tolters | challenge thread // ideas

[paradise,]

DAY ONE

Username: paradise,
Writing: The summer sun beamed brightly from up in the sky, reflecting down onto the vast pastures of Canyon Ridge Ranch. They were rather sparse at the moment, only housing a few lively tolters who enjoyed the summer heat while the others cooled off inside the barn. Melody was one of the few who enjoyed having the sun bake her skin, leaving her with warm, joyful feelings. The blue taffy mare was grazing lazily near the right side of the pasture, her body almost pressing against the fence railing as she nibbled at the green stalks below. It was quiet for the most part with the exception of soft thunder rolling off in the distance just beyond the hill's peaks. Although Melody was a rather social mare, she enjoyed these moments of solidarity; they helped her to rejuvenate after a hard day's work.

A noise off in the distance caught her attention though, a rather subtle but distinct whinny. Lifting her head, the mare swiveled her ears towards the noise, her mint eyes trying to detect the owner of the sound. Suddenly, another whinny, this one sharper, rang out across the horizon. Flaring her nostrils, the young mare picked up the scent of another horse, not too far away. Curious, the little mare let out a whinny of her own, inviting the stranger to come closer. Atop of a rocky hill he appeared, black like the night and massive, his muscles evident even from how far away she was. Melody had never seen a tolter that looked so... so huge. Not even just his muscles, no, his whole stature. His legs were longer, neck thicker, head taller- it seemed like he had been genetically altered to have his best features stand out.

Feeling slightly embarrassed for how long she had been staring, the blue taffy shifted her weight from hoof to hoof, eyeing the stallion to see if he'd come closer. As expected, the midnight animal pressed closer, his ears pricked in her direction, curious as well.

"H-hello." Melody managed, stretching her head out over the fence so he could hear her better.
"Hello." The male responded, moving closer as well, leaning his muzzle out towards her own to greet her.
"I'm Melody!" She chirped in response, flicking her ears forward in interest.
"How did you get out there? And who are you? I've never seen you before." The mare rambled on, not realizing she wasn't giving him a chance to answer. The older male chuckled at her excitement, "I'm Midnight. And I live out here." He smiled, "I don't have an owner like you."
Melody was surprised, "No owner?" How could that be? Any horse she had ever known had had some type of owner.
"I'm wild, always have been."
"Wow, that sounds scary, but fun."
Chuckling again, the dark stallion nodded. "It is indeed fun. You should join me sometime."
"Me? But how could I?"
"You could just jump that small fence in front of you."
"I could?"
The mare didn't have time to think about his offer though, as the sound of the dinner bell rang out across the ranch.
"Oh, I-I have to go. Please come back sometime!" She quickly addressed the stallion before bounding off towards the paddock gate, still flustered by the strange but interesting encounter. She'd never met anyone like him.

(569 words)

[paradise,]

The fresh morning dew coated the grass, glistening against the bright sunlight. Ares was glad anytime his owner would decide to take him out for a nice stroll through the forest which lay not too far off from their property. It was just so gorgeous in the morning- the shining sunlight, the fresh air, all of the wildlife. It set his mind at ease and kind of got him prepared for the rest of the day. Hearing a soft click from his owner, the stallion eased into a trot, gently throwing each leg forward to match the faster gait. The soft chirping of a nearby bird filled the space around him, allowing Ares to relax and just enjoy his time. Riding wasn't too much of a big deal for the chimeric, it was just something you did. He enjoyed getting to explore new areas and figure out his owner's agenda for the day.

Not too far into their ride, the sounds of a bubbling creek reached his ears, causing them to prick forward in interest. The creek ran along next to the trail almost most of the ride. It was rather cold to the touch, but it was a nice place to take a break and cool off. Turning his attention towards the water, the stallion took note of all of the animals nearby. There were a few rabbits taking a sip from the water as well as a few deer. Hiding within the trees were squirrels and birds, eagerly awaiting their turn to drink. Smiling, he returned his focus towards the ride, allowing his legs to carry him and his rider further into the forest.

A light sweat had started to form along the stallion's multicolored coat, causing the hair to look a bit darker. They were on the way back now, having been gone for around a half hour already. Ares' nostrils flared, taking in the scents around them. While doing so, he picked up the scent of something unfamiliar, something quite new. Raising his head in slight alarm, he jolted his head to the left and right, trying to see what this new creature was. "Woah, easy buddy." His owner responded, now also a bit worried from seeing her horse's reaction. Breathing out heavily, the stallion froze in his spot, not willing to move an inch. That was when he saw it. A huge raven colored animal appeared from the underbrush, his large stature scaring anything in its path. Whatever this animal was, Ares didn't like it one bit. "Bear." His rider whispered in shock, the two of them glued to their spots. The furry beast walked right out into the trail, his dark eyes staring right at the duo. Ares reared slightly, wanting to turn the other way and bolt. As he did so, the bear also raised up onto two legs, sniffing the air. Wait, he can do that too? The stallion thought, completely bewildered. It seemed that this stare off would last forever, but eventually the black bear lowered to his four legs once again and slowly walked off back into the forest, disappearing within seconds. And just like that he was gone. Ares was amazed and terrified all at the same time. What was that thing? Interested but not wanting to stick around any longer, the stallion jolted into a brisk trot, turning his head back one more time to where the creature entered the bushes.

(573 words)

[paradise,]