[ female | newborn | 16.1hh | silver black pintaloosa | wild and free ]
Of course laughter danced on the filly’s lips as her brother attempted to tag her. Knowing he would be on her heels at any given time only spurred her on to more movement. Her hooves dug deep into the gravel and clattered on the trails as she led the way, breathless with excitement. Sounds of his scuffle slowed her pace. Looking back, her bright eyes rested on him, making sure he was okay and was able to right himself. Though infamous for her tendency of getting them into situations that required a tongue lashing from their caretaker, Claudya took it upon herself to make sure if they were in something, they were in it together. When he called out to her, she stopped in her tracks until he brushed against her side again. Her smile shining brilliantly, she marched on, head and knees high, this time choosing more solid paths up instead of the slippery gravel they had originally been skittering on.
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The foals thought they were clever and sly. With one eye cracked open, the other still held shut, and her breath carefully controlled, Adelheid watched the dynamic duo ‘sneak’ away with as much grace as… as much grace two inapt, untrained, and uncoordinated foals could. She cringed to herself when Sciannath went head first into a tree, holding herself steady with deep breaths to stay where she was and let him learn his steps and make his own choices. Her lessons would come later, after the lived experience made its impression on their thick skulls.
Following the pair was easier than breathing. Claudya’s laughter and Sciannath’s worried calls kept them consistently within her ear shot. Coupled with their hooves against the hard worn paths, the mother did not worry about losing track of her children. It was keeping quiet on the needle covered side paths that was the challenge.
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Claudya led the way with a confidence she promised she felt, though she may have been lying. With Sciannath at her side, she needed to make sure she at least appeared like she knew what she was doing and where she was going. The desire to explore something and someplace new overwhelmed her fear and threw caution to the wind. Every step was new and brought a quiver to her body.
Still on the lowerlands of the mountains, the paths were well worn by the mares who lived there. Each time the trail split Claudya chose to take one that would lead them further up as opposed to back down or into a place that was too deep or dark to be considered ‘friendly’. She had heard the other mares talk about the views from the ledges of the cliffs. The girl hungered to see them, to be able to look down at the world beneath and know she had climbed to the greatest height.
Glancing back, she grinned at Sciannath. How high up do you want to go? She took another turn. This path was only slightly more dangerous than the ones previous. Though it still had plenty of room for an adult draft to cross, it turned into a stone bridge over a crevasse that marked the beginning of more treacherous paths. It was the entrance to the terrain the Peaks were known for. Just beyond the bridge the paths took on a steeper incline. They cut through cracks in the mountain’s face and wove through stubborn pine trees before hugging the sides of cliffs.
Claudya’s blue eyes looked longingly at them and she took the first step onto the stone bridge. We can do this. She whispered to her brother, keeping close to him for her own security as well as his.
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Behind them, Adelheid was only pretty sure she was still breathing, remembering the times she and her companion had explored the mountains in such a way. It was so much more terrifying when it was not her feet she was watching scale the rocky surface. Calming herself, she watched, knowing if they went much higher she would step in and show them the paths to take to the Peaks. But for now, she lingered just far enough away that she could jump in at a moment's notice if needed.
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