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Description

"Move out of the way, rat tail, you're hogging the pond." Ashwood complained. Pond was a bit of an exaggeration. It was barely a mud puddle, but it was the only option to drink from until they got to the Great Lake.

Aikane pinned her ears, stomping her hind hoof in warning. She turned her head to bare her teeth at the gray mare, water dripping from her maw. "I just got here, you can wait."

Ashwood just snorted at her, turning towards Story.

"She's so entitled, isn't she?"

Aikane half considered spitting a mouthful of water at the both of them, but she shook the idea from her head. No, Aikane. You have to take the high road, she reminded herself. Don't let them get to you. She stepped around the slick mud around the puddle and moved out of the way. A warm breeze blew her short, fluffy mane. The herd was scattered around her, sharing the news of the day before they would inevitably have to start traveling again. She could tell that everyone was getting tired. The days had been long and hot, and with more than a few mares ready to pop out their foals, and a handful of younger foals still finding their legs, the going had been slow.

In the distance, she spotted the small band that had been tailing them. She could spot Arwyn from this distance. Her flashy coat nearly glowed in the late summer sun. Aikane felt a pang of unfamiliar emotion in her heart that made her feel sick. She was still mad at her lead mare, but she'd be lying if there wasn't a part of her that missed her. It had been nearly a month since she had yelled at her. A month without their lead mare... Aikane shook her head.

"Miss Aikane?" Kunai, the little red dun colt looked up at her, a big toothy smile on his face.

"What's up?"

"Well... I was just wondering..." He said, suddenly becoming a little shy. He pawed at a piece of grass for a moment, and then peeked up at her. "Where do foals come from?"

Aikane's jaw dropped, and she glanced around looking for assistance. The only horse nearby was Renegade, who was grazing only a little bit away. It didn't look like he had even heard the colt as his question. Her face burned with embarrassment, and she floundered.

"Well.. y'see... h-have you asked your mom?"

"Mom wouldn't tell me!" He whined, stomping his little hoof into the earth.

"Okay well... when a mare and a stallion are... good friends, they...uh-"

"Why don't you have any foals, Aikane?"

Aikane froze. Was there a pika hole nearby? Maybe she could stick her head in one and just die. Anything to get out of this horrid conversation.

"That's enough questions for today."

"But you didn't answer either of the-"

"Okay, bye now!" She said, ushering the little colt off towards his mother. He hesitated for a few steps, looking like he wanted to argue some more, but then decided better of it. She heard a soft chuckle behind her, but when she turned around, there was just Renegade- stone faced as ever. He looked up at her curiously and she was suddenly reminded of the colt's intrusive questions again. She quickly scurried away before the stallion could ask her any questions.

It was late in the evening when the herd settled down for the night. The sky was a blanket of stars with a big, full moon over head. Aikane had separated herself away from the herd, looking for a quieter place to rest that was away from the constant chatter of the herd. Her hooves ached and she was utterly exhausted. She considered just flopping down in the dirt under hoof when she heard a loud cry in the distance. Her ears flicked forward to attention, and she stared into the copse of trees nearby. She glanced back at her herd, but it seemed she was the only one who had heard the call. She hesitated for a moment- last time she had gone off on her own had ended... very poorly. But if someone needed help, could she really just let them suffer? She shook her head. 10 minutes. She would be gone for 10 minutes, and then she would return.

She slipped into the thick undergrowth, nostrils flared to take in the scents of the world around her. At first, she couldn't make out anything... and then she heard soft weeping. She picked up a trot, carefully picking her way over branches and around bushes. Finally, she found them.

In the tiniest of clearing, bathed in moonlight, was Arwyn and her new foal. The little filly was blanketed in white, with spots draped over her neck and shoulders, and a thick mess of a mane and tail. Arwyn stood over her baby, trying to free her little one's back leg from a rabbit burrow. The golden mare jumped when Aikane appeared, and then let out a sigh of relief.

"Aikane, its you... You scared me," she said softly.

"I heard a cry and came to see what was wrong. Looks like everything is under control," she said curtly, backing away.

"W-wait! Please... I can't get her free by myself. Will you... Will you help me?"

Aikane flicked her ears back. She didn't want to help her, purely out of spite. But between the desperate look in her lead mare's eyes, and the poor filly's crying, she couldn't handle it. She joined the pair, and together, the two mares worked carefully to free the little filly. Siobhan, she learned was her name. As soon as her leg was free, Siobhan crumpled to the ground in a heap, clearly exhausted.

"She had some extra energy, even after traveling all day, so I told her we could go for a walk. I didn't expect..."

"You can't predict everything, Arwyn," Aikane said, looking down at her daughter. "I don't think she'll be making it back to the herd tonight."

Arwyn smiled. It was a tired smile that made her look much, much older. Aikane felt a lump growing in her throat.

"You're probably right," Arwyn mumured, slowly letting herself down to lay next to her child. "...Would you like to join us?"

Again, Aikane felt that angry, bitter, awful feeling surging up in her stomach. She wanted to storm away and leave the pair to their own devices...

But she was so tired of being angry. The hateful feeling in her chest was trying to make a home in her heart, and she didn't want it there. She hated how sick it made her feel, and how tired she was at the end of the day.

So, she squashed that anger down, and laid next to Siobhan. She wasn't sure if this was complete forgiveness, but it was a start.

Stallion ID: 104 Renegade
In response to: IPOL + Pika + Stuck + Loud Sound + WDFCF?
Art features: Aikane, Siobhan, Arwyn
Story features: Renegade, Aikane, Kunai, Story, Ashwood, Arwyn, Siobhan [7]
Word Count: 1152

Aging: Kunai (2/3)
Healing: -
Pregnancy: -
Captured: -
Mare Steal: -
MS Pregnancy: -
Destination of Bachelor: -

Items you are using: Peanutwood
Companion Animals: -
Members that own outside horses: -
Bachelor Herd: -
Collab: -

Rolls: Normal

Other Notes:
link

Description

"Move out of the way, rat tail, you're hogging the pond." Ashwood complained. Pond was a bit of an exaggeration. It was barely a mud puddle, but it was the only option to drink from until they got to the Great Lake.

Aikane pinned her ears, stomping her hind hoof in warning. She turned her head to bare her teeth at the gray mare, water dripping from her maw. "I just got here, you can wait."

Ashwood just snorted at her, turning towards Story.

"She's so entitled, isn't she?"

Aikane half considered spitting a mouthful of water at the both of them, but she shook the idea from her head. No, Aikane. You have to take the high road, she reminded herself. Don't let them get to you. She stepped around the slick mud around the puddle and moved out of the way. A warm breeze blew her short, fluffy mane. The herd was scattered around her, sharing the news of the day before they would inevitably have to start traveling again. She could tell that everyone was getting tired. The days had been long and hot, and with more than a few mares ready to pop out their foals, and a handful of younger foals still finding their legs, the going had been slow.

In the distance, she spotted the small band that had been tailing them. She could spot Arwyn from this distance. Her flashy coat nearly glowed in the late summer sun. Aikane felt a pang of unfamiliar emotion in her heart that made her feel sick. She was still mad at her lead mare, but she'd be lying if there wasn't a part of her that missed her. It had been nearly a month since she had yelled at her. A month without their lead mare... Aikane shook her head.

"Miss Aikane?" Kunai, the little red dun colt looked up at her, a big toothy smile on his face.

"What's up?"

"Well... I was just wondering..." He said, suddenly becoming a little shy. He pawed at a piece of grass for a moment, and then peeked up at her. "Where do foals come from?"

Aikane's jaw dropped, and she glanced around looking for assistance. The only horse nearby was Renegade, who was grazing only a little bit away. It didn't look like he had even heard the colt as his question. Her face burned with embarrassment, and she floundered.

"Well.. y'see... h-have you asked your mom?"

"Mom wouldn't tell me!" He whined, stomping his little hoof into the earth.

"Okay well... when a mare and a stallion are... good friends, they...uh-"

"Why don't you have any foals, Aikane?"

Aikane froze. Was there a pika hole nearby? Maybe she could stick her head in one and just die. Anything to get out of this horrid conversation.

"That's enough questions for today."

"But you didn't answer either of the-"

"Okay, bye now!" She said, ushering the little colt off towards his mother. He hesitated for a few steps, looking like he wanted to argue some more, but then decided better of it. She heard a soft chuckle behind her, but when she turned around, there was just Renegade- stone faced as ever. He looked up at her curiously and she was suddenly reminded of the colt's intrusive questions again. She quickly scurried away before the stallion could ask her any questions.

It was late in the evening when the herd settled down for the night. The sky was a blanket of stars with a big, full moon over head. Aikane had separated herself away from the herd, looking for a quieter place to rest that was away from the constant chatter of the herd. Her hooves ached and she was utterly exhausted. She considered just flopping down in the dirt under hoof when she heard a loud cry in the distance. Her ears flicked forward to attention, and she stared into the copse of trees nearby. She glanced back at her herd, but it seemed she was the only one who had heard the call. She hesitated for a moment- last time she had gone off on her own had ended... very poorly. But if someone needed help, could she really just let them suffer? She shook her head. 10 minutes. She would be gone for 10 minutes, and then she would return.

She slipped into the thick undergrowth, nostrils flared to take in the scents of the world around her. At first, she couldn't make out anything... and then she heard soft weeping. She picked up a trot, carefully picking her way over branches and around bushes. Finally, she found them.

In the tiniest of clearing, bathed in moonlight, was Arwyn and her new foal. The little filly was blanketed in white, with spots draped over her neck and shoulders, and a thick mess of a mane and tail. Arwyn stood over her baby, trying to free her little one's back leg from a rabbit burrow. The golden mare jumped when Aikane appeared, and then let out a sigh of relief.

"Aikane, its you... You scared me," she said softly.

"I heard a cry and came to see what was wrong. Looks like everything is under control," she said curtly, backing away.

"W-wait! Please... I can't get her free by myself. Will you... Will you help me?"

Aikane flicked her ears back. She didn't want to help her, purely out of spite. But between the desperate look in her lead mare's eyes, and the poor filly's crying, she couldn't handle it. She joined the pair, and together, the two mares worked carefully to free the little filly. Siobhan, she learned was her name. As soon as her leg was free, Siobhan crumpled to the ground in a heap, clearly exhausted.

"She had some extra energy, even after traveling all day, so I told her we could go for a walk. I didn't expect..."

"You can't predict everything, Arwyn," Aikane said, looking down at her daughter. "I don't think she'll be making it back to the herd tonight."

Arwyn smiled. It was a tired smile that made her look much, much older. Aikane felt a lump growing in her throat.

"You're probably right," Arwyn mumured, slowly letting herself down to lay next to her child. "...Would you like to join us?"

Again, Aikane felt that angry, bitter, awful feeling surging up in her stomach. She wanted to storm away and leave the pair to their own devices...

But she was so tired of being angry. The hateful feeling in her chest was trying to make a home in her heart, and she didn't want it there. She hated how sick it made her feel, and how tired she was at the end of the day.

So, she squashed that anger down, and laid next to Siobhan. She wasn't sure if this was complete forgiveness, but it was a start.

Stallion ID: 104 Renegade
In response to: IPOL + Pika + Stuck + Loud Sound + WDFCF?
Art features: Aikane, Siobhan, Arwyn
Story features: Renegade, Aikane, Kunai, Story, Ashwood, Arwyn, Siobhan [7]
Word Count: 1152

Aging: Kunai (2/3)
Healing: -
Pregnancy: -
Captured: -
Mare Steal: -
MS Pregnancy: -
Destination of Bachelor: -

Items you are using: Peanutwood
Companion Animals: -
Members that own outside horses: -
Bachelor Herd: -
Collab: -

Rolls: Normal

Other Notes:
link