A Bard of Bad Weather

[toddling]

Winter had only begun and already there was the fear of an impending blizzard. For days now the snow fell from the sky like tiny feathers floating and drifting on the frigid breeze. Kthulhu raised his head and inhaled a deep breathe. The icy air filled his lungs with the sweet scents of winter and something else.. other horses were near but he could not since from where or how many. He lead his small family, a mare and her filly, through the depths of the pine forest and outward toward a clearing. The dense trees and brush helped to shield them from the biting winds but he did not want to be caught off guard with no where to run in case of danger.
What is it dear? The quiet tiny voice came from behind him. He twitched his ears
Do you not smell them? They're drawing closer to us.
Who dear?
I'm not sure. Other horses.. at least two I can distinctly smell
From behind the mare came another small shivering voice
What should we do papa? her fluffy black tail twitched nervously as she shouldered up next to her dam trying to soak in as much warmth as possible. The snow was beginning to fall faster and the temperature was dropping significantly.

Kthulhu turned his family and seeing the filly shiver so he sighed heavily. He looked around and saw a very large fir tree that had had some of the bottom limbs broken out of it.
Then he smiled at his filly.
I want you to stay warm. Scarlet, you and Kappa go huddle in that tree there. It will protect you from the wind and snow while I go see who is near us. I will be back before you know it
Scarlet began to say something but instead she only nodded and nudged her daughter int the direction of the fir. Come dear, lets get you warm. We have much more traveling ahead of us. Perhaps we shall take a nap while we wait.

Kthulhu watched as Scarlet curled up next to the filly and laid her head over her shoulder. Her big blue eyes stared loningly back at him as if begging him not to go. But he knew he had to, incase there was any chance of danger it was his job to keep them safe. So he turned and trotted off deep into the woods following the scent of the unknown travelers. As the scents grew stringer he slowed and walked gracefully through the trees. Not even the snapping of a twig could be heard from under his gently placed hooves.

Hello!? he called out in his smooth baritone voice Show yourselves! I don't know who you are, but I can smell you and if you do not come out I will find you.

[Swede]

The little group had been interrupted in their search for a home by the onset of an unusually harsh winter. With little time to waste, they had headed for the first best location, knowing that the ancient and mighty trees of the woods would protect them from the elements more than any other of the universal gathering grounds. Now, though, that protection felt like a paltry one; snow still filtered down between the treetops, and the wind whistled mockingly through every nook and cranny.

Bagheera walked at the head of the group, choosing a path with apparent discrimination and knowledge, though in all honesty she had no idea where they were going. But admitting such would label them as simply drifting in the wind, and she wasn't sure the youngsters could take much more hopelessness in their lives. The black mare glanced back over her shoulder; Stormcrow was shivering uncontrollably, and Merlin plodded along near Indy like an old plowhorse, practically dead on his feet. Both colts would be yearlings come spring, but neither really looked it. Stormcrow had never been able to put an ounce of fat on his agile but skinny frame, and Merlin had been smallish and weak since birth. Winter was a harsh test for them, and Bagheera was beginning to worry they might not pass it.

Sirius brought up the rear; bless his heart, the young stallion did his best to keep spirits high and protect the little herd. But he was young and inexperienced; he could fight off someone else his age maybe, but he couldn't hope to face a serious challenge from an older stallion, and they had been lucky to not run into any bachelor groups in their travels. Stormcrow halted for the sixteenth time in a sort of pseudo-protest, but Sirius promptly nudged his little brother forward again. Bagheera couldn't hear what he said, but it seemed to be enough to get Stormcrow to continue trudging onwards for a little while longer at least. Turning forward again, the black mare sighed heavily. Sirius might be ready to move onwards in his life, but she wasn't ready to part with him. She'd lost her sister and her niece in the past year, and neither of her sons' fathers existed anymore either. Sirius was one of the last stable points in her life.

Suddenly, a voice filtered through the trees, and Bagheera halted abruptly. The stranger was downwind it seemed, and she had not noticed his presence. But there was definitely someone out there, obscured among the trees. Friend or foe? Either way it seemed they could not slip away quietly; Merlin and Stormcrow wouldn't be fast enough, and Indy wasn't exactly miss twinkletoes anymore either, as her encounter with the dunalino stallion was starting to show some obvious results. Steeling her nerve, Bagheera took a step forward. "We are travelers," she called out guardedly, "We mean no trouble." The last thing they needed was to be attacked again, but hopefully the mysterious stranger was in a more civil mood than that.

[Saz]

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

The plodding steps of each equine eventually seemed to merge into one; their hooves rising and falling in a simple, never-ending motion as they slogged through the thin blanket of snow that had managed to filter through the thick canopy above them. The monotonous thumps had allowed Indy's mind to drift further than usual as she mindlessly followed Bagheera toward whatever life had in store for them next. Her mind had drifted many placed whilst they had been wandering but currently it was fixed on her past and what would have happened if they hadn't been tossed into the wild by accident, what if she had stayed with Cobra... What if she hadn't been so stupid as to trust that dunalino. A shiver ran through her, disgust and loathing rolling through her like a vicious tsunami, threatening to swallow everything she had been before her run in with the dunalino and warp it into an unrecognisable, bitter mare.

Shaking off her dark thoughts and bringing herself back to reality, Indy glanced behind her for a brief moment as Stormcrow halted and the group's pace faltered for the few seconds it took for Sirius to urge his little brother forth once more. She sighed deeply and took a few careful steps sideways as they continued to move forward, she felt better with Merlin closer to her. She turned her head slightly and gently nibbled his forelock in a soothing manner, more for her benefit than for his, but she hoped it provided him with some sort of comfort. She felt herself beginning to tire of the seemingly endless plodding but she could hardly question Bagheera's decisions, it would end badly, most likely for her, and though she may not show it, Indy was beginning to need them more than they needed her.

It was when a deep, masculine voice rang through the trees towards them that it truly showed. She froze before back pedalling sharply and placing Sirius between her and whoever the voice belonged to. It was at times like this that she was grateful for the young stallion, because though he wasn't particularly skilled or vicious looking, it was his presence that hopefully would deter anyone looking for trouble. She swallowed roughly, anxiety beginning to course through her, her instincts screaming at her to run, but her conscious mind overrode them in favour of staying with her herd. Her heart pounded furiously as Bagheera stepped forward to speak to the unknown stranger and thinking quickly, the mare nickered to Merlin and Stormcrow, "Boys, c'mere, we may as well keep warm if we're stopping." She spoke softly, loud enough for the two youngsters to hear, but not loud enough for the stranger to hear. Truthfully, Indy just wanted Merlin close by to anchor her to the situation, to stop her from losing it completely and fleeing into the unknown; which was beginning to look more and more appealing with each minute that passed.

[toddling]

Kthulhu paused for a moment. Did his ears deceive him? Had a mare's voice called back to him? This was not normal, he was sure he smelled multiple horses here and for a mare to call back meant one of two things. Either there was no stallion, or it was a trap and really it could go either way.

The question of whether or not he would be able to defend himself was not a question but none the less there was a constant prodding in the back of his mind reminding him that there was a filly of which was the utmost importance to keep her safe.

He continued forward toward the sound of the ringing voice. "We mean no harm." Her voice wavered as she called back to him. He could smell a stallion among the ranks and he could just picture a big black sadistic stallion with his teeth grabbing tight against her telling her every word to say. His ears twitched and flicked forward and back listening all around him for anything that may be out of place. "How many are with you?" he trudged on hooves plopping lightly in the thickening snow He wanted to keep the conversation going so he could find them before they had a chance to make a move on him. His muscled body moved easily through the thick of the trees his heavy hooves landing ever so gently on the previously untouched snow.

After what felt like much too long of a pause the mare's voice rang clear - two mares and three foals of unknown age. and eldest son could be anything from a yearling on. He narrowed his eyes. That would explain the smell, but he kept his guards raised. "Where is your stallion?" His baritone voice called through the trees. He knew he was getting closer, now all he had to do was actually find them. The snow was falling harder now in wispy sheets through the trees and chunks of snow fell from the branches over head.

Aha! North East from where he stood he knew he would find the band. He shook hard so no snow would be clinging to him as he approached. He wanted to look as intimidating as possible ans thus he flexed his muscles and curved his neck deeply. He would not be taken lightly if this was a set up. - So her 'son' takes care of the threats huh? Well, we will see about that. By the sound of the voice they had presumably not moved since the conversation had started. Suddenly, just barely in sight he could make out three large forms. He tucked his chin and cantered heavily toward the group. Hooves now pounding heavily against the cold earth pushing through the snow and thudding against the hard ground. He wanted them to hear every hoof beat not unlike the pounding of war drums. His alabaster mane and tail whipped behind him and the cold air stung his nostrils and his ears. But as he grew nearer He was surprised by what he saw.. two mares. One of whom was quite obviously pregnant and terrified. two scrawny foals. and a rather scrawny stallion who appeared to be too old to be with his mother and yet too scrawny to join the ranks of a bachelor band.

When he was about 30 feet away from the group the halted. Muscled body still flexed, majestic neck arched with all the brutish charm a stallion should possess. But for a moment he was silent, words just would not come to him and after a long moments pause he relaxed himself and eased toward the small herd of frightened equines.

[Swede]

Uncertainty hung in the air as they awaited the stranger's appearance; after earlier events, the group had become far more wary of unknown stallions. Merlin and Stormcrow obediently scuttled closer to Indy, peeking around her anxiously in order to be sure they were on the far side from wherever the mysterious voice was coming from.

Sirius glanced back as Indy took shelter behind him. That's right... he wasn't a child anymore, he couldn't hide in the shadow of the mares like Merlin and Stormcrow did. Prepared for it or not, he was the one who defended them now. Taking a deep breath, the long-legged young stallion stepped forward until he was half a pace ahead of his mother. As lead mare of the band, Bagheera was the one with the wisdom and the level head they needed right now, but though she was best suited to handle the talking, it wasn't wise to make it seem as though they didn't have any muscle to back them up.

And then the master of the mysterious voice appeared in the flesh. Sizing him up, Sirius' unpracticed eye could at least tell that this one was quite tall and thickly built for a mustang; he did not, however, to be that much older than Sirius himself. In height and speed, Sirius figured he held an advantage, though his thoroughbred sire had thinned him out some; perhaps in the event of a fight, it would come down to experience instead. Though he'd at least been born wild, the black sabino hadn't battled many stallions in the past, just skirmished once or twice with other colts during his brief stint as a roaming loner; what this other fellow was capable of was difficult to tell.

A moment of silence passed, as the little band watched the stranger, and he watched them back. Sirius tensed slightly as the pinto began to come closer; his body language didn't suggest any aggressive tendencies, but he wasn't going to take any chances where his family was concerned.

Bagheera flicked her gaze to Sirius, and then back to the stranger. "You've asked us questions, now it's our turn," she said, refusing to be intimidated; she figured if you didn't make yourself look like someone to take advantage of, others were less likely to try. "Who are you? What do you want?"

[Saz]

She stood silent and terrified with her back to a nearby tree, Sirius in front of her and Merlin and Stormcrow snuggled into her side. Her teeth gritted and she had to lock her legs to stop herself from anxiously shifting from hoof to hoof. Her throat tightened and her heart beat thunderously, feeling as though it was attempting to beat right out of her chest and away into the darkly shadowed forest. She began worrying her bottom lip between her teeth as Bagheera began answering questions that the unknown stallion called from the trees before them. She was beginning to reach the end of her tether when the unknown stallion finally found them, emerging from the trees at a speedy lope, his head tucked in and his broad form one that sent terror flooding through her body. It didn't help that he was similarly colored to the dunalino. At that thought she forced herself to look away from the new stallion and instead concerned herself with Merlin and Stormcrow. "Are you two okay?" She asked quietly, only loud enough for the two colts to hear her as she curled her head down and gently lipped at Merlin's forelock before doing the same to his brother.

((OOC: Indy's not doing too much for the moment, hence the rather awful post. It'll be better next time, I promise. >.<))