Crush had been in the territory, long enough to wander about and discover the location of the lake nestled in the meadows. It was a calming sight, the magnificent blue of the lake and the rainbow variety of the wildflowers dotting the landscape everywhere she looked. She let out a contented sigh and flicked her creamy tail over her flanks.

The mare dipped her pale face and snatched a bite of the meadow grass that reached to her knees. She munched thoughtfully, glancing around and beginning to wonder where Galliant was at. Surely he wasn’t far. Swallowing the grass, Crush raised a quick whinny before falling silent and listening for a reply.

c r u s h
three year old
chestnut roan sabino
bashkir curly mare

Galliant had just returned to his territory shortly after getting his first ally. He had looked around a bit for Malibu, but he couldn't see her anywhere. She had probably gone off to explore or something, but just in case, Galliant lifted his guard and kept a sharp eye out for anyone.
It wasn't until he stepped to the cool lake waters that he finally noticed someone. About to take a drink, he stopped himself short to look at the frame. It didn't take long for him to realize it was Crush, the other mare. As a matter of fact, the first. His spirits lifted dramatically as he turned and picked his hooves up into a hearty canter, beating toward her with all the grace he could muster as he felt his happiness soar. It had been a while since he last seen her and he was glad to evidently see she was alright.

Long silky banner licking at his hocks as he neared her, he gave his head a small toss and whinnied. Then he slowed and came to her side, lipping at her smooth neck. "Hello, Crush," he greeted, grooming her withers now in a light carress. He was happy to see her again, and as short as the period was, it felt like forever.

GALLIANT
Gallant steed.

The lulling songs of crickets was all that reached Crush’s perked ears as she waited for a response. She lowered her head slightly, a little disappointed that there was no immediate answer to her call. Where was handsome Galliant at? Her mind raced with dozens of possibilities; maybe he found someone else he preferred over her; maybe this was all a hoax and she had just been led on; maybe… there were too many ‘maybes’. This endless guessing made her head ache and she suddenly felt light-headed.

Thinking a drink from the lake would do her some good, the Curly mare turned and was in the process of raising her fore hoof off the grass-carpeted ground when she finally heard the returning whinny that she’d been listening for. Crush’s head popped up and her ears shot forward, recognizing the voice immediately as Galliant’s. She barely had a moment to comprehend anything before the black stallion rushed upon her, greeting her warmly with caressing lips. Crush grinned broadly, returning the affection by nibbling playfully at his withers and mane.

“Hello, Galliant. I missed you.”

She felt a thousand times happier here with him. Before she had just been content, but now that warm tingly feeling she now felt deep within far outmatched her previous mood. She buried her velvet muzzle into his black mane and let her eyes flutter shut with a sigh.

Galliant just felt normal when he was alone, left grazing in the fields, but when he was with the ones he held dear, he was happy and full of joy. He continued to run his muzzle over her pelt, grooming her fur while usually just brushing it the wrong way, just to push it the correct way. Then he would pat it down and leave it as it was. Her unusual kind of fur made it just a bit hard, so he would spend extra long patting it against the rest.

Then he pulled away and simply stood there, eyes half open now as her felt her muzzle in his long thick mane. His banner flicked to and fro happily, as did his alert auds. Life was as it should be then, as he felt he was in a whole nother world of nothing but what he held close. "And I've missed you, dear Crush," he stated in reply to her words, content just standing next to her. "I wondered where you were." he then said, glad to know she had been safe and sound within territory borders.

Crush was fully aware of the stallion grooming around her withers and reveled at his touch, not minding the attention one bit. Rubbing her pinkish muzzle against his strong neck, she made to smooth out some windblown tangles in his mane, pulling them out gently with her lips.

Upon feeling some of his nearness retreat a bit, the mare become more conscious of her position and what she had been doing. Her face flushing hot, she took a few steps back to blink a little unbelievingly at him, not because of what he said but because she'd felt so comfortable there in his presence, it was almost scary. Hugging her chin closer to her throat, she released a breath and nodded with a small smile.

"I stopped to rest on the way here, admiring the scenery, but when I finally got here... I couldn't find you."

At this last part, Crush quizzically rolled her head to the side, as if implying a question herself. She'd figured Galliant would have been here expecting her arrival, but when her whinnies had not been returned as soon as she thought they would have, she'd started to wonder. Where had he been?