Midnight's Mirage
Tagged: Eliza, Signe, Heidi
Mentioned: Thera, Bjorn, Winter, Stjerne, Primrose
With nothing but a nod of acknowledgement, Eliza was off. Taking his position, Phantom felt gratitude fill his body. Whilst he had only known Eliza for a year, less than any of the other horses, their methods of communication were so synced that it allowed for them to work seamlessly, like a well oiled machine. It wasn't something that they had worked toward, like Phantom and Signe's familiarity, nor something borne out of common ground, like his and Primrose's backgrounds. All the same, it was something quite unique that Phantom implicitly trusted. After all, Phantom had found himself quite unable to tolerate any horse that he didn't quite trust or know, and he had the utmost faith in all his mares, even if it was a little hard to see so at times.
As Signe lipped at his mane, Phantom let out a reassuring rumble, nudging her comfortingly. He knew she was uncomfortable, and though it was regrettable that there was nothing he could really do to help, he wanted to try and provide relief where he could. When she started moving off, however, Phantom could do nothing but keep an eye on her, making sure he could see her outline in the trees at all times, something made easier by her lighter coloured coat.
As Bjorn returned, flashing anger and aggression, Phantom looked out curiously. It was hard not to notice the golden stallion, with all the charged energy thrown up into the air. He seemed highly stressed, with a lithe little mare by his side. At that, Eliza shot him a look, and he stole another look at the palomino. She was definitely new. However, he simply caught Eliza's eye again, shaking his head mildly and pointedly looking upward. Though it was definitely an infringement on their terms, the storm was still going strong. Though it was not getting any heavier, it was not getting any lighter and might even continue for a while more. if the truce was broken, it would be Phantom's herd on the losing end, even without factoring in the fact that Signe was birthing. No, in this situation, it was best to let the golden stallion slide and focus on protecting the horses present here, especially his own herd.
However, this did not mean that Phantom would not ask questions. Spotting Bjorn's own dark pelted mare going up and possibly asking the same thing, Phantom perked his ears, waiting for the golden stallion's reaction. He was too far away to hear words, but he could see the others reactions clearly, and a lifetime spent observing others meant he could usually guess what happened if given enough information. It was what had helped him survive, after all.
On that note... where was Stjerne? Phantom looked about curiously, wondering where his adoptive daughter had gone. Given her speed and physical strength, she could not have gone far, which was why Phantom was not particularly worried. If there was a horse in his herd that he did not exactly trust, it would be Stjerne. With a large frame and a beautiful coat, the maiden could be a strong, sturdy addition to any herd, except that she refused to put that solid frame of hers to good use. Not going any faster than a trot and not being any stronger than a yearling, Stjerne frustrated Phantom. Not particularly because of the fact that he hadn't sired her, but more because she refused to use the gifts she had.
Horses of Jotunheim didn't have much grass, nor water. The only thing they had was expanses of land to run free and train their hooves. Phantom had not come from much, but he'd fought his way to become a King. Stjerne was born in a territory, with a stable herd, and she'd refused to use any of it. With a sigh, Phantom shook his head. Astrid he trusted to make a good decision, but Stjerne... He sighed softly, looking about. She was probably fine, given how the only problem she faced was refusing to go too fast. They might have lost her in the woods, but they'd travelled a relatively straight path and their scents hung in the air, heavy with how many horses there were. She would be able to follow them at her own pace. Whilst Stjerne made Phantom frustrated, she never really brought him problems, always not even moving all that much.
That settled, he looked back at Heidi. It seemed he was giving the maiden quite a bit of stress. When he'd approached, she'd held her head up high, her inexperience clear to almost everyone. Still quite a filly in most ways, yet her eyes shone with a kind of intelligence that had been what attracted him to her in the first place. Though she'd seemed high strung and high maintenance, she was a strong, hardy type, and seemed to have a sort of genuine-ness about her that made him curious. Of course, she might just turn out to be terribly arrogant, but it was something he'd just have to watch out for. With Jotunheim's lack of grasses and water, it took a tough horse to survive, and though she did seem to require high maintenance, she also seemed like she would be able to survive hardship.
He saw Eliza smiling to herself when she saw his actions, and he fought the urge to chuckle as well. A few years back he would never have tried something like this, but with Astrid and Eliza's encouragements to go find other mares, he was being a little more open. Additionally, the time spent with Primrose had also made him more open to the idea of mares he would usually just have not approached out of want to keep the herd quiet. Though Primrose was vain and a flirt, she was loyal and steadfast, and had given many earls a hard time when they had tried to push their boundaries with her. She was a swift and agile fighter, and he trusted her, though he would not think to do so upon first glance. He had offered Primrose sanctuary as she was in need of one, and instead of chasing her away after a few months, he had genuinely come to like her being around. Perhaps Heidi was the same way. He didn't sense any sort of viciousness about her, after all. Though, if she did end up starting fights, he would have to chase her out either way.
As she responded, she seemed to have a realisation of her own, before starting to grow more relaxed, her words starting to slip from her tongue more freely. Her words made sense, and as she blushed, Phantom noted that she was a relatively astute mare, along with that raw honesty he'd spotted before. All the same, he wondered if she really knew about what went on in her own herd. Knowing that he wasn't privy to the emotions of Titan nor his herd, Phantom couldn't really say if she was being treated as a nuisance, but looking at the way Thera kept glancing at him, Heidi was far from unprotected.
Amused, Phantom knew that if he made any moves on the maiden there was a high chance of Titan bursting in out of nowhere as well, and with Bjorn keyed up as he was, Phantom had no intentions of making himself a scapegoat for frustration. However, observing the way Heidi looked him over, it was safe to say that the mare was interested, and as she ended off shyly, Phantom wondered why she seemed so bashful when she was usually so high-strung. Perhaps that was just the newness of the situation, or perhaps she flew wildly between being high-strung and being insecure. All the same, it spoke of the maiden's loneliness, of wanting somewhere to belong, and that Phantom knew he had an answer to.
"You are definitely a lot." Phantom finally said, acknowledging that the maiden had a lot of energy and possibly a lot of needs. However, his voice was tinged with appreciation, giving the phrase a lot a whole new meaning as he said it, catching the maiden's eye to make sure she caught the compliment imbued in the words. "But that is nothing to be ashamed of."
Gesturing to his herd with a snort, Phantom continued, trying to present himself honestly and not make any promises he couldn't keep. If one had to keep a mare with lies, after all, it was best not to keep them at all. "Many of my mares would be deemed a lot, but they are strong, loyal herdmates all the same."
"Jotunheim has few necessities, but we survive with each other." Looking them over proudly, Phantom checked himself, looking the maiden in the eye. "I am of few words, and whilst there plenty of room for independence and freedom, there is none for arguments. You seem to want a family, and I would like if you joined me in mine when we leave."
After those words, Phantom nodded to himself, satisfied with his phrasing as he waited for the maiden's answer. Would she require more time to think about it?
After a few moments, a call shook him with it's familiarity. Stjerne! Though he wasn't too sure if he trusted the mare, she was under his protection nonetheless, and he would go to her if she was in danger. Immediately snapping to attention, Phantom started to pivot, but Eliza's command cut him off, stilling his hooves. As the words let themselves be deciphered into meaning, they made sense, so Phantom did not move after Eliza as she dashed off, though his muscles tensed in worry, his head bowing in worry. It made sense. Signe was still birthing, and he was in unfamiliar territory, whilst Eliza had grown up in this land. Getting injured out of bravado would only put his herd in greater danger. It would be better to conserve energy and be ready to provide backup if the need arose.
Luckily, Bjorn was back now. With Titan patrolling the perimeter, Phantom knew that there would be extra hooves should he need to rush off, and he let that calm him, instead standing on alert at the back of his herd, keeping his eye on Signe, Astrid, Primrose and the other two herds. Eliza would call if she needed him, and if she did, then he would go over. As of now, pacing would do nothing but waste his energy. Taking a deep breath and keeping his ears pricked, Phantom kept his senses on full alert, watching and waiting for any need to take action. Still, there was no need to move yet, so as he waited, a ear trained on the direction Eliza had gone, he looked toward Heidi curiously, indicating that he did indeed still want an answer.
Northern Quiver
Tagged: Heidi, Inkeri, Ellie
Mentions: Titan, Bjorn, Phantom, Rhaenys and Signe
As she moved the herd along, Thera heard Heidi's soft whisper of a question, said so softly only she heard. Though the young filly was inexperienced and unsure, it seemed that at least in subterfuge, she knew enough of the basics. The observation made pride settle quietly in her heart, and she hid her smile, responding in kind. "I'd imagine he's patroling the perimeter, just out of sight."
Casting her gaze out across the trees, Thera didn't quite see her stallion, but was not alarmed. Given the colour of his pelt, it would be a miracle if she did manage to catch a sight of him. She suppressed a sigh. Titan's coat was definitely a thing of admiration, with it's sleek colouring and impressive boldness, but sometimes the mare did wish that he would have a flash of white or some other colour, just to make spotting him a little easier. Not that she told him. With his belief in the Gods and his pride in his lineage, suggesting that it was less than perfect would be a definite way to earn the stallion's ire. It was something not worth the quarrel over, and so Thera set it aside. No stallion was perfect, after all.
As her daughter reacted almost viscerally to the thought of her brothers or Bjorn, Thera fought a smile. She had noticed the way Heidi had shrunk back from Bjorn's impressive form. He'd stormed in, radiating utter aggression as he shot a stony look at everyone, with a pretty little mare trailing along behind him. His look had only gotten darker when he couldn't find Titan, and Thera felt the slight worry she'd had when she'd been unable to spot the stallion grow. Though Titan was strong, he was young and Thera was not sure how a fight between the two would go. Additionally, Phantom was also present, and Thera did not know enough about that stallion to know who he would side with, or if he would stand to the side. She did not want a fight to break out.
Viggo's name was mentioned, however, and Thera turned to look at her daughter curiously. Viggo was a strong specimen of a stallion, but Thera had her doubts. Though the Kings ruled large herds and had control over territory, earls were able to have small herds, and some even managed to keep a little band together for a while. However, Viggo had been unable to keep even one mare throughout the years, and that made Thera feel like there was something to be desired in the palomino. Then again, with Heidi's strength and speed, it would have to be a terrible stallion for a foal to turn out badly. At her base, Thera did just wish for her child to be happy, so with a huff, Thera nudged Heidi gently, nibbling at her. "Don't rush into a decision, take your time." Better to think it over to make sure she didn't have any regrets.
At Thera's comment about Haukr, Inkeri agreed, nudging Thera's shoulder, to which Thera gave a warm whicker of response. Though Thera was an independent mare, she did still desire the security of a herd and the company of others, and as such was usually open to such things, though she didn't start them herself. Inkeri was a beautiful mare, and Thera had to admit-though Phantom's coat was not especially eye-catching when compared to the other two stallions, he produced stunning children. She thought about the younger mare's answer, nodding thoughtfully. "Perhaps a filly would be best. As much glory and honour as colts have, it would take a blind horse to say their lives are particularly easy or fulfilling. Besides, Heidi is brash enough for a couple of colts combined."
Her last sentence was said with a mix of admiration and exasperation, combined with a cursory look at said daughter. She had been a wreck of nerves when Thera had stolen a look, but now she seemed to relax a little more, speaking more openly. Phantom was a stable choice. Though somewhat scruffy, he was an exceptional fighter, and well, Thera knew about being not much to look at to know that that wasn't all to be known about a horse. All the same, he seemed very quiet, and Thera wasn't quite sure he would know what to do with all that exuberance her daughter had. All the same, she reminded herself, it was Heidi's own choice. It was high time her daughter learned how to make her own decisions and gain her own experiences.
Looking back at Bjorn, Thera thought about Heidi's repulsion to the stallion. Though aggressive and secretive, she personally felt that it leant the stallion some mystery, which made her undeniably curious. She felt like peppering the stallion with questions, figuring out what made him tick, what made him hole himself up in the forest instead of being able to run in the plateaus. It was a little laughable, how he visibly relaxed around his herd, as if they were the ones that guarded him instead of the other way round. So different from Titan.
Thinking of her stallion, Thera felt her heat grow stronger concurrently with the knot in her stomach. Though she didn't start panicking, Thera scuffed the ground slightly worriedly, definitely unsure. The worry only increased as a scream tore through the air and Phantom's mare disappeared with some bold words. Thera frowned as Phantom listened to the young mare. Surely the stallion would want to cut his losses and keep his herd together? Her ears flicking about, unsure, Thera took a few steps forward, drawing the rest of the herd together. Hopefully Phantom's new fascination with her daughter would lead him to protect her better than that.
Looking at Inkeri and Ellie, Thera made herself clamp down on the worry. She would do no good worrying. Stirring up panic would be silly in such a situation. Titan had said he would be in the proximity, and she trusted him. Looking at the two of them, she nuzzled them, taking comfort in the familiar company and allowing them to feel secure in her in return.
After she had done so, Thera let out a soft sigh, focusing on both the pregnant mares in the other herds. Though it was sad that Alfheim had no new foals this year, it was a stroke of luck that none of them were foaling in this storm, dangerous as it was. As Bjorn cut circles round his herd, driving them together but also away from both Titan and Phantom's herds, Thera's ears flicked back in unease. He wasn't about to chase them out, was he? "This weather is a dangerous one for the start of spring. Hopefully after all of this, the winter's weather will finally be put past us."
The last winter was terrible, much colder than the others before. None of the yearlings from any of the herds had survived, and they were all feeling the loss.
Thera stared at the new mare, unsure of why such a new mare had been brought into this mix. There was something odd about her... Looking at the others, she whickered to get their attention. "Do the two of you sense something off about that mare?"
