blueunicornj13
Exile Herd 
We don't have a choice to stay. We'd rather die than do it your way.
Posts: 265 
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Post by blueunicornj13 on Nov 15, 2014 19:16:17 GMT -5
Little Bird nodded as Ba'yagu instructed the loners that had followed her to decide which ones were swift enough to inspect the predator filled area that had been opened up after Miraphy had touched the wall that the witch had clearly stated not to. They had spent a few weeks on the beach of the new island and listened to the stories that Ba'yagu had to tell. Anxiety filled the air at the ominous aurora that emanated off of the island. A small sigh escaped her at the thought of what had caused it. Sure it was out of curiosity, but there had to be another way to inspect the inscription without coming in contact with the wall. Bird would have been too worried of what Ba'yagu would have thought of her afterwards. She looked up to the old mare far too much to disobey her directly like that. Plus, this soon after her father's death, she couldn't think of much more than that. She hadn't even had time to mourn him before she was called to the Great Pine, but she was thankful that she was out of the herd's business. War wasn't exactly something she wanted to get herself mixed up in, even if she had prepare her whole life pretty much to fight.
Her brown eyes searched the group of horses in search of one she could compete with and wandered every now and again to the huge trees that lined the forest before them. It appeared that everyone had already found their partner. Her eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Why hadn't anyone asked her if she wanted to race? Did she not look strong enough to compete to go further into this unknown island? Rain dropped down on her, making her forelock stick to her head. She flipped her mane onto the other side of her neck. It would be pretty dangerous to run with the ground being so wet and muddy, but Bird knew how to handle a race. Her father had made her run for hours to strengthen her and give her more of a chance in a fight. Being a Ranger was tough, and he had known that being a mare would hurt her in if it came down to a brawl. Bird stopped in her tracks as she spotted another mare who didn't appear to have a partner. She trotted up to her with a small nod of greeting. "Want to match up? It looks like everyone else already has a partner except you and me. We could see who gets to wall the fastest," she said, flicking her ears in the dappled horse's direction. "My name is Little Bird by the way. Everyone just calls me Bird or Birdie though. What's yours? I don't think I got to introduce myself while we were on the beach." During their little short stay on the shoreline, Bird had taken the time to lay her father's memory to peace, leaving her feeling a little hollow inside. Maybe making a new friend might help fill that void. Though, the current situation might lead to them being something other than acquaintances. Bird had a feeling that this mare wanted to roam the new island as much as she did, and she knew if she were the one that lost, she'd be pretty mad. 'I can't lose. I'll win this for my father.' She thought as she waited for the mare's response.
Word Count: 574
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Post by Deleted on Nov 19, 2014 16:55:40 GMT -5
Nimh's mood had had many stages during the past two weeks. When Miraphy touched the wall and it vanished, she had felt two things; fear and relief. Fear of all the things unknown beyond that point, but relief because this island no longer held such a big barrier. Nimh didn't know if or when she'd ever get the chance to go back, and as it was she was getting a bit claustrophobic. All of her life she had been on the move. She rested only as long as she needed, and she kept going. Being bundled up with these strangers on a beach for two weeks had been agonizing and her need to get going was growing to be unbearable. Nimh was fine dealing with other horses periodically, and preferably when she chose to. This state of anxiety in the little mixed up mimicry of a herd was too much for her, it was gnawing away at her insides and it took a lot not to disobey the Witch and just go forth on her own. Nimh was not patient, she was impulsive and curious. The thought of getting left behind, stuck on this beach for even longer was not an option. Her muscles twitched underneath her skin, making a rippling motion.
If Nimh knew something, she knew how to run. She was fit and strong, her muscles big and toned. Many were often fooled by her size, yet she could handle it with grace. She looked around impatiently as they were told to pair up. It seemed everyone just paired up fast, and she started off, seeing who she was left with. She didn't really mind, she didn't care who it was. She would run her heart out. The moss-covered ground was not ideal, she had paid attention to it a lot when they had opted to leave from the wall. The soil would be slippery, and there would be some tree trunks, little creeks and overall uneven patches. Nimh was surefooted, so she was fairly confident about this. All she could do was hope that her partner-to-be had some sense in their head and would not try to go into dangerous routes. But then again, Ba'Yagu had not said they had to race side by side, Nimh could very well just choose her own, clear path and keep at it.
She finally spotted the other mare. Not exactly her size, but she would have to do.
"Yes, it would seem like that's what we're going to do", Nimh replied. She wasn't really feeling overly social. Just one more reason to go fast - no time for chit chat. "I'm Nimh."
She lined herself with Little Bird, chests even and noses pointing towards the direction of the wall. She was pacing, staring at the horizon and waiting for the sun to rise. The rain was drizzling down, glueing her long mane and forelock to her skin. It would not be long now. In her mind she went through the path to the wall, what she wanted to avoid and where she thought would be safe. Her life had depended on her strenght and speed on numerous occasions, and she was going to run like her life depended on this right now.
"Ready?" she snorted. The sun was almost over the water And when it came over, she launched her body forward. Her hind legs dug into the ground as she pushed herself off into a fast start. All she could do was hope that the ground would hold.
Word count: 588
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blueunicornj13
Exile Herd
We don't have a choice to stay. We'd rather die than do it your way.
Posts: 265
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Post by blueunicornj13 on Nov 19, 2014 17:15:19 GMT -5
The roan mare nodded at the mare's sparse words. It wasn't uncommon for loners to be few of words, but when their lives might depend on what would happen. Bird didn't see a need to be distant when they should probably be working together for once in their lives. She liked her space too, but she also didn't want to die. The decision to follow the Witch at all had been a hard one especially with all of the tings that could happen to the group. Sure, Yagu had thought it would be safer for them, but now with the wall down and the Witch's obvious distress at that fact, it felt like things were open. Bird was used to the closed in walls of the city, and the safety that there would always be a place to hid if need be. Here, it felt anything could happen.
As they squared off, her brown eyes glowed with determination. Sure, Nimh was a bit bigger than her, but if there was one thing she learned from her father, it was not to underestimate any opponent. "Of course," she muttered with a curt nod. She watched the sun carefully as it slid over the ocean. With a snort, her legs propelled her forward after the dappled mare. The mossy ground was even and wet, but she dug her hooves into the ground as she galloped as fast as she could. The need to win was strong. She wanted to prove to herself that she was worthy of being a Ranger. The obstacles sprung up out of the ground almost immediately. Fallen trees and large rocks sprouted out of the ground in front of the racing mares, making sure that they would have a tough time getting to the finish line. Bird dodged a rather large stump that protruded through the ground. She kept her breathing even as she had been taught. In and out at a smooth rhythm as she galloped neck to neck with the slightly larger mare.
Word Count: 337
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2014 15:01:46 GMT -5
//Sorry for the delay, I've been very busy with school. Since the deadline is coming up, we could just move the race pretty fast closer to the wall and just leave it there.//
Nimh's large hooves were both a plus and a minus. She could keep an even, fast gait and the surface she landed on was larger. Then again, she couldn't as easily step into smaller places or in between rocks. She leapt over a mossy log, slid a bit on the landing but recovered her balance and almost dug her heels to the ground as she pushed forward. The moss-covered ground teared up under her, bits and pieces of moss and little rocks flying all over the place. Her dappled and white coat was soon covered in mud, all the way up her sides. Nimh had never been bothered by getting dirty. She made an effort to dodge a few sharp-looking rocks. She could feel a little cut on her foot, but a little scratch here and there was not going to stop her.
Ahead was a little stream, it was almost lazily swirling forward. Nimh chose not to step into it, however, not knowing the surface. Her stride matched quite nicely and she sprung into a jump. Her hind leg was cut a bit short and the bank gave in slightly on the landing, forcing Nimh to really push forward. As her feet beat the ground, for a passing second she hoped that no one else wasn't going to land on that exact spot, since the bank would probably give in all the way... Nimh knew this was the survival of the fittest, but she didn't want anyone to really hurt themselves. Nimh didn't glance at Little Bird even though she wanted to. She was about a fair race, and ultimately it came down to just who was both in best shape today and lucky enough to find good enough footing. She didn't think the other mare would try to play tricks, and even though Nimh would have had a couple up her sleeve, she wasn't one to resort to dirty ways. So she kept her eyes keenly forward.
She wasn't too winded yet and she was very happy about the endurance training she called life. She would have enjoyed it even more if the rain and the ground weren't quite as difficult. Everything else further around seemed blurred, her ears filled only with the loud thumping of her hooves. Breathe in... breathe out. Her large lungs drew breaths through her enlarged nostrils and her lavender eyes sparked. One, two, three, four, as her hooves met the ground one by one, almost flying. She knew they were pretty far along already, racing the sun through the raindrops.
Word count: 427
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blueunicornj13
Exile Herd
We don't have a choice to stay. We'd rather die than do it your way.
Posts: 265
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Post by blueunicornj13 on Nov 24, 2014 15:25:19 GMT -5
((I've been pretty busy myself. |D Sounds good to me. ^-^ ))
The roan mare galloped through the mossy plain. Her Warmblood heritage made it a little easier for her to move nimbly through the outcroppings of rocks and trees as the two of them raced toward the wall. It was a nice challenge to finally put her skills to the test. Her father had been training her to be the best Ranger should could be since she could barely walk, but she hadn't been able to use any of her skills. Mud flung up onto her sides, making her frown. Bird didn't mind getting a little messy. Life was messy after all, but she hoped that she would get a chance to wash it off sometime soon.
A small stream popped up ahead. The slow trickling of the water reached her ears just in time for her to jump over it. Her back hooves splashed in the water a little as she weight made the bank crumble under her. Bird grunted with effort, pushing herself up and back onto more solid ground. Nimh had gotten a bit ahead of her, and she found herself slightly panicked at the thought of losing this race. She had to prove to herself and her father that she was strong enough to do this. Plus, the Ranger mare didn't want to disappoint the witch, Ba'yagu. The old mare was like a role-model to her, and the thought of her being upset at her in the slightest was frightening. Who knew what would happen to the ones that had to stay behind? Maybe something would pick them off one by one on the beach before moving onto the horses in the island's interior. All Bird knew was that she wanted to be with the stronger group. The group that actually stood a chance of surviving this place.
She threw herself forward, racing to catch up with the dappled mare. Her breath came out in pants as she regained her position next to the larger mare. Relief washed over her, and she tried her hardest to even out her breathing once more. Her legs burned slightly from the effort she had just put out to get back to where she had been. Her brown eyes looked over at Nimh. The other mare barely looked tired. 'Darn rain! If it wasn't so wet, that river bank might not have been so unstable. What made the witch think this race was a good idea anyways?' She thought, finally gaining control of her breathing again. It wouldn't be long before they reached the wall now.
Word Count: 423
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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2014 16:37:10 GMT -5
//Okay, this will be my last reply as the deadline is so close. My internet was down for multiple days .___. But I think we've accomplished enough.//
Nimh's ears were filled with the beat of her own hooves and Little Bird's. They had a slightly different rhytm, due to the difference in their size and build, but for both it was steady and fast. Nimh's lavender eyes flicked towards the other mare quickly when she was certain she would not run into any obstacles for a few strides, and right back forward. A familiar burn was slowly starting to set into her muscles and she vaguely wondered if Ba'Yagu would expect the winners to continue straight away or if they would get the chance to rest up.
Finally she could see the wall or the little crumbled pieces that were left of it. She dodged a tree stump and tried not to get too excited but instead still focus on the terrain. Her strong hind end kicked into the last possible gear she could go to, pushing her forward. Her muscles both tightened and stretched, at the very limit of her speed, strenght and endurance. Her neck was stretched and her entire body was low and long. It was somewhat of an ethereal sight; the sun slowly climbing over the rain and mud; the raindrops sparkling in the light. Her lungs were at their maximum capacity and her muscles demanded more air. It was not much longer, just a little bit... Nimh's face was set with a stubborn look, she would fight to the very last stride. She forced herself to keep her gaze on the ground instead of the wall, to avoid any nasty surprises the ground could hide. For a moment it seemed like time stilled as the two mares raced towards their set finish line, it was almost like the hooves barely touched the ground. At this point there was solely one thought in Nimh's mind: winning.
Word count: 303
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blueunicornj13
Exile Herd
We don't have a choice to stay. We'd rather die than do it your way.
Posts: 265
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Post by blueunicornj13 on Nov 28, 2014 18:43:14 GMT -5
The roan mare pumped her legs as hard as she could. Her stride lengthened considerably as the remnants of the wall came into view. Her brows furrowed in concentration, and Bird's brown eyes filled with determination. Her legs burned with fatigue, but she fought the need to stop. No way would she quit now that they were so close. Her father would be so disappointed in her in she lost this. He'd want the best for her, and that would be to win.
Her breathe came in even pants now. The rain falling down on them from up above made her have to squint her eyes to keep water from flowing into them. Bird was sure she looked like a mess, but she supposed that everyone probably did with all the water and mud. The world around them seemed to blur as the two mares got closer and closer to their destination. They were neck to neck now, and even though Nimh was slightly larger, the two of them seemed to have pretty even strides. Bird's muscles strained as she fought to go faster and harder. The wall was so close that she could almost imagine herself reaching it. Her eyes glanced over at the dappled horse at her side. The stubborn look on her face made Bird put on one of her own. They both wanted to win this race to prove who was faster and stronger than the other and venture further into the island, but only one would succeed. 'Please let it be me. Please,' she thought, looking back at the terrain in front of her.
Word Count: 269
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