On The Brink [Brigida]

[Deleted]

Mavecci Minst

The only sound in the cave was that of the clacking beats of hooves against the rock, incessant, regular, unyielding. A white stallion was pacing at the mouth of the Ice Cave, ice blue eyes staring out into the storm that had picked up seemingly out of nowhere. Spring was never safe from snowstorms on the tundra, but normally there were signs - but because he'd read none, he'd said nothing when Brigida had decided to go out and explore. He'd hoped, when the snow was still light, that she'd find her way back - however, it had been too long, and the snow was too thick now. She hadn't been here long enough, she wouldn't know... Worry clenched thick in his chest, and regardless of the danger he was putting himself in, the stallion headed out into the storm. Danger or no, he wouldn't leave her out there on her own. Not when the cold could freeze her slowly, and not when the snow could smother her. He didn't like the thought of never seeing her again.

Mavecci picked his way out of the rocks and onto the tundra as well as he could, but with visibility near zero, even he stumbled more than once. He winced as he straightened from one stumble, feeling the trickle of heat down his leg - he'd cut something, but he couldn't turn back now. The cold would numb the pain quickly, anyway. "Brigida!" he called out at regular intervals, voice loud but easily torn away by the wind. He tried to keep himself oriented, but it was hard. Would he be able to find his way back before it cleared? Probably not. But if he could find Brigida, it wouldn't matter. They would be fine together.

"Brigida, can you hear me?" He had to keep calling, because she wouldn't see him against the white. He'd never hated his coloring more than in this moment. It was one thing when he was on his own, but there was another life on the line, and he wasn't about to back down even if the odds were so clearly stacked against him.

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ooc: HE'S NOT HAPPY RIGHT NOW man these guys are cute <3

[Hud]

The mare wasn't sure what was to become of her.

Brigida had gone and done herself in again, having strayed into the middle of a snowstorm. The thought of Mavecci leaving her for one second before she got herself in trouble made her almost scowl. She knew better than this. Brigida blamed herself and that was all there was to it. Now she lay behind a boulder, almost too tired to pick herself up. It had been a struggle finding shelter, though all she had found was the rock. Cikuq was not as wooded as its western neighbor, and trees were scarce on the ground where she found herself. The mare lay still, her legs folded beside her. Her tired eyes watched her breath exhale from her nostrils, the white clouds moving with the fierce wind.

She would have to stand. She would have to make it back to wherever she'd begun. Her curled coat was cake with snow as she extended one leg and pushed down in an attempt to raise her frame. The mare thought for the first time since she'd joined Cikuq's tiny herd that maybe she'd bit off more than she could chew settling in the northernmost territory in the homeland.

Her ears perked at the distant sound of another horse through the gusts. Brigida hoped it wasn't Mavecci... She hated the idea of him seeing her like this. Still, whoever it was was a heated body who might be able to warm her up and help her regain her strength. The mare extended her neck and released as loud a whinny as she could manage, hoping the voice in the distance wasn't just in her imagination.

OOC: CUTE IS RIGHT.

[Deleted]

Mavecci Minst

The more time that passed, the more anxious knot inside him tightened. Already he could feel the chill to his bones from the subzero temperatures - he wasn't actually built for the north, not like some were. His strength lay in his ability to stay low when he needed to. But now, at the drop of a hat, he was out in a raging storm that could easily kill him. And yet he felt no regret or anger, just worry. Because Brigida was out in it too, and if he didn't find her, they could both die.

There, a noise. Like the howling of the wind, but somewhat sharper, more desperate. "Please," he breathed, turning his course. Please let it be her. Please let her be okay. Mavecci whinnied back, changing course to where the noise had come from. Through the snow he could see a form becoming more visible, and he moved more quickly. "Brigida," he said quietly, moving up beside the mare. Her curled coat was matted with snow, evidence of how long she'd been out here alone. Pain of a different kind twinged inside of him, and he allowed his front legs to fold, ignoring the protests of whatever he'd hurt before. He pressed his body close, feeling the chill of the snow between them. Mavecci turned his head, glad at least that between him and the rock, she would be mostly blocked from the wind. "Brigida, I'm sorry. Are you hurt?"

[Hud]

Of course. Of course it was Mavecci.

"Mavecci!" Brigida did not let herself dwell on the embarrassment of being found by him. She had to be grateful, not resentful. It made her think of him an even better friend and leader. To know that he cared enough for her to go out into the blizzard and risk life and limb... That knowledge in itself warmed her heart. As he spoke her name and got close, she could feel the snow on her hide melting away. The mare opened her eyes and memorized the sight before her of a strong leader caring for his herd. He was everything she hoped she would find in a leader.It was as if it took this one last episode to verify it in her mind. She was exactly where she belonged - beside a leader she believed in.

"What are you sorry about?" Brigida managed. "You're here aren't you?" The mare smiled.

[Deleted]

Mavecci Minst

Mavecci sighed in relief - Brigida seemed to be okay. Shaken, but okay. And didn't seem to lay any blame on him, though he knew that was wrong. "But I should have been here the whole time. I shouldn't have let you go out alone." I should have known that this would happen. I didn't do my job. But she would just deny it, and he didn't want to be coddled. He knew that he'd dropped the ball, and though things seemed like they were okay this time, he knew he couldn't let it ever happen again. What if there had been a child with her? A foal wouldn't be able to survive these conditions. The though made him shiver with something like fear, or dread. The thought of losing a child like that, due to his own negligence...

"I'm just glad you're okay. I was worried." Understatement, but he smiled nonetheless. It wasn't just because she was herd, but because she was a sweet, gentle creature. She deserved a good life, as good a life as he could give her. The snow between them was finally melting, at least - her warmth was filling him, and hopefully his would make her a little more comfortable until the storm blew over.

[Hud]

Brigida, now calmed that Mavecci had shown up, began to ponder the seriousness of the situation she'd carelessly danced into. A walk into the white seemed like a fairly harmless idea at the time. Little did she know of the frequently changing weather this far north near the glaciers, who have their own weather systems atop their peaks. The mare shivered a final time as their coats met, a warm patch growing between them. "No one's ever worried about me before..." Brigida said genuinely, her pricked ears innocent. The snow seemed to wane at this point, blowing by at a much less intense speed than it had before while still pricking at her face and back as it cut past. The mare's tail swished this way, brushing over both of the horses' rumps.

OOC: SHORT but it's what I want from her right now. :] Plus since it's summer now we should finish this one up asap. <3 (THEN BABY??)