~

Riptide moved away from the unusually large stallion and began circling the herd with Laufey. "Catch anyone?" He called out to his partner. He had missed alot of the fighting, standing up to the large stallion. You better have, otherwise this would be a total waste of time. It probably would've been easier to chase down a lone mare, instead of an entire herd. No, not probably. Definitely. He glanced at the herd, hoping one of the mares would spook. If one of them did spook, he knew that he would have a much better chance of catching them than Laufey did. Laufey may have more strength than Riptide did, but he was faster.

Laufey | The Duo | “The Trickster” | M: Aztec, Riptide, Fox, Feliz

Laufey tucked his head in and backed away from the now attacking mare, tail lashing and his breath coming out in snorts as he tried to ignore the bites he was receiving. He spun about and kicked out at the mare again, managing to get some distance away. His gaze directed to the chestnut mare seeming eager to get his attention, unsure whether to chase her down or not. He’d had his fill of receiving tricks, not wanting two mare’s beating down on him at the same time. When Riptide headed over he lifted his head, more eager to chase down the dun mare than before. “There's a dun mare that ran off, I can chase her down easily enough. Wasn’t sure whether you’d want to be left alone with all this or not.” He hardly sounded bothered, pleased that he was no longer dealing with the herd on his own. “Though I suppose I shouldn’t have bothered. Go for the chestnut or the grey if you want, they both seem to be loners.” He was already fairly certain the stallion wouldn’t care what he thought, turning about and taking off in the direction the dun had gone, pouring in as much speed as he could manage to avoid Aztec.

Quiet. Everthing was very quiet for him. He had just woken up from his daily nap. Eat, drink, nap. And repeat. He was a very bored horse. He could try to pursue a mare, but that is just so much work. And plus, mares are usually weary of a lone bachelor. He is a determind stallion, but not one up for a long chase. His poor lungs wouldn't be able to keep up.

As Mouse stood up, the fresh smell of grass and leaves entered his sighing nostrils. A good sign fall was near. As he licked his lips, he realized he was quite parched. He begrudgingly moved his legs towards the sound of running water. He has been walking around this new side of the earth for only a couple years, but he never stays in one place twice.

He has yet to find something, someone that intrests him even slightly. He just wants to have fun but nothing is really fun anymore. Eat, drink, sleep and repeat.

As he approches water, he hears the soothing rushing sound of the water in his perked ears. The cold water touches his front hooves as he dips his multicolored neck down to sip from his almost pink lips.

While he drinks, he hears hoovebeats. Far, but not far enough for him to not hear it. It reverberated off the orange trees to get to his head. He lets curiosity get the best of him and he walks through the brush of dead trees. Until he sees something that finally, finally, catches his intrest.

-

Aztec perked her ears and couldn't make out what the two teamed stallions were discussing. She was frothing at the mouth with effort to protect the herd. When the smaller bachelor took off to follow the brave mare, she leapt forward and lashed out with her hooves, narrowly missing his left flank. She stomped and hobbled after him for a second then turned to the other bachelor, her ears turned back to being pinned.

Aztec swerved back and was quickly in front of the herd and was circling them in her protective stance. She scanned the small herd in hopes that all were alright. Her thoughts drifted to the dun mare who had courageously escaped and hopefully was out of the grasp of the Duo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The pitch black mare stood on a hill, eyes narrowed and ears in a relaxed position. She'd slept fitfully; for whatever reason, perhaps the constant changing of the wind, with the sun came a sense of security that the night had not brought. She was not one to fear the dark; with her coat, she almost relished it and the camouflage it brought her. But last night... She wasn't sure why, but it had been different. Beauty released a long sigh, her sides expanding and then shrinking again. This day felt off; perhaps it had just been the oddness of her nighttime experience. Beauty shook out her coat and trekked further up the hill, Beauty scanned the horizon, pausing briefly on what appeared to be a herd fending off two stallions, before looking away and inhaling. The scent of the horses hung in the air;. She clambered back down the hill after she was satisfied with her investigation and began nibbling half-heartedly on the grass, not worried about what she saw, the stallions would never find her.

The grey mare sighed with relief as she managed to enter back into the herd. Due to her being distracted, she had briefly lost the safety of the herd, and it had been a frantic race back to the herd once she realized her vulnerability. Now, she was able to relax a little, panting from the rush, and trembling a bit from the adrenaline coursing through her body. She didn't feel completely comfortable, for the Duo was still there, and now they seemed to be regrouping and talking to each other. What are they talking about? What are they planning?, she wondered anxiously, watching them from her spot in the center of the herd. Maybe I should make a run for it like that other mare. They didn't follow her, so they might not take the time to follow me. They have a whole herd to capture, after all. Teluva argued with herself, trying to decide if it was a small enough risk to leave the center of the herd and rely on her speed and knowledge of the surroundings alone. She did know a small group of mares in the mountains nearby that she could find shelter with, and she also had friends near the borders of the desert who could help her out.

As she was still trying to make a choice, she walked towards the edge of the herd with slow, unsure steps. Glancing at Aztec, who was facing the stallions fiercely, she hoped the mare could fend them off in her absence. I'm sorry I can't help, but I am not made for fighting. I hope you will all understand. May I see you all once again, safe and sound. Saying this silent farewell, she strengthened her resolve to escape, and finally brought herself to move out of the herd, leaving herself alone. It wasn't like she was not easy to notice; her almost white, speckled coat with a splash of black running down her shoulder stood out, making her very noticable. She wasn't planning on staying for long though, and after shooting a quick glance towards the Duo, she noticed one of them began to run in the direction of the dun mare. Taking advantage of the distraction, she leaped away, racing as fast as her legs could go. The rush of adrenaline once more searing into her body, along with the rising hope of freedom and fear of the Duo gave strength to her, and she rushed past the herd, her white mane flying like a flag as she galloped up a nearby hill and towards the unknown plains beyond.

Laufey | The Duo | “The Trickster” | M: Aztec, Feliz

Laufey paid little mind to the mare’s attempt at a chase, simply kicking out behind him before darting across the plains to find the dun mare. He slowed once over the ridge, lifting his head high to take in the scents and find the mare’s. His nostrils flared, ears alert and swiveling to listen for any sound that would draw his attention. An excited snort sounded from his muzzle as he found her scent as a gust of wind blew it by, setting off at a slow gallop, his gaze shifting across the hills to try and spot the mare. He was surprised he found her rather quickly, expecting the mare to have run farther, almost disappointed that there wasn’t more of a chase. Yet he was relieved at the same time, not wanting to overexert himself over a couple mares who put up more of a fight than they were worth.

He thundered down upon the mare, head low as he snaked around her. He nipped at her leg, dodging any attack that followed, beginning to circle around the dun. He kept close, not leaving any gap large enough for her to bolt. His head raised up, triumph clear in his eyes, though he had to remind himself to not celebrate too soon. The struggle had likely drawn unwanted attention, and he didn’t want to test his luck any more than he had. His patience was wearing thin, and he truly wasn’t up to dealing with another mare who caused him too many problems.