*Defender of the Toklat Clan* (Tall Grass Prairie)

by Enyos, (57 days ago)

The sun was beginning to climb beyond the horizon by the time Enyos made it to the southeastern stretch of the prairie. It was miles beyond where his clan resided, but the young stallion wasn't entirely eager to bring his two new ladies home for King and Majesty to meet just yet. He'd worked hard to gain their freedom, and was hoping a little bonding time with the pair would help prevent the older males from snatching them away.

To that end, he'd moved with relative leisure through the Valley, loosely following Requiems River north, while offering occasional commentary on different locations and landmarks they were passing. As the trees began to fall away, and the land before them expanded in a sea of rolling grasses and blooming flowers, Enyos finally came to a stop and nodded his dial to the prairie that spilled out before them, "Welcome to the Prairie. It's fairly safe in this area, but I'll keep guard while you two eat."

*Defender of the Toklat Clan*

by Silver Edge & Delphine, (57 days ago) @ Enyos

"I've been here before." Silver Edge said quietly, even as she gazed in wonder at the open land, as if seeing it with brand new eyes. "Not this area, and not by this path, but I remember the smell of this area." She took a few steps beyond where Enyos was standing, taking her time looking in one direction, and then the other. Her dappled withers twitched, and her tail slapped from one flank to the other before the appaloosa mare shook her head and spoke again, "But I had a rider then, and no choice to move on my own, or feed on the grasses."

Delphine stepped in closer to Enyos, while her bright sorrel ears fixed on Silver's words. "I've never been out here." There was wonder in her voice as she said this, and that same emotion reflected in her dark eyes as she too took her time to see all there was to see here. "Is this where your family lives, Enyos?"

*Defender of the Toklat Clan*

by Enyos, (57 days ago) @ Silver Edge & Delphine

"You won't have to worry about humans ever again." Enyos boldly promised, "My father and Uncle don't tolerate them in our land, and neither do I." He followed Silver's gaze for a moment, feeling a sliver of the awe that she was experiencing right now. And more than that, the pride of being the one that had brought her the freedom this early morning. So long as he could help it, she would never be under the saddle of another two-leggers.

Delphine's voice brought one of his chestnut ears back, followed soon by the rest of his alabaster muzzle as he answered the younger mare, "Not quite. We live at the Toklat Canyon, down in the heart of the Valley." The stallion then glanced behind them, his gaze shifting south as he thought of their rugged home, "We'll head back that way before dark, and you can meet the rest of the family."

*Defender of the Toklat Clan*

by Silver Edge & Delphine, (57 days ago) @ Enyos

Silver took in his promise, and held into it with caution. The young stallion had kept to his word so far, but the wary mare wasn't so blindly smitten as her companion was, and wouldn't feel fully secure until they were back 'home'. Still, the sheer awe and relief at being free had left a sizeable crack in her cautious pessimism, and the spoke while still gazing out on the endless grass around them, "You've gotten us this far, so I'll hold you to it. I can even help, with my knowledge of the two-leggers."

A chestnut aud shifted in Silver's direction, then joined its counterpart in swiveling full-tilt to Enyos, "I can tell you about humans too, if that helps." Briefly, Delphine followed the stallion's gaze to the land south of the prairie, but her attention had remained on him more than anything, and as his neck was turned, she reached forward to gently nibble away at a bit of dried mud stuck in his coat.

*Defender of the Toklat Clan*

by Enyos, (57 days ago) @ Silver Edge & Delphine

"That would be really helpful, actually." Enyos acknowledged with a perk of his ears and a decisive swish of his flaxen tail. "We can talk about that when we start back for him though. I'd still like to learn a little more about you." Beneficial as their inside information on humans would be, the young stallion's immediate goal in this moment was to build a bond with these two that would hopefully hold out against any advances by King or Majesty. And while Silver Edge seemed a bit more cautious and reserved, the gentle nibble from Delphine told Enyos that his efforts were at least working with the chestnut mare.

A delightful shiver worked down his neck, briefly shaking his mane. It was one thing to be groomed by his mother or Cloudbreaker, it was something entirely different to have this attention and adoration from a young mare near his own age. Enyos gladly angled his muzzle back towards her, to gently nibble at a spot along her slower shoulder, even if there was no dirt or debris there.

*Defender of the Toklat Clan*

by Silver Edge, Delphine, & Daga, (51 days ago) @ Enyos

Silver was still splitting her attention between Enyos and the vast landscape that sprawled around them, with no saddles, reigns, or humans on her back or command her every step. She allowed the stallion's guidance to shift her thoughts back away from the two leggers, at least as much as possible, when it came to the life she just left behind. "Me? Hmmm... well, I was born here, in the Valley. I lived with my mother at a ranch, with eight other horses, and two donkeys."

A shift in movement caught Silver's eye then, delaying any further elaboration on her history. She raised her dusted black dial and turned eyes and ears to a swatch of oat grass, focusing her attention to where a shift of bright brown fur had moved through the swaying seed heads.

Delphine was none-the-wiser to this development. Fully absorbed in the returned attention she was receiving, the mare shuffled her hind hooves in a small side-step that would place her flank against Enyos'.

From the dense grasses, Daga watched the three horses, recognizing the flaxen haired, father-legged brute as the unruly younger half-brother of Onok. And the one that had cost Brennik an ear. Daga snorted quietly but didn't step from cover or say anything just yet.

*Defender of the Toklat Clan*

by Enyos, (50 days ago) @ Silver Edge, Delphine, & Daga

Quiet Suddenly, Enyos found himself trying to juggle too many things at once. A pale brown ear had been turned toward Silver, but the sudden bump of Delphine sidling up against him made it hard for the young stallion to focus on a response. He managed to get out a somewhat distracted "...oh, donkeys?" as he turned his head, arching it over Delphine's neck when her shift of position made it difficult to continue grooming her shoulder.

Before Enyoscould find a new place to set his teeth against, something about Silver's quick change of movement and sudden silence stole his attention. Somewhat reluctantly, Enyos lift his own dial and followed the other's intent star at the oat grass. "Did you see something?" The young brute scanned the shifted blades and the dancing seed heads, but the majority of his focus was elsewhere, and he didn't see the stag.

*Defender of the Toklat Clan*

by Delphine, Silver Edge, & Daga, (47 days ago) @ Enyos

"Yes." Silver answered in a harsh snort, at once responding to the stallion and delivering an audible threat to the brown-furred creature she couldn't quite define. "There's something lurking in the grass over there. I see brown fur."

Delphine hadn't been aware until Silver spoke, and even then she turned her softly nipping teeth for Enyos' cheek, trying to entice him back to their quiet session of mutual grooming. "It's probably just a raccoon, or dog."

Daga had froze. He didn't want to ruin this chance encounter and attempt to reconnaissance by provoking a fight. Or would Enyos even recognize him? Probably not. Although... he did carry the herd's scent banner. Opting for the response that felt the most natural to him, the stag simply froze, keeping his head and velvet antlers low, and his limbs still as the grass and it's dappled shading swayed around in the morning breeze.

*Defender of the Toklat Clan*

by Enyos, (20 days ago) @ Delphine, Silver Edge, & Daga

'Dammit' Enyos thought. His quiet retreat to the prairie had hit a snag. The gentle nibble of Delphine at his cheek was almost enough to make him agree with her dismissive assessment of the unknown creature, but his father had trained him too well to be fully lulled into such compliance. With great reluctance, and even greater annoyance, the young stallion pulled away from the mare and stepped forward with blunt, heavy strikes of his hooves. The feathering of his lower legs bounced fiercely with each step, and his pale mane danced under a quick, feisty shake of his neck.

"Ladies, stay behind me." At the very least, he could flaunt his bravado a little more, so not all was lost. "Whoever's over there, show yourself!" A blast of air from flared nares carried his threat with declaration, while a pair of pinned ears made it clear he was not messing around.

~Eyes of the SunSet~

by Delphine, Silver Edge, & Daga, (19 days ago) @ Enyos

Delphine's coppery-tan nares pursed. Tail lashed behind her in an expression of pure annoyance. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's not worth bothering over." She further pouted, but in a quieter tone now that Enyos had fully stepped away to engage with the interloper.

Silver Edge tossed her dial and trotted to Delphine's side, giving the other mare a sharp nudge against the upper neck to get her to fall back a few paces. A quick nip in the same spot was further used to snap the Delph out of her pity, "Hush, Delphine. It could be danger. Ears up, and pay attention."

In the bed of oat grass, Daga's irritation began to morph into alarm. Enyos hadn't outright seen him yet, but he knew he was there. And Daga knew firsthand how aggressive this stallion was. At a fraction of the other's size and weight, and a rack of soft velvet on his head, Daga stood no chance in a fight against a horse. -What do I do now?!- He watched the other posture and shake his mane. He stomped hooves into the ground that could more than easily break bones. -I could harry him, maybe... separate him from the mares?- A broad hoof clashed against the ground again, and all thoughts of such a bold, heroic move dissolved from the stag's imagination. -Or, if I just stay quiet, maybe he'll leave.-

~Defender of the Toklat~

by Enyos, (18 days ago) @ Delphine, Silver Edge, & Daga

Despite his posturing, the foe hadn't unveiled themselves yet. A surreptitious glance was cast back behind him with the faintest tilt of his head to see if the mares were watching, before he focused anew on the patch of green.

"This is your last warning." He called out, his voices climbing into trumpeting range. An ear swiveled back, listening to Silver admonish and corral Delphine. Enyos turned subtly, so that the ladies could see his profile a little better as he beat his hooves once more into the ground and tore out a chunk of dirt and grass, "Alright, you leave me with no option!" The stallion arched his deeply tanned neck and snorted, then tore into a sudden charge at the oat grass...

~Eyes of the SunSet~

by Silver Edge, Delphine, & Daga, (17 days ago) @ Enyos

Delphine shied away from the nip and stepped back from her friend with a grousing remark, "I'm not a foal." And yet, despite her annoyance, the chestnut mare did give the situation a little more of her focus. Or maybe it was just Enyos' posturing that she was focusing on, and not the potential danger he was trying to flush out from hiding. At least she was facing forward and paying attention.

"I know that." Silver relented, "Just keep your senses alert; we're in the wild now." Rather than watching the stallion's flex of muscle like her companion was, the the dappled mare had both auds forward, and eyes glued to the suspicious patch of grass.

Daga all but held his breath. 'Just stay quiet. Don't move. He can't see me.' These thoughts didn't do much to calm his nerves as the horse trumpeted and smash his broad hooves on the ground. The young whitetail could only imagine what those flints would do to him if he got caught beneath them. A shiver caused his tail to flutter at the thought.

And then Enyos charged. Every muscle in Daga's body tensed. Freezing was no longer an option in this situation; he'd have to rely on flight. All thoughts of trying to harry or insult the big horse went out the window as he turned and sprang from the oatgrass, his tail raised in a flag of white as he sailed over twenty feet in a single bound. The second hooves came back to the ground, he was setting off again, covering yards of prairie grass with each impressive leap. Daga never once stopped to look behind him as he went, and wouldn't stop running until he'd Enyos and his small band were out of sight.

~Defender of the Toklat~

by Enyos, (16 days ago) @ Silver Edge, Delphine, & Daga

In the young stallion's mind, he was envisioning a cougar, or perhaps a wolf laying in wait. Maybe another sneaky stallion, skulking about and waiting to whisk away one of his ladies when he turned his back. He was not expecting a deer.

The sudden flash of movement caught Enyos off guard and he stopped short in his charge with a furious shriek and a sharp rear back. But the deer was bolting in the opposite direction, its tail flagged high and its stride frantic as it ran from its hiding spot and didn't stop until it was swallowed up by the rolling hills and summer-scorched grasses.

Enyos' heart was pounding. He watched at first with disbelief, and then anger as the stag finally left his sights. How dare that whitetail not answer him when he'd called out! He'd nearly embarrassed himself in front of the mares! An furious snort was exhaled, sharp and loud, "I don't want to see you anywhere near my band again, deer!" Another snort, this one a bit quieter, came as he shook his head, sending his wavy blond hair dancing about his dial. Enyos turned and marched back towards Silver Edge and Delphine, "Sorry about that, ladies. You're safe now though, and we'll be heading to the Toklat Canyon. There's less pesky split-hooves there to interrupt us."

After brushing against Delphine, Enyos started on a steady march for the Toklat Canyon, ready to lead the pair to their new home.

~Defender of the Toklat~

by Silver Edge & Delphine, (15 days ago) @ Enyos

A short-lived squeal came from Delphine at the unexpected burst of movement. She turned in a blind pivot, smacking into Silver Edge as she tried to distance herself from the potential threat. The dappled mare scuttled back in response, before sweeping her muzzle forward to press against Delph's shoulder, "Hey, hey, relax!" Putting some force behind her nudge, she coaxed the other to turn back to Enyos, even as her own heart was racing a bit faster from the unexpected spook, "Look, it was just a deer. See?"

The stallion was shouting at the fleeing deer now. Delphine allowed herself to be moved, taking a few stumbling steps under Silver's guidance, until her widened eyes were back on Enyos. He was giving his head a shake as the whitetail fled, then turning back towards then with a level of confidence that helped sooth the young mare's sudden nerves. "...just a deer. It was just a deer."

As Enyos rejoined them, calling an end to their little outing, Silver Edge fell in line silently beside him. The stallion might be a little pompous in her eyes, but he had the bravery and heart needed to keep them safe.

A little less quietly, Delphine hastily joined the pair, putting herself on Enyo's opposite side. With a new appreciation for the wild, the young mare would stick close to the stallion's side for the entirety of the journey, and keep him occupied with casual chatter.