A Wandering Mare

[Hazel]

<sup>He smiled and limped alongside her, letting a little of his wieght fall on her. He turned and saw her gaze towards the sillohettes. He grinned.

"Dont worry about them, ones a friend."

He said, dodging the rocks and climbing steadily up a large sand dune to safety, where the waters would never reach them. He snorted with effort and blew the grains upwards into his eyes. He blinked them out and was relived when his daggers caught the top of the hill and could stop climbing. He stood shakily for a while then climbed down the opposite side, there were many dunes, each getting a little nearer to the cliff side, and a little bigger each time.</sup>

[captainadiji]

Esmarelda moved alongside Storm, remaining strong when he moved some of his weight onto her own body. She looked over at all the sand dunes and her mouth fell open, there were so many! She sighed and shook her head, this would be a long, tiring, and difficult journey. How are we going to cross all of them? she asked gently, shaking her head again. She felt a lot better when she learned that one of the figures was a friend, she felt a little safer knowing that Storm knew one of them, though she was still wary about the others. She hadn't met many other horses, so her social skills were a bit lacking, but she knew that everything would be ok and her and Storm would survive ok, even though they had quite a few dunes to cross.

[Hazel]

^{He grinned as he as he stumbled down the dunes, dodging the rocks and crevasses. He laid back his audes and moved very slowly, gazing around for any shortcuts through the gaps in the hills instead of having to go over them. "So, welcome to the Sandy Shores, I hope that you'll come visit when the floods over. Im the alpha here, if you didnt alrady realise." He spotted a gap in the next dune and sped up slightly. Bad choice, he stumbled to his knees, but luckily he was at the bottom of the hill already. Getting up, he limped to the gap and began to squeeze through it. His thick hide was well sized and rounded, but he fit through easily thanks to his grandmothers thoroughbred bodice. The mustang stamina from his grandfather and his mother worked well too.}

[captainadiji]

Esmarelda watched as Storm went through the gap, then she followed and swiftly moved to his side again. I had a good feeling you were a herd member, but I didn't know you were the alpha. You must have a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. she said, not knowing a lot about herds. She liked the area she had found, and would definately visit again, maybe even become a herd member. She snorted and shook her head angrily. I have always been a lone wanderer, and now I am considering joining a herd. Get a grip of yourself. she mentally scolded herself.

[Hazel]

^{He was soon out and Esmerelda was back at his side. He nudged her playfully and nodded his head. "Yes, its hard work. My father, Spirit, died when I was two, so I didnt have much of a childhood...Its been three long years..." He sighed and slowed his pace, not out of pain, but discomfort of the soul. He sighed and lowered his crest, though it kept the proud, arced line leading from his shoulders to his head.}

[captainadiji]

Esmarelda nudged her new friend gently, she didn't know what it was like to lose a parent so young. I'm very sorry to hear about that, but you are strong. she told him gently. She wondered how many more dunes they had to go over, she hoped that some of them could be walked through, like in the last one. She let out a sigh, it was quite hot, but the heat didn't bother her and she continued to support Storm.

[Hazel]

^{His sides were flaked in sweat, foam dripped gently from his open jaw, down his chest, and onto the sands forming a slight trail before it evaporated into the skies. He lay back his audes slightly, his head throbbing as she spoke. "It was hard, my mother had died not ling before that from the Gaia, I still have a gene infected with the disease, but it doesnt bother me, im basicly immune to the effects." He sighed. Indeed he was stronge, brave and loyal, but was it enough? There were far greater stags than him. Soul, son of Denizen, was larger, stronger and would do anything for his mate and twin foals. Of corse, Unna and Bryony the shire babes had been stolen along with the princess of the shores, Sienna Glory, presumed dead. Or was it the ex outlaws plan to make them think that? Storm wasnt sure if his uncle Soul was to be trusted, but he couldnt blame him either. If he did, he could rick loosing the shores. Peace was better than war and he knew it. He wasnt a foolish stag.}

[captainadiji]

Esmarelda shuddered at the mention of the Gaia. She had heard of the disease but she didn't know a lot about it, all she had been told about it was that it was fatal. The mare hoped she would never catch it, but she knew it could strike at any time. I have heard of the Gaia, evil thing, if only it wasn't so life threatening. I hate to think of how many lives it has claimed since it first came around. she said, hanging her head. How much further do you think we have to walk? If we have to go too far then I think you should rest. she said. She didn't want Storm to collapse from exhaustion, that wouldn't make things any easier and they would be even more vulnerable than they already were.

[Hazel]

^{Storm sighed and nodded his head. His fathers friend Meg and her mate had died from it too, leaving thier twin sons alone and helpless, seding one to the shores and another to the island. He snorted and slowed to a stop. "Yes, we should rest for a moment or two. Lets talk, please m'am. Tell me of your past." He smiled and lay down on his good side, letting the air get to his wounds. He snorted as he rested his bodice, keeping his head high and audes perked, head tipping upwards the look at her. Though wounded and tired, he was still the usual, happy brute he had always been.}

[captainadiji]

Esmarelda gave a small nod and lay down, loking at Storm's wound. She knew the air would help it, and he would have to becareful to keep it free of sand if the wind picked up. She sighed and looked around at the dunes, wondering how much further they had to travel. The sun was beating down on them still, but she knew that it wouldn't be long before the air began to cool. She began to think, she hadn't got much of a past. Esmarelda looked down at the soft sand, then looked over at Storm. Well, there's not much to tell really. My mother was forced by a wandering stallion, and as soon as I was old enough to fend for myself, she left me and told me to never seek her out as she didn't want to know me, I don't even know her name and she never told me the name of my father. I can't blame her for not wanting to know me, as I am the daughter of a forcer, but sometimes I wish I could see her again, though if she doesn't want to see me then that is fine with me. Spiritually I wish her well with life and I hope she is never forced again. she said slowly, then began to look around again. That's about it, not very interesting, I know. she said gently. Normally, she would not have felt comfortable about revealing her past, but there was something non-threatening about Storm that made her feel like she could tell him anything and he wouldn't judge her or tease her.

[Hazel]

<sup>He snorted and thought to himself for a few minutes after her story ended. Forcers, vile creatures. Denizen, the villian who had killed his father, had forcebred Bryony; Storms grandmother. Why? Because he was jelous of the handsom Sylver, Spirits father, for getting her first and becoming the alpha king. Denizen, stuck at beta, wanted to win her heart, but she turned her back on him and refused. Storm sighed. He didnt know much about his lineage, but that much he understood. Though if it wasnt for his uncle, the half brother of Spirit, the outlaws would have taken over the shores and Storm himself, and many others, would have died. He thought back on that dreadful night, 'Omen', who was truly his own half brother Tequilla, killed at his fathers stilts, descovering it only after the bloody fight ended, then forced to die at the shires hooves. Threes lives had ended, but only one trulky desevred what he got. Fianly, the ebon stag found an answer to the mares sad tale.

"Your mother is a strange mare. My own mother was forcebred, long before I was around, my father rejected her but loved her. They brought up the foal and allowed her to live, but the gaia took her from them. Even though Spirit wasnt her father, he still cared for my half sister. But yours, she didnt even love you? Thats sad, alone even before you hit two, I belive? I was alone at two, but not fully. I had my fathers friends and family, you had noone. Im very sorry for you, Esmerelda."

He nuzzled the midnight splashed mare and nickered gently towards her. Dream had been forcebred too, or was she just covering something up? After thier daughter, Sienna, went missing, she had been distant towards him. Did she love another?"</sup>[/b][/sup][/color]

[captainadiji]

Esmarelda nuzzled Storm back and sighed, she didn't want sympathy but she appreciated the fact that he would be there for her. She let out a sigh and began to think about her mother, as soon as Esmarelda began to graze, her mother ran off into the forest and left her to fend for herself. I guess my mother just couldn't bear to raise a forcer's child. But I think the whole experiance has made me stronger, I am not as fearful in the wild as I used to be. she said softly, then she began to look around. How are you feeling now? she asked gently, wondering if Storm wanted to keep moving. She was eager to meet the silhouttes, she wanted to know whether to prepare herself for a fight or not.

[Hazel]

^{[ The sillohettes are actualy his gay freind and Rain, but whilst youwre away he met them there, this thread died. Opps. Ill reply though if you want, when I get muse. ]}

[captainadiji]