Push me down, I | d a r e | you.

[| L ' a m o u r |]

t e j a n a

Now I'm not scared, I'm just cautious.
----------------------------------------

I wander into the strange ambience, attentively looking around me. Sometimes, it was tough being me. All the things I've lived through, all the scary situations I've been forced to encounter. It wasn't exactly my idea of a comfortable living. In fact, it was far from that. There was no such thing as a comfortable life in the wilderness. You had to be alert of everything around you all the time. Who knew, one night could be your last night on Earth. That was one of the reasons that the wilderness was so exotic. Everybody was always on edge about everything. I suppose only the witty survived. Oh well, life had it's ups and downs, just like anything else.

I had often observed the humans, and their odd methods of breaking a horse from his nature. How idiotic could they possibly be? A horse could never lose his wild nature, we were all born with it. My opinion of the whole thing, well, horses were taught to behave so they obeyed. Some horses just had more will than others did. It was quite pitiful actually, watching these horses. You could see how much they wanted to be free. It was clear in their eyes, but they all knew they would never be free. Trying to free themselves could possibly kill them.

I sighed, getting my mind off the poor equines that revolved their worlds around humans, and instead focusing my attention on the luscious vert growth that lay planted in the ground. I licked my lips, my taste buds urging me to take a bite. I lowered my head, my teeth ripping the grass from it's lifelong roots. I chewed noisily, green froth foaming from my mouth. Grrr, stupid food. I always tended to foam when I ate, I always figured there was just something wrong with me. I wasn't exactly optimistic about myself, but hey, weren't we all a little conscious of ourselves? I thought so.

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_{words-334
open}

[Crow'sia]

Triskelion,

The first thing that he noticed? She was older. And she wasn’t elderly either. No, she was right in her prime. Older, and sturdy. He could see the powerful muscles in the mare’s legs even as she bent to eat. So you know, right off the bat, that this would be no mere filly we were dealing with, which might be more interesting, but sooner or later someone was going to kick his skull right in like a squash.

The glowing sun, the wisps of grasp, the thick fragrance of leaf rot, all delicious, all washed over the wolf’s nose and exploded on his tongue. This was nothing in comparison to the warm smells of life that saturated the meadow, and Triskelion had been stalking the mares who came through for two evenings now. He wasn’t hungry. Buried in the earth, though rather far away, were the mouldering remains of his dear friend Corr. A wonderful morsel, he’d been, and Triskelion wondered briefly about Gin, the little colt’s sister, and what might have become of her. She had been pretty addled, hit her skull pretty hard on the sand, it seemed, and he’d never actually seen her get up. He wiggled in the grass, anticipation making the squat position he’d taken unbearable. Knees ached, ankles kinked. All in good time.

Horses seemed to drool quite a lot when they ate. Wolves probably did too, but he had never seen quite so much chewing in his life. On and on they would chew. His stomach twisted at the thought of all that mush. From this close distance he could even smell the fresh wetness of grass. Oh well, better she ate than talked it up with some prancing stag. That had happened quite enough in the last few days, and far too many had been ready to leap to the rescue of each damsel in distress. Probably he should have considered stalking the males, instead.

With the mare happily eating, Triskelion took the time to shimmy through the meadow, imagining himself as a mouse, secret, silent. When he was just a few paces away, and confident that a cluster of especially tall grass, scraggily brush, and thick trees might just conceal him, might make her believe he were in fact a stallion, Triskelion spoke.

“Shouldn’t be out here alone like this,” he said, attempting to effect the smooth tones he’d heard the stallion Gypsum use, although he tripped them up a bit and wondered if his wolf tongue might betray him. But it was an effort! In fact, he even took the same line he’d heard another stag use only a couple days before.

[/blockquote]

[| L ' a m o u r |]

t e j a n a

Now I'm not scared, I'm just cautious.
----------------------------------------

As I contentedly chewed on the grasses, I heard a noise. I had no idea where the sudden disturbance had came from, but I was sure it was company. The only reason I knew that was because the air had shifted around a little bit, not literally though. There was just a strange sense in the air, like an intruder was here. Chills shivered up my unwelcoming spine, and I continued to graze upon the grass, choosing to ignore it. So much for the witty surviving, I couldn't even take my own damned advice. As much as my horse sense tingled, I chose to stay with the posing threat, you stupid stupid mare. Sometimes, I questioned if I used the full capacity of my brain, I obviously was not right now. If I was smart, I would've been out of here already. Flight or fight. I always chose flight, of course.

The voice spoke, oddly sounding like a stallion, but I wasn't too sure. There was a strange tone to the new voice. I perked my ears towards the voice, and lifted my head, looking around. I had expected to see a large stallion, instead I looked upon a wolf, really? A wolf? I wanted to laugh, but I didn't. Who knows what could trigger the canine's predatory nature. I thought about that slowly, and realized that their predatory nature was all around. My oh my, was I not here today. In fact, I had woken up on the weird side of the world today. I hated waking up feeling weird. It kind of downed my supposed-to-be-fantastic days. I looked at the wolf, and slightly squared up, trying to act tough. I probably look so idiotic.

Looking intently at the obvious predator, I spoke with a menacing tone in my voice. "And neither should you... what exactly are your intentions?" I was honestly curious as to why the wolf would come up to me. Out of all the horses here, me. Perhaps because I was alone, and I was an easy target, but one never really knew. Well, unless he maliciously attacked me, then it would finally click in this dumbfounded mind that I never used, but I hoped that wouldn't happen. I still had many years before me to live, and I wasn't wishing to die anytime soon. Possibly, if I got some fatal injuries, but then again, I'd die either way, wouldn't I?

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_{words-417
Crow}

[Crow'sia]

Triskelion,

Well as a hiding place, the bushes were a bust. Thanks bushes, thanks trees, nice job. She looked right at him and straightened. Triskelion shivered. A small shiver, but enough for him to be irritable about it. Who was he to fear these animals? Had he not taken down many such fools before? But that had been long ago. He stood himself- no use in cowering on the ground after all- and with a tail head eyes, and perked ears, all to match her own demeanour. His fur bristled, puffed up on his skin. It only added a little size, and even then he felt a bit ridiculous and fluffy.

Her voice sent a rush of adrenaline through his veins, down his spine and he took a careful, menacing step forward of his own. Still, his posture, although alert, was not threatening itself. Or so he hoped. His tail brushed back and forth in the grass, his face, although not playful, was relaxed. In truth, Triskelion had no plans for hunting today. Although, tomorrow, who knew!

She was a sharp one. And she was right of course. He shouldn’t be out alone either. What sane wolf crept alone, ran alone, slept alone? Triskelion folded his ears and frowned, as much as a wolf could frown. Partly for show, partly for confusion. He stepped closer, head cocked to one side, eyes flitting about the meadow. His tail and shoulders drooped, a defeated, sad creature.

“My dear family was destroyed in the floods. You might have heard about the floods? No? Well they were quite horrible. So woe is me, wandering until I might find a home again! If on my way I find a poor, dear lady by her lonesome? Why, I take it upon myself to see her to safety! Lots of monsters in the woods, aren’t there?” Triskelion stepped closer. He still spoke with Gypsum’s strange accent. Each word became more fluid. Why, he was a master of these horse’s ways, he was! Who could be better? Could a more brilliant mimic ever be born? Triskelion stumbled on the last two syllables, his voice cracking with a small yips and soft snarls of dogs. He shook it off. “Of course, I’m not a glorious stallion, am I? Why, I understand if you’d spurn my company.”

[/blockquote]

[| L ' a m o u r |]

t e j a n a

Now I'm not scared, I'm just cautious.
----------------------------------------

I listened quietly to the wolf as he spoke about his family sob stories. I didn't care too much for them, but I decided to be polite. The wolf was on his lonesome, and I suppose I just provided him company. Strange company, if I might say. It wasn't everyday that you saw a horse and a wolf, just chillin', like there was no threat that opposed to either of them. Even though, they were common in the tales and stories you heard of the magical pasts. Of the horses that "created" the world, and whatnot. All the crazy things that elders tend to think up, and tell the little ones so they mature, and live a better life. Yeah, yeah, right.

Looking at the canine, I realized that if he was a threat, he would have tried to attack me right now. Or maybe, he was just watching me, waiting for me to get comfortable. The perfect time to attack me, and tear me to pieces. I shuddered at the horrible thought, and pinned my ears a little as the wolf proceeded to take a step forward. I was convinced that he wasn't going to hurt me, but I was now starting to use my brain, somewhat. It was foolish for a horse to let down their guard out in the open like this, especially with a blood-thirsty predator in front of them.

I perked my ears again as the wolf spoke. Oh ears, you never stop moving. It was true. My ears would go from flat against my head, to perked straight up, to sideways, and what not. They were like windmills, they never stopped moving, and they just did the same thing over and over again. Although, I was happy to have my ears. I used them for everything, mostly everything. Except smelling and all that, because you know, ears can't smell. Heh. "Hm, I'm not sure if I should be comfortable with you around me." I noticed that my body had tensed when I spoke, and I sighed. "You must understand, horse nature, of course." I was puzzled, the sentence had made no sense. Stupid brain. "Urgh! I'm sorry, you chose to accompany a mare with no smarts." I wondered if that was even the right thing to tell him. Oh well, it was already out there, and I was sure he had noticed it already. I made my stupidity obvious.

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_{words-412
Crow - Triskelion}

[Crow'sia]

Triskelion,

Flighty, maybe a bit irritable, but that was the way with horses, wasn’t it? Stupid as she may seem, Triskelion wasn’t so sure. He took a couple cautious steps backward, just to be sure he would be in the clear if she decided to swing those thick back legs his way. Hooves were sharp. Even with the deer and the elk, who had antlers could skewer an unlucky wolf, his father had always said it was the hooves that posed the most dangerous. Hooves were like ice and rocks. Sharp on the paws, and deadly if you fell into them.

“No, no! I understand,” he said, and dropped to his haunches. His tail still flicked lazily behind him. “But think! Could a tiny, modest wolf- such as myself- ever dream of bringing down a creature of your stature? Why the very notion is madness! Wouldn’t you agree?” He tilted his head to wait for her answer.

Maybe she did lack some kind of verve, in which case eating her might not be such a bad idea. Horses on their own were patently stupid anyway, although he knew this meadow had been set up as something of a gateway for wanderers by Thanatos, a stallion in the neighbouring forest with whom he had no intention of quarrelling. The meadow of course also bordered with that great swath of field on the other side. Triskelion could run her, if it came to that. Although he still wasn’t well versed in the tactics horses used. Still didn’t know how long it would take to run one down.

He didn’t want to attempt this at the moment though. Loneliness gnawed at his stomach since Gypsum had left. Loneliness and curiosity. And something else. He pushed the last emotion down into his tail. Horses usually fled or got a bit tetchy when he appeared, so as you can imagine conversations were rare. Darn rare. And now that he had the full attention of this girl, he could for the life of him think what they would ever converse? The grass? How she chewed just a bit too much? How they had to eat every tiring day? So, he chose to address the meadow first. “You’re looking for a home, eh?”

[/blockquote]

[| L ' a m o u r |]

t e j a n a

Now I'm not scared, I'm just cautious.
----------------------------------------

I gazed at the wolf's sharp teeth as they hung there in his mouth. Lonely, just like their owner. Saliva slowly dripped down from them. I knew the wolf must be hungry, he looked like he hadn't ate in days. He was quite large for a wolf, yet it was apparent that he needed a scrumptious meal to fill him up. Words seemed to flutter from his mouth, and hang in the air, allowing me to read them. Of course, this was all fictional. All in my head. There was no such things as words floating above one's head, allowing their companion to read it. My mind was just a jumble of stupidness all in its own.

I sat there, thinking to myself of what the wolf had said. Maybe if I was a sick, on the verge of death horse you would be able too. I envisioned the large wolf bounding after me, saliva dripping from his mouth, foaming. Wanting a taste of my blood. To feel the power as he jumped upon me, digging his sharp incisors into my body, just to feel the sheer thrill of the chase. I sighed. Predators. They were so demanding for meat, and so violent. I couldn't stand ever being like that - one of the things I liked about being a herbivore. We craved greens, and that was it. No unbearable want for blood. Just the want for the tasty leaves off the trees, and the dew of the morning grass.

I nodded slightly at the question, and my stomach growled silently. I shuffled around uncomfortably, wanting a bite of grass. All this thinking about eating had made me hungry again, and all I wanted was a bite, but wanting a bite could lead me to my death. Stupid, stupid, stupid grass. There was so much of it. It was hard to hold myself back. Well, this was the Claiming Grounds after all wasn't it? A horse had to be somewhat occupied while waiting for the love of her life to come along and whisk her away. Psht, yeah right. I looked at the wolf, and realized that we had been standing here. Just standing. There had been barely any movements, besides my bitchy gesture towards him, and he had backed up. Other than that, nothing.

"Of course, I am looking for a home. After all, we all need some sort of family to love us and keep us sane, yes?" I pondered silently about how long this wolf had been alone. I begun to actually feel very sorry for him, wishing him a loving family and home. His family had been killed due to the floods that had swept them all away. How tragic it would be to see that, oh, it would be horrible.

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_{words - 469
Crow - Triskelion}

[Crow'sia]

Triskelion,

Standing still like that was making him only more antsy. A twitch there, the shuffle of a foot here. Her own little shuffles only made it worse. Was she eyeing that grass? “Maybe not sane,” he said. “But something like that anyway.” Perhaps I wouldn’t be speaking to horses. Maybe if that one hadn’t crushed his brother’s skull, everything would be different. Behind him his tail slapped back and forth on the ground, itched by tiny plants. A beetle scuttled over his paw. “Oh, eat if you need to!” he snapped. And started, taken aback by his own tone. Why had he bared his teeth so? Stupid, counterproductive.

Triskelion leapt to his feet and padded back and forth, tail thrashing near the tip. His limbs were stiff and he found himself strangely unfocused. More and more he wished for that stallion to come charging out of the woods like some kind of hero. Maybe he’d whisk this girl away in his wake, jump up and down for show, that old act. He wondered, suddenly, why he bothered at all. Had that filly really gotten to him so bad? He stopped. His feet digging into the ground, his claws gripping at it, digging little trenches. Then he rounded on her with a snarl.

A grey body found itself flying in the air.

Triskelion landed, in the reach of her feet, in the reach of those unassuming teeth, although he knew those jaws were strong. He’d only been fooled once into thinking herbivores weren’t dangerous. He craned his neck, gazed up at her, because even when she was sitting, she towered over him like a monster. Those eyes, so bright, so amber, burned with hatred. “Find a home, little horse. You do not want to cross paths with my kind again.”

But as he slid into the grass, a strange feeling started scuttling up his paws like that dark skinned beetle. Something like regret.

[/blockquote]

[| L ' a m o u r |]

t e j a n a

Now I'm not scared, I'm just cautious.
----------------------------------------

The canine snapped at me, and I ripped my head up, pinning my ears at him. How dare he talk to me like that. I got the sudden urge to strike him, then I shied away. That wasn't like me, I was not a violent mare, let alone did I have any interest whatsoever in hurting this defenseless creature. He turned around, silently scampering off, and I lowered my head to take a bite. My whole body relaxed as the warmth filled my mouth. I chewed on it, totally forgetting about the wolf.

Just then I heard a loud snarl, and I spun around, my muscles tensing once again. All I saw were a blur of the wolf's fur, jumping toward me. I backed up quickly, and breathed out as the wolf landed in front of me. I pinned my ears back, and reared slightly, being careful not to hit him. He spoke threatening words before turning and walking off again. I looked at him, and pinned my ears again, an annoyed look on my face. "If anyone would take me into their home, I wouldn't have to deal with your species."

I watched, and slowly relaxed, my ears drooping. Not even a lone wolf enjoyed my company. Am I really that strange, that not even a wolf wants to accompany me? This whole scene was sad. I was destined to die alone. If the canine species didn't want me, why would my own? I slowly turned, walking off into the other direction. I didn't realize that he had hurt my feelings, but I was very sad. I wanted to sulk by myself, somewhere dark and far off. I felt like I was all alone in this world. Although, I was.

I had not felt this feeling in years. The feeling of being completely alone, unwanted, the outcast. My normally bubbly personality was all of a sudden masked by this depressed equine. I sighed softly to myself, wanting to lay down and sleep. I wasn't sure why I all of a sudden felt exhausted, but the feeling had been sudden just like his outburst. I pondered what had set him off. I had done nothing, but gaze lovingly at the grass that had stood underneath me, unless that tiny thing was what set off his temper? I would never be sure, never know. I looked at him again, watching his gray figure get smaller and smaller as he walked further. I wondered if he would stop, but I doubted it. Why would he have sympathy for me?

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_{words - 433
Crow - Triskelion}