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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2014 16:40:50 GMT -6
Pain....that was all she could think about. The little being inside of her was dying to escape. Pressing against her ribs and kicking at her lungs until she cried out in pain. She stumbled from her lands to the birthing grounds, eyes casting fearfully over her shoulder in search of Nicholai.....but not really expecting to find him. Since he had saved her oh so long ago their interactions had been brief and impersonal....Though she could not really blame him....Not after what she had done. That was why she didn't call for him to accompany her to the breeding grounds. Though she longed for his support she knew she didn't deserve it.....and thus she stumbled along alone. Finally she reached the birthing grounds, her legs trembling beneath her as she wobbled into the meadow... “Nicholai....” She whispered, craning her neck back to nip at her side. Would he even acknowledge that this was his foal? This question and many more buzzed through her mind as she stood there....and then her rear legs were soaking wet. Slowly she sank to the ground and rolled onto her side, her brilliant blue eyes wide as pain and inexperience overwhelmed her.
A thin sheen of sweat broke out over her speckled form as she lay there. Her silver mane plastering against her neck like a second skin. Each breath was strained....each exhale sending another spark of pain down her back. And then suddenly there was a brilliant pain that made her scream. Her high pitched voice breaking the calm silence of the land. And just like that....he was born. She lay for several moments breathing heavily before turning to see the little buckskin. She should have felt disapointment when she noticed that it was indeed a son and not a daughter she had birthed....but she felt nothing but love for the little creature that squirmed on the ground. A bleating cry slipping from his lips. Wrinkling her brow the little mare struggled to stand. Falling once before she finally got back to her feet. Turning about she let her tongue slip over the small curvature of his face.
“My son....” She said softly....her pale eyes shifting to look around as if his father would magically appear.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 15, 2014 19:42:13 GMT -6
He hadn't spoken to his mistress in a long time. Typically, someone would be there to, at the very least, give him orders on what to do. But he didn't even get that. Nicholai pretty much roamed around the territory searching for odd jobs and small tasks for him to complete. There were a lot of things for an able stallion to do, however, the jobs that he could complete were few and far between. The knowledge and the fear that his shoulder may never get better was constantly in the back of his mind. It was just easier to ignore it.
Though, even though she didn't speak to him often, at least he would see her. They hadn't crossed paths that day yet, which was ... odd. He was deffinitly curious. The palomino stag wandered around the meadow and in between its land marks in an effort to locate Venti, but no matter how hard he tried, all the scent trails that he caught from her were stale. His pace quickened in an attempt to cover more ground. Worry started gnawing at the pit of his stomach. It would have been easy to forget about her if she had been cruel. To ignore her, or to even run away. But in someway or another, he didn't just feel like a slave, Nicholai felt that it was his job to care for the younger mare.
The freshest scent trail he could find led away from the territory. She left alone, so she wasn't stolen, but the danger was still there. A raid could come through and capture her, and she wouldn't be able to do a single thing about it. He hobbled to catch up with her. Surely she couldn't haven't gotten too far. She was heading North, by the looks of it. It had taken him a bit, but it finally dawned on him that she could have left to go and have the foal. It made Nicholai stop dead in his tracks. Would she even want him there? Did he even want to be there? He didn't know the answers.
In fear of her safety against a southern stallion, he finally decided to move forward. There wasn't a lot he could do to put up a fight. But he could tell a believable story if it came down to it.
By the scent of the trail before him, he was close. Nicholai hobbled into a grassy meadow, however, he paused near the edge. He saw her figure stand out against the autumn background ... with a foal at her side. The palomino stallion thought he could feel the emptiness of regret in his chest. He only hoped it was false.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2014 5:51:36 GMT -6
She didn't see him. And a creeping feeling in the back of her mind ask her 'why would he?'. He had not wanted this foal.....it had been her first demand as his master....So why should he feel any responsibility towards it? The thought made the already emotional mare began to tear up, blinking to force them back she turned to look at her little foal. He was an interesting combination of colors with a dusting of ivory down his back. As if the snow had settled there and never melted. The thought had not occurred to her until now that she would actually have to name the little guy.....She had presumed all along that it would be a filly that she would birth. A silly notion to say the least. As the little foal struggled to stand she watched him with worried eyes. Not wanting to help him in this crucial step in his life.....wanting him to be self sufficient from the beginning. It took him several tries but eventually he stood on wobbly stilts. His small head bobbing against her stomach in search of a teat. The sensation was strange and made her go rigid. But as the little guy continued to feed she released a nervous sigh, letting her eyes scan the meadow in case any mares had wandered here in the company of a southern stallion.
Her eyes skittered over him at first, blending in so well with the shadows was he. But upon a second glance she realized that Nicholai was here. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest as she watched him. Dying to tell him to come to her but afraid he would not. In the end she gave him a small gesture with her skull to indicate that he could come closer. Her heart in her throat the entire time.
What if he hated the little colt? What then? Would he even react to the little being or would he be his normal emotionless self and pretend that he wasn't even there?
Again the thought of a name tickled her mind....she could not very well keep calling her first born 'it'. "...thank you for coming." She said softly, her voice a little hoarse from her earlier screams. She wanted to ask for him opinion about a name....perhaps even name the little colt after him...but would he dislike the idea?
"We need to name him...." She said slowly, careful to say we instead of I.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2014 1:39:37 GMT -6
He considered just hiding in the tree line until she made a move to leave, because it would probably be easier that way. He wouldn't have to play a part in an awkward conversation that he didn't want to sit through to begin with. The stag's eyes stayed glued to his target as he slowly began backing up into cover, but he quickly came to a halt. The mare had glanced in his direction before he could completely conceal himself. He was given false hope as she kept searching for something, but her eyes quickly darted back to his position. He had been spotted. The stallion's shoulders sank as she motioned him forward. His stakeout plans had been ruined.
Venti thanked him, but he refused to let it go at just that. "It's dangerous for a mare to travel alone to the birthing quarry. You should have asked me to accompany you in the first place. Do you know what the price on your head would be? A lot of stallions would love to get a second generation, western leader into the grasps." Once again, he unintentionally began lecturing her. It became very apparent that the young mare had a lot to learn before she became a fully competent leader. She was young, granted. She lacked experience. But her decisions still managed to worry him.
He looked at her foal- her colt with a neutral expression. Nicholai was sorry that he had given her a male, but she didn't seem too tore up over it. It struck him as odd, but didn't say anything ... he wanted too though. "We? There is no we! There is you and your slave! That's it. We aren't mates. I'm sure not a parent. We aren't going to watch this colt grow up and live happily every after. This wasn't a mutual decision. This was the product of an order that I was instructed to fulfill. This wouldn't have happened in a normal universe." Nicholai screamed in his head. This mare had a long way to go before she would be "one of the greatest leaders in the west". A normal slave would be taking advantage of her. Why wasn't he taking advantage of her? He didn't know the answer.
"I'm sure you'll come up with a strong name for him." Was all the stallion chose to say. He had lectured her enough for the moment. This should be a happy occasion for her. She had just delivered her first foal, with seemingly no major health problems.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2014 18:01:50 GMT -6
She smiled slightly when he came closer but it quickly turned into a frown when he began to speak. At first she was hurt, hurt that he would talk to her in such a way.....then she began to feel angry....and it slowly grew into a monster. "How dare you talk to me like that?" She said slowly, her voice calm and cold as her eyes locked on his face. He had lectured her once before and she had bent her back and took it....But not this time. Not with her hormones running at an all time high. She lifted her head as high as she could manage, nearly matching his height as she stretched her neck. The little colt stopped nursing as the tension in his mothers body transferred to him. Sniffling he backed away, hiding behind her from the stallion with the loud voice.
Her pale blue eyes were alight with pain and fire as she stared at him. Her lips sucking back against her teeth as she tried to contain the words that were dieing to escape.....she had tried to be the kind leader.....the gentle mare....and where had it gotten her? Lecture after lecture from her first slave.....It was shameful. Turning her face away from him she looked back at the frosted colt, swallowing down the hurtful words that bubbled in her throat. Slowly the little mare began to calm herself.....and then the topic of his name came up. She shifted her weight, turning her head back towards Nicholai as the last words left his lips. "I suppose I will...." She said sternly, not feeling the need to clue him in on the name that came to mind.
"Why did you even come here....?" She ask after a long pause, a hint of her real self peeking through her self conscious words. Her blue eyes flickering up to his own orbs.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2014 18:54:22 GMT -6
Nicholai didn't even bother to wince at her words. Unfortunately, the truth can hurt. It would benefit his mistress in the long run to be extra cautious in the future at his expense. Though, he didn't say anything to further press her. The stag didn't want to upset her any further, so he just assumed the question she asked was rhetorical one. She surely didn't want him to answer it. He looked away as the silence continued to drag on. He didn't want to meet her eyes .
He shied away from her next retort as well. When Venti spoke again, her tone was more cold. This was something he was more used to in a leader. Sadly enough, he was closer to his comfort zone. But it didn't last long. Her next words sounded more hurt than anything to him. Another mess that he would have to try and clean up. With an exasperated sigh, he finally returned his dark eyes to her figure.
"Because ..." His next words were going to be tough for him to say. He felt like he was betraying himself. "Because I care enough for you to want to help you, and protect you. But I can't do that, when you are in a completely different region." Nicholai's words were sharp, but sincere. His feelings towards her were weird. He didn't feel a family connection, or even one of love. He felt a responsibility. She was young horse in a big self-proclaimed role, and she needed guidance -whether she wanted it or not-. It sounded silly in his own head, so he didn't bother saying it out loud. A stallion, advising a mare how to run her herd in the west ... maybe his shoulder had messed up his head as well.
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