Post by avalikia on May 12, 2010 15:12:41 GMT -5
Characters:
Nukpana - Female Horse
Sirocco - Male Horse
Setting:
Wildwood Acre
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The past couple of days have been really hard for Nukpana, between the birth of her son and the unpleasantness that's followed from that. Fortunately Orion gives her plenty of time to sort things out in her head by taking frequent naps, and he's in the middle of one now. And another good thing to offset the upset is the food that's becoming rapidly more abundant, so that's one worry out of her mind. Still, as she grazes on the bits of green her thoughts keep racing around in angry circles. But though they're distracting, her status as a new mother makes her hypervigilant, and she pauses frequently to check for signs of danger.
With the night winds on the plains still threatening a bit of frost, Sirocco has yet to venture fully back onto the plains. The dense forests are a discomfort to the wanderer, it's too closed in and entirely... dark. He's a boy of the sun and the open expanses. But, food is important, and a good draw, and the scent of fresh spring growth carried him deep into the woodlands. What surprised him, though, was the scent of other horses. Deer, elk, wolves, even the stray cougar... that's one thing. But horses? Huh. The pale-maned stallion creeps his way through the brambles, craning one head around one of the cottonwood trees and... well, his nose t'weren't deceiving him. Those are horses.
It wasn't the food that drew this fragment of the herd away from the plains but the better protection from the abnormally severe weather. The head start the forest plants have on the grasses is a nice bonus too though. But filling her belly that's been much too until just recently isn't nearly distracting enough for the large mare to spot a bit of movement among the trees. Snorting in automatic alarm, the mare's caution doesn't seem to ease one bit even when she's had a moment to recognize that it's a stallion and not a predator. But aside from stopping and staring at him with a suspicious expression, she does nothing.
"Well... hello there, ma'am." Says the red-and-cream stallion with a dip of his head in his slow, faintly drawled tone. "Didn't expect to see any of the folk 'round these parts." Absently, he scuffs the ground with a bi-colored hoof but doesn't approach. He's old enough to know the welcome of a strange male among what, to his nose, smells like a herd. "The name's Sirocco. Ma said she heard the word from one of those uppity skinny horses and liked it, though, I don't got a clue what it means."
It seems to take the blood bay mare a long time to consider how to react to this... Sirocco, but she's already sure she doesn't like him. Granted, that's mostly due to his gender and her foul mood, and she shows this with ears half-turned back and a tail that's waving a little even though the insects haven't returned yet this year. However, being half in charge means that she has to consider more than her own opinion, so her response is more muted than it might be. "My name is Nukpana. It means 'evil' in one of the old tongues," she says with a snort. Not especially welcoming, no, but she hasn't tried to drive him off yet which shows real restraint on her part. It's a pity for him that he didn't run into the much nicer half of the herd's leaders first.
He'd likely say it's just his luck, but then, he's had a lot of strange company in his time and a sour-tempered mare isn't the worst. Well, there was that time... There's a brief shake of Sirocco's head, jostling his mane and setting it in no less or a wind-blown order than it was. "Well, kicked on yer way out, didja?" He says with a chuckle, even if it's highly unlikely she'll appreciate the attempt at humor. In fact, she might just charge him, and on that thought he does take a casual step backwards.
So long as the stallion behaves himself, it's unlikely that Nukpana will follow her more aggressive impulses. She's restrained by the thought that, since the stallions they had before were among those left behind when they came here, the other mares will be wanting a stallion to be around at some point. Especially since it's now spring. She'd get very unpopular very quickly if she drove one off without a good reason, and this one seems to be the sickeningly nice sort. So, aside from a hard exhale at the 'joke', her only reply is, "My mother wanted to name me 'Two Bits' but Nukpana was far more popular among my birth herd." Again she leaves it at that, the suspicion in her eyes not fading in the slightest.
"Naw..." Sirocco drawls, "Now you want a bad name, I'd just as soon introduce ya to Dribble. He... weren't the brightest horse ever born, and... he drooled a bit. We think he fell outta his ma a bit hard. A'course, he went and tried to play tag with a coyote when we were colts and... those 'yotes tag back hard. With their teeth." He gives a brief snort, though it sounds more of a dismissal than amusement. "Nah. Nukpana's a fair enough name. Well... I ain't ganna waste yer time none. I'm sure your main boy ain't ganna like me standing and chewing the air with ya."
The large mare listens to that story without comment, or even really any emotion. She couldn't care less what this stallion thinks about her name, though she had hoped it would throw him off a bit. Actually, Nukpana's come to like her name, meaning and all. At first she's relieved to hear him start to say that he's leaving, but that last part causes a sigh. She's going to have to correct him, isn't she? With obvious reluctance she comments, "The only 'boy' in the herd was born just a couple of days ago." With that she glances at her son, but still her expression remains stiff and suspicious when she turns back.
"...you serious?" Sirocco begins to say, though, is quick to amend with a huff and a sharp snap of his tail. "You are. You can't be meanin' to tell me there ain't a single stallion 'round these parts willing to give up a bit a'wanderlust to see some ladies safe, especially with young'ins around? This is wolf country. Now that's just unacceptable."
"There was... before winter came, and that terrible snowstorm and..." Nukpana trails off, not really wanting to go into detail. But after saying that she stops and stares again, looking just a little angry now. The only hint she gives as to why though is a slight shift in her stance to make sure that she's standing at her full height, which is only slightly shorter than the large stallion. She's of the opinion that the 'ladies' are about as safe as they're going to be this close to wolves, stallion or no.
"Ah." Sirocco murmurs at mention of the storm, having spent a good portion of the time trying not to freeze to a red icicle. Reluctant as he seems to leave, he regards the angry stare of the mare with a thoughtful eye. No, he's got no interested in starting a fuss, and so he dips his head and begins to turn. "Well, if ya end up needing some help, I'll be 'round. Was good meetin' ya, Nukpana. Best a luck to ya." This said, he takes his leave and moves back off into the brush.
Nukpana - Female Horse
Sirocco - Male Horse
Setting:
Wildwood Acre
----------------------------------------
The past couple of days have been really hard for Nukpana, between the birth of her son and the unpleasantness that's followed from that. Fortunately Orion gives her plenty of time to sort things out in her head by taking frequent naps, and he's in the middle of one now. And another good thing to offset the upset is the food that's becoming rapidly more abundant, so that's one worry out of her mind. Still, as she grazes on the bits of green her thoughts keep racing around in angry circles. But though they're distracting, her status as a new mother makes her hypervigilant, and she pauses frequently to check for signs of danger.
With the night winds on the plains still threatening a bit of frost, Sirocco has yet to venture fully back onto the plains. The dense forests are a discomfort to the wanderer, it's too closed in and entirely... dark. He's a boy of the sun and the open expanses. But, food is important, and a good draw, and the scent of fresh spring growth carried him deep into the woodlands. What surprised him, though, was the scent of other horses. Deer, elk, wolves, even the stray cougar... that's one thing. But horses? Huh. The pale-maned stallion creeps his way through the brambles, craning one head around one of the cottonwood trees and... well, his nose t'weren't deceiving him. Those are horses.
It wasn't the food that drew this fragment of the herd away from the plains but the better protection from the abnormally severe weather. The head start the forest plants have on the grasses is a nice bonus too though. But filling her belly that's been much too until just recently isn't nearly distracting enough for the large mare to spot a bit of movement among the trees. Snorting in automatic alarm, the mare's caution doesn't seem to ease one bit even when she's had a moment to recognize that it's a stallion and not a predator. But aside from stopping and staring at him with a suspicious expression, she does nothing.
"Well... hello there, ma'am." Says the red-and-cream stallion with a dip of his head in his slow, faintly drawled tone. "Didn't expect to see any of the folk 'round these parts." Absently, he scuffs the ground with a bi-colored hoof but doesn't approach. He's old enough to know the welcome of a strange male among what, to his nose, smells like a herd. "The name's Sirocco. Ma said she heard the word from one of those uppity skinny horses and liked it, though, I don't got a clue what it means."
It seems to take the blood bay mare a long time to consider how to react to this... Sirocco, but she's already sure she doesn't like him. Granted, that's mostly due to his gender and her foul mood, and she shows this with ears half-turned back and a tail that's waving a little even though the insects haven't returned yet this year. However, being half in charge means that she has to consider more than her own opinion, so her response is more muted than it might be. "My name is Nukpana. It means 'evil' in one of the old tongues," she says with a snort. Not especially welcoming, no, but she hasn't tried to drive him off yet which shows real restraint on her part. It's a pity for him that he didn't run into the much nicer half of the herd's leaders first.
He'd likely say it's just his luck, but then, he's had a lot of strange company in his time and a sour-tempered mare isn't the worst. Well, there was that time... There's a brief shake of Sirocco's head, jostling his mane and setting it in no less or a wind-blown order than it was. "Well, kicked on yer way out, didja?" He says with a chuckle, even if it's highly unlikely she'll appreciate the attempt at humor. In fact, she might just charge him, and on that thought he does take a casual step backwards.
So long as the stallion behaves himself, it's unlikely that Nukpana will follow her more aggressive impulses. She's restrained by the thought that, since the stallions they had before were among those left behind when they came here, the other mares will be wanting a stallion to be around at some point. Especially since it's now spring. She'd get very unpopular very quickly if she drove one off without a good reason, and this one seems to be the sickeningly nice sort. So, aside from a hard exhale at the 'joke', her only reply is, "My mother wanted to name me 'Two Bits' but Nukpana was far more popular among my birth herd." Again she leaves it at that, the suspicion in her eyes not fading in the slightest.
"Naw..." Sirocco drawls, "Now you want a bad name, I'd just as soon introduce ya to Dribble. He... weren't the brightest horse ever born, and... he drooled a bit. We think he fell outta his ma a bit hard. A'course, he went and tried to play tag with a coyote when we were colts and... those 'yotes tag back hard. With their teeth." He gives a brief snort, though it sounds more of a dismissal than amusement. "Nah. Nukpana's a fair enough name. Well... I ain't ganna waste yer time none. I'm sure your main boy ain't ganna like me standing and chewing the air with ya."
The large mare listens to that story without comment, or even really any emotion. She couldn't care less what this stallion thinks about her name, though she had hoped it would throw him off a bit. Actually, Nukpana's come to like her name, meaning and all. At first she's relieved to hear him start to say that he's leaving, but that last part causes a sigh. She's going to have to correct him, isn't she? With obvious reluctance she comments, "The only 'boy' in the herd was born just a couple of days ago." With that she glances at her son, but still her expression remains stiff and suspicious when she turns back.
"...you serious?" Sirocco begins to say, though, is quick to amend with a huff and a sharp snap of his tail. "You are. You can't be meanin' to tell me there ain't a single stallion 'round these parts willing to give up a bit a'wanderlust to see some ladies safe, especially with young'ins around? This is wolf country. Now that's just unacceptable."
"There was... before winter came, and that terrible snowstorm and..." Nukpana trails off, not really wanting to go into detail. But after saying that she stops and stares again, looking just a little angry now. The only hint she gives as to why though is a slight shift in her stance to make sure that she's standing at her full height, which is only slightly shorter than the large stallion. She's of the opinion that the 'ladies' are about as safe as they're going to be this close to wolves, stallion or no.
"Ah." Sirocco murmurs at mention of the storm, having spent a good portion of the time trying not to freeze to a red icicle. Reluctant as he seems to leave, he regards the angry stare of the mare with a thoughtful eye. No, he's got no interested in starting a fuss, and so he dips his head and begins to turn. "Well, if ya end up needing some help, I'll be 'round. Was good meetin' ya, Nukpana. Best a luck to ya." This said, he takes his leave and moves back off into the brush.