dust in the wind && open

[ashes]

Dust floated around her. Every time she shook her tail another cloud would appear and then settle again. Her fiery red coat had almost turned a sandy color. This land was so dry, and the heat so unforgiving. Why she'd ever wandered to this place Cardinal would never understand. She hadn't known it was here and yet there she was, lost in the expanses of dust and brush. A bit of dust was kicked up with every shift of her hooves. The shade of the scraggly tree she had taken shelter under provided enough to make the heat manageable, but if she left she would really start blazing.

Cool air would come with nightfall when the sun would disappear, extinguishing the heat and letting chill slip into the land. It probably wouldn't be a huge difference, but it would make moving around tolerable. Maybe she had come here to escape the company of others. No one would come to such an abandoned place, void of life and water. Though, she had a seen a few lizards and even heard a snake from under a bush. It had given her quite a startle. But it amazed her that they could live in this dry land of heat and dust.

The sun beat down as cardinal waited out the day, watching as the sun sunk closer and closer towards the horizon. It was past its height so the worst of the heat was over. It was just a smooth decline from here on out. Still, she couldn't stand to stand still for so long. She kept shuffling her hooves and shaking out her flaming tail, sending dust flying through the air like a cloud of sandy colored smoke. She bobbed her head slowly to keep her neck from getting stiff. Her tongue raked across the top of her mouth like sand paper and was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Did it ever rain in this place? No, the air was too dry to hold any water. Her lungs were already a little scratchy from breathing in the hot air.

This place she had wandered into could be described as hell to some, but she knew the true hell. Her back told the story, the lines that criss-crossed her hide weaving the words to the tale It was a tale of love, hate, anger, and pure despair. And not one she cared to recount. Instead she thought of her first home with her mother and father, of galloping through the fresh green grass, racing her father everywhere, and affectionate nibbles from her parents at night before sleep. It was little things like that which she longed for. Something more than a little dust. That was what her life felt like, though. Dust, floating through the breeze, and carried to who-knows-where.

Card snorted as a bit of the dust shot of her nose. Was this her destiny, to have dust as her only company for the rest of her life? despite the heat she felt cold inside, empty. Dust wasn't enough, but at the moment it was all she had.

&& 522
muse: so-so
notes: meep

[DingoMutt]

~~~~~

This place is dry, dusty, desolate, just like my heart. Just like my heart. Do I even have a heart, wondered the stallion. He felt and heard the soft thumping in his chest, but it was cold. It had been cold for five years; warmth had only stirred in him occasionally, and otherwise he was a being of flesh and hide that drifted across the plains and simply existed. There was no passion, no life in his eyes as he glanced warily about the dusty plains. No, there was passion and life, but it was marred by sadness and depression. Mars' normally dark and luxurious pelt was covered in dust, cutting down the luster of his fur and making him nearly blend in with the landscape. The stallion wondered if, when it finally rained and the dust was washed away, he would fall to pieces with no glue to hold him together.

The stallion moved with no urgency in his walk; head down, neck extended, he appeared to carry the weight of the world on his broad back. Between his sire and dam he had inherited a thick build and feathered fetlocks, so he seemed to be quite out of place in the forgotten cavern. He hadn't been here long, but it seemed like only yesterday the bachelor herd erupted into chaos. Suddenly every brute in the group had been filled with violence and hatred, and they had fought and died for nothing. Mars had fought only to defend himself, and on his hips and shoulders he had several fresh scars that had scabbed easily in the dry air. Snorting loudly, the stud held his head up and took a few strides in an elegant, high-stepping trot. But as quickly as he shifted gaits he felt screaming agony in his limbs, so he slowed and winced as thick blood oozed from his wounds. Will I even learn, he wondered, that time heals nothing.

Off in the distance there was something; the stallion was so accustomed to the nothingness of the plains that he was quite startled. He saw only a blur in his aging eyes, but he was aware enough to guess that it was a small tree. The thought of perhaps a bit of shade made him walk a little more quickly, but still his gait was leisurely. Ears perked forward, he was even more surprised to hear the beating of another heart, the shuffling of other hooves. Swiveling his massive head, the stallion was glad to see that the sun would be setting soon. The heat didn't bother the stallion; at first he had developed a thirst, and a fine layer of sweat had covered his hide. But in his weeks here, he'd become accustomed to the heat, and so the sun beating on his dark hide meant nothing.

Now he was getting closer, and he could see that the equine beneath the tree was a fiery chestnut. From the lightness there the horse seemed to be a she, and she seemed to be quite lovely. Mars felt something stir within him, the need to dance and show off, but he shoved it aside, and decided that if he was to court the mare, he'd learn her name first. The thought of dance and love made him walk a little more elegantly, and he arched his thick neck and whipped his tail to and fro. He was scarred and bleeding and dusty, but he was a stallion.

"Hello." he said, his voice ringing out in the hot air. It cracked a bit from misuse, but it was still strong and masculine. He halted about twenty feet from the mare, looking her over quickly with his dark, quiet eyes. She was small and built quite lightly; if he had to guess, he'd say she was at least half Arab. Her face was finely dished and pretty, and her limbs were long and wore white socks. To contrast, he was part Mustang, part Friesian, so his body was thick and strong. His limbs were heavy and feathered, his face slightly curved downward and his neck thick with baroque blood. His pelt was a dark, deep bay, and he had a thin strip of white between his eyes. Yes, she was so pretty, and he was so raw.

~~~~~

word count: seven hundred twenty three
tag: Ares Mars for Cardinal
notes: Marsss. <3[/size]

[ashes]

She couldn't stand the flies that seemed to like her eyes so very much, but whenever she shook her head to get them away a cloud of dust took their place, released from the threads of her mane where it had taken refuge. Cardinal just couldn't win. She could either choose buzzing, biting flies or the sting of dust in her eyes and nose. She was almost afraid to move, but the flies made her of course. What she really needed was a good run to get the blood pumping again. her legs were almost asleep and the best she could do was shuffle them a bit to keep the feeling in them.

The casual thump of hoofs on the dry, cracked ground reached her long before the deep, masculine voice did. She was immediately on guard, tense and cautious. She opened her eyes just to get a look at him. Large, muscular, dark. All her senses screamed dangerous, threatening. She wasn't going to buy any nice guy act or even an uninterested act. She'd survived by treating everyone as an enemy. She wasn't outright hostile, just cold and cautious. If she didn't know them she didn't like them.

Cardinal flicked her tail and gave a very unladylike snort in greeting. Her father had raised her to be a lady and since she wasn't going to be that she might as well be a little polite. Returning a greeting was good enough. Still, she wasn't happy about her new company. She might have enjoyed the presence of a wolf more, at least they were smaller than her. She wasn't about to walk off, though, not in this heat. If he chased she wasn't going to get anywhere. Sunset wasn't too far off, and night followed right after. Hopefully then she would have the energy to get moving again and maybe outrun a stallion.

Flicking her ear, Card looked over the stallion once more, focusing on the feathers surrounding his hoofs this time. he looked too wild to be a purebred or have had any contact with humans. She had never seen a human, but had heard tails from her parents. Her fathers mother had been owned by humans or maybe it was her mother's father. She couldn't remember, she'd been young when she'd heard that story.

Despite the setting sun the heat still raged. What she wouldn't give for a breeze, no matter how small. The air was so dead and dry it was a task to just breathe it in and out. With every breath the sun-baked air rubbed against her lungs, her wind pipe, her throat. It wasn't helping anything, only hurting. Hurting her. Her legs ached from being still for so long. A nice run was all she needed, even a leisurely stroll would have been better than standing still any longer, but Cardinal knew she would regret it the moment she stepped out from under that tree.

&& 510
muse: doing its best
notes: such a cold shoulder she has x3

[DingoMutt]

~~~~~

Mars was a bit surprised at the lack of reaction from the mare. He kept his head low and his neck relaxed as he watched her fight with the flies and prance in place. The stallion mostly ignored the flies and the dust; his long mane helped keep the flies at bay, and with his slow, relaxed way of doing things he didn't stir much dust. But this mare, this mare was soft and swift and unhappy. He would offer to stand beside her and sweep the flies away with his tail, but she didn't seem too keen on his company. Fine, he thought with a twitch of his droopy, relaxed lips. I will let you suffer, you ignorant, beautiful child. Suffering will make you strong and wise; look at me. I have suffered so much, and my skin is like rock and so is my heart and soul.

A snort of laughter escaped the stud at the mare's rude greeting. He understood her caution and indifference, but still he found humor in her actions. He'd met and courted many mares in his years, and all the ones worth knowing were rude in the beginning. At that thought a wave of sadness washed over the stallion, and his posture sagged. He seemed to carry the weight of the world on his back for a moment, but with a deep gasp he raised his head and forced himself to stand proudly. He was the same height as the mare, but with his great bulk he felt like he'd tower over her. Swishing his tail, a feeling of faint superiority made the stallion feel better and stronger. He took a few steps toward the mare, then stopped again. Now that he was closer he saw that she was indeed a pretty, fiery little thing, a cool drink of water in this hot desert.

"What's your name?" he asked. He almost offered his own as an incentive, but she was being rude so he could be rude right back. Flicking his tail, he jerked his head around to nip at a fly on his flank. He was annoyed at the grit that entered his mouth, but there was nothing he could do about it. He pushed the sand around in his mouth, pinning his ears and stomping his front hoof with mild annoyance. The dust cloud that exploded from beneath his hoof caught his attention, and he watched with faint interest as some of the dirt grabbed onto his dingy pelt and the rest settled back onto the ground.

The stallion gave a heavy blink, dipping his roman nose to let out a soft breath. He held his neck arched for a moment, feeling a bit uncomfortable in the presence of the mare. He was aware that the sun would be setting soon, and he was curious as to whether she'd bolt once the temperature dropped a few degrees, or if she'd stick around and continue their exchange. It wasn't much so far, but he longed for some sort of contact. He was tempted to move forward and touch her shoulder, just to be sure that she was real, but he didn't want to be kicked. A bit of panic flickered at the back of his skull; she was real, wasn't she? Not just a figment of his imagination? His nostrils flared, and he took a deep whiff of the dry air. Yes, he could smell her, but was his mind just playing tricks on him? He shifted his weight, wanting badly to be sure that she was real.

~~~~~

word count: six hundred seven
tag: Ares Mars for Cardinal
notes: Lame. Ox[/size]

[ashes]

Cardinal may have been unhappy, but she would rather take her torture in silence than ask for the help of a stallion. Small annoyances such as the flies and the dust were just more for her to deal with. Just a few of the downsides of living alone, but it was better than the constant stress and fear she would have when living with a stallion. Even with another mare she doubted she would fit in, unable to open up or relax. The herd she was born into probably wouldn't even feel like home. She'd changed since she'd left her father's herd and, even though they might welcome her, it wouldn't be the same as it had once before.

Her head sagged slightly with the sadness that clung to her heart. She missed her father, her mother, the horses she had grown up with, and the happiness she had left behind. Here she was tied down with the memories and depression that clouded her heart, the anger and fear that chased after her constantly. Then she had been so carefree. No fears, no worries. She missed it, and she would never have it again.

"Who's asking?" she said with a small snort of defiance and a swish of her tail. Card didn't enjoy being laughed at, especially by this male. The mare felt the itching in her hoofs more strongly now. Her urgency to get away almost felt stronger. She wasn't comfortable in the company of anything anymore. Just herself, that was all she could deal with. Her nerves were gone, she had no more patience, no more peace. The only thing that kept her in place was the unforgiving heat that beat down around them.

Card watched as the dust slowly settled back onto the ground, some specks still floating freely. Sometimes she felt like dust. No home to go too, settling in a spot for barely a moment before something came along and stirred her up. Still, she was jealous of the dust. To be so free. She wondered if dust had any worries, but that was a thought for foals. Dust just floated. it had no worries, it thought about nothing. It was lifeless and cold. She wondered, though, just for a moment, if it longed for anything. Rain, maybe? Rain would take away the parched feeling, the dryness, and give the dust a home until finally it dried out and something came along to stir the dust. It wasn't a permanent home, but maybe it was better than floating freely.

The sun sunk lower with every passing moment, turning the sky different shades of orange and red and, on the very edge of the horizon, cool shades of purple and blue. It was like a cool drink of water on the eyes compared to unrelenting fiery colors that lighted the landscape. Finally things were darkening. The sun was finally tired or had gotten bored of watching this dry land suffer. Cardinal didn't have much longer to wait, or much longer to suffer in the company of this stallion. She couldn't wait to suffer alone again, in peace.

&& 534
muse: lazy x3
ooc: she's so depressing Dx