DOTW is a semi-realistic wild horse role-play game aiming to keep it simple. We expect a minimum of 200 words for every in-character post, and reward you with a tight-knit community who love roleplaying and are always eager to make new friends. After an 18 month hiatus, DOTW is ready to write a new history.
Hey doods, don't mind that I've been a little absent lately. I'm reading loooooots of manga <3 but I'm definitely online every day, so don't worry about having PMs or questions or joining posts go missing! I am catching them all :)
The day was young - pale colours spilled across the sky as the sun rose over the trees, the birds beginning their restless cries. The lavender clouds cast a shadow over the lands, making the morning seem gloomy and unpleasant, and it seemed to have an effect on the inhabitants, as very few had emerged from their hideaways at this hour. Crossing over a rocky hill, a pale brown mare spied a family of deer through the trees to the west, nibbling lazily on the lowermost leaves, barely casting a glance her way as she passed by.
Indiana would never usually have risen this early: she preferred to wait until the sun was hot on her back before venturing beyond the safety of the home she had claimed, but as the spring grew older, space to graze was becoming scarce as more creatures moved into the lands. If she wanted to find something to eat, she would have to sacrifice a few extra hours of sleep to do so. She knew there was a reasonably large grassland beyond the hill that she currently scaled, but the hill's decline was lined with loose rocks that she knew would be troublesome to descend. She was nothing if not determined, however, and desired the fresh, untouched grasses too much to be deterred by some unsteady footing.
The year had been unkind to the young mare; unused to surviving alone, the winter had taken much of her strength. Even now, a few months later, the hints of her weakness were still evident in the bumps of her hipbones, the thinness of her tail. Her eyes were bright, however, and her patchy coat had returned to its normal luster. She questioned how prepared she was for the coming months, but was willing to believe that her hardships would only make things easier by comparison.
The mare paused as she reached the crest of the hill; the journey down seemed much steeper than her climb had been, and she felt a flicker of apprehension at the idea of possibly falling. In truth, she had spent every day since birth roaming the lands with her herd, crossing any terrain that they encountered, but this was more daunting: the very real possibility of injury with no herd-members to aid her was worrying. Taking a deep breath and tossing her fine forelock from her eyes, Indiana took the first step. The rocks beneath her hooves crunched and shifted, but did not fall, so she continued, her worries quelled for the moment.
It took a long while to make any real progress - Indiana moved slowly, lest she cause the rocks to collapse beneath her, but before long she had reached midway down the steep hill, and it was then that the earth finally gave in to the strain. The stones beneath her gave way, tumbling down the hillside, and she followed them, desperately maintaining her footing as the ground tried to snatch her legs from beneath her, panic swelling in he throat. She came to a stop some meters later, tense and braced against further decent, but beyond a few falling pebbles, the ground seemed sturdier down here. She glared hatefully at the traitorous rocks that had settled in the grass at the base of the hill, and could see the deer in the copse to the west staring her way, as if waiting for her to fall to her demise. She snorted; no such thing would happen - she was offended that anybody would even entertain the idea. Drawing her chin close to her chest in determination, she continued downwards, close enough the grass now that she could, were she a more daring mare, leap there with relative ease.
Finally, her feet met soft grass and soil, and she kicked at a stray pebble as she passed by it, proud of her most recent achievement. Despite her weakness, she hadn't fallen to her death, and that was worthy of pride, in her mind. Taking a few strides into the knee-high grasses, she dropped her head, ripping a mouthful of grass up at its roots, tail flicking at her haunches. She glanced over her surroundings as she chewed, still seeing no other equines nearby, and allowed herself to relax, prepared for a day spent grazing without interruption.
The morning was quiet, eerily so in Talia's opinion. The red mare had spent many months of the last year alone, much against the instinct of her kind but none-the-less it was something she could not of avoided. Many seemingly small decissions in ones life can change the course of ones life, such as going right down a pass rather than the left. It was that which had left the seemingly nervous young mare the only one alive out of a herd of 14. It had not been the herd that she had been born into but one she had been aquired by certain events taking place. Much the same as the way she had left. The herd had decided to cut across between two great cliffsides to seek better grazing but Talia had not followed them. As it often happened, a nagging feeling in her gut caused her to go against logic and listen to some other great 'power'. She had left the herd to go through the pass whilst she took a round-about route through an old deer trail. Invisible hands had shaken the earth in such a manner that when the bright beast had emerdged upon the lush prairie, the herd she had departed from were no where to be seen.
It was then that Talia knew she was to be alone, atleast for the now. Who knows about the later? Talia tossed her delicate head when she heard the thud's of falling stone, causing the skin of her withers to twitch and the air to rush out of her extended nostrils. Her ears swiveled wildly about her head as she attempt to locate that which had scared her, turning her head in the direction the noise had came. Strong legs padded the soft grass first forewards then backwards and then forewards again, completely unsure of how to proceed. After a few seconds of internal debate she began in the direction of the thuds.
She trotted stiffly, tail and head raised. Her strides were short as she made her way over a small rise. Upon the other side of the grassland stood a grullo mare. She was angular in shape, bones sticking out slightly in the most obvious places. Under better circumstances no doubt the animal would have been strongly built, well muscled and grand. Relaxing now, she streched out her long legs and brought her head down. The sun reflected off the bright fur that coated the strong muscles of her neck and back. "Good day. My name is Talia, how do you do?". she neighed lightly, trying to keep her tone friendly as she approached the light brown mare through the tall grass. Talia came to a stop a few strides away, quarters creeping to the side and head raising so as to get a better look at the other female.
Minutes passed in silence - even the nearby birdsong seemed muted, distant, and as the morning's fog drew back the atmosphere remained heavy: maybe there was a rainfall due, soon. Indiana grazed leisurely, in no rush to finish or move on, and despite her accident with the rockfall, she was in quite a pleasant mood. Loneliness affected her just like any other equine, but sometimes it was nice being alone - she had spent the early months being pestered by stallions, incessant like insects in their attentions, and while she did not fear males, she certainly did not appreciate them. She would much rather be in the company of a female, as she always had. Perhaps soon, she would think of joining a herd, but not yet; not while she was still suffering the winter's weakness.
A sound snapped the mare from her thoughts; soft, repetetive thuds on the earth. Hoof-beats. Raising her head, she cocked her ears forward, golden eyes intent on the approaching equine. They moved at a brisk trot, and Indiana tensed at the approach, ears sliding backwards uncertainly. She was not prepared for a confrontation, if that's what this equine desired. While she would be loath to do it, she would be forced to retreat if an altercation began. However, as the stranger approached, she relaxed, head lowering, lengthening their stride, and Indiana peered at them for a moment. They were female, delicately built, unlike her own natural strength and roundness: her coat blazed bright amber underneath the dull sun. Indiana was a rather unremarkable mare, by comparison. Her coat was interesting, but not striking, the blaze on her face was uneven and her mane and tail were thin and short, and always would be that way. She had never been particularly concerned about her lacking beauty - she had an attractive face, or so she had been told, but when faced with a creature as bright as the mare before her, she felt that she paled in comparison.
Good day. My name is Talia, how do you do? The mare said, voice friendly, and Indiana hesitated before replying, lowering her head a little so as not to seem defensive. Talia paused a few strides away, and Indiana offered a slight smile.
"I'm Indiana. I am well, thank you, stranger." She dipped her head in polite greeting before continuing. "How has the day been treating you? I find this weather to be quite unpleasant." She cast her eyes aside, as if indicating the surrounding humidity, before returning her gaze to the chestnut mare.
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As the stranger mare, Indiana, spoke Talia lifted her slender neck to watch a sparrow depart through the morning fog. It was fading at a rate too slow for the red mare's liking, leaving the tall grass wet with heavy dew drops that clung to the short hair of her legs. Along with the fog lay some heavily burdened clouds that came in from the south. Bringing her delicate head down look at Indiana, she absentmindedly brushed some flies from her sides. The humidity of the air had brought with them the incessant creatures that irritated her skin dearly. Ears leaning back slightly she answered the grullo mare, "I cannot disagree with you there". Dipping her head in return to the other mares hospitality she continued, "I am glad you fair well. Begging your pardon but it looks like this past Winter has not done right by you". A quiet groan escaped her as she side stepped unsurely through the tall grass, stand still you silly creature. The grass stuck to her cannon bones, bending around those slim limbs and entrapping them. Talia always found it hard to stand still in unknown company, though cleary Indiana meant her no harm. Her small ears flicked to the west, listening to the sounds off what she guessed was was a nearby deer herd.
A stiff breeze ran through the clearing, flattening the tops of the grass stalks. With it came the first few drops of rain, only small ones but the type that threatened to increase in size and quantity. A fly on her withers made the soft skin there twitch so Talia shook wholey and again turned to look at the light brown mare before her. "The day has treated me well, I mainly travelled through the woods just over that rise before coming across this prairie", she flicked her head to indicate the direction she had appeared from. "So what brings you out here on your own, if you don't mind me asking?", she made sure her tone was polite and casual also bringing her head low and turning quarters in so that she was angled rather than facing straight ahead. The increasingly large droplets of rain had drenched her back and neck, leaving the hair the cold fingers touched liver chestnut as opposed to the previous blood red. It also clung to her mane and tail, causing her forelock to drip down her face.
I cannot disagree with you there. I am glad you fair well. Begging your pardon but it looks like this past Winter has not done right by you.
She then groaned, shifting about in the grass, and while Indiana herself wasn't particularly uncomfortable, she sympathized with the other mare's discomfort, casting her eyes kindly over the chestnut, indicating without words that she meant no harm. She nodded in reply to the mare's assumption, breaking her gaze to glance up at the darkening sky as she replied.
"It hasn't." She looked back to Talia. "I lived in a rather large herd until last summer. I'm ashamed to admit that the winter took me by surprise, somewhat." It was an understatement - the recent winter had been very cruel, and Indiana had come close to starving more than once. She thanked the gods that she had not. A punishing breeze sent a shiver through the grullo mare, and she cast her eyes skyward as the first drops of rain began to fall; only gently, at first, but she didn't doubt that this could turn into a storm with little warning. Indiana considered moving out of the rain, thinking of the nearby tree cover, but was drawn away from those thoughts when Talia spoke again.
The day has treated me well, I mainly traveled through the woods just over that rise before coming across this prairie, she said, indicating with a nod. Indiana smiled grimly;
"I thought it would be wise to travel across the mountains. I assume you heard my fall - not such a good plan, in the end."
The rain was, indeed, growing heavier, enough so that droplets slid down Indiana's sides, slicking her mane to her neck. With her fur stuck to her skin, it drew the lines of bone into starker relief, revealing the delicate line of spine between her shoulders and the dips between her ribs. It made her look sicker than she had already, and she trembled with the chill that sank into her bones. It only reminded her how weak she still was, so she steeled herself against the cold, determination in her eyes.
So what brings you out here on your own, if you don't mind me asking? Talia said politely, coat dark with rain, forelock dripping down her muzzle. She seemed relatively unaffected, and Indiana envied her. She gave a dismissive sigh in response to her question.
"I wouldn't choose to be alone. My last herd and I...disagreed." Not entirely true: she had fled at night to avoid carrying a foal she was not ready for, but that was a story for those she trusted, not strangers. "I have yet to find another to travel with, so I'm forced to find my way alone." Sadness tinged her words; loneliness was not something Indiana often complained about, but she could not deny the draw she felt to be around others. Perking up slightly despite the rain, she continued, water dripping from her lips. "And you? What brings you here alone?"
As the words left her mouth, the sky flashed bright with lightening, followed by a rolling crash of thunder that set Indiana on edge, made her flinch away as if from an imaginary attacker. Frowning, she took a hasty step toward the forest visible in the distance, the very one Talia had described herself coming from earlier. She thought it would be terribly rude to ask her new acquaintance to move their conversation elsewhere, but Indiana despised storms and the cold weather they carried, and her desire to be dry could very easily outweigh her desire to be polite. Smiling apologetically, she spoke to the other mare. "Would you mind terribly if we moved out of the rain?" She paused to shake her head free of water a little. "I'm still recovering much of my weight and the cold affects me terribly." She took an eager couple of steps toward the treeline, tail lashing viciously at her haunches.
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If it's been a while since I've replied to a thread, I've probably forgotten it's there.
Sadness tinged her chocolate eyes and she followed the other mare. Their bodies made deep grooves through the tall grass as they quickly trotted to the cover of the trees. The forest had darkened considerably, the density of the trees mixed with their branches in full bloom meant that once they could no longer see the edge of the prairie they were no longer victim to the driving rain. The only evidense that there was a storm came from the random flashes of light, followed by a rumbling of thunder. Talia turned to look and her sodden companion as rainwater made dark lines down the trunks of the trees. It was now very clear that Indiana had been only somewhat truthful about how badly the winter had been for her. She herself had lost her herd just as the world come back to life, meaning that there was an abundance of food. Talia also had the feeling that the brown mares reasoning to leave ran deeper than just disagreeing with them. With care, she side stepped closer to Indiana, so that they were able to share body heat. She herself tended to run a bit hotter than others meaning that it took a lot to make her cold, but she was often subject to sweating alot during exercise.
Her red tail hung high, the wet hairs getting caught on the foliage and low hanging branches. She allowed it to lower, along with her head as she answered Indiana's question. "I too have been without a herd for some time. Well, since the beginning of spring", she paused, ears going back slightly. "A, erm... a rockslide. They died in a rockslide, a herd of fourteen. I was the only surviver. It was my second herd". Talia sighed then before allowing a smile to adorn her petite muzzle. The past cannot be changed, therefor shouldn't be worried about. That was the red mare's way of thinking, 'accept and move on'. If it can't be fixed, then forget about it.
The ground beneath their hooves was moist and small grass shoots had made their way through the dirt, despite the lack of sunlight. She dipped her head and snatched a mouthful; it was sweet with an aftertaste of iron. Her shoulders stiffened slightly as another bolt of lightning and a clap of thunder echoed through the forest. Talia's small ears pointed forward as she heard the sound of cloven hooves leaping came directly in front of them. Eyes straining, she just managed to see the departing shapes of the deer through the gloom as another streak of light illuminated their fleeing forms. They must have had the same idea, she mused before looking at her companion. "I think a lot of horses find themselves alone and the loneliness just makes them band together that much quicker". The pair of them for example. Both stranger mares who didn't know each other but not showing hostility for fear of being left alone.
The pair of them hurried towards the trees, crushing grasses underfoot as they went, the rain coming down in great heaving waves, leaving Indiana dripping and shivering. They were under cover quickly, though, and the thick trees prevented the rain from falling past the layers of leaves. It felt safer between the trucks and branches; closed-in and comforting. Indiana couldn't see to the outside world, and she smiled, satisfied, as a muted roll of thunder echoed overhead. She heard Talia move, and turned her head to watch her step closer - close enough that Indiana could feel the heat of the chestnut mare's skin, warm despite the rain. She smiled gratefully, and took a chance to glance around; there was very little to see - the earth was soft, as most ground was here, and the birds had fled elsewhere as the storm drew in. Grass grew thinly here and there, probably a result of the recent sunlight, but most of the ground was bare, scattered with last year's fallen leaves. Talia spoke, then drawing Indiana's attention.
I too have been without a herd for some time. Well, since the beginning of spring, she said, and Indiana nodded in sympathy. She knew the difficulties of living alone. A, erm... a rockslide. The mare continued. They died in a rockslide, a herd of fourteen. I was the only surviver. It was my second herd.
Indiana frowned as Talia sighed. "That's awful. I'm sorry." She dropped her gaze; she had never felt the pain of losing a loved-one, not through death, anyway. She knew too well the shame of abandoning her family. She spoke quietly, tiredly. "There were ten in my herd - all mares. Each year they would choose three mares to go to the breeding lands, so that they could birth the next generation of foals." She paused, shaking her head: the event had always repulsed her, even to this day. "Last summer, they chose me. I...didn't refuse, I just left. Crept away in the night." She smiled softly, sadly. "I couldn't do that. No matter how loyal I was to my herd. I wasn't ready to be a mother, and certainly not on their terms." She fell silent, listening to the rain patter on the leaves.
Beside her, Talia dropped her head to take a mouthful of young, green grass, and tensed as another flash of lightening lit up the sky. Indiana leaned closer, brushed their shoulders gently; trying to be comforting without words - not her strongest skill. Ahead, the herd of deer Indiana had seen previously fled through the slanting rain, barely visible in the murky weather. Talia turned to look at her, and Indiana met her gaze as she spoke.
I think a lot of horses find themselves alone and the loneliness just makes them band together that much quicker, she said, and Indiana smiled, nodded. "I have often found myself wishing for company. I think I was too stubborn to let myself seek it out." She tilted her head. "Maybe I'll find a herd, this year. I don't think I could bear living through another winter alone." She shivered, lightly, and continued. "What about you? Would you join a herd, or do you prefer independence?"
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If it's been a while since I've replied to a thread, I've probably forgotten it's there.
Her wide eyes filled with grief and understanding as Indiana spoke about her own past. It was no wonder to the red mare as to why she had left her herd. Talia knew that many herds went by the old ways but the ones she had been in had renounced such traditions for quite a few generations. Shaking her head at such ridiculous obligations, she continued to listen to the grullo mare. "What about you? Would you join a herd, or do you prefer independence?" As Indiana spoke the words, the light of a bolt illuminating her. It drained her of colour, turning her from pale brown to a startling white and back again. Despite herself, the nervous creature lifted her head and stiffened her legs as thunder echoed across the sky. It was seemingly louder and closer to the two mares than it was before, at least thats how it felt to Talia. Her ears flickered uneasily as she pondered the other mare's question. The tree trunks seemed to be enclosing them as the light continued to fade, turning their welcoming branches into gnarled claws. The encroaching shadows pulsed and waned, as if they where living creatures, ready to detatch themselves from their hosts.
Talia blinked and stepped forwards then backwards as if the movement off her stomping hooves would dispel her uneasiness. Spending so much time on her own had caused her to become rather paranoid. She didn't mean too, in fact should the situation arise she could be quite ruthless and cold spirited. Almost like her internal sun had set and the moon had took its place. It's just your over active imagination. Laughing at her own stupidity she settle down so answer Indiana. She liked being her own boss, being as diverse and inconsistant character-wise she often found that many a horse didn't agree to her way of seeing things. The 'feelings' she got, like the one that had saved her from the fate of her herd and on many other occasions was one of things she got put down for. Her tail lashed behind at the memory of the herd members who had jested at her warnings not to enter the pass. It was their own fault. The moment the thought crossed her mind she was immediately repentant. No one ever listened to her warnings, so why had she thought they would?
Breathing out slowly she said, "I think I would like to join another herd. I have found that being on ones own can cause a toll of ones mental state. The quiet and ability to do what I wish I would miss, but it is nice to have someone to talk to". She smiled then at Indiana wondering what the other mare made of her.
