Burning Solid, Burning Thin the Burning Rim [Open]

[MocHa]

A cool Spring morning began in the orchard of Kalf Lake. A mist laid upon the ground, relishing the darkness and clinging to the dark trunks of the apple trees. It slithered over the grass, smoky fingers reaching further and further along the earth. Long legs stirred the mist in the dark, dispersing it for a few moments after the impact of hooves upon the ground. It coiled in pain about the mare's ankles, pleading with her to go, to leave this area and leave the mist be. She did not seem to notice, though. Her large dark eyes blinked slowly, watching the trees before her to be sure they were all trees and no predators were hiding in the mists and the shadows.

A few hidden songbirds began a small chorus in the shadowed land, begging the sun to reveal herself and cast away the cold of night. Slowly this sun peeked over the horizon, throwing the orchard into a sea of bright, golden light. The shadows stretched extravagantly, happy to be free of the mist that was receding in fright of the sun's rays. The mare stopped and turned her head, looking to the horizon and blinked again in order to adjust her eyes to the sudden light. She exhaled a cloud of hot air that quickly disappeared. Teagan turned and moved on with a flick of her pale tail.

She had just returned to the orchard in the night from warmer climes in the south. Like the migratory birds, Teagan changed homes at the onset of Autumn and moved south to live, but once Spring arrived, she always came back to her homestead. Early morning was a boring time for the mare, but she would not go out and search for social activities. Horses were expected to come and find her and interact with her. A haughty mare she was and would not lower herself to appear desperate for conversation.

She looked about once more and then picked up her legs in a trot, her tail lifting over her sultry flanks as she moved as gracefully as she could, wondering when someone would come to find her.

[Padfoot]

M A U J A; He could not understand, for the life of him, why he had chosen this particularly insufferable path to the lake this morning. The mist followed him everywhere he went like a clingy child, and the hairs around his fetlocks grew damp with the dew as he walked through the tall grass, weaving among the small blooming trees of the orchard. Occasionally, he would brush a branch, and it would bestow on him a smattering of pink petals, which he promptly shook out of his mane--God forbid anyone see him adorned with flowers--and, aside from that, a rather large amount of water. It was an extremely irritating process, just for a drink, so it was with little patience that he came upon a mare, pale yellow with a flaxen mane, in a makeshift clearing of sorts, her general frame defined by the sun rays that had finally broken the horizon and were now working to clear out the fog. About time, He thought to himself, looking down at his hooves, stained dark from the water, with a single crushed petal clinging to it. He'd been wondering when he would see any mares around here, and he needed to build up a herd rather quickly if he wanted to find a position of power, or even simply of influence--while the fighting was just about to start on either side.

Pushing aside the general irritation from the annoyingly bright spring morning, Mauja quickly put on a small smile, something that might have even been a smirk to the cynical viewer, and stepped forward towards the mare. "Hello." It was a simple greeting, said in a casual tone that was purposely, perfectly, nondescript. He had found it was much better, more effective, to wait and find out what made a mare tick, before you showed any definitive personality. If they wanted to be flattered, he could do that. If they liked a serious guy, a funny man, or courageous stallion, done, done and done. And if they needed to be pushed around... well, that was a little more his style anyway.

[MocHa]

Never being a flighty mare, Teagan heard the stallion approach and turned just as he greeted her with a simple "hello." Nothing fancy, nothing flirtatious. Just that one word. She was not necessarily surprised at his appearance, since she had just been wondering when someone would come to find her, as they usually did. Not to sound egotistical, of course, but it was not uncommon for horses that came to Hortelana to come across her as she also wandered about trying to find said horses. Her dark-rimmed ears came forward and she looked upon him with vague interest in her black eyes. Her silky tail flicked across her striped legs and she stood and just watched a few moments, blinking as she gauged him and how she should respond. Settling with just being herself, she also spoke. "And hello to you, too." She gave a quick nod of her head, shifting her hooves to be in a more comfortable position. "What brings a stallion such as yourself to the apple orchard? Especially in the spring?" She tilted her head coyly, black eyes gleaming at him with a humor deep inside. "Unless you are searching for a romantic setting or just to appreciate the lovely apple blossoms." Her eyes flitted to the petal on his hoof and back to his own with a smile upon her lips. "Or perhaps you are just here for a frolic among the falling blossoms?"

[Mocha's Note:] I am sorry for this... Lackluster post, but I felt bad for not replying to you as I had promised.

[Padfoot]

M A U J A; Mauja felt a twinge of annoyance at the words of the mare; petty, useless things that fell from her lips in a vain attempt to screw with him, or trip him up. He hated being opposed, even in such trivial ways, by someone so insignificant, but he also refused to let it get the best of him. Here was a mare who had great potential as a herd member, obviously confident, and someone who could take care of themself, something that shouldn't be thrown away simply because of a few arrogant words. Instead, he smiled at her, as though he was amused, and gave a deep chuckle. "Being new to the area, I saw a quick way to the lake without noticing the pink blossoms." He told her, blue eyes twinkling with a general return of amusement. He might even learn to enjoy her humor when it wasn't directed towards him. "An unfortunate way to meet a beautiful mare, wouldn't you agree?" He continued unabashedly, moving forward a little bit farther and nodding his head to the mare.