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Post by valiantshadow on Nov 17, 2014 15:29:12 GMT -5
Grange stood still, not blinking in the onslaught of her rage. He was used to this; he had built up a calm facade to keep the other stallions in the herd from attacking him, and he was using that now. That is, until she mentioned the foal. "You....what?" his voice was icy, and his eyes were wide. His ears flattened suddenly to his skull, and his expression changed to one of fierceness. "You bitch!" he cried, lunging forward and scraping his teeth down the side of her neck, leaving a welt and small trail of blood. This was no sparring match now.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 15:29:49 GMT -5
Greer wailed out in pain but made no move to stop it. She laid motionless on the ground, trembling. She felt the blood trick down her side as she stared at the grass that tickled her face. She didnt make a move, nor a sound. The only thing that made a sound was all of her dignity, self respect, and self preservation clattering to the ground in a heap.
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Post by valiantshadow on Nov 17, 2014 15:30:24 GMT -5
He pulled back, his breathing heavy as he stood over the mare. He could see she was not going to fight back, so he took a step back, allowing her room to stand. "Get up," he ordered, his voice rough. "And remember this, Greer. I came here to help you. All I wanted was for you to stay away from my mate, but I see that isn't going to happen. So I'll say this. If you, or your demon spawn, ever come near my mate, I'll make you wish you hadn't. I was going to give you a chance, but I see you're too intent on stealing the one thing I have left to love. So I won't let you get close enough to take it."
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 15:30:48 GMT -5
Greer slowly rose to her hooves, the spark gone from her eyes and replaced with a defeated look.
"Dont worry grange." She said with a scratchy voice. "I dont want Cethin. I woke up in that swamp, in a panic and i knew what true fear was for the 3rd time in my life. And now i know it a 4th. Because i am scared as all get out to have this foal and the reason i came here was to offer it to Cethin, because i thought maybe he'd like to raise his son or daughter." She said, looking straight through Grange. "I hope you and Cethin have a wonderful life together." She said, before walking past him, now with a limp, toward a stream.
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Post by valiantshadow on Nov 17, 2014 15:31:44 GMT -5
The stallion watched her go, sighing heavily. He had fought her, tried to help her, felt his mate threatened, and fought with her again, all in the span of two days. But it wasn't very satisfying when she didn't want to fight back. How could she tell him that he'd never understand how she felt about Cethin, then expect him to let her get close to the black stallion. But he couldn't hold that against the foal. Gritting his teeth, he followed her, stopping a short distance away.
"The foal is yours. If you choose to hand it over to Cethin, you do it knowing that you will not be allowed to raise it with Cethin. You might see it about the herd, but I won't let you get close to my mate. So make your choice wisely, Greer. You choose to raise your foal, or give it to his father. There is no middle ground."
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 15:32:15 GMT -5
Greer nodded, before falling asleep at the waters edge. The day had drained her of everything. Emotions, energy, health, even her sanity. She felt a knot in her stomach, as she thought about grange and cethin. She didnt want this foal. She was only 19. She knew Cethin would raise it better but she would not have it poisoned against her by grange.
The next morning she did the same thing as the previous, she rose from her slumber, and made her way to the field, where grange awaited her. She felt a heat rise from her chest and into her throat. She felt a surge of energy over take her, but the bags under her eyes said differently. She breathed deeply, before charging toward him, ramming into his chest and taking hold of his should in her teeth. She released her grip and took a few steps back, a frown masking the pain and ache her body felt all over from the beating grange had given her the previous day.
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Post by valiantshadow on Nov 17, 2014 15:33:49 GMT -5
"You can concede, if you like," the gray horse said, noticing her obvious look of pain. "I'm not so hard-hearted that I would make you fight me again." He watched the mare move about stiffly, waiting to see what her reaction was.
After a night of fitful rest, he felt even worse about the situation. Part of him wanted to be kind and forgiving, but part of him knew that it would be foolish to let the mare close to Cethin while she was still so obviously in love with him. But...there might be some middle ground.
"You don't deserve my pity," the stallion began, sighing as though this were a drain on him. "But, your foal does not deserve punishment for his sire and dam's actions. And yes, I blame Cethin as much as I do you for this. But you see, Cethin doesn't love you in the way you love him. Which is why I was able to forgive him. Even if you carried his foal before he met me, it couldn't have been more than a few days before he pledged his heart to me. But, like you would not allow this foal to be near a snake, I cannot allow you to be near Cethin while you still believe he is in love with you. Because, Greer, he is not. Does he care for you? Yes. He cares for many. Does he want to be yours forever and ever more, happy endings and all? I think not. So, here is my offer. When you can act rationally, and you do not try to take him from me, then you may have my blessing to meet with Cethin. And I would not keep a foal from its mother totally. If you choose to leave it with Cethin and I, I'll not have anything to do with raising it. It's not my place to do this. I would never hurt it, but I will not replace you for convenience's sake. You can visit it if you like, but unless you can show me you're no longer smitten with my mate, then you may see the foal only. If you choose to keep the foal, then you have unrestricted rights to it. But Cethin is off limits until you move on."
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 15:34:25 GMT -5
Greer laughed.
"Who told you that you were my boss? You cant control me, Grange. I can and will do whatever I want. I never said Cethin loves me, and I wont be my mother and fool him into it, either. I dont need anyones love nor do i want it. I just cant do...this." She said, motioning to her seemingly normal stomach.
"Why are you so cold Grange? If cethin apparently loves you so much, why would you be insecure?" She asked slyly.
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Post by valiantshadow on Nov 17, 2014 15:36:06 GMT -5
"Really? You don't love him? I can see it in your eyes. You bit off my Fairying ear for a right to have him. You as much as told me so when you said that he would break my heart just as he had yours. You can't break a heart if you have no tethers to it." His face was stern; the little stallion was not known for backing down. "So don't tell me you're not in love. I've seen it in you, and I know that look too well to be fooled by you now." "You think I'm cold? Then obviously you've only seen the worst side of me. Because I'm one of the kindest horses in this herd, Greer. If I'm cold to you, it's because you've done something to deserve it."
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 15:36:16 GMT -5
Greer sighed. "Im tired, Grange. Im tired of fighting. What do you want me to say? Cause yeah, I was in love with Cethin for awhile, and he told me he loved me and the next morning he was gone. You know what, you are right. Im just a whore who thought she could be happy." She scoffed at her silly mistake. "Have your damn mate, but im not going to be bossed around." She said, legs shaking with frustration and confusion.
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Post by valiantshadow on Nov 17, 2014 15:39:17 GMT -5
"If you're lying about him telling you he loved you....then I hope it makes you happy," he said, his voice trembling. Deep down, he knew that she was telling the truth; she was too beaten up to lie anymore. "That's what I thought I wanted. All I thought I wanted," he said, sighing. "Now, I just want this whole mess to disappear. I wish, for your sake and mine, that this had never happened."
Because, he reasoned, if it hadn't happened, he could convince himself that Cethin had been sincere. That he hadn't told the mare he loved her, then turned around and toyed with Grange's emotions. Or worse, that he had lied to both of them, and told them each he loved them at the same time. "Look, I don't want to talk about this any more. I'm exhausted from talking about it. So I'm just going to leave this whole mess aside. We're training for war. So you can either spar with me, or I'll tell Cain that you forfeited the sparring matches, and you won't be fighting." But I sure as hell will, he thought sadly. He would fight because of all the times he and Cethin had talked about how they'd change the herd.
But with this betrayal--it was hard to think of it as anything else, even if Cethin had left Greer behind before meeting Grange--all he wanted to do was give in. Submit to the will of the herd and fight for Cain, no matter how much he hated the lead stallion. If Cethin thought he could break horses' hearts left and right, Grange was going to break his. "Now, I want to see this battle, so will you train with me?"
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 15:40:08 GMT -5
The overcast skies made the air humid today, sweat already rising to her skin. She wasnt weak though, infact, after traveling here in search of help from Cethin, she had gained muscle and stamina. Her neck and chest rippled with power and strength. Her hind quarters could push her over great distances, and not give out. She'd come a long way from the mare Cethin had found in a frozen over swamp. She was no longer skinny and neglected, now, she was stronger, better, faster, braver.
"Grange, i feel bad for you, i really do. You cling on to what little hope you have left that Cethin actually loves you. Theoretically, lets say he does. Now, what am i doing for two stallions who cant have a foal? Im practically giving it away, a gift. You should be thankful. But i do have some....reprocutions." She said, slithering around like a snake. "I know that you are scared to death ill manipulate Cethin back to me, and i very well could, but i wont because im not that kind of girl. I will do as i please with Cethin, after all he is his own horse who can do what he wants. if he dosent want me around ill leave him alone but whatever you tell me to do with him means nothing." She said, spitting into the dirt.
The mask on her face was hard and cold, much like her heart which was now empty of any feeling at all. How could Grange think he had the right to tell her what to do? He didnt. She felt completely and utterly broken but she didnt let it show. No. Not today, he wouldnt see her break. He would never understand the never ending pain she was in. She wished she'd never slept with cethin or even met him. She wished she wasnt carrying this foal and that Grange hated her. She wished that he could see her view on this: Being abandoned with no one to help her, trying to find a way back to saftey, telling Cethin she was pregnant was the hardest part. She remembered the look of horror and anguish on his face. But she also remembered how it turned into a soft grin and a hug. Then, her world came crashing down on her again, when he told her he had a mate named Grange. She too shared the same look of pain and desperation, but rather then the genuine smile he wore, hers was a fake one and she knew he could see right through it. He could tell she was broken and had no idea what she was going to do now that she was apart of the past.
Greer listened to Grange speak, but direguarded his empty threat. Greer smirked an evil smile creeping across her lips.
"Gladly." She said, before rearing, legs clawing the air. She let out a buck, nailing him on the chest with her back hooves. With a grunt she leaped away from him, darting left and right.
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Post by valiantshadow on Nov 17, 2014 15:41:09 GMT -5
This was at least something Grange could deal with. Physical injuries healed; he could even see and feel them healing up. But the injuries inflicted by this betrayal, this whole mess, would not be so easily dispatched. Until he could control those, Grange would focus on every match, every battle, every moment in this damned war. He would not think about Greer, how she was offering something he'd always wanted, and he couldn't help but turn her away. He would not think about how high in the clouds he had been only days before, and how quickly he'd crashed upon the beginning of this mess. He would not think about all the things he wanted to say to Cethin, including the fact that if he wanted Greer, he could have her. Grange was done playing along. He would not, could not, think any of these things. So he fought.
It felt good. He knew that deep down, it stung to be kicked in the chest, but the fact that it distracted him from the even deeper sting inside made it feel a blessing. With a squeal, he darted after her, nipping at her hindquarters as he drew up with her. Now that he knew Greer used speed and confusion to fight, he was better able to defend and land blows of his own. And now that this was no longer a fight for rights to Cethin, he knew they wouldn't go past sparring; no one would be losing any ears today. But they would be training for a war that his heart and mind told him not to enter. Too bad they were drowned out by the nest of hurt. The hurt was too strong, and it wanted him to fight.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 17, 2014 15:42:19 GMT -5
Greer dodged a sharp hoof that nearly clipped her flank, and delivered a brow under his chin, She bolted and practically ran under him, and gave yet another kick in his ribs. She turned to face him, ears unpinned, and ready for a friendly match. Her hooves werent bloody this time and the only cuts on her that were open were scaps from yesterday. As grange delivered another hit she simply took a quick side step to dodge it. A smile creeped up on her lips, and she looked beautiful. A smile changed her entire demeaner from a worn out brood, to a glowing mare who was ready to win.
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Post by valiantshadow on Nov 17, 2014 15:44:07 GMT -5
Grange's expression was one of determination as he charged at the mare again, landing a blow off of her shoulder before sidestepping quickly. He kept his blows in check, not hitting too hard, but hard enough that the mare knew when a hit was landed. He sprung away, galloping full-speed, trying to lure her into a chase to bring her away from hypothetical reinforcements.
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