Swift

[tinyehp3000]

Swift ran across the plains, her feet going as lfast as her spindly legs allowed. Her long, black mane and tail streaming behind her. She wanted to belong, to have family back, but she didn't know how. She had traveled for around half a moon, other mares had helped her, but they never offered to keep her. She had left her mother and father behind with their Up-Walkers. Swift felt a pang of guilt. 'You're going to find new family.' she encuraged herself. That one thought kept her running, tripping every so often. She had never traveled on this rough a ground before, it was not rough for wild horses, but rough for her. She was used to haveing soft dirt. 'Bear it.' she scolded herslef. 'You're the one who got yourself into this!' she trotted, ears flicking. She snorted, she could smell others. She let out a winny, wondering if any one would respond and give her what she craved. Parents. Frinends. A family.

[Areo]

The day to day thrum of life wasn't an unusual thing to Freedom. Four years of eating, breathing and sleeping tended to become pretty normal. Owning a territory, well, that was a bit new. The handsome buckskin stallion had been a loner for the better part of his childhood since he had rebelled against his parents' control. Now though, Freedom was about as independent as someone could get without being a hermit. Being a lead stallion, nobody could tell him what to do unless it was his mate and even then it didn't mean he had to do anything. His home had become the vast openness of the Weathertop Plains, open and uninterrupted plains with only one bit of noticeably raised land, the Weathertop Hill with its lone ancient oak growing at the very top.

That was where Free was standing now, grazing lazily in the shade of the outstretched tree branches. The plains were quiet, a gentle springtime wind tugging lightly at his black mane while grass bent and billowed around his black-stockinged legs. Sun-colored buckskin covered the stallion's bodice, accented by ink markings and a white blaze down his face, dark brown eyes taking in the world all around him. Only fifteen point three hands tall, the stag wasn't as tall as some but well muscled where it mattered in a fight though he discouraged fighting. Overall he had a handsome appearance and kept himself to himself most of the time, quiet and extremely patient despite his rebel past.

Afternoon came and Free settled himself up against the oak tree, folding his black legs under his bulk and laying in the grass. Occasionally he would nibble from his laying position but more than anything he watched the vista of his plains, his home and sanctuary. Newcomers were trickling through from the common plains to the north but thus far, no one had caught Freedom's attention.

Just as the stallion was about to doze, the sound of hooves made him perk his ears. Blinking his eyes open, Freedom snuffled softly and climbed to his full height again, standing at the top of the hill beside the oak. Looking across the plains for what had disturbed him, Freedom spotted a black bodice moving across the plains at a gallop, slightly clumsy like a foal's gallop.

Curious, Freedom reared and let out a neigh as a high-pitched whinny reached his ears. Dropping to all fours, he waited, black-tipped ears alert to see if the other would acknowledge his presence.

[tinyehp3000]

Swift heard the neigh and reduced her flat out gallop to a trot. The grass hit her white socks with a pleasant feeling, but she wasn't feeling to pleasant inside. What if they rejected her again? Her black mane and tail settled and her forlock occasonally blew infront of her face. She huffed it out of the way. The niegh had sounded like a mightly stallion. Her mother and father had told her stories about mighty staillions on the plains, but she had never actually met one. Her mother said they should be treated with reverance. Swift snorted and moved closer to the staillion that had acknoledged her winny. She saw the buckskin rear, wondering if she had offeneded him. She gave a quiet snort. She slowed to a walk about fifty feet from the hill where the stallion was. She snorted and bowed her head, giving a soft but loud nicker. She laid her ears to the side, wondering what the staillion's judgement of her would be.