Welcome to Gaia! ::

~Are you sure you would not prefer to be on my back Kyya. We can move quicker that way.~ Jarek asked, nudging his chosen softly in the back as she led the way through the forest trail. What exactly they were doing, he had no idea, though Kyya had said something about wanting to go exploring for some reason or the other. She looked so happy at the prospect too, that Jarek didn’t have the heart to say no. But why she refused to ride him wasn’t quite clear.

Kyya meanwhile, shook her head, eyes wide as she scanned the path before her for what she was looking for. ”You’re my friend, not my beast of burden. I’m happy to walk, if you wanna go faster I’ll just have to try and keep up… Ahh, here it is.” with a sharp turn on her heel, Kyya veered off the well-used path and into the forest that framed it. Walking with long strides and seemingly random turns as she continued to head towards their destination.

Shaking his head and snorting with amusement, Jarek followed, a little slower then he would like, simply because the constant twists and trying to find gaps in the trees big enough to accommodate his size was harder then he had expected.
It wasn’t long, however, when, with an excited squeal and an equally excited sprint, Kyya showed Jarek what she wanted him to see. ”Look, look, look. Don’t ya just want one!” She cried, practically bouncing as she pointed out the single tree that stood in the middle of a small clearing, a small stream curving around the back half of its trunk. Amidst the green leaves and brown branches large, presumably delectable red apples nestled, ripe and ready for the picking.

Jarek whinnied appreciatively, walking over to the apple tree and attempting to reach up and remove an apple. Finding he wasn’t quite tall enough – and with Kyya realising that it could not be climbed, he told his chosen to move away, turned his back to the trunk, looked over his shoulder, and promptly laid a heavy kick into the thick base. ”Almost Jarek… Try a few more. As quick as you can… Shake ‘em loose!” Kyya called excitedly, eyes focusing on the wobbling red fruits as the attempted to remain in their place.

Jarek grinned then, aimed, and kicked backwards again. Continuing this until, hopefully, a few of the sugary treats fell from the branches that held them.

Dark Ion and Dark Tide were wrestling again, pushing and shoving each other to see who would trip and fall on his face first, it was a game they had always enjoyed. They were the same strength and the games often went on for hours until both horses keeled over in laughter. Dark Ion who was generally much luckier than Dark Tide manages to maneuver his brother onto a lump which buckled Dark Tides hind legs making him sit and loose the pushing match. After the laughter had died down the brothers became aware of a rhythmic thudding sound. Both stallions cocked their heads and scrambled over each other to go check the noise out.

They came into the clearing alongside a lad and his cream colored Azreth and observed a black and purple stallion firing kick after kick at an undeserving, (but apparently greedy), apple tree.
"You think he's gonna crack the trunk?" Dark Ion asked his younger brother.
"Naw that tree has stood there, guarding its precious apples before even you were born "Older" brother." Dark Tide replied.
"Hey I'm only a year older than you and your not old yet." Ion replied darkly.

Dark Tide flicked his luxurious black tail. "So why do you have that grey patch then?"
"That would be from having younger brothers." Dark Ion turned his nose up.
Light danced in Dark Tide's eyes revealing the laughter, that he was biting his tongue not to admit.
"Stop laughing." Dark Ion said without even looking at his blatantly obvious sibling.
"Ya, like that will happen," Tide said, "Kinda like that apple tree won' let go of its fruit unless it doesn't have a choice. They look like they just ripened yesterday.Yum"

"I don't know how you can eat those sour ones." Ion accused.
"They are an acquired taste, and I had to acquire it quick because you would hoover all of them up before I had eaten two."
"Hmfph," Dark Ion started toward the purple beast that was making all the racket, pointedly not looking back to see whether his brother was following and nodding at the cream.

Fionn and Bryce stood back, not wanting to be attacked. Bryce saw the other stallions action of moving to guard his female, he moved to do the same for his chosen. He bowed his head but kept his eyes on the other males.
We don't want any trouble brother, just wondering what the sound was.

Unaware of the conversation going on between the stallions, Fionn moved forward and gave a small bow to the young woman,
"Good day miss." His voice wasn't deep, but not too high either. "Would you like some help getting some apples down? Your stallion there looks pretty tired." he sounded worried about the horse, just as he would have worried if his horse was all sweaty. He stood close to his cream colored stallion a hand on his strong neck scratching slightly as she looked at the other two over horses over Bryce's wide shoulders. "My name's Fionn by the way.

Jarek snorted disagreeably as Fionn approached Kyya, though a quick mental shove kept him from interfering. Instead, he simply shifted his weight unhappily as the boy spoke to her. So, of course, when he heard the comment about managing to get some apples off the tree, he couldn’t help but give an angry retort. ~I’d like to see you do better!~ A juvenile reaction at best, but he was rather tired, and truth be told, grumpy that his chosen wasn’t quite so obsessed with him as to stay by his side when other horses showed their faces.

Kyya, however, was mortified that the horses refused to get any closer. She had enough apples for each of them to have one, if this boy, Fionn was fine with not having one. She’d go without to get closer to the horses that seemed to be steering clear of Jarek. ”Oh Jarek you stupid head. Now they won’t come near me!” she scolded, adding a soft, ”Give me a sec. to Fionn before placing an apple on the ground near the cream horse, moving away to put one for each of the black and white horses before giving the last one to Jarek, who promptly decided to continue his tantrum and ignore it.

”You’re such a baby…” she said with a laugh, placing the apple on the ground as she had with the others and giving the purple-maned horse a quick, tender pat on the rump before returning to Fionn.

”My name’s Kyya, and he’s Jarek. He’ll sulk for a bit… But he’ll be fine… I Would very much like help getting’ some more apples down though, they look so good… and we didn’t get as many as we’d hoped.” She said, giving a small curtsey as she introduced herself.

Jarek snorted again, not impressed by Kyya’s friendliness. He did, however, have to admit that denying the other stallions an area just because he was a little over protective was probably not the best thing. So, with a toss of his head, he turned to address the three stallions. ~You may stay and eat apples with us. My chosen wishes for more, and she cannot climb the tree…~ His voice was soft as he spoke of the girl, eyes lightening at the renewed memory of his relationship with her. The effect was fleeting however, as his eyes darkened and his ears returned to his skull. ~Do not harm her, or take her away, or I will chase you from these lands until you drop from exhaustion.~ he added. He didn’t truly believe that the others would harm Kyya, but it needed to be said, and they had to think that he was, at least here, the boss of the meadow. He was here first, and as far as he was concerned, it was his territory.

HE lowered his head then, to chew on the apple in silence for a moment before sighing and turning to the boys again. ~My name is Jarek. You are welcome here as long as you do not threaten us. My Chosen wishes you to stay, and so I wish It to.~ It was a reluctant statement, but a true one. Kyya had yet to meet any other azrein, and she seemed overly excited about the one with a chosen, perhaps because she could talk to another human? Not that it mattered. She wanted the company of these azrein and this human, she would have it. Not that he’d force anyone to stay if they chose to leave.

Tide and Ion both ate their apples politely. They slowly came closer so as not to put Jarek into another rage. The stallion was only grudgingly letting them be there after all. Even though there was only one of him and two of them. The apples were perfectly delicious and their mouth watered for more. They were infinately interested when the creams chosen climbed the tree. Ahhh prehensile thumbs, what a shame horses didn't have them. Tide and Ion whinnied encouragement to the human. The girl who was the purple's seemed very sweet.It was a pity Jarek had got to her first. Dark Tide thought with a small snigger. Ion strode up the tree and gently placed his forefeet against the trunk. He reached as far as he could and even stuck his tongue out. But the large red apple that was his ultimate goal hung, swaying, just out of reach.
Dark Tide now sniggered at his brother. He looked rather stupid with his tongue hanging out.

Yes I'd rather you NOT throw my chosen out of the tree thanks."
Bryce said to the dark one he still had no name for. he moved to stand near the base of the tree just incase, so he could break his chosen's fall. Incase she fell.

Fionn didn't seem to mind at all that he was in possible danger of falling.
"I have older brothers, we always would do this so that we could get the fruit out of the trees papa wouldn't let us use a ladder on."
He moved and knocked the apple loose so that it would fall to the horse. Then he crawled along so that he could get the big juicey one that she had pointed out to him. Carefully he leaned and said,
"Here's one for you, use your skirt's to catch it?"

Jarek relaxed somewhat. So far, they posed no threat, and Kyya was enjoying himself. Rocking up onto his feet, he decided a little bit of a graze wouldn't hurt, though he kept one eye on the males even as he munched down on the grass.

Kyya was giggling again as Fionn grabbe dher apple, obediently stretching out her skirt to act as a basket.

~If there's enough for more, can you ask your friend to get me a few more?~ jarek asked quietly, watching as the boy went to pass an apple down to his chosen, the aftertaste of the first apple still fresh in his mouth.

"Jarek wants to know if you can reach some more for him... though if you ask me, one should be more then enough" she called back, holding still so that an apple didn't fall on her head instead of in her skirt's. The last bit was said quietly, intended only for the boy to hear, and, while the comment was serious enough, the voice was teasing,a s if it were some kind of "in" joke between herself and the horse.

{{OOC: Just a note, Jarek doesn't want to socialise right now > > He's a bit miffed... and... since Kyya's not sure how to talk to another horse that isn't hers, she's only interacting with Fionn as of yet, though she will interact with Dark Tide, dark Ion and Bryce if they wanna have some more apples xD My goal is to have some sort of friendly rivalry between Jarek and the others, though it looks to me as though most of that will be aimed towards Dark Ion and Dark Tide (since his interests, too, lie in mares) and Bryce will be more of a companion simply because he's getting along with Kyya... If that makes any sense. I hope to have the four (and when Dark Hellfyre makes himself known, the five) to be some sort of boy's group so to speak, where everyone's friends, but friendly rivalry often breaks out between them... You get it? Meh, it's just several ideas running through my head at the moment, so it's not very well thought out... ^^& Just letting them be known/OOC}}

Dark Ion plodded contentedly over to Kyya and softly bumped her with his nose. Thanking her for the apple. He nibbled a little on her hair. Then backed off so Jarek wouldn't eat him alive. He crunched comically on some very dry grass, contorting his face at every chew, hoping to make the chosen laugh more.

Dark Tide stared with disdain at his brother, he went to stand under the tree and proceeded to try to prod Bryce into a conversation. "So where are you from? I haven't seen you around recently or I would have remembered that marking on your shoulder." Dark Tide did not graze as he was hoping to appear desperately in need of another apple. He gave a puppy face to Kyya.