, tossing her wild mane in a defiant manner before continuing out of the territory.

[dustedglory]

Orchid stood staring at Cochise, afraid to leave and afraid to speak. The scrawny stallion was and had been obviously hurt by her disappearance and she could not even begin to explain why she had left the one that meant the world to her. She could only offer one word to him. Chase. His overbearing, sarcastic, and tempermental foal that she bore while away from him. How could two parents such as themselves have made such a rude and uncalled for son? But that didn't matter really. No, he was still here and he would meet his son, Chase. She still remained rooted to the grou vision of bay and white hair against the desert sand.

Chase stood, watching the other foals play. His chestnut and white hide did not give evidence that this stocky stallion was a pure mutt in breeding, only that he had sparse feathering and a spotted coat of brown and white. His eyes were mismatched in color, one blue and one brown, giving him a slightly odd expression at all times. No one wanted to play and mother was just standing there, gawking at that scrawny loser. He pawed the ground with his left front hoof, snorting and shaking his head as the sand flew. He was not sure why everything here seemed dramatic to him, but he was sure that he was surrounded by boring horses that wouldn't play with him at all and they had been rude to him lately. So Chase just stood, staring at Orchid.

[lily]

A flea bitten mare walked slowly along side with another. Both had fledgeling forms at their side, minature forms of themselves tagging along beside them in idle states. They walked in silence, for they had just spent a good few hours in constant conversation with each other. They had weighed up the good and the bad. Then had come to a conclusion. Argor was not to know of his mother. He was to believe that Kasim was his rightul dam. It had taken all of Lilian's strength to have come to such a desision, and now the prospect of it happening was lingering in the air. 

Kasim was to leave the herd forever. However long it took for the obsidean colt to forget. For the memory of his natrual mother to disappear. Vanish completly. Yet another son lost. It was for his own protection, she would send him away to save him from the wrath of Hunter. She couldn't even begin to imagine what he would do to her little Argor if Hunter found him. Lilian's head hung low, as they reached the peak of the last dune of the desert. Any further North, then the sands began to run dry and the woodlands began.

Kasim halted and Lilian's heart began to thud violently. She didn't want to do this, she would protect him day and night, she would never let him leave her side. Her eyes clentched together as warm tears began to form beneath her lids. She swallowed as she opened them with a start, and gave a bright smile to Argor who was looking up to her with a frown on his brow. Kasim watched from afar, turning her attention to Aragon, in order to give them a few last moments together.

Lilian arched her neck to met Argor's velvetian muzzle, she pulled him close to her for some time, inhaling his scent. When she released him, he wore the expression of a child who had done wrong. He tilted his head "Have I done something?" he asked her innocently. Lilian smiled at him, her eyes glossy "No dear, of course not. Why would you suspect such a thing?" she questioned him. His tiny brow creased "Well, your sad." he said defiantly. Lilian sighed "I am. But it is not because of the situation." she explained. The midnight colt cocked his head to the othe side "What a sticky-waction?" he asked. Lilian laughed at him "Something you will learn when you are very much older." she said, her voice trailing off.

They stood in silence for some moments. Argor looked up "I am going with them arn't I?" he said suddenly. Lilian looked at him searchingly, she could not deny the tears any longer, gratefully they started to bound down her cheeks and pound the sand beneath her. "Now you listen to me. I will always love you Argor, no matter what. Remember that, even if you do not remember anything else, I will always be here." she pushed her muzzle to his chest. Kasims looked up at her friend, they needed to leave now in order to reach safety before nightfall.

Lilian gazed at her son longingly "You need to go with your mother now." she said clearly to him. "Bu..." he began to inturrupt. The Arabian snorted sharply at him "You need to go with your mother...now." she said bluntly. The colt began to get confused, his own little eyes were swimming with tears. "But, I want to stay with you." he said with a cheerful smile, his bottom half waggling as he tried to get near to her.

Lilian closed her eyes tightly, her heart was ripping from her chest all she wanted to do was to take him and hold him. Never letting go. She pulled away from him. She could not allow herself to be so selfish, she was doing this for Argor, for him. She turned to him "But I don't want you." she said, her eyes cloaked in a callous coldness. There was a sharp whistling of wind, sand was whipped from the dunes and was sent in spirals around the horses. Argor's muzzle began to tremmble the tears gushing down his inked cheeks "Your lying!" he yelled to her, still trying to snuggle into his mother's coat, ignoring Kasim's helpless calls.

Lilian's own cheeks were drenched with free-falling tears. She reared up, shrieking a warning. "I do not ever want to see you again. You are no child of mine. As the lead mare of these herds, I order you to leave and never to return." she screeched at him. Argor bolted backwards almost tripping over his own hooves, as he rushed in outright fear to Kasim's side. Lilian landed with a great thud, her mane and tail pulled out behind her. Kasim gave her one last glance, her eyes saying more then any words, before ushering away the two colts. She held her head high, her eyes not leaving the trio of horses that were now cantering wildly away from her. She watched over them until they were merely pinpricks on the horizon. And then. Nothing. They were gone. Lost forever.

Lilian now was embarking on the next stage of her protecion plan for Argor. She needed to tell Ranger. Tell him so, he never thought that Argor was to return. There was only one way to do that, she must lie. In order to protect the one she loved, she must lie so tragically to the other. It was if he never existed. She and Kasim had planned the whole story together. Lilian would tell Ranger that there had been a wild ambush of ranchers. They had been herding cattle from the West and in the chaos of the herd, Argor had been trampled to death. Kasim captured and her son taken from her. There were no lose ends, no witnesses. A fool proof lie.

Lilian reached the dune where she could see the form of the one she loved. The one she was to lie to. She looked the part. A sweat strickened pelt, sand sticking to her and tears still dropping from her eyes. She shook her chizled head, she was about to not only lie to Ranger, but everybody. She would have to accept the fake mourning without reveling herself. She exhaled deeply, before putting on her mask of betrayal.

The mare loped wildly down the dune, sand spraying behind her, "Ranger!" she yelled, as she plummeted down towards him. "Ranger!" she shrieked again, tears running wildly down her face. She found his face, her eyes were frantic with emotion- it was not faked. "Argor." she sobbed, her pistons trembling. "he is gone." she shook her head from side to side pacing around madly. "he is gone forever. My baby." she said, her voice cracking.                        

[Swede]

Cochise had difficulty completing any sort of rational thoughts. The awkward little stallion was certain now that she was no mirage; no, she truly stood there before him, his goddess, his Orchid. 'His', such a foolish word. If anything, he was a leech on her existence, undeserving of her presence but unable to simply let go. She was beautiful, she was majestic, she was compassionate like no other. Cochise couldn't blame her for leaving; she had deserved so much better. What he could not understand was why she had chosen to return in the end. Or perhaps this was not the end, and she would leave again? Slowly, he gathered his senses enough to muster some sort of speech. "Orchid... I-I'm s-sorry," he mumbled, taking a dazed step towards her before halting miserably once more.


Ela was not a mare of great size, or great courage; perhaps she was intelligent, but she was far too shy and permanently zoned out to really use it. However, if Ela had one thing in abundance, it was patience. Few mares were able to manage raising two foals at once; perhaps Ela didn't necessarily manage it, but she happily dealt with it, without becoming frustrated or bored of the task. The delicately boned mare nibbled at the wind-beaten desert grasses that grew in the shadows of the less mobile dunes. One absent-minded ear remained flicked in the direction of the two foals who played together, but the remainder of her questionable focus was devoted to grazing enough in this sparse environment to feed both herself and her pair of youngsters. Understandably, the mare was a little ribby, but she didn't mind. She was vaguely aware that one of the foals hadn't come from her exactly, but she couldn't remember which, and as far as Ela was concerned, both of them were hers.


Ren was a rather lonely filly at times. Her father was more often than not busy with whatever was going on... she never really understood it, but it didn't particularly bother her either. Whatever worried this herd, it had been there during her entire life, and since it wasn't out of the ordinary, she didn't really find anything to complain about. Sometimes she had tried to bug Cochise into keeping her company, but he was afraid of everything and became really boring... her mother wasn't very fun either. On the best of days, Ela was quiet and didn't have much to say or do. And after her siblings had been born, her mother was always busy with them. The bay yearling shuffled around in the desert, entertaining herself with lines and furrows in the sand. Lifting her head, Ren spotted Azazel and Eden making a beeline towards her. Before she hadn't been allowed to play with them much- they were little and fragile. Perhaps now...?

Indra stood near the edge of the oasis, silent and observant as always; but if someone else were to be just as observant as she, then perhaps they might notice an unusual glow about the young mare, and a smile constantly threatening to break out from beneath her generally tranquil expression. Her eyes strayed towards the pair of stallions who sparred in the distance, and then glanced down towards her hooves. She feared she might even start giggling if she looked for too long. But as she drifted into thought, a somber touch settled over her mood once more. How long would her newfound happiness last? She wasn't sure where this herd was going, but it was nowhere good. Even now, she could see Lilian rushing to Ranger's side, horribly upset- Indra immediately saw why. More loss... it was a miracle this herd hadn't been wittled down to nothing yet. Shivering slightly, the mare took a step back, wanting to retreat into the shadows of the oasis. She didn't want any more loss. She hadn't spoken to any of the others about it, and it wasn't yet visible to the average eye- certainly Altair could guess, but she had not yet given him confirmation of it. Still, though it remained unseen and secret for now, Indra could sense it, something tiny and precious developing within. And with each passing day, she become more afraid of the future. She had watched them all, Ranger and Ela and Lilian and the others, as they lost friends and children and beloved mares. She did not want to lose this, this which was not even born and yet which she loved so dearly. And she did not want to lose Altair... gods above, she did not want to lose him. Their conversations were generally brief, as her voice failed her more often than not, but he made her feel alive like none other. Now that she finally had found something worthwhile in life, the idea of it possibly vanishing was a threat she didn't even want to think about.

Sighing, she carefully stepped forward, making a rare excursion away from the oasis and into the open sands. Her hooves guided her towards Ela, and eventually she came to stand beside her. Ela lifted her head in foggy surprise. "Oh. Hello," the grey mare said blankly. Indra nodded slowly. "Hello..." she mumbled. Ela had nothing further to say, and neither did Indra. Without waiting much longer, they both began to nibble on the few blades of grass to be found. It wasn't much, but in the case of Indra, it was a monumental step. It didn't matter if the others noticed her and Altair spending time together or not; it didn't matter if they didn't take particular notice of her ventures into a semi-social setting. For her, personally, these little steps were a way into a more sustainable future. Perhaps, if she lived as normal a life as possible, things would stay normal, and the war would never come. Indra was a logical mare most of the time- but now, she could understand why Ela hid in her private fantasy world, ignoring the turmoil around her. It was comforting.

[Saz]

Ranger

Her cry pierced the calm atmosphere, he spun on the spot, green orbs searching wildly for the goddess that had captured his heart. He didn't get to speak a word before her news hit him. His heart beat wildly in his chest, pounding against his ribs as though they were bars keeping it inside. His mind cried out in horror. His son. His dearest son. Gone. He stood there, frozen to the spot. His eyes glazed with shock and grief. His eyes flickered and he suddenly reared up screaming out, enraged at the sky.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He shrieked, landing. "nononononononono. No. Please. God. No. Please please please. No, not him. Not Argor." He cried, his tough exterior folding, crumbling beneath him. Hopelessness and grief filled every inch of his body, his sides shuddered with each breath. "No. Please. Tell me it's not... Oh god." He cried, tears welling up in his eyes as he was brought down by this solemn news. He knew Lilian had gone on a walk with Argor, Kasim and Aragon. And since they had not appeared either he assumed the worst.

Finally falling silent, his pain too huge for words to even begin describing, the stallion stared hopelessly at Lilian. "I'm so sorry." He rasped, before spinning on his heels and darting out of the territory. He had to do something. Anything. Anything to take his mind off of the loss of two sons and a mare.

-~-~-~-

Dragon

The two stallions collided once more, blunt teeth nipping at necks and shoulders and heavy hooves crashing against hide and ground. They broke apart smoothly, circling until the younger stallion darted forward, striking the grey's shoulder with his own, pure force of muscle and determination pushed the arabian off balance and caused him to grasp the obsidian colt to pull himself upright. Dragon took the opportunity to strike once more, yanking his muzzle back and bumping it firmly against the grey's throat. The battle halted and they drew away from each other, panting sharply. The autumn sun beating down upon their coats. "Break?" Panted Dragon, getting a nod from Altair, they both turned toward the oasis.

The two-year old colt had just drunk his fill when Ranger's grief-ridden cry rang out, he spun to watch his father fall apart and Dragon's heart ached. Snorting quietly, he moved forward and nickered quietly to Lilian, he liked her. She was friendly, but also a goddess of war. No one would cross her and the whole herd knew that. "Lilian, what happened?" He asked quietly, standing solidly next to the mare, his muzzle reaching out and gently touching her neck.

-~-~-~-

Altair

The grey arabian nodded to his grandnephew and moved into the shallow oasis to roll. Once his pelt was covered in cool water, the magnificent stallion swiftly searched the dunes for his beloved and his questing gaze found her safe next to his niece. A low rumble rippled from his muzzle and he strode toward her, gently nuzzling her neck and side before whickering a quiet greeting to Ela. Ranger's greif stricken shriek pierced the calm atmosphere in a violent manner, Altair turned and placed himself protectively in front of both mares before pausing and sighing deeply as the huge stallion disappeared out of sight.

He sighed deeply, before turning and touching his muzzle against Indra's neck in an affectionate manner. "Are you well?" He murmured quietly to the brindle mare. She was unusually sociable today, seeking out Ela's company instead of lingering in the shadows of the oasis. She was also holding herself differently, a bright glow about her that he had only seen in those carrying foal. The great stallion hummed quietly before gently linking his neck over hers and closing his eyes in contentment.

-~-~-~-

Azazel & Eden

The two dark foals raced directly toward Ren, Azazel the heavier set of the two lagging behind slightly as Eden's lighter frame enabled her to race off ahead. "Ren! Ren! Dad suggested we play tag! Azazel's it!" Eden cried, grinning broadly at the colt as he pulled up. "No fair! Why do I have to be it?!" He whined, before the younger filly shut him up by head butting him. "Oh shush, whiny-pants, Now c'mon. You have to let us have a 5 second headstart before you come after us!" She told him smartly, before turning and bolting off across the sand as the colt began to count loudly. "One. Two. Three. Four. Five!" He yelled, before bounding forward after Eden before making a detour and racing toward Ren who was nearest.

-~-~-~-

Tank, Dragon

The grey stallion inhaled the dusty desert air deeply, before letting it go once more. He had taken to meditating in the middle of the small forest that surrounding the oasis. A grief filled cry broke his calm thoughts and immediately he lurched forward, heart pounding wildly, thoughts in turmoil once more. Breathing hard, the grey stallion picked up his hooves, treading upon the soft ground uncertainly before deciding to go and find out what was going on. Tank moved into a swift lope, weaving through the trees and then splashing through the oasis. He paused once on dry land once more, his gaze locating a very distraught Lilian. His rage flared and he lunged forward, chasing Dragon away with bared teeth. He circled Lilian, checking for injuries before settling down at her side and glowering at the two-year old.

Dragon stumbled back, ears flattening in an instant but he refrained from striking the lethal grey stallion. Instead he remained stoic and glaring at Tank. "What happened?" Tank's hoarse and rarely heard voice rippled from his maw, directed at Lilian. Dragon took a step forward, and Tank, still not convinced that Dragon wasn't the cause, let out a low warning. The part friesian colt ignored him and gazed at Lilian.

"What happened to Argor, Kasim and Aragon?" He asked softly, his ears moving upward slightly and his warm gaze focused solely upon the arabian queen. Tank grumbled silently as the youngster ignored his warning, it was then when his question hit his ears that he glanced at Lilian's side. Oh. Where was that colt? Ranger's son? What had happened? He tossed his tail in an agitated manner and lowered his head slightly, of course. That would be why she's upset. Stupid, stupid Tank. Why would Dragon be the source of her grief? The goddess could smite him down with two hooves tied and blindfolded.

[Swede]

Indra lifted her head as Altair approached her, apparently done sparring with Dragon for the time being. "We are just fine," she said in her soft, hoarse voice with a tiny cryptic smile. But then she sighed in a deep exhale, leaning against the grey stallion as he drew her close. "A shadow follows this herd, Altair... this is a gathering place for misfortune," she whispered sadly. There had been so much death and tragedy in the time she had lived here; far more than could really just be called coincidental. If her mother could harbor multiple souls in her body, then was it really so impossible to believe that a herd could be cursed? "I am not afraid, not for myself at least... but it does not seem safe here... perhaps I am being foolish."

Ren blinked in bewilderment, almost having difficulty keeping up with the rapid-fire speech of the two foals, particularly when they began squabbling about some detail or another. Azazel had already managed to count to three before she realized she ought to run. The filly wheeled around, almost slipping in the loose sand in her haste to get away. "You'll never catch me!" she taunted over her shoulder. Winter had set in, but though the nights were bitterly cold and made her hooves feel like solid blocks of ice, the days were fairly mild and there wasn't any snow on the ground. The sun was bleak, but it warmed the desert enough to keep it from becoming a frozen wasteland; instead, it was just a regular wasteland. But it was her home, and all she knew.

[lily]

Lilian whickered a lowly response to Dragon, her mind was still blinded by the grief she now felt having lied so deeply to one of her most loved. Her body trembled slightly at the colt’s touch, and her breathing slowed. Why had she not just told the truth? The truth would have killed him, a faint voice in the back of her mind spoke. It was true. To Lilian’s knowledge Ranger had no awareness of her other son’s existence, nor to whom it was sired to. God forbid he ever found out. She would be outcast. She had been treating this as if it was her first born, her first ever experience of motherhood. The reality was she was too selfish for motherhood. Oh yes, she loved her sons. She loved them so dearly. Oasis and Argor.


That time Oasis had come to the desert it had taken her by surprise. She tried not to make a fuss, and carry on as if she didn’t recognise the colt. Oh, but she did. Those azure eyes could not be mistaken for anyone’s but her own kin’s. He had seemed so happy. So alive and joyful. He had survived the turmoil of abandonment, and here he was standing strong and proud. She couldn’t break up a family like that- not to her own son. Pearl had done such a wonderful job in raising him, it made her stomach drop. She could never had been such a great mother. She hadn’t been. Always, too busy with herself. The next war, the next fight. She had been so self- absorbed, so eager to gain more power she had lost all meaning of cohesion. Now, it had all just ended in total agony.


The voice of her harmonizing heart rung clear in her cognizance. Tank. He had come for her. There was a shrill whistle of air. It was justice day. There was no way she could lie to Tank. It went against nature. No matter good, or bad she had always been able to confined the truth to him. “Oh Tank.” She whispered, pulling away from Dragon’s caring grasp and fall into Tank’s sea of ivory tresses. She pulled gently at the stallion’s ears, as if she were a mere foal. It was a habit she always has when she was distressed. Tank could always calm her. “I’ve made such a mistake” she cried feebly, before her maw shut tight. Dragon was still in ear shot; she gave him a hasty glance and was met with a blank canvas. Maybe he hadn’t heard? Either way, no more of the truth could be discussed here. She went over the Dragon and nuzzled affectionately at his poll. “I may not be your mother, but you know I will always care for you dear one. You are Ranger’s son, and therefore you fall under my protection. I thank you for your generous kindness today, young one.” She said shortly, nudging at his muzzle and then turning her back on him. If only she could show such compassion towards her own offspring.
She walked slowly back to Tank, her head hanging low and her eyes blood-shot from helpless tears. Her fire had been quenched in an ocean of remorse. She had no fight left in her. Yet, she had too. With Ranger’s sudden upheaval she was now solely in charge of the herd.


She snorted to Tank and lay her head against his shoulder. “I must speak with you.” She said quickly, her head scanning the area, looking for any praying ears. Her senses assuring her of nobody’s presence, her gaze fell to her most trusted “Tank, I’ve made such a mess of things…” she began.

[Saz]

The three year old nodded, gently nuzzling the beautiful arabian back before turning away and going to join his mother where she grazed. He approached the rose grey arabian slowly, stopping here and there to graze on the sparse desert grass. He whickered to her softly, pulling up next to her and nuzzling her shoulder lovingly. "Are you okay mom?" He asked softly, glancing over her at his grand-uncle and Indra. It was obvious the two horses were together, he just hoped that the brindle mare wouldn't end up hurt by their relationship. Sighing inwardly, the young stallion cast a glance across the barren land, catching sight of his younger siblings playing tag not too far from the oasis. It was good that someone was keeping them out of trouble.

Altair smiled proudly at Indra and nuzzled her neck lovingly, before sighing quietly, "I know, my love. I know. I would take you away from here in a heartbeat if I could. But Ela and the others are here. And I couldn't leave you to raise our son or daughter on your own. But I promise you this, Indra, our sons and daughters will be safe. And I will not let them or you get involved in this... infernal war." He snorted, shaking his head and sighing softly.

Azazel snorted defiantly and charged after his sister, his long legs eating up the ground and eventually he cut her off, skidding to a halt in a cloud of sand. He firmly bumped her with his muzzle before taking off, tail streaming behind him like a banner. He glanced behind him to see where Ren was and promptly slammed into Eden, the two yearlings tumbled over in a storm of sand, long legs and uncoordinated bodies. "OW! AZAZEL! GET OFFA ME YOU GREAT BIG LUMP!" The part arab filly yelled indignantly from her position beneath the larger, heavier built colt. The grey colt grinned and nipped her ears, "Nope. I quite like it here." He grinned, nipping at her mane.

The badly scarred stallion accepted Lilian without a second glance or question, his muzzle moved down her neck in smooth, calming notions. He sighed quietly, gently nuzzling her crest as she pulled at his ears. "What is it Lilian?" He asked her quietly, his voice rough and hoarse from lack of use. The part arab stared at the obsidian mare, he couldn't remember the last time he had seen her like this. His throat tightened and a crease formed between his eyebrows as he watched her. "Oh, shh, shh. It's okay. It'll be okay." He whickered softly, linking his neck over hers and pulling her close. Part of him was elated at the closeness to her, but he knew she couldn't be his. She could never be his. She was Ranger's, and even through the pain and suffering Melody had caused him. And in retaliation he had caused her, the stallion was still, in some twisted way, in love with the beautiful chestnut mare.

[Swede]

Ren ran best as she could, but Azazel was a quick little bugger and soon managed to tag her. She slipped and slid to a semi-halt, before wheeling around and kicking off after the young colt. However, when he smacked into Eden, the bay filly stopped again, watching them in bemusement. "You guys.... you're going to get in trouble..." Looking up, however, Ren realized that was not the case. Ela never really did much in way of discipline, and their father had vanished off somewhere. There weren't really any adults in the near vicinity at all... unless that weird old Cormorant was lurking around behind the nearest dune, but she hadn't seen him in a while. Maybe he had wandered off. Huh... a lot of horses wandered off in this herd, and then wandered back and wandered off again. It almost made her dizzy, trying to keep track of it all. Shaking her head, she took a step forward and shoved Azazel with her muzzle. "Be careful... wouldn't want to squash her with your big old butt," she snorted.


Ela raised her head slowly, turning to look at the young stallion in vague surprise. He was tall and dark, with a muscular build, and though not as weathered and world-weary as one would expect of an older adult, she hardly recognized him. Had she not been quietly training her mind to accept the new and changing image of the one called Dragon, she would not have known who the one who called her 'mom' was at all. "Where did you go..." she murmured, scrutinizing his face wistfully. Where had her little colt gone? After a moment, however, she shook herself out of the creeping mist of reverie, and looked at the young stallion with a clearer gaze. "I am fine. See? The sun is shining..."


Indra sighed, but nodded nonetheless. She understood his predicament. In any case, the static electricity of a growing storm had been hanging over the desert for a long time now, without breaking out. Perhaps it would continue to darkly dwell without striking; and she was certain that she could defend a newborn from a shadow. It had not dragged her own spirit down, and she would not let it shackle her child either. Her voice was hoarse and tired, and though she occasionally had good days where her whispering tone was still clear and audible, today was not such a day. Still, she attempted a few more words, deeming them worth the effort to say. "I am involved, so long as you are... I'm sure you must continue to prepare- to be sure you're ready- so that our sons and daughters may have a father even after the war." She nudged his cheek and then turned away from the grey stallion, quietly making her way towards her preferred sanctuary in the oasis. Sometimes, she wondered why she had allowed herself to fall for Altair, let herself be vulnerable to him. He was so much older... the age difference itself did not bother her, as she had never felt young even when she was a foal, and she enjoyed the company of someone who was old enough to appreciate her own ancient soul. But even if this war did not claim his life, sooner or later he would leave this world by natural causes, and he would do so much earlier than she would. She had never lost someone close to her; would she be able to handle it?

But now was not the time for thoughts of death, but of life. Indra might have enjoyed a little more time in Altair's company, but silent contractions had begun wracking her body during their conversation; and though she loved him, she wanted to be alone now. She doubted he would suspect anything was amiss; she was often alone, and her behavior was not out of the ordinary. It was better not to trouble him when he had so much else to think about. However, though Indra was wise beyond her years, some things can only be learned through experience, and she was a maiden mare. As the contractions increased in frequency severity, she very nearly panicked, not at all certain that she could do this. Her inability to control the stabbing in her belly made her nervous, and eventually she retreated into the most dense of thickets, hidden and afraid.

Of course, nature guided her actions, and like so many before her, she eventually lay on the ground, utterly exhausted, but free of the prior struggle. For several minutes, Indra simply rested quietly, attempting to catch her breath. Soon she heard something shuffling about and rustling the leaves and grass, and then a tiny, high-pitched squeak. Heaving herself up on her knees, she swung her head around to nuzzle the tiny copper-colored creature.

[lily]

She held him close for a long time, her tears gradually slowing to a stop. She lingered near the ivory coloured stallion’s muzzle for a moment, inhaling his scent deeply and basking in his overly familiar aroma. Could she really divulge her secret to Tank? She had never kept anything from him before and so she should not begin now. Lilian gave a soft sigh, her gaze wandering on the darkening skyline. “I told Ranger our son was dead. I told him Kasim was dead. I told him Aragon was dead. His two sons- and a mare. I lied, Tank. I lied to him.” She shook her head, a shiver passing through her body and bringing her to her senses once more.


A wind hissed through the sand dunes, whipping up a storm of billon crystals. The raven mare winced as the miniature stones attempted to weasel their way under her eyelids. Her head lowered as she waited for the storm to pass, she didn’t dare look to Tank yet. She wouldn’t be surprised if he just turned and left her. Went and told Ranger of her lies, she deserved no better. She was a devious fraud, who had betrayed to her supposed most loved. Finally, her neck unwound from its tense position and her eyes looked up to Tank from underneath her brow. “Do you think ill of me?” she questioned him meekly.

[Saz]

The ivory stud linked his neck over Lilian's and drew her close, slamming his own eyes shut as wind roared through the dunes, stirring up sand and bringing it to pelt them viciously. He thought over her words and sighed quietly, straining to keep the sand out of his lungs as they were attacked by the minute particulates that seemed so intent on getting into places they shouldn't be. As the winds died down once more she pulled away and faced him, her cerulean orbs gazing into his green and gold flecked ones. He was silent for a few moments longer before responding, only as a friend and confidant could.

"I can never think ill of you, Lilian. Not when you were banished, not when you and Melody fought like cats and dogs. Not when you lied to protect those you loved. Of course, I have disapproved of your actions, but never of you. Never of the mare I know and adore because of her fighting spirit, her intelligence, her passion and her loyalty. I understand why you did it. I truly do. They were at a very high risk. And I know you, Lilian. You don't do it out of selfishness to protect yourself, you do it out of loyalty, undying love and adoration for them. Do not mix them up. And during this battle you need to think of your head, not your heart as you would have done if Hunter had found them." He paused, clearing his hoarse, growling throat. His voice would never be as it was, melodious and a deep baritone. No, it was stuck as a hoarse growl. Much like a bear, or wolf who's fighting spirit he seemed to possess.

The ivory stallion continued, removing her gaze from hers and instead staring out over the vast, golden land. "Part of me just wishes we were as we were when we were young, carefree. Not having to kill to survive." His eyes hardened and he sighed deeply, lowering his head. "But this is how we live. Once we are free of this curse, we shall find them, they will understand, Kasim will make sure of that." He nickered softly, stepping closer to the ebony mare once more and nuzzling her softly.

They were interrupted by a low call that announced Ranger had returned, and not too soon either. With horizon growing ever darker with an oncoming storm, the dark stallion had decided that it was time to come back to his herd. He slowly moved toward Lilian and Tank, the grey stallion dipped his head in a silent greeting to the lead stallion and then backed away a few steps and darted away from the beautiful obsidian arabian to patrol the boundaries.

~*~*~

"Lilian, my love..." His voice was hoarse as he laid his eyes upon her once more. Tears welled up in his green eyes but he fought them back, clearing his throat roughly and managing to continue. "I..." He paused, sighing deeply and then moving swiftly forward and embracing her tightly. "I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry I wasn't there to protect them. To stop it from happening. I..." He trailed off once more and swallowed roughly before continuing. "You have no idea how sorry I am for letting that happen to you, to have them stolen from you like that." He uttered the words with a tinge of grief before turning away and staring out across the desolate landscape.

His green eyes staring not at the incoming clouds, not at his remaining herd, not at his land. They were staring into the past, remembering the moment his son had been born to the world, the instances where they had played, interacted and those moments that had brought such immense joy to his heart. And then to the moment when Lilian told him. He shook his head, blinking away tears and heaving a deep sigh. What was the point anymore? Fighting against an unseen force that seemed to drag the carpet from beneath his hooves every time he felt as though things were going well.

~*~*~

The colt rolled off of his sister and immediately bounced upright, instead launching himself at Ren, ears flattened in what he thought to be a menacing manner. He whinnied as he attacked the elder filly, rearing up and hooking his left foreleg over her withers and pushing against her, attempting to knock her off balance. "Rawr!" He growled, tugging at her mane with his teeth, before he was knocked to the ground by Eden. "Gotcha!" She yelled, pinning him to the sandy desert floor and nipping at his ears and neck as she lay across him. "Ooft!" He grunted as he hit the golden sand, he panted for breath before writhing beneath his sister and managing to free himself. At that moment a low whinny rang out across the land and the two yearlings straightened up immediately, turning their attention to a dark heavy set figure that was talking to the distant figure of Lilian.

"Dad's back!" Eden crowed delightedly, bolting toward the distant figure of the black stallion, Azazel taking flight just behind her. He paused for a moment before glancing over his shoulder, "Come on Ren, slowpoke!" He called, grinning cheekily at his older sister. The two yearlings skittered to a stop not far from their dad and squealed in joyous harmony. Ranger glance up and a smile lit up his face, shaking away his depressing thoughts he nickered back to his offspring and moved toward them, smiling down at them. He nuzzled his son and daughter lovingly before turning to Ren who was growing into a lovely young mare. He nuzzled her in greeting and then whinnied a hello to Ela, Altair and Dragon who were lingering a small distance away.

Dragon chuckled softly and nuzzled his mother, "I'm still here, Mum. Just, older, I guess." He shrugged and then glanced up at the slowly darkening sky. "For a bit, it seems." He then gently nibbled the ends of her mane before glancing up as Ranger reappeared. The young stallion's ears pricked slightly and he nickered back before glancing over at Altair and to the disappearing figure of Tank. "I'll go and keep Tank company. Patrol the border for a bit." He snorted, swishing his tail before turning and loping away to catch up with the arabian cross.

~*~*~

The grey arabian nodded and took a step closer to his niece, Indra had disappeared, usually he would go and find her, but she had done quite a bit of socializing recently so he didn't want to pressure her into anything. He nodded to Ranger as the friesian came closer and gently touched his nose to Ela's neck. He sighed deeply and turned away, moving away from the family and finding solace in the oasis. The grey arabian dropped to his knees in the shallows of the clear water and let himself relax, it was nice to just be in the peace and quiet of the desert. He rolled onto his side in the clear waters and stretched luxuriously, his knees clicking as he did. The elder stallion yawned and sighed once more, he was beginning to feel his age. He was 16 this year, and his limbs were beginning to stiffen when the weather was cold. Fortunately living in the desert that was hot for most of the year helped the stiffness. A low snort rippled from the dappled grey stallion and he lifted his head, searching the surrounding area for any sign of his beloved Indra.

[lily]

They stood in silence, the whirling of sand creating a barrier and isolating them from the rest of the world for just a moment. Just a moment was all it took. When her eyes rested on Tank once more there was no more sorrow, just the sickly sweet expression she was forced to wear. His words were truth, yet she could not help but feel that sometimes she would do better on the side of evil. A laugh trilled from her lungs, and she nudged at the ivory stallion playfully attempting to defuse the tension from the situation. Her laughter soon fell short, and her head hung low for a second. “I am glad you have returned Tank, I fear that I would not survive without you. Whilst Ranger is my rock, you…well your…just something…else.” She admitted to him unobtrusively. The way he spoke of Argor, it was if he were his own son. A foal was the one thing she did not share with Tank, and her mind was set racing as the very thought entered her mind. Lilian focused on his words once more, and a soft sigh escaped her lips “We are creatures of the underworld, Tank, nothing will change that. Not all the love in the world”. Her head craned to his ear “Besides, love that is not shared with the truthful being… that is the evilest of loves there is”. She took many steps back, shocked at her own words, their time was interrupted with the call of Ranger’s return. Her expression immediately changed “I’m sorry Tank, I am” she spoke sincerely as she turned and trotted over to the titanic obsidian stallion as he came to meet them.


Her muzzle instinctively was outstretched to meet his, his sorrow filled lyrics echoing in her head. “Shhhh, hush Ranger. This is not your fault you must not blame yourself for any of this. Promise me that.” Lilian looked at her crumbling stallion with intense remorse, she had done nothing but add more pain to the burdens he already held. She nuzzled his neck and laid her cheek against his, calming and soothing his anxiety.


Lilian watched as Ranger succumbed to the depression that had slowly been eating away at him, it was time for her to take a more active approach, it was a time he needed her and she would be there. Regardless of her lies, and her turmoil of emotion, she would be there for the one she loved. “Ranger, my love. We need more stallions, more that will fight for our cause, or else….or else everything will be lost. Power and strength matter but it will come down to numbers. It is the numbers that matter. You know I will stand next to you to the death, and will not stop defending you until my last breath. You have tried for too long to keep this herd intact, to keep the foals and mares safe. The time has pass.” She hesitated, before continuing, her voice much sterner now hoping her sudden military action would pull Ranger out of his hopeless stance. “What are our numbers, Ranger? How many do we have?” She questioned, walking slowly in a circle around him. “The mares will need to be sent away, as will the foals, with an escort if possible. All those willing and suitable to fight will” she barked, tracing a hoof in the sand. “Ranger, I will love you until the end of time. But we must think with our heads and not hearts. Time is almost running out. In order to save those we love there must be sacrifice. It must be done now”.

[Swede]

All focus on thoughtless play was lost at the return of Ranger. "I am not a slowpoke!" Ren cried out indignantly, and immediately broke into a fleet-footed gallop to prove her point. She was perhaps not the quickest filly in the desert, but her combination of Arab and Friesian lent her a graceful gait which allowed her to float across the loose sands with ease. "Hello Dad," the bay filly said warmly, nudging his cheek in return to his greeting. Naturally, she loved her mother dearly, but while Ela was on her long mental journeys to the furthest reaches of existence, it was Ranger who remained Ren's source of inshakable stability. Despite the trials and tribulations of the herd, he was always a pillar of strength; even in the simplest of matters, as when the desert sun beat down mercilessly on the land, and yet he resisted its crushing power despite his massive frame and dark coat. Ren was glad that he was her father; surely she couldn't have asked for better.

Ela nodded slowly. "Of course you are... we all grow older, sooner or later." She reached forward and touched his muzzle lightly. "I am glad you are my son, Dragon," the grey mare murmured, in a moment of unusual awareness. As he announced his intention to roam the borders with Tank, she sighed an acknowledgement. "Just don't go too far... be back before dark," she answered, already turning away to continue foraging for lonely blades of desert grass as her image of her son flickered back into its old foal state. Ela flicked an ear in her uncle's direction as he came near, but otherwise made no acknowledgement of his presence; she had settled into a state of quiet contentment, which occurred rarely enough that she was reluctant to shake herself back into reality for any trivial reason.

The filly was quite lively, even though her mother did not feel the same way; what an odd thought, to be a mother. It had not been an easy task thus far, and though the physical pains had passed, Indra sensed that there was still an arduous road ahead. It was a road which Solbrinn had avoided entirely, choosing to let her daughter raise herself or perish in the attempt. Indra would not shirk her responsibility. Few things in life are worthwhile if they do not require a struggle to achieve them; thus, Indra heaved herself to her tired hooves, devoting her attention to cleaning and drying the newborn. The desert air was bone dry and baking hot, and aided her greatly in the process, but the filly would certainly need the warmth of an adult when night fell and the temperature plunged. With a muffled squeak and a few slips and slides, the chestnut newborn soon stood on flimsy legs, instinctively snuggling up tight beside her mother. Indra's parched throat demanded water after her energy-consuming ordeal, and thus the mare began to make her way through the dense growth of the oasis. It would be rather unfortunate if she collapsed of dehydration now when she was actually needed by someone.

[Saz]

Ranger

The black stallion let himself be drawn back to the present by his beloved Lilian. He listened to her silently, pressure weighing him down and seemingly anchoring his progress in the oncoming war. But what she said made sense. He nodded dejectedly, he didn't wish to battle, he didn't wish to but his family, his friends and even those that mattered not to him, in danger. But it had to be done. The dark stallion turned his gaze away from his beloved mare and to his offspring and then to his mares and then to his friends. "I know." He sighed softly, before turning his gaze back to Lilian once more, gaze fiercer now. "I know. We must fight. Hunter may take my life, but he shall not take theirs." He snorted fiercely, driving a hoof into the golden sand as though to show how serious he was. It was time to truly gather forces, it was time to call upon friends, acquaintances, locals and favors. He tossed his long forelock out of his eyes and gently touched his muzzle to Lilian's, "Will you and Tank go and search for more to add to our causes? I need to speak with Altair and Dragon, and then find someone to take in everyone until the war is over." He snorted, looking into her obsidian orbs with a fierce love.

Altair

The grey arabian pricked his ears at the sound of hooves, it took him a moment but then a joyous smile broke across his usually serious visage. It wasn't one, but two sets of hooves headed toward him. One he recognized as the soft, cautious steps of his beloved, and the other was unstable, stumbling but light. She had given birth. A powerful elation spread through him and he immediately rolled to his hooves, waiting for her to emerge from the trees and into the oasis. "Indra," He whickered, relief and elation coating each syllable. He waded through the water and greeted her joyously, nuzzling her sweaty, brindled pelt before looking down at the beauty they had made. He smiled so wide it felt strange to use all those unfamiliar muscles once more. He couldn't remember a time that he had been so happy. The older stallion felt like a youngster once more. "Hello little one." He nickered softly, nuzzling the chestnut filly with great care before nuzzling Indra once more. "What have you named her?" He asked softly.

[Swede]

(ooc: popping in out of turn with Indra, just want baby to be a baby for two posts before she ages...)

Indra exhaled slowly as Altair came into view, halting at the water's edge as he crossed the shallow pool. The newborn chestnut filly halted as well, hugged up tightly against her mother's side. She was wide-eyed but quite calm as the tall grey stranger came near and touched her. When the stallion turned his attention away from her, the filly flicked her tail for an indecisive moment, before toddling around in the other direction and settling down to nurse contentedly. Indra shifted a little uneasily, not yet accustomed to the sensation, but fixed her attention upon Altair once the initial discomfort faded away. "Indira," she murmured, resting her muzzle wearily against the stallion's neck. Then she pulled her head away, looking at Altair with stern concern. "We must keep her safe," she said in her usual hoarse whisper, "Ranger's war mustn't touch her." Indra glanced back at the blissfully oblivious filly, and heaved a sigh. She had never felt like this for another creature before; never felt like she would rather give her own life before letting any harm come to her daughter. But this was her child, her everything, and nothing would be allowed to come between the mother and her baby.

[lily]

The obsidian mare looked up at Ranger with almost a cold expression. This was war. And war was her calling, it was what she had been trained for since the day she had stepped foot into the world. Times like these allowed her to relish in the fact, she had a superior knowledge to those around her. It was these times, which she was able to unleash the beast within her that could cause everlasting pain. “You must become a warrior Ranger and put aside feelings or else we shall surely fall” she said with a barbed tongue. Her tone softened “Oh my love, I am not going to let you fall alone. If Hunter takes down you, I shall meet you in the afterlife shortly. We shall be together until the dusk of time” her muzzle trailed up his neck to his cheek. “Never forget that I love you my darling. Whatever happens, whatever you hear from others. I am telling you now; I shall love you for an eternity- forever” she breathed into his ear. Her mind flashing images of his two “lost” sons, then of Tank, Scarlett and then finally of Hunter. This battle would not be pretty, nor pleasant. It would be full of treachery and deceit. Lies would be formed and those that were once united would fight against each other. The blood would spill, mostly innocent. Then in the end….in the end the one who fought the hardest would survive. It was the biggest game of “survival of the fittest” and only those who had dedicated years of perseverance would live.

She nudged his cheek, and nuzzled him for a moment. They would more likely than not, only see each other a handful more times until the final war broke out. Those occasions would likely be filled of tension, anguish and anger. Horses tended to be on tender hooks nearing war. The times they would meet again would not be ones of love. “I have a friend not too far South of here, Alucard. He has a herd in the Nirvana Rainforest. He will be able to take care of those you wish to remain safe- the foals, and mares that are not fighting. He will be good to them Ranger, Hunter doesn’t even know of the existence of his terra” She gave a retired sigh, and nodded. “I shall take Tank and travel to the highest corners of the furthest forests to gather recruits”. A tight knot had formed in her throat, she looked at him one last time, nudging at his muzzle and inhaling his scent.

“Goodbye Mi amante”

She turned on her heels wheeling away in a cloud of dust, heading towards the dunes where Tank would surely be residing. A few metres away she spotted her ivory counter-partner, and she gave a welcoming whinny as she cantered over to the stallion. Her previous sadness of leaving her love vanished, and a wide grin was set on her face. “You ready to hit the road again? One more adventure before we get to slaughter those evil tyrants?”

[Saz]

Altair

He watched his beloved with a soft gaze before shifting it to the young filly nestled into her side. "Of course. The year after this spring the war shall come to it's climax, you will go with the rest of Ranger's mares, with Indira. I will die before I let this infernal battle touch either of you." He nickered softly, ghosting his muzzle down her neck and then letting it rest upon Indira's back as the filly nursed. "And if it is not safe with the rest of the herd, search for a stallion by the name of Elding, I have not met him personally, but he if he is nearly as kind as rumor makes him out to be, then you both shall be safe." He added, a sad smile drifting onto his maw. He would battle for the safety of not only his niece and her children, but also for the safety of his beloved and their daughter. A low whinny rang out and he turned and glanced over his shoulder at the distant shadow that was Ranger. "Come on, you'll need to hear what he has to say." He nickered softly to her, pressing his muzzle against her cheek before turning around and moving off at a slow walk in the direction of the small herd.

Ranger, Dragon, Eden, Azazel & Altair

The dark stallion watched her with soft eyes, he watched her change before him into a goddess of war, though still the mare he loved dearly, she was different, colder, stronger. He swallowed his grief and the depressing thoughts with some difficulty and lifted his head. Closing his eyes he inhaled her scent and a smile ghosted across his maw. They would have to leave, he knew this... but it broke his heart to even think about their absence. It was for the best however, and it would mean that they were safe. "I love you too Lilian. I shall visit Alucard in due time, I will need to work out the safest route for everyone. And then Dragon shall lead them when it is time." He watched her with a fierce passion and nudged her back, knowing in his heart, that his time would come during the battle. And this would be one of the last times he would see her with love and adoration in his eyes. He exhaled deeply once she had disappeared into the dunes and let out a whinny to Dragon and Altair, letting them know to meet with him as soon as possible.

He then turned away from the slowly settling cloud of dust and sand, and strode purposefully toward Ren, Ela, Eden and Azazel. "Ela, when the time comes, Dragon will take you and the others away to a safe place." He paused, looking to Eden and Azazel, "You two will leave with Ela and Dragon, and stay with them until word of peace arrives." He then turned his gaze to his eldest daughter, a small smile upon his face. "And Ren, it will be time for you to find your own place in the world soon, but I wish for you to stay safe, so I ask you to stay with your mother and the others, Perhaps when peace arrives you and Dragon can find your place together. Just... do not come looking for anyone, word will come once the battle is done." He moved toward her and rested his muzzle against her cheek. He then turned at a low snort and met the fiery gaze of his eldest son. He opened his mouth to speak but Dragon cut him off with a low snort, "If you think I will let you fight on your own, Dad, you are wrong. I will take the others, and get them settled, but I am fighting whether you like it or not." He snapped, eyes flaring dangerously, his temper rising as he fought to keep calm.

Ranger flattened his ears at Dragon's tone, "No. You will not. I will not have you in this danger. You don't understand what you are getting into. So you will stay with your mother and siblings until word finds you. Is that clear?" He growled back, arching his neck and advancing upon the young stallion. Dragon's hazel eyes narrowed, and he too arched his neck until it bumped his muscular chest. "You are blind, father. You don't see what you are doing. You are throwing away those who can fight, who can help you win! The only reason you let Altair, Lilian and the others fight is because they are their own horses, they will fight no matter what you tell them." He snorted fiercely, clenching his jaw before continuing. "I'm no longer a child, dad. I am my own horse. You may be able to tell Ren and the others where to go and what to do, but I will not bow to such ridiculous commands." He added, his tone softening a little as he watched his father.

"Dragon is right, Ranger. Listen to yourself, it is ignorant to think that he will not fight alongside you and everyone else to save his family. After all, you are doing the same." Altair spoke softly, wisdom ringing in each syllable as he approached. He turned and nickered softly to Indra and their daughter. "Indra and our daughter shall go with Ela and the others. I do not wish for them to be involved either." He added, swishing his tail decisively as he halted near the small gathering. The large stallion sighed, and snorted angrily, ears still slightly flattened at the idea of his son putting himself in such danger. "Fine. But you are to take everyone to their destination before the battle. Is this clear? It is your main job, anything you do after they are safe is your choice." He sighed, flicking his gaze from Altair to Dragon before brandishing his muzzle half-heartedly at Dragon. "Go on, go play with your siblings, poor Ren has been the main focus of their attention." He half-smiled before turning and walking a few strides away from the others, glancing over his shoulder he attempted to smile reassuringly at Indra and Ela before snorting to Altair.

"I am leaving to go south for a short while, to seek out a stallion by the name of Alucard. I should be back in spring. Just... make sure everyone stays safe. And if you can, teach Dragon as many defensive moves as possible." He snorted softly, shaking his regal head before turning away from the grey stallion. "Altair... Congratulations to you and Indra. I hope you're both happy." He nickered softly, glancing back at the arabian before moving off at a smooth lope, sadness and guilt weighing upon his heart with each step he took away from his family. But he knew it was for the best, he had to know they would be safe.

[Swede]

Indra nodded at Altair's words. In a perfect world, she would have him come with her; they would leave this place and live out their happy days somewhere nice and quiet and peaceful. But what might seem the ideal thing to do isn't always the right thing to do. She knew that Altair needed to do this, that he couldn't simply ignore the impending battle, and thus she wouldn't cause him any additional stress by trying to change his mind. Resuming her typical silence, she nudged the tender filly at her side, interrupting her feeding to nudge her forward into a walk. She wouldn't starve if she waited a few minutes, and it was important that they stay up to date on the goings-on of the herd. Following Altair until they reached the dark leader of the herd, Indra listened with anonymous reservation as the others discussed the tense and uncertain future.

Ela lifted her head slowly as Ranger approached. The grey mare glanced between him and Dragon; were they not safe here? But perhaps Danger would rear its ugly head in the sands as well, and then it was best to flee... Though the nights were brutal, desert days were not so cold even in winter, and yet a shudder ran down her spine. The doe-like mare had not really been too closely concerned with the details of Ranger's politics, preferring to stay in her sheltered fantasy land where everything was alright. But she knew that there was trouble stirring, she was acutely aware of any threats even when she wanted to ignore them, and the proposed solution of splitting up didn't make sense to her.

Moreover, it wasn't just splitting up, it was also some hiding and others going forth to face whatever the threat was; that was bad. The warriors of her homeland had attempted to face down the metal monsters, and been mercilessly crushed. Far safer to flee. And yet... "Dragon," she said faintly, though her meek voice and insignificant opinion would be drowned out. Battles and boneyards were no place for her little colt; why did Ranger let Dragon do as he pleased? He should stay with his mother, if big scarred stallions wished to beat at each other then that was their business, but her son ought to stay home, like a good colt...

"Well that's not fair," Ren said loudly, tilting her ears back. "Why can't I come too then? Why does Dragon get to go and I have to stay? I'm not a little foal anymore!" The bay filly held her head high and stubborn; it made no sense to her that Dragon could do as he pleased, leave the family somewhere 'safe' and then run off into the world without a backwards glance, but she had to sit and wait and hope that peace ever came. What if it didn't? What then? Was she to just continue doing as others instructed? Her mother was content to follow like a lost lamb, and Ren didn't fault her for it; but she wasn't lost and scared, like Ela was. "Why can't I help?" she repeated emphatically.


Ever lurking in the shadows, keeping himself close to the herd he was supposed to protect while still distancing himself as much as possible, Cormorant observed the proceedings with a solemn gaze. Not all would survive; war never was so pleasant. Even the victors would feel as if they had lost. But if they did not already know this, then there wasn't anything Cormorant could do; it was a fact of life that could not be taught, but only learned firsthand. Snorting softly, the dark stallion lifted his head, eyeing the horizon thoughtfully. The pressure was building, and soon his skills would be needed. Perhaps for the last time; he had no plans after this, after all. He'd had a cause to fight for once, and it had been both won and lost, like everything else. Freedom for himself and the others, and yet there were no others anymore, and he was still trapped by a curse he had no cure for. He didn't even know if he was fighting for a just cause or not, with this war of Ranger's; even if he survived, perhaps he ought to retire. He could no longer separate right from wrong, and perhaps it was better to simply live for oneself, by oneself. But he would see what the future held.

[Saz]

Dragon, Eden & Azazel

Dragon sighed deeply as Ren's outraged voice cut through the damning silence that fell across the herd as their father left. The young stallion then turned, years that had not passed showing upon his once youthful face. "Because you are not trained to fight, Ren. The battlefield is no place for you. Could you truly take a life? Because when you go into battle, you have to take out all the stops. It is survival in its most barbaric form. War is a place for the most damned of horses to get their bloodthirsty revenge sated. If you truly think you could take a life and live with it, then I shall train you. But if not, this is the end of our conversation." He spoke gravely, his hazel eyes seeking out Ren's own brown ones with a soft yet stern gaze. He then lifted his gaze from her to their mother, his heart yearned to keep her safe, to hide her away from the terrors that plagued this land, and part of him bitterly hated his father for getting them all wrapped up in this. But deep down, Dragon knew this was inevitable. He took a few tender steps toward her and wrapped his neck over Ela's slender one. "I have to do this Mom, I'll stay as long as I can. I promise." He nickered softly to her, closing his eyes and inhaling her comforting scent before drawing away to face Ren once more.

He was distracted from the bay mare when Eden and Azazel stepped forward, once they had processed the information they moved to stand beside Ren and held their heads high. The two siblings watched Dragon closely before Eden spoke up boldly. "We are helping too. Next spring we'll both be of age, and we will be fighting." Azazel stood beside the other grey two year old strongly and nodded his agreement once she was finished talking. Dragon let out a disapproving grunt but nodded all the same, he then returned his gaze to Ren's kind face, it was up to her if she wished to fight or not. If so then he would train her. If not then she would spend the rest of her life in peace, no bad memories or scars reminding her of days she would rather forget.

[Swede]

Ren regarded her brother with an unusually solemn gaze; yet the customary spark in her eyes remained, only the mood shifted it from a playful twinkle to a fierce gleam. She knew her mother did not always see the world as clearly as most did, but now, she could almost understand why Ela seemed to feel the way she did. Where had happy little Dragon gone? Who was this stranger who spoke of the damned and the bloodthirsty? To think... this mysterious war, this phenomenon which she had heard of and learned to fear but never witnessed firsthand, could so severely alter those who had not yet even taken part in it. Why, then, would she willingly get herself involved?

Because it doesn't matter anymore. It's past the point of choice. Taking a step towards Dragon, Ren shook her head softly. "But don't you see, Dragon? It's not about whether I want to or not. It's not about whether I can or can not. I ask you the same thing: can you take a life and live with yourself afterwards?" The young bay mare paused, glancing towards the hazy mountains in the distance. "And do you think I could live with myself, if I closed my eyes, hid in a faraway land, while those dearest to me subjected themselves to the hell of battle? Would I be able to live happily while my father or my brother were suffering with the pain of injuries or the guilt of war?"

The emotions surging in her chest were stronger than words could convey, and Ren inhaled deeply to steady herself. She loved her family, but she had never had cause before to verbally defend that sentiment, and it was almost a bit overwhelming to have to speak of it. "I don't know why you go to war so willingly; but if I'm required to explain myself, then I'll say this- I would never kill someone if I could help it. I would never fight to take a life. But I would fight to save one. So that's what I'll do. I'll fight to keep my family safe; because I want things to be normal again, for everyone to come home and be happy... and because I don't want anyone else to go wherever mama's gone."

Falling silent, Ren glanced towards her mother who nestled close to Dragon like a lost foal. She didn't even appear to be listening; Ren was accustomed to her mother shutting down the moment anything remotely unpleasant encroached upon her fantasy reality, but it did not make it any less sad. Ren knew that it was the tragedy and destruction of war which had broken her mother's spirit, and second only to the thought of her father or siblings not returning at all, was the thought of them becoming hollow souls like Ela.

Indra quietly stepped forward, coming to a halt between Ren and Ela. "I'll watch her," she whispered, nodding gravely. It saddened her to see these young creatures already determined to take on the world's cruelty head-on, but she understood their reasoning. Her own heart was torn in two; but whereas Altair could handle himself, their daughter was too young and fragile and needed her mother to be close by. For Indra, the war would rage only in her emotions, as she waited for the soldiers to come home.

Ren nodded swiftly. "Thank you. So you see, Dragon- mama is in no state to fight, and Indra needs to take care of Indira. But me? I could never think of an excuse for myself to hide while the rest of you ran into battle." All at once, she felt both exhausted and embarrassed by allowing herself to become so fiercely passionate; the tiger in her heart returned to its cage, and the happy lark fluttered free again. "Besides," she said with a mischievous grin, "Someone's got to make sure my dolt of a brother doesn't get distracted by a pretty tail, or that these two knuckleheads don't go chasing after butterflies. Someone's got to keep an eye on you." Someone has to have your back... just in case you need it.

[Saz]

Dragon, Eden, Azazel & Altair

Dragon blinked slowly as he listened to her speak, his head bowing slightly as he understood her reasoning with accompanying them into battle. "Okay, okay..." He sighed deeply, closing his eyes and his brow crinkling as he attempted to rid his mind of images of his siblings strewn in the battlefield, torn and limp like abandoned dolls as Hunter's army looked on. He swallowed, lifting his head and inhaling the dry desert air to fill his lungs before he exhaled strongly with a sigh. "I-..." He paused, swallowing again before glancing over his shoulder to see where Altair had wandered to. He spotted the ever silent stallion behind Indra, he hadn't noticed his great uncle lingering behind the chestnut brindle mare, he nodded to the grey arabian before glancing toward his siblings. A short smile flickering across his maw at her words before his mask resumed, there to stop his true feelings from showing. So Ren, nor anyone else, had to witness the strain upon the young stallion.

"Right... Best get on with things then. Altair can teach you, Ren, and I'll take Eden and Azazel." He paused, taking a step away from their fragile mother to touch his muzzle to Ren's neck. "Take a break every so often, even if you feel you don't need it. It'll help." He forced a small smile at her before turning away and moving away from the group with long strides. He spotted the stallion lingering in the shadows and moved into a lope so he was within hearing range, "Cormorant," He whinnied, moving swiftly toward the dark mustang who was always lingering somewhere on the edge of the herd. "I was wondering if you would help train Eden and Azazel?" He asked, pulling up a short distance away from the other stallion, face taut with the weight bearing down upon such young shoulders but he was slowly pushing it away, becoming accustomed to having leadership and faith thrown upon him. Eden and Azazel stood behind him, neither speaking since they had made their decision to go to war alongside their family.

Dragon & Kiss

As he awaited the answer, two distant figures appeared in the distance behind Cormorant, and at first, he thought it was his father, or Scarlett, perhaps. His ears flicked forward and he took a step past the shorter mustang to get a better look at the fast approaching duo. It soon became clear that the one lagging behind was a stranger, but the mare speeding up... No... It couldn't be... "Kiss?" He gasped, mouth agape at the figure that slowed to a smooth lope and then to a flowing trot. He laughed aloud, bursting forward to greet the mare he had known since birth. "Kiss! What are you doing here?" He asked, eagerly nuzzling and embracing the beautiful mare. His day had brightened considerably now she was back, he hadn't seen her since his yearling days.

"I heard rumors that something was going on with you lot down here. So I came to find out, and help where I can. Where's Ranger? And Scarlett?" She asked, pricking her ears curious as to find out what her cousin had been up to since they had last seen each other. But as Dragon's smile faded, her head became heavy and she nudged his cheek, "Hey, what's up? What's got you like this?" She asked, frowning in concern as he glanced back at Eden, Azazel and Cormorant. "Cormorant, could you begin their training? I need to bring Kiss up to date." He spoke softly before sighing and turning back to his cousin.

"There's a war going on. Hunter, one of dad's old friends, has appeared, not sure whether you've heard about him or not. But yeah, he's here. And he wants dad's blood. And anyone who's related to him too. So we're all in danger here. Scarlett left last spring, so I'm not sure where she is for the moment, but Lilian and Tank have gone to find more allies." The young stallion sighed, lowering his head, feeling defeated for the moment before Kiss nudged his neck gently. "What has happened, Dragon?" She asked quietly, her voice full of sorrow and guilt for not being here to support the stallion she thought of as a brother. "Lilian, our lead mare, Ranger's love. And her friend, Kasim, they along with their sons, were taken from us last autumn." He fell silent once more and lifted his head to stare into Kiss' eyes. "Leave here, now. Before you get caught up in this. Ren is already... You have to stay out of this, Kiss. I can't lose you on top of everyone else. Please..." He murmured, stepping toward her and begging her silently to leave. To not come back until the war was over. To hide away. To keep herself alive.

The part friesian mare watched Dragon with sad, kind eyes and sighed deeply. "Dragon, you must understand, that I cannot make a foolish promise on your words alone. I need to know everything. And this involves not only you and your side, but my mother, my siblings, my family. So no. I will not leave. I will not obey you. You should know by now, Dragon. I am my own horse. Just as Ren and the others are." She whickered softly, pressing her muzzle against his neck before turning and smiling sadly at Salem, who had most likely overheard their conversation. "Of course... Foolish..." Dragon muttered, hazel eyes blazing slightly at her words that stung him viciously though she had not meant to.

Shaking off her words, he moved past her, glancing away, toward Eden, Azazel and Cormorant before focusing upon the other stallion who had accompanied Kiss. "So is this your stallion, Kiss?" He asked, forcing a cheeky grin at his cousin who proceeded to blush a thousand shades of red. "N-no... Uh... I..." She spluttered for a moment before nipping at the young stallion who chuckled and dodged her attack easily. "Dragon, this is Salem, a close friend. Salem, this is Dragon, my cousin." She nickered, glowering at the dark stallion and taking a step closer to the patched stud. She pressed her muzzle against his shoulder and smiled softly, "Come, I'll introduce you to everyone. After all, I have some catching up to do." She nickered to Salem before setting off at an easy walk, moving away from Dragon who stared after the pair before moving to where Cormorant was teaching Eden and Azazel.

Eden & Azazel

The two greying youngsters stood side-by-side as Cormorant and Dragon spoke, then as their elder brother moved off to greet others, the mustang's attention turned to them. The two watched him in silence before Eden spoke up, evidentally she had inherited their father's out-spoken genes whereas Azazel had taken after Ela in the speech department. "Dragon said you could teach us a few things about defense and such. I guess he doesn't exactly want to teach us considering we're not of age." The slender filly rolled her eyes at the words before swishing her tail decisively. "I mean, jeeze, like he's that much older than us." She grumped, pouting slightly as she stared past the shorter mustang at her older brother. She then turned her attention back to Cormorant, ears pricking up to catch his words whilst Azazel stood solidly beside her, a never wavering rock of support whilst the rest of the world shrunk and grew around them.

Altair

[/b]

"Of course." He replied to his grand-nephew before gently nuzzling Indra's neck. "You'll be okay here with Ela whilst I begin Ren's training?" He murmured softly, watching her with a careful gaze. Though he adored his niece he knew exactly how naive and airheaded she could be at times. And he knew that she survived only by living in a fantasy where nothing ever happened out of place or put anything in danger. He just hoped she would hold out if, god forbid, one of her children didn't come back from the battle. He breathed deeply, soothing his fraying nerves and noting Indra's assurance that she would be fine before he motioned for Ren to follow him away. "Ren, come. We will train in the oasis. It's best for starting off." He called to the filly before setting off at a flowing trot until he entered the cool waters. He halted in the center of the small pool, knee deep in the clear water as he waited for Ren to join him. For beginners it was best where actions were slow and blows were cushioned and if she slipped the worst she would get was wet.[/blockquote]

[Swede]

Indra nodded in mute affirmation. She watched as Altair moved away with young Ren towards the Oasis. It was strange... physically, Indra was only slightly older than the bay filly, and she had been that age when she first met and fell for Altair; yet somehow she felt as if she were decades older. Things had always been that way, though. From the day she was born, it was as if she was the mother and Solbrinn was the child. Solbrinn, Solbrinn.. where had that mare gone now? Was she still alive? If one could even call such an existence a life... but more likely than not, she had met her demise somewhere already, either through her own madness or by the violence- or mercy- of others. Memories of her dam stirred pity in her heart, but they were futile thoughts and quickly brushed away. It was not the past, but the future which concerned her, with little Indira nestled close to her side.

Ela blinked and stirred as the others moved away, leaving her isolated in the sands with Indra and the little filly for company. "Oh, she is yours?" the grey mare said in a hollow sweet tone, as if forgetting the scene which had just occurred and switching her entire focus towards Indira. Foals were lovely, so blessedly innocent and perfect. "She is beautiful... what is her name?"

"Indira," the brindled mare said hoarsely. She nudged the filly forward, and Indira stood in quiet curiosity, her muzzle stretched meekly upwards to meet Ela's extended greeting. "Hello," she said in a soft voice, neither fierce nor fearful; merely quite comfortable and secure in her surroundings.

~

Nodding obediently, Ren broke into a swift trot as she followed Altair towards the cool oasis, her gait speaking of a smooth blend between the strength of her sire and the airy grace of her dam. Her pace slowed somewhat as she entered the shrubbery, and sloshed into the water to stand opposite the grey stallion. They were evenly matched in height, and her friesian blood compensated slightly for his more muscular masculine build. Despite this, the contrast was obvious, as the war-battered old stud faced the bright young mare, like an eagle opposed to a butterfly. Ren certainly didn't fear her great-uncle, but she respected him well, and knew that he undoubtedly could strike terror into the hearts of his foes if he chose to show them his warrior side. "Well, I suppose we ought to get started, if we're ever going to put Dragon's mind at rest," she said with a cheerful smile.

~

Cormorant glanced up in surprise as Dragon approached him, but upon hearing the young stallion's request, nodded his head in solemn assent. They were quickly interrupted, however, by the arrival of a pair of unfamiliar horses. Dragon seemed to know them well, or at least the young mare, but Cormorant hadn't seen them before, and held his silence until he was dismissed. Turning away, he motioned with a jerk of his head to his young charges, to a gap between dunes where they would be out of Dragon's way and out of Ela and Indra's range of attention. Halting there, he eyed the pair for a moment, a mental sigh heaving its way through his soul. So young; too young, really. But in the old valleys of the Dalt and Strath, they would already have been training for months.

Leopard and Tam had been at this age at their deaths...

Perhaps Dragon was faulty in his judgement of Cormorant as a suitable instructor. Or perhaps it was simply in the nature of war to take lives at will, no matter how strong or experienced the pawns were. Surely whatever wisdom he could impart on these two souls would only benefit them; he had to believe it, at least, and show at least a little hope. No sense in instilling despair in them before they had even entered a battle and seen for themselves the destruction it wreaked upon living creatures. "I can teach you some things, yes," Cormorant said gravely, "But only if you listen, and take my words to heart. War is not a game; sparring with a friend is a hollow mockery of the severity of two stallions attempting to kill each other. It seems to be impossible to convince youngsters to understand this before they've experienced it themselves, but you can try at least. Maybe then you won't freeze up in shock in your first battle the moment you are wounded. Never freeze up!" His tone snapped almost into a sharp bark as he took a step closer to the pair. "You keep fighting until you can't move, and then you fight for a few more minutes after that. Never make it easy for your enemy to kill you. Never give them the opportunity to get to you without a struggle. And never, ever relax your guard around someone who is trying to kill you, even if you somehow have the upper hand. Killing an enemy is never easy- make that mistake, and they'll prove you wrong and you'll be dead before you can blink."

Pausing for a moment to make sure his words were registering, Cormorant then continued firmly, "The moment you are involved in a battle, there is no such thing as morals. The existence of right or wrong may be debatable in other spheres of life- but war? The righteous die first. If given the opportunity to kill your enemy, you take it- don't let morality, or mercy, or such things distract you. If you decide to be a nice guy and let them get back up, you'll pay for it with your life. Or the life of a loved one. Think about that; you might feel good when you grant an enemy the privilege of living to fight another day, but that feeling quickly goes away when he comes back and kills your brother, or your sister, or your friend. War and mercy are opposite ends of the spectrum, and you cannot mix them and hope to survive."

His words might seem harsh, he knew, but he refused to lull them into thinking this was an easy choice. If they wanted to fight, then they had to be prepared for the vicious reality that awaited. Taking a step back, he nodded at first Eden, and then Azazel. "Face each other. Imagine the other is someone you would have to kill. What weak points do you attack? Think about it for yourself- where would it hurt you the most to be attacked? What methods will just cause pain, what will cripple you, and what will actually kill you? Does hoof or tooth matter in a given situation?" Once he had assessed their actual knowledge or presumptions, he could correct or finetune those attitudes into more precise measures of destruction. A grim task, but a necessary one, it would seem.

~

Salem stood passively behind Kiss, remaining silent as she gushed over her reunion with whoever this stallion was. Another one of those brawny types; the world was crawling with them, it would seem. He didn't appear to have any good news for his dear cousin, either... only talk of war and threats to her dear beloved family. Upon the young mare's introductions, Salem smiled crookedly and tilted his head in acknowledgement of the larger stallion. "Charmed," he said in his characteristically polite yet somehow secretly sarcastic and mocking tone. "Always exciting, to meet the esteemed relations of a... close friend." He then turned, almost reluctant to let the touch of Kiss' muzzle leave his coat, and slunk after her in his usual shallow limp. "This is where you are from, then," he commented, letting the sight of the land settle in his gaze. It was a wretched wasteland, dust and sand and a few withered plants desperately attempting to survive in the brutal environment. It seemed the only flower in this desert was Kiss herself. Was this what she was so quick to defend, to suggest risking life and limb for in a battle she barely knew of? Ah, but it was that matter of... family. To risk one's life for someone else, to actually die for them... it was the behavior of the doomed and the idiotic. But he would keep his serpent's thoughts to himself; no need to upset the dark mare. "You seem to care about these individuals greatly," he said instead, pausing for a brief moment to roll his shoulder and crack it into a slightly more fluid movement before continuing onwards.

[Saz]

Kiss

She continued onward, spotting the familiar slender grey figure of Ela from a distance and also a young brindle mare who could only be a grown up Indra. She then smiled softly as she spotted a slender chestnut filly who seemed to belong to the brindle mare. Kiss flicked an ear to catch Salem's smooth voice and nodded slightly, "I was born here, yes. However I only stayed here shortly though, my mother did not get on incredibly well with my uncle so we left after a particularly violent disagreement between them and another herd member, who is the father of Zephyr. I was raised in Misty Falls in the herd of Cryptic until my mother and I parted ways and as a yearling I came to Rainbow Ridge. And there I met you and... the others..." She trailed off as a lump came to her throat at the thought of Mosaic and Zodiac once more. She still had feelings for the handsome stallion, but now they were mixed with a deep loathing hatred that was festering and growing whenever she thought of him.

"Anyway," She paused, attempting to shake off the negative feelings toward her best friend's brother and glancing over her shoulder at his painted figure. She was about an inch taller than Salem, and his deformed shoulder made quite the difference in their strides, and unconsciously she could easily leave him behind. However on their journey here she had somehow developed an instinctive knowledge of how fast she could travel and have him keep up without struggling. They had not spoken of it as she knew how much it bothered him to have a disability, or so he called it. "I do... They are possibly insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but they are family, friends and loved ones. Would you not do the same for those you loved, Salem? Would you not fight to protect your mother, your siblings, or... well... me?" She asked him softly, warm eyes searching his own before breaking their gaze and nickering warmly to Indra and Ela.

"Indra! Ela! Long time no see." She called to the two mares, speeding up a little in her eagerness to see them both. "Wow, I remember when you were a yearling, Indra. Though I suppose the same could be said for myself, though you probably remember me as being younger." She chuckled softly coming to a halt before the trio, her eyes glittering beneath a thick dark forelock as she gazed softly at the two mares and the young filly. "She is beautiful, Indra. Just like her mother." She smiled, complimenting the young mare's first born before glancing behind her to where Salem stood like a protective shadow. "Ela, Indra, this is Salem, a dear friend. Salem, this is Indra, who I partially grew up with, and Ela, Dragon's mother." She whickered introducing them to each other with a sweet smile. She knew that Salem was no threat to any horse within the desert, he wasn't the type to attack a horse for no reason, thus she felt more than comfortable having him around her and her loved ones. She then glanced round the golden sands to see if she could spot anyone else she knew, but no, though the unmistakable similarities between Ela and the duo in the oasis and also in the grey filly who was with the mustang and the grey colt were obvious so the mare knew that she had more cousins and possibly an uncle or some other form of relation in this vast desert. Cocking a hind hoof, she allowed her shoulder to brush against Salem, unconsciously she did this to soothe not only his possible nerves but her own, after all, reconnecting with family after a few years is always a scary thing to do.

Eden & Azazel

The pair of two year olds followed the elder dark stallion away into a quieter part of the golden dunes and then listened in unwavering silence as he spoke to them. Both of them flinched as his tone took on a sudden sharp bark and he took a step closer, but realizing it was part of his speech, they calmed and continued to listen. And then following his orders the duo turned and faced each other, scanning their opposite with careful, calculating gazes and noting down the places they could strike to cause any damage whatsoever.

Eden

Internally, Eden's heart was fluttering twice its usual measured beat, the greying filly watched the handsome mustang and soaked up his every word. She had seen him on the boundaries of the desert terra since her birth here. He was so mysterious and rarely seen that it had become a sort of hobby for the youngster to seek him out and watch him from a distance. He didn't do much most of the time, she usually found him patrolling the borders, sleeping or what seemed like day-dreaming. She hadn't ever approached him for the fear of being rejected. But perhaps having him as a mentor would give her an insight to his personality.

Realizing that Azazel had been speaking in his hushed, airy tones the filly brought herself back to the current time and listened closely to Azazel as he pointed out where he would strike and where his own weaknesses were. As he finished and Cormorant turned to her, a faint blush came across her cheeks and she gazed squarely at Azazel. "Fore legs, particularly below the knee. Cripple the enemy thus making it more difficult for them to harm you. Face, ears and nose in particular to harm the enemy, possibly blind them or cause a concussion. The neck is an obvious one, but I'm guessing it'll be hard to get to it unless you bare your own. Specifically for Azazel I'd aim for the head and the lower legs." The filly spoke evenly, flicking her gaze between Cormorant and her brother before continuing.

"My own weaknesses, I would say I'm weaker than Azazel, so I have to be quicker. I'm slimmer, so I guess my legs are a weaker point than his are. And I'm also less muscular then he is, so I probably don't have as much muscle protecting parts of me." She spoke quietly, turning her dished head to gaze directly at Cormorant as she spoke before falling silent and allowing him to speak his experience and knowledge. She flicked her gaze to her brother for a moment, catching his warm gaze before continuing to watch Cormorant as he spoke. His words flowed easily through the dusty, hot air and were absorbed into her eager ears with familiar ease. She drank in his rough, wise voice, his sharp tones, the knowledge he was imparting upon them. She knew during the battle that her family would not be the only ones she would fight to protect. No matter whether Cormorant knew or not, but she would fight to keep him safe too.

Absently, as he directed his attention specifically at Azazel, she wondered how many battles he had fought, their causes and what injuries he received. After all, his dark pelt was marred with many crisscrossing scars that told one story after another of how he got them and who dealt them. Breathing deeply, the two year old filly watched her brother carefully, noting the parts that Cormorant pointed out would be soft spots to hit. Then, shifting eagerly from hoof to hoof she glanced at the dark stallion, an electric energy flowing through her as she anticipated the sparring they would probably be doing soon. Then, as the stallion finally became silent once more, seemingly thinking of what more to tell them, she piped up, her voice melodious and her golden gaze meeting his as she spoke. "Can we spar now? And then maybe you can correct us as we fight? Or possibly after?" She asked, dancing from hoof to hoof, eager to throw herself at her brother and show this mighty warrior what she was truly made of.

Azazel

They were silent for a short moment as they gazed at each other, scanning their opponent with keen eyes. Searching for weaknesses, holes in their defense, what their strengths were. And then thinking about their own weaknesses, their own strengths. This all had to be thought over if in only a year they were to go into battle and risk their lives for each other. The colt snorted quietly, watching Eden's eyes glaze over slightly, she did that often, it was one of her weaknesses. And then as Cormorant focused upon him he opened his mouth and let his own opinions flow free.

"Legs and chest. Damage the enemy so they cannot attack so proficiently as before. Throat and head for death blows. Eyes and ears to limit their senses and cause pain. Teeth for the throat and legs. Hooves for the chest and the head. I'm not as lithe as Eden, thus I have to use my strength to my advantage, strike when I can." He spoke in short, deliberate sentences before his own gaze turned to the grey filly.

A short smirk lifted the corners of his mouth as he watched his sister, evidently his hushed tones had woken her from any daydreaming she had being doing. The filly then focused her golden gaze upon their mentor and began to speak and the colt let his own thoughts drift from the present time and to the oncoming battle. He knew without a doubt he would risk his life for those he went into battle with. His siblings, his friends, his family. Even the stallions he barely knew that were there for a fight. He knew he would risk his life to save them in the hope that they would do the same for him.

Azazel was brought back to the present moment as Eden ended her speech and their mentor, the ragged mustang by the name of Cormorant, began to speak and correct their findings. He listened closely, watching the stallion and mentally noting the important points he made. Though, it would be by complete fluke if he managed to remember all of the specific points he made for next spring or summer, or well, whenever the war became hot and blew up in their faces like an unpredictable volcano.

Altair

"War is not a cheery game, Ren. It never has been and never will be. The sparring you have seen between Dragon and I is child's play compared to stallions trying to kill each other in a merciless frenzy. There are no breaks, no second chances, no morals in war. You kill when you have the chance, otherwise you pay for it with a life, be it yours or a family member or a friend." He spoke in an ancient tone that elders speak in when telling you an old story or an important life lesson. He sighed quietly as he allowed his serious words to sink into the young mare before he took a careful step back.

"Okay. We're going to start off with simple offense. But first, think. Where do you strike to cause pain? Where do you strike to kill? Where do you strike to cripple? Think about these before we spar. During battle you will only have enough time to react, and if possible, choose another opponent. Anything other than that will get you killed. Of course, there are those times in battle where you are caught between a rock and a hard place. Sometimes you have to sacrifice to save another, and not everyone will survive the battle. If in doubt, always go to the nearest, never risk running through battling horses to attempt to save someone. Most often than not, there is someone nearer who can save them. And if not... well it is their time." He watched the young mare with eyes that seemed to be as ancient as the desert itself.

Clearing his throat softly, he lowered his head slightly and continued to watch the mare. "Right. With the places you want to attack in mind. Come at me." He spoke roughly, arching his broad neck a little as he took up a defensive position. The grey arabian stood solidly, spreading his legs a little and watching the young mare carefully, eyes calculating which course of action she would take in attacking him. Then as she moved, he started forward, bringing his muzzle to bump his chest and moving to ram into her with his nearest shoulder. It was a simple trick, but done right it could easily knock an enemy off balance whilst protecting your throat.

[Swede]

Salem kept an ear flicked in Kiss' direction, listening quietly as she spoke. She spoke so highly of her beloved family, but it did not seem as though they led a fairytale existence any more than any other group did. Scattered to the four winds by their own internal squabbling... oh, perhaps his impression was exaggerated, but nonetheless, he did not see what made them all so worthy of her love and affection. It was something he found very odd, the expectation that one is supposed to love their family for no other reason than because they are family. What sort of qualifier was that?

He was taken slightly offguard by her follow-up question, but luckily his brief hesitation was interrupted as she turned her attention towards the strangers they had approached, and Salem was able to remain silent and brush it off as a rhetorical question. Would he fight for those who shared his blood? Having never been in such a situation where such a thing would be necessary, Salem found the question irrelevant and unanswerable. Could he? Doubtful; he might have more brains than the rest of them combined, but brute strength was something that had skipped over him and been passed on to Ceridwen instead. Would he want to? He didn't know... perhaps, if they were worth it... but were they?

Ela blinked as the pair of figures made their way across the sand. “Oh… hello Kiss,” she said after a numb moment, “I’m sorry… you aren’t as little anymore…” She looked towards Salem as he was introduced, barely catching his name as it was spoken by Kiss; there were so many strangers in the desert these days. And the children’s play was so rough now, always batting at each other with their hooves and biting and shoving. What if they hurt themselves? This one, this stranger, he moved oddly, as if he was hurt. Ela wasn’t particularly fond of strangers, they were always an unknown factor and a potential danger, but surely one ought to be compassionate… “Are you alright?” she asked timidly.

Finding his own thoughts a bit more interesting than the present conversation, Salem barely paid attention as Kiss eagerly became reacquainted with her old friends. As soon as he was introduced into the group, his customary crooked smile snaked its way onto his muzzle, and he bowed his head slightly with his eyes fixed upon the mares. “Pleasant afternoon, ladies,” he said airily. He found no reason to say anything else. His interest in the younger one’s brat was minimal, and the older one looked to be a bit dimwitted; she seemed almost to be afraid of him. Him! Oh, no doubt he could hurt her if he wished to, but few ever garnered that from his appearance. But she did seem to be one of those constantly timid sorts, the weak fools of the world… And then she spoke, and immediately solidified his disdainful impression of her. A shadow flickered through his gaze, but then his smile widened. “Never better,” Salem answered slyly.

Indra smiled softly, dipping her head in answer to Kiss’ greeting and giving Indira a proud nudge. The filly looked up at the newcomers with curiosity, though maintained her silence; better to let the adults talk, and she could listen. She wasn’t so sure she wanted to speak, and have them all look at her… it seemed a little scary. Maybe when she got to know them better, she would strike up some conversations. Indra did not speak much either, but at this point, nobody ever really expected her to. The territory’s inhabitants all knew that she listened despite her habitual silence, and if something terribly needed to be said, she would make herself heard. She returned Salem’s nod as he was introduced, and then settled down to observe the proceedings between the others, comfortable in her obscurity. It was true, Kiss was much older now, a beautiful young mare, and even Indra had taken a moment to recognize her as she had approached them. It was not difficult to believe that Ela had been thoroughly stumped up until the dark mare had spoken. Her eyes strayed towards Kiss’ friend, and she suppressed an immediate shudder. She was adept at picking up on small things, the sorts others missed when busy with verbal communication, and the fact that Pharaoh’s blood ran through Salem’s veins made him easier to ‘see’ to those who immersed themselves in such things. There was a shadow over his head, not visible of course but she could feel it, sense a wickedness which traced along the lines of his body and tainted his polite words with just the faintest bit of poison. It was clear Kiss was fond of her friend, and there was no way to bring up the subject at this point in time anyway; best to wait a while, until Kiss could be spoken to alone, and in a way which would not upset her… there was the risk that she would brush off Indra’s warnings as nonsense, or be offended by them, and that would defeat the purpose. He seemed so harmless, and yet his presence made Indra fear for Kiss’ safety.

Ren listened to Altair carefully as he spoke, uncertainty creeping into her mind and intruding upon her eagerness. How to hurt someone… the traditional thought was always the throat or a heavy blow to the head, if you wanted to kill someone quickly. A broken leg was death to any horse in the wild, a slow descent into death by starvation or exposure from an inability to move onwards, or to be picked off by predators one can’t flee from, a wait for the end while constantly plagued by incessant pain. It seemed horrible to actively try to inflict that on someone. The young bay looked up at Altair, and swallowed her hesitations. Taking a step forward, she moved towards him, but the water slowed her movement and Altair’s defense easily ragdolled her sideways into the pond with a conclusive splash. She floundered for a moment before sitting up, her forelock plastered to her face and water dripping from her chin. “Sorry,” she said with a sheepish grin, “I guess I wasn’t focusing hard enough. I’ll try again.” Standing up and shuddering to dislodge the heaviest moisture, Ren steadied herself, ignoring the fresh new bruise on her shin, and pounced at her great-uncle again.

Cormorant nodded as he listened. For having grown up in a relatively peaceful herd, they weren’t as uninformed as he feared. Perhaps their warrior relatives had dropped a word here and there. “Very good. I’m glad you both mention sensitive points, rather than just what you can accomplish with blunt trauma. Hooves are ideal if you want to bash someone’s brains out, Azazel, but keep in mind that if you can get your teeth in there, don’t hesitate- even a minor head which only causes surface injuries can be deadly in the end. Even if you miss the eye, head wounds bleed heavily and will make quite a mess for anyone trying to keep you in their sights. Clever of you to mention the nose as well, Eden. The bone is very fragile there and shatters easily, and tearing up a nostril is not a pleasant experience. I’ve seen stallions get killed simply because they were too busy coughing up their own blood they kept inhaling from such wounds to pay attention to the next attack. And getting an ear torn off is remarkably distracting.” For some, such anecdotes might be just that: vaguely disgusting stories, perhaps fascinating, there to make a point more than anything else. But Cormorant had seen it all, and those occasions replayed in his mind as he spoke of them, young stallions frantically striking out blindly as their world became a scarlet sea, while their executioners took them down with ease. He too had known that panic; as an Outcast, he was not a fellow warrior to the Strath among whom he’d been born, but he had been occasionally forced out as bait to spring any potential Dalt traps, and later when fleeing the Strath themselves, a glancing blow to the head had within minutes become a serious problem. Most of his escapes from death had not been by skill or cunning, but by sheer dumb luck; a common occurrence, though many fighters preferred to think they could thank themselves for their successes. Luck was an enormous factor in any battle, but most refused to acknowledge it; it only made you feel helpless. Brushing the thoughts out of his mind, he added, "Don't forget, biting off a tendon in the lower legs, front or hind, spells out disaster for your enemy. And if nothing else is possible, crack a few ribs or take out a chunk of muscle. Make every second count- don't just wait for an opening to make a killing blow. Take it if you can, of course, but in the meantime, dish out as much pain as you can. Sometimes it's just blood loss or overwhelming pain which wears your enemy down in the end, without any specific injury being worse than the other."

“Alright then. Show me what you can do.” Cormorant doubted there was any risk they would actually kill each other; even among Strath trainees, death was rare when sparring. Cuts and bruises, occasionally someone took out an eye, and most were already heavily scarred by the time they entered their first battle; but death? Nah. Plus these two were actually fond of each other, which not all Strath were, and if things got out of hand, it was his job to call them off; if they were too busy to hear him, a couple of youngsters weren’t too difficult to separate by force.

[Saz]

Kiss smiled gently, shaking out her long mane before glancing toward the oasis. Sudden thirst overtook her body and her hooves began to ache with the weariness that accompanied long travels. She lashed her tail before she turned back to Ela and Indra, "I'm just going to head to the oasis for a drink. Would either of you like to join me?" She nickered sweetly, brushing her muzzle against Salem's neck briefly before moving off at a slow walk. She trusted him with her family, after all he was kind, sweet and well, the kind of stallion she wanted to fall in love with. As that thought struck her, the dark mare paused, glancing back at the painted stallion before continuing forward. She loved Salem dearly, as a friend, but was there more than just a friendship between them? Or was it just her hormones talking?

--

Smiling gently at his grand-niece he nodded, backing up a little to give her enough room to steady herself before attacking once more. This time she dodged the same move and hit him full on. Amusingly, he stumbled back, not expecting her full weight to hit him like that. He recovered almost instantly and shoved back, slamming his head against her side before dropping to his knees unexpectedly, his head curling round to avoid her hooves as she fell over his suddenly low body and sprawled next to him in the shallows.

Immediately he got to his hooves and grinned down at the slightly dazed filly. "Right before we start again, I just want to correct your stance. One of the most important things in battle is to be firm and steady on your hooves. If you slip or stumble, even for a moment, you could be dead before you have time to blink. I've seen a lot of horses go that way, it's a rookie mistake. You need to spread your weight evenly. And when I go down to my knees again, I want you to rear and either leap over me and land steady, or try and pull your weight back and bring your hooves down on me. Got that?" He smiled gently before circling and standing opposite for her next attack.

--

The two grey youngsters listened to their mentor with rapt attention as he finished they nodded and took a few steps away from each other before facing head on. Azazel was the first to move, in an instant he charged at his sister, ears flattened into his mane as he concentrated on what had been said to him. Surprisingly, Eden held still and just as he began to half-rear to ram his shoulder into her chest, she skipped sideways dodging his attack and slamming into him with her own brief charge.

The colt grunted at the impact, landing heavily and slightly off balance he spun before she could continue her attack and slammed his shoulder against hers. Eden stumbled but recovered quickly and flew a few steps away before lashing out with her hind hooves and hitting him squarely in the chest as he gave chase. The colt slipped, the force behind the kick wasn't a lot, but it was enough to push him off balance and give her the instant she was looking for.

She wheeled around, charging at him and grabbed his mane before roughly pulling him over. As he fell to the ground, she halted, placing one of her forehooves on his shoulder to signify victory. Breathing heavily, Eden stepped back from her brother, who quickly got to his hooves and shook off the golden sand that covered their pelts. The two glanced toward the dark stallion as they awaited his verdict, waiting for him to correct their moves and sloppy attacks.

[Swede]

Indra nodded once at Kiss' invitation; there was nothing out of the ordinary in it, as the oasis was her preferred haunt in the territory, and though not the most talkative of individuals, she didn't mind spending some time in silent companionship with the others in the herd when they were up for it. She knew Altair and Ren were training somewhere in that area, but with any luck, she could perhaps get some private conversation with Kiss. Giving Indira a gentle nudge, the lightly striped chestnut mare strode after Scarlett's daughter, crossing the sand with even calm strides. Sound can carry far in thin desert air, but the breeze was in their backs, and soon Indra deemed they had walked far enough to avoid being over heard. "You are fond of him?" she said hoarsely, her eyes fixed upon the distant verdancy of the oasis ahead. Perhaps this Salem was simply tagging along with Kiss for lack of any reason not to, but Indra felt she needed to inquire deeper, and learn what she could of what relationship they had... it would be foolish to speak until she had more knowledge and insight, but to remain permanently silent felt like a poor idea.

Salem watched as Kiss wandered off to drink with the quiet mare and her foal; not until they began to vanish in the desert haze did the grey opposite him seem to notice that they were alone together. She suddenly seemed to shrink, and cast furtive glances at him, only to hastily avert her eyes at meeting his unfaltering gaze. "Are you afraid of me?" Salem asked slowly. Ela seemed to become even smaller, as though she would simply fade into a tiny puff of smoke at any moment. Salem watched her with a sort of bemused interest. He had not touched her, or spoken a single threatening word, and yet, somehow, mysteriously, he had this mind-crippling power over her. And what if he did act? Would it be possible to break her with her own fear? What a curious force it was, this emotion, and how exhilarating it was to witness. He was crippled, lame, weak... and yet he had power. She was a weak-minded one, certainly, but perhaps with practice, Salem could learn how to inflict it upon those who otherwise considered themselves brave... if he had a desire to do so. Senseless aggression was not something he cared for. But if he could gain some respect from those who otherwise granted him none.... unbidden, an image of Zodiac floated into his mind.

"Well, you don't need to be. I wouldn't dream of harming you.... I'm sure your stallion keeps you very well-protected." Salem lifted his head, glancing about nonchalantly, and then added thoughtfully, "Although I do not see him anywhere near right now... nonetheless, I'm sure you're quite safe in your own territory." He almost felt a little bad, playing with the mare's anxiety like this, but he had to admit it was also horribly satisfying. Sighing, he limped a dozen strides off, lowering his muzzle to nibble at some awfully thin and dry grass. But he didn't mind... it reminded him of himself. Weedy, pathetic, something others turned their nose up at... and yet it alone was strong enough to thrive here.

Ren listened attentively to her great-uncle's advice, doing her bet to stay focused despite being sopping wet and feeling yet another bruise forming on her shoulder. Standing up again, she faced Altair squarely, and dug her hind hooves into the sandy bottom of the water to give herself a proper base to lunge at him from. And lunge she did; and down he went, as expected. For the tiniest fragment of a second, she considered striking at him as he had suggested, but though she was getting a little peeved at being knocked around constantly in this training session, she wasn't irritated enough to want to hurt him. Instead she bounded across Altair's back with a heavy splash, her landing corrupted slightly by the drag of the water as she moved forward but remaining on her hooves nonetheless. She came to a halt two paces away as she recovered from the jump and wheeled around in the water to face him, wary that he might have some sort of trick up his sleeve to flip her into the pond yet again.

Cormorant watched his young trainees impassively as they sparred. They had not grown up in a war-torn environment; he might be able to get them into physical form by the time the battle came to pass, but there was no way he could instill them with the necessary mentality. They might as well already be dead; and he had already suffered the fate of a teacher who watches his students die. The less interest he showed in them beyond teaching them for their inevitable roles as cannon fodder, the better. "Azazel, it's good that you know to use your weight, but watch so that others don't use it against you," he barked, "If there's room to dodge, there's room for a counterattack, and never forget that. A slower charge gives them more time to prepare for it, but most aren't as quick thinkers as you'd expect- and it enables you to anticipate a dodge and adjust your attack to be able to hit them despite it. Eden..." Cormorant narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "You've got good initiative, and bringing Azazel down like that was a good way to use his weight against him and to gain the upper hand; but a more experienced stallion isn't pulled over so easily. You'll have a better shot of pulling someone over, or possibly breaking their neck, if you adjust your grip to be more like this- Azazel, you take note of this too," he instructed, stepping forward and closing his jaws across Eden's crest carefully. He held on for a moment to make sure they understood properly, and then stepped back. "Right there, you've got better leverage for your part, and less strength in your enemy to resist. Of course in battle, hitting a sweet spot like that is like finding a four-leaf clover, but you can at least try to aim for it."

[Saz]

Eden

The grey filly practically glowed with the praise given to her by the handsome dark mustang, she froze as he neared her, almost shivering in delight as he wrapped his mouth around her crest, holding her for an all-too-brief moment before letting her go and resuming his position. OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD! HE FREAKING TOUCHED ME! HE TOUCHED ME! HE TOUCHED ME! She internally fangirled, zoning out until Azazel's touch instinctively yanked her back to the barren wasteland she called home.

Azazel

The grey colt nodded, taking in each droplet of information the elder stallion gave them. He watched with keen eyes as he moved toward Eden, gripping her crest tightly, he noted the positioning of Cormorant's neck and body nodding once more as the stallion let go of his sister and stepped backward. Taking advantage of Eden zoning out, he closed the distance between them and took up his vantage point, gripping her crest just as Cormorant had. The grip on her neck also helped with controlling her head, it would most likely come in very handy during their war.

Eden & Azazel
The colt had copied their mentor's teaching, testing out the grip on her crest, they stood still for a moment as Eden assessed her options, his grip was solid on her neck, keeping her head where it was for the moment, somewhat controlling the movements she made. Narrowing her eyes, the filly yanking her head down in a harsh downward strike, and then with her head level with his knees, she bit at his knees. She caught him unawares, and one of his legs was now grazed by her teeth. The colt squalled loudly in a cross manner before rising upward in a half-rear, yanking her head upward and lashing out at her side with both forelegs.

The slimmer filly flinched away, wrenching her neck out of his grip and seizing his already injured foreleg in her teeth before he could land. She bit down, denting the skin and causing him to slam his head into hers, desperate to break her hold. Releasing her hold and reeling backward shaking her head to rid the dots that swam in her vision, Eden was knocked off her hooves and landed heavily on her side in the sand. The golden granules flew up at her impact and then clouded around her momentarily before landing on her grey pelt.

Her brother soon neared her, and was just moving to place a hoof on her neck when she suddenly moved, teeth striking his foreleg once more, driving him away before she rolled onto her knees, bolting to her hooves and going for him once more. She seized his crest roughly, dragging his head down so her forehooves could strike his cheek, the colt snarled angrily, biting at her legs, causing her to let him go and spin away, bolting up the nearest dune, drawing away from him. The colt pursued her relentlessly, scaling the dune easily until he reached the top where she had halted. They stood a few lengths apart for a moment before the filly charged at him, they struggled for a moment as they collided, each attempting to gain the upper hand before the grey filly did some unexpected and span away, fleeing from her brother.

Azazel instinctively charged after her, determined to win this fight. He followed her down the dune at a lope, and drew close to her as they neared Cormorant, the grey filly lashed out with both back legs, catching Azazel directly in the chest, causing him to stumble. However this also caused him to collide with her, his shoulder clipped her hindquarters, pushing her off balance and she too stumbled, falling to the desert floor once more. Azazel recovered to see Eden flat on the ground, he panted heavily but immediately took his chance and rested a forehoof against her neck. He drew back and they both caught their breath for a moment. At this point in time, Azazel had a cut on his neck, grazed knees and Eden was bruised on her shoulders and sides, not to mention they were drawing in battle points.

Shaking herself off, the grey filly clambered to her feet and glanced toward Cormorant before turning and watching Altair and Ren spar. He had a different way of teaching, showing her specific moves and then putting them together in a difficult dance. Twitching an ear back as the sand impacted behind her, she glanced to the side and caught Azazel coming at her once more. Baring her teeth, the filly finally went all out. Flattening her ears, she snapped at his face, thoroughly irritated by his insistent bothering and thus her anger overruled her tiredness and sent her at him with renewed enthusiasm. She rammed her shoulder against his testing him to see how far he would go to win this fight. They shoved back and forth for a few moments, sussing out the others balance and strength before Eden acted.

Her knees buckled beneath her, putting her newly learned information to the test, Azazel flew forward, stumbling over her and landing heavily in the sand. She smirked victoriously, leaping to her hooves and spinning to place both hooves on his shoulder. "Right, leave me alone now, otherwise you're gonna wish dad was here to call me off." She hissed dangerously narrowing her eyes and baring her teeth at him, frustrated with his bothering, interrupting any moments she could possibly have with the dark stallion that taught them both. Lashing her tail to and fro, she backed away from him, moving a few strides away, her back to her brother as she waited for Cormorant to speak. The two year old got to his hooves, smirking slightly. Grinning boldly, he advanced upon his sister, ready to bother her again until she went for him again.

Kiss

Kiss drank deeply from the clear waters that pooled in a small portion of the dreary desert. She lifted her head, water dripping from her muzzle as she listened to Indra speak. She shrugged, "I guess so, he's a very close friend. I met him as a yearling and we stayed together since then." She paused, swallowing the lump that grew in her throat at the thought of where she had spent her most recent years. Where she had lived with a young stallion that had captured her heart before he had broken it, and had forfited her for his own sister's affections.

She turned her gaze away from the brindled mare and glanced over her shoulder at Salem as he grazed on the dry grasses that grew sparsely among the sand. "He has been there for me when no one else has, sometimes he has a strange sense of humor, yes, but deep down he has a good heart." She blew out a soft sigh and returned her gaze to Indra. "Truly, I know that I care for him deeply, but to what kind of feeling, I'm not sure. I'm beginning to feel as though there is something more than just friendship though." She confided quietly in the slightly older mare, glancing down at the crystal waters before looking back up at her friend. "I just have to wonder if he even remotely returns my feelings." She snorted and shook out her dark mane, "I bet you think I'm really silly, don't you? Worrying about stallions like this, especially when there's a war going on within my own family." She puffed out her cheeks and blew a sharp sigh out before glancing around at the rest of the scattered herd. She hadn't seen her uncle yet, but she supposed it wasn't all that strange, especially if there were other stallions helping to protect the herd.

Altair

"Very good!" He praised her and got to his hooves, the water darkening his dappled coat until he looked like he had when he was a young stallion, his coat a dark steely grey. Flipping his forelock out of his eyes, he focused upon his great-niece once more. "Lets see how you work if I do this instead." He gave her an incredibly brief moment before he lunged at her head on. Their shoulders met and this time he reared up, striking at her neck and shoulders before landing heavily in the water and shoving against her once more. His aim was to get her to back up, with her on the defensive he could then teach her how to switch directly from defense to offense, and visa versa. It was key in any battle, whether fighting someone who was looking to kill you, or merely an unruly stallion trying it on with you. These tricks and tips could come into play in daily life, especially for a young mare.

[Swede]

Cormorant watched silently as his young charges broke into another bout of sparring. He was a firm believer in learning by doing, and that fighting had to become instinctual if one was ever to master it. Some teachers among the Strath had favored teaching combinations of set attacks for a given situation; for some students it worked, while others were quick to forget their lessons when confronted with a real scenario with real danger. It was useful to be able to execute a well-timed and planned series of movements, but that was not always possible in battle, and the ability to adapt to unforeseen situations was crucial. Much of their behavior lacked the prowess shown by a true warrior, and it had heavier overtones of sibling bickering than it did of training fighters. Hopefully, fate would give them enough time to hone their skills... if the battle came early, well, he wasn't betting on their success. "That's enough, Azazel," he barked as the two drew closer to him, noticing the blatant mischief-in-progress. "Do not spar in irritation or anger. You two are allies, remember that! The enemy is out there, not here; if you feel hostility towards your comrades while in training, you'll be less effective as a group in combat. You spar not to defeat your training partner, but to strengthen them, help them find their mistakes and weaknesses and force them to improve their ability. Keep that in mind as well, Eden, because it goes both ways; you might grow tired of being nipped and kicked, but you learn from cut, every bruise, and they teach you how to prevent the next one. And that is always a handy skill to have when someone capable of dishing out a lot more pain than Azazel is coming after you."

He paused, assessing the pair of trainees. They looked a little out of breath, a little bit bruised, but it wasn't time to call it a day just yet. "Right, that's enough today for skill practice. But you won't last long in battle if you're going to get pushed over before you score any blows. You need to build up your strength and your endurance. So here's what we'll do: go get a drink of water, and then we're going to take a little afternoon fieldtrip. Have you two ever been to those mountains over there? Or have you always stayed here in the middle of the territory? It's a bit of a distance, but nothing we can't handle. And nothing wears you out like running in loose sand followed by mountain climbing. You two are going to sleep like the dead tonight when we get back, I can promise you that. Get hydrated so you don't faint out there, and then we'll get going; and be quick about it, unless you don't want to get back til midnight."

~

She watched; she listened. What Kiss had to say neither reassured Indra, nor amplified her fears. "A good heart cares for others," she said quietly. "In wartime, more than ever, one must remember to see good things in the world, to enjoy them, so one has a reason to win the war." Indra fell silent for a moment, a pause to allow her voice to recover sufficiently. "But also... a healthy soul cares for itself. A wise mind exercises caution and takes heed of warning signs. Believe in good, but do not allow your belief to blind you in the face of genuine darkness."

At her side, Indira nudged her mother insistently. "Mama, can I go now?" she asked, her voice nearly as wispy as her dam's, though smoother in tone. Indra nodded, and the filly turned and silently trotted across the sands. She had seen her father splashing in the pond with Ren, and the interaction aroused her interest. The desert was not a stimulating place to live in, and every distraction was a welcome one for a growing foal bursting with curiosity. Darting nimbly between the scrubby bushes, she paused on the sandy bank, observing her relatives with bright eyes and wordless demeanor.

Indra watched her daughter run off, and then sighed. She knew how it felt, to be young and to care for someone, care for them so deeply that the feeling was frightening and foreign; but she was careful to never lose sight of good judgement. Altair had never shown any dangerous streaks, and if he did, fates forbid, she would have to take that into account. She was all too familiar with sudden turns of behavior, after spending time with her mother, and knew how deadly they could be if ignored. "Care for him, if you wish," she murmured, fixing her eyes once more upon Kiss, "No doubt it does him good. All things wish to be wanted by others. But I beg of you, Kiss, be wary too. Perhaps his attitude is only a shell, but many wear their hearts on their sleeves." She coughed once, already weary of speech; by her standards, she had spoken quite a lot at once.

~

Ren was only just able to brace her stance before Altair collided against her once more; taken off-guard by the way he overwhelmed her face and shoulders, she tossed her head abruptly backwards, by instinct an escapist rather than a fighter. In shifting her weight behind her center of balance, she was forced to backpedal to compensate, swiftly sloshing through the water to try and gain even an inch of distance between herself and Altair's ramming chest. Perhaps, had he been a foe, she might have had the courage to attack somehow; but even in the name of practice, she couldn't bring herself to attempt any harm upon her dear great-uncle.

[Saz]

Eden & Azazel

The young stallion halted in his mischief making and seemed to have the decency to look sheepishly at his mentor before excitement flooded through him and he grinned brightly. Eden also brightened up immensely as Cormorant revealed their next step in training. "Awesome." She murmured quietly, shaking her head and blowing out a short sigh as she finally regained her breath. She nodded shortly to Cormorant, showing she had heard his instructions before she broke into an easy jog and directed herself toward the oasis. She came up to the water's edge as her uncle and sister halted their sparring once more and he began correcting whatever he had been teaching Ren.

Azazel smirked slightly as he watched Eden flounce toward the oasis before he replied to their mentor's question, "No, we've never been further than the boundaries of this desert. Dad was always too busy, and Mum... well... She's a little timid." The young stallion snorted softly and shook his head before turning away from the black mustang and jogging after his younger sister. The age gap between the two of them was only about an hour, but it made a difference to the two year old colt. He would be a stallion in a little less than three months, and his sister would be a mare.

He found it as his job to protect her in life, whether from the advances of unwelcome stallions, or from those who wished to kill off their father's bloodline. And he knew in the upcoming battle against Hunter's forces that he would be forced to take lives to ensure the safety and happiness of his siblings, Ren and Dragon included in his watchful protective gaze. Admittedly he didn't worry about Dragon or Ren nearly as much as he did about Eden, she was his twin, so of course he would feel far more connected to her than he would any of his other siblings.

The filly took a few deep sips from the clear desert oasis before lifting her head and watching her great-uncle and sister with vague interest. Suddenly a thought occurred to her and she took a few steps into the oasis before nickering to her relatives. "I'm sorry to interrupt your training, but I figured you guy should know that Cormorant is taking Azazel and I to the mountains for a run. Stamina training, I think he said." She spoke softly, almost reminiscent of her mother's ghostly, timid tones, but with a sort of strength to the words.

The older stallion had nodded before turning back to his student, and the filly smiled gently at her sister, "Just a word of advice, Ren, let loose a little. Get angry." She winked at her older sister before turning and loping back toward her own mentor, ready to go to the mountains. Her brother had halted and watched their exchange silently as he had drunk his fill from the clear waters before he also turned away from his sparring relatives and jogged after his sister so they could return to their mentor and get going on their adventure. Well, technically it was a training exercise, but he severely doubted Eden thought of it as that either.

He pulled up beside his sister and nodded to Cormorant as a signal that they were both ready to get going on their journey. "Alright then, Boss. I think we're all set. Lead the way." He grinned, excitement building up in his system at the mere prospect of escaping the barren wastelands of his home.

Altair

The elder stallion halted in his offensive movements and allowed his great-niece a moments respite. He smiled gently at her, eyes warm as he observed her carefully. "Okay, your flight instinct is far stronger than your fighting instinct, so let's try and use that to your advantage. What you want to do is get as much distance between you and your opponent, wear them out and then attack if you have to." He paused and turned as the splash of water caught his attention. Glancing over his shoulder, the grey warrior nodded to his youngest great-niece.

"Eden." He greeted her shortly, glancing past the filly at her older brother and then past him to see their mentor in the distance. He glanced back to her as she spoke before he nodded. "If you're not back by tomorrow morning I'll send Dragon to look for you and Azazel. Though I'm sure Cormorant will keep you both safe, whatever happens." He nickered softly in reply before watching her as she moved back toward the mustang that was teaching them with Azazel in tow.

He glanced back toward Ren and smiled gently, "She is right, however we will first concentrate on your escape strategy if you're ever cornered or attacked by a bigger opponent than I." He paused, thinking before repositioning himself so he was beside her, his shoulder brushing hers slightly as he turned his head to look at her. "So your opponent is coming at you head on, like I was. What you need to do is try and turn around as soon as you can. Which means distracting them so you can put space between you and your opponent. You aim for the head directly. Bite the ears, nose, cheek; whatever you can reach. If you can you want to trip them so it gives you more time. So what you want to do when I come at you again, is rear up and box at my head; I'll dodge, so you don't have to worry about hurting me. But you then need to spin as fast as you can and get to the edge of the oasis before I can reach you. It'll be harder in water, but it's safer if you fall and it will also help with your stamina." He spoke quietly, showing her with a quick demonstration of a half-rear and a spin, sending water flying to the side as he did.

He halted as he spotted a small, familiar figure near the bushes to the side, most likely now sprayed with water. He chuckled and shook his head, smilingly warmly at his daughter before resuming his first position in the water. He watched Ren ready herself before he launched toward her, ducking swiftly under her blows before one in particular caught him across the bridge of his nose. He halted, lowering his head and sneezing before glancing up and powering after his sparring partner.

Nose still stinging madly, he came to a halt as he realized she had made it to the end of the oasis before he had caught up to her. Blinking madly as his eyes watered from the stinging of his nose, he chuckled at her concern. "It's quite alright, I'm just getting old. Reaction times and all that. You pack a punch though, which is good. I have hope for you yet, Ren." He grinned, nudging her shoulder with his as he drew up beside her before he turned and gazed across the pool of clear liquid at his daughter. "We'll take a break now, get a drink and cool off and we'll resume in ten." He snorted, blinking the pain away as he sloshed back across the oasis toward his beloved daughter.

He emerged from the clear waters and shook himself violently, dislodging most of the water but it still left him rather damp. "Indira," He greeted the chestnut filly with a sweet nicker and a gentle nuzzle, mentally berating himself as his nose gave a sharp twinge at the physical contact. "Are you okay, sweetheart?" He asked softly, pulling the filly to his damp chest with a cheeky grin. He gently nibbled at her fluffy forelock before he took a few steps away into the oasis once more. Shooting her another cheeky grin, he dipped his muzzle into the water and flicked it at her, a clear sign that he was open to playing with her.

Kiss

The black mare sighed gently and shook her head slightly as she glanced over her shoulder at the patched figure that belonged to Salem. "Some how I doubt he'd ever harm me, Indra. Something in me just... trusts him. I grew up with him and he's never raised a hoof against me, if anything he's been there for me when no one else has been. But... the more I think about it, the less I'm sure about my feelings for him." She paused and sighed deeply, turning her warm eyes back to her friend. "I just have to wonder whether or not I'm leading him on, especially if I only see him as a good friend. And the last thing I want to do is hurt him." She snorted, turning her gaze away from the brindled mare and toward the grey stallion who was attempting to entice Indira into the water.

"You were lucky with him, you know. Very lucky." She nickered softly watching the father-daughter pair with a guarded expression. "The one thing I would never want would be for my sons and daughter to not know their father. I never knew mine, and it's made all the difference to my life when I look at how my other siblings have grown." She laughed humorlessly before shaking her head sadly. "All I can hope for is that I don't find a stallion who leaves me before or even after our foal is born." She glanced over her shoulder once more and watched her closest friend search the desert sands for any dry blades of grass that lingered there.

"But somehow I think even if that happened, Salem would step in... I don't know." She mused it thoughtfully before snorting incredulously, how would she feel if Salem had a foal with another mare and then expected her to mother it? Ridiculous and insulted, that's how. "Ignore me, I'm just broody... I imagine this is how my mother felt before she decided to have foals..." She smirked slightly at her memories of her mother disappearing off to the canyon with different stallions, no doubt she probably had a few more siblings hanging around somewhere.

[Swede]

Ren listened dubiously to Altair's instruction. How did one win a fight by running away? It didn't seem to be logical; but he was the military mastermind, so he probably knew what he was doing. It would be easier to dodge around than to try to attack him head-on at least... no doubt in proper combat she would have to directly attempt harm on someone, and probably hesitate a lot less if they were genuine enemies, but in this situation being aggressive just felt unnatural. She squared her stance, nodding once to signal she was ready, before he charged at her. Almost instinctively, Ren reared up and lashed out her hooves, backpedaling as she did so; she rotated quickly to catch herself before falling and breaking the motion smoothly into a high-stepping lope out of the water, flinching mentally as she felt one of her hooves connect in the process of turning. Stumbling on to the the bank, she peeked her head behind her nervously, eyeing Altair to ensure he wasn't harmed. He spoke reassuringly, but she still didn't feel nearly as pleased with the hit as he seemed to be. "Okay," she mumbled, deciding that perhaps a break would be good. Cooling off wasn't really necessary, since the pond was the coolest place to be in the entire desert, but she laid down and rolled vigorously in the dust to relax a little. Standing up, she shook off the loose debris, the remainder clinging to her damp coat and making her look more dun than bay. Yes, a drink would be nice...

~

Indira watched wide-eyed in fascination as the older horses duked it out in the water, their swift and powerful movement accented by the spray of water flashing in the bright sunlight. It seemed she had only caught the tail-end of their sparring session however, as they shortly thereafter slogged out of the pond and up on the sandy shore. She nodded at her father's question but before she could say anything, was pulled up to his chest. "Ah, you're all wet!" she squealed, wriggling out of his grip. Mere moments later she was splashed with water. "And now I'm all wet!" she said with a poorly crafted mask of indignation, though really thoroughly pleased at the prospect of some play time. Flicking her tail, Indira bounced into the shallows, kicking at the surface with her front hooves eagerly and making a general mess, giggling with increasing delight at the biggest splashes.

~

Indra listened to Kiss speak without interruption, but what the young mare had to say was not particularly reassuring. She had a good head on her shoulders, she wasn't an idiot, but... she was perhaps a little too willing to believe the best in others. Of course, Indra was not personally acquainted with Salem, so she could have made a wrong impression of him... but her gut feelings were seldom completely off-base. Kiss was correct in her assessment that Indra had gotten lucky in meeting Altair, however; not all mares had such good fortune. But that only strengthened her conviction that it was best to continue searching for one's best match, rather than settling with what was already there. "What you do is your choice. My advice is, if you choose him, do so because he is the right one; not because he is the nearest one," she murmured. Many mares in the past had been disappointed when seemingly tolerant stallions turned against them when presented with someone else's offspring. It was not in their nature to be pleased over the foals of others, and she doubted Salem was any different.