Explanations and the Likes

[Dusty's Girl]

Blood ran red....it ran thick and it ran heavy. Blood was thicker than water and could be mixed with almost anything. Blood could also describe a color. Like that of the red roan mare standing on the side of a mountain. Red roan coloring was striking against the ground, standing out in the summer light. White socks rose up her legs, a white star caressing her forehead. Scars streamed along her sides, memories and reminders of a horrid time. Fear stained her dark and soulful eyes. Once it had been a dirty little secret and now it was nothing more than a horrid past. Her coat was ragged, ribs showing in places. She was a dreadful mess. Her royal blood oozed out in placed, small scratches and cuts that lined her body. Ropes....they hung off of her neck...digging into the skin in some places. Burrs and tangles marred the once lovely mane and tail. Ragged beauty for such a lovely mare.

Dark shadows followed the mare...two in fact. One of a shimmering quality and one of blood as well. Protectors it would seem...until one took a closer look. Blood, bright and dull caressed and stained their coats. Deep wounds marred their hides. Ropes hung from necks and legs. The shimmering one was missing part of his left ear and the blood one was blind in an eye. Deep tragedy had stolen this small gang. But they had come back home, to the place that provided love and trust. What would they find here? The same lovers or had the world changed too much?

A thin whinny flew from the mouth of the blood mare, her eyes searching for the one that she had loved. Would he return her call? Was he even still alive anymore? She had too much to explain and her story finally needed to be told.

[lilmisspony]

[Tiger]

upon the mountain side a lone stallion was picking his way slowly across the rocky tors and treacherous cliff faces. It was His land, despite the emptiness that claimed it. None knew what had happened to his herd, once the largest of all the land, and by far the most unusual. He alone remained, except for his tales, and the earth that he stalked upon day by day, searching for something that seemed to be out of reach even for a former king.

Times had changed, but little about the stallion had, if one was willing to ignore the scar that plagued his neck. Justice had her price, but thankfully, it had been content with only threatening to steal everything from the dark bay, rather than actually doing so.

Suddenly the stallion paused, in mid step. His head was raised, he had heard something that seemed to be inaudible to all except for the stallion. No noise was made in response, just a daring clattering of hooves, as he spun himself around and dashed with all due haste towards a nothingness in the distance. The birds idly flying by would have labeled him delusional. Perhaps he still was.

None knew how long he ran for, but it was certainly not long enough to force the stallion to pause as he leapt surefootedly from rock to rock, to force him to slow as he bolted across the flatter areas with the grace and power of a mountain cat. Eventually, he stopped, and suddenly, too, as he had found the cause of the call.

Before him stood part of his lost herd, and not just any part, but the lead mare and her brothers. By far the most important part to the stallion. The usually emotionless stallion, the dear Tiger that had stalked the lands alone for so long, almost wept for joy upon seeing the sight of his beloved. For it was indeed Tiger, the one and the same that had fought to claim these lands rightfully, that stood to finally welcome his herd to the land that he had selected for them.

However, his joy did not last, as he noted the scars and the wounds that the trio had sustained. HE knew that the three were incredibly strong, but he could not help but fret for their safety. What had been so hell bent on causing such damage? and was the herd really safe?

Tiger stood, in clear view of the beloved Ms. Blood, with his mouth gaping, and his eyes full of concern. A living statue in a land that seemed to be made of stone. Would she forgive him for such brash behaviour?

[Dusty's Girl]

Her ears rose up to the sounds of hooves on the rocky terrain. Her stallion was coming. A call raced through her muzzle once more, her body trembling with excitement. She was back, back to the stallion dubbed Tiger, her beloved. A scar rend his neck, one likely claimed in battle as he had always wanted a land like this. Her royal head lifted high as she called to her stallion. He was indeed acting a bit rather strange, but that could have been the time that they had spent apart. Her blood red hide gleamed in the light, ready to beckon to her stallion, to her beloved.

The brothers stood behind her, their gazes on Tiger. He was indeed different, but they were not the type to break up a reunion. Especially when two horses were as deep in love as these two seemed to be. They stood still, ready to protect the Blood Queen at any cost, but knowing that her stallion would never do anything to her.

Regality moved forward, a mare of impulse and the likes. Her hooves carried her to Tiger's side. A movement. Her muzzle caressed down his neck and side, she had returned to him. Lightly she began grooming his withers, soft nickers exploding from her nostrils. She could hardly contain her excitement as she nuzzled closer to him.

[lilmisspony]

[Tiger]

The stallion began to breathe once more, as the mare seemed to forgive him. No, it was not forgiveness, he concluded, he had never needed forgiveness. It was something deeper than that. Something that meant he was never needed to be forgiven.

Tiger lightly returned the light grooming for a time, almost in awe at the thought of how delighted Ms. Blood had been to see him, even though it was in a slightly coarser than usual form. There was little else for him wish for in that moment, he had his mare, and his two knights with him in a land as close to home as he would ever gain. But he could not push away the concern he held for the mare. She was incredibly strong, he knew that, and he loved that about her. But to see her in the state she was concerned him. What trouble had she forced herself into during her absence?

He nipped her ever so softly upon her withers before asking her in a similar soft manner, "Dearest Mare, it is a deep pleasure to finally have you home with me. But what has happened to you? You are in an even worse state than when I first met you." He nuzzled her lightly once more, hoping dearly that, for once, they could have some peace in these new lands.

[Dusty's Girl]

She gave a soft nicker, her eyes closing at his touch. Her ears splayed to either side as she lightly leaned against him. The ropes still hung from her neck and her wounds were starting to close up slowly. "The humans. They saw us as we went to the other lands to gather the herd. We were caught up and with time, escaped. I am not sure if they know where we ran to, but I do know that we were not followed once we reached Sunshine River. Desperado and Redemption fought them off the hardest, but I was the one with the most ropes. A prized mare I figure." A deep sigh followed the short explaination as she cast her fear stained eyes to her brothers.

Desperado stood, his left hind hoof cocked against the ground. Two ropes hung from that ankle alone. His shimmering grey and white hide was streaked with blood and dirt, something that had only been on the stallion in the war between family. His coat was dull and rather faded. His eyes were dark and full of exhaustion.

Redemption stood next to his brother, his red hide hiding some of the blood that covered his hide. The dirt stood out more plainly, a rather course sight for this regal stallion. His stockings and blaze were bloodied and his right front hoof held ropes as well. His neck was also the beared of a rope as well. His ears were upright, listening for anything that might interrupt the mare and stallion of this land.

[lilmisspony]

[Tiger]

Tiger sighed once Ms. Blood had told him her story. He knew now that hoping for peace was futile. Perhaps it was a strange quality of the bloody mare, that danger seemed to follow her like bees to a flower. But he could not hate her for that, it was not her fault. And tiger had promised her on the first night that they had met that he would protect her, no matter what. It gave him purpose in a seemingly random world, one in which he had been without other horses, without purpose to live, other than to just be. No, No matter the danger, Tiger could not throw that purpose away. Or her company.

He nibbled lightly at the rope around her neck, teasing it, pushing for it to fray and come free. As he did this, he spoke "You are home now, and I picked this land because those that Do not know how to climb at speed are unable to keep pace with those that do. If you do not yet know how, it is a simple matter to teach you. I shall try to keep you safe". He paused thoughtfully, one could almost see his brain churning as he thought. "Pray tell, dearest Mare, do you know why the old-worlders decided to chase you?"

He continued his steady teasing and fraying of the rope, barely aware of the two stallions with the mare. He knew them well enough to know that they did not need the formal greetings and friendship of stallions. After all, they accompanied the Princess alone.

[Dusty's Girl]

The Blood Princess sighed softly at his gentle touch on the ragged ropes. Slowly the ropes started to give way as Tiger nibbled on them to relieve them from her neck. Her eyes slowly closed as she waited for a moment, perhaps to gather the ability to speak clearly. His touch was gentle and kind, his movements perfectly gentle. "I do not know why they chose to come after us other than we were horses from the wild and up for grabs in their eyes. Of course we were not going to go with them and I pray that they did not see where we ran off to." Her voice was barely above a harsh whisper, her ears splayed slightly.

"Home, yes, this is a perfect home. The place reminds me of where I grew up near the Indian camp." Her body trembled slightly as his lips grazed against her neck in places, her eyes closing once more.

The stallions stood still, watching the two and watching the terra. It was their duty once more to protect their princess and her chosen stallion, no matter where the stallion chose to live. They snorted softly to each other and moved back slightly to give Regality and Tiger their space in this time.