Border Line | Pingu |

[Deleted]

Well groomed muscles pumped beneath a sleek ebony coat as the stallion made the last leg of this treacherous swim. His thick coat growing seemingly heavier the further he swam, struggling to stay  afloat Zanbiar kept his nose and skull well above the waters icy hold. Liquid daggers cutting through his flesh, winter had turned the ocean into liquified ice. He was unsure if his body had simply grown accustomed to the temperature or if he was reaching the shore, but it felt as if the water was growing warmer.  Then to confirm his suspicions the blue skyline began to break, on the horizon sat a scatterings of green and brown shades. He knew now without doubt that he was nearing the end of his journey. Pumping even harder, years of training allowed him to ignore the scream in all his muscles as they stretched beyond their limit. If he knew only one thing, it was how to finish a mission, how to complete a set task. No matter what he set his mind to he knew he would die accomplishing it. There was no second chances or do overs. This was it.  The mainlands as he knew them to be called sat before him in full. As his daggers hit the seas sandy bottom he began to climb more than swim. Seaweed stuck to his already salty and mattered tassels as the shoreline grew ever closer. Dragging half the ocean with him he lunched himself onto solid land. As solid as deep sinking sand could be anyways. Without a backwards glance over the large black expanse he had just crossed, the black brute made his way directly to the trees shelter. Within held shelter not only from the days blinding light, but also from the cold wind that attacked his dripping wet body.   ooc; quick and simple. I don't like quick and simple

[penguin]

She shouldn't be here. It was the only thought that was ringing through her head as she moved silently through the trees. She was not a member of the herd, and it was a perilous time to cross over to the islands. What could she possibly say if questioned? Her son, Fallon, was just a few steps behind her as he detected his mother's anxiety. Watching the chestnut colt from the corner of her eye, she breathed deeply to relax herself. She was being silly. The bay mare knew who the lead was. He surely wouldn't mind, at least that is what she hoped. Pilate had been very nice to her in the past, and she'd had a fantastic time with him frolicking in the lake. He would surely understand that she was just trying to give her colt the same enjoyment. Besides, it wouldn't hurt to stay here for an hour or so. Once out of the trees she and the cantering foal reached the shore in next to no time. The only reason she had risked coming here was so that her beloved colt could explore the lands. At first she'd refused to take him here, but he had persisted and eventually she'd given in. Ffion just couldn't help it. She hated to say no to him, something which the intelligent foal was probably aware of. Upon reaching the sandy edge, she took a look behind her to make sure that nobody was watching, before gently nudging her son, giving him the clear to mess around for a while. It was another minute or so before she settled down, but with her mind on making sure Fallon didn't disappear into the water her mind was pleasantly distracted. She was even glad she had decided to come here.

Walking down towards the shoreline, the mare began to move at a leisurely pace along the damp sand, letting the ocean wash over her hooves. The sounds of the choppy sea was surprisingly soothing and she felt her tension drip away with every step, letting it be carried away by the waves as they retreated. Fallon on the other hand was quite content sticking to the arid sand, his distaste for the heavier, damp terrain evident in the way he lifted up his knees ridiculously high to try and prolong to air time between each step. As the two made their way slowly down the coastline, a figure soon emerged in the distance. A stallion from the smell off him, and with the salty scent that mixed in with his odour it wasn't too difficult to deduce that he had just been in the sea. It made the femme's nose wrinkle a little. Whatever his aroma though, it didn't stop the young lad noticing the black stag and becoming interested. His gait soon became an ungainly lope as he headed towards the gent with his pricked. Was this someone to play with? Ffion, on the other hand, found her ears flicking back slightly. She had no idea whether this stallion was a part of the Drulan herd or not, which made him a threat. She released a quiet nicker, cautioning the colt who looked back momentarily then back towards the gent again, stopping a few metres away from the stallion. His short tail hit his sides as he swished it whilst he waited for the stallion to acknowledge him, his nostrils quivering from excitement.

[Deleted]

His attempts to make it into the shelter of the nearby scrub was interupted, he had made it as far as the trees shade before his journey was drawn short by a pup and his dam. Pausing his forward movements the lanky stud turned to face the leggy colt who had come charging behind him. The cautious nicker of his mother carried over as she watched concerned from the side lines. He was unsure if this was an attempt to allow he son to explore and learn for himself, or if she was ignorant to the dangers this world provided. He for one knew the advantage of an independent child and candidly appreciated the situation.  With a narrowed gaze Zanbiar flicked his hawks back in annoyance as the child stood ignorantly before him. Having never known the simple pleasure of childhood himself, he had never known how to react to the youth he came across. He grew tired quickly of their pointless games and meaningless words. Yet unlike their grown counter parts, he was not able to send them on their way with a quick whit and a well placed strike. He knew in time he would have to grow accustomed to having them around, but he had not counted on that time being so soon.  Winters bitter breath seeped into his thick wet coat, the cold had sunk into his very bones. Lifting up a single white licked pillar he struck the sand. Once, twice he lifted his long leg up and reached out towards the colt before drawing short and striking not the boy but the ground. Lowering himself down slightly he tossed his skull skywards before violently shaking. Loose sand and wet salty drops flew in every direction, twinkling briefly in the sun before being whipped away by the winds cool rush.  Raising himself up to full height once more he looked not at the excited youth before him, but at what he guessed was his mother some distance behind him. Without removing his gaze he spoke " What brings you this far from your mothers grasp son?" His tone was rough, callus from ill use. It was soft and had it come from a being unlike the giant black statue, one would go as far to suggest it had an almost kind ring to it. Yet his expression was unreadable and his stance spoke of anything but gentleness.

[penguin]

Fallon watched the stag with wide, curious eyes. As the stranger's leg moved close to him he leapt back in surprise, his long legs splaying apart slightly as his eyes zeroed in on the spot where the hoof made a mark. He remained focus, staring at the spot for several moments before his brown eyes moved back to the stallion, then down again several times before he mimicked the action the stallion had made. His balance was not that great, the track he made was not very deep. Nevertheless he was proud by successfully staying balanced. His pricked ears were focused on the ebony stallion, a broad grin on his face as he eyes moved back to the stag as well, who was now shaking himself out. The small colt sneezed as a well placed drop landed on the edge of his nostril. His head was thrown down slightly by the force of it, before he corrected his anatomy and proceeded to snort multiple times to get rid of the irksome tickle.

Ffion kept moving closer, her keen eyes not leaving the males. She forced herself to stay in the shallows of the sea. She didn't want to interrupt despite her concern. It was important for the chestnut youth to gain some social skills, and the earlier on this was the more well versed he should be in later years. That didn't mean she couldn't fight the desire to protect him all that well. It was taking every ounce of will power to not kick up a sand storm behind her to hurtle to her son's side. She resisted for now, but at the first sign of danger she'd be there quicker than you can say 'Fallon'. The gaze of the stallion was on her and she returned it steadily, her walk neither slowing or increasing in pace.

Frowning at the words of the stallion, Fallon focused on each syllable to make sure he understood. He was a smart foal, but he sometimes thought about words too long before replying, and in that time he could easily get distracted. However this time he actually concentrated long enough to reply. "Mummy says I can look around, and I love to play so I don't stay by her all the time," his words ended with him rearing up playfully as though to emphasise his point. He didn't like to stand still for too long. He liked to be on the move, unless it was a game of course. Even his energy could with restrained for a good game of hide and seek. Landing his rear, the foal followed the stallion's gaze for a few seconds before going back to him. 

[Deleted]

It was not humour that laced the large stallions gaze as he watched the young colt mimic his every move. However had he been capable of such a response then he surely would have shown it now. Instead it was with indifferent curiosity that he surveyed the young one playing. Instead of scaring the colt it seemed he gave him cause to play. Ones of this age had never wondered into Zans path before, he was not the kind that mothers often allowed their kin to play with. For good reason of course. He only stumbled on them when they had grown ignorantly arrogant and self assured. It was for this reason alone he loathed socialising. For it seemed few beings ever outgrew that stage. It was making the equine race as a whole complacent, vulnerable and predictable. They marked brute strength above intelligence, physical power above mental capacity. It would be their downfall and it all begun with little fragile pups like the one who stood before him tossing dry light sand in every direction. He waited patiently as the colt chose his word carefully a grace often only reserved for others of his kind. Ones who deserved his full attention, yet for an inexplicable reason he begun to see where change could be made. He was beginning to realise the potential these young children had. That maybe with some patience and co operation he could shape a new future, one with potential unlike these lands or any like it have seen in a long time. Filling that idea away carefully, with a calculated glance at the mare who was inching ever closer he continued to wait. His tone and words were childish, something to be expected. Yet he spoke well enough to seemingly hold a conversation and that would have to do.  Always alert Zan had allowed his senses to slacken, focused more on the mare than the brittle one. So it took him by surprise when the chestnut reared up at him. Playfully for sure, he knew it to be anything but a threat or even anything disrespectful. He had considered killing for less however and had to stride back quickly to avoid responding in kind. Youth could not be allowed to think such actions were acceptable in the presence of a stranger. Unable to bring himself to discipline him himself however he again sent a warning glance to what he guessed to be his mother. Next time he may not be as kind to ignore such an action.  With a sudden violent toss of his skull that sent his thick matted tassels flying, Zanbiar allowed the boy a response. " How long have you been playing alone then?" His tone unchanged from before, yet his question seemed if anything more child friendly. He surprised even himself at his ability to communicate with newborns, when he was seemingly unable to hold a conversation with one his age.

[penguin]

The chestnut colt was quite content in his playing, dabbing at the ground like some sort of dog with the intention of burying a bone. The texture of the sand was so peculiar. It was soft and rough at the same time, and it seemed to hold the chill of the air. He could only imagine what it would be like in summer. He simply had to come back again! Changing legs he pawed at the ground before deciding he was bored of making a hole and absent mindedly kicked the sand he had brought up back into the small, shallow gap he'd made in the beach. His ears were pricked as he gazed at the changing ground with curiosity, dipping his head to nudge it softly before snorting. He was clever enough to know not to inhale though; even at his young age he could tell that would lead to nothing good. Lifting his head again he shook out his thick, fluffy winter coat.

Meanwhile, Ffion was getting ever closer. At his rear and the warning shot that she received from the stallion, she picked up a slow trot, releasing another warning call to Fallon. He seemed to detect the slight scolding that was in the tones, and sheepishly looked up at the stallion. "Sorry," he muttered, though he didn't really understand what he'd done wrong. His gaze turned back to his mother ears flicking slightly. She was not that far away now, ten or so horse lengths back at most but still by the shoreline. She decreased her gait to a walk again, her eyes never leaving the two of them. Her muscles were bunched up beneath her coat as she observed, hoping that nothing would happen. The bay mare didn't want to interrupt but she also didn't want injury to befall the bundle of joy that was Fallon.

At the words of the stallion, his attention was regained by the stag and he answered slowly. He was still learning time phrases. "A season.. I play with mummy and sometimes friends. She says I should look around," he frowned, knowing she had said something else. He knew Ffion had told her why he should explore but he couldn't remember why, only that it was important. "I played alone all today," his ears drooped momentarily before he perked them again. He didn't mind playing by himself, and his dam was always there if he wanted to have a game that involved more than one player. He observed the stallion silently after that, wondering if the ebony stallion would play with him. Something told him not to ask just yet.

[Deleted]

The foals emotions and thoughts dripped from his features as easily understandable as if he had spoken. Another weakness, vulnerability that elders allowed their children to grow up with. To be unable to hide ones feelings and thoughts put anyone at a great disadvantage. Zanbiar was of the belief that things such as this where best learnt young. Otherwise they could not be grasped and learnt to there full extent.  It was comforting to know however that this child at least was being given the freedom to explore. If only he had not been given the freedom to run his mouth too. Although he allowed the possibility that conversation skills were on occasion equally important, it was a fine line to tread and very few could accomplish what he had in mind.  Conversation skills was something he severely lacked and the ability to tolerate others especially a large group of beings. He did not see it as a personal flaw, however knew it was a skill that would have to be learnt at some point. He kept a loose gaze on the inching dam as she moved ever closer to her straying son, a slight nod of his head an acceptance of the child's apology was made not to the child himself but the the figure same paces behind him.   " Solitude can be refreshing I find" Again his tone and speech where not ones designed for the young at mind or heart. This kind of childhood was not one he had ever know. " What do they name you then son? " It was a out of character question in an out of character tone that showed just how hard he was trying. What he was trying to achieve however he did not know. ooc; I am sorry, I need to reply but couldn't get into his head. Hope you had a great trip! <3

[penguin]

The young colt was completely oblivious to the thoughts of the stallion, had no idea what emotions he was feeling exactly. He had not yet mastered the art of understanding how others were feeling, something he would soon be learning as he got to grips with holding a conversation. He lacked the focus to be able to pick up on body language changes at the moment, which was rather annoying at times. He listened a lot better than he observed so his dam had hope for him yet. Whilst he may not be watching the stallion closely he was attentive, listening to every word that the stallion freed even if he did not understand every word. He was intelligent enough to be able to follow the gist of the sentence however, which allowed him to respond. "Are you solitude a lot?" his sentence did not make much sense, but it was clear what he was trying to say. Mostly he wanted to practice forming the word he did not fully understand. It was not one he had come across and whilst he had some idea of what it meant, he did not know how to use it in the exact context. It also felt strange on his tongue, which caused a small frown to form as he attempted to keep the conversation going.

The next question to be voiced fell from the ebony stallion's lips, and this one the chestnut foal knew instantly. His thrill at comprehending this question entirely led to him throwing a lot of excitement into his words as his mouth opened. "Fallon!" he exclaimed brightly, a little louder than necessary. Shaking out his coat he snorted softly before his small maw opened again. "What your name?" Again he missed out a verb but this was due to his enjoyment and slight lack of concentration on his own speech than lack of knowledge. Even as he said it he knew he'd made a mistake, to which he corrected himself afterwards. "Is I mean," he spoke softly with a look of concentration fleetingly landing on his face. Fallon looked down at his mother momentarily, catching her bay frame out the corner of his brown eyes. She was now in line with them, but she stuck to the shore. Her gaze was still on him and the chestnut colt couldn't help but grin gleefully. The mare smiled back momentarily, before her gaze moved back the stallion whose gaze was also on her. He had accepted the youngster's apology and it had brought out a thoughtful expression on the dam's face. Maybe it would be good for the kid to speak to someone who did not seem so likely to play, to speak to someone who was almost more noble in appearance and reserved in discussion. It would develop the foal's conversational skills at any rate, which could only be of benefit to him.