Stallion| Age: 8| CLOUD| Mated: No| M: Fox, Fox's Ex Herd

Audits perked as he could hear the talks of the equines a bit more clearly, blue hues flicked to the roan mare as he noticed her markings as she lifted one of her legs, he softly frowned for that wasn't right. Why kick her from a herd? She seemed friendly he thought. "Why don't you come over..." but his sentence was cut short his frame lifted and turned to watch her bolt into the river and coming out on the side of his lands and back into the woods on the farthe side. He was so confused, nostrils flared as he blinked and watched as she disappeared into the thick of the forest. He tilted his frame with a raise of his brow.

Plumage swished as he turned to face the river as the hrd drew more quickly, he was shorter than your average wild stallion but he never let the height of others intimidate him. He wasn't sure if he should say hello or quietly let them pass. He stood tall with his chest slightly stuck out, as he noticed the lead stallion and the others following close behind, they seemed to be looking for something, an audits flicked where the roan mare was hiding, as he watched the body language of the herd. His voice soon periced the area "I hope you all are just passing through" he spoke calmy in a matter of a question. Not that he hated company, but somthing about the tension of this herd made him feel unsettled.

Fox felt a bit bad, she could see the confusion clear on his face as he turned from her and back towards the herd. ~Had he started to invite her to his land?~ she wondered, hardly able to believe it. Forcing her attention from him, the mare watched carefully as the lead stallion came into view. He was a large flaxen chestnut, scars littered his body, chunks of his mane and tail were missing, but he was clean and packed with rippling muscles. Fox shuddered as she spotted him, there were quite a few more scars than she remembered, some even fresh...

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The stud nose flared as he caught sight of Cloud, quickly assessing the other stallion before deciding that he didn't seem to be much of a threat. His lead mare halted the rest of the herd, each one a different shade of red... not a blue/black horse in sight. The mare then turned her attention forwards and stepped to the studs shoulder, scanning around all but ignoring the other stallion (Cloud). The stud spoke "My name is Deaux, and this is Ocean" he said puffing out his chest then motioning to the dun mare standing beside him. "My herd and I are heading to the lower pastures and do not have any interest in you" he said rudely "Although we are searching for one of our herd mares" he paused. Ocean scented the air before nosing him as if to tell him something. "She is a blue roan mare with blue eyes. We are extremely worried about her, have you seen her by chance?" he asked halfheartedly, but his face showed malice.

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Fox couldn't believe her ears, Deaux was trying to trick the stud into thinking they cared for her well being! Her heart skipped a beat when she realized that Ocean knew she was nearby, which meant they would know if he (Cloud) was lying... She turned her attention to the herd for a moment noticing about a third of the horses were new, stolen no doubt. Her face fell when she spotted the only horse who had treated her with any kindness. The mare had reached out and snapped at a near by horse, her gentle nature gone. Fox started to get mad, even though she was terrified of Deaux she wouldn't stand for it if he started any crap with the other stud over her... She had decided long ago that when she reached her limit she would fight back, her ears pinned as she watched to see what would unfold.

Stallion| Age: 8| CLOUD| Mated: No| M: Fox, Fox's Ex Herd

Cloud locked his blue hues to the chestnut stud's for a pure moment before he looked towards his mate and the rest of the herd. Quietly he observed their behavior. He didn't really know what to think, but this was not how a herd should be, he thought. He merely ignored the other words from the herd leader and chose to show no emotion as he spoke rudely. Cloud was an older stallion and had been around the block or two. Though, he never really had to hurt anyone, he was really good with his words and calming down a heated situation.

Audits perked when he mentioned about the blue roan, and it was quiet odd to him that the rest of the herd as all similar in color, he wondered if the blue roanw as maybe treated awul due to being the black sheep. "Mmm" he hummed out load, he softly rose a brow and forced a sly smirk over his lips, he knew he wasn't about to let his hunk of a hot head hurt the roan mare near his own land. He forced his audits back some and with a huff he nickered "Yea. I did see a blue roan come through this way. She looke dup to no good or maybe even scared. I don't much mind company, I ran her off with a warning. I chased her up through mountains, with any luck she will reach beach or the plains in a few days." his tone had turned a more serious tone to play his part, brows softly furrowed as he thrashed his tail "Best, go find her. She ever crosses my lands again, it won't be good" he flared his nostrils and set his hues to a more annoyed stare into the chestnut stud's hues as if to make a small challenge jester that the herd needed to get moving as he softly pawed the grounds.

Deaux narrowed his eyes, glaring at the other stud. he seemed about to step forwards but was stopped by a snort from Ocean. "He's not worth it" she said softly not caring if Cloud heard her "We really should get going to find her, it will be GrEaT" she said stretching the last word. With a nod Deaux muttered "Fine" before addressing Cloud once more "Thank you, we will make sure she never passes near your land again" he said trying to hide his true meaning before letting out a whinny and trotting off the herd following.

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Fox slunk silently deeper into the trees keeping her eyes and audits trained on the herd as Cloud told them she was gone. she was shocked at how well he handled the situation, her curiosity peaking along with something else. ~He is misleading them~ The mare did her best to press close to a tree, quieting her breath, as she readied for the herd to pass.

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Fox let out a deep breath, relaxing quite a bit, when none of the horses even paid attention to their surroundings. Ocean brought up the rear at first then made her way back to the front, loping right past Fox. She shifted her hooves, blinking her orbs, as she processed what had just happened. Her mind was swimming with confusion, gratitude, and so many other emotions that she could not make out. Shaking her cranium, Fox checked the area one last time before making her way out of the trees and back to the water.

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As she emerged from the shadows, the mare looked around for the stallion, intent on thanking him and finding out more about this kind stud. Her tail flicked nervously as she realized that she had not even gotten his name, and yet he had protected her...

Stallion| Age: 8| CLOUD| Mated: No| M: Fox, Fox's Ex Herd

The grey stallion stood his ground, he could tell Deaux heisted to step forward, audits perked to prepare himself before they pinned once more when he heard the snotty words from the chestnut stud's mate. What was wrong with these horses, such attitude he thought as a disgusted look shortly appeared on his frame before he eyed Deaux once more with a dip of his frame and nothing more.

His frame turned as he watched the herd take off, a soft breeze blew his forelock over his blue hues as his mane flopped at his neck as his plumage peacefully blew in the winds. Nostrils flared as he watched them get further and further away. For a moment, he had forgotten about the blue roan and started to wonder if she was still around. He softly huffed with a shake of his frame "What an odd herd" his nickered softly for something about that herd made him feel sick to his stomach

An audits flicked as he heard small steps splashing into the river below the hill he was standin on. Blue hues floated as they met the blue roan mare, with a turn of his frame he smiled down to her, as he mozed down the hill to greet her once more. "Are you okay?" he cooed softly as he stared into her orbs, he could tell she was overwhelmed by the situation, he only hoped he bought her enough time. He shifted his weight some to prop himself on three legs, as he rested the other, he tilted his frame slightly with a raise of a brow "It seems to me, your herd is hunting you down... and not in the good way" the words floated off his pallet in a sorrow filled yet calm manor, but he almost wondered if he should be weariy of this mare, but for now... she seemed like the victim.

Her head jerked upwards, ears perked when she heard something from above her on the hill. Relaxing her whole body she whipped her side with her thick tail to rid herself of a fly... and nerves before she tilted her cranium at him. Fox paused at his first question before answering "Yes, I am" lowering her head with gratitude she continued "Thank you for doing that" her words holding deep feeling. Her orbs flickered over this stud as he seemed to relax around her. The mare felt oddly safe around him which was a new feeling for her and she was surprised when she too relaxed, resting a hind foot.

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Fox threw her head to clear the forelock from her eyes before answering his next question. "Yes they are, and no it is not in a good way" she sighed. thinking about it, trying to see things from his point of view she could come off as bad news, so she decided to clear the air a bit. "Its a long story but the short version is that I am not of his sire line" she hesitated picking her words so that she could keep details to herself. "And no one wanted me to forget it, my mother used to say it was because my father had been a better stud than Deaux" she trailed off for a moment trying her best to remember her mother and all of the stories that she used to tell. "She believed he wanted to challenge for the herd and Deaux found out, so he somehow got rid of him" she shifted her weight from one hoof to the other then shuffled her front hooves to get more comfortable. "I never got the details as my mother wanted to wait until i was older, she never got the chance tho" Fox said just above a whisper.

Stallion| Age: 8| CLOUD| Mated: No| M: Fox

He quietly took in her change of features, studying her like she was a peice of rare art. He had never really laid eyes on a roan before as he softly looked over her frame and her features of her slender yet bold frame, her deep blue hues, how the white on her frame flowed like a calm river over her soft muzzle, her thick lush mane softly blowing her scent through the air as his nostrils flared to take it in. It's been years since he paid attention to another mare, he had spoke to some here and there over the years, yet none was quiet as interesting as the mare before him now.

Audits flicked at her kind words, he couldn't help but grin "It's not an all a problem, I wanted to help, I'm glad you are alright" he nickered as he softly blinked to break his staring. He stood there in thought as words flowed from her sorrowed story, he heard every word as he tried to make an unstanding of it himself. Blue hues drifted away as her last words barely spoke into a whisper. His frame dropped some for he didn't know the pain of losing a mother, let alone a father, as far as he knew his parents might still be alive... yet he quickly pushed the thoughts of his own fmaily out of his mind.

Letting out a sigh, he looked back up to her once more, frowning some as he gazed into her painfilled eyes for he knew she must have struggled to tell her story. He took a step closer to her, audits softly pinned as he tried to find a way to comfort the mare. "I can't imagine what that would be like.... losing a dam and sire" his breathe softly blew out from the warmth of his muzzle. "I assume your mother was another of Deaux mates and then she found her true love...." though the thought of the chestnut stud killing another upset him, yet he sorta understood the betrayl feelings. Reaching his frame forward he softly touched his muzzle to hers before pulling it away as he then stood tall, or as tall as he could, the mare was a bit larger than him. "If Deaux killed your parents, why stay with the herd?" he asked before he quickly spoke "You don't have to answer that if you don't want too" as his hues looked away once more towards the waters. He probably was asking to much, but he just didn't understand what the roan was thinking after now knowing some of her story, as he flicked his plumage once more in the heat of the day.

Fox quietly watched his reaction pleasantly surprised to find a softness to his gaze. She tried to picture her mother happy with her father, well with what she thought he looked like from the one time she had ever seen him. She studied him noting how sincere his words were and how much he seemed to try and understand her. The mares orbs flickered over him again truly able to admire his color, one she had never seen before, and notice the large differences between him and others she had seen. He was slightly shorter built, his eyes were just a shade or two off from her own, and they held a softness to them. She definitely liked this stud better than any others she had met.

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Fox offered him a soft smile her ears falling into the same lowered position before she answered. "yes, my mother was in the top of the herd hierarchy as his 3rd mate before she fell in love with my father" When he gently touched his muzzle to hers she was stunned, but it did seem to comfort her and she quite appreciated the gesture. She perked her ears as he righted himself to stand to his full height, even though she stood a bit taller he did not look small to her. Fox actually quite liked being able to look him in the eyes without having to stretch her head up.

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With a soft breath she replied "Its ok, and im not really with them... actually most of the time they have no clue I am around." as she spoke Fox relaxed her posture even more as she felt more relaxed and safer than she had been since her mother was alive. "I endured it in the beginning because i was so young and afraid I survive on my own." her eyes glassed over as she talked about her past "then everything went crazy all at once and Deaux finally tried to make good on his threats" Fox subconsciously twitched the skin at her side. "I barley made it out only to be captured by humans... I was with them for almost two years I think, before they also left me for dead." with a soft sigh she carefully watched him wondering what he was thinking of her. "After that I was too weak and injured to venture far, so i started trailing the herd. Using them to keep predators or rouges at bay and I stayed undetected for the most part. Now I just have no where to go and really don't know what else to do."

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Fox shook her whole body allowing her mane to split sides, after a few moments she then remembered "My gosh, im telling you my life story and we don't even know each others names!" she turned her head away in embarrassment before saying in a soft voice "Im Fox" feeling a sudden wave of shyness along with the overwhelming embarrassment. ~He probably does not care that much and is just polite~ she thought scolding herself as she waited once more to see what he would say.

Stallion| Age: 8| CLOUD| Mated: No| M: Fox

The corner of his hues flicked as he quietly watched her emerge into a more relaxed position, a smile tugged at the corner of his lips happy to see that she welcomed his presence and felt okay enough to relax. It seemed she has been through a lot of stress. An audit flicked as her shaken but soft words came out as she began to tell her story, he turned his frame so he could give her, his own attention. Audits would perk or pin depending on the highs and lows of the story, he couldn't help but just stare straight into her eyes, getting lost though she made facial expression during her tell of the story. Softly blinking he was drawn back to reality though he heard every word. He let out a soft humm.

He found himself look again at her cuts and bruses that seemed to be healed or not fully healed that clung harsh memories to her pelt. He wasn't sure what it was, but there seemed to be some spark when she spoke to him. Trying to push the feeling away, he thicked his plumage with a clear rumble of his throat "I am so sorry this has happened to you.... some are very unforneate. I couldn't imgaine what humans would be like.." as his eyebrows furowed with slight pinned ears, he could help but noticed how she stood over him, he normally didn't like being so small compared so close to others, but being short to her just felt right to him... she was the tallest he has ever really been around, he always focused his attetnion to others his own height yet this... was different and somehow every comforting when others might have felt more threatened by it. Nostrils softly flared as he cooed "You don't need a herd to be safe, I bet you have a good fight in you if needed" he sweetly teased hoping to boost her confidence.

He shifted his weight with a slight deep chuckle at her last shocking words, he couldn't help but grin when she shyed away some, he took another small step forward as he softly nudged his muzzle to her cheek before standing tall, raising his frame some yet this time he didn't walk away, he felt himself blush a bit when he nudged her before he took turned his frame to glance back to the river once more, focusing on the roars of the waters before he rose a brow and peeked at her once more "Do you still plan on trailing them?" he asked, though he hoped not, that chestnut's words and his mates words still made him feel sick on how they seemed to act.

Her mind seemed to settle when he spoke to her again, the feeling of calm washing over her once more. With a soft snort she smiled at his words, "I have tried to learn what i could." the mare said "Its not pretty, but i can hold my own" with a slight lift of her head before laughing softly.

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When he nudged her it caught her off guard again, but this time she shifted her weight into him instead of away. Her face flushed at the same time his did when she realized that they both seemed reluctant to step away. After a long moment she turned her head towards the water also, she flicked her ears scanning the water before focusing back on him. Her orbs were fixed to him as if he was a magnet, but she didn't want to look away.

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At his question Fox shook her cranium, turning her attention in the direction that the herd went. she shivered when she recalled their words, knowing full well what they truly meant, probably would not be smart to trail them. "I would normally follow a few days behind until they forgot about me again..." she trailed off, turning back to him an idea tugging at her mind. The mare hesitated for a long moment unsure how to word her next inquiry. "Do you know of somewhere else I should or could go that would be better?" she asked scanning him with hopeful eyes.