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It was one geezer joke too many.

Blais was staring at him, brilliant eyes alight; waiting. Crousader was staring at them both, obviously thinking of ways to save the 'geezer' hide. And Gully.

The Rascal.

He was smirking, looking like he should have a small gnarly stick in his paw to properly display how terribly he orchestrates family get-togethers.

Well, Flame had (unknown to the rest of his wide family) finally had enough. He wouldn't allow them to apologize, not this time. Even Tai.. TAI! The sweet natured colt he had raised to stallionhood was laughing at him, at the old geezer joke. Regret for letting his pride slide sprang up anew, followed swiftly by a small, brooding anger at Crousader for not backing him up, and at Gully for making him the butt of so many jokes, diminishing him in the eyes of his blood son. The one he had so recently found and looked to be losing again.

Snorting angrily, his golden eyes flared, glowing as they used too with an inner fire that had never been tamed, never WOULD be tamed. Blais's dam had tried, as had the old herd they had come from, and they had failed, as the Islagiatt herd had failed when they pushed him too far. Took him for granted.

It was Tai who noticed the increasing light of his eyes first, but it was Blais who mentioned it. In a most horrible fashion.

"Hey, don't get all down on us pops! It's nothing personal you know we love you."

As if it took an effort to love him, as if.... he was inferior to them in some way, that he was some over-emotional sap for actually getting angry for being... treated like this.

Immediatly his eyes flared again and the stallion was gone, dashing into the underbrush with a speed none had accredited him.

-----

It only took a few hours to reach his destination.

That he had done it at a dead run, pausing only once for water, never occured to him. He was intent on his goal, on the stretch of sand by the wide blue sea that had so intrigued him when he had first seen it so many years ago. He hadn't known anyone then, not even Gully; and the peacefulness of the place called his troubled heart now just as it had has a young stallion.

His fiery coat was dark with sweat, and beneath his heavy mane his neck and withers were lathered with foam, but it mattered naught, nor did the bright red gashes earned from disputes with low slung branches. The stallion of fire sought the sea and the sand, the wind and ferocity of the waves. Seeing them again gave him pause and a triumphant whinny as he plunged into the crashing surf from a standstill. He ignored the burning pain of the salt water in his wounds, recognizing it's healing properties by the familiar sting so similar to that of the native woman's herbal remedies.

The natives.... Celei, little Riverfire.. and Pathen. He had vowed to protect them, and Tai...and Crousader when the mighty wind had fallen from the skies. He had protected them all when they needed him.

Joy turned to a bitter memory as he glared down at the water around him, at his reflection, unaware that he was not alone.

Pulled from his self-centered thoughts, Flame flicked his ears back and turned his head slowly; more then ready to send the owner of that voice on their tail tucked way. And if the owner of the voice was a youngling, more then their tail would be tucked for daring to address him in such a fashion.

Discovering the voice to be female, he curbed his tongue, just a little; and leveled the bay mare a sour expression. "Aye milady, but then I don't happen to have one in my tail.. so salt water it is." He replied, ignoring her initial question. He wasn't in the mood for banter, and while he inwardly winced at the rude quality of his voice; he couldn't help himself.

His eyes flared again, but he mentally chided himself for giving into his... Crousader-esque tendencies. Rudeness never got a body anywhere except in the ground; as he so often quoted at his son.

Drawing a deep breath, he removed himself from the sea, lashing his long tail from side to side to release the water; mindful to avoid wetting the mare.

"Your pardon then milady." He said quietly, anger too raw at the previous encounter to manage much else by way of apology.

"I'll look after them milady, as I don't especially fancy meeting my maker any time soon." He rumbled, a hint of his old humor creeping into his voice. This mare reminded him a bit of the native girl Riverfire; and the Spirits knew that little minx could be quite stern when she tried!

"Sadly I am unable to woo you with some tale of valor against a pursuing kalona...nor amuse you with a comedic play about rocks and tumbles. I was just distracted...careless really." He added grimly, casting a self deprecating glance over his shoulder at the wide red gashes. Really, could I have done a better job had a met a kalona? Mhmm, they'd probably be deeper... maybe broken a bone or two...

Pulling himself out of his personal thoughts, he sighed heavily. "So what brings a lady like yourself to this strip of sand?"

He grinned at her, a coltish lop-sided grin that had.. once upon a time... won him some brownie points with the mares. Now it was more of a habit that Flame rather enjoyed. "Aye, well it could be said that the flesh of the story would put the flesh of a stallion into an unfavorable light in the eyes of a pretty lady. " he said cheerfully, the he paused, nostrils flaring at her wild, and dangerously familiar gesture. But he could appreciate her sentiments, hadn't he taken off on that wild run for a similar reason?

"It can also be said that wild hearts are never tamed, just... layered in the fur blankets of age and experience." He added, his golden eyes glowing softly with a more restrained version of the fire that had coursed through him at the Elderwillow camp.

"Mhmmm" he rumbled, in obvious agreement as he calmly stretched out his forelegs. He could definetly agree with her sentiments. That run had been good for him, even the pain from the salt was helping to dull the edge of his anger. Somewhere he knew no one in his herd would intentionally hurt him, it was just taking longer then usual for sense to take charge. Longer yet for him to come to terms with the realization that a heart like his just couldn't settle for the simple life.. not like Tai and his son Blais. The dreams wouldn't allow for that.. nor his proud heritage.

Best to just let his mind right itself and enjoy the Lady's company now, and dwell on those uncomfortable thoughts beneath his favorite oak later.

"Forgive me milady, but may I ask you your name?"

"A lady indeed then Princess." He replied, inclining his head respectfully. So often he had been rebuked by just asking a lady her name... this was a pleasant change.

"My... son, Tai has a rather long name aswell. Though I dare say he uses it as a weapon sometimes... just to spite those who are rude to him." The stallion of fire chuckled, remembering when he had first met the young colt and asked him for his name. At the time Flame had been prone on the forest floor... bleeding from several gashes and broken in more ways then once. The then young mahogany and gold colt had proudly answered him.... only to have the injured stallion shorten it unceremoniously to "Kid."

Smiling at the memory, his mind finally disgested the rest of her sentence.

"Desert bred you say? From what tribe do you hail?"