Fire In The Snows

[Snappin' Turtle]

Her sides were already pleasantly bulging, a clear sign that she was with foal. Brook was elated. She was finally going to have a foal to call her own! She was going to be a mother, but the responsibility scared her, though her sister Cloud always assured her that it wasn't as hard as the grulla thought it was. Ah, her sister. Their parents had taken off, and Kevlar, Zania, and Kerala had all disappeared without a trace. Cloud had told her that if they had arrived a day later that she would've gone, to find a new life. Brook raised her head and let out a nicker to her sister, before starting over, a smile upon her maw as she nipped at her shoulder cheekily.

She had been distraught. Kevlar had left her, not to mention her parents. How could she have stopped it, what had she done wrong? Was it something about Enapay? No, he was absolutely perfect. The little grey colt was now nearly a yearling, his legs still as long and spindly as ever, if not more so. Cloud had been at the end of her rope when Brook and Inferno had come along. If they hadn't, she would have left in hopes of finding a new home. Inferno was kind and Enapay took to him easily, and his territory was sheltered from the snow, and the river provided all the water that they could ever drink. At her sister's call, Cloud smiled and raised her head from the patch of clover and chuckled softly as Brook nipped at her shoulder.

[Saz]

The young stallion glanced over his mares with a warm smile, he nodded to Orion as he caught the painted stallion's eye, before glancing warily over his shoulder toward the entrance of the terra. Phantom had not yet come back, though perhaps he had found shelter from the snows in his father's terra. He knew that the silver black was going up toward his parent's terra, possibly for a visit, or perhaps to scout out a potential terra once he got a few mares. Inferno was never quite sure what went on in Phantom's head, he was a introverted individual, rarely seeking active conversation and most often found lingering in the shadows of the trees, silently watching over the herd.

Cinder lay in the thicker covering of the trees, head curled over one leg, eyes shut to the bright world beyond the trees. She finally had time to relax, now that everyone bar Phantom was back, they could keep an easy eye upon Galadriel and the other foals, giving her time away from the foals, and allowing her to finally get some much needed rest. The slender cream filly wasn't far away, however. Hopping from foot to foot before bounding forward a stride in the snow. Every so often she would snap at a falling snowflake, eyes bright with wonder at this new weather and this new experience. She would even rear sometimes before bringing her forelegs down and deep into the small build up of snow.

Shaking herself, she glanced up from her play and spotted Enapay not far away, grinning broadly, the filly burst away from the snow, slipping slightly on the iced patches before recovering and continuing to bolt toward the young colt. She skittered to a halt before him and cheekily nipped at his mane before gesturing toward the snow pile. "C'mon, Enapay, come play!" She cawed, crow-hopping once more before turning and bolting back toward the pile, not bothering to see if he was following her or not.

Orion snorted as he watched Galadriel's antics, he then lifted his head and nickered to Maple and their adopted son. Taking a few steps closer to the pair, he rested his muzzle against Maple's neck before smiling gently at Hawthorn. "Hawthorn, why don't you go join Galadriel and Enapay. I'm sure they'd love to play." He nickered gently, giving the colt a careful nudge toward the cream filly and the greying colt.

[Captain Stumpy]

The Air had a sharp coolness to it, the snow was settling on the grass in a pretty manor. Aspen had lost all sense of pretty, Her monstrous son had remained alive thanks only to her ungrateful sister and her two-faced spouse.
the Red-Dun had festered her hate from the tree-line, rarely breaking down to the clearing with the other horses and almost never talking to them. Orion may have made it clear that she wasn't to kill her own son But Aspen was still at war with Hunter and Hawthorn and Orion were both Hunter's offspring so both enemy's to her. She had to find a way of removing them both, and the unborn heathen sucking the life from Maple's naïve belly.
She stood, her rump to a tree hunched over watching the herd from the shadow of the tree's. Her mind playing over and over the death of hunter and the fall of the island prison that was all that brought a smile to her face these days.


Maple smiled warmly at Orion as he touched her, Hawthorn had grown well from his scrawny beginnings. She admired the growing colt before her eyes looked up to Orion lovingly. "Hawthorn is going to make a wonderful big brother She smiled to Onion as she turned to press her spotted muzzle onto her extending belly.

Hawthorn didn't need to be told twice to go play, he darted away from his parents, skipping along the way till he was between Galadriel and Enapay. He nipped at the golden filly's rear end playfully before striking the air with his front hooves. "Race to the river!" He shouted, already bombing off taking a early lead.

[Snappin' Turtle]

Brook looked over to where her palomino stallion was standing, a small smile upon her maw before finally pawing some of the snow out of the way so that she could graze, gradually widening the hole so that Cloud could eat as well. The grulla mare glanced up as Galadriel came over, snapping at Enapay's tuft of a mane playfully. He looked up at his mom, who nodded slightly before he bounded off after her. "Gets him out of our hair for a bit." the lead mare murmered to her sister playfully, who shook her head in false exasperation.

The greying colt shot after the filly after his mother nodded, a grin spread across his youthful face. "I'm gonna get you!" he called, laughing as he hopped through the snow. It was weird. He'd walked on sand his whole life, and then to suddenly be faced with trees and snow was just a.. change. A true change. He stopped and looked after Hawthorn's retreating back before letting out a huff and racing after the colt. He couldn't let him show him up!

[Saz]

The palomino giggled brightly, playfully kicking at Hawthorn as he nipped at her before she followed him eagerly toward the river. With less weight as she was by far the most slender of the trio, she managed to keep up with both colts, her head high and a bright grin across her face. She was oblivious to the silent competition that Hawthorn and Enapay were having as she stretched her legs, enjoying the soft crunching sound her hooves made as they came down upon what was left of the snow. Spring had come early this year, melting everything that could be melted but when it was night the winter came back and refroze everything, leaving a thin sheen on all the leaves and the grass.

Tossing her head, the now-yearling skidded to a slippery stop before she ended up in the river and danced in place, eager to spend her pent-up energy. "Grr!" She growled playfully and launched herself at Hawthorn, nipping playfully at his face and ears before she spun away from him and leapt towards Enapay. She did the same thing to him before spinning away from him and high-tailing it across the clearing, tail high in the air as she glanced behind her at the two colts. "C'mon slowpokes, you gonna come get me or what?" She called to them, a mischievous glint in her hazel eyes.

--

Mulling over a few deep thoughts, the palomino stallion took a careful bite of the dewy grass beneath his hooves. He glanced up, chewing thoughtfully before swallowing swiftly and becoming tense as he caught movement in the trees. He relaxed as the familiar metallic pelt of his friend came into view. He smiled as Phantom glanced to the mares and then to the yearlings before wandering toward his friend. The silver black stallion was thinner than usual and had a few new scars and scabs from his brief excursion from the rainforest terra. "Where've you been then?" Inferno asked his friend, a bright grin on his face and internally he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Around." He replied with a small grin of his own before giving his golden friend a nudge. "I just wandered for a while. Figured since I've been gone for all of winter that I should come back and let you know I'm alright before you sent out a search party. I'll only stay for a short while though, I need to go see my old man and see how he's getting on. Also, if you or any of the others go to Wild Woods at any point soon, be very careful, there's a pack of wolves roaming over there." He snorted, shaking out his flaxen mane before glancing over to where Brook and an unfamiliar mare were standing.

"I see you've been busy." He commented, a small smirk on his face as he passed his gaze over Brook's swollen stomach. "Uh, I guess so. Brook and I visited her family, but her parents had vanished along with her sister's stallion. Cloud is the mare standing beside her, she's her older sister. So I offered her and her son sanctuary here. Enapay is the grey yearling, and admittedly they both fit in here well." He spoke smoothly, his gaze travelling over the two painted sisters before resting upon the yearlings as they played.

Phantom followed his gaze, noting the new additions to the herd with a gentle smile. "I'm glad everything and everyone is okay. Just be careful and keep an eye out. Maple's sister, Aspen might prove to be a danger to the foals. So just make sure you keep an eye on her." He nickered, glancing into the trees with a mildly concerned look on his face before he shook off his uneasiness. "I'm gonna go keep Cinder company. I'll see you around." He nickered, nodding to Inferno before striding toward the prone cremello mare.

Inferno's gaze followed his friend as he moved through the terra, and then with a snort he took another bite of grass before wandering toward Brook and Cloud. "Afternoon ladies." He greeted jovially, nuzzling Cloud's shoulder before affectionately running his muzzle down Brook's neck and resting it on her bulging sides. "How are you and the foal?" He asked softly, his eyes warm as he met hers.

[Snappin' Turtle]

The grey colt chuckled, kicking up his back hooves before chasing after the palomino filly. He skidded a bit on the river bank but quickly regained his footing, huffing as she took off across the clearing. "I'm not slow!" Enapay called before galloping after her, circling around his mother and his aunt in his chase. He couldn't get beat by a girl.. how degrading would that be? Though, the older mares nipped him into line all the time.. but with Galadriel it was a different matter altogether.

The grulla painted mare smiled as the palomino stallion came over and she whickered to him. Her sister looked a bit more uncomfortable around Inferno, but Brook knew that she'd loosen up over time, maybe even decide to breed with him. "We're both great, its been kicking all the time." the younger sister replied, chuckling softly before a grimace crossed her face. "I-I, must go.. keep Cloud company." she huffed before turning to slip into the trees, wandering before finding what appeared to be a safe place before laying down.
Brook stood, weaving on her hooves for a moment before steadying herself and looking down at her firstborn. A colt. A grin split the mare's face and she leaned down to lick him off, helping him to his hooves. "Forest Fire." she said, before the colt toddlied off towards the sound of voices from the clearing. Her eyes widened and she moved forward to cut him off, shaking her head. He was a spunky little thing, that was for sure.