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Post by Artemis on Aug 14, 2006 20:42:46 GMT
The sun was just setting, casting the two mountains into twilight as a new scent could be picked up upon the breeze; the perfume of a mare, carrying with it the obvious scent of a horse from the Eguan Alliance. Just moments later a pale, ash coloured mare came into view, her hooves carrying her across the ground at a collected trot, and as she moved she barely seemed to touch the ground. The long grass swayed around her as she pushed through it, at last coming to the base of one of the small mountains that stood nearby, giving the land it's name. Tossing back her silver coloured forelock, she cleared her vision, her dark, expressive eyes moving swiftly across her surroundings.
She knew that there must be other horses in these lands, but none seemed particularly close to her, and so she would not worry about them for now. It was unlikely that her enemies would attack her here of all places, where any horse was allowed to come. Instead she allowed herself to relax, her silver sides rising and falling gently in the cool night.
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Post by thunderjam on Aug 14, 2006 20:48:25 GMT
Nares caught the perfume of a mare, but not just any mare, an Eguan Alliance mare. A snort echoed through his nape and out of his nares. He tossed his head arrogantly, as he waited within the forests. His scent being cast away from the mare. Head peeked out from behind a tree, before he moved on through the forests. He was just making sure to stay downwind from the mare. No way, was he going to let her catch him.
He was Dorado's own General, he was smart and not stupid. He knew he was an enemy of the Eguan Alliance, did he care? No, not at all. Thunderjam's right forehoof struck a fallen twig, snapping it in half. Birds fluttered from the trees, sending loud calls into the air. He halted suddenly, hoping he had not been spotted.
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Post by Artemis on Aug 14, 2006 20:55:35 GMT
For several long minutes, there was only silence in the air. Scenting the breeze carefully, the pallid banshee known as Artemis could sense no other horses nearby. The sky was clear but dark now, and she could see the moon rising overhead, casting it's silver light onto the lands below; a mere imitation of the golden glow that the sun would give the topography in daylight. Cautiously looking around one last time, Artemis lowered her head towards the ground, grazing in silence as she waited for the possibility of finding any new horses in the lands; horses who had no alliance, who she could invite into her own.
Suddenly, there was a disturbance in the trees nearby, and at once the mare's head shot up and she whirled around, gazing about her suspiciously. There was something in the vegetation nearby, she knew. Her eyes narrowing slightly, she thought that she could just about make out the outline of a horse nearby, though his scent was faint and she could not yet discern where he had come from. "I know you're there?" she hissed into the breeze, waiting tensely.
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Post by thunderjam on Aug 14, 2006 20:58:45 GMT
Smirking, he replied in a mere hiss, "You are right m'dear. I am here, but you can't tell from what alliance, can ye?" His form moved further into the forests, so that his outline could plainly not be seen. His kissers parted once more to release more hisses, "Can ye see me now?" His voice was rather masculine than most stallions. He had grown up alone, since he was a foal. He had learned to defend himself and to make himself look more powerful than any other foal.
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Post by Artemis on Aug 14, 2006 21:05:03 GMT
Artemis's eyes narrowed suspiciously, her pinnacles flickering warily at the sound of the stallion's voice. He was certainly not of her own Alliance; she knew of all Eguan horses nearby, and would be sure to recognise their voice, but other than this she did not have much to go by. Her long, silver tassle cracked against her hocks in frustration as he backed further into the trees, so that his outline was obscured by the shadows in the vegetation, but she knew that the stallion was still quite close.
Now, Artemis might be suspicious, but she certainly was not afraid, and had never been guilty of cowardice in her life. She did not like being played with; she was not going to let this stallion, whoever he was, keep her hanging like this. Instead, without saying a word, she slipped forwards silently towards the trees, entering the vegetation, following her senses towards him.
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Post by thunderjam on Aug 14, 2006 21:08:09 GMT
Thunderjam turned his form to face hers. He knew she knew he was close. He smirked and eyed her. His eyes scanned over her form, taking in each and every feature. Hmm, a strong mare. He turned his form around once more. He maneuvered himself out of the forests. He waited to see if she would follow. He was done playing around. He wanted to see this mare up close.
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Post by Artemis on Aug 14, 2006 21:12:11 GMT
It was unnerving, standing in the darkness of the trees, knowing that an unfamiliar horse was close by. The stallion was dark coloured, for she could not see him clearly, but she knew that her own pale pelt would be luminescent in the moonlight. However, she was not going to back away, and she was not going to show any sign of weakness. Instead she took, reaching out with her senses, trying to make sense of the little that her eyes, ears and naves could tell her of this stallion. Her ears pricked at the sound of movement as he moved, and slowly, silently, she crept after him, weaving sinuously through the trees until at last she emmerged out into the open, to find him standing not far away.
Still she did not speak, but edged towards him, her expression questioning yet still suspicious, eyeing him appraisingly.
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Post by thunderjam on Aug 14, 2006 21:19:20 GMT
Thunderjam turned himself around to face her. A smirk pasted itself across his maw. He watched her every movement. "Why have you decided to follow me from the forests?" He waited to see what she said. He could tell she was suspicious of him. He did not blame her. A snort left his nares, as his orbs rolled a bit. He continued to watch her, waiting. Never had he met a mare with such grace and beauty. No, he couldn't let his mind think that.
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Post by Artemis on Aug 14, 2006 21:24:01 GMT
If Artemis had been human, she would have raised a brow, but instead she merely fixed the stallion with a long, penetrating look before parting her lips to speak. "I wanted to know who you were," she answered, her voice feminine, but still strong and direct. She paused for a moment, eyeing the stallion in silence, before adding, "So then, mystery stallion, what are you doing here?" Her gaze continued to linger upon his form long after she had finished speaking, her auds pricked to pick up any response.
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Post by thunderjam on Aug 14, 2006 21:29:18 GMT
"Just wandering around. The name is Thunderjam, Dorado's own general." He eyed her and snorted. He glanced around and then fixed his gaze back upon the mare. He waited to see her response. He smirked a very mimicking smirk.
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Post by Artemis on Aug 14, 2006 21:33:36 GMT
"Garan," she whispered softly, and then her voice rose into a vehement hiss. He had been downwind of her; he should have been able to pick up the scent of Eguans on her pelt easily, and yet he had still talked to her, still lead her on. Her expression was suspicious, eyeing his mimicking smirk cautiously, though she would never admit to being afraid of another horse, least not one of the enemy Tribe's generals. "What do you want with me?"
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Post by thunderjam on Aug 14, 2006 21:38:39 GMT
"I want nothing with you." He watched her and turned. He started walking away from her. The smirk left his maw, as he continued on. He was really just in search of a mare to breed and continue his bloodlines. He glanced back to her, his eyes going soft, unlike they were suppose to. He was a Garan not an Eguan. He was not suppose to go soft.
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Post by Artemis on Aug 14, 2006 21:45:59 GMT
Artemis gave a stiff nod as the stallion turned to walk away, watching him closely as he began to walk away, but as she watched his expression changed. A thoughtful frown appeared upon her delicate features, noticing the softening in his eyes, the way his smirk dissapeared. It seemed so out of place, so unusual for a sworn enemy to be looking at her in this way. Without even thinking about what she was doing, she felt her hooves carrying her towards him, almost of her own accord. There was something unusual about him, something about that glance back at her that had caught her. "Why... Why did you approach me, then?" she asked softly.
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Post by thunderjam on Aug 14, 2006 21:49:41 GMT
"I came here, because I didn't think any Eguan horses would be here. Guess I was wrong." He turned his head away from her. He snorted softly, his gaze remaining softened. He looked back at her once more and said, "I'll just be on my way." He started walking once more.
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Post by Artemis on Aug 14, 2006 21:53:33 GMT
Of course... he's just a Garan. Just another bastard, just like Dorado. But... Artemis knew that it was intolerable, she knew that it was wrong for her to be speaking with, perhaps even attracted to, a stallion from her rival's tribe, and yet there was something so different about him. His expression was still unusually soft as he looked at her. For a moment she hesitated, as though confused - caught up between conflicting emotions. "Yes... You were wrong..." she answered, her voice barely louder than a whisper, before adding, "You don't have to go, though. It's not like I'm going to start screaming at you."
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