Uneasy Lies the Head That Wears a Crown

[Swede]

Winter had come and gone, and though the little herd had suffered from the cold and the scarcity of food as much as anyone else, nothing extraordinarily disastrous had occurred, and life rolled onwards into spring. As the days grew longer, the temperatures rose and grass became more plentiful. They could breathe out for a bit now, at least as far as the elements were concerned.

Other matters occupied the rugged buckskin's mind, however. As he strode through the territory on one of his usual patrols, guarding his boundaries from intruders and keeping an eye on his herd, he couldn't help but feel as though they were teetering on instability. The older colts were usually scarce, but they still popped in now and then; but it was time they left to live their own lives, and if he saw them again, most likely he would drive them off more decisively. He raised his sons, sure, but he didn't harbor other stallions, and they were old enough to take care of themselves. As for the mares... apart from Ryan, they were all so young. That in itself wasn't anything bad, but Ryan was the only one who really had the experience needed to keep a herd in order, and she hadn't been herself lately. She was frequently withdrawn and did not interact much with the others, and it felt like there was still a rift between them; murdering Mojave hadn't exactly removed the tensions she had been causing, and instead made him wary of Ryan's own stability.

Shaking out his dark mane, he completed his loop, returning to the place near the falls where the herd most frequently congregated. Perhaps it was time to seek out another mare or two, someone with intelligence and wisdom, and the strength to lead if it became necessary. But he wanted to spend some time with his herd first, and get a general feel for how things really were in his territory.

[Dusty's Girl]

Golden and Snowy grazed a little ways away from each other, but when they heard the hoot beats of their lead stallion, both lifted their heads to watch him. Snowy had grown comfortable with their leader and soon walked over to him. "Warrior, what is bothering you?" she softly asked him. Lifting her head from grazing, she smiled at him. "If there is anything Golden and I could do, let us know." she said. It hadn't take Snowy long to get use to Warrior, though everyone else, she was skittish with them.

(Decided to just play her in here. I can always make more horses. lol)

NaRaya had wondered into an unknown land and sighed heavily as she glanced around. She hoped she could get use to living as just a herd member and not a lead mare at all. Shaking her chocolate coat, she let out a nicker, hoping to get the right horse or horses and not the wrong ones. NaRaya glanced at her side, a habit she had yet to break since Lace had died.

[Swede]

A half-smile crossed Warrior's muzzle as Snowy approached him. It was good to see that she was settling in and seemed to be feeling more relaxed. "Hey Snow," he said quietly. "Eh, not much really. I'm told I worry more than is necessary. It's just... Ryan's been so distant lately, I don't know if she can really handle being lead mare of this herd anymore. It seems like whenever things are finally starting to look normal, we run into some sort of trouble." He sighed, and shook his head. "It'll work itself out, I'm sure. Things usually do, one way or another. But I can't deny I'll be happier once things get a bit more stabilized-"

He paused mid-sentence at the sound of a stranger's nicker among the trees. "I'll be right back," he said, his tone wary; the unknown voice seemed to be friendly, and didn't sound like the challenge of an intruder, but you could never be too sure of strangers. They weren't always what they at first appeared to be. Turning, he made his way among the trees, and it was not long before an unfamiliar mare came into view. Warrior exhaled, relaxing slightly; mares were much more rarely a threat than stallions were. Frankly, whenever a stallion did cross his path, Warrior usually just ran them off without hesitation; it was easier that way, never giving them the chance to double-cross you. "Hello?" he said, halting a few paces away as he watched her with a mix of caution and curiosity.

[Dusty's Girl]

Snow had smiled at Warrior. "I don't think you worry to much, not with the kind of herd you already have." she said to him as she looked over to her best friend whom was grazing happily. "There are always things to watch out for and that needs to be jumped over but things work out at some point in our lives." she added. She was going to add something but she watched as Warrior headed to see who was in his land. She hoped it would be someone that her and her best friend could come to be good friends with.

NaRaya had lifted her head to the stallion and smiled almost sadly to him. Knowing he was lead stallion to this land, she lowered her head in respect to him. "I am sorry for intruding; I have been wondering all winter for a safe place. Lost my filly during my travels." she said to him. "I am NaRaya, but Ray or Raya for short." she added as she came to stand a few feet away from him. Stretching her muzzle out to him, she greeted him like she would any other horse whom entered her land many times.

[Swede]

Warrior studied the mare curiously for a moment. She looked like your typical feral stock, rugged and accustomed to the ways of the wild, but not unattractive. He preferred them that way; in strength and hardiness equated to beauty in his eyes. She looked mature, certainly well into her adult years, but not old. A mare in her prime, though perhaps a little worn by the after-effects of winter and travel, but otherwise in good health.

Snorting softly, he extended his muzzle in reciprocal pleasant greeting, relaxed now that he knew the intruder was not a threat. “I am sorry about your filly,” the buckskin stallion said quietly. The loss of a foal was a harsh blow, but unfortunately the wilderness was cruel enough that such a thing was something you always had to be ready for, and be able to move on from if and when it happened. “My name is Warrior; it’s a pleasure to meet you. Don’t worry about intruding, we are a small herd and as long as you don’t mean any harm we have plenty of space and grass to share with a visitor. If you’re looking for a safe place, I suppose this territory is as good as any. I can introduce you to the others who live here, if you like.” Out in more open spaces, Warrior might hearken to the behavior of his ancestors and be a bit more territorial and studdish in recruiting a mare to his herd, but within the confines of his own land and with no rivals nearby, it was quite relaxing to just take things in a more slow and pleasant manner.

[Dusty's Girl]

NaRaya watched the stallion; but she felt relaxed within this land with a stallion over looking their protection. "Thank you Warrior, I do not know if ny of your mares ever lost a foal, but it is a hard thing to over come, but for the reason I do not regret....as for how I lost her, if I had a stallion of worth at our sides, I doubt it would have happened. But that is a story possibly for another time." Looking around, NaRaya lifted her head and smiled to herself. "I would be honored to stay in your land for as long as you allow me too." she said to him.

Snow had vanished to her best friends side and smiled to her. "I think we have a new member by the way Warrior is acting." she said. The golden mare had lifted her head and smiled. "Well go, it may make him worry a little less." Golden had said. She really had hoped that Warrior may have found someone to help him through the hard times a little more than they could; maybe someone who knew hard times. "Well from what I over heard, she knows a lot of how life is, I think I heard how she lost a filly of hers. Poor thing." Snow had whispered with a shake of her head. Golden had seen mares in their herd lose foals most of the time with the harshness of the weather, she couldn't even begin to think how it would affect someone.

[Swede]

Warrior remained quiet as NaRaya spoke of her loss. He was no stranger to such events; long ago, before he claimed this land and had still been wandering with his old herd after their homeland was ruined, they had lost foals both to predators and the harshness of the wild. He'd had his mares taken from him by opportunistic stallions, and been abandoned when they felt his injuries would slow them down too much. Warrior didn't blame them for that; in fact, he had encouraged them to set off on their own, as waiting for him to come limping along in the middle of winter had been too risky. Still, he hadn't enjoyed the parting. Even since settling here, he had lost mares. Death and separation could come at any time, and did not care whether you were ready for it or not; even though one could learn to handle it, that didn't make it less painful. NaRaya appeared to have a mature outlook on such things, at least. The worst thing one could do after such a traumatic event was to break down completely, at a moment when more than ever you needed to be strong.

Upon hearing her decision, the grizzled stallion smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. Come this way, I'll introduce you to the others who live here. Snow and Golden should be nearby, I think they'll be happy for some fresh company... Topaz, my son, should be around somewhere but he's been exploring a bit more on his own lately, so perhaps he'll join us later," he said, motioning with his muzzle to lead NaRaya back towards the rest of the herd.

[Dusty's Girl]

NaRaya smiled to Warrior and followed him, he seemed like he was a good leader and he had offered her a place to stay and some comfort. She knew all to well how stallions could be. "I see you have had your share of fights and victories as well as losses." she said as she watched him move. Trotting a little she had come to walk beside Warrior and looked over the land that had become her home.

When Snowy and Golden heard Warrior's hooves, they both looked up and saw that there was another palomino that had come to be in the herd; the two smiled and soon raced from where they were to only stop about 30 feet from him. "I see we have a new member." Golden said with her head held high and playful. Golden never meant any harm when she lifted her head so high, but Snowy just laughed. "I and Snowy River, or Snowy for short and this is my best friend Golden Light, or Golden as she is called." Snowy said as she greeted the new mare. "Hello Snowy, Golden, I am NaRaya, Ray or Raya for short." the chocolate palomino said with a smile. NaRaya felt so comfortable with the two mare, she just wondered how Topaz would take to her, though it really didn't matter to her. She had be through a lot and had so many hate her for how most stallions had taken to her and wanted her as their own.

[Saz]

The dark colt was careful where to place his hooves as he slowly crept toward the small clearing in front of him, he had been tracking a small herd of deer that were passing through the territory but every time he had gotten close to them they had spooked and fled. Finally he reached the bushes and halted, shifting his weight quietly as he observed the quiet herd in front of him. Deer were a rare sight this close to the falls, but he remembered the last, and first, time he had seen them; It had been when he was only a few months old, out on a daily walk with his mother when the herd had rushed past them, barely glancing at the mare and foal as they traveled through the territory. He remembered the grace and fluidity they had displayed with each leaping stride they made, the entire herd had acted almost as one creature, each animal moving in sync with its neighbor. It was one of his favourite memories he had of his mother, however it was hard to think of any nicer memories without remembering her death.

The young stallion shook his head determinedly and focused upon the deer in front of him, watching the fawns tussling in the long grass, and the does grazing hungrily in an attempt to put back on the weight that was so urgently needed. His gaze then traveled to the magnificent stag that stood stock still, observing his herd and occasionally taking a bite of the grass surrounding him. It was interesting the comparisons one could make between deer and horses, but one major difference was that Topaz found most horses to be far more stubborn and likely to take a bite out of you than any deer he had ever seen. Though, as he thought about it, there was always an exception to every rule. Exhaling quietly, Topaz lifted a hoof and placed it sharply down upon a nearby twig, snapping it cleanly in half before he stepped forward out of the bushes. The effect was almost immediate as the herd flinched away from the sound, the fawns locating their mothers with quick strides before they all took off into the far bushes. The colt smiled ruefully and shook his head once more, the only sound he uttered was a quiet, melancholy sigh.

Bobbing his head, the young stallion turned and began to wander back toward the main clearing, he had been exploring for the better part of the day, and although Warrior knew he could take care of himself, Topaz was sure that the rugged stallion worried about him to some extent at least. Topaz was slowly beginning to grow out of the awkward yearling faze and into a solid young stallion. As an interesting mix of arabian and mustang, he was stocky but with a slightly dished face and a sort of odd elegance to his pace, and there was little doubt that he would be handsome when he was older, just in a rugged way, like his sire. After a short walk, he found his way to a well worn path that encircled the territory in a horseshoe shape, with each end of the path meeting the rock face on either side of the waterfall. As he reached the worn path, he sped up into a lope, stretching his long legs out with each stride to allow himself a bit of energy release before he reached the rest of the herd. Though, the herd wasn't that big, Ryan had disappeared, as had his two older brothers, and Hope had taken her leave in early spring. This left the herd depleted to just himself, Warrior and the two mares, Snowy and Golden. Thus he usually left the mares to themselves and explored on his own or he occasionally accompanied his sire short distances around the territory or helped to check the boundaries.

Slowing to an easy jog, the youngster shook his unruly forelock from his dark eyes, automatically checking around him for any sign of the herd as he broke from the thick treeline. With one sweep of his gaze, he immediately spotted the shimmering palomino coat of Golden, and then the bright white coat of Snowy. He followed their gaze to the opposite side of the clearing, where his sire had just emerged with a new mare following closely. Topaz slowed to a casual saunter and continued toward the small group, allowing the new mare to acquaint herself with Snowy and Golden before he introduced himself. Once close enough, he nickered to the group, smiling gently at Golden and Snowy before nodding respectfully to Warrior and halting a short distance away, not wishing to step on anyone's toes, after all, he had seen his sire's wrath exhibited upon both his brothers whenever they had decided to reappear for a short time. And as he grew older, he slowly became more of a threat to Warrior, even if he didn't really have much of a drive to steal anything that belonged to his father, mares included.

[Swede]

Warrior took a step back to allow the mares to become acquainted with each other. He observed the proceedings with a watchful eye. Cohesion is crucial for a herd to function well and be able to survive. It was not at all a guarantee that a herd would take to a new mare easily, and in some cases conflicts could ensue over everything from squabbles over pecking order to jealousy to just plain poor chemistry between personalities. This was luckily not such a situation, it seemed, as Snowy and Golden greeted NaRaya with eagerness and she in turn seemed more than happy to get along. Perhaps they too sensed the need for a more experienced mare to help guide the herd forward. Or perhaps they simply appreciated the company and a pleasant change of pace.

His keen senses were quick to pick up on Topaz's approach. The colt was growing quickly, and Warrior was evaluating him on a daily basis; thus far he had remained docile, respectful, harmless. And even if a sudden rebellious streak were to flare up, he was still at a size and weight where Warrior could put him in his place without much effort. In time that would change, but today at least things seemed as well as ever. Even under Warrior's strict criteria and heightened wariness in the spring and summer months, Topaz was an exemplary and well-behaved youngster.

Warrior greeted his son with an amenable nod, reinserting himself into the conversation. "Topaz, I want you to meet NaRaya. She will be staying here with us so please treat her well-not that I think you wouldn't, of course. Raya, this is my son Topaz whom I mentioned earlier. My other sons are grown and have left the territory to seek their own fortunes so it's unlikely you'll ever meet them. Topaz is still quite young so he's still living here for now."

[Dusty's Girl]

NaRaya smiled as she noticed Topaz. "Hello Topaz." she said as she reached her muzzle over to the colt. Turning back to Warrior she nodded, "I have had a few colts that left the herd when it was time. Not an easy thing to watch your young ones leave, but it gives comfort to know that they will live and carry on the bloodline." That was how Raya thought most of the time, she tried to see the good in life rather than the bad. Though granted she knew of the bad things and tried to accept them. The loss of Lace had taught her that and still the sting of it was within her heart. Blinking, her blue eyes shone with un-shed tears, though she tried to blink them away.

Snowy and Golden looked at each other; they had seen the tears an nodded, they would help the new mare accept what loss she had gone through. "welcome to the herd Raya, I am sure you'll love this place as we have come too." Golden said as she nuzzled the chocolate palomino. Snowy on the other hand smiled came to stand next to Raya. Whispering, she said to NaRaya, "We understand your loss, we have seen it happen many times." The Snow white mare smiled softly and then left to graze some more, but she greeted Topaz before she did so.
Golden on the other had had went to stand beside Topaz and nipped at him playfully. She was more still more like a filly than a full grown mare.

[Mouse]

Ryan trotted through the well worn path. She was back. She had left not able to handle what she had done to Mojave. Ryan was a strong horse but killing someone else had really effected the mare. She was sure that Warrior would have moved on if she was him in his position she would never forgive him. She had no where else to go and with spring here so would the unborn foal she had left with. The mare slowed has she saw the first glimpse of Warrior; her heart skipped a beat. She closed her eyes for a second she did not really remember any of the other horses from when she had left so long ago. If she was younger and more foolish she would run up and make herself known but Ryan had never been that type. She shook her head looking down at the ground she should have never returned.

[Swede]

Warrior flicked an ear, distracted from the others by a barely noticeable scent that hadn't been there a few minutes before, and the faintest sound of approaching hoofbeats. Tensing slightly, he turned away from the group, prepared to investigate whatever stranger intruded upon his territory. But when he caught sight of the individual, he quickly realized it was no stranger at all. Leaving the little herd, he strode towards the familiar old mare, confused and happy and wary all at once. "Ryan?" he said, looking her up and down as if struggling to believe it really was her. "You're... back." She had killed another of his mares and shattered his trust, but he had cared greatly for her nonetheless, and feared for her safety in her absence... to see her back now was odd, to say the least. She was alive and it was wonderful, but still that suspicion nagged at the back of his mind, wondering whether he could really trust her, or if she was a danger to the others. "Where have you been all this time?" he asked, his voice softening slightly.

[Dusty's Girl]

Golden and Snowy had both moved off farther from the return of Ryan, but they glanced at Raya who started over to stand next to Warrior but had not said a word. the two young mares looked at each other and mentally sighed. What would happen with the appearance of Ryan and would there be a challenge for lead mare once more? So many unanswered questions raced through their minds and they whispered back and forth to each other; a bad habit that they always had.

Raya knew from past experiences that there were always cases like this, though as a she was new to the herd, she would let Warrior take the lead and she would back him with what ever choice he would make. Softly touching Warrior's side, she hoped to give him some assurance that he was not alone.

[Saz]

The seal bay colt nodded in greeting to the new mare, meeting her greeting with a gentle touch of his muzzle to hers. He blinked slowly, evaluating the situation before him and then speaking quietly, "It's lovely to meet you, NaRaya, I hope you find a lovely home here." He nickered, smiling gently at the herd's new lead mare. The young stallion took a few steps back as Golden and Snowy then spoke and introduced themselves to the chocolate palomino. Topaz playfully flattened his ears and dodged away from Golden's nip, he snorted, grinning before freezing as a familiar scent appeared in the territory. He loosed a large sigh, moving away from the herd and back into the shadows of the clearing, he would much rather stay out of this new event. After all, they had lost a herd member the last time Ryan was here.