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 Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:48 am
 ╬ L O N GxxW A YxxT OxxG O ╬
xxxxx» Where are we?
The edges of a desert. To picture this desert, think of places like Arizona, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon rather than something like the Sahara.The ground is dry packed earth, rocky in places, and there is sufficient vegetation for eating (although it probably isn’t very tasty). There are cacti, snakes, vultures and coyotes, as well as insects such as scorpions.
xxxxx» What’s going on?
Trigger and a few ponies are going into the desert to start a new herd. Trigger has been told that somewhere in the Red Mountains there is a place called ‘Big Thunder’, and that it is a good place for ponies. Big Thunder is in fact a waterfall that feeds a large and fertile valley, but none of the ponies know that. In this RP, we’ll follow the ponies as they cross the desert towards the mountains.
xxxxx» How can I join?
There are many options for joining. You can simply be with Trigger right at the start -- that probably means he told you about his plan (or you heard about it from someone else) and you decided to go along. You can also follow the herd at a distance (maybe you just want to see what’s going on) or you can meet them somewhere in the desert. And if you have any other ideas for jumping in, please do!
xxxxx» Do I need to have signed up in the herd thread to join?
Not really! You can join right now through RP. But you're welcome to sign up if you want, or just check out our plot thread.
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Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 10:56 am
Trigger peered anxiously at the horizon, muscle twisting and bunching under his hide as he paced. They had come to the edge of the familiar grassland, and ahead of him lay the spread of the desert -- miles and miles of rough, ragged land studded with bleached rock, brittle grasses and prickly cacti. Somewhere far away the land broke up, scraping the sky with jagged peaks and sheer stone walls that from this distance looked just as dry and desolate as the landscape before them.
“Those are the Red Mountains.” He told the few who had come with him. There weren’t many; you had to be a particular kind of pony, to walk off into the desert on the say-so of one young stallion. “If we go there, Misty says we’ll find Big Thunder, and there is a good place for a herd.”
That’s what Misty said. But besides her wisdom (which the stallion trusted), the land ahead did not seem to hold much promise.
They lingered at the edges of the desert for a while, resting their legs from their journey so far and nibbling on the fresh grass. Finally, when their bellies were full of water from the rocky stream that ran here, there was nothing left to do but turn their noses towards the ochre-colored mountains… and walk.
“Let’s go.” Trigger nodded -- kicking off into a canter but quickly settling into a easy, long-strided amble. No use wasting energy when they had that much ground to cover.
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2014 8:46 pm
Miela padded up beside Trigger, he still had a lot to learn about being a leader of a herd, she shifted her gaze against the horizon as well, to her it seemed like an endless expanse of dry desert. She was secretly hoping that they would all last until they got through but at the same time she wasn't even sure what got him so focused on getting to that specific destination. She blew out a light breath, dust flying up as she pawed at the dry dust.
"at the same time we have to make sure we keep a steady pace so the rest of the herd members can keep up with us." she told him and glanced in the distance at the Red Mountains, she was curious to what this area would offer their small but slowly growing herd. She really hoped that this journey would be worth it.
"It still looks like we have a long ways to go" she told him lightly and turned to face the other herd members, some looking a little restless and some looking a little nervous about traveling the expanse of a desert where finding a water source was a rare sight and where all they would see was blowing dust.
She picked up her pace as Trigger started off in a canter and then slowing down into long-strides. She followed beside him but keeping a respectable distance from their young leader. She swished her tail to and fro idly as she padded looking around at her surroundings.
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 9:37 am
Trigger did not seem too worried. Perhaps because that was part of his role as a leader -- to show the way bravely, without hesitation. Perhaps. Probably not. Quite possibly, he didn’t quite understand how much there was to be worried about, so he marched on and looked forward to getting… wherever it was they were going.
Still, the desert was far from a friendly place. The ground was baked hot under his hooves, and many of the stubborn, short plants that studded the earth were prickly and painful to walk by. The dust swirled around them and reddened their coats, and scorpions or other odd bugs skittered around. And then there were the other animals -- coyotes, for one, or those big ugly birds that wheeled through the sky. Trigger had never seen it happen, but he had heard that those claws were strong enough to pick a smaller pony right off the ground!
But he’d keep them at bay. All of them. Trigger was ready to take on the desert, and everything in it.
“It still looks like we have a long way to go.” A mare spoke up beside him; she was Miela, with a caramel coat just a little darker than his own.
“I know,” He nodded. “That’s why I made sure we were well-rested and had plenty to drink before we left, see? When we find a good place to rest and drink again, we will stay there some to keep up our energy.”
He was glad that Miela had come with him. Misty would have approved of her, he thought; she was both brave and clever. Brave because she had agreed to go on this uncertain journey, and clever because… well, she just had that clever look in her eyes. Like she knew something Trigger didn’t. Then again, a lot of mares seemed to have that look in their eyes.
Possibly because Trigger didn’t know all that much.
He slowed to match her stride, so that they might speak head-to-head rather than have him turning to look at her over his shoulder. “That’s why nobody has gone there, to Big Thunder. Because it’s so far. But we’ll go, and when we get there, we’ll have it all to ourselves.”
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Posted: Wed Nov 12, 2014 10:54 pm
Miela trotted beside him looking around at her backgrounds, no wonder no one travelled this way it was brutual. She glanced over at their young leader, he was a much lighter shade then she was and he had a playful but serious aspect to him. She took a minute to fully take in his appearance, not that she had not done it when they first met but a journey through the desert gave her a closer insight on him. As long as they stopped every so often to get a drink of water and rest she was completely fine. She glanced up at the desert sky spotting a variety of desert birds which mostly consisted of scavengers. She shook her head and shifted her gaze back down and forward. She really hoped they wouldn't encounter danger but knowing the desert it was bound to have danger. Especially those predators that blended in the background. She really hoped that they wouldn't be in the desert longer then they want to, but at the same time it was hard to decipher the time of day. She flicked her tail and blew up dust, she would so need a bath after walking through the desert. She really hoped that The Big Thunder was worth the trek. She glanced at him "why has drawn you towards that particular area anyway?" she asked him out curiosity. The idea of having Big Thunder to themselves was intriguing she wondered if it would have everything a herd needed to thrive. Though she was pretty certain it would, she was looking forward to it and once they got there she had made a vow to herself to ensure that the herd had everything they needed to thrive, and it would mean she would have to hunker down and figure out her life after the herd settled down.
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 9:48 am
“Misty told me about it.” He told Miela, still walking by her side. “She was the elder of my birth-herd, and she’s very wise about that sort of thing. Misty had been there as long as he could remember, always clever and gentle no matter how many silly things him and the other foals did.
“She knew that the safest place for a new herd to start is somewhere away from others, where there is plenty of grass to eat and water to drink and we can all grow strong. She told me that Big Thunder is a good place like that, even though it is difficult to get to. And I believe her, you know. I just have a good feeling about it. Like there is something good coming.”
He gazed ahead at the mountains, imagining that they might hide some wide and beautiful field for his herd. Perhaps it was just over the first ridge, or the second. Perhaps there would be some sort of valley, where it rained often (maybe that was the ‘thunder’ part) so the grass would be long and juicy. Or maybe it would be a sort of plateau, high up in the mountains? Perhaps it could be accessed only through a secret cave, so that nobody but herd members and their friends could enter? His youthful imagination ran wild with ideas, and he told Miela about all of them.
And then, abruptly, he stopped. He stopped because he had noticed a change in the ground they were standing on.
“It’s this… odd?” He asked the mare, stomping at the ground with his hoof. “It’s not dirt here. It’s… stone?” Or something like it, at least. The surface was gray and cracked, with plenty of weeds and shrubs growing all over it, so that it looked almost the same as the rest of the desert. But when he glanced around and studied the area, he noticed that his strange gray stone appeared to be a… a path? A path that pointed, straight as an arrow, towards the mountains.
((OOC: Basically they’re on a reaaaaaallly old human road. Like, a paved two-lane highway that’s almost completely grown over.))
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 12:35 pm
 Breaking away from the shades of trees, a dark colored mare moves across the grasslands, her muzzle brushing against grass and ripping a mouthful of it randomly, enjoying the sudden warmth blanketing her body from the sun. Phantom lifts her head as she hears soft murmuring from the boundary between the grassland and desert areas, there were some mentions about her dear friend Misty. "Why would she direct them into the desert..." She murmurs quietly to herself as her tail slaps against her flank, sending few horseflies flying off and she grabs few more mouthful of grass because if she is going to follow them into the desert, she needs all food she can get.
Noting that it is just two similar looking ponies standing at the boundary when she approaches them but she took a care to stay downwind of them so her scent won't waft up to them because she is very distrusting of other ponies until they earns her trust. "Siblings?" She thinks to herself as her eyes narrows little bit at the glare of the sun while she watches them walk into the desert, she mentally sighs to herself as she knows that she probably will have to follow them to make sure they reach their destination because desert/marshes are her home and Misty might have asked her to keep an eye on a stallion that calls himself Trigger.
Listening to Trigger (she presumes she's following the right stallion) and his sister (again, she's assuming things) make comments about few things but she noted that Trigger keeps referring to Misty and she couldn't help the small smile appearing on her face. There is a few oases in the desert and one have a huge waterfall which earned it a name of "Big Thunder", Phantom is assuming that they are heading in that direction and the best way to do it is to follow that worn but well-traveled path created by humans before they nearly died out. When the stallion paused at it, Phantom knows that she had to make herself known and be their guide and she shakes her head little bit while approaching them at leisurely pace.
"Its a path made by humans." She speaks up as she moves up ahead of them, continuing to walk with her tail swaying back and forth, flicking at the sand. "The humans used to go to Big Thunder for religious purposes." She looks over her shoulder at Trigger and the female. "You keep mentioning Misty, Trigger. Be careful or your sister will think that you have a huge crush on Misty." She smirks little bit as a gleam of laughter could be seen in her eyes. "Don't stand around, we need to find a shelter before nightfall. It gets really cold here." She looks away as she continues to walk away from them, knowing that they will probably scramble to catch up to them or being defiant and try different directions. Their choices, not her problem.
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 10:36 pm
 Winry stood off to the side of everyone, watching Trigger pace. Her pale blue eyes moved from him to Miela, and her ears turned back slightly. She wasn't angry.. no.. Just sizing up her competition in a strange way. Though it was unknown if they were siblings, the lead mare is a well sought after position. Winry was the type, she KNEW she was pretty, and she had goals in mind for this venture that had to do with Trigger's attention.
As the herd started to move and Trigger jolted forward, she huffed at this arid wasteland she would be facing. She shook the dust from her gentle golden and white body, and pressed forward. She quickened her pace when Trigger slowed as to follow more closely behind him, to listen to the conversation and perhaps wait for a moment when Miela slowed in conversation. Her head did turn back, looking back at the rest of them.
For a moment she contemplated the figures of exactly how many of them she thought would survive. She looked upon them almost like an eagle looks upon mice, watching the way they move, looking for limping, or signs of early struggle.
Finding none at this time her gaze returned back to Miela and Trigger's hind ends. "I am not going to be watching their rumps this whole way" She thought inwardly, Her honey brown mane in her face due to the dry and gritty breeze.As they went on against the hot and bitter strokes of wind and dust, and her coat began to taint with red, her ears started to lay back, rather unhappily. The dead looking plants here... The desolate and barren surroundings made her uneasy. They were so open.. so exposed and she unknowingly started walking so close to Trigger that her chin was nearly over his rump. Being a mare in a heard meant there will be the Stallion's favorite, but he also breeds with other mares in the herd. She is not sure how Trigger will run things, but she is determined to be of some kind of use to the heard, even if it is baring foals. Lost in thought of what their foals would look like, and how they would be pristine ponies in older years a skittering scorpion at a small distance in the rocks catches her attention.
She made a funny sounding small squeal and scooted forward and sideways, away for the nasty creepy thing. It somewhat wedged her between Miesa and Triggers rumps at the shoulder and her first words finally came about. " uucck eewww! That thing and its legs!" Her voice being like one you would hear from a decorated southern lady. She stayed with her shoulder almost touching Trigger's rump, mean a fact he is thier protector. Though the scurrying arachnid posed no thread, it was creepy, and she was a lady of form, walking with her tail perked at almost all times, and with a slight prance to her steps.
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Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2014 4:54 pm
Miela listened to his reply nodding her head showing that she was paying attention "Can't say i've met Misty nor know her but she sounds like she is a wise mare" she put in. "well, I'll take your word for it" she told him. Not that she knew anything..about birth-tribes, she didn't grow up with that sort of thing and she didn't even know,there were such things as birth-tribes. She really needed to get out more, her tail flicked to and fro idly. She also gazed at the mountains in the horizon, she wondered what sort of things they would see at their new location, but it didn't hurt to imagine or speculate. She also started to Imagine what the land would offer. She tilted her head "do you think, there will be undiscovered terrains there?" she asked him, knowing Trigger his imagination was bigger then hers. At the same time she wondered where the two would stand, probably just him being herd leader and her being just a member of the herd. She blinked as he suddenly stopped and glanced down at the change in path "that is odd...hmm..I guess this was an area that was well travelled but seems to have grown over from a long period of not being used" she said and glanced at him "do you think it would lead us to the Big Thunder Grounds?" she asked him.
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 10:21 am
“It is a path made by humans.” A voice spoke up from behind Trigger and Miela. The stallion turned his golden head to look, and found himself staring straight at a dark-colored pony with flowers in her mane. A familiar dark-colored pony -- but not one of the number that had initially accompanied him on this adventure.
“Phantom!” He cried out, leaning out to brush his nose against hers’ in greeting. “Why are you all the way out here? Are you coming with us?”
She didn’t answer his question directly, but seemed to make her intentions known by telling him that the path lead to Big Thunder. She teased him about Misty, at which the stallion only laughed and shook out his mane -- the idea was too silly to even be embarrassed about. “Misty is older and wiser than me, and this isn’t my sister. This is Miela, and she is coming with me to Big Thunder.”
Phantom was already walking away, and Trigger did not hesitate to follow her down the path. He turned back to Miela, nodding his head in response to what she had said before. “I guess that answers your question. It must be a good omen, us finding this path that will take us up to Big Thunder. And it must be a good place, if the humans made a path just so they could go there? Funny, though. I have never seen the humans build paths like this. It must have been a long time ago.”
The path made for easy walking, that was for sure. Even though it was overgrown, it was easier on the hooves than the shifting sand and crumbling rocks they had been crossing earlier, and the ponies found that they could pick up the pace.
“Miela,” Trigger started. “Why do you think Phantom thought you were my sist --”
"uucck eewww!” A shrill voice interrupted, followed by a light-colored pony crowding into them from behind. Thatthing and its legs!"
“What?!” Trigger was young, but still a stallion -- he reared up instinctively, ready to defend his herd from Thing With Legs. Until, of course, he saw the thing; it was nothing but a sort of spider, probably more scared of the big ponies than anything.
“Hmph!” He laughed, rolling his eyes at the ridiculously proud, high-stepping Winry now beside him. “You’ve got legs too, you now. You shouldn’t go around screaming at everyone elses’, even if they aren’t as pretty as yours.”
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 11:38 am
 She marveled a bit at his reaction, the rearing, the protective instinct and it made her feel a bit safer from the hideous little thing.
But as he spoke and rolled his eyes her ears craned forward and her head lifted some. Sure she could choose to take insult of the situation, but instead she hinged on the fact he though her legs were pretty. Her eyes lightly closed and her head lifted up a bit as she spoke " well, yes, my legs are lovely aren't they? I am flattered you noticed Trigger. Though I don't make a habit of shrieking at other creatures legs, That one was creepy, it and it's" shiver " legs. Besides, I should have nothing to fear in this world with a gallant and handsome Stallion like you here to protect me." Her eyes opened half lidded, attempting to look appealing through the dust all over her and everyone. Her gaze moved to Miela than to the dark mare that walked on ahead. Her ears laid back somewhat at her thoughts of more competition, sense Trigger made it known that Miela was not a relative. Sense her presence was being largely ignored by Miela, she in turn would simply give her the respect and do the same, as to not pester the mare. Winry leaned her muzzle over to Triggers side and groomed at his fur, lipping at the dust, trying to clean him a bit.  Out ahead in the wind and heat came a voice that seemed to be speaking to someone, or perhaps them. A soothing voice, yet one that had something off about it. Off to the side of the old Human path was a strange looking dark mare with stark white mane and tail, dust collected over her back and legs, she even looks slightly unkept to an extent, though there was something beautiful about her none the less.. She had a very small pile of odd twigs, roots and a few wilted leaves that she was nosing at, as if to arrange them as she spoke to... no one... " It is though isn't it? Sand in the nose, no water for this one. " She paused as if listening to something, and has yet to even notice the other ponies coming, even though they were not exactly quiet thanks to Winry's squeal. " Moss and heather tails, mint and burdock root for sting and bite. Yes yes I know, but I am waiting you see." Again she speaks to no one, maybe to herself? She lifted her head with a funny jerking action to an extent and started to walk a circle around her mouthful of herbs that was in a tiny pile on the ground. Judging by the well tred circle around the pile, she had been walking this tight circle for hours it seems. When she started to pace her nose was kept almost pointed upward and her walk was uneven, like she was one leg shorter than the rest or something. To an unobservant pony she would look slightly lame, But to one who had ever seen it, it was a strange sort of dance, much like a limping Raven and she was making small huffs and hums with it, sounding like some sort of off beat song. The dry and gritty wind whipping around her, causing her wildly kept mane and tail to splash like white milk through the air. Pale blue eyes standing out against the dark color of her face, wide and half dis-focused at the sky.
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 5:46 pm
Miela shrugged and glanced at Trigger "I guess its because we look alike, but thats it" she said before lagging back behind a bit clearly giving Winry some space she clearly had her eyes set on the young lead stallion. Most of the time she didn't know anyone. She focused her attention on something else and her surroundings. It seems that she would be on her own when they got to The Big Thunder grounds. She hummed to herself as she padded a bit behind the rest of the herd. She surveyed the herd from behind and brought up the rear, it almost seem more appropriate to bring up the rear of the herd to make sure they didn't lose anyone on their long journey through the desert. She flicked her tail to and fro blowing up some dust but continued following Trigger and the mare that was named Phantom. Well, the good news to traveling in a herd you get to meet some new friends.
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Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2014 7:28 pm
Phantom's muzzle quirks up into a smile when Trigger recognized her and that she gotten the right stallion, it have been a really long time since she have seen him last time and she allows the brush of noses to happen. "You can say that I was asked to guide you guys since Big Thunder is my second home." She replies to the stallion before she bumps into him in almost playful manner before adding the last part of the sentence, "I think you know who asked me to." Her dark eyes gleams with amusement as she glances over at two females followers who seems to be vying for this stallion's attention.
When a shrill voice fills the air and a palomino paint female shouldered her way in between Trigger and his look-alike which is not his sister like she initially thought, Phantom gives Winry a look that is full of disdainful contempt for making a huge ruckus over small critters and forcing herself in between Trigger and that female. Phantom stares at Winry in amazement when she starts to flirt and try to make herself more appealing to Trigger, she snorts as she moves toward the mare. "I don't know what you are trying to do but you reeks of desperation." Her muzzle crinkles up in disdain as she turns her head away from the female. "Trigger, for some reason, Misty wanted me to guide you and I will. This is my first advice to you..." She turns her head toward Winry pointedly. "Don't promote any mares like her to any higher ranks. They don't deserve it at all." She looks around at her near surroundings before she looks back at the stallion. "And from the look of it, you don't have a lead mare." Her voice becomes deadpan as she finally realizes what is happening right now. A fight for a lead mare position.
Her eyes lands on Trigger's female version as she stares at Miela silently, wondering why this mare is so passive instead of being assertive. If she wants to be a lead mare, she needs to be more assertive and prove her worth to Trigger. Ay... she's really glad that Misty only asked her to lead Trigger and his makeshift herd over to Big Thunder then she can vanish into the desert. As the sand swirls around her, Phantom closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, muttering softly to Trigger (only he could hear), "I am so sorry that you have to deal with duds like them." Phantom isn't the one to mince her words and will just say what is on her mind and in her eyes, those two females aren't worthy of any higher ranks. In more louder voice, she calls over to other two mares, "Stop it! You guys are slowing Trigger down." She stares at Winry with a steely glare, "Stop squealing and trying to be a mare in distress. Those are small critters and they won't bother you if you don't make ruckus." She snapped those words out at Winry then she shifts her eyes toward Miela. Phantom pauses, thinking twice before she says anything to Trigger's clone and she slants her eyes toward Trigger, "You want to lead a herd, colt? lead it." She says as she turns away from the small group and stalks off, not bothering to look behind her because she's getting really irritated with the mares and the particular stallion that Misty asked her to look after until they get to their destination.
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Posted: Sat Nov 29, 2014 9:23 pm
"They are not fighting are they? I hope not," Uvyress whispered again to Val, the stallion she was walking beside, who was also her oldest and dearest friend, and more recently and affectionately, her mate. The both of them were young ponies, but they had managed to survive this far own their own and had every intention to keep on surviving. For as long as they could remember it had almost always been just the two of them out here in the desert wandering in search of something, living off of what sustenance they could but not choosing to stay still. For such a long time they were in search of something better, but only lately had they come to a point of progress in their discussions of what specifically, exactly, were they probably on the hunt for. And also, it was likely also noteworthy though, that they did not have much experiences yet in their short yet tough and eventful lives. "They look around our age, but do you think they are older than us? Probably, right? I would not at all be surprised if they were older but it is just a thought of mine stemming from how inexperienced and still very much like a baby I feel a sizable portion of the time," the mare went whispering on. And then she chuckled softly before continuing to say as they kept their pace following the gradually forming herd from a distance, "I am admittedly reminded, while watching them from here as long as we have, of the first time we met. We did not get along at all, did we? Or at least, we did not get along too well. Well, that is compared to as well as we do now in any case." The dark mare's tail swayed leisurely as she cheerily talked on in her steady whisper to her mate. "We have agreed we shall introduce ourselves to them after a little ways of our following their group. What do you think now of how they may take to our request to join them, Val?" Admittedly, Val found comfort in how the mare beside him seemed to always enjoy speaking almost without end. It soothed him to listen to her being that it was a constant reminder that it was the two of them, they were not on their own having to fend for just themselves anymore and thankfully it was the two of them for quite some time. But what Uvyress said was true, they had not always been this close at the start. In fact, when they first met, a younger Val had encountered a younger Uvyress in a highly irritable state. 'Hey, are you okay?! Are you alive?!' He recalled frantically asking her while trying to wake her for fear of her getting heat stroke and dehydrated to death where she had been napping at the time he spotted and galloped towards her, not a single source of shade in sight all around them at the time. A smile grew on his features as he recalled more of the memory, of her claiming that she had finally been able to get a bit of sleep at last and complaining that he had ruined the opportunity for her. That was the crankiest he had seen her when she did not get as much sleep as she would like and it was rightfully so, he reckoned, being that they both looked worse for the wear when they first met. They were faring far better now since they had teamed up to continually struggle to get by, though teamwork had to develop from a competition of sorts between two ignorant ponies, hungry and tired yet slow to admit that they were glad to meet, glad not to be by themselves anymore, and glad to grow on each other and the interesting and great company each offered to the other. It just took them for the most part the larger bulk of their lives so far to reach the point of realization that this was so.
Val thought to jokingly ask his mate something along the lines of 'Exactly how much energy have you gotten from all your resting up recently? Perhaps you stored up too much and are talking a mile a minute to deal with some feelings of not knowing what to do with most of it seemingly pent up?' But, though he imagined that she would likely respond to his questions in mind as it having been necessary to prepare for a likely long trip ahead upon their decidedly choosing to be in agreement to follow after the purposeful strides of the first other pony they had seen aside from each other, he opted to stay silent for the most part and let her whispering voice go on about her thoughts. And, it was when she had asked him her latest query that he had given a reply at last, "We could ask them now. How about it, Uvyress?" He kept his gaze to her even as he sped his step up for a moment as he asked her the question of his own with regards to his optimistic encouragement of the idea of their making a move now to make themselves known along with their interest to join the herd."Okay," Uvyress eagerly moved to match him in step again and join him as they trotted over to the group ahead. "Hello," though Val was a step slightly ahead, but Uvyress being the quite active mare she is, she was the first to greet the mares and stallion. "Yes, hello," Val greeted them as well, "Would it be possible for us to request to join your herd?""Yes, please," Uvyress voiced her shared desire with Val. ((Word counts: Uvyress = 406 Val = 557))
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Posted: Mon Dec 01, 2014 9:48 am
Trigger was left with a lot to think about.
Misty’s parting advice (aside from sending Phantom to guide them, that is) had been to listen to his mares. But what was he supposed to when all of them were saying and doing different things? Phantom had mentioned the fact that he did not have a lead mare, and maybe that was the problem. A lead mare could rally the others behind her, keeping an eye on the herd while he kept his eyes on the mountains in the distance -- their ultimate prize.
But what made a good lead mare?
There was Winry, whom Phantom warned him not to promote. But Winry looked so lady-like and regal when she walked, as if she already held some special position. And Miela; Miela was quiet, but she took care of everyone, walking behind the herd to make sure no one got lost. Phantom seemed to have no problems taking charge, but she hadn’t said anything about joining the herd -- just that she was sent to guide them. Everyone was just so different, and he really had no idea where to turn.
Except to the mountains. Big Thunder lay there, and perhaps on their journey that way things would become clearer… and mares less confusing.
“Moss and heather tails, mint and burdock root…”
Or maybe not.
A dark mare stood in the desert before them. Well, not stood, but shuffle-walked in a little circle, muttering about something. There was some confusion as the herd stopped, noses bumping rumps and ponies jostling to get a look at what had gotten in their way. After a while they all stood in a messy half-circle around the stranger, all of them looking oddly similar now for the red-orange dust that clung to their legs and bellies.
“Uh…” Trigger started forward, remembering Phantom’s words about leading his herd. He was in charge. He should… do something.
“Are you alright?” Was the best he could come up with. He wasn’t sure what to do, not about this sort of thing.
Before the strange mare could acknowledge him (if she ever had a mind to, for so far she had not even so much looked at the gathering herd), another strange pair appeared. Fortunately, these two ponies were not muttering strange things, and we in fact quite clear about their intentions.
"Would it be possible for us to request to join your herd?" The mare asked. She was dark brown with peculiar markings, gray streaks that reminded Trigger of thunderstorms. The stallion agreed with her, reddish in color with some spots and a striking white forelock. They both looked as if they had been in the desert for quite some time.
“Oh.” Trigger swelled up with visible pride, lifting his head and standing a little straighter. Someone wanted to join his herd!
“Of course you can. And you’re both welcome! We are going to Big Thunder. It is in the mountains there, or maybe behind them. It’s a difficult trek but it is a good place for ponies, with water and fresh grass and nice trees for shade. Well, I think it is.”
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