Onok

Onok stood along the beach, his hooves settled into the white sands a step or two from the edge of the lapping waves. Close enough for bits of pale foam to speckled his brown forelimbs, but back far enough to avoid getting touched directly by the icy waters.

With his chocolatey nares directed to the approaching winds, and his squinted eyes peering at the distant clouds, the stallion tried to gauge what the weather would bring this evening. The breeze had become considerably stronger since the morning, going from unseasonably warm to suddenly cold and biting once more. Judging by the darkness that swelled along the horizon, Onok feared a storm was headed their way, and the bitter winds that preceded it spoke of dropping temperatures and snow - or freezing rain.

Onok looked back over his shoulder, away from the ocean and up towards the meadow where he'd last been grazing. He wanted to ensure his two mares were safe, and contemplated moving them somewhere a little more sheltered before the storm officially blew in.

Callaquioa & Nightshade

Calla was grazing lazily along the meadow, filling her growing belly with all the nutrients she could for the lives within. The forage was a little different here, but there was plenty to eat between the three of them and Nightshade.

Every now and then, she'd look up with a mouthful of grass to make sure Xena and Onok were close at hoof.

Onok

After a moment of deliberation, Onok shuffled his hooves and headed back up towards the meadow. He came up beside the young mare and offered a gentle nudge along the neck, his hot breath mingling in her mane. Her scent, once intoxicating to the stallion, now brought a new desire - a deep need to protect and care for. Those same emotions were extended to Xenarona and the unborn life that she carried, though the zorse was more cautious in dealing with this mare, having learned to respect her boundaries and wait for her to accept him.

"There's a storm moving in." Onok declared, moving his dial from Callaquioa and turning it back towards the roiling clouds out above the ocean. "Finish what forage you've found, and we'll head for cover for the night."

Callaquioa & Nightshade

Callaquioa nickered softly when Onok approached and leaned her neck into his touch. A shiver ran down her back and she felt giddy all over again, still enjoying the euphoria of young, blind love. "It does look rather dark over the water." She stopped grazing so she could offer the stallion her full attention, and stepped purposefully with her hind hooves so that her body was pressed closer to his. "Are we going back to the cove, under the cliff?"

Onok

He'd trailed her gaze back out to the ocean and the dark mantle that hovered so threateningly above it. "I think that's the safest place to be. It'll shelter us from the storm, and it's elevated enough that we won't have to worry about flooding." After passing a smile to Calla, the stallion lifted his sights to the treeline, hoping to catch sight of the stag that ghosted his small herd. As Onok sought out Nightshade, he continued with a voice raised for Xena's ears as well, "You two start that way, and I'll follow."

Callaquioa & Nightshade

"We'll wait for you there." Calla said, even though she lingered a moment or two beside the stallion before actually pushing away and heading up the slopes. She nickered gently to Xena as she passed, speaking to her friend in case she'd missed Onok's orders, "We're to shelter in the cove tonight, until the storm passes." And then she cantered on, moving dutifully for the protective cliff.

As Onok peered about the treeline, sure enough he'd eventually spot the midnight form of Nightshade filtering through the barren branches.

Xena

She snorted she turned to lead calli there. ** He has failed so far in finding a second stallion. If he doesn't find one after the storm is done calli we will need to find safety. I saw big cats not far away the other day. They know we are here**

Callaquioa & Nightshade

She shook her head as she cantered along, "I'm never going to abandon Onok. He's trying his best, there just aren't many horses left in the Valley." Calla's words were decisive as she said this and cantered along with her friend to the cove. "Big cats or not, he's taught us several safe places in his territory that would make it difficult for the cats to get us, and the cove is one of them. We have Nightshade too, and he's in full antler still."

Onok

Onok had learned to let Xenarona vent, and made no attempts to invite himself to the conversation. All he could do was continue to protect and look after his small family to the best of his abilities, and keep his eyes out for new recruits. He'd scented cats too of course, and that was the other reason he'd chosen the cove for protection, at least while they were vulnerable in the harsh weather. He stood for several long moments as the mares began their trek to shelter, their voices growing quiet to his ears as they marched away.

The brown and white stallion began to move up the meadow as wind roiled behind him over the ocean, bringing the storm front closer and closer. He could feel the air pressure change, and noted the birds and vanished from the sky and ceased their singing. This storm would be a rough one.

Xena

Xena lead the way carefully. No where in this territory is safe from the big cats, wolves yes but big cats can climb and get to us easilyShe said. Then he comes with us and we go to his sires herd and hope they haven't forsaken him and usShe said. But we can't stay with only one stallion and a stag and the two of us not with these foals about to show themselves. She said. If Onok thought he and a the stag alone could defend the foals and them then he was still niave. But she wouldn't voice it. She wouldn't fight with him on that but her and Calli and their foals safety was her first priorty. Your first priortiy is to that foal not him. She reminded Calli

Callaquioa & Nightshade

Calla's eyes narrowed at the mention of the other herd, "I won't go back to them, they are just like my father was. Pushy and aggressive with their mares! They've only got two stallions anyway; we have Onok and Nightshade, and Nightshade has a lot of experience with those big cats. That's something I doubt those other brutes have." Her normally jovial and carefree personality had soured, becoming something more fierce in this moment. The thought of her foal fanned those flames hotter. "My foal will be safer here, with a father than can raise them kindly, with the help of the deerfolk."

The cove eventually came into view when the two mares passed along the bottom of a sheer cliff. It was the same one they sheltered in on their first night here, and today it would promise them a place to stay dry and relative warm when the storm rolled in.

Nightshade dutifully trailed the forest edge when the herd moved, keeping pace with Onok but mostly staying out of sight in the cover of the pine trees. He would not shelter in the cove tonight with the herd, unless the weather turned especially brutal; the elder stag had napped on and off during the day so that he would have the energy to patrol during the night, when the horses were most vulnerable.

Onok

By the time the small group made it to the foot of the protective cliff, the storm was at their backs and closing in fast. Onok turned to look back and immediately squinted his eyes when a blast of freezing air and pellets of ice slammed into his face. The storm front had caught up with the, and it came with ferocity, flipping the weather from calm to chaotic in a matter of seconds. The big stallion actually staggered back under the onslaught and turned his head away from the incoming wind. "Get in the shelter!" He tried to bellow, but his voice was nearly taken by the howling zephyr.

Still squinting as ice and snow lashed about him, Onok pushed through the raging winds towards the shallow cave, where he could stand as a shield in front of the mares and keep the worst of the storm from reaching them.

Xena

She snorted No it will not, no offense to night but if more then one big cat comes he is most likely the one who will die. King and Majesty have experiance that Onok does not and they have numbers which Onok does not. I am honestly glad Kacheska wasn't allowe to come her foal will stand a good fighting chance here with our numbers an the fact that only I and Nightshade have any decent experiance we stand very little but I guess if you need to learn the hard way like Onok doesShe said with a snort as she got inside the cove where it blocked most of the wind. Sometimes younger horses didn't get the point of safety it seemed. They didn't understand anything.And king is nothing like your father. Your father didn't care about safety all he wanted was foalsShe said.all King want is to protect and give his mares a safe place to raise foalsShe said. She sighed and shook her coat out. You will learn in time that we are not safe with the low number we have and when these foals arrive we'll be even less safeShe said.

Callaquioa & Nightshade

"You're too hard on him Xena." Calla complained, a little more quietly now. The young mare had backed into the cove, feeling a little claustrophobic surrounded by stone, but they were nicely sheltered from the winds, and protected on all sides except the front where the stallion stood. "His whole family just bullied him the whole time we were there, and they chased around poor Kacheska, even though she was with foal." She was frowning now, her eyes shadowed in thought as she reflected on her only experience with King and his herd. She looked away from the blizzard that had suddenly swept in, wincing a little at the cold sting of air that rushed into the cove. Her gaze trailed to Xenarona, "How do you know King so well?"

The blizzard was a fierce one indeed. Nightshade resisted the urge to go into the cove though, having the shelter of the forest to aid him from the winds. Within the pine forest, the wicked zephyrs were reduced, and the stinging hail of ice was softened by the may layers of needles they had to fall through first. Normally this would have been a good time to scrape out a nest and bunker down, but he'd caught a strong scent of cat near the cove not long ago, and didn't dare let his guard down. The stag chose his trails carefully, letting the wind muddle his scent and the screaming winds drown out the sound of his steps. Like a wraith in the night, the stag patrolled through the storm, keeping a close vigil on the few pathways that led to the shelter.

Xena

Xena sighed I Have to be he is inexperianed an risking too much. HE refuses to believe he needs help. If more then one big at shows Calli we are screwed someone will dieShe siad then she sighed. They only do what all herd stallions do. They protect their mares and king would die protecting her.She said then frowned. I met him when he was younger, younger then you. I was young mare out on my own because large cats killed most of my herd. King... .He helped me. Kept me alive showed me the ropes. I lost track of him though as I had still been young nad adventurous when your father found me and force me to join him. She said her ears back. I had seen King a few times before Kacheska or you were born but only from a distance and your father of course wouldn't let me near anyoneShe said.