`all for one {Koko}

[Hattie]

Ezekiel

To Ezekiel there was were few things more comforting than the simple, everyday sounds created by his milling family. Though he could not see any of them at the moment, in between the bird calls and monkey hoots he could hear the snorting, twig crunching, tail swishing chorus created by his harem as they went about their business. His family was his center, his life, his reason for being but admittedly it was relaxing to be able to simply listen to their movements rather than managing them even if it was somewhat out of character for him. In truth Eze rarely left his family's center, for just as the mares of his harem dutifully watched over and raised his foals, it was his duty to watch over and care for all of them. He was peacekeeper, father, confident, lover. Whatever the situation required of him, that was the role Ezekiel filled but today the harem would have to manage themselves at least for a little while. Eze had caught a familiar scent on the breeze, and if the owner really was near by it merited investigation.

Ezekiel was a traditionalist. He had his beliefs about the way things should be done and how horses should live their lives in-order to honor the Great Father. Part of that included building himself a large and thriving harem, which was all very well for him, but when amassing a large group of mares there are bound to be some who might not see things exactly as he did. Kokopelli was one such mare. She wandered, drifting around the island, coming and going from the herd as she pleased and as much as Eze had tried to accommodate that side of her but lately it had become a bit excessive. Part of the purpose of the harem was to teach its members to compromise and improve themselves and each other for the sake of foals, to ensure them the best upbringing possible, and while that was all well and good in theory it didn't work very well if one of the member took off into the jungle every other day.

It was Eze's hope that with age and responsibility she would settle into her role in the harem but not much headway had been made on that front so far and he was beginning to grow a bit anxious.

Not wanting to move any farther from the core of the harmen then he already was, Eze opted to call out to the forest instead, hoping she was near enough that he could coax her out of the undergrowth.

"Koko, are you there?"

ooc: this is rough xDDD but it's a start!

[Hud]

Over the past few months, life for Koko had changed drastically.

The mare had joined Kalala's prominent herd, only to find that the lead stallion had disappeared after a matter of days. Koko hadn't seen Argus since their first meeting. Since, the mare had stumbled upon Ezekiel and his own little "harem", as he called it, and submitted to his cause. The black and white mare, though happy to live free as a bird, longed for a sense of structure in her life. She'd had the freedom since her birth, and now she had the structure as one of the stallion's mares. Still... Her heart took her where it took her.

Koko had never been made to stay in one place. Her legs tingled and her mind raced whenever she found herself confined. So far, Ezekiel had made his frustration with her nature apparent, though not in too many words. She could deal with that. It was refreshing to get in trouble every now and then. Besides, he was not her world, as stallions like him so often thought. They thought that they were the only important things in herd mares' lives. Them and foals. No, Koko knew there was more to life.

Today she found herself swimming out in the ocean. It was one of her very favorite pastimes. The water was just deep enough to require kicking to stay afloat, her black head sticking out of the clear blue like a sore thumb. She loved the feeling of tiny fish tickling her legs and belly. Having lived on the islands her whole life, Koko knew where the sharks lurked. She knew where to steer clear. The mare happily swam in circles today, the waters shark-free. Koko kicked herself back to where she could stand, the water surrounding her barrel. Without all of the splashing, now she could hear her surroundings much clearer.

"Koko, are you there?"

Her ears perked. She knew that voice: Ezekiel. He'd have words, surely. Koko, not quite done with her swim, let out a playful whinny to announce her location as she began to frolic in place, splashing water here and there. Emerging just a tad more, the mare pranced in the shallower waters before jumping right back in to deeper waters. Koko was sure she'd be reprimanded for her actions, though she simply wanted to finish her swim.