``the firebird [Waleran]

[Mallory]

Bellatrix

Life as a wanderer had been mildly entertaining for the last several months – which even that was a stretch of the truth. If the sooty colored mare was to be honest with herself, the last several months had been utterly boring. So boring that she could swear she was certain she was going to go insane. The Freelands had emptied of most of its inhabitants for the cooler season, either because they fled to warmer climates to escape Winter’s grasp or because they had found herds to be a part of, Bellatrix wasn’t certain of. But the empty, barely inhabited Freelands had spurred her into finding something she’d never thought she’d be a part of – a herd. Bellatrix knew that the longer she prolonged it, the harder it would be to find an accepting lead stallion. She was in her prime now, and despite her misgivings about other horses in general, surely someone would see her as useful?

Of all things, Bellatrix could not determine why her hooves had brought her to the plains. She had heard of the new King here, but she knew there were larger – and stronger – herds she could have opted to seek out. Perhaps it was the Plains’ likeness to the Freelands that drew her the most, though she could not say for certain. It was certainly a gamble to walk in to a nearly empty territory, with a new and unknown stallion heading the helm as King, but Bellatrix was certainly not one to cower away from the unknown. She was brave in her exploration of the terrain; because no doubt if there was a new king, as the rumors said, he would find her soon enough. If her courageous strike to wander so openly and freely into his land did not draw him out first, then surely her striking figure against the Plains would. With a dark, sooty colored body with slashes of a smoky gold highlighting and patches of white breaking up the color, even Bellatrix knew she stood out against the open, grassy terrain that made the Plains.

status complete
tags: Waleran
words: 340+
notes: n/a

speech thoughts

[Hud]

Waleran blinked a few times quickly and with pressure, his lids almost drooping with exhaustion. The stallion had been working hard to compile a herd. It was harder than he had expected. But, with a passion as deep as his, Waleran knew it was only a matter of time before mares and stallions raced for his territory, the girls fawning and the guys wishing to be higher in the ranks. Waleran scoffed. He might even manage to bag his own squeeze out of the ranks while no one was looking.

Squinting his eyes tightly today, his blue eyes opened once again as he saw the afternoon sun begin to set. It would probably be an hour before nightfall... He would not stop until there was no light to be had. Standing normally today, he felt his neck begin to lower his head. No. Not yet. There was still time. Waleran turned his neck until his head was horizontal and stretched, cracking the bones as he did the same to the other side. The king stood atop a rather high hill of the plains, scouring his land for newcomers. Taking in a large breath, Waleran set off down the hill at a brisk pace. His hooves hit the cold ground rather quietly as he slunk toward a scent he'd just found.

She wasn't far off, really. The dark, golden female was easy to spot. She seemed aimless, or, maybe not so. Maybe she sought him? Why else would new mares make the journey? Waleran smirked as he approached her. Calling out to her as he moved, he greeted her slyly. "Oi, over there! Not often I see new faces in my lands!" The stallion put on a trusting face... For now, anyway.

[Mallory]

Bellatrix

Bellatrix had been a wanderer all her life for as long as she could remember. Her parents had been the same way, so she just naturally assumed they had been raised to wander as vagabonds. Not that she disliked that lifestyle, but Bellatrix knew that one day it wouldn’t be enough. One day she’d need more than just a temporary thrill of some new land with new faces. She knew that there would be a day where she would feel the desire for comfort and security, the only kind a herd could bring. She knew one day she’d want to settle and raise a family, because being a wanderer wasn’t conducive to raising a child. She didn’t want to put another soul through the life she had endured.

Maybe that was why she was swallowing her pride to wander into some unknown territory. She couldn’t really tell. Then again, she also didn’t want to admit she wanted the safety a herd provided since she knew she was capable of looking after herself. It just got tiring to always be on one’s guard. And neither did she want to admit that she was more than ready to start her own family – her biological clock was practically screaming at her now a days.

The mare dark eyes, which were flecked with blue, suddenly landed on the dark figure that cut through the plains swiftly, as if he knew the land like the back of his hoof. Perhaps he did, and he was the new king she was searching for. He was tall, much like herself, with slashes of white to his black coat. He seemed unruffled by her intrusion on his home, if he was in fact the new king, which struck Bellatrix as curious though not important enough to dwell upon. Offering the stallion a slight, perhaps mildly sheepish smile, she paused in her steps. “I apologize for my intrusion, sir,” she spoke, her stern voice reflecting her apology. She figured it was best to address him as “sir” in case he was the king she was searching for. “To be quite frank, I was looking for the king. Are you him, by chance?”


status complete
tags: Waleran
words: 360+
notes: n/a
speech thoughts

[Hud]

Reaching her directly, Waleran slowed to a stop, listening to her words. Short, respectful, and to the point; Waleran liked it.

"I do have that honor, Miss," Waleran smiled slyly. His perfect frame watched the stranger's as she stood. He could already tell she was in the right place. She was stunning and assertive... So far as he could tell from her tone, anyway. Waleran's head cocked this way and that as he looked her over shamelessly. Every first meeting was like an interview; first impressions were crucial. This mare was already on her way, just through using a few choice buzzwords. Waleran could see her in his mind's herd already. He could only hope it was her goal to be called a plains horse.

"And your name?"


OOC: SHORT.

[Mallory]

Bellatrix

There was a slight smile at his response. It flittered across quickly, temporarily softening her typically hard, stern expression. It was a relief to know she did not have to waste her time by trying to do some idle chatter with a stranger until the king arrived, for she had found him on her first try. It took a significant weight off her shoulders. She took his, albeit shameless, perusal of her appearance without much of a fuss. Bellatrix knew how the world worked, and how most stallions chose who got in and who didn’t. A pretty face almost always guaranteed entrance to a herd, but Bellatrix knew she had more than just her unconventional looks to get her by. So far he didn’t seem put off by her assertiveness.

“My name is Bellatrix, sir,” she replied obediently, with a slight tip of her head. “Some call me Bella, though I will respond to either name.” There was a pause as she tilted her slightly to the side, assessing him much as he had assessed her. “Would it be too forward to ask what is your name?” she inquired, though politely. She knew she’d find it out eventually, but she disliked making idle chatter – she often avoided it if she could.

status complete
tags: Waleran
words: 210+
notes: Short xD
speech thoughts

[Hud]

"'Bellatrix', quite a fanciful name you have," Waleran smirked. It was delightful, albeit unexpected. Too often was it that parents chose dismal, ordinary names for their foals. Name like 'Moonlight' or 'Sundance'... Unbearable. 'Bellatrix' fit his mold perfectly.

"The only name I've ever responded to has been 'Waleran', though I suppose 'Your Majesty' would be preferable now." Waleran meant it as a slight condescension - something he was sure a quick-witted mare like this one would understand immediately. He hoped she understood the way things were meant to go. Mares were subordinate, especially to the king. The king's queen was above herd stallions in some ways, but not all. Stallions were born with all of their faculties intact; mares could never hope to reach the ethical morality of a stallion. Try as they might, mares would never be as righteous as their male counterparts.

"Were you seeking herd membership here, Miss Bellatrix?"

[Mallory]

Bellatrix

The dark, sooty colored mare chuckled before giving the slightly taller stallion a slight smirk. “Yes, I suppose it is. My father was rather resolute to have strong children to follow him in the ‘family business’, so to speak,” she replied with a slight shrug. Her father had been very much a traditionalist, like older stallions tended to be, though wanted all of his children to be strong warriors like himself. If they had been born weak, they did not survive. Bellatrix tried to not think of how her weaker siblings met their demise.

Ever the polite mare despite her abrasive, assertive nature, she did bow her head slightly. “A pleasure to meet you then, Your Majesty,” she spoke, falling silent to process his tone. She hadn’t missed it or its implications; she was far too familiar with them to miss it. She had been raised to be subordinate to stallions, thus it hardly surprised her when he silently communicated what he expected. Rather than say a word about it, a brow merely rose slightly as if to acknowledge and accept it instead of protest. “That would be correct, Your Majesty,” she replied with complete honesty, a curt bob of her head accompanying her statement.

status complete
tags: Waleran
words: 200+
notes: Short xD
speech thoughts

[Hud]

"Your father sounds like he raised you right," Waleran complimented with a grin. His head tucked a bit as he watched Bellatrix speak from beneath his light brows. The mare was shaping up to be a perfect addition to his herd. The first addition, actually.

Waleran stood tall as he heard himself referred to as "your majesty". It was the first time he'd heard another equine say it... It suited him just fine. Soon, his plains would be rampant with well-behaved, beautiful horses intent on nothing but the happiness of their king and the preservation of their home. Waleran's future was looking bright.

"Good," Waleran smirked, taking a few steps forward to close the gap. "You've passed my little test. You're sure of yourself, you have an admirable background with such a father, and you're not half bad to look at. Tell me, what was it about the plains that drew you?" The king did not move to touch the mare - he had no desire to. It was common for kings to claim their mares fairly quickly after acceptance, but the idea made Waleran's mind squirm. He'd worry about that aspect of his kingship later. For now, he would revel in his new addition's presence alone.

[Mallory]

The sooty mare regarded the slightly larger stallion coolly, careful to not let her neutral mask slip up. “Yes, I suppose your right,” she conceded with a slight bob of her head. While her father had never had high ambitions for his children, he deserved no royalty to come of them, he was determined to ensure they all survived and got the best out of life that they could get. If that meant she was to be, for a lack of a better term, a brood mare for a large portion of her life, then so be it. She could at least instill a sense of honor and integrity into any children she bore into the world. Granted, she could be both a mother and a fighter, but how she was used would be left to her ruler’s discretion. Or Waleran's, if he was so inclined to take her.

Not a single muscle flinched underneath her sooty coat as he closed the gap. The dark mare tilted her head slightly; however, as Waleran spoke again, inquiring as to what drew her to the plains in the first place. “I've lived in the Freelands for as long as I can remember, possibly since birth. However, I would rather not waste the prime years of my life gallivanting around, nor do I want to continue living unprotected. Having to watch one’s own back gets quite tiresome, after all,” she replied with a slight shrug. “I also know I can be quite useful to whatever lord who feels inclined to take me. Be it a mother for his children, or a guard for the herd of some sort - my purpose is to serve and protect others. The Plains remind me of the Freelands, in regards to terrain. I figured it wouldn't hurt to request entrance to a land that would be easy to navigate, given the similarities. It eliminates any nasty surprises.”

status complete
tags:
words:
notes: n/a
speech thoughts

[Hud]

Waleran listened to Bellatrix' words carefully with a familiar smirk across his face. Was she perfect or what? Her coat was stunning with a sense of being thrown together like paint... Really very beautiful in a classical sense. Her background was sensible, and her sense of purpose perfectly lined up with Waleran's own perception of a mare. Bellatrix seemed to be the perfect addition to his plains herd. Brood mares were essential to the cause, and Waleran knew their children would be eye-catching. He would soon have the most beautiful, most organized, and most wonderful herd the Homeland had ever seen.

"Bellatrix, would you like to take a walk with me? I'd like to show you around your new home," Waleran said with a smile. Putting on the charm, the king had to ensure that the mare would stick around... He could really show her what he was capable of once he knew she was too attached to run off. Now was a very delicate time.

OOC: SHORT but done :3