Raven watched the mare as she walked up to Vader. She rolled her eyes wondering what the mare was up to. She snorted softly pinning her ears as she thought of all the different things the mare could be saying. She sighed shaking her head as she munched some grass.

Bella looked the stallion over. He was very strong and handsome. She smiled softly to herself. 'I wonder if he's alone....oh! Maybe he's looking for a mate or herd!' She thought happily. "So...are you a herd type of guy? I have a group of girls, we're in the market for a hot and strong Stallion like yourself..i-if your interested...." She asked him hesitated the last part. "That is.....if you meet a few requirements..I mean I don't want someone who's going to be abusive obviously.." She chuckled nervously. "I really like you...so...you know....I figured I'd ask." She said pawing at the ground nervously looking away from him. She felt embarrassed for being so desperate, but the truth was, she was desperate to find a mate and lead stallion for her girls. They needed protection, she had been receiving a lot of unwanted attention from some very dangerous stallions lately. She looked at him her blue hues reflecting her nervousness and desperation.

She noticed Vader looking a bit uncomfortable and she stood tall, walking over to try and give him some reassurance and find out what that mare wanted. She walked over to Vader nuzzling him as she came up on his other side. She swished her tail slightly annoyed but kept her composure. "Vader, Baby....won't you introduce me to your pretty friend?" She asked him with a sweet but dangerous smile.

Vader was almost speechless hearing the words coming from the new mares muzzle. Though he could sense her desperation, "I appreciate the compliments.. you are pretty dont get me wrong but I.. " he paused as he picked his frame up to curiously glaze at the herd of mares she must of been referring too. The thought of that many made him a bit nervous, it softly flushed his cheeks. Audits softly pinned as he cleared his throat "I don't think I'd be a good fit..." 'requirements' that word echoed in his head and tugged at his curiosity. "I already have a mat..." but his words were cut short when Raven came to his side. Audits perked, he felt a bit better now but was worried this could get ugly. Feeling Ravens touch, caused him to relax, he sweetly nuzzled her back before his hues soon shifted between the two mares. 'Pretty..? I never said pretty?.' He thought, he cleared his throat and snorted like he was unbothered "Oh..I don't know her name. She just came up" he snorted short as he glanced to Bella for a moment before pulling his attention away to innocently get a drink of water trying to become invisible.

Bella smiled at him as she watched him with her blue hues. Audits perked as he spoke. 'Oh no he's pushing you away. You've scared him off...Dammit Bella you blew it...' She sighed. She went to say something but choked slightly as the black mare came up beside the stallion, opposite her. She frowned a bit then. She was absolutely gorgeous and....her audits pricked to his words that he trailed off on when the mare came uo next to him. His mate...She was his mate. He had a mate..of course. It made sense of why he reacted the way he did and didn't seem to excited about hearing an opportunity that she had to offer and not wanting to jump on it. She looked at the mare and sighed, smiling she put on her pretty face. "Hello...I'm sorry I didn't realize." She said backing up to leave. That was until the mare asked about his 'pretty' friend. She blushed looking down at the ground then. "Thank you I...." She looked up trailing off when the stallion spoke up answering her. She looked confused suddenly about why he would lie. She knew she had told him her name earlier...didn't she? Yeah she did...so why would he hide something like that. He barely knew her. They had just met. She smiled again but this time, however, the smile was just to hide her confusion. "Uhm...I'm sorry, I could have sworn I just told you my name...um...anyways..." She said trailing off again. She looked at the mare. "My name is Bella...What's yours?" She asked her her blue hues sparkled with hope of friendship. 'Maybe if I could win his mate over, he might reconsider..' She thought.

Raven studdied the mare and then looked to Vader with a curious look. He was acting so strange...so....unlike himself. She didn't understand why he was seeming to be so uncomfortable. Her ears pricked to his words and then to the other mares exchange in response. 'Why would he lie to me about her name...surely he wouldnt lie to me...it's not like he had something to hide...did he? Was he flirting with her up until she came over to them?' She wondered. She eyed him with her blue hues questionably before looking back to the mare. "Oh, It's lovely to meet you Bella. My name is Raven. I'm his mate." She smiled politely. She made sure she mentioned again the last part just to make sure the mare understood he was off limits. She smiled innocently. "So. Bella...do you mind if I ask, How do you know my mate?" She asked curiously. She swished her tail.

Bella looked at Raven and smiled. "It's nice to meet you as well." She said. She swished her tail slightly, being careful not to let her scent into the air out of respect. "Oh um. I didn't know him, I was just asking him if he was looking for a herd to join. I'm currently looking for a stallion for me and my girls over there." She said honestly. "I had no idea he had a mate or I wouldn't have bothered him or you. I'm sorry." She said trying to apologize.

The stallion slowly drank the water from the river audits softly flicking as the two mares talked. Though, he felt his mate looking his way very curiously. He lifted his frame some, raising a brow. 'why is she looking at me like that?' 'did i do something wrong?' He pondered. Suddenly, the name Bella rang a bell. Audits perked, he had forgotten her name by the time Raven had come over, simple mistake honestly. He watched as Bella tried to win his mate over, he didn't take Raven as the jealous type. Softly humming to himself, he stood tall once more, he pressed himself closer to Raven, in an attempt to sorta make the new mare jealous but, to also show Raven she had nothing to worry about. His red hues closed as he began to sweetly groom his mate's back with loving nips, though his audits were still tooned in on their conversation.

Raven stayed quiet, ears pricked at the mare as she listened. "I see...well, I don't think he seemes very interested, however I'll talk to him about it. Thank you for apologizing. I can't promise anything, it is ultimately his choice honestly. You seem like a nice mare.....um...are you staying here a while?" She asked Bella curiously. She felt Vader lean close to her and she nuzzled him briefly. She looked at him gently giving him a smile before looking up at Bella.

Bella looked nervously at the mare before nodding. She was kind of shocked the mare was so nice. She thought she would have tried to chase her off when she had told her about the conversation she had with Vader. She did the exact opposite and promised to at least talk with him about it instead. "Thank you, Raven. Oh uh....We were planning on staying here for the spring..." She said softly looking at Vader who leaned into his mate. She sighed longingly wishing she had someone to give her such attention the way he did Raven. She looked back to Raven who smiled to him then. "Well I'll leave you two alone. Thank you for your time and um.....We will stay in touch I guess..." She added before walking off to the others and leaving Vader and Raven.

Raven kept her smile until the mare had left them. She looked at Vader with a disappointed sigh. "Out of curiosity...Why did you lie about her name?" She asked him curiously. Raven swished her plumage and she lowered her head to graze a little.

The stallion paused for a moment in his grooming, 'talk to me?' ' about being a herd stud?' he thought, a feeling in his gut began to brew, an unsettled feeling. He remembered what happened the last time he was a herd stud, he let out a quiet sigh as the mares continued their conversation. Audits pinning to himself 'if it's what raven wants, she will get it' he snorted softly. Red hues watched as the golden mare walked away, he started to continue his grooming before he felt the shift of mood in his mate.

His frame turned to meet hers as she let out a sign, an audit pinned back in confusion, but before he could say anything she had questioned him. "What?" he snorted short with a shake of his frame, audits pinned shyly apologetic. "I... I honestly forgot her name Raven.. it's not like we been talking long" he nickered as he searched her hues for any sight of forgivness. "Why should I recall a mare's name that isn't even mine. All I care about is you love" he cooed as he stepped forward to press his muzzle to hers. Oh, how stupid did he feel.

Raven watched him, her blue hued studied him as he spoke. She let out a sigh as if feeling a bit conflicted. "It's okay. I understand. No harm was done antways, I was just confused." She replied meeting his muzzle with hers. She reached up and nibbled his forelock gently then pulled back. She stayed quiet for a while before glancing back to Bella who stood watching her mares. "Listen....I was wondering. What are your thoughts on the whole herd thing?" She asked looking back at him with curiosity. Her audits pricked. "I mean... I know you said before you would if it was something I wanted. But you're my mate just as much as I am yours....Your feelings on things like this matter too. It's a big step...but the offer is out there. Ultimately it's your choice. That's a lot of responsibility for you Vader...and while she does seem nice and she needs help and I know you could do it..I'd be right beside you through everything. You wouldn't be alone, we're a team...but Only if you want it...I know you've had a bad past and this is a sore topic..so I'm not going to pressure you." She said. "I personally wouldn't care either way." She said.

The stud closed his hues as their muzzles touched, audits flicked as she spoke, taking in every word she said. His orbs looked at her and then softly glazed towards Bella. He took a deep breathe "I don't mind being a herd stallion, it's how I was raised. What I was born for I guess" he pawed the ground pinning his audits some. He knew Raven always wanted to be in a herd, she'd never known what it was like, coming where she came from, she never really got to live. "You do know what it means if I become a herd stallion again... right?... I mean that herd of Bella's is all mares love.. I don't want to hurt you or make you feel less important to me" his plumage softly flicked behind him. He knew Bella was a lead mare.. and Raven had no experience... he didn't know what issues that would cause, he sighed once more "I want you happy, regaurdless of how I feel, it would mean more protection if you have my foals" he nickered his frame turned to look at the golden mare and her herd once more, "I guess long as they have no deranged stalkers... I can consider it" he sighed but offered his mate a smile. He didn't want her to worry about anything as he sweetly nuzzled her once more.

Raven thought for a while after he had finished talking. She knew they had a lot to think about before making any decisions. It was something she would seriously have to think over and possibly over again after that. His words rang repeatedly in her mind. She knew what he meant when he mentioned her herd was full of mares. It was his responsibility as a lead stallion to care for each and every one of them. Including during their heats if he so chose to...She let out a sigh, swishing her tail and lowering her head to graze while she pondered. She also wondered if she'd be able to handle it. She knew it would happen, but would she be able to accept it? Thinking long and hard she came up with an answer to the biggest question that weighed on her mind.

She looked at Vader observing him while she munched on a bunch of grass she had gathered. She trusted him. She knew at the end of the day he'd put her first before them. He would 'service' them if he had to but that's all it would be. Raven was his mate first and foremost. The only question now was what would happen between her and Bella. Bella had the experience, but Raven had the rank as his mate and if he were to take over the herd, the most practical thing for him would take the mare woth more experience as his lead mare. That meant Raven would be pushed asside in terms of authority. Bella would be ranked higher than Raven, and the more she thought about it she wasn't really happy with the idea. What if Bella had ulterior motives....pretenses of trying to get Vader for herself to be her mate and get Raven out of the picture.. Raven didn't like that thought, and her ears pinned in anger at her thoughts. She sighed.

Vader watched as his mate went quiet and didn't respond but, went to eat grass, he could tell she was lost in her thoughts, sighing, he thought maybe it would be too much for her. He wasn't sure what to do, he paced a few feet away to give Raven space to think, thick plumage softly flicked as he lowered his frame to graze. Snorting contently, he ate like there was no tomorrow, though the fact his mate had gone silent bothered him. Red hues softly began to observe Bella and her herd once more.