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Description

Word Count: 2,244
Activity: Claiming Attempt
Season: Spring
Location: Forest, Caputalis Isle
Herd Members: --
Other Horse(s): Twila
Lead Stallion: SunSplaash
Stardust is frailer than Beetle had been. She's still shy toward the herd and scared of her own shadow. She's constantly staying by Shelly's side, too scared to go far. Beetle is always there to keep her company, inviting her to play and socialize. He's always extra gentle towards the filly, though the mares keep an eye on them just in case.
Silhouette joins in sometimes when Beetle asks her to. Otherwise, she keeps her distance, not because she's worried Shelly will snap at her but because she doesn't trust herself around Stardust. The filly had been so small and skinny. It's like Silhouette is scared to be around her.
SunSplaash will help the new mothers with anything that they need. He'll babysit to give the mares time to themselves, and Silhouette will help with that. He will frolic around with Beetle and graze beside Shelly and Stardust. The filly had quickly warmed up to her father, though still has yet to find her confidence.
Whenever he has free time, he'll take Rook out and scout around the area that the herd is staying in. SunSplaash had thought it best to settle down for a few weeks, at least until the foals have grown a bit stronger. Especially Stardust, he isn't sure if the constant life of traveling around would be good for her.
He doesn't want to risk it.
Multiple times a day he goes out and makes sure the area is safe. He'll chase out anything he sees as a threat to his family. He'll mark the area to keep away any other stallions. He doesn't want to end up having to chase away any bachelor feeling brave. Though the longer they stay there he has a feeling that bachelors will start sniffing about, trying to get lucky.
He hopes that they're able to move out before then.
Although he had time for his wounds to heal from the last brawl, he still isn't at complete strength. He still needs rest and time to let his muscles and tissue completely restore themselves. Though he makes sure he's not sitting around all day, he doesn't want to get soft and end up being jumped.
During one of his scouts, he noticed a scent all too familiar. A mare, somewhere in the vicinity of his herd. Had she wandered over to see what was going on? Is she lost?
SunSplaash stops atop a rocky crop overlooking the small clearing his herd is in through the trees. He watches as they graze together, the snow almost completely having melted from the clearing and some of the surrounding area. Spring is near, he can smell it in the air, and feel it as the sun gets just a bit warmer each day.
Rook is perched upon a nearby branch, lazily preening through his unkept feathers, taking no mind of the new scent of the mare in the air.
SunSplaash lifts his nose again, flaring his nostrils to try and get a better sense of who she is and more importantly where she is. He can tell that she's upwind, maybe that's why her scent is so strong. He doesn't smell any other horses around. She's too far away for him to tell if she's already in a band or not.
He looks back at his herd once more before looking over to Rook. He nickers, getting the large raven's attention.
"Aye cap'n, what's the verdict?" He croaks out, shuffling his wings.
"There's something I need to go check out," SunSplaash says, gesturing in the general direction from which the scent is coming from. "Keep an eye on the herd, if anything happens come and find me."
"Right 'o sir! There's nothin' better than a bird's eye view, no siree." Rook chirps happily. SunSplaash rolls his eyes with amusement as he watches the bird spread his wings and take flight, gliding down towards the herd.
With that settled, SunSplaash turns and begins his mission. He follows his nose through the forest, his ears sitting at attention atop his head as he listens for clues. There's nothing but the occasional scuffling of mice or squirrels through the snow as they look for scraps of food.
The trees grow thicker and closer together. It feels colder the further into the forest he goes, a shadow cast over the area. The snow is still thick here, and icicles hang from the frozen branches of the tall twisted trees around him. It's gone quiet now, sending a shiver through SunSplaash's legs.
Maybe he had been wrong about the mare? But then why can he still smell her scent? Maybe it's the direction he had been wrong about, then?
He's traveled a long distance from his herd by now. What if this is a trap? A stallion using one of his own mares to lure SunSplaash away, leaving the herd defenseless and without protection?
SunSplaash grits his teeth at the thought. He stops and turns, looking over his shoulder at his footprints through the winding trees. Should he go back? No rogue mare is worth losing his family for. But he hadn't smelled any other horses around.
He sighs, taking in his surroundings. The only thing he sees are trees, tall and bare without their leaves. It looks the same here as it did a few yards back. If he isn't careful, it would be pretty easy to get lost within the endless miles of forest.
Maybe he should go back. He's come this far without running into the mare.
There's the sound of crunching snow. SunSplaash tenses, his ears quickly perking atop his head as he narrows his eyes. He quickly turns in the direction the noise came from. He almost trips over his own hooves when he sees another mare standing there between the trees.
Her gray coat had blended in with the forest around them. Her blue eyes are calm as she looks him over, her ears perked towards him with curiosity. There are small white dots freckled across her coat in small clusters, reminding SunSplaash of snowflakes.
"Hello to you too," she speaks, her voice feminine yet rich and smooth. She is undisturbed and unsurprised by him, almost like she had expected to run into him.
SunSplaash awkwardly clears his throat, trying to get his jumbled mind together as he feels his body heat up with embarrassment. "H-hi-erm, he-hello. I uh, I noticed your scent a few miles back and um, and just came to check it out."
The mare raises her brow with amusement and slightly raises her head. "Ah, I see. I wasn't expecting to run into anyone this far out into the forest."
SunSplaash shrugs, bringing his legs closer together as he tries to make himself look taller. "Wasn't a problem for me. In fact, it was pretty easy if I'm being honest."
The mare giggles softly before rolling her eyes. "Sure thing big guy."
SunSplaash grits his teeth. He has a feeling that this mare sees him as more of a colt than a stallion. He isn't sure how to perk her interest with a conversation, he can't even form a sentence in his mind. He's been letting his tongue do the talking, hoping that it doesn't make him sound like a complete fool.
The mare lowers her head, using her lip to surf through the snow as she forages for what little food might be there. SunSplaash sucks in a breath of frustration. She isn't interested in the slightest.
He paws at the snow, kicking it up around his legs as he tries to catch her attention. She glances at him, though doesn't lift her head from the snow. SunSplaash decides to kick it up a notch. He lifts his tail and throws his head, doing a little dance by trotting in place. He then huffs, flaring his nostrils as he prances around in a little circle, throwing his head and flashing his tail from side to side.
The mare continues to watch him out of the corner of her eye, flicking an ear towards him every time he whinnies to try and catch her attention. She slowly moves around in her little spot, occasionally lifting her head to watch SunSplaash prance around before going back to foraging.
SunSplaash finally comes to a stop, his chest heaving as his whole body feels like it's burning, despite the ground still being covered in snow. His breath billows up into the air, more visible in the shadows of the trees as it fades up into the air. His nostrils flare, his legs trembling slightly.
The mare hadn't moved much from her spot. She's watching him curiously, pausing from foraging though her head is still lowered towards the ground. She's facing him at least, which he takes as a good sign.
He smiles lopsidedly at her, bobbing his head a little as he lets his forelock dance around in the cold air.
"Pretty confident," she finally muses, lifting her head. "Though confidence won't make up for experience."
"Experience?"
"Mhm." She nods her head, smiling to herself as she looks him over. "Your dance was flashy, you tried your best to get my attention, huffing and calling to me."
SunSplaash glances away with embarrassment. Is he that obvious?
"You have no idea what you're doing yet. My guess is that you've just left your birth herd," she clicks her tongue as she studies him.
"N-no! I um," SunSplaash clears his throat, embarrassed for raising his voice. He kicks at the snow as he mumbles, "it's been almost a year. Why does that matter?"
The mare slowly walks towards him, flipping her mane as she does. SunSplaash watches her, entranced by her fluid movements and those deep blue eyes of hers as she bats her eyelashes a few times.
"You're entranced by me," she explains as she starts to circle around him. SunSplaash doesn't take his eyes off her for a second. "Practically drooling. I doubt you've even seen a mare yet, besides the ones in your herd."
SunSplaash furrows his brow, an itch festering in his belly. He steps away from her, causing her to stop and watch with confusion. She hadn't expected that as she studies the change in his face. He's frowning now, his ears slightly angled back.
"I have a herd of my own," he says flatly. "Two mares are with me, they've birthed my foals. They're everything to me, I'd give my life for them if I had to."
The mare looks surprised by his change of tone. Her ears perk towards him. He's gained her interest somehow, though her eyes remain cool and neutral.
"Sure looks like it, with those scars. Tell me, how'd you get them?" She gestures towards his chest, and then to the one on his rump.
"A cougar, it was chasing a filly I saved," SunSplaash explains proudly, looking down at the healed marks slashed jaggedly over his chest. He winces as he remembers how painful it had felt, feeling those claws rip through his flesh. It had taken forever to heal, leaving deep scars behind.
"And the other?"
SunSplaash somewhat deflates, looking over his shoulder at the fresh scar across his rump. "U-um, that one?"
"What other one would I be talking about?"
"Right..." SunSplaash takes a deep breath and looks back at the mare's curious eyes. "A-an angry buck. We-my herd and I were in a small clearing, eating and getting our strength before moving. This herd of deer decided to join, and the buck wanted us to leave. He charged us. I got the filly and my mare to leave. I stalled the buck before going after them, that's when he nicked me."
The mare giggles again at his story, though there's a genuine light that comes to her eyes. It isn't a degrading laugh. It's light, pure. Beautiful, and matches the squinting of her eyes that mirror the smile on her face, however small it may be.
"Very heroic," she finally hums. "I haven't encountered many young stallions who take their herds as seriously as you do."
SunSplaash perks up at that, matching her smile. "Thank you. They-I've worked hard, they mean a lot to me."
"Well don't let little ol' me keep you away from them." She gestures with her head back in the direction SunSplaash had come from. "They're probably waiting for you."
"Yeah...I have come a long way." SunSplaash follows her gaze, pausing for a moment before looking back at her. "You know...if you want, you can join me? You can meet my herd and my foals. You can tag along, and I can show you how much I love them."
The mare looks surprised at the offer. She tenses, their eyes locking. Uneasiness swirls around her face as the smile falls, shifting back into that neutral state it had been when they first met.
"I-I don't know," she finally stutters out, a small tremble in her voice. "I haven't been in a herd for a long time."
SunSplaash smiles back at her, his eyes soft. "It's alright, I didn't know how to be in a herd once I ran into Zynnia. I had gone a while on my own, but then I quickly met Silhouette after, that filly I told you about."
The mare shifts her weight, her eyes following SunSplaash's footsteps back through the trees. Her blue eyes are distant, ears perked forwards.
SunSplaash patiently waits for her answer.

-----------------
~References Used~
-Poses
-021e97f45d508c3677c130b1b7b916
-a7c60703c5ff1ca5e1332b7d1f02a4
-Background
-N/A

Description

Word Count: 2,244
Activity: Claiming Attempt
Season: Spring
Location: Forest, Caputalis Isle
Herd Members: --
Other Horse(s): Twila
Lead Stallion: SunSplaash
Stardust is frailer than Beetle had been. She's still shy toward the herd and scared of her own shadow. She's constantly staying by Shelly's side, too scared to go far. Beetle is always there to keep her company, inviting her to play and socialize. He's always extra gentle towards the filly, though the mares keep an eye on them just in case.
Silhouette joins in sometimes when Beetle asks her to. Otherwise, she keeps her distance, not because she's worried Shelly will snap at her but because she doesn't trust herself around Stardust. The filly had been so small and skinny. It's like Silhouette is scared to be around her.
SunSplaash will help the new mothers with anything that they need. He'll babysit to give the mares time to themselves, and Silhouette will help with that. He will frolic around with Beetle and graze beside Shelly and Stardust. The filly had quickly warmed up to her father, though still has yet to find her confidence.
Whenever he has free time, he'll take Rook out and scout around the area that the herd is staying in. SunSplaash had thought it best to settle down for a few weeks, at least until the foals have grown a bit stronger. Especially Stardust, he isn't sure if the constant life of traveling around would be good for her.
He doesn't want to risk it.
Multiple times a day he goes out and makes sure the area is safe. He'll chase out anything he sees as a threat to his family. He'll mark the area to keep away any other stallions. He doesn't want to end up having to chase away any bachelor feeling brave. Though the longer they stay there he has a feeling that bachelors will start sniffing about, trying to get lucky.
He hopes that they're able to move out before then.
Although he had time for his wounds to heal from the last brawl, he still isn't at complete strength. He still needs rest and time to let his muscles and tissue completely restore themselves. Though he makes sure he's not sitting around all day, he doesn't want to get soft and end up being jumped.
During one of his scouts, he noticed a scent all too familiar. A mare, somewhere in the vicinity of his herd. Had she wandered over to see what was going on? Is she lost?
SunSplaash stops atop a rocky crop overlooking the small clearing his herd is in through the trees. He watches as they graze together, the snow almost completely having melted from the clearing and some of the surrounding area. Spring is near, he can smell it in the air, and feel it as the sun gets just a bit warmer each day.
Rook is perched upon a nearby branch, lazily preening through his unkept feathers, taking no mind of the new scent of the mare in the air.
SunSplaash lifts his nose again, flaring his nostrils to try and get a better sense of who she is and more importantly where she is. He can tell that she's upwind, maybe that's why her scent is so strong. He doesn't smell any other horses around. She's too far away for him to tell if she's already in a band or not.
He looks back at his herd once more before looking over to Rook. He nickers, getting the large raven's attention.
"Aye cap'n, what's the verdict?" He croaks out, shuffling his wings.
"There's something I need to go check out," SunSplaash says, gesturing in the general direction from which the scent is coming from. "Keep an eye on the herd, if anything happens come and find me."
"Right 'o sir! There's nothin' better than a bird's eye view, no siree." Rook chirps happily. SunSplaash rolls his eyes with amusement as he watches the bird spread his wings and take flight, gliding down towards the herd.
With that settled, SunSplaash turns and begins his mission. He follows his nose through the forest, his ears sitting at attention atop his head as he listens for clues. There's nothing but the occasional scuffling of mice or squirrels through the snow as they look for scraps of food.
The trees grow thicker and closer together. It feels colder the further into the forest he goes, a shadow cast over the area. The snow is still thick here, and icicles hang from the frozen branches of the tall twisted trees around him. It's gone quiet now, sending a shiver through SunSplaash's legs.
Maybe he had been wrong about the mare? But then why can he still smell her scent? Maybe it's the direction he had been wrong about, then?
He's traveled a long distance from his herd by now. What if this is a trap? A stallion using one of his own mares to lure SunSplaash away, leaving the herd defenseless and without protection?
SunSplaash grits his teeth at the thought. He stops and turns, looking over his shoulder at his footprints through the winding trees. Should he go back? No rogue mare is worth losing his family for. But he hadn't smelled any other horses around.
He sighs, taking in his surroundings. The only thing he sees are trees, tall and bare without their leaves. It looks the same here as it did a few yards back. If he isn't careful, it would be pretty easy to get lost within the endless miles of forest.
Maybe he should go back. He's come this far without running into the mare.
There's the sound of crunching snow. SunSplaash tenses, his ears quickly perking atop his head as he narrows his eyes. He quickly turns in the direction the noise came from. He almost trips over his own hooves when he sees another mare standing there between the trees.
Her gray coat had blended in with the forest around them. Her blue eyes are calm as she looks him over, her ears perked towards him with curiosity. There are small white dots freckled across her coat in small clusters, reminding SunSplaash of snowflakes.
"Hello to you too," she speaks, her voice feminine yet rich and smooth. She is undisturbed and unsurprised by him, almost like she had expected to run into him.
SunSplaash awkwardly clears his throat, trying to get his jumbled mind together as he feels his body heat up with embarrassment. "H-hi-erm, he-hello. I uh, I noticed your scent a few miles back and um, and just came to check it out."
The mare raises her brow with amusement and slightly raises her head. "Ah, I see. I wasn't expecting to run into anyone this far out into the forest."
SunSplaash shrugs, bringing his legs closer together as he tries to make himself look taller. "Wasn't a problem for me. In fact, it was pretty easy if I'm being honest."
The mare giggles softly before rolling her eyes. "Sure thing big guy."
SunSplaash grits his teeth. He has a feeling that this mare sees him as more of a colt than a stallion. He isn't sure how to perk her interest with a conversation, he can't even form a sentence in his mind. He's been letting his tongue do the talking, hoping that it doesn't make him sound like a complete fool.
The mare lowers her head, using her lip to surf through the snow as she forages for what little food might be there. SunSplaash sucks in a breath of frustration. She isn't interested in the slightest.
He paws at the snow, kicking it up around his legs as he tries to catch her attention. She glances at him, though doesn't lift her head from the snow. SunSplaash decides to kick it up a notch. He lifts his tail and throws his head, doing a little dance by trotting in place. He then huffs, flaring his nostrils as he prances around in a little circle, throwing his head and flashing his tail from side to side.
The mare continues to watch him out of the corner of her eye, flicking an ear towards him every time he whinnies to try and catch her attention. She slowly moves around in her little spot, occasionally lifting her head to watch SunSplaash prance around before going back to foraging.
SunSplaash finally comes to a stop, his chest heaving as his whole body feels like it's burning, despite the ground still being covered in snow. His breath billows up into the air, more visible in the shadows of the trees as it fades up into the air. His nostrils flare, his legs trembling slightly.
The mare hadn't moved much from her spot. She's watching him curiously, pausing from foraging though her head is still lowered towards the ground. She's facing him at least, which he takes as a good sign.
He smiles lopsidedly at her, bobbing his head a little as he lets his forelock dance around in the cold air.
"Pretty confident," she finally muses, lifting her head. "Though confidence won't make up for experience."
"Experience?"
"Mhm." She nods her head, smiling to herself as she looks him over. "Your dance was flashy, you tried your best to get my attention, huffing and calling to me."
SunSplaash glances away with embarrassment. Is he that obvious?
"You have no idea what you're doing yet. My guess is that you've just left your birth herd," she clicks her tongue as she studies him.
"N-no! I um," SunSplaash clears his throat, embarrassed for raising his voice. He kicks at the snow as he mumbles, "it's been almost a year. Why does that matter?"
The mare slowly walks towards him, flipping her mane as she does. SunSplaash watches her, entranced by her fluid movements and those deep blue eyes of hers as she bats her eyelashes a few times.
"You're entranced by me," she explains as she starts to circle around him. SunSplaash doesn't take his eyes off her for a second. "Practically drooling. I doubt you've even seen a mare yet, besides the ones in your herd."
SunSplaash furrows his brow, an itch festering in his belly. He steps away from her, causing her to stop and watch with confusion. She hadn't expected that as she studies the change in his face. He's frowning now, his ears slightly angled back.
"I have a herd of my own," he says flatly. "Two mares are with me, they've birthed my foals. They're everything to me, I'd give my life for them if I had to."
The mare looks surprised by his change of tone. Her ears perk towards him. He's gained her interest somehow, though her eyes remain cool and neutral.
"Sure looks like it, with those scars. Tell me, how'd you get them?" She gestures towards his chest, and then to the one on his rump.
"A cougar, it was chasing a filly I saved," SunSplaash explains proudly, looking down at the healed marks slashed jaggedly over his chest. He winces as he remembers how painful it had felt, feeling those claws rip through his flesh. It had taken forever to heal, leaving deep scars behind.
"And the other?"
SunSplaash somewhat deflates, looking over his shoulder at the fresh scar across his rump. "U-um, that one?"
"What other one would I be talking about?"
"Right..." SunSplaash takes a deep breath and looks back at the mare's curious eyes. "A-an angry buck. We-my herd and I were in a small clearing, eating and getting our strength before moving. This herd of deer decided to join, and the buck wanted us to leave. He charged us. I got the filly and my mare to leave. I stalled the buck before going after them, that's when he nicked me."
The mare giggles again at his story, though there's a genuine light that comes to her eyes. It isn't a degrading laugh. It's light, pure. Beautiful, and matches the squinting of her eyes that mirror the smile on her face, however small it may be.
"Very heroic," she finally hums. "I haven't encountered many young stallions who take their herds as seriously as you do."
SunSplaash perks up at that, matching her smile. "Thank you. They-I've worked hard, they mean a lot to me."
"Well don't let little ol' me keep you away from them." She gestures with her head back in the direction SunSplaash had come from. "They're probably waiting for you."
"Yeah...I have come a long way." SunSplaash follows her gaze, pausing for a moment before looking back at her. "You know...if you want, you can join me? You can meet my herd and my foals. You can tag along, and I can show you how much I love them."
The mare looks surprised at the offer. She tenses, their eyes locking. Uneasiness swirls around her face as the smile falls, shifting back into that neutral state it had been when they first met.
"I-I don't know," she finally stutters out, a small tremble in her voice. "I haven't been in a herd for a long time."
SunSplaash smiles back at her, his eyes soft. "It's alright, I didn't know how to be in a herd once I ran into Zynnia. I had gone a while on my own, but then I quickly met Silhouette after, that filly I told you about."
The mare shifts her weight, her eyes following SunSplaash's footsteps back through the trees. Her blue eyes are distant, ears perked forwards.
SunSplaash patiently waits for her answer.

-----------------
~References Used~
-Poses
-021e97f45d508c3677c130b1b7b916
-a7c60703c5ff1ca5e1332b7d1f02a4
-Background
-N/A