Burn Baby{OPENED}

[artemis]

Artemis' hooves gently pressed into the compact dirt that made up the forest floor. Her long alabaster banner whipped from side to side, thwacking against her flanks to keep away the unwanted pests that swarmed around her in annoyance. Her warm orbs were locked a head of her, scanning around for any signs of movement. A gentle breeze teased her long make making it tickle her throat. Both ears were turned forward, acoustics cpping any faint noise. A gentle snort escaped her nares as she moved, her long graceful flints carrying her lippizzaner and andalusian body forward.


Her body outlined those two bloodlines, and it was perfectly visible. She figured she was pretty, but she never really had anyone tell her that to her face.

The forest was thick around her. Low lying branches tugged at her mane and tail as she moved, but she didn't mind much. Sunlight peered in through the thick branches of the tall oak trees. The sky was barely visible above, but she could make it out to be a baby blue color. Fluffy white clouds drifted across. In the distance she heard birds chirping and an owl hooting from somewhere in the distance. She paused briefly, before continuing on. Artemis wasn't the most friendliest mare toward other mares, but toward stallions she was fine. Frankly due to her past, it should've been the other way around. Better toward mares, aggressive toward stallions.

But no, alas she could be aggressive toward mares depending. If any other stallion was nearby that's when she tends to get moody. Sighing, Artemis stood in a shady grove with her hind leg bent gently, waiting to see if anyone would come to her.

[D o v e]

It was autumn now, the season of change. Early mornings already came with a fresh layer of frost and evenings brought a damp chill that Cirino had been dreading (even if he didn’t always say it, Ciri hated the wet and the cold). Green leaves turned vivid shades of red and gold and the brisk fall breeze blew them off the trees, leaving a crunchy layer underfoot – a warning system for prey. The days seemed shorter, the nights longer, but maybe he was just being paranoid. It was just this forest, he reassured himself, which set him on edge. Cirino had never been in this forest before and the amount of downed trees and swollen streams unnerved him. Not to mention that, even though it was midday, very little light penetrated the dense canopy overhead.

But our fearless fool soldiered onward into parts unknown, undaunted by the way his hair seemed to stand on end at the stillness of the Deep Forest. The crunch of leaves under his hooves was the only sound to disturb the forest medley. Completely unaware and unconcerned about which direction he was heading, Ciri made about as much noise a ten ton elephant, crashing through the underbrush in a stubbornly straight line, reluctant to deviate from his path even for trees – he glared at them whenever he was forced to go around a trunk or two. That’s right, even the greenery was beneath him (some of it quite literally was). Oh he was a big bad macho man, yes he was! It was a wonder the trees weren’t parting to let his royal holiness through.

Yet after a couple forced changes of direction, Cirino found himself back on the correct path to wherever he was going – just where was he going? Well, if you don’t know, then you must not be worthy enough to know. Of course if Ciri actually knew where he was going, he wouldn’t tell you anyhow. That’s right; he had absolutely no clue where he was going, zilch, nothing, nada. He was just walking like a horse on a mission on the vague assumption that it would get him somewhere. So, when after walking for what felt like days (but was only hours) he found nothing, Cirino was starting to get supremely pissed. He blamed the sky. “Who said this was the right direction? Hmpf! For all I know you’re just leading me into some two-legged’s trap.” Accusing thin air wasn’t exactly sane, but there was no one around to blame and it most certainly wasn’t his fault that he was lost.

However just as his brain was starting to entertain the notion that, heaven forbid, he was wrong, Ciri spotted a blob of white up ahead. His nostrils flared, their fleshy pink lining exposed, as he breathed deep to catch the white blob’s scent. Ah, a mare! Just who he’d been looking for! See, Ciri knew this had been the right way. Ciri was right, Ciri was always right, and this mare was just who he’d been looking for. Yep, he had totally come into the forest to search out this specific mare. A smug smirk settled on his muzzle as he made a beeline for the female. Time to work some magic and get some answers; not that Ciri really needed them.

“Hey there good lookin’,” he drawled on his approach, “Miss me?” Oh my lord how cheesy. But then again this was Cirino, and who wouldn't miss mister chocolate-colored perfection? He flashed a charming smile, doing his utmost to appear debonair and suave, even raising his tail a bit and arching his neck. Well, no one ever said Cirino was modest.

Practically prancing the last few feet to where he finally stood, the lightly dappled stallion eyeballed the mare before him. Not bad, not bad, he admitted to himself. Of course any lady that Cirino talked to had to be beautiful enough to be worth his time; and tall enough too – he had a strict “no ponies” rule. “And just who were you waiting for in these dark woods?” He cocked his head a bit, seeming to raise a brow as he did.

[riley]

Large, sturdy hooves pounded the compacted earth as Riley ran. Mane and tail flew behind her as she dodged trees, shrubs and bushes, parting the grasses before her. The Percheron ran simply because she could. There was no one to tell her no and no one to hold her back or tie her up. She was free and no one could stop her.

Nostrils flared as Riley caught wind of two other beasts, no doubt other horses. The mare had yet to run into another horse since coming to this place and she was almost unsure of what to do. A fear gripped the once brood mare as she realized that seeing as she had so far gone unnoticed, she could be attacked for trespassing on another's lands. She had been kept in captivity for so long that this fact had nearly escaped her; but there was no getting out of this one. By now the two were bound to have felt the vibrations in the earth of her footfalls. There was no denying that.

Taking a deep breath, Riley charged on, though this time, less with the running and more with the trotting. When she saw the two, she approached with caution. There was no need to get herself injured again though Riley felt oddly calmed that she was much bigger compared to the other two horses. "Hello. My name is Riley. May I ask your names and for safe passage?"

[/i] the mare asked. She hoped that this would be enough to possibly save her hide.[/blockquote]