Amidst the mist

[kays]

Tyr||22hh||Shire

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These lands, he decided, were far more luscious and comfortable that the terrain in which the herdless males were allocated. He didn’t complain of course, for one, there was no one to complain to, and two, he had no real incentive to stay in a territory where the grass with bristly underhoof and the air was thick with so much testosterone that you almost had to physically plough through it.

He had made his escape across the border. Well, not so much escape, for that implied a hurried and desperate retreat. Tyr usually ambled, and very rarely did anything force him to retreat, for in short, he was a monstrous beast of a horse. In his life he had never failed to tower over all he met; foal, mare and stallion alike. His shire body boasted the thick stature and rippling hard packed muscle, while defining slender legs, in comparison to the bulkier large breeds.

His head was raised high, many feet from the ground and it granted him a good vantage point, easily peering over the thick, damp mist which encircled white feathered hooves which left large and heavy indentations in the moist grass. It smelt fresh here, sharp and natural, no upturned dirt from hooves gouged into the ground for grip, or the acidic smell of markers plastered across the place by boisterous young bucks trying to make a point.

He snorted, a deep rumbling sound from the depths of his barrelled chest, and he moved forward, surprisingly nimble for one his size as his warm brown eyes swept back and forth over the land in hopes of spotting another amidst the enchanting meadow. He could easily imagine many a slender and beautiful mares gliding from the mist as if they were nymphs or sprites from the tales told to foals; spirit-like mares of immense beauty, calling out to the many hot-blooded males within their place of haunting, coaxing them with promising smiles and fluttered lashes, only to be gone in the blink of an eye, obscured by the frosty mist and swept away by the teasing wind.

He shook his head with a chuckle. No, such stories had amused him as a young colt, but now was not the time to distract his mind and blend the boundaries of fantasy and reality. He would never find a mare to help him into a herd if they all soared on a breeze, intangible and fleeting and never to linger within his company, now, would he?

[caution]

T.H.O.R.D.I.A.
_{I feel the thunder, it's so alive}

The ground rumbled as though thunder had shaken the crown of hell. My cracked hooves dug deep into the soft ground, balancing my short, squared body. My balanced, among the few good qualities I had, was impeccable. Of course being large and short at the same time helped a great deal. My long, curly banner flicked in a lazy motion. It was one of those 'the flies bother me but they aren't worth it' gestures. My head was raised as high into the misty air as I could thrust it. My scars flashing for the world to see. I never understood those who feared showing off scars. What was wrong with showing you were a fighter, a survivor? And what was with those prissy miss-prisses that insisted of avoiding confrontation on their own dime, but goaded the big boys on? Did they not know how to defend themselves.

I snort hard, shaking myself out. I had just dealt with one such mare and I was not in the mood to deal with any others. I closed my eyes, breathing in a deep breath, full of the moist air of the plains. It was so strange being wet all the time by a mist and not my own sweat. I wasn't sure I liked it all too much. It unnerved me when myself and my own body were not in complete control of my functions. I flick my banner again. My torn left ear turning backwards. There it was again!

R-r-r-umbl-l-l-le. The ground shook softly and I glanced up. No storm clouds from what I could tell hung over-head. What was causing that blasted rumbling then? I turned, carefully placing each hoof down squarely before lifting the next. I couldn't be too cautious! It could be the beginnings of an earth-shake. I didn't want to lose my footing now and never be able to find it again! My body shuddered, involuntary of my mind, at the thought of an earth-shake. Those were un-friendly beasts. I'd seen horses break legs because of one of those. I was lucky to have survived all the ones that had graced my area.

Unfortunately that meant I'd watched my god-father die. His form had been heavy, much like mine, but unlike mine he was elegant. He was less muddled than I was and, as a result, his long legs were far more slender and delicate then my own. I'd watched two of those long gray legs break in an earth-shake as he bade I leave. I'd refused to and, as a result, I knew for sure he was gone. 100%, totally and completely. I was utterly alone in the world. My Nomadic herd of youth had seemed hollow and empty without my god-father, and so I left.

Life was an odd thing. It tended to play tricks on the living, it goaded them on, taunted them, tormented them, and yet they still continued to live. I was no different. Life had taken its stabs at me. I had come out the winner in my battles thus far but -

The source of the rumbling finally occured to me. In the distance a behemoth was somberly trudging across the very plains I was now prancing upon. It was lumbering my way and it didn't seem interested in stopping. I lashed out with my right fore-leg, the white limb disappearing into the mist in such a way that the rest of my black body could not. I fidgeted, watching and waiting for his arrival. I could flee but no doubt he'd follow. No, best to stay and see what he wants.

[Zenyatta]

There was a disturbance in the force. Midna had felt it almost instantly and lifted her head from grazing upon the cold, wet grass and narrowed her dark eyes, ears swivelling. Chewing her last few pieces of grass, she began moving her light, growing frame from her spot towards where she felt his disturbance to be. Even as a young filly, Midna felt it her duty to keep tabs on horses coming and going from her current home, mostly just because then she knew who would put up with her antics and who she would avoid because they did not like her mischievous demeanor and would come after her if they ever caught sight of her.

In no real hurry, the young mare walked at a steady pace, maybe even more of a saunter, wondering whether she would really even have a chance of finding the supposed disturbance in the expansive stretches of grass and mist. It was not a totally likely venture, especially when a horse was going by feeling alone and even more when said horse was only two years old and still extremely foolish. Who knew if this would be a fruitful or pointless venture for the still-filly? Either way she would make it an adventure. She would pass by someone eventually and could torment them.

However, as she walked, Midna realized that she didn't have to search too hard for the one that was supposedly "intruding" upon her home. The horse she saw in the distance was massive. A Goliath of a horse like that wasn't exactly difficult to find and she knew this was the intruder as she'd remember a horse that size prancing around the Misty Plains, especially if it was a mare. But no, this was a strange stallion. Aka the cause of a hay-day for Midna.

With a shake of her fiery red mane, she took off towards the stallion at a full gallop. A grin was plastered on her face as she ran up, skidding to a stop just a tad too close for comfort. "Hello!" She whinnied with one last good shake of her shaggy, tangled mane. "Can you hear me up there?"

[kays]

Tyr||22hh||Shire

[/right][/size]
The land was quite still, and the mist lingered like a mind-clouding fog, tinged blue and almost hiding the grass over which it hovered. It moved silently, and teased by the breeze it seemed to move like it was alive. Tyr had a feeling that his perception was skewed by his height, able to peer easily over the fog which encircled his legs like water, whereas such conditions may have been troublesome, unpleasant almost eerie to a shorter horse lost among the warped, shrouded world.

His ears pricked and his large head swung from left to right, like a snake enchanted by a swaying flute. His nostrils flare, emitting a bout of roiling clouded breath as hot connected with cold. He could sense movement, disturbance in the mist as he walked. Others were around, by quite well hidden. Curiosity drove him onwards to seek these creatures who lingered in the mist. Perhaps he intimidated them? It would not have been the first time a horse had glanced up (straight up) at him and fled like the fiery steeds of hell were nipping at their flank.

He shook his mane, snorted and stepped heavily, making enough noise so others would have forewarning of his presence; he wanted to show he was not sneaking like a serpent through the mist; he wanted others to know he was there, to not be alarmed. He wouldn’t have any doubt that some mares that lingered here had had some experience with certain stallions lingering in the mist, waiting for more than just a conversation.

However he didn’t expect to meet his first mare by almost standing on her. He only caught sight of her last second, and came to a sharp halt, head thrown back as both forelegs rose from the ground to prevent trampling the mare. Sadly, while he was strong, and could move quite swiftly when he wished, stopping quickly was near impossible for a stallion so large.

”Ah! My apologies, Miss, I’m afraid I did not see you there” he addressed Thordia after he had retreated several steps. His voice was deep and easily heard, but it was smooth, like the rumble of distant thunder, rather than the gruff bark of many large stallions. He did not have much time to introduce himself, for another shape had divested itself from the cover of the mist, a faster and sleeker young filler, much younger than either he or Thordia.

He was surprised by the greeting, neither polite nor cordial but...energetic and endearing none the less and her words coaxed another grumble of amusement from the depths of the stag’s chest. ”Yes, Filly, I can hear you quite well” he responded in turn, smile curving his velvet soft lips. ”I am Tyr, it is a pleasure to meet you both” he greeted, lowering his head slightly so he did not loom quite so much, but continued to do so none the less.

[caution]

T.H.O.R.D.I.A.
_{I feel the thunder, it's so alive}

The behemoth both impressed me and startled me. I had not expected him to be quite so much bigger then myself. Often the mist played tricks on ones eyes - this was not one of those times. I snorted hard, standing my ground even as he rumbled towards me and scurried to a stop. He beat a hasty three-beat retreat, easing the torturous strain on my neck. Looking up at him was no easy feat. My mane fell in annoying curls over one eye. For the moment I let it be.

I flicked my banner in my favorite lazy way as a much younger mare joined us. Well. . . filly. She wasn't nearly old enough to consider a mare. Her frame still bore the signs of young growth - to my eyes. I shook my mane and listened to the filly, my ears flicked forward. My right ear twitched back, lightly. It was not done in an ill-mused gesture but more in a sign of how entertained I was but un-ready to let up my guard.

He lowered his head, his rumbling voice echoing the thunder I'd hoped he would be - instead of what he was. He'd apologized to me so long ago and I still hadn't addressed him for anything. Listening to him interact with the filly. I.m quite alright, sir. You didn't cause any harm. I offered the russet colored behemoth. Unable to tell perfectly what color he was I went off the russet on his nose and under-belly.

I.m Thordia I offered to the both of them, nodding a quiet acknowledgment to the filly that had joined us. I couldn't be rude - she hadn't asked for that!

[Zenyatta]

Midna adjusted her footing as she stood there, waiting for the other horses to acknowledge her. Of course it made sense for older horses to ignore a foolish young filly-barely-mare, but she never took well to being ignored. In the short silence that followed her exclamation, she distracted herself by digging at the wet grass until all of the grass was torn away and she was digging into the soil. Then she just started kicking dirt everywhere with her hoof.

Then the stallion spoke and she paused for a minute, looking up at him, and then to the other mare she hadn't exactly noticed previously. But now she was obviously hard to miss. Not necessarily in the same sense as the stallion was, but because she was small. Definitely smaller than other mares Midna had seen in her lifetime. Now that this observation had been made and Midna was able to put two and two together (probably with more effort exerted than any other normal horse in the same situation), she grinned, her two-toned eyes glinting beneath her forelock. Of course the mare was still just a small amount taller than herself, Midna was still self-assured that she'd end up taller than her.

So by now the two adults were exchanging their names with each other and the stallion acknowledged her comment, only making her grin wider, like a foal earning praise from their parent for something extra special. Any attention that Midna received from anyone made her ego swell immensely and only made her even more attention-grabbing and mischievous. She straightened her still-slightly gangly body and gave a quick shake of her slightly dreadlocked mane, glancing between each horse in turn. Tyr and Thordia. "Well I'm Midna." She said, looking poignantly at the mare, grinning a cat-like grin. "Do you ever get hit by flying birds?" She asked, then looking at the stallion.

[kays]

Tyr||22hh||Shire

[/right][/size]

Tyr had long ago come to expect the expressions that would greet him on the face of a stranger - often awed or terrified, or a mix of the two -and had come to find merriment in them rather than irritation as some might have. But the filly before him seemed rather unperturbed, amused even, which was new, and Thordia appeared pleasantly impassive.

His ears pinned forward with interest as he regarded the shortest of his company, who lacked not only the height but the angular, lengthy limbs of the mares he had expected to be prancing about the enchanting meadows. But Tyr was not a male who judged on one’s build alone, but he could see in Thordia’s short stature a study, sure footedness, and perhaps a perspective of the world he would never observe nor understand. When she spoke, he bowed his crown in acknowledgement and acceptance, pleased that he had not trodden on her at any rate. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Thordia”

Then the large stag’s attention was again directed to the fidgeting filly that appeared to be hacking into the soil. Tyr merely quirked his head despite the little flecks of dirt that were getting entangled in the long white feathers that masked his hooves. She was a pretty young thing and was probably not far from bordering the age of adulthood, but she was obviously still romping about in a childish mindset by her antics. Tyr was fairly certain, despite not having any foals of his own, that Midna was a foal of her own company, doted on my parents with no other to share their attention. But, he supposed, she could have also been a foal of several, yet openly acknowledged as the favoured of the parents, as was known to happen too. Either way, she was obviously a child who was used to attention, or striving for it at least.

“I’d be careful, young one, you may tarnish your hooves with that digging, and they will never quite be as impeccable as they are now” he warned in a lofty tone, amusement weaved into the husky timbre of his voice as he gazed down at the filly. Her questions were delightfully blunt and childishly inquisitive in their delivery, and the amusement was shown quite obviously in brown eyes. ”Such has not occurred as of yet, but I am not unfamiliar with waking to find many bird roosting upon my back” he indulged her.

[caution]

T.H.O.R.D.I.A.
_{I feel the thunder, it's so alive}

I listened to his response, pleased be the politeness with which he continued to address me. I.t's a pleasure to meet you as well Tyr. And you Midna. I wasn't about to ignore anyone, even when the filly was a tad annoying all the sudden. Digging at the earth was a mite depressing to me. The great crown of soil supported the very sustenance every horse required, why would one willingly rip it up as so?

Midna's next outburst ripped a surprised chuckle from my throat. I felt the rumbling of my laugh in my chest and shoulders long before it moved to reside in my throat. The sound tickled my ears, causing me to laugh still more. I flicked my tail lightly, flaring my nostrils and looking back up at Tyr. Curious to know his answer I bit back my well-planned (not really) comment upon the question.

I. can imagine the birds would prefer you to any other perch. I chuckled softly, finding game in the idea of hundreds of birds spread upon his neck and back. It was a dear sight to behold- mental or not. I tossed my head and gather myself once more to a controlled aura. I.m curious, though, Tyr. What has brought you to these wet, sunless lands?

[Zenyatta]

Never one to really please, when the stallion mentioned that she would mess up her hooves if she continued to paw at the ground, she only flashed a quick grin and pawed at the ground faster. Tyr was right in his thinking that Midna was an only foal, and she had been doted upon, but just because her parents were pretty off-kilter in the mental region. They believed that their daughter was the last heir and she would be the one to restore Hilzaria to its previous state of monarchies. Midna was never able to prove or disprove this thinking but somewhere in her puny mind she felt like she wasn't the one. And even if she was, she didn't want the pressure of kingship. Midna preferred her freedom and could never imagine herself commanding other horses. She couldn't even take commands.

The filly zoned out during the two adults' quick exchange, bored and focusing on digging her hole deeper until she had a nice pile of dirt forming. But then looked up as the stallion answered her questions about waking up with birds roosting on his back and her eyes glittered a little bit brighter. She couldn't help but imagine having a team of birds at her command. That would brighten Midna's life considerably if she could bother other horses with a flock of birds. But then she wondered why she never woke up with birds perched on her back. She stared at Tyr, ears flicking back and forth. "Is it because you're so big? Do I need to be that big for birds to land on my back?" If only Midna had an innocent voice. She asked these questions in a slightly more demanding tone. She wanted to know how to get birds and she wanted to know now, damn it!

[kays]

Tyr||22hh||Shire

[/right][/size]

His ear twitched when the filly seemed quite unconcerned with her hooves, and his more-subtle-than-not attempt to get her to cease her digging, so he left her to it. He felt it pointless trying to dissuade her from her careless action which, she would learn eventually, other horses would not necessarily approve of. But he was hardly in any position to intervene; he was not her parents or superior after all.

Thordia’s laugh had his head turning to face her and lips curving in joint amusement, and her comment enticed from him his own chuckle, growling low in his throat once more. But Midna was once again demanding answers from him, and he indulged her curiosity, but took a minute to contemplate his answer.

”My height may contribute to their roosting upon my back; they like to be high, safe from predators. But they may also sense they are safe from me, from being disturbed. It is not in my nature to harm or dislodge them, should they not cause me bother, and very few predators would dare to risk approaching me for a few measly feathered snacks. In return they keep me free from pests that would otherwise nest in my pelt.”

That alone should have sufficiently shot down any of Midna’s hopes for feathered companions, for she was clearly not a filly of great patience who would be content to amble or remain still for great periods of time, as the birds preferred when taking place upon Tyr’s broad back.

Then his head bobbed, appearing far more animated, when Thordia queried after his presence in the meadow.

“Ah, I was, quite honestly, hoping to come across some mares such as yourselves, who may perhaps indulge me. For you see, the land designated to the males without a herd are...not where I would be content to settle for long, and hoped that I could find a companion here so I may claim a more desirable land. May you, perhaps, be interested? I would require nothing from you, of course, my friends, merely your presence upon the land and in return I will offer you protection and freedom to wander where you please among the territory”

[caution]

T.H.O.R.D.I.A.
_{I feel the thunder, it's so alive}

I felt mild annoyance building up deep inside of me with the fillies antics. He had so politely suggested against doing that and she continued to grapple with the earth, ripping up grasses and dirt alike. I snorted hard, willing my tongue to bite itself. I listened between the exchanges and, when his attention returned to me I patiently mused upon his request.

The idea of getting out of these lands was far desirable, however being at any male's beck and call - whether he claims me a free woman or not - was not that appealing. It mulled it over, chewing the air as I did so - it was a nervous habit you could say. Something I always did when deeply lost in thought. Finally I came to the conclusion that, yes, I did want out of these god forsaken wet plains. But at a price.

S.ay we settle upon an agreement, Tyr. I am in no desire to be at any man's beck and call. Define your version of freedom and should it match my desires you can say you have yourself a deal. But I request one thing- and one thing only - do not, I repeat, do note pick a land as drab and wet as this. I flicked my tail lightly, the viperous strands of hair slapping at my flanks.

I waited his response, curious to know what he would say to this. To me freedom was to come and go as I pleased, freedom was to select my own mate and, possibly, bring him home. Freedom was to be unbound by the same laws as every other mare in his herd. Freedom. . . was. . . perhaps the chance to be his leading lady before any others. Not that I would definitely jump on the offer, but to be given the offer freely none-the less.

L.ets play a game. I am not averse to negotiations you see. Here's what I want. Passage to and from as I please. The right to select and bring home my own mate or mates, and to be held above the laws you would lay forth upon other mares. I do not wish to be bound for helping you.

Perhaps we could come to an agreement. I would give up one thing for something else I care for more, but I would need the negotiations to be well worth it. Perhaps I was being stupid to trust in this benign stallion. Perhaps I should wait for two or three more men to pass through these lands - but the clock was ticking and I was growing more irate every minute and second, hour, and day that I spent in this hell-hole.

[Zenyatta]

Geez, these adults talked a lot. Midna rolled her eyes beneath her frizzy, slightly dreadlocked forelock and mane. She was tired of listening halfway through the stallion's long-winded explanation of why birds chose to sit on him. Inhaling and exhaling loudly, she began looking around at the Spring sky above and then the open expanses of grass covered in mist. There was only so much more for her to do here and most of it involved annoying other horses which they hardly ever appreciated. It was fun, but always got old pretty quickly. Even for her. This was her first real interaction with a full-blown stallion and as she zoned back in, she heard the tail end of his ramblings.

Instantly her ears pricked and her head lifted in interest. Was he inviting her along also? Did he really want her to come with him? Well she wasn't going to say no if there was a way for her to get out and explore the territories safely without another stallion coming after her and trying to force her away as she'd witnessed less-than-nice stallions do to other mares. So she nodded her ascent to Tyr, but then became confused as the other mare, Thordia, began giving her demands about coming with Tyr. However, for once, she held her tongue and just looked between Tyr and Thordia, curious.

{ooc} sorry for the suck of this.

[kays]

Tyr||22hh||Shire

[/right][/size]

It was clear that Midna had lost interest in what he had to say early on, but while her obvious disinterest was rude, the stallion was not phased. Instead took note to keep his sentences shorter and sweeter in future, at least while talking to the filly who obviously had a very fleeting attention span. While her silence was surprising, he nodded, as if to confirm her silent thoughts. He was quite sure the filly would want to wander much further than the damp fields that Thordia seemed to detest so much.

While he thought Thordia would be the one to be most pleased with the offer, she surprised him, and impressed him, with her response, delivered in a tone that brooked little argument with her demands. He chuckled lightly, eyes gleaming. “Nay, dear Thordia, I certainly hope I did not give the impression of wishing you at my ‘beck and call’” he smiled, his large head cocked slightly as he listened to Thordia outline specific requests. He snorted lightly, shifting his weight and adjusting his stance.

“I do not wish to restrict or oppress you, should you help me. I’d ask you adhere to only the basic rules to allow for order and safety. I ask that you respect me as Leader, your friend and protector. You may bring whoever you wish to join the herd, I encourage it, even, and who you desire to mate with is entirely your own business, although I do ask he be a male in the herd or one who will be joining” He paused.

...and to be held above the laws you would lay forth upon other mares.

That one may be trickier, but he decided to answer honestly, and hopefully that would appease Thordia.

“I cannot guarantee you leniency solely due to your aid today - nor to Midna, should she also decide to accept me as lead.” He cast the young filly a glance. “I intend to be just and fair, thus I cannot rightfully pick and choose favourites...but of course, I am always inclined to be more lenient to those who prove themselves fundamental towards the herd” he grinned.

“And I have no intent of restricting you, I verily doubt I could. However I must ask you not stray unannounced into lands claimed by others, in case this causes unrest between herds”

He watched the two mares intently, hoping that his plans appeased them enough to join. He did not intend to restrict their freedom, but of course steps had to be taken.

“You have been particularly quiet, Midna, does my offer interest you?”

Ooc; bleh

[caution]

T.H.O.R.D.I.A.
_{I feel the thunder, it's so alive}

My ears pricked forward as he spoke. I flicked my tail, slowly, from side to side - the constant movement preventing those nasty biting flies from lighting upon my pelt. My eyes trained on him, intently, for the longest time. Ignoring the younger filly with the best efforts I could muster, Thor sighed softly. Considering his words, my options. Well. . .

y.ou have yourself a deal, Tyr. I finally told him, my soft words were cautiously spoken. Anything could happen to change this and, I hoped, nothing would. I wanted out of this place. I fought back the thoughts that a possibility for a true friendship could arise between us, dashing all ideas so frail and idiotic as that.

I wasn't foolish. I knew how the world worked. I knew the treachery, trickery, and lies that the world would spit out. I would not fall for anything, or anyone, no matter how genuine they may seem. I nodded her head to him, confirming, silently, that she would not back out of this agreement. When his attention returned to Midna I, too ,turned my head to watch the filly, ears tilted only slightly forward to listen to her response.


{ooc; so sorry this is late! been enrolling in school/ breaking my horse so my time kinda got severed from me lol}

[Zenyatta]

It was a slightly complex request for Tyr to ask of a young and completely immature filly like Midna. However, the thought of being able to get out and see the world. The prospective adventures were extremely enticing to the filly and her flame-red tail flicked back and forth with pent up excitement. Her ears flicked back and forth and she grinned at Tyr. "I wanna come with you." She said with a small rear, bouncing back and forth on her hooves. "I wanna see the world. I wanna travel. I wanna meet new horses!" She threw back her head and whinnied joyfully. This was going to be a new chapter in her life, not that it was going to cause her to change that much. At least that's how she felt at the current time. Nothing was going to change her unless she wanted to be changed and decided it was time to change. Otherwise, she was stagnant and unmoving in her life. She would stay as she was so long as she wanted.

{ooc} midna i hate you sometimes.
are we gonna call this thread done (if not i'm totally cool with it) so tyr can go and claim his territory?