"They are still your responsibility."

[Sohtoh]

Starring:
Darkstar - Male Horse
Lootah - Male Horse

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Only a couple of hours have passed since his encounter with the black stallion named Darkstar, and he hadn't stuck around the prairie much longer after he was offered a place in the herd. Him? To live under the authority of another stallion? The thought was preposterous in itself. Afterward, he'd taken to trotting toward the south, though he knew not where he was going. Everything that he'd gained during his short time here had been lost in a single battle that hadn't even been fought to it's fullest due to .. that mare. The one that carried his foal, and yet was still loyal to the intruder. An angry, thoughtful snort was given as Lootah picked up his pace some more, even though he was quite a ways away from all the rest of them.

Darkstar has left Starlight in order to search out the other stallion. The arabian holds his head high and flares his nostrils as he seeks out Lootah's scent trail. It isn't very hard to identify since stallions tend to have a strong and musky smell in comparison to the mares. Darkstar would have preferred to stay and look after Starlight, but he worries that if he doesn't do something the other stallion might leave and never come back. It's obvious to Darkstar that Starlight and the other mares do care a lot about Lootah. So why can't this stallion see that? Darkstar picks up his pace and breaks into a canter, holding his head into the air and following the freshest of Lootah's scent trails. The fact that the other stallion is angry seems to be written into the very ground itself, for here and there Darkstar can make out deep hoof prints ahead. He knows that this is going to be a challenge, perhaps even more difficult than a physical fight. But this isn't something that can wait, he's going to have to use all his communicative skills in order to get the message across. Darkstar already has a few things in mind, but the question is whether the other stallion is even willing to listen to reason at this point. Knowing that he has a lot of ground to cover, Darkstar pressed on and picks up speed. His ebon mane flares out behind him and it's to the point where his hooves barely seem to touch the ground. Over and over he gets this strong feeling that he has to hurry.

Like Darkstar, Lootah had the urge to get out of the area as quick as possible, though only after he indulged in his thoughts a bit more. The gold and white male was reasonably upset, but it was to the point where he was likely unable to see reason, especially had it come from the other stallion. The herd life wasn't for him, perhaps. Maybe this was the way of the spirits telling him to move on to another herd, and do what he did best. Lootah hadn't been born into a life of leadership. He was his father's son indefinitely; roaming around and stealing mares for his own pleasure. That was the life he had chosen from the time he was able to leave his birth herd, and it was the role that he was good at. The stresses of leading a bunch of unruly mares had fallen into the hooves of someone who had done it before, and he was glad for that.. but also bitter. Lootah had insisted to himself that he didn't favor one mare over the other, but that didn't mean that he didn't want to be favored by any of the mares. He and Starlight had an odd bond from the beginning, and seeing her side with Darkstar the way she had was rather crushing to the still impressionable male. Another angry snort was given, and the painted equid hit the ground hard with his hooves, breaking into a full gallop to shorten the timeframe in which he would be out of here for good.

Darkstar is pushing himself to his limits in terms of speed, and he makes good use of his frame by stretching out with every stride to cover more ground. A memory comes bubbling to the surface of the days that he and Starlight used to race one another for fun. She had beat him the first time, the second had been a dead heat draw, and the third time he had won. Those has been golden days and were now some of his most treasured memories with the mare. He is amazed by the fact that she still loves him, even after all this time. He is unsure about her feeling for Lootah but she does seem to care about him. Plus there is the fact that she is carrying the stallion's foal. Darkstar is ready to take on the responsibility of helping Starlight with raising it when the time comes, but he thinks it will be better for the foal if the real father is there for it. To Darkstar's mind the other stallion is young and foolhardy to run away from all he has. Darkstar has not exiled him from the herd after all, or even tried to assert any dominance over him since their fight. Still, he does have some understanding of why he is bitter over the situation. Darkstar is determined to reach him somehow, he can't just let the other stallion throw everything away. He's not doing it so much for his own sake, but rather for Starlight, the other mares, and the unborn foal. Darkstar draws in deep breaths in order to get enough oxygen to keep up the speed at which he is going. At last he is able to see a trail of dust off in the distance, though it's hard to tell if it is Lootah. But Darkstar can't think of anyone else that it might be.

A severe downfall of Lootah's was his selfishness. To him, it didn't matter if the mares could use more protection from outside sources or if the foal that Starlight would birth could do with knowing who his real father was. Those things didn't concern him in the least, and he just wanted to head in the direction of the next largest herd so that he could ensure that he would at least have more than one unknown foal born the next summer. These were the thoughts the stallion focused himself on the most, and they were the ones that continued to drive him away. Nevermind Luna, the old mare who'd grown to confide in him somewhat. Or Takala, the young mare who had stood up for him regardless of hardly even knowing him. Not to mention the promise of being able to stick around with the herd, even with Darkstar's permission. For whatever reasons of his own, Lootah didn't want everything to be that simple. The secure herd life wasn't something that appealed to him. He was young and headstrong, and wanted challenges; none of which included reporting to a herd stallion about the safety of a handful of mares. Golden ears flicked back at the sound of something behind him, and immediately, Lootah skidded to a stod and glared at the ebon figure charging toward him. Running him off, was he? Pinning his ears back, Lootah's white hooves lifted from the ground and tucked up against his chest as he let out an angry whinny of sorts, warning the other male to leave him alone.

Darkstar figures he's going to find a way somehow, though he does have some doubts. It would have been better if Starlight could have come along, but he didn't think it wise with her injuries. She would stand a much better chance than he. Still, he's going to make the effort to try. The gash on his shoulder has closed, though the fur there is stilled matted by dried blood. The wound stings because of the wind generated by the speed he is going at. But the fleet Arabian does seem to be making some headway towards the other stallion. Darkstar is almost relieved when the other male comes to a sharp stop and tries to warn him away. That certainly saved him the trouble of having to chase him down further. After coming all this way, Darkstar isn't about to turn back now. He begins to slow his speed, not wanting to charge past the other stallion or charge into him. By the time he starts getting close, he's already slowed to a swift walk. Darkstar eventually comes to a halt several feet away, not wanting to press his luck. The last thing anyone needs right now is another fight. He doesn't display any aggressive behavior at all and merely calls out to Lootah, "I did not come to chase you off, only to talk. One thing has been obvious to me since this whole thing started, the others do not want you to leave. It is impossible for them not to have developed some sort of bond with you during the time that you have been with them. I do not want you to leave either, as crazy as that may sound. I believe that you have much to offer the herd, and losing you would be a big blow to the herd as a whole. You also have an unborn foal, and I don't think that foal should have to grow up without you. Back when I was previously the lead stallion of the Sagebrush herd there was another younger stallion that stayed with us, and it worked out just fine. I believe that the same can be done again. Now, having been in charge I do not think it would be easy for you to give up the authority you have had previously. But what I am saying is that maybe you don't have to. If you are willing, perhaps we can run this herd equally along with Starlight. I would not require you to report to me or any such thing. The herd would be much stronger with the protection of two stallions. So what I have come to do, is to ask you to stay." He appeals, and falls silent to see if the stallion will at least consider the proposition.

Landing back on the ground with a heavy thud, Lootah's nostrils flare in fury and his sides heave with breath that is usually suavely contained. Not now, however. Now, he is beyond fuming with anger, some jealousy, and a tidbit of sadness somewhere behind his brute hostility. The urge to kick up at the Arabian's face is there, to continue on with their interrupted battle and take back the herd that he'd formed together with the help of the mare in question the way that all males of their kind did, but he doesn't. The Mustang's youth has him unsure of what to do at this point, though. It's clear the Darkstar does not wish to fight, but it's also made very clear on Lootah's part that he does not with to talk either. At a bit of a standstill, Lootah extends his neck and sniffs warily at the dark male, and lets out yet another snort, his head shaking in distaste. When the stallion starts to speak, he takes a step back and looks as if he'll just slowly exit from the scene and move on, but the proposition is an interesting one. An unnatural one; to have two herd stallions. Well, not quite unnatural, but uninteresting, anyway. Darkstar was lying when he claimed that he would have no authority- he had to be. All stallions wanted dominance, and none that he'd known in his life were so tolerant. It was strange, and he didn't like it. Taking another step back, Lootah pawed at the ground impatiently, and thrashed his tail about his hocks, hurting himself in the process with the whip-like hairs of his tail, but continuing on nonetheless to show his mood. It was pretty apparent that he took Starlight's decision far too personally, and applied it to all of the mares without reason with what he said next. "I don't owe those mares anything. They stand by you by their own choice. Nor do I owe you anything. You won the battle, now quit trying to boast your prize and your so called 'tolerance' and just let me be." He says, a bit of a gruff rumble in his throat as he speaks. A back hoof stomps, and he exhales sharply, lifting his head up and glaring at the other male intensely.

Darkstar can clearly see the anger in the younger stallion, but there seems to be something just beyond it that he can't identify. The visual display shows just how upset the other stallion is, but Darkstar already knew that much coming in. The younger stallion is clearly quite stubborn, and perhaps at a loss of what to do. Any aggressive action at this point would likely cause the other stallion to charge him. Darkstar flicks his ears a bit before perking them forward to take in Lootah's words. Darkstar isn't surprise that he doesn't accept immediately, but the fact that he's still there and hasn't taken off is an encouraging sign. Darkstar gives a soft sigh and goes further in trying to convince him, "I hate to say it, but you are wrong there. The only mare that has stood by me is Starlight. Nukpana has made it clear she doesn't like me, if not in so many words. And I believe there was another mare that tried to convince you to stay. The rest of the mares want you to stay from what I know, and Starlight does too. As I told you before, Starlight and I have a history. We met and fell in love some time ago, before I was taken. She was pregnant with my foals at the time I was taken away, though I haven't had the time to ask her what happened after that. I think if you decided to stick around and talk with her, she might be able to clear some things up for you. There's some things she hasn't gotten the chance to talk with you about yet, and if anything else you should hear her out before making any decisions. She would probably be here right now except for the fact that she's sleeping. Her injuries have been taxing to her. I am not trying to boast at all, the battle was nothing to boast about. I don't even consider it a victory, because it was stopped by Starlight. I think one thing we might both agree on is that it definitely could have gone on longer. But if we had continued we both would have been the losers, because Starlight would have never forgiven us for it. So really you didn't lose any battle, or lose your rights to this herd. Please believe me when I say that I wouldn't force any authority upon you. I was not wild-born and so my methods differ from the stallions who are. At least consider giving it a try, you can always leave later if you think it's not working." He persuades, hoping that this might get through to him.

Keeping his eyes narrowed intently on Darkstar, Lootah folds his ears back further if he could, and continues to thrash his tail about, his hooves restless with angry movement, letting the other know just how much he either wants to run off, or charge into him. There are still a few marks on his body as well from the fight, but the only thing that really continues to bug him is the welt along his withers, which has swollen further and makes his head hard to keep tall, though he does just out of his own stubbornness and wanting to show that he wasn't about to submit to the other. The calm nature of Darkstar is almost sickening, and he can almost tell before he even admits it that this one wasn't feral like he was. Probably a pampered show-breed of the two-leggeds by judging how he pranced around, which lowered his opinion further. It's clear that Lootah has nothing but hatred for this male, all in all. Listening to him again however, he lets out a chuckle and shakes his head. "The lead mare can speak for all of them. Might as well, at least. What, will the others leave the safety of the herd to come and stick up for me?" He asks, and lets out a harsh breath again. "No. Of course they won't." Not that he expected them to, but he was just trying to prove his rather silly point that no one was really 'on his side', if there were sides to this spat between them. The talk of Starlight has his brows lowering, especially at the bit when 'love' was mentioned. Lootah didn't quite know 'love' fully. He was very well aquainted with lust, however, and a smirk is given after Darkstar's brief romantic history of the two of them. "Funny, because she was more than eager to get close with me within days of our meeting." He said, and shook out his mane roughly, hurting his neck in the process but ignoring it still. Darkstar's compassion and willingness to work with Lootah would undoubtedly be met with the younger stallion's rage, and he would not accept anything he said, much less offers to stay. Turning around, Lootah glared at him still, by turning his head around. "If I wanted to be a part of /your/ herd, I'd just take it from you." Oh, yes.. Lootah was still quite shook up. Obviously.

Darkstar is definitely not your average stallion, and it shows in his continued calm even in the face of Lootah's anger and insults. To Darkstar's way of thinking, anger will only make things worse. If he allows himself to get angry at Lootah, he would either achieve in driving him away or starting another fight. Darkstar is everything that the other stallion suspects of him though. He would have ended up as a show jumper if he hadn't escaped from the humans the first time. The second time...well he still didn't know what the humans had wanted of him then. The first of Lootah's comments is met with a soft huff before he replies, "I doubt they would leave for anyone, it's herd instinct to stay together after all." He points out. Darkstar then gives a chuckle of his own, "Oh I have no doubt of that. She thought I was dead and had to move on at some point. That's something I can understand. I neither resent her, nor you for it." He replies. He realizes that he's going to have to switch strategies, so he decides to play on the male's pride, "Funny though, I would have never taken you for a coward. And yet you seem so willing to run away from your responsibilities. If you go now, that's what everyone will see you as. The only way to change their minds is if you go back and talk with them, show them that you aren't willing to be driven away. So what's it going to be? Are you going to run, or be a real stallion and step up?" He asks in a challenging tone. This will either work, or start a fight. He holds his breath and waits to see the result.

The calm that the other stallion continues to dish out only adds fuel to Lootah's already bursting fire, and with a loud sort of yell that would usually be given toward a predator that was being chased out, he turns and charges for the black stallion, though he doesn't crash into him. Instead, he merely gets in his face and continues to .. defend himself? "My point exactly. They are just mares, and they are /highly/ replaceable." Saying this through clenched teeth, he pulls his neck back, and glares down again, his mood the polar opposite of Darkstar's. Breathing heavy still in order to keep himself from completely losing control, he blinks at the coward comment, but gives the same sort of chuckle he did previously. "They aren't my responsibility anymore. They're all yours." He says through his laughs, and gives his head a toss. He wasn't quite offended at Darkstar's attempt at an insult, but he did mull it over. Even if he did return though, he'd still have to share the mares.. and that wasn't something he was so keen to do. No, if Lootah wanted a mare, he would get the mare. Living the life of a rogue stallion gave him many more options. Another snort and flick of his tail, and he readied himself to book it out of here yet again.

Darkstar snorts in disbelief at Lootah's words about the mares being expendable, "You say that, but I highly doubt you believe that. Otherwise you wouldn't be so damn upset over it." He points out. Darkstar isn't about to change who he is just because the other stallion is angry. However, he doesn't like how close the other male is and takes a few steps back cautiously. But he is beginning to get frustrated with how stubborn the other stallion is, "I say you are wrong. They are still your responsibility. That foal is especially your responsibility, and your duty." He states, his own tone growing rather stubborn and rough. At that point Darkstar realizes there is only one way this can ever possibly work out. He has tried reason and that has failed, so only force will do. He gives a loud challenging whinny and half-rears, "I can't just let you leave. There are too many others who have need of your, and I will not be the one responsible for driving you away. If you want to finish what we started then come for me now, before I come at you. We can fight to settle this. If I win this battle, you will stay and we will try to work this out. If I loose I will leave and never come back, or do whatever you want me to afterwards. Does that sound like a deal?" He asks. He can tell the other stallion is bristling for a fight, and so he's willing to give him one. Starlight may be angry at him for it, but it can't be helped. It's the only chance he has to get the other stallion to stay. He'll have to fight for it.

"/None/ of them are my responsibility anymore," He says, practically yelling at Darkstar now, lifting his hooves off the ground and stomping down aggressively to drive his point home. "If you felt that you would need help to care for them, then perhaps you shouldn't have fought me to begin with." He says, flicking his tail at his sides now, for legitimate bug reasons and for the rage effect. He's not impressed by the half rear though, nor by the offer that the other makes. As far as he's concerned, he's already long gone. By the time this conversation is over, he would run until he found another herd, the same as when he'd found Dandelion and Starlight here. Though, he wouldn't attempt to lead them. Breed? Yes. Lead? No. Lesson learned. Turning again, Lootah perked his hears forward and readied himself to flee, not wanting to risk another battle and just wanting to get /out/ of here, finally. Not without some charming parting words, though. "To hell with you and those mares!" Lootah had much to learn, tact, decency, and manners being a part of them.

Darkstar gives another snort, this time of annoyance, "Hah, you know very well that I ran the herd before, and I didn't have help. The other stallion was just a youngster." He explains in counter to Lootah's response. He then drags a furrow into the ground with one hoof, "You were the one that attacked me. What was I supposed to do, stand there like a cow until you killed me? I was just defending myself, and Starlight since she was injured and also in the path of your charge." He fires back. He's not going to let Lootah just run off, no matter how much the other stallion wants to. He's already put too much effort into trying to get him to stay. The stallion pivots on his back legs and then springs like he did in their original fight, not at the stallion but the path he would have taken to run away. He stands firmly in front of him and tenses, preparing for a fight, "Now that's not very nice. You're getting the battle you wanted, so you have nothing to complain about now." He states. With those words he rears up fully and flails wildly with both front hooves towards Lootah's chest area. He's going to force this fight, unless the stallion can get past him and run away.

"What did you expect? I come back from a conversation with another mare and some other stallion is chatting up the girls." He mutters, and shakes his head. "Whatever. Do what you like with them, I hadn't wanted to stick around here this long anyway." The tone he gives is still arrogant and angry, but a bit of a defeated intonation is there as well. Indeed, he /is/ depressed. "I never would've ran into Starlight.." Just the thought of the mare is enough to send him into a fury again, knowing full well that her affections were toward Darkstar, not him. With his frame turned to bound off to wherever it was he felt he should go next, the white-faced stallion blinked and jerked back when the darker equid appeared in front of him, hooves flailing. So unexpected was the blockade that he was in fact hit in the chest, which only served to piss him off more. Letting out a raging yell, Lootah bared his teeth and snapped at the other's throat, taking quite the predatory approach in an attempt to at least get Darkstar out of the way. He too reared up afterward, and jutted his sharp hooves toward his face; Lootah had never been opposed to fighting dirty.

Darkstar snorts in disgust at the other stallion and then retorts, "You still could have handled the situation better. Did it ever occur to you to challenge with words first and find out what you're dealing with, rather than responding with violence every chance you get?" He asks, though he hardly expects an answer out of the other stallion. Force truly does seem to be the only thing that he can understand. A rumble of disbelief is given afterwards, "You sure didn't show the slightest hint of stopping." He replies, his own anger beginning to rise. He's have enough of this younger stallion's stubborn and uppity attitude. It's time to take him down a notch, if he can manage it. Darkstar is willing to go all out, now that nobody is in the way of getting hurt. This is something that he has to do, if only to let the other stallion take some of his anger out so that he can start thinking with some sense. He has no doubt that the younger stallion is more dangerous than ever, but it's a risk that must be taken. Darkstar lowers his head to avoid the gnashing of teeth, as well as the jutting hooves aimed at his head. He drops his hooves from Lootah's chest to the ground and lowers himself amost into a crouch. Because of the quick movement the teeth graze the back of his neck, leaving a thin trail of blood. He isn't quite fast enough to avoid one of the hooves crashing down on him, and one slices a gash in his cheek just below his left eye. The blood trickles down to his mouth and he can taste the iron tang of it. But now he's in the position that he wanted to be. He lowers his head further and lines his bony right shoulder up with Lootah's exposed underbelly. He then lunges forward with the intent of shoulder-checking him in the exposed area and perhaps knocking him off balance. Using both back hooves to kick off the ground at such close range gives him extra momentum.

Just as he was about to retort to Darkstar's words, another fight has broken out, and it seems that Darkstar doesn't have any interest in showing him mercy this time around. It's just as well for Lootah, as he'd tear the damn stallion's throat out if he had the ability, and then stomp all over the body just to boast. Quite a hatred was held for the Arabian, warranted or not. Feeling his teeth clench against a small portion of the other's skin, he winces a bit at the scraping motion of the hooves falling from his chest, but revels yet in the knock to Darkstar's face. With his ears pinned backward, Lootah lets out another vicious yell, but the deep tone rises as he is lunged into, his belly being hit by the other's shoulder and shoved backward a bit. He does lose his balance, falling over to one side and wincing a bit more. Though he's been in many fights, it's clear that Darkstar had been to, and he was far more clever in his hits than the feral. A huff of breath was exhaled, and he pushed himself onto his hooves with a deep threatening glare to the other, but makes no attempt to attack him again. What were they fighting over, anywa? Lootah had made it clear he didn't want the herd.. so why leaving was such an offense was still a mystery to him. Either way, he stood still, just glaring hatefully.

Darkstar is finding the whole thing rather ironic. He is actually fighting to keep a stallion in the herd. If anyone had told him he would a year ago, he would have laughed in their faces. But he's not doing it for himself, but for the mares that care about this stallion. All the yelling and glares do not intimidate Darkstar in the least. His wounds do pain him but he bears them in a stoic manner. His own ears flicker before he tilts them back a bit, though they are not as far back as Lootah's are. Like the time before he comes to a rather jarring landing with his hooves firmly on the ground, but the fact that he is a show jumping breed helps since his muscles absorb the impact. He takes some satisfaction in that he has managed to knock over his opponent, and perhaps drive a point home. He's a little surprised that the other stallion doesn't come at him. Perhaps he has made an impression on the other, though he's not sure if it's a good or bad thing. Darkstar doesn't press an attack but takes a moment to speak, "Stop being an idiot. You're all angry and out of sorts because you have poor social skills, and then you get uptight when a mare or two gets upset with you. That doesn't mean they don't care. You have a lot to learn yet, and I guarantee you that you won't learn anything by running off and becoming a rogue stallion. You can't run from your responsibilities forever, or those who care for you. So you can either return and try to work things out, or you'll have to fight to get past me. And believe me when I say it won't be easy, as I've just proven." He points out. The question is, will the other stallion finally back down? He tenses, just in case the other stallion should charge or try to flee.

For once, Lootah actually begins to listen to Darkstar, but it isn't for very long. Eventually he lets out a scoff and tosses his head about, shaking his pelt off and wincing at the great pain in his withers and at the various stinging wounds along his chest and body. The Mustang knew a lot about fighting, but he could stand to learn a thing or two about clever strategies, hence his second defeat. Flicking his tail a few different directions, Lootah kept on glaring coldly up at the slightly taller stallion, feeling completely defeated and almost embarassed. "Tch.. my social skills are just fine." He mutters, and begins to trudge away in a different direction, his stubborn streak still there, still set on leaving the lands. "I said, none of them are my responsibility. I hardly even looked out for them, I was only here for a few days.." This was a lie on both counts, as he'd been here nearly a month with them, and he'd made it a point to check up on everyone at least daily, but Darkstar didn't know that. "What'dyou care anyway? More mares for yourself." Rolling his eyes, Lootah kept his demeanor low, the young paint looking all in all rather pathetic in his easy defeat.

Darkstar is actually relieved that the other stallion seems to be listening, even if it's brief. It's a sign of hope that things might just work out after all. Darkstar is breathing hard from their fight and his own wounds are stinging in the open air. His cheek feels sensitive and he knows full well that there's a bruise there in addition to the gash. Still, the other stallion looks to be in worse shape than he is. His tail swishes idly behind him as he breaks into a walk, keeping pace with the other stallion as he begins to move. He doesn't move too close but he also doesn't let him out of his sight. He then gives an amused huff at the younger stallion's remark, "For you, maybe. For the mares? It needs some work." He comments, though there is no sting in his tone. A snort of disbelief is then issued at the second statement, "You can keep trying to convince yourself, but that's not true. You are a part of their lives, a part of them. It's not something that should just throw aside." He replies, trying to make him understand. He doesn't call out the other stallion on his lie, because of his talk with Starlight, he knows Lootah's been there longer than he says he has. Darkstar then rumbles softly at the question, "I care because I see a potential in you, and the mares do too. As for the mares, they do not know me like they do you. Most will be more comfortable around you. I am not a hoarder of mares, they may choose who they like. Which I believe, would mean the majority of the mares would prefer you. I do not know them well enough to name names, but I've seen a few that do really genuinely seem to like you. Besides, it is good to have a larger variety of bloodlines in my opinion. It's in the better interest of the herd, and even you, to stay." He tells him, and then waits to see what he has to say.

Continuing to walk at a slow pace, Lootah's deep brown eyes glare down at the ground now, as he walks. He continues to pay attention to what Darkstar is saying, but at the same time, pays no mind to any of the other male's words. Most of them made sense, but the stallion was far too stubborn for his own good. "None of the mares need me there. Not with you and Starlight watching them." He says seriously, and shakes his head. "Speaking of which, you're not keeping a very good eye on them.. wouldn't want some rogue coming by to snatch them away now, would you?" A grin was given, but it wasn't a kind grin. It was a deceptive one, full of possible planning for one of the raids that he planned on going about as soon as he found the first mares here, but stuck around for whatever foolish reasons. "Besides, I've left plenty of mares to fend for themselves. They're all adults, they can handle a little disappointment. And they've got you now, so.." Lootah's jealousy of the other male was finally beginning to show it's ugly head, but at least he wasn't entirely aggressive anymore. Turning back, the painted stallion gave one more glare, and let out a scoff of disgust. "I might have potential, but I don't have any reason to be in a herd led by someone else." Stomping a hoof, he flicked his ears back and thrashed his tail against a hock, and let out another sort of rumble from his throat.

Darkstar gives a soft huff of annoyance. The stubborness of this stallion is beyond phenominal. At the comment he raises his head and snorts, "Well you're certainly one to talk. Where were you when Starlight got kicked by that mare huh?" He asks pointedly. He isn't taken in by the other stallion's grin one bit. If a horse could roll his eyes, Darkstar certainly would have done so by that point, "Did I kick you in the ears or something? It's not me that they want. It's you. And if you leave, I think it'll affect them more than just a little disappointment. If you truly wanted the life of a bachelor, you could have left the herd long before this. And yet you stayed, so ask yourself, why is that? If you hate me, I can understand that. I came back out of seemingly nowhere, and everything changed for you. But don't take out your hatred of me on them. And you don't have to be in a herd run by someone else. I never said that I planned to take over. I can be the one to patrol the border all day, and you could spend your time however you wish, including spending time with the mares. There would actually be less responsibility for you. You'd have more free time." He remarks, stubbornly trying to get him to change his mind. Lootah isn't the only stubborn stallion after all.

"I was there. That mare had tried to attack me, and Starlight foolishly intervened. When I began to help fight that other mare off, Starlight was attacking me as well. After a few times, I let her handle it. She seemed to want to so badly." Talking of he mare makes him all the more bitter, and he remembers the kick to the stomach well. Part of him wishes for the foal to die, so that no connections to the herd's lead mare would still be intact, but .. it was /his/ foal as well. Wishing for the death of one's offspring wasn't exactly.. right. Lootah's white hooves kept on carrying him away at a steady pace, keeping his neck low still because of the swollen pain that prevented him from taking on a nobler gait, but what did looks matter now anyway? Especially between two stallions? A heavy sigh was given, and the painted stalion stopped abrubtly, kicking his hind legs dangerously close to Darkstar's head again. Whipping his body around, he let out a sharp huff of breath, and snapped his teeth at the other again. "How many times do I have to say that I don't care about those mares? The only one that's worth anything to me is Starlight, and the only thing that even kept me there to begin with is probably liquifying in her stomach about now." He said this all quickly but seriously, and flared his nostrils. "I /said/ that I didn't plan on staying here long anyway. I'm not used to herd life. Don't like it that much."

Darkstar listens closely and slowly perks his ears in the direction of the other stallion instead of keeping them tilted back. Knowing Starlight as well as he does, he can easily guess why she made that decision. He keeps up his swift walk, not willing to let the other stallion get too far, "I doubt she was seriously attacking you, from the sounds of it she was just trying to get you to back off. You see, most mares are content to let stallions do the fighting. But once in a while there are a few fiery mares who have a fighting spirit, and want to prove that they don't have to rely on the protection of a stallion. They need to prove to others, and themselves that they are strong. That is why Starlight did what she did, not because she had something against you." He explains. He then gives a soft chuckle, "Weren't there times when you were younger that you felt you had to prove your own strength? Well it was the same for her, even though she's not a stallion." He points out. Even though he's been talking he hasn't relaxed his guard, especially since the other stallion is still being so stubborn. The slightest hint of movement has him stepping back, just barely avoiding the snapping teeth. Darkstar kicks out both hooves towards the joint of Lootah's knee, though he pulls his blow short and stomps his hooves back to the ground. It is simply a message, if Lootah wants to fight again he's prepared. A single blow to a leg joint would cause enough bruising to leave the other stallion limping for a few days and slow him down. Darkstar then huffs, "You can say it all you want, but you can't spend all that time around others an not develop at least some affection for them. If you stay here, you'll still have Starlight around at least. She still cares about you, despite how things may seem. And how do you know you don't like herd life if you haven't been here that long? You need to give it a chance, and give the others a chance. Give yourself a chance to realize your full potential. Otherwise you'll always be left wondering if you made the right decision. Walking away is easy, staying is harder but has more rewards." He informs him.

"What does it matter if she was /seriously/ attacking me or not?" He asks in a disgruntled tone, remembering the content of their argument before and finding it all incrediubly juvenile. "I'd been talking to another mare who can't birth foals about foals.. I made a joke and Starlight took it the wrong way. Since then she'd been at my throat." A furrow of his brows was given, and the stallion kept on walking. "Mares shouldn't feel like that.. something must be wrong with her." While he was partly joking, his tone sounded disgusted, and he shook his mane a bit. The kick on Darkstar's part was a bluff, but he did retreat back further, breaking into a trot suddenly and not showing signs of slowing, until the other stallion's last comment made him completely stop. A heavy sigh was given, and the younger male turned and began to walk in the direction of the herd, though he did /not/ look happy about it. "I'm not staying long. Maybe another few days, but I've got other places to be than with a bunch of unruly, ungrateful mares." Finally, an agreement. Sort of. The gold and white Mustang made it a point to stay in front of Darkstar, a bit of his dominance still trying to push itself out to the surface, though otherwise, he was silent and not aggressive anymore.

Darkstar does his best to answer the younger stallion's question, "Well there is a difference between her just being mad at you, or her trying to harm you. That was just her way of telling you to back off." He explains, trying to keep his patience after all of this. Darkstar is frankly starting to get a little tired of all of it, though he's not about to give up. At the comment about the mare his ears flick, "Really? Well it might have something to do with our foals. I told you before that she was pregnant back when I was taken. She birthed twins, but they died a few months later of a sickness. So the issue of pregnancy might be a sore subject for her, since it would only remind her of the loss."

He adds in before rolling his shoulders in a sort of shrug, "I'm honestly not sure why some are like that, but it's just a fact. Mares are not always complacent and obedient. If you don't make an effort to understand their feelings, well you'll have trouble dealing with them all your life. It wouldn't matter where you went. Things aren't always straightforward, and sometimes you have to learn to listen closely to what they say and how they say it. The better you can understand them, the better you'll get along." He states. He's surprised when the stallion comes to a sudden halt and turns back. Darkstar follows after him and makes no move to take the lead, "Well it's a start." He remarks, and doesn't push for more. He still keeps a close eye on Lootah, just in case he decides to try and change his mind.

Throughout all of Darkstar's explanations, Lootah's mind had been elsewhere. Really, he did long to be free of the herd. That much was true, but it wasn't because of any odd feelings for any of the mares here. By nature, he was a wild spirit, and he didn't like to be held down to one place, no matter how functional or normal the relationships between he and various mares were. The longest he'd spent with a mare aside from his mother, was probably one not too long before the entirity of the Dorado herd. A single one who had claimed to've 'tamed' him.. and he didn't like that. Months of remaining with the single mare were ended in a single night when Lootah had ran off while she slept, leading him here eventually and leaving her to her fate. There were no regrets, and if he could do it then, he could do it now. But with a stallion pestering him to stay and threatening violence if he didn't.. he could at least stay through the week. "Whatever.." was all the Mustang offered for conversation, keeping himself resigned to his thoughts and his pace steady.