Promises To Keep...

[Swede]

A young grullo stallion trotted along the riverbank, followed closely by an older blue roan. Both had a similar build, though the grullo was slightly more refined. But they were quite clearly related. In a nearby stand of trees, a dun mare watched from afar. But she had already said her goodbyes; it was time for the father to send off the son, as it should be.

The moving pair slowed to a gentle halt, standing in the breeze- kissed spring grass. For a moment, the both gazed across the river pensively. Then, the roan cleared his throat.

"You sure you want to go?" he asked quietly, directing the words to Kaino only. In the trees, the dun mare turned and vanished. It was difficult to see her first-born leave her.

The grullo nodded. "I made a promise that I still need to fulfill. And even though the wild runs in my blood, that human is the closest thing to my heart, second only to you and mother. It's not so much a choice, as a requirement. I must leave." For a moment, Kaino hesitated, then added, "I grew up without a father. And no, I don't blame you," he said hastily as Kahuna glanced away, face full of guilt, "But I would kind of like to have that feeling, you know, I mean..." He trailed off helplessly.

But Kahuna understood, and smiled and nodded. "So this is goodbye, the?" His son nodded. "But you'll come visit us, sometime in the future." Another nod. The stallion bowed his head, and when he lifted it, he reared and met Kaino in a momentary clash, before both came down and the father ran off the son, chasing him, ears pinned, upstream and away from Sunshine River. After a minute, he slowed, but Kaino kept going, homeward bound.

Kahuna watched, long after Kaino was gone from view. Then, he turned away with a sigh. All he had left was Serena, and though she had been brought back to him from the dead, it was still lonely. And he was still a stallion, and his father's son, and it was his instinct to have a herd. Faust was technically still around, though she was distant and withdrawn, and never spoke anymore. Bullet had vanished, but she had never seemed to integrate properly. And Rose was missing as well. He missed her the most, probably- the one mare who had ever believed in him after Serena, bringing him back from the brink of insanity. He lowered his head to graze, trying to enjoy the spring air even though something was tugging at his heart.

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

[flyff]

A furious and tear-ridden mare came galloping blindly into Sunshine River. She broke the near-silence of such a peaceful, beautiful spring morning... the sun drying early-morning mist from the air, the dew slowly fading off verdant blades of grass, sweet and ready to be cropped short by the many mares and stallions who would pass through here this day. It was all to stiflingly cheerful and perfect for her... it was all too good.

How can the world be so good if I... me!... How can everything be so perfect and happy and beautiful if I've been abandoned? Aeromina thought angrily to herself. She was angry at everything... angry at the day for being so perfect when she was so miserable, angry at herself for crying tears, for being so weak... but most of all, angry at the stallion who had taken her in and complimented and pampered her to her full heart's extent, just as she'd always dreamed, and then just... just... left! She had been the led mare of the lead herd in a simply enormous territory, meaning she'd have lots of mares to gossip with, and what had he done? Droom had simply left, gone, good-bye!

There was something very incredibly wrong with that, Aeromina decided, coming to a skidding stop near the bank. She was too upset, to frustrated, to even stoop and drink. There was something very wrong. Very very wrong.

[Swede]

Kahuna, startled, raised his head abruptly. He had been lost in thought, plagued by cruel memories and deep worries for the future. His only son had just left, for a human, and though the stallion respected that love he would never be able to understand it. Humans had nearly taken Serena away from him forever, and his home and family destroyed. At this point, he would be happy even for his father to come along and beat him back into shape. What kind of stallion are you? You used to be strong, and tough, fighting the other bachelors every day and earning dad's respect. But now you're just a girl thingy who frets over the tiniest thing. His train of thought was blown away in the tumultous arrival of a clearly distraught mare. Sensitive creatures they were, and either this one had been particularly slighted, or she was more flighty than the rest. Carefully, he stepped forward a little bit and called, "Excuse me, ma'am... er, do you need help?" He felt foolish. He always did in this place. No one acted normal, like back home.

[flyff]

The white mare was startled out of her furious thoughts by the soft voice of a stallion. She turned, her beautiful blue eyes flashing fiercely. She opened her mouth to tell him curtly to go away, but found herself unable to. An older stallion, undoubtedly... a blue roan. Rather handsome. Of course, this might not have mattered to all... or, indeed, most... mares, but appearances were everything to Aeromina. They were everything her life had ever been about. About being the most beautiful in the land. About being pampered, coveted, envied, and all the rest of it... and her life's dream was to have it all back again. And yet, her pride did not let her go back to old herd to take it all back, for she knew that she had once sworn to herself she would never go back, never look behind her at those stinking, unappreciative little...

However, she quickly jerked herself out of her furious thoughts, realizing that it might be slightly rude to drift off while the kindly-looking stallion had just asked her a question. Since when has a fatal beauty life yourself ever needed manners? the mare asked herself with a huff. However, nonetheless, she decided it would be best to reply.

Tossing her silky white mane out of her eyes, she announced haughtily, and rather coldly "You needn't trouble yourself, sir." Aeromina decided that the last things she needed was another stallion that would simply abandon her.

[Swede]

Kahuna raised an eye. "There's no need to be heroic in your misery. Or proud, whichever be the case. I'm in no hurry to go anywhere; and to be quite frank, you're disturbing the peace." He was typically blunt, not one to beat around the bush for whatever reason. Quite suddenly, a powerful voice in the back of his mind commanded, Claim her, you wimp! That's what you were raised as, not the old sap you've become! The stallion ignored it. Maybe his father really was speaking from the land of the dead. Maybe Kahuna was insane. But he was not going to give in to his father's ideals and pressure that he had lived by. Some had admired the desert herds for their tough ways and strength, but Kahuna knew better. He had lived there, as a colt in his father's herd- just about the hardest it could get. He would never forget those times when the older stallion had attacked him as a yearling, driven him out and beaten toughness into him. It had left both physical and mental scars- no doubt he was a better leader for it, but he was also filled with resentment to the one horse he should have admired. What was more startling was that after being quiet since his arrival here at Sunshine River the previous winter, those old lessons of survival had randomly come back. So what? It doesn't change anything. One of the few things he still kept from the old days was his sense of practicality.

[withers]

ooc;// XD Droom isn't a gentlemen. -scolds Droom-
-reads posts-

[flyff]

The stunning white mare was definitely not used to be spoken to in such an insolent manner. Inflating like a balloon, she spluttered, "Well, well, there is no peace to be disturbed, as far as I know, sir. And, aside that, there is no need to be rude, sir!" Proud and loud-mouthed as always, the slightly air-headed Aeromina didn't, of course, realize that she was being slightly hypocritical. Indeed, she was being quite rude herself, but that was simply her manner... having been adored and admired and mollycoddled all of her life, she felt was entitled to a bit of rudeness in the way she spoke. She was simply not used to a stallion who obviously wouldn't think so, judging by his down-to-earth, blunt manner.

[flyff]

[OOC: NO, he isn't xD]

[Swede]

"None since you arrived, anyway," he replied. This mare was in serious need of a reality check. He lowered his roan head, nibbling at the tender spring shoots of grass. His teeth snipped methodically, evenly, neatly. Kahuna paused, and looked up again. "As for rudeness? Try looking back at yourself. It helps." He remembered when he was younger, and hard and bitter for his treatment by his father. And then, looking back on that time when he was traveling alone and practically insane after his home and herd was destroyed, he realized he had been becoming that same disliked father. It had not been a pleasant revelation, but it was necessary. He swished his tail idly against his side, watching her sputter indifferently.

[flyff]

The stunning white mare pulled herself up to her full height, which really wasn't even as tall as the insolent blue roan, and went into full anger mode.. and made sure she still looked pretty going at it.

"I suppose the idea of chivalry is lost to you," she said icily, her intense blue gaze sharpening. She almost wished that she had Droom back... at least he had been a gentleman. Well, on second thought, a gentleman didn't abandon a mare and disappear without a trace, but Aeromina firmly decided that that was entirely besides the point. The mare was used to her unusually stunning looks getting her everywhere... but it seemed that this stallion was one of the few that was impervious to her beauty. This thought, as she realized it, suddenly knocked her out of her high and mighty throne... suddenly, her slender frame slumped rather unattractively, and she didn't have a fierce, combative expression on her face anymore.

[Swede]

He chuckled. "I prefer honesty over chivalry," he replied lightly. "Where I'm from, chivalry gets you nowhere. Strength over beauty, honesty over chivalry, loyalty over arrogance, friendship over pride. A rough way, but I wouldn't have wanted anything else." Kahuna himself was no beauty; he was built solely for survival and power. At home, weaklings were scorned... but liars and traitors were the lowest of the low- banished if they were lucky, killed if they were unlucky. Stallions were constantly fighting each other, and he himself had been in a fair share of scraps, but never, never did you strike up an alliance and then turn on your friend. Nor did you act like a knight in shining armor when you weren't. And where he was from, no one was. If you showed your true colors, no one ever felt tricked or became disappointed when you were different from what you had first appeared to be.

When she deflated suddenly, he gave her a kind look and said, "Much better. Gives you a natural appearance. A bit of anger never harmed anyone, unless you take it out on innocents. They are typically your allies rather than foes. And too much pride is positively dangerous. Humility hurts, but it improves, trust me." Ah yes, painful humility. This mare was lucky; all she had needed were some sensible words. Kahuna's father had literally beaten it into him, along with the countless other lessons that still echoed in his mind.

[flyff]

The mare's bright blue gaze intensified on the stout blue roan, who continued to graze serenely and speak in a very calm and almost sickeningly frank manner. Aeromina had never met a stallion like this before, and he intrigued her, she realized. He intrigued her very much.

"It does sound like a rough way," she agreed after a moment, surprising even herself by sounding... and feeling... so humbled, so demure. It was a new experience for the mare who was used to being prized as a jewel. Her elegance and beauty were well-sought after, but she never thought that a stallion might ever fall in love with her for anything else.

[Swede]

He shrugged. "Well, being born and raised in it, it doesn't seem too bad to me. I thought it was normal, before I came here. In these parts, life's so easy. There's what, one, maybe two cougars. No humans. Food and water everywhere." The stallion laughed. "When I'm not being grateful for life, I'm dead bored." Now, at least. Before, he had been suicidal. And then Rose had trusted him; Faust had trusted him; Serena had returned. Not long ago, his herd had been a fairly large one. Serena was the only one left now. But he was willing to defend her, and his territory, with his life. "And you? What about you?" She had only complained a bit, but otherwise he knew nothing about her.

[Swede]

*pokes*

[flyff]

[OOC: Sorry, haven't really had any muse for Aeromina lately xD]

The elegant white mare bit her lip hard, wondering whether or not she should tell the truth. She wondered if she'd sound pitiful and helpless to him if he knew... her pride wouldn't stand for that. But if she could be pampered and adored like she'd been before by that deserting Droom, then perhaps it was worth it? Or was it?

Aeromina shook out her lovely, feathery mane, feeling utterly confused. This decision would've been so easy before, but it wasn't now. Why was that? What strange powers did this stallion have to muddle up her mind like this?

"I'm alone." The words came out of her mouth before she could think any more about them. "My old stallion abandoned me. I don't have much to say about him." Her voice was flat and emotionless.

[Swede]

The sturdy roan stallion tilted his head kindly. "Well, that wasn't very good of him, now. Bad form to abandon a lady, and I don't have much to say for those who do." Kahuna studied her for a moment. Despite her originally self-confident demeanor, she seemed to be a fairly needy sort. His father would have scorned her both for foolish arrogance and dependency, but Kahuna had sworn to be nothing like his hard-hearted sire. How difficult it had been to live up to that... he simply didn't know any other way. For a moment, his thoughts flickered back to Serena; no doubt she was safe at home. Still, it had been a pain to lose her the first time, and he didn't want a repeat incident. He had quite a fine herd once, with two foals that would have been born this past spring. Where they were, or if they were even alive, he didn't know. Rose had vanished, just after Faust. Bullet and Savanna had faded away as well. It seemed that nothing could last forever.

Quite suddenly, he realized that he didn't know the ivory mare's name. "What do I call you?" he asked breezily. He could worry about the past later; in reality, only the present existed. The future did not come, and the past never existed. Life was just the now, changing constantly.

[flyff]

The mare gave a vindictive grin. "I'll agree to that," she snorted, a bit angrily. Just a bit angrily, which was really quite surprising. Up until now, she'd simply been furious. How could he? how could he abandon a mare like her? However, meeting this mysterious blue roan had been practically like a splash of cold water to her... she felt strangely awakened.

"Aeromina." She gave one of her rare, truly happy smiles. "You can call me Aeromina. And what, may I ask, dear sire, can I call you?"

[Swede]

He laughed lightly. This open, honest side of the mare was so much more appealing than the arrogant, haughty Aeromina. He hated arrogance; it reminded him of his father. "What a wonderful pleasure to meet you then, Aeromina. You may call me Kahuna; not that I'm ever called anything else." He smiled again, rugged mane swept along his crest by the cool breeze coming off the river. It was a simply beautiful morning.

The sturdy roan pricked his ears attentively, head turning into the distance. A call, soft as a feather, had caught his attention. It was so distant and faint that he sensed it more than actually heard it; but the sound was most definitely there. He swiveled back towards the lovely cream mare, and said most apologetically, "I am summoned. I need to return home, it is of great importance. It was an extraordinary pleasure to talk with you, let me assure you that." He made as if to leave, but paused. ""Say," he added, giving her an uncertain look, "Do you have a place to go? Not to make offense, but I assume you wouldn't be too welcome in your old stallion's territory any longer." A bit rough around the edges, Kahuna was, but he was a gentleman and hated to see a damsel in distress.

[flyff]

The white mare blinked several times in surprise. The savage was finally becoming chivalrous. In fact, his manner nearly reminded her of charming old Droom, the devilish Casanova that he was. Good for nothing, that much was clear, although Aeromina still did miss his constant compliments, even if they meant nothing. However, she resolutely shook all nostalgic feelings from her mind... it was time to move on.

Flashing the blue roan a brilliant smile, she replied, "I've been hanging around here and there... just until another stallion will take in a poor pretty wretch like me." Her sapphire eyes sparkling, she added offhandedly, "I don't suppose you'd be willing to do so, sire?"

[Swede]

He nodded briefly. "You are certainly most welcome to join me and my humble herd back at Apple Alley, if you would like. If that be the case, then follow along quickly- I'm in a hurry to get back home. And if your path goes elsewhere, then may it be a blessed one." The stallion smiled at the pretty white mare, then took off at a swift lope for his territory. Serena was calling him, and Kahuna's herd came as first priority for him. It was quite likely nothing important, but he wasn't going to be the one to blame if danger threatened. The roan neighed an answering call to the skies, letting her know he was on his way.

[flyff]

The white mare grinned. "I've not intention of leading my path elsewhere," she said teasingly. "I'll come along with you if you like, you old brute. I'd sure like the company of some mares, you know... I've only really talked to stallions lately, and heaven knows they're all uncivilized barbarians such as yourself." Aeromina had to rush a bit to catch up with the blue roan who was, by all means, charming in his own way. Trotting bouncily alongside him, tossing her flowing mane and tail in the breeze, she continued to chatter happily. She was back in her element, with some horse to impress, and although she knew she would never again be the same, she still felt it was time to show off a bit. The mare simply couldn't help it.