.The Calling.

[Meg]

The great stag of the isle stood proud among the meeting rocks. These rocks formed a circle in an around that was flat and smooth. The ground outside of the circle was lushous and full of grass, but in the circle was sand. This is where the battles were held, and this was also where the meetings were held.

As he stepped into the rocks, his long tassles sweeping the ground, for his boa was bent and his nares sniffed at the ground. He waited. He wanted to see who was left, and who was in his herd or not.

His long banner whipped out behind him in the icy wind of the season of winter. His feathers around his hock moved slightly in the breeze.

Raising his dial, he let a soft cry sound over the isle, going into ever nook and crany of the isle, to reach the auds of his followers.

.Come to me.

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[phoenix]

Auds perked upon a Percheron mare's crown. Her lord was calling her, she knew that had to be his voice. She would have been panicked about something being wrong, but he would have seemed more urgent. Or at least that's what she told herself to keep herself calm. With a great breath, she took off toward him.

Her hooves kneaded the ground with an even beat, repeating and repeating. Her creamy banner trailed straight out behind her, and her tassels flew and tossed like a tattered flag. My lord, I am coming. She thought out, though she knew he could not hear her thoughts. It took a while, but eventually she came to the place where her lord stood.

Muscles twitching in the pillars that held her bodice firm above the ground, Wynne presented herself to Windago, bowing her cranium low in greeting before approaching him further. Questioning, gentle eyes stared into his, wondering why he had not called sooner. And wondering where she was to stand. She had never been quite a take-charge sort of personality before, and knew near nothing about leadership, but she was ready and willing to learn.

Looking from side to side, her soft lyrics reached out to him when she knew no one else was there yet.

"I am here."

[cherry]

“It’s about fuckin’ time.”

[/center]

The bitter cussing stroked the back of Aurora’s tongue, like the ocean stroked over the sandy bed in reply to Wyyne’s words. She left them. She betrayed them. And Aurora would not forgive her. It wasn’t every day she’d refer to the eff word, but she seemed to have a ruder vocabulary then any equine on the terrain, it was almost like a trade mark – you wouldn’t think so, but she was proud of it. A stabbing motion with her hoovens was made over the golden outstretched terra, bright, fiery orbs fixed on the ivory splashed mares for a long period of time, and her piercing stare more frightening then her touch would be.

A burning sensation constantly ran through her blood, jaws clutched together tightly to avoid any sort of un-wanted conflict, she’d save her energy to later. Stare was removed once the vix reached her ebon stallion’s side. She was not going to let Wyyne can any closer then she already was. She was not going to suck Windago into her trap this time. Aurora knew what she was up to, be incorrect, and spot on, but Aurora did not like this mare. She tried to, but the female failed on trying to befriend her.

Breath was exhaled rather rudely in the silence, not finding any need to say any thing more. Every one, around now, had already figured out her unpleasant mood, so there really wasn’t any reason to even try. Aurora’s sun kissed tresses flicked violently against her hind quarters, harks flickering in an obvious annoyance.
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[phoenix]

Wynne gazed into Aurora's orbs and felt an angered power within them. A shiver ran through her, and her muscles tensed uncomfortably. She knew this mare hated her, and always had, though she didn't know why until this very moment in time.

Apparently she had done this mare wrong, she had never known how, but somehow she had made the bitter mare even more angry than she always seemed to be. Now she knew, though, now she knew. Aurora had a just and good reason for her hate against her, for she knew something Wynne did not until now.

I am wrong for this herd. I do not belong here. Wynne backed away from Windago and the rest of the horses, crown bowed in shame and respect. A pain, a sorrow drowned her inside and her spirit became depressed and ill. When she was a safe distant, easy to take off if Aurora were to attack, she raised her cranium and with pain stared directly at Aurora for a second time.

"You win," her kissers parted to form the words carefully and precisely, her lyrics louder than they had been so that all the herd knew of her long fall. "I will not fight you, Aurora. I have no right, not having stayed here long. By accepting the position of lead mare I have betrayed you all."

Frightened, timid, and emotions dying, she gazed at Windago, then lowered her crown in sorrow and apology. "I am truly in deep remorse for my actions, but I do not belong in a place where there are those who hate me, even if one does not."

The mare continued backing up until she was farther away, but could still hear what was going on. What have I done? I have destroyed them. All my fault, all my fault... I will never belong. Whispers crossed her mind, destroying what was left of her already small self-esteem. The words left unspoken cut through her with a dull knife, leaving her soul in uneven shreds. Broken, useless, worthless... what had she done?

[Meg]

Anger flooded in his veins as his beloved Aurora brought down one of his mares. Just because Wynne had arrived before Aurora did, didn't mean that Aurora could treat Wynne like crap. With a snort, and a toss of his mighty skull, he tossed his skull towards Aurora, his orbs in anger.

His nares widened with red in a fury. Seeing Wynne back away, her words of You win.. echoing in his skull.

With a wild snort, he spun behind her and nipped her rump, driving her back to the circle. He wasn't going to let all his mares be scared off by Aurora. With a huff, and a swing of his ivories toward Aurora, he urged her into the circle.

Enough, you two. Wynne, you stay until I release you. Aurora, leave her be. Don't take your flustrations of me out on her, she has done no wrong. She is no longer Lead, she was with that tilte because I had no one to fill it. Even you, if you don't remember, was gone. Wynne remained faithful by my side, when even Oasis didn't. Treat her with the respect she needs. She is my friend, like you.

His lips curved and formed around the words that he spoke of. His orbs flashing with a certain red color. He didn't want the mares fighting today.. Wait. What mares did he have? Wynne and Aurora, and that was it. With a snort, he spoke to them like they were his children.

Looking out over the seas, he waited until Aurora's anger and Wynne's fear had died down before he could speak. A far away look crossed over his orbs.

There will be no queen until the real one returns, Oasis.

He whispered softly. Too soft, not to let them hear, but surely they will hear, because no horse can't not hear his wind pipes grinding in pain as he whispered her name. Closing his orbs, he sighed. It was time.

Are you done, Aurora? We must stay together.

[cherry]

“You win.” Spilled from Wynne’s jaws, a smirk curved over Aurora’s lips in satisfaction.

“I always do.”

The sun burnt mare hissed in return. She chuckled under her breath, relaxing her tense masculine figure, she held her crown up in pride, and remained looking down on the mare. Perhaps there was a chance Aurora would grow fond to the mare, but there was an even slimmer chance Wynne would learn to get along with Aurora, since she constantly had a domination hue about her.

All of his mares were scared off, because they were pathetic fools thinking they could ever have a sort of power over her. Nobody ruled over Aurora, even technically, they didn’t. As an ebon skull was tossed in her direction, with ivories bared, she swung her sin the opposite direction and flared her nares with a violent snort. Remained faithful? Well, some one was unobservant. Who had just disappeared without a trace? Wynne. So the whole thing with Wynne remaining faithful was a load of bull shit in her mind. The fact that he thought he had the right to lecture her, was angering.

“Nobody tells me what I can, and cannot do.”

[phoenix]

Wynne did not cry out as Windago dragged her back into the circle, though she clamped her teeth shut from the pain. She did not fret, nor do much of anything besides obey quietly. He was her friend, and someone she trusted. He would not intentionally hurt her, he was trying to help her. As Wynne approached Aurora, her orbs met with the stubborn mare's.

She is not that bad... though hard to get along with. I wonder what happened to make her that way, Continuing her steady, calm gaze, Wynne continued wondering. What had happened to make Aurora the sometimes overly-arrogant horse she had come to be? Why was she that way? Then the sadness settled in again, making her look away as it panged a steady throb. She should not be thinking of such things, especially in such a time as this.

When the pain's harsh beating subsided to a small pulse, she looked at Aurora again. Her soft, normally warm pools had become dull and cool; not with anger, but with sorrow. It was the bitter taste of grief that wrapped her heart it plastic, keeping it from breathing or growing. It just stayed the same, pumping blood through all her arteries and veins with an emotionless rhythm. Still, even in her hard fall, she could not help but look up to Aurora at times, for she was strong and brave, and Wynne was just a helpless little puppy dragged out of the rain; a puppy in a lion's body.

There were no words that could change Aurora's mind, Wynne had come to know that in the short amount of time she had been here, so she kept quiet, her gaze shifting from her to Windago as they spoke. Her banner did not toss or move, her form did not shift but stayed in the same spot. She was suspended in time, her thoughts retreating to their own little shelter in the storm to where she could not hear Aurora's last comment before her mind returned again. Still, she did not move.

[Meg]

His orbs flashed over to Aurora. He was tired. He didn't mean to be the jerk he was being, but his heart beat with each struggling ached for the loss of his love. He missed Oasis more than anything. Maybe he should tell it.

Reaching out he touched Aurora softly, apoligizing for his sudden flash of anger.

Sorry, m' dear. Anger floods my soul since she left. I know you don't like Wynne. But you can judge what you don't know. Please..For me?

He begged, he just wanted Aurora to see how Wynne was. He just wanted peace. With a sob, he turned away, he really wanted Oasis back, to him and only him. Her heart to his.

I miss her like the sun, misses the flower. Like the sun misses the flower in the depts of winter. Where there is no beauty for it to direct it's light to.

He whispered, looking out over the waves. Quivering he looked at the two mares. One, his bestest friend in the world. The other, a mare that was his friend all the same. One rude, mean, and feirce. The other timid, gentle and sweet. One great contrast. One great contrast that made Aurora and Oasis become friends.

[cherry]

How could Aurora ever feel affection towards another just like that? She couldn’t. She couldn’t trust. Some, when suffered like she has, would normally become the silent one, but Aurora became the secure one, who always made sure she was the superior, after years of being the lower. The reason why she was so bitter, why she was so twisted, but purely, and quite obviously her past. Being in a tiny, cheap stall in the corner at only a very young age, and as soon as her mother was fertile, the two legs’ would beat her until she was sore, and force another stallion to rape her. Watching that happen to her mother was never a pleasant experience, every one pities her, they all felt sorry for her – and by the time they put her self, and a stranger stag in the same wooden box, she snapped. She was not going to let that happen to her.

And if that wasn’t enough, the soon-to-be deserted stables abandoned the whole few dozen or so of their horses on the terrain, and just left them there. She promised her mother she’d return for her – losing her way, and breaking that promise, was the worst thing that had ever happened to her. Nothing could make her hate her self more, then letting her mother rot, waiting for her, and she never came. Those thoughts made her want to collapsed on the ground, sink into the water and choke on her own sorry breath – but she had too many other’s relying on her, so she made her self stay.

She’d never tell another living soul her story, nobody will ever know. She showed little emotion in her mirrors as they reflected into Wynne’s for a long period of time. She’d never expressed any sort of feeling in her eyes, she knew she’d become an open book if she did, and she hated that feeling. The anger, the rage, and hatred faded in her, and became a comfortable numbness in her chest. As Wynne tore away her gaze, she too looked away in Windago’s direction, but remained silent. Losing Oasis would be difficult for him, they had shared so much – but it was hard for her to relate, since she had never actually loved another.

[phoenix]

Wynne gazed into Aurora’s eyes again. There was something in them that she couldn’t quite make out, but it wasn’t the usual shield of anger. A bittersweet feeling arose inside her. Maybe she and Aurora could learn to get along. Maybe she had found a place to call home after all. Then again, maybe it was just Aurora being Aurora. Maybe she was blind to the expression in the stubborn mare’s orbs, or maybe she had read it wrong. She might have been just setting herself up for another let down.

Her gaze directed itself to Windago again, the strong stallion that had first brought her to the island she lived on now. Memories of when she first met Aurora flashed through her eyes. It was when Windago had instructed her to help save a suicidal mare, and Aurora had pushed her out of the way to do what Windago had asked her to do. It was then she had gotten on Aurora’s bad side, or first started to, because she found a way to help anyway. Or, perhaps it was the time when Windago was feeling ill, and Wynne was trying to cheer him up? He ended up offering her the position of lead mare, which made Aurora truly hate her, as far as she could tell.

But what was to happen now? Would this be a turning point in their relationship? Would they become friends, or would Aurora still hate her? Questions, questions made Wynne’s mind spin and her vision dizzy. But something was going to change, something had to in order for time to continue. Something, something. What, she did not know; no matter how hard she tried to figure it out in that moment.