Post by DingoMutt on May 16, 2011 16:10:07 GMT -6
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Ambrosia was a being of the desert. Her birth herd had danced across the plains with their golden coats and quick steps, and after her second home collapsed she had once again become one with the dunes and the prairie. She had been born for that part of the world, and she loved it dearly. The dust and the wind prickling her tough, caramel colored skin told her that she was home. The smell of the fresh, dry air soothed her soul and toyed with her mane as she danced about with her hard, dark hooves. Yes, Ambrosia was a creative of the desert, shaped by the sand and wind. She was not a horse, she was a force of nature of hide and flesh and bone.
Even on her most positive days, the dun mare knew that life hadn't been too kind to her. But she always had the sand and the storms, although today she didn't even have that. The dun mare let out a loud snort, raising her head a bit from her resting place in the grass. She wouldn't deny enjoying the feeling of cool spring grass on her side, but she knew she was far from home. The mare could hear and smell a waterfall, and when she'd awoken this morning the grass had been covered in dew. Oh yes, this was not her home... it was Waterfall Valley, a pretty little chunk of land that was very far from home for the little mare.
Ambrosia was dragged from her thoughts by a high pitched squeal; she jerked into an upright position, ears perked and eyes straining to find her son. He'd been laying beside her just a moment ago, but he'd snuck off when her eyes had glazed over with thought. Panic filled the mare; where had her child gone? There was another squeal, and she jumped to her hooves despite the complaints of her limbs. Her dark legs were like jelly for a moment, but she forced aside the sensation and broke into a desperate gallop. She let out a whinny of despair, a mother calling a lost child, a child that could be in danger.
Adrastos was not exactly made for the desert; he had his mother's sharp, large hooves, and her sense of direction. His pelt was a deep chocolate color, and plenty of hair hung from his fetlocks. His chest was deep, his body wide and screaming of draft blood. But there was refinement within him, a spring in his step and a fire in his heart that made him more Mustang than his pedigree would suggest. He was one with the desert because that's where he was born, but deep within him there was a longing to weave through the forest and slosh through rushing rivers.
The dark bay colt had been terribly excited when his dam had announced it was his turn to pick which direction they'd wander. He'd shut his eyes, dropped his rump, and spun as quickly as he could. When he was sufficiently dizzy, he pointed his nose towards the horizon and off they'd gone. The pair had arrived at Waterfall Valley in the dead of night, and they'd fallen asleep out in the open on a bed of green spring grass. It was a breath of fresh air from the yellow buffalo grass that they normally bedded on, but there was still a reluctance in the two horses as they entered the strange land. They'd met hostile equines before, and always the dun mare had been able to protect her son with her quick thinking and sharp teeth. But within the dun mare there was a dread that one day she would fail or run into Anthony, and within the colt there was the anticipation, the chance that one day he'd run into his father.
Another high pitched squeal filled the air, almost as high as the mare held her head as she galloped along, the whites of her eyes showing. How far had her son wandered off while she'd day-dreamed? She fluttered on the border of anger and fear. She was annoyed at her son for straying so far, but still she worried that the dark bay colt had fallen prey to some beast that she'd forgotten to warn him about, some creature whose only desire in life was to make her feel like an awful mother. She knew she wasn't a good one, but she'd always prided herself in being able to keep her son alive.
"Adrastos!" she screamed. She was sick of calling; she needed to use her words. "Dammit, Adrastos! Where the hell are you?!" she shouted, not caring where she was going. Taking a deep whiff of air, she found that the scent of her son was growing stronger, and the smell and sound of moving water grew closer and closer. The mare crested a hill, and the waterfall spread before her. The water glistened and filled the air with mist, and the foliage here was even greener and taller than the rest of the land. She didn't have time to admire the scenery; she had to find her son.
There he was, splashing about in the water. The mare's body trembled for a moment with relief and anger, and finally she resigned herself to curiosity. She trotted forward, her limbs sore from her quick gallop. Arching her neck, she took a little leap when she hit the bottom of the hill, bucking quickly and continuing forward. Of course Adrastos had gone for the waterfall; he'd never even dreamed of this much water. The dark colt splashed about, his hind legs planted as he alternated kicking with his forelegs. He had a soft smile plastered to his dark lips, and occasionally he dipped his muzzle to take a drink.
"Oh hey, Ma," he said, sounding surprised that his mother had found him, surprised that she was so tired and sore. "Look what I found!" he said, smiling brightly and bobbing his head. He gave his short tuft of a tail a satisfied flick, arching his neck to invite his mother in.
"Very good, Adrastos. Did you follow your nose?" she asked, pinning her ears with annoyance. The colt gave her a questioning look, as if he didn't understand what he was in trouble for. The dun mare came to the shore and dipped her muzzle to take a drink of the cool water.
"Yes, I did. I smelled the water and I was so excited to play in it that I ran all the way here." he replied, nodding brightly. He saw his mother falter as she drank.
"I can tell... your brain obviously didn't pipe up when your nose said 'ooh, water!' Adrastos, you can't just wander off like that, especially not in strange territory. What if you'd ran into wolves, or into a stallion?" she said, her voice soft with sadness and disappointment. The colt instantly picked up her change in mood and came forward, eyes soft with despair.
"My nose said that there were no wolves... and I do smell a stallion, but he's not here right now." he said, nodding seriously. He wanted his mother to understand that he had put plenty of thought into wandering away from her and playing. He flicked his black tail, moving towards his mother at a sloshing trot through the water. It came only up to his knees, but his entire body was saturated from playing.
"Very good, then. You know you disobeyed me, but you were careful about it. Don't make a habit of this, dear boy, but I'll forgive you." she said, and she nuzzled her son when he came close. She backed up a bit from the shore, and he followed suit. The mare reached over the colt's back with her neck, drawing him closer for a hug. They both sighed gently; Ambrosia was glad her son was alive and well and smart, and Adrastos was glad that his mother wasn't angry and she approved of his intelligence.
The dun mare let out a snort, pulling away from her colt and trotting into the water. She too sloshed about, nostrils flaring as she let out a nicker of glee. She wasn't worried about being quiet; she could smell that her and her son were alone right now, and she was ready to have some fun. Even as a creature of the desert, she loved to splash about. Ambrosia bucked quickly, throwing some water at her son. The bay colt flinched, then let out a battle cry and sprang into the water.
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word count: one thousand four hundred sixty seven
tag: Ambrosia & Adrastos for Ataullah
notes: <3 Please reply with at least 500 words.[/size]
