Promise Me This

[iHorse]

Over the land it carried. A dull, roaring din. From a distance, most could never come up with a name for it. Most came to investigate such a sound. A hymn of disaster. A sweet sonnet for anarchy. Following it through the scrubby grasslands, over the uneven ground. Such a dark fiendish flavor of sound. Even the raucous calls of the crows could not compete with it's chill. It was the suicidal call of the waterfall. Throwing itself off of the cliff, tumbling down, down, down... Into the pool below.

Finely chiseled ears were pricked to the sweet calling roar of the falls. Nostrils flared wide, allowing the misty air to enter her lungs in a freezing burn. Ragged snort cleared it without hesitation, and a new lung-full was taken. Grullo stood off to one side of the falls. Her eyes cast off to the distance, wondering what may lay in wait out there. It looked dry and barren. Even more so than the lands she stood in currently.

Dipping her head to silence a bothersome itch on a foreleg, her darkened muzzle ran over her shin. Deciding then and there, she flung her head up, moist mane stung her neck as it slapped down wildly. From her chest she heaved a breath and allowed a loud war-cry to soar. It was for the world. Satisfied that she had told it off, or at least the far unknown lands which she had so longingly stared at- she turned.

About to continue and return back to the badlands, she hesitated in her lengthy walk. Drawing herself up short, she turned and looked back at the falls. White mist rose up from it, creating a slippery surface for one to tread upon. Whirling around, Xavier tossed her head and drew close to the edge. A small, barely even a deer trail, led down to the calm pool below. Whuffling to herself, she pinned her ears in a momentary hesitation then engaged with the descent.

Hindquarters were bunched, neck was drawn up and eyes glued to the scrawny and rocky path on which she trod. The moist rocks caused her to slide almost immediately. Weight was shifted backward with a snort, and rocks scraped her hocks and ankles. They stung only for a moment. So it went until the mare reached the bottom, she forced herself to walk off of the minute path instead of leaping for the level ground.

Grulla pranced sidewards before spurring herself into a trot. Nearing the pool, she paused for a moment then blow out forcefully. Taking in a new wineglass of air. Nothing came to her but the iron-sharp scent of her cuts, and the crisp air of the falls. The roaring din drowned out any sounds until it was too late, so she barely took the effort to listen.

Xavier took off in a trot and went down the banks of the pool with little effort, she gave a little jump and landed in the shallows. Cold water bit at her ankles, and clawed at her fresh cuts. Grinding her teeth in boredom, she lipped at the water before dropping into a light doze. Ears flicking every once in a while, showing alert life, in case one got the idea that she was snoozing.

[[esperanza]]

The roar of the waterfall permeated the air; nothing else could be heard above its din, so it shouldn't have come as any surprise that the pinto stallion couldn't hear the sounds of his own hooves hitting the ground as he trotted along the river. He constantly swung his head from side to side, alert and ready to run if he spotted any other equines. Why the caution? Well, this particular pinto was a trespasser; a rogue who had absolutely no business whatsoever in these parts.

Also, he hated this herd. He wasn't even sure why he had chosen to go this route. Looking for the other member of his band, he told himself, but he knew he was lying to himself -- he was sure he could trust Masurou to never get tangled up with the Darksuns. No, he was here on his own business, almost against his will but not quite. Perhaps he was curious to see how things were going. Last he heard, Alasdi was still leader of this herd. At the memory of the mad bay stallion who had murdered his father, the rogue's black ears pinned flat against his head. It wouldn't hurt to seek revenge for that, would it? A sudden passion to hurt the herd back burned in his heart, and he let a sly chuckle escape from his mouth before he quieted himself. He had seen what had happened when some horses had let the desire for revenge consume them, and he didn't want that to happen to him. Still, it wouldn't hurt to stir up a little bit of mischief.

He trotted along until he came to a pool at the base of the waterfall and stopped in surprise. The sound of tons of water crashing against the rocks was even louder up close, but it wasn't what made the pinto stop in surprise; nor was it the scenery. No, what caused him to do a double take was the grulla mare who was seemingly dozing in the shallows of the pool.

He tilted his head to one side, studying her. She was a pretty mare, even if she was a Darksun. For a second, he let himself smirk-- perhaps here was a chance to ruffle some feathers--
before composing himself.

"Madame?" He cried out, hoping she could hear his voice above the waterfall. "If you don't mind me saying so, I'm sure there are much more comfortable places to take a nap."

[iHorse]

Despite the thunderous roar of the falls it was quite peaceful in the shallows, provided one did not go close to the deeper parts. Undercurrent was strong, and many weak swimmers could be pulled under with no warning, and pounded by the tumbling falls.

She heaved a sigh and stood hip-shot, weight supported by a hind leg, as her other one tilted on it's tip. Her tail swished to keep what risky flies, that dared land on her, off of her. Water had moistened the tip, and it lashed with stinging strikes. Grulla remained still, ears flicking to some unknown sound every once in a while. Eyes were hooded and head was head loose, as she unwound from the surrounding world.

"Madame?"

She couldn't help but snort in surprise, head jerked up and she looked for the whereabouts of the voice. Acting like a doe that had been caught in the open, she whirled around in the waters and forcefully blew out in a rough snort. The voice was high up, barely inaudible over the falls, yet she had caught it as it came again. Ears strained forward to catch the rest as it came down to her.

"If you don't mind me saying so, I'm sure there are much more comfortable places to take a nap."

Craning her neck, she caught sight of him. A pinto. Had there been a pinto in the herd? She thought long and hard, as she stared up at the stranger. Well, if there was she hadn't seen him before.

Grulla called back to the stallion, trying to raise her voice above the falls, "There probably is, but I'm much more comfortable down here." She refrained from any harsh words, seeing as this was only the first meeting. There was plenty of time to irk others later. "You can go away now..." She couldn't help but added one more thing before struggling to get up the bank and onto firmer, drier ground. "Sir."

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[[esperanza]]

{OOC//Just to clarify, Garridan's coming in from beneath the waterfall, so he's more-or-less across from her, instead of up above. ^^}

The stallion couldn't help but smile as the mare jerked her head up and looked around for him. If there was one thing that never failed to amuse him, it was catching other people off guard. He watched the mare as she stared at him, his icy blue eyes glittering jocosely.

"There probably is, but I'm much more comfortable down here. You can go away now...Sir."

Ebony ears flicked to her words, and he trotted a bit closer to the water's edge. He hadn't missed the pointed way in which she had addressed him. So, he thought to himself, the Darksun horses still aren't overly friendly. Surprise, surprise.

The pinto's hooves splashed into the pool, and, instead of answering her directly, he bent down to enjoy a long drink. When he was done, he lifted his head to answer her, water droplets clinging to his muzzle. He took a moment to close his eyes in satisfaction as the cool water ran down his throat, then he reached his head back to rub his muzzle on his left shoulder. Turning back to the grulla, he tilted his head. "But I only just got here," he replied, ears drooping in mock sadness. He took a few more steps foreward, the water swirling slowly around his fetlocks. The pool was rather gentle despite the turbulent waterfall, and he had to admit that the place had a tranquil sort of atmosphere about it. "The name's Garridan," he added, bowing his head politely. "And what about you? Is there a name able to match such a pretty face?" He smirked again, waiting to see how she would react to his flirting.

[iHorse]

ooc;; my bad! sorry about that. ^^;

bic;; Staring across the terrain over at the strange stallion, having retreated up back onto the grassy banks, Xavier narrowed her eyes and met his glacial blue stare. The mare watched him as he trotted closer, stopping at the water's edge. He soon entered the pool and bent to quench a thirst.

Snorting, she pinned her ears momentarily before turning to leave. All that, and he only wanted a drink. Vagabond stallions, she thought to herself, never change. Walking away she was about to spur herself into a trot when his voice sang out to her, echoing in her ears.

"But I only just got here," she stopped, and craned her head around, to stare at the painted stallion. His expression was one of jesting sadness. Xavier heaved a sigh, her own expression reading clearly: 'Does it look like I care?'. Grudgingly turning broadside to watch his movements, she stood hip-shot with one ear pinned and the other directed on the male. This might prove to be something out of routine, her days were getting monotonous.

The stallion entered the water further before his voice was sent back over to her, "The name's Garridan," Head dropped a few inches, before more words came tumbling out, "And what about you? Is there a name able to match such a pretty face?"

Grulla snorted, her head drawn up several inches. Ears pinned at the stallions, or Garridan's as he had introduced himself, flirting. "If there was, I would not have it." Snorting again, she stood stock still. Tail slightly flagged as she pondered over whether she should take off now, and leave the pinto behind. Or see where this went as to breaking the monotonous strain of her days. Darksun mare flicked an ear, as a sudden thought struck her, before adding, "As I said before, Garridan- You can leave now." She had been here first, why should she be the one to leave?

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[[esperanza]]

{OOC//S'ok. ^^ Also, sorry but this might be a short musephail. But at least it's a post. xD}

Oh, come on, he thought in annoyance as she started to walk away. She couldn't be leaving already. Luckily, his words managed to hold her back. After studying him with what he guessed to be a disdainful look, his ears flicked foreward to her answer.

"If there was, I would not have it."

He resisted an urge to chuckle at that. Instead, he walked on to the center of the pool, where the water rose to just above his knees. The pinto stallion tossed his bicolored mane, tilting his head at her. "I can't hear you," he lied. "You'll have to speak up." The corners of his mouth twitched up into yet another smirk. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

"As I said before, Garridan- You can leave now."

He blinked at her, then chose to not answer the grulla, instead glancing around. The azure shade of the waterfall faded into crisp white mist at the bottom, and if he squinted, he could see a rainbow arcing across it's base. Behind the grulla stretched a cluster of conifers. "Nice scenery, wouldn't you agree?"

[iHorse]

ooc;; no harm done is done with a short post ^.^

bic;; Ruling out that he would be leaving anytime soon, Grulla dipped her head to nip at an itch on her foreleg. An ear slicked back as Garridan strode further into the pool, the cool water lapping at his knees if not higher still.

"I can't hear you," he spoke again, his voice registering in her ears, "You'll have to speak up."

Ears slicked down in pure annoyance, yet she stood still. Her name, her only trump card in her hand, was still hers. It would not be played so carelessly, she figured she might have some fun if Garridan was to be sticking around- much to her irritation. Broadside to the two-toned stallion, she watched him as he brushed her aside to bask in the delicate scenery that was around them.

"Nice scenery, wouldn't you agree?"

Holding her tongue, she kept from spitting a harsh comeback out at him. Instead she humored him and looked around. The waterfall tossed up layers of mist, the sun cut through it like nothing, if one looked closely enough a play of colors showed up. Near her back stood a cluster of tall conifers, their boughs sometimes reaching out and touching those of their neighbors. It was rather peaceful, or as it had been put- nice.

Xavier looked ready enough to agree with the piebald as she surveyed the scenery before returning her gaze back to Garridan. Huffing, she replied with a slight smile, "Almost." Dismissing the stallion, she turned her head away and dropped it to the ground. Rubbery lips grasping a mouthful of sparse grass and she ground it until it was pulp and she swallowed, soon another mouthful followed. Grulla dropped into grazing, her companion presently ignored but not forgotten.

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[[esperanza]]

The sight of her ears pinned down reminded Garridan why he disliked the Darksun Herd so much: the members were so unfriendly. Well, that wasn't the main reason he avoided them, but still. The stallion snorted in irritance, then started walking foreward again, until he was standing only a few feet away from the shore where the mare was.

"Almost."

Ears flicked to her words and he tilted his head to the side. "Almost?" he questioned. "What's wrong with it?"