It was always so damn cold! Why was it always so cold! The colt huffed, his breath coming out of his nose in wisping clouds. The bitter cold of winter was starting to set in, the first one the colt was experiencing. Thin mustang blood was not fond of the temperature, and his young body had not grown enough hair or fat to insulate him. The smart thing would have been to stay close to his mother. Keep within sight of her and his brother, using them to keep warm and to shelter himself from the bitter cold. But no. He stubbornly trod away from his family. He partially followed in Pagan’s footsteps, poking around the territory, prodding for predators and other dangers that could be eyeing the herd. When he wasn’t lingering just behind Pagan’s heels he was stalking his father’s. Whenever he was caught by Pagan though, the vanner would return the colt back to his mother’s side, sternly telling him he needed strong boys such as himself and Dragomir to watch over the herd while they were away.
Dmitrei scowled at that, but really did not feel like he could argue. Instead of verbalizing his argument he merely waited for the stallions to leave for their perimeter checks before setting out on his own. No one could claim he disobeyed, he just did not follow direction. Whereas the stallions went all around the Inlet, Dmitrei stayed closer to the herd, checking a closer proximity.
It was this check that led him to follow some strange paths. He had followed the trails of caribou, wondering where they were going to spend the winter, and if Pagan had thought to follow them. Wouldn’t it be clever if he were the one to suggest the idea? The bigger men would be obligated to let him go with them on their stallion duties then! The strange thing was, there was an open space just beyond the packed trails, but the tracks veered sharply to the side, around the space.
Lifting his head, the colt looked around. This was not one of the dangerous spaces of shooting water he had seen, nor was it a space wolves could be lurking. They were sticking to the mountains lately anyway. Snorting in defiance, the golden colt jumped into the clearing as if his speed and sudden appearance would be impressive to the air. The moment his hooves hit the open space, he slipped and slid several yards out into the frozen river the caribou had so excellently avoided! His snort of strength swiftly turned to a shout of surprise, hooves clattering and skittering on the ice in an uncontrollable noisy slide!
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Another colt was lingering just outside of the perimeter of the rest of the herd. Unlike Dmitrei, Samhain had spent the majority of his time away from the others of the Inlet. Pagan had respected Peyton’s tendencies to distance herself from the others of the herd. He always made sure she, and his son, knew they were welcome where everyone else was, but never pressured her to join them. Instead he would seek them out, just to check, linger if they wanted, and leave them to whatever peace they desired.
Samhain had taken countless opportunities to follow his father, explore Tinuvel as a whole, and learn everything he could about the world around him. Adventurous, the boy had snuck into the territory lands and followed the young golden stalker with his own methods of stalking. It was this curiosity that led the pearly colt to the banks of the river as well. Grinning wickedly, he had hidden himself behind snow covered brushes, his shimmering pearl and white coat blending with the world around him.
The other colt let out a squawking wail of surprise and the vanner mix was instantly spurred forward to ‘help!’ By help, of course he was going to make things far more interesting for the golden boy.
With gypsy and draft blood combining with generations in cold weather, Samhain’s mane, tail, and hooves were thick with feathers and fur. Experience in the mountains and plains already told him how to move on ice. Opposite Dmitrei, Samhain was made for this weather. His wicked grin growing, he waited for the mustang to be distracted, trying to control his slide, before leaping out himself, aiming how own skid into the other colt.
The unholy sound that escaped Dmitrei was a mix of rage and startled fear, coupled with grudging embarrassment as he now was sliding in the opposite direction on his rump. While Samhain expertly regained his feet and trotted to the side, tossing his head in playful pride.
Dmitrei’s dark eyes clouded with rage. The young boy struggled back to his feet, reared and shouted a challenge to the strange colt who came out of nowhere. Light blue eyes widened while feathered hooves scrambled for purchase against the ice. They caught just in time to send Samhain dashing forward, lessening the blow of Dmitrei slamming into him.
Laughing a little maniacly, the lighter colt used the momentum to send himself sprawling into the nearest pile of snow. Quietly he waited. Still steaming in anger, Dmitrei sulked around the ice, looking around for his adversary. He turned his back on the brush when suddenly a much larger form went whizzing in front of his face.
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Pagan had been meandering through the hills and growing snow drifts. The world of the Inlet had been quiet for the most part. It seemed like the impending cold had chilled the earth into silence. At least until he heard Dmirtrei’s calls of rage and fury. The stallion had raced to where colts were, fear pounding through his chest. At least until he saw what was going on.
The big stallion couldn’t help it. He stopped in his tracks and laughed full throatedly at the ‘games’ the youngsters were playing. Dmitrei’s frustration was palpable, even from the other side of the river while Samhain was clearly just having fun. It warmed the vanner’s heart in so many ways.
His laughter subsiding to a chuckle, he picked up his big feathered hooves and cantered onto the ice. He too slid and stumbled in his first steps. Regaining his footing quickly, he was able to circle around the foals, flashing in front of the startled Dmitrei. Keeping himself between the foals and the thinning ice to the middle of the river, he snorted at them, tossing his head and his hair playfully.
Snickering at his father jumping into the game, Samhain leapt from his spot and dashed about, circling around Dmitrei, whinnying his encouragement to join the fun.
The mustang mix refused to give in. He snorted in distaste, head snaking out to nip at Samhain’s light hide. The pearl danced away from the teeth, still with his playful air. While the youth was distracted, Pagan poked his own nose in and lipped at the golden boy.
Furious, Dmirtei spun on the stallion. Inevitably, all three boys devolved into chasing each other about on the ice. More often than not, Pagan and Samhain teaming up on Dmitrei to wrile him, but occasionally the big man turned on his own son as well, just to make the torture of being chased into snow banks even and fair.
One must have balance on the ice after all.
Dmitrei
Colt : Spanish Mustang Mutt : Palomino Tobiano : BraylenXAbigail |