𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐃𝐒 － open！！

[azhefa.]

xxxx
⚜ ° ＡＭＡＥＲＡ ° ⚜
{ ɪ'ᴍ ᴀ ɴɪɢʜᴛᴍᴀʀᴇ ᴅʀᴇꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴀꜱ ᴀ ᴅᴀʏᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ }
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mae ● 3.5 ● lone maiden ● heat 3 ● location; idavoll [falls]

tags; titan/herd, phantom/bjorn/earls [mentioned]
the maiden snorts a little at her own foolishness and flattens her ears at titan as he speaks, not really sure what he means by her lineage, but doesn't question it. her maw opens and closes a few times, but ends up snapping shut after a moment, unsure what to say now that she's made a huge idiot of herself. mae huffs a little before turning and trotting back to the water, leaving titan's herd behind in favor of the refreshing falls. though she has just washed herself, she wades out into the water anyway and stands in the deeper section so the water covers her completely with only her head visible. there had been a larger lake back home where she would submerge herself for hours, a comforting constant pressure of the water easing her tempers. it also hides her heat scent from strange stallions. mae can feel her growing discomfort, but is uncertain of what to do about it. her instincts say find a stallion, but she's also unsure which one she would choose. there were two other kings in the area, though one seems to be occupied by defending his herd. the golden stallion was a definite contender for her heat, but he looks rather intimidating from this distance, especially when he roars at the earls. speaking of earls, mae wonders if any were actually of any credit, if they were all a bunch of hormone-fevered idiots or proper gentlemen. the maiden's gaze moves across the plains around her, but doesn't really find a stallion suitable enough to be worthy of someone like her.

xxxx
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{ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅᴏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇ }
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no nickname ● age unknown ● oracle ● no prophecies ● location; idavoll [falls]

tags; saorise, d'art, herds [mentioned]
[gonna wait for saorise's response]

xxxx
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{ ᴍᴇɴ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ғᴇᴀʀ ꜱᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ғᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀꜱ }
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sam ● 10 ● band earl ● 1 mare ● 0 foals ● location; idavoll

tags; ylva, eliza, dia, herds mentioned
the trek to idavoll ended up being quite interesting for the stallion, especially when eliza's heat grew to the point he could no longer ignore it. though he wasn't very keen on stealing her for himself, doing so would surely bring his downfall, but it was hard to not take interest in the young valkyrie. it seemed to surprise them both when she allowed him to cover her, though he was certainly pleased with being able to do so. sammael did feel rather shamed at himself for doing so, he'd told himself when he first offered to escort the mare that he wouldn't try to court her. now look at him. his instincts demand he keep the mare for himself now that he's covered her, to protect the life that could be growing within her, but he reigns it in and pushes it down. eliza's cry to the king and the herd was rather saddening for him since he's grown to fancy her, but makes no move to keep her when she runs off to rejoin her family. the stallion's ears flick around as he watches eliza nuzzle ylva before leaving for the herd. he was a little put off by being out in the open after days of hiding away waiting for the proper time to show himself.

sammael stood with ylva a good ways from the herds, not wanting to intrude on their space as well as keeping a safe distance should they get the idea of trying to steal his only mare. the stud snorts softly before turning to groom ylva a little, mostly to ease his own nerves at being under the scrutiny of the kings. though he could easily hold himself against one of the kings, he knows these three would surely gang up on him should he prove himself a threat. sammael's head jerks up suddenly at the sound of a mare's warcry and steps forward instinctively to block ylva from any dangers. his eyes land on the figure of a young earl trying to steal one of phantom's mares, eliza attempts to stop him, but she seems outmatched by the slightly older stallion. the king and other mare, on the other hand, were perfectly capable of fighting. they attack the young earl and another cry sounds across the plains, a stallion's threatening roar this time. sam glances over to see that it was bjorn who sounded the call and flicks his ears around in uncertainty. he wants to help and prove his worth, but is unsure if it would be seen as helping them and not the earl.

movement off to the side makes sammael turn to look and his ears disappear into his mane at the sight of yet another earl snooping around phantom's herd. this one was slightly older than the other, but still younger than himself as well as smaller. an easy scuffle for sure. sam bumps his nose against ylva's neck to usher her a little closer to phantom's herd for protection and gives her an affectionate nicker before turning and charging at dia. his ears folded back and head lowered, the dark stallion moves with strength and confidence to cut between the other earl and phantom's herd. he stands facing the bachelors and squeals a challenge at him, half rearing to slam his heavy hooves into the dirt. the black stallion was at least a hand or more taller than dia and heavier, not to mention a few years older. sammael tucks his chin to his chest in the classic challenging posture and paws the ground aggressively before striking the air with his hooves. his display sends a clear message to the bachelor, stay away.

[eventer]

❝ ＡＴＨＥＮＡ ❞

mare ■ fourteen years ■ 16"3 arabian warmblood ■ stallion; bjorn■ tags; herd

❝ ＩＭＰＥＲＩＡＬ ＤＡＲＫＮＥＳＳ ❞

imp ■ colt ■ few hours ■ mature 17"0 andalusion x arabian warmblood ■ mares; none ■ tags; athena, sire's herd

■ athena watched as her colts sire came over, she pinned her ears back at his enthusiasm, however he of course would have expected this and made no attempt to go straight to their son. relaxing her muscles and a soft smile appeared upon her features. she huffed softly into his shoulder as he gently grazed his teeth along her spine. with imperial just out to the side of her hip, curled around her hind legs, she didn't mind where bjorn stood, for she could still force him away, however, she was not that foolish, protective maybe, but she knew her stallion would only take down a foal if there was little life left in the being, to which imp was the opposite, he was already wanting to run, younger than some of the others already in the herd, and yet his behaviour said otherwise. like his sire said, he was blessed with the strength of a bear. her smile sunk slightly and she raised her head slightly, lifting a hind leg up slightly, in warning,but a simple touch was all bjorn seemed to need for the moment before he pulled away. pleased in the stallions patience and control, she relaxed once more and watched as her son wondered off a meter or two investigating a rabbit or something, she turned slightly so she was now facing imperial, her shoulder in line with bjorn now before looking to him as he spoke, she was unsure if he'd appreciate imp's name imperial was fitting, perhaps bjorn would think her choice of nickname was weak, but she quite liked it, and imp would keep it.

athena was seconds from speaking up, but the distraction of eliza's call stole bjorns attention. she followed his gaze and beckoned for imp to return to her side, he did so quickly, and remained glued to her hip as she nudged bjorn softly as he trotted off. she herself move closer to the middle of the herd, to make it easier on bjorn should either of the earls try to challenge him, for if she remained on the outskirts - where she would likely return when it was safe again - it would make it that much harder for bjorn to keep her and the rest of the mares safe, and that much easier for an earl to separate her or other mares, while she pinned her ears at the other mares, making it aware they were not welcome next to imp, she didn't go over board, a simple pin of the ears, or a toss of the head was enough for the message to be sent, a kick would only be sent if a mare disobeyed.


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❝ ＰＡＮＤＯＲＡ ❞

mare ■ sixteen years ■ 16"3 australian thoroughbred x mustang ■ stallion; phantom■ tags; herd

■ grazing off to the side of the herd, sorry no muse for her


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❝ ＭＯＯＮ ＢＥＦＯＲＥ ❞

artemis ■ mare ■ two years ■ mature 17"1 belgian warmblood x french anglo arabian ■ stallion; none ■ tags; open

■ artemis grazing next to a lake


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❝ ＳＹＢＩＬ ❞

mare ■ fifteen years ■ 15"3 australian brumby x english thoroughbred ■ stallion; titan■ tags; herd

■ the chestnut pinto mare stood just off from her herd, she's been keeping up enough as it was but being so heavily pregnant and due to drop in a week, slow was her only speed at the moment. her eyes flicked forwards towards her dark coloured stallion, and nickered softly before making her way towards him. her bond with him was a bit estranged, her affection was low, especially when his attention was distracted by his other mares, she had been with titan now for about 9 years, she had lost last years foal due to a fatal kick from a young stallion trying to claim her. she huffed softly and as she grew closer she stopped when something shifted in an unusual way behind her. flicking her ears towards thera, she watched how the leads stance changed, most horses in the herd would have probably thought sybil would lead the herd with her more experience and age, except she didn't like the authority that much. she was probably the most dominant in the herd, but authority over the group was not her thing... she'd only take over as lead if disrespect was thrown at her.

the pregnant pinto mare watched thera's gaze and looked to mazi, she furrowed her brow slightly, if she wasn't so heavily pregnant she'd back thera up, but she wasn't about to risk her unborn foal. she simply decided that if mazi was going to be difficult, sybil would put the young mare in her box, because no way was sybil going to let a smart a** young mare be a little brat, if she was smart, she wouldn't cross sybil, because it wouldn't take much for the older mare to put her in her box, otherwise, she'd have no worries with the youngster, but sybil would only return the respect to the young mare if respect was first given, it did not work the other way with older mares, young mares must first respect before it was returned, no matter the rank.

a sharp tinge in her stomach made her kick up lightly at her stomach, ears flicking back she took a step forwards with both front feet, so stretch her back a little. ears pinned back she snorted softly at the cramps in her stomach, she was going into labour, and from her experience with these types of pulls, it was going to be a long labour, she felt no need to leave just yet to foal, not until later tonight. that came with experience, knowing when to leave to give birth.

with a soft sigh the mare looked towards titan, twitching an ear with a soft nicker, letting him know what was going on and that she'd be leaving in a few hours to give birth to his tenth foal with her. she'd had a set of twins to him twice now, so made up for the lost foal last spring. with a flick of her tail over her haunches.

ears flicking the mare huffed softly, and lowered her nose to pick at the grass around her before glancing to thera and mazi, ears flicking curiously.

[na'vi.]

ＦＯＲＳＥＴＩ ──x❝i still believe in you.❞
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◀ ❰ jotunheim maiden ❱ ❰ gypsy vanner ❱ ❰ mare ❱ ❰ 2.7 years❱ ❰ foals: none ❱ ❰ status: 2nd stage ❱ ❰ location: hnitbjorg ❱ ❰ tags: Sammael, Herd, & Dia ❱ ❰ mentions: - ❱▶
To say that this docile maiden wasn't in the best of mood would possibly be the most accurate statement one could make in their lives. Having just settled again nearest the two new colts but far enough away to be respectable it was only a matter of moments before yet another idiotic Earl came crashing into things and Forseti's ears slicked back into her mane out of sheer annoyance. She watched the residing second stallion of her heard, her half brother, lay out his own threats and for the most part the large mare stayed beside the two colts- their mother enraged and giving who she could only identify as Mjolnir a what for following by Phantom. The herd was quite reactive today- she always found Jotunheim to be one of the large herds that seemed to have little to no drama and yet today it was full of it.

However her eyes caught the black pelt of another stallion who arrived on the scene and at first Forseti was both dumbfounded and enraged. It seemed Titan was trying to take advantage of the situation, but upon smelling this obsidian stallion he wasn't Titan and her gaze broke looking across the Falls to see the black king with his own herd. The realization forced a confused squeal to come from her but she followed where he went and her eyes landed on Dia and her half sibling Nigel. Forseti watched as mares older and admittedly stronger through experience had maneuvered themselves so the foals and weaker parts of the herd where on the inside. Feeling quite safe with that movement Forseti left the two colts and paced forward, her head low and her gaze burning with a hatred that was picked fresh from Hel. She knew damn well these two Earls, the one black as night, and Nigel could handle Dia but she wanted him to see her face. She was one the to chase him away from Vira prior to and the anger burning inside of her belly felt scathingly hot. It was moments like these when Forseti wished she would have taken up her father's offers to train her in the art of fighting. However hindsight vision was 20/20 and at the time Forseti was far too busy mooning over the new foals.

She neared the trio of Stallions and moved to the side of Sammael, her head low and ears all but gone into her thick mane. She didn't even speak but merely stood there, waves of hostility and nearly tangible anger rolling from very being. If Dia tried something he'd merely look like and idiot- he was out numbered and she was positive this black earl had more experience. Not to mention the sheer brute force that She, Nigel, and Sammael had over Dia. However, being the young mare that she was Forseti couldn't help but steal one, or maybe several, looks to this new Earl. She had never seen the likes of him and while Titan's appearance was alluring but his personality made her shy away this stallion had almost all of her attention. Not now Forseti! she inwardly scolded herself before turned away once more to Dia, her posture all but screaming hostility.

[unnamed]

Ｔ Ｉ Ｔ Ａ Ｎ ！ ！
alfheim king . eleven years . stallion . tags: amaera, thera, mazi, mjolnr, bjorn, lots mentioned . location: franang's falls

Titan watches as the lone mare backs up, obviously embarrassed by her accusations being directed at the wrong stallion, before she turns and ventures back into the Falls. Slowly the aggression which was so clearly written across the line's of his body fade away until he stood poised and relaxed once again. He wondered quietly when it was that Sammael had returned to Valhalla and if he knew his daughters had followed him. Part of him longed to reconnect with Sammael after not seeing him for so long but a more dominant part of his mind desired to keep the stallion at bay. The last thing Titan wanted was his own blood line coming and taking his mares from him. Speaking of which, the king suddenly became aware of how spread out his herd was. He stopped, looking across the Falls and seeing just what was happening, Bjorn's herd had arrived meanwhile Phantom was having issues of his own with two earls. Even the previously peaceful Falls were no longer safe it seemed. Nickering loudly he called for Mazi, Ingrid, and Irmela to return before giving the same message to Sybil and Cita. With what was happening he wanted them all back and standing together, not so spread out.

Turning to call for Mazikeen and Thera he was instead greeted with the sight of the quarter mare charging after Thera. He took a worried step forward and behind him his tail lashed in annoyance. Sensibly Titan knew it wasn't his place to intervene, he chose a lead mare but her position could be challenged by anyone. If there was one in place than it wasn't his position to change it. What did bother him was what could occur from the fight. Thera, who'd just been covered, could be harmed during the fight. Or even worse Mazi could choose to truly assert herself and chase his mare from the herd. The idea of that happening made him angry for several reasons: he'd lose Thera and pride angered him at the thought of her running off to Bjorn who was apparently so interesting to her. Nonetheless the king did not advance on the situation, instead nickering again for the others to get closer to each other as he redirected his attention once more.

Phantom's own problems could quickly become the other kings. Bjorn already stood in a threatening manner towards the situation to deliver his own clear threat. Titan was not so neutral. Casting one last careful glance towards his foals and mares he trotted forward towards Phantom's herd, still enough to give some distance but close enough to make himself heard. While Nigel, Phantom's own sentinel, and another horse who appeared to be Sammael dealt with Dia in the back on the other side of the herd Phantom was trying to deal with Mjolnir. Though Phantom was more than capable of handling the situation the other king had a desire to see the earls gone as quickly as possible and thus he directed his attention to Mjolnir as well. Rearing up he squealed loudly before his hooves reconnected with the ground and he stamped the mud beneath him. His own message conveyed the same that Bjorn's stance had. Trying to do anything in a place filled with three massive kings was a death wish and it was once that the stallion would be eager to deliver.

ＡＳＴＲＩＤ ！ ！
jotunheim maiden . two years . mare . tags: vira, jotunheim herd, mjolnir . location: hnjtiborg

Signe's nuzzle was reassuring and brought momentary relief to Astrid, a soft whuff of tension leaving her body as she settled into the other mare. As the other began speaking she removed her head to look at the mare more closely. Her previous relief was quickly replaced by worry as Signe informed her of what had happened to Vira. It seemed quite a bit had happened in such a short time and the earls of Valhalla were becoming more bold in their actions, "Oh dear, how terrible that is. Do you think she'll be alright?" Of course before Signe could even answer the more fiery of the two twins came storming up to Astrid screaming about where she'd been. Surprise was her first reaction at how daring the other mare could be and how hurt she seemed. However irritation replaced it a moment later. Astrid loved her sister dearly and knew there was a disadvantage in physical capabilities but it didn't mean her problems were more important than her own. Two earls had just attempted to snake her before launching into a fight and had she not run she was sure she'd have fallen under Mjolnir's wraith. A short flick of her ears was all she managed before Phantom stepped in and told Vira to back off.

It eased her for a moment but life in Valhalla was rarely peaceful. Her ears swiveled backwards at the sound of charging and she turned quickly only to see Mjolnir reappearing and diving straight for her. It seemed the earl was a bit more stubborn than she'd anticipated and had chased her from Hnjtiborg all the way to the Falls. Without warning Signe charged into action, clearly displaying her strength as she took on the stallion moments before Phantom appeared to aide her. Her inital shock wore off and quickly Astrid's eyes landed on Vidar who'd been pushed out of the way. Springing forward she quickly rushed over Vidar, coaxing the colt underneath her and ushering him more towards the center of the herd. Placing herself over him her ears disappeared into her mane and she dipped her head low in an aggressive stance directed towards Mjolnir. Though certainly not the most aggressive mare around it seemed seeing the colt without a mother had triggered unknown maternal instincts.

Eliza's reappearance and words caused Mjolnir to state his purpose and Astrid snorted softly before speaking up, hesitation in her voice at the sudden boldness, "Leave with your life Mjolnir, this is no place for you and no mares here are your own." Around them the sounds of the other king's rang out, Bjorn's threatening stance and Titan's rearing meant much of the attention was suddenly on the Jotunheim herd. A skyward glance brought her eyes upon a group of three horses, standing together and watching the happenings of the herds below. She felt drawn to them for a moment before remembering what was happening around her and her head instantly dropped back. She whickered gently to Otabeka, calling the filly to her as well.

Ｓ Ａ Ｏ Ｒ Ｉ Ｓ Ｅ
lone valkyrie . eight years . mare . tags: azarias, d'art . location: idavoll

While Azarias refrained from looking at her as he spoke she did spare a glance to him before returning her attention to the herds below. Things were happening and quite quickly, the tension in the air was clear although it didn't reach the hill where she stood. She huffed softly in a half-hearted laugh when he agreed to her prior statement; while the inhabitants of Valhalla were engrossed in their antics she and this strange stallion were outsiders who remained watching. Her ears swiveled in his direction as her name left his lips as though he'd known her his entire life. Once minor curiosity now grew. How was it this stallion now knew her name? Where she came from these champagne coats did not exist, he would have stuck out like a sore thumb and she'd surely have known him. However at this moment it didn't seem to worry her as it normally might. She felt oddly comfortable beside him and her usual hesitation did not exist. She had no desire to pour her heart out to him but was open to answer his question more thoroughly than she normally would, "You would be correct. These kings are of no interest to me. One can see from here they are the same, one in each other. I have no desire to be tied to a harem." Her words were cold towards the kings, her obvious lack of interest apparent. Anytime she'd been courted it had typically been by older earls who could handle the strong minded mare. If they had a herd it was a small one. Saorise would hang around for some time, usually claiming her spot as lead when the mares were young. Perhaps she'd mother a foal or two but Saorise always left. It was rare that a herd could hold her interest.

Her ears swiveled backwards at the sound of another horse approaching. She glanced over her shoulder as a new horse, an appaloosa similar in appearance to herself, came forward and greeting the golden stallion in an ancient tongue. She turned her head back towards the herds as the kings squared up against a group of earls. She imagined that the excitement of the moments would die down soon once the earls dissipated. At the moment her interest was only being held by the fights within the herds; once they died down she'd likely retreat in favor of not interacting with the herds. Lie low for a few days to gain a better understanding of the land before reappearing. As D'Artagnan spoke beside her she nodded slowly, "No, I come far from these lands. My grand dam left this place many years ago in favor of harsher lands I suppose. We may share a blood line, however minor it is." Seeing as she saw no other horses sharing their same coat she assumed either they shared the same blood line or were the last of their respective ones.

[lynettetan1]

Midnight's Mirage
Tagged: Mjolner, His herd (Nigel included), Dia, Sammael and Ylva
Mentioned:

(Before all the chaos happened)
At a familiar cry, Phantom couldn't help his own ears perking forward, a gentle smile forming on his features as he saw his golden mare return. Whilst she had only come to his herd a year ago, he had felt her absence sorely in the past few hours, and he could barely remember how life was before she'd arrived. Then again, that was also due to his highly adaptable nature. Without it, he'd still be paralyzed over the loss of quite a few of his mares, the children of which still milled around him, filling him with quiet nostalgia.

Two other horses were about her, a small paint mare and... Titan? Confused, Phantom looked over to Titan, who was currently talking to a large bay. Frowning, he looked back over. Perhaps a relative of Titan's, then. As Eliza seemed to bid her goodbyes, Phantom cocked his head, watching. It seemed they had bonded quite well.

As she moved closer, however, it became clear they had more than 'bonded'. His ears flicking in indecision, Phantom listened as Eliza spoke, batting away the instinctual surge of aggression at someone he was so close to with someone else. As she spoke of what the other small band had done for her, he felt some of the aggression cease, instead looking over at the other black stallion and giving him a grudging nod of acknowledgement. Eliza was far more precious to him than her hypothetical child, and he did see the other stallion deserving of some thanks. All the same, some of that stallion's 'services' were less than ideal.

As she spoke of the two foals, Phantom nodded, looking toward her and running his lips over her mane gently. "It's good to have you back. I've missed you." Then, he looked back at the two young ones, he spoke once more, slightly discomforted. "The bright bay is Signe's, but the other I think she found. All the same, I do not think he knows. I have not had the opportunity to speak to Signe about their names." As he said so, it was obvious from his tone that he was uncomfortable with that fact.

In all honesty, the stallion wanted nothing better then to whisk everyone to Jotunheim-preferably with Heidi- so that he could get everyone together and everyone functioning like a cohesive herd once more. He also wanted to greet the new foals, being quite a familial stallion. Whether of his blood or no, foals brought new life into Valhalla, and he'd never seen the point of eradicating any of them. Still, with her words towards the two foals, he couldn't help but feel slightly more at ease as well, grooming her gently and allowing her scent to mix with his once more so she wouldn't feel too out of place for long.

(Continuing from where I left off in the previous post)

As Eliza appeared by him, engaging the paint bachelor in conversation, Phantom dimly realised he recognised the bachelor as another child of Bjorn's. His nonchalant dismissal of the safety of the foals and the way he spoke of Astrid, however, had Phantom let out a loud snort, the king growing more and more disinterested with speaking to this bachelor. As Eliza called and Bjorn roared backup, however, Phantom couldn't help but feel slightly awed by Eliza's ability to predict her father's actions.

The bachelor was quite seriously wounded, and Phantom wondered why he wasn't giving up. His inexperience definitely showed, for one, with how wounded he was. It had become blatantly obvious during the very brief spat that Mjolnir had no chance. The bachelor had not even attempted to dodge nor evade the blows, which left him injured whilst Phantom was still fine. At that moment, the second bachelor was accosted by Nigel as well as the stallion looking like Titan, making him slink away to the backdrop of Vira's words (he had to hide a smirk in response to that, to be honest). That was one problem down.

Phantom felt an errant joy as Nigel appeared. Though Nigel was technically a bachelor, he often lingered round the herd, almost like a lieutenant stallion, and Phantom had worried for him during the storm, given how he hadn't been allowed to follow along. Phantom had never given his son the official title of lieutenant stallion, wanting him to go out and find his own path (he knew he wasn't exactly young and full of promise with his age, after all), the bachelor always returned, looking out for the herd and it's foals. In return, Phantom always tried to encourage him out in the spring but would always welcome him back in the winter if he needed a herd to tide the winter over with.

Somehow, though the tides had turned, the bachelor refused to read the atmosphere, nor his own state. Charging toward Phantom, he headbutted at Phantom but knocked himself back, given his own injuries. Not wanting to risk it and yet not exactly wanting to kill any bachelor (especially now that he knew it was one of the King's sons), Phantom turned quickly, taking advantage of the other stallion's slow reaction to buck, planting his hoof solidly unto Mjolnir's rump. Even if Mjolnir managed to get Astrid, the pain would not allow him to mount anything for a while.

"Do not touch my herd with your filthy hooves." With that, he lashed his tail about him with finality, whickering in thanks toward Nigel and Sammael, though he did not look away from Mjolnir.

Northern Quiver
Tagged: Mazi
Mentions: Alfheim herd

It seemed the action had definitely been more than enough to set the bay mare off. In response to Thera's actions, the larger mare immediately picked up a trot, moving closer. As she did, Thera found herself watching the other mare as she moved, analyzing her for weaknesses, any lameness that she would be able to use in her favour. Unfortunately (or fortunately, for the herd), she found none.

When close, however, the other mare suddenly exploded. She had been a bit away, but in a moment, she was upon her, teeth heading straight for Thera's own knees. Not willing to risk a bite to the joints, Thera preemptively sunk down, taking the bite on her chest as she pivoted on her knees to launch a buck into Mazi's stomach. Mazi was large, but Thera's small size meant she needed less space to extend. Though Mazi was close, meaning she couldn't extend fully, she was able to land a hit with about half of her power, her ears pinned fully so Mazi wouldn't be able to grab hold.

Mazi had closed up the gap in a second, however, and it was plain to anyone that Thera wouldn't be landing any sort of kicks anytime soon, and moving up to bite would expose her throat. For a second, Thera briefly considered just giving up. After all, she'd given the other mare a fight already, hadn't she? But she knew the answer even before she finished that thought. Whilst she had given Mazi a fight, she hadn't pushed the mare quite enough yet. However, given the other mare's speed, there was no real way she could be fast enough... unless she used surprise.

Seeing the other mare's hoof lift, Thera quickly used her hind legs to lift her body up through the mud slightly, though not enough to fully extend her front legs as she quickly dashed toward Mazi. Moving closer to the other mare, she caught a hoof on the side of her withers, but with her lowered height, squirmed under Mazi before surging up under the younger mare to topple her balance.

Moving quickly, Thera quickly lunged out to bite at Mazi's neck, grabbing at the general area and pulling down so Mazi would feel as if she was being pulled in multiple directions at once, especially if she tried to rear. However, she let go just as quickly, letting go of the chance to close up to instead gain some space, where she would fare better. After all, with Mazi's size, fighting up close would be a death wish.

Dashing a few steps away and ignoring the pain in her chest and withers, Thera turned, before bucking and aiming a kick at Mazi's side.

A City's Dream
Tagged: Citadel, Titan
Mentions: The herd, Nochi Mura

It seemed like the danger was over. Though Dream wasn't quite sure what had happened, both her father and her mother seemed more relaxed, possibly because Dream had set the boundaries of what the big scary mare was supposed to do. In fact, the bay turned around to leave, and Dream's tail wagged as she looked up at her mother with pride, nickering happily and nudging her mother's muzzle with her own as her mother started to groom her. Liking the feeling quite a bit, Dream brought her own muzzle to Cita's forelock, trying to repeat the action back.

Then, there was the sound of hoofbeats. Dream had barely turned before something shoved her, making her whinny loudly in protest as she fell on her rump. Shaking her head and frowning, Dream noticed the other foal now latched unto her mother's teat. The other foal was black, like her father, but she smelled bad, in a way that made Dream shrink back. Was this one of her siblings?

Still, that was HER mother. The other foal seemed to be almost twice her size, but Dream's mother and father were way larger than the both of them, and so had that bay mare just before. Steeling herself, Dream let out a loud cry, coming up and head butting the other foal dominantly, her ears pinned, seperating the foal from her mother after just a few seconds.

Still, she could see the other foal was skin and bones, and in a second, Dream felt unsure. She would feel terrible if she didn't have milk, but the other foal was wrong to knock her over and be so rude, too. Pinning her ears at the other foal, Dream moved aside slightly, making it clear that she wasn't going to stop the other foal sibling if it came to suckle, but only if it did so respectfully. Her mother and her couldn't be treated this way, after all. It wasn't right.

Diamond in the Rough

As a voice spoke up, Dia whirled about, seeing another bachelor, which made him confused. Why would another bachelor fight with him instead of joining up to attack the king that was in peril? As he spoke, however, understanding dawned in Dia's eyes. This was one of the King's sons, most probably. Still, if it was not him and Mjolnir against one King, their chances of winning were low. "Why? They're related to you anyway, they do you no good here!"

With his protest, Dia heard Vira shouting at him from in the herd, and looked over to meet her eyes, ears pinned. She was really pushing it, that one. Ignoring her for the moment, he stared Nigel down. "Or do you just always need your father's approval to go out and make a name for yourself, child?"

Then, as if matters could get any worse, a roar from the nearby King showed Bjorn's willingness to come and fight too. Of course, the golden stallion was a ways away, so if he acted fast enough...

A squeal of challenge made him focus and balk at the sight of a huge black stallion that looked pretty experienced. Looking at his size and experience, not to mention how it would be two against one, it was pretty obvious to see where the odds stood. And then, the large mare from before came over, making Dia hold back a scoff. Whilst he was more than ready to fight her, and was quite sure he would have an even fight with Nigel, fighting all three at once would be a suicide mission. Frowning in discontent, Dia snorted, taking a step back. This isn't over.

With that, Dia turned and ran, not willing to get injured for no good cause. Vira was already carrying his child anyway, she'd be his in time.

[na'vi.]

ＣＩＴＡＤＥＬ ──x❝when the world says, "give up." hope whispers, "try it one more time."❞
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◀ ❰ Alfheim Valkyrie ❱ ❰ mustang x morigan ❱ ❰ mare ❱ ❰ 7½ ❱ ❰ foals: Dream, Nochi Mura (adopted) ❱ ❰ status: nursing ❱ ❰ location: Franang's Falls ❱ ❰ tags: Dream & Nochi Mura ❱ ❰ mentions: the herd, Titan, Bjorn ❱▶
Citadel seemed entranced in the affectionate moment she was sharing with Dream. Her daughter seemed to be feeling quite prideful and triumphant with the outcome of the previously tense situation which had her muzzle upturned slightly in both an amused and prideful smile of her own. In Dream's mind she had probably given that confused mare the what for and Cita wasn't going to tell her daughter any different. Small interactions like these were ones that Citadel felt to be important in the characteristic growth of a foal. Some mares might have scolded their youngsters for behaving in such a way but she knew if the mare tried anything both she and Titan made a formidable barrier between the mare and their daughter to keep anything from happening. The situation that they encountered was under control and a good place to let Dream build up her own confidence and bravery. Upon Dream's own attempts at grooming her forelock she scrunched her nose playfully, nibbling gently along the filly's own forelock with quiet whurrs of both affection and playfulness. Unlike some mares Citadel had labored many times, all of them hard labors so her body was used to the strenuous work and she was younger than some so she easily recuperated. Sure she was sore but she wasn't tired enough to not remain standing. Truthfully the only time she'd lay down for quality rest was when they were in their own territory.

However now the sound of tiny hoofbeats and the overwhelming smell of death, fear, and decay took over the mare and she pulled her head away from Dream to look at the tiny, emaciated, filly that came bolting towards her. This filly seemed to have been crafted from the night sky but her mane and tail were bright white in comparison to her body. This was no offspring of Titan's- that much she knew and the thing smelled as if she had been laying in a pile of rot. Too busy in her observations of the filly she hadn't been quick enough to react and Dream was promptly headbutted out from under her and instead the foal who was nothing more than skin and bones had immediately latched onto her teat to suckle. Initially Citadel was angry, even if this were a helpless foal A City's Dream was her daughter and these brash actions could have wounded her newborn. Just as she was about to move one of her hind legs to force this strange foal off of her Dream surged upwards with a cry and headbutted her- like two battling rams in a fight. Instead of interfering for the moment being she watched carefully- intrigued at how her own daughter would carry out the situation. This new foal was clearly older than Dream judging by height but her lack of any weight made for an even match, which of course if that happened Cita would promptly intervein on her child's behalf. Instead for the time being she watched Dream carefully- her filly was showing a clear display of dominance but also understanding. She wasn't going to chase this emaciated filly away if she behaved which made her swell with pride.

Those things aside Cita now turned, putting herself between Dream and this new foal upon the realization that this filly could be sickly. She stretched her head towards the filly who was black as night and touched her muzzle against her shoulders gently, taking in her scent. She didn't smell of illness- just death and fear. Which broke Citadel's heart. Unsure if this filly could even speak she went out on a limb, ears perked now but her hind leg nearest the filly placed in such a way that blocked her off from nursing entirely. "What is your name little one?" She cooed it gently, her eyes gazing over the filly with curiosity. Citadel took a step towards the filly, running her muzzle down her sides gently and cringing as she felt nearly every bone. She wasn't just thin, she was skeletal. She knew this foal could benefit from her colostrum rich milk, which usually only newborn foals got for about a week or two depending on the mare- and who would she be to deny this filly? Silently deciding now that indeed this foal would also be hers she licked at Nochi's pelt for several moments before turning to Dream and licking her pelt too. She broke her affectionate licked to nudge Dream to her flank and lifted her head, ears perking at Titan's call. She'd move closer to the herd once these two got their fill and once Mazi was off the high of aggression and dominance that would follow after a rank battle. She didn't trust the mare to say the least and now Cita had not one, but two, foals to look after. She was taking no chances with a mare she didn't know.

[evixtus]

♕ O Y D I S ♕
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sydney ● 16 ● hnitbjorg queen ● gestating ● location: idavoll
tags: bjorn, rhae, atreus, vanir, gersemi, frigg ● mentions: athena, imp

The journey to return to her herd with her king by her side was more eventful than she had expected it to be. Bjorn had dropped the question to her of leading the herd, in which she agreed without hesitation. She knew her efforts of approval would take her there one day, but having it dropped right in front of her was a blessing from the gods themselves. "I accept your proposal. I will use the power bestowed on me by the gods to do what's best for this family." Oydis already knew that her speaking of the Gods would send Bjorn kicking his heels, in which a small smile graced her lips at the thought. Swishing her plume against her hindquarters, she could already tell that her scent was fading.

As the champagne stallion moved off and protruded a roar of support towards the Jotunheim herd, the warmblood mare couldn't help but give a small buck in glee, something so small and unnoticeable, if anybody spoke that they saw her childish action, she would rip out their forelock. The title of 'Herd Matriarch' gave her a newfound pride in her actions, so she took it upon herself to go and check on the mothering mares of the herd. At first she was going to go and congratulate Athena for birthing a healthy colt, but seeing the mare's statue position of unwelcoming, she decided it was best to send a whinny her way instead of pushing her boundaries. Sydney understood the mare's protectiveness over her foal, as she was the same way.

Turning her attention to the eldest mare of the herd, she approached slowly and gave a gentle whicker as she approached, pressing her muzzle against Rhaenys' neck to reassure her that no harm would come to Atreus or her while Oydis was queen. It was a simple communication, but it stood out compared to how she usually interacted with the wiser mustang. The next target was the newcomer, Vanir and her twin fillies. Giving off a welcoming aura of tranquility, she decided it would be best to giver her own welcoming, and introduce herself. She stopped a good distance away to not push Vanir's boundaries. "Welcome, Vanir, Frigg, Gersemi. I am Oydis, the lead of Hnitbjorg. I just thought it was best to introduce myself and help you understand that I will protect you and your fillies with my life if need be. If you need anything, let me know, or look to Rhae if I am unavailable."

♕ I N K E R I ♕
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ink ● 8 ● alfheim valkyrie ● stage 3 ● location: idavoll
tags: ingrid, cita, dream, nochi mura ● mentions: titan

As Titan herded the mares and maidens back together towards Citadel, Inkeri understood his actions. Traveling to Idavoll, there was always a risk of coming across bachelors who were always instigating of taking a maiden for their own good, yet the watering hole was in this vicinity of neutral territory, hence why tensions would rise on such an occasion that one of the Kingdom's would travel there. Brushing her nose against Ingrid's neck to comfort the young maiden, the pinto mare moved around the two to approach Cita in order to congratulate the newfound mother.

Though Inkeri stopped when the sudden stench of death and decay rampaged her nares as a young black filly came bursting through the herd and straight to Citadel's teats. Harks perking with interest, she dropped her head to watch Dream correct Nochi Mura for her disrespectful nature, snorting in amusement. With a small chuckle, she approached the white mare and began to run her teeth through Cita's mane. "I remember when I first found Ingrid after losing my colt. She was skin and bones, just like that black filly. You've been blessed not only once, but twice by the gods. I apologize for bringing up such a sensitive topic, but perhaps the loss of your previous foals was a purpose the gods gave you to keep moving forwards. Without those losses, you wouldn't have been gifted two fillies."

♕ S I G N E ♕
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sign ● 11 ● jotunheim valkyrie ● stage 1 ● location: idavoll
tags: phantom, vidar, otabeka, astrid ● mentions: vira, dia, nigel, eliza

Slightly fatigued from her sudden adrenaline rush, she was relieved once Phantom came to support her ministrations in order to protect her colts. Deciding that her king could handle this fine without her, she noticed Nigel came from below the hill to assist Titan--wait, that wasn't Titan. She looked over her shoulder to see the Alfheim herd together, so that certainly wasn't the King. Noticing that perhaps it was a family member, Signe realized that this other large black stallion was assisting Phantom to ward off the earl that had aggressively taken Vira for his own. She questioned why he was here, but as Eliza passed, she understood. There was no need to bring up the topic.

A sudden realization came upon her. In order to protect her colts, she remembered knocking Vidar out of the way on accident. Whipping her whole body around with nervous warbling, she gave a slight sigh of relief to see Astrid standing over the blood bay colt and Otabeka running to her side and his adoptive brother. Trotting briskly over to her foals and the young maiden, she touched Astrid's chin in a silent thanks before pushing Vidar around to check for injuries. The young colt pinned his ears at his worrying mother and clacked his gums in her face, earning a nip on his rump. He gave a small squeal of defiance and struck the ground with his back hoof, his version of a warning, in which he received another punishment for his disrespect. Snorting harshly, he lashed his lacking tail and went around his mother to nurse. Signe nickered gently towards Otabeka, asking him to do the same.

♕ Y L V A ♕
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val ● 9 ● band valkyrie ● stage 2 ● location: idavoll
tags: sammael, eliza, nigel, dia ● mentions: bjorn, forseti

As the champagne mare led her and Sammael into the open plains of Idavoll, Ylva couldn't help but feel exposed in this terrain. Her ears flicked back subconsciously in discomfort, though returned to their original position once Eliza nuzzled her in thanks. She returned the gesture with a soft bump as the champagne mare returned to her herd. Though the trek was short, she understood that she had already bonded with the Jotunheim mare. She hoped Eliza felt welcome to return to her small band whenever she pleased, if anything happened to her kingdom.

A sudden nudge from Sam caused her to step to the side, curious about his request, but she soon realized there were threatening earls within the midst. An echoing roar came from the Ironborn son as he announced his herd's entrance, and the unwelcoming company the earls were bringing into the picture. Whisking her plume against her flanks, she watched closely as her own stallion challenged the dun bachelor, Dia. Her heart swelled with emotion as he displayed his strength, something that could sweep Ylva off her hooves if he just gave her a certain look. He was certainly attractive, more than the kings of Valhalla, if she could express that opinion. She had never been a fan of the large families, but having her own small one with Sam was something she would enjoy.

Another figure approached from behind her, passing by as he sidled up next to Sam. The entrance gave her a slight alarm, and she was about to nicker a warning to Sam about this other earl's approach, before she realized he was of no harm and was helping her large, black boy. Though she was small, Val was fierce and would assist him in any fights if he became outmatched. She would've done so if Nigel had perceived himself to be a threat. As Dia fled the scene to save his own hide, the dun paint mare turned her attention to a gorgeous maiden who was suddenly entranced by Sammael. Ylva chuckled, remembering when she was her own young starstruck maiden.

♕ F R E J A ♕
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free ● 4 ● hnitbjorg maiden ● stage 4 ● location: hnitbjorg
tags: rhae, atreus, bjorn ● mentions: nigel, sammael, titan

Traveling behind the pack was what the young maiden usually did, always trying to get on her parent's nerves with her teenage rebellion. Though once Bjorn dropped back to court Oydis, she knew they needed their privacy and took off after her mother and newborn brother. Tail flagging behind her as she pranced behind Rhaenys, her ears perked enough for the tips to almost touch as she bounced along, taking notice of the other herds who had also decided to enter Idavoll after the storm.

The sudden roar of her father caused her to jump out of her skin and she suddenly fled to her mother, calming once she reached the familiar presence. Curiously infatuated with the earls who were trying their might against one another, Freja couldn't help but stare at the Jotunheim subordinate as he supported his herd and the large black stallion that was family to the Alfheim King, Titan. Soon becoming bored with the drama occurring in the other herds, she turned her chocolate eyes towards her younger brother traveling by their mother's side. Attempting to give herself some entertainment, she gave off a playful aura before planting her front feet in the soft earth and stretching back in a play bow, challenging Atreus.

♕ L I L U R A ♕
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lila ● 13 ● lone valkyrie ● stage 3 ● location: idavoll
tags: bjorn ● mentions: almost everybody lol

Lilura remembers asking Thor to end the storm, annoyed by her blue roan fur sticking to her skin in an uncomfortable manner. After that, the storm began to subside, stopping at a light mist, which was preferred compared to the hazardous thunder and lightning charging across the dark skies. After waiting for her fur to dry as much as it could, perched under the awning of a large gnarled oak tree's branches, her eyes slipped shut and she was able to take a hasty nap before moving off on her next mission.

When she awoke, the skies were clear, and birds whispering about the chaos occurring in Idavoll. They spoke of the Alfheim herd's king being accused by a foreign mare, the Jotunheim's infamous Signe birthing a blood bay colt, and adopting another as he had approached her during the process. Then the Hnitbjorg King picking up a deaf mare, and a stray mare with two twin fillies, one blessed by Thor with her lack of sight. The drama continued to reach her dainty ears as she made her way towards the neutral territory to see what was going on for herself. A Jotunheim maiden covered and abused by an aggressive earl. A foreign stallion who resembled Titan picking up his own valkyrie who had impregnated Eliza of Jotunheim. Oydis of Hnitbjorg being ranked to the matriarch. Signe attacking a progeny of the Ironborn to protect her colts. A stray filly being adopted by Alfheim's Citadel, and lastly word of Azarias.

Lila knew that Azarias was going to be the one to foul her plans, yet she wouldn't let that stop her. If she got under the Ironborn's skin just enough, she knew that no word that came from the godsend stallion would change Bjorn's mind about her. If her mission came out of success, Oydis would snake Bjorn from the herd once he became infatuated with her, and ruin his name as Hnitbjorg King. That was her goal, after all. Get the challenge of a stallion to bend to her will. Her name didn't mean enchantress for nothing.

As she approached Idavoll, she came across a spot where she could see everything occurring within the neutral plains, and the perfect place to bring Bjorn straight to her. Let his herd fall apart while she ruined his name, she didn't care one bit. As she approached the champagne stallion, a light nicker escaped her velveteen lips.

[Queen Lapis]

Mjolnir

Mjolnir fell to the ground once more, dazed by Phantom’s kicked. For many long moments, he remained on his side, bleeding and panting. Phantom simply stood there with a hoof atop the fallen Earl’s flank. The King was practically snarling, ordering this stupid Earl to leave the herd be. Having been intimidated enough at this point, Mjolnir finally got some sense knocked through his thick skull. Shaking Phantom’s hoof from his rump, Mjolnir thrust himself to his feet and staggered back. Three displays of power from the three kings shook the reckless Earl to his core, and left him wounds on his pride and hide.

Mjolnir wanted to avenge himself, and prove he was a force not to be reckoned with. This Earl had big dreams set for himself, and he wanted to achieve it all now. Now, however, he was a near-dead horse: a loser at fault for this entire fiasco. He’d overestimated himself, and he was weak. Now, he’d have to lose his prize. The pitiful Earl made his way past Phantom, and all dignity faded from his gait. He hung his head low in shame: a pitiful sight. But even as he walked past the Phantom’s herd in departure, he shot Astrid one last glare of fury.

“You are mine…” he hissed beneath his breath. “You will always be mine...:”

Before the herd reacted to such a statement, Mjolnir let out a whinny. He tossed back his head and raised his tail, giving a little rear. The Earl fled to the west side of Idavoll: where he’d seen a potential ally retreat to. Soon, that stallion came into view: a handsome beige steed with black socks. Mjolnir went into a full gallop, and came to a stop in the Stallion’s path. He planted his hooves into the ground, but nodded to reveal a civil intent.

“Diamond in the Rough…” Mjolnir greeted. “I see you are the warrior they say you are. You and I fought well today against the wretched kings… but not well enough to receive our prizes. I know there is no doubt you intend to return to the Jotunheim to seize your mare, and as do I. As such, brother, I would like you to consider an alliance between us: to reclaim what is rightfully ours!"

Nigel

Nigel raised his head, returning the whinny to his father. Upon both the Earl’s retreats, the Jotunheim herd was safe again. As such, Nigel and his fellow ally bachelors would soon have to leave. The Silver Earl turned to Sammael, and puffed a warning for the Earl to head out soon. Had this fight not occured, Nigel would already have chased out this other Earl, or at least alerted his father due to how strong this steed appeared. But Sammael’s help in defeating the two Earls allowed Nigel to have a bit of leniency with him. Nevertheless, he still kept a wary eye on the Earl. But Nigel knew his own time mingling with the herd was running short: he did not want to destroy his credibility of loyalty with his dad. But there were still a few horses in the herd he wanted to greet: his parents, specifically.
It was made a point in the in the Earl’s movements to avoid any mare he did not share blood with. He scanned the herd for a familiar white painted chocolate brown pelt. His body stood on edge as he frantically looked about, praying to the gods for her presence. In the recently passed storm, Nigel had not been concerned for himself, but rather his aging kindren. It was thrilling to see the familiar faces of siblings and elder mares, and even a trio of foals who had not been present in his last visit. However, the face of the mare he searched for was not present.
A shimmering chestnut coat in the distance caught Nigel’s gaze, and he looked up to see the source. A Hnitbjorg maiden stood staring at him from the safety of her mother’s side, and Nigel felt his cheeks begin to flush. Even in the heat of the current situation, he could not help but feel that heart-stopping, mind-locking sensation whenever a pretty maiden looked at him. After a few moments, the Hnitbjorg Maiden turned her attention to a younger colt, and instantly dropped into a playing position. Nigel watched her frolic for a few moments, mentally notting to acquaint himself with her at a later date. But right now, he needed to find his mother. Moving along the edge of the herd, Nigel continued his search for that particular mare. At last, he caught sight of her.

“Mother! Nigel rushed to Signe, tossing his head over her shoulder. He instantly set to nuzzling her mane, and sinking into her familiar warmth. Relief overtook him at her presence, as he feared her brave soul had been lost to the storm. The storm had ravaged Valhalla to its core, and it was not hard to guess the land suffered losses. Fate, however, had been kind enough to Signe live another day. Tears stung Signe’s eyes, and he squeezed them shut whilst taking in Signe’s scent. It had been too long, perhaps half a moon/month, since his last reunion with his herd: near the time the storm had been foretold by a mysterious prophet to the three kings. Upon hearing of the oncoming disaster, Nigel set out to find adequate shelter and supplies for the storm. He knew he couldn’t remain with his former herd in the storm and rely upon them for shelter, so Nigel prepared himself for the accursed days the storm would hit.

And lucky for him, he’d pulled through.

Vira

Vira snorted at the sight of the departing stallion, and gave a buck for joy at the sight of his retreat. It gave her hope to see his threat vanquished…for the time being, at least. That worry, however, was for another day. Right now, Vira was free, and once again bursting with hope. She tossed her head up high and flicked back her tail, racing back towards her herd. Vira neared her Astrid, apologetically nuzzling her sister.

“Sorry about my outburst earlier. I just got worried and angry at you…” Vira blurted. “Are you alright? That idiot Earl didn’t touch you, right? He didn’t cover you or anything...right?”

Though Astrid was indirectly blameable for Vira’s foal, Vira did not want her sister to suffer the same fate. If that filthy, pathetic, imbecile Earl laid a hoof on Astrid, Vira would give him a piece of her mind.

Nochi Mura

Upon Dream’s headbutt, Nochi Mura fell to the ground like the sack of bones she was. Whatever little milk she’d managed to suckle gave her just enough energy to stand face Dream in a hunkered stance.
Nochi Mura’s entire frame shook like a leaf as she stared Dream in the eye. The stench of fear grew stronger around her, and she stared weakly up at the stronger filly. After a long moment, Dream stepped aside to let Nochi Mura towards her mother.

Nochi Mura gratefully accepted the gesture, and set to nursing once again. After many moments, Nochi Mura moved to Citadel’s side. She was too young for words, so she did not understand such a question. Instead, she rubbed her head on the Mare’s leg in a gesture of gratitude, all while taking in the familiar and loving scent of a mother. Noticeably, the stench of fear seemed to be fading.

After many long momets, Nochi left her mother and went around to her new sister. Apologetically, she nuzzled the younger foal. The black filly had been desperate for the life-giving milk only a few minutes ago. Now content with her fill, she seemed more docile. She’d not intended to knock Dream over, but only to drink. Now Nochi Mura was grateful for Citadel providing, and Dream for sharing.

After Citadel finished licking her foals, Nochi Mura shook her fuzzy, longer mane. She splayed out her forelegs and snorted. It was an invitation for Dream to play.

But before Nochi Mura could see Dream decline or accept the invitation, a mare approached Citadel. Unnacustommed to being near so many horses at once, Nochi Mura squealed and ran for the cover of Cita. She cowered between the elder mare’s legs, peering curiously and fearfully at the newcomer. How many horses were here!?

[xCatastrophex]

Ａ ＬＡＲＫ'Ｓ ＳＯＮＧ.

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lone valkyrie ❈ six years ❈ deaf ❈ tags; Bjorn, Oydis ❈ location; Franang's Falls.

A gentle nudge made the golden mare flinch, not expecting it. She laid her ears back just the tiniest bit letting out a startled snort. However the sight of Bjorn caused her to relax and a soft smile pulled at her velvet kissers. It seemed him and Oydis had returned from their little excursion. She moved to walk after him, though he made his way towards Athena, who clearly had just given birth. She knew she would be wary of a stranger around her newborn, so she stepped back and gave her space, letting Bjorn get acquainted with his newborn son. She figured she'd converse with him when things calmed down.

She glanced back across the falls as the commotion was coming to an end. Phantom and Titan seemed to nip it in the bud before it got too out of hand with the help of two other stallions, of whom she did not know. She didn't think too much into it though, she didn't care enough to worry about it.

Instead, she directed a curious gaze towards Oydis as she interacted with the others. Lark kept her distance however, she couldn't help but be a little intimidated by her. She carried herself with such confidence and poise. And by the looks of it, Bjorn considered her of power. Lark wasn't quite sure if she should fear her or envy the tall grey mare. Whatever the case, she wouldn't get in her way. She flicked her white tail uneasily, though she offered a nicker in greeting nonetheless as she moved back towards the others.

[azhefa.]

xxxx
⚜ ° ＲＨＡＥＮＹＳ ° ⚜
{ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ɪꜱ ɴᴏ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴡᴀʀʀɪᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴀ ᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀ }
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rory ● 18 ● hnitbjorg valkyrie ● nursing [atreus] ● location; idavoll

tags; vanir/twins, athena, bullet, freja, others mentioned
the elder mare lays flat out under the shade of the small cluster of trees she had led the herd to after their trip to the water. she sleeps soundly for a good long while, but is woken by her colt's restlessness. rhaenys groans as she rolls herself up into a more upright position and gives a bit of a yawn before looking around. her ears flick around as she scans over the herd around her, counting and making sure everyone was accounted for. vanir was sleeping only a couple feet from her with gersemi while frigg was off with bjorn. rhae perks her ears at the black mare that moves past her, a matching black foal at their side. it seems athena was finally back from her laboring. the older mare offers a soft burr of welcome, but doesn't rise to greet her or call her over, it was far too early to do such things. mothers are often very temperamental in the first few hours of birthing so she understands to keep a distance until given the okay. instead she looks to bjorn and oydis, her ears folded back a little at how the younger mare acts. seems like bjorn titled her lead. rhae wasn't sour over the fact a younger mare was labeled the lead, she was just a little bitter that bjorn hadn't asked her for her opinion considering she was the oldest and most loyal of his mares.

with a heaving groan, rhaenys gets to her feet and shakes out her painted pelt before cocking a leg so atreus could nurse. as soon as he finished, rhae's head is thrown up from it's grazing and ears flattened. the sound of a fight was heard and it puts her on edge. she looks around and spots a young earl, bjorn's own son, attacking phantom's herd for a mare. rhae snorts deeply and harshly, standing at attention with her ears perked forward and tail lashing. atreus notices the change in his dam immediately and moves to hide behind her larger frame, gluing himself to her side as his instincts demand. as athena moves into the center of the herd, rhae pins her ears at the younger mare in response to their own aggressiveness. now was not the time for such hostilities, a threat was on the horizon and they must work as a unit should it steer towards them. rhae ignores the stressed mother in favor of watching the drama unfold, but is interrupted by a stranger. the elder mare swivvels her head around and snorts a warning to bullet as she makes herself comfortable in the herd. who was this mare and how does she have such nerve to just walk into a herd full of foals? does she not understand how aggressive mothers are? rhae lashes her tail at bullet and nudges atreus off to freja, knowing her daughter will protect him while she deals with the outsider.

though oydis was the chosen lead of the herd, rhae was more than capable of doing things herself. besides oydis can guard the herd while she's away. rhaenys gives a light squeal at bullet and charges her with her head down and ears flattened, effectively driving the unknown mare from the herd she so blatantly entered without warning. with so many foals in the herd, trespassers will not be tolerated, no matter if they were mares. rhae doesn't often show her aggressive side and only does so when there is a foal to protect. she charges bullet and rains bites along her legs to push her from the herd, using her older age and experience to make her move. the painted mare might be shorter than this stranger, but she's full of primal instinct and motherly fire. once bullet was a sufficient distance away, rhae slams her hooves into the ground in warning before returning to the herd and her offspring. if the mare tries to return, she won't hesitate to do it all again or send oydis after her. atreus was rather shaken by all the aggression and sticks close to freja while his mother is away, but moves back to rhae's side when she reappears. the colt glances around, looking for frigg before whinnying for her. he spots her over near bjorn and trots off to join her with rhae watching over him. atreus nickers to frigg before touching her, alerting to his presence so she doesn't spook, and stands beside her with his little ears pinned at the drama nearby. he may be only less than a day old, but he has the fighting spirit of a grown stallion and will protect his little friend.

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{ ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴅᴏ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴀʟᴀɴᴄᴇ }
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no nickname ● age unknown ● oracle ● no prophecies ● location; idavoll [falls]

tags; saorise, d'artagnan, herds mentioned
the oracle flicks an ear towards d'artagnan as the stallion approaches, but gives him a light nod at the sound of his formal greeting. it always pleases him when the young stallion uses the ancient language, no one else seems to care enough to try and remember it. as he waits for saorise's response to his own and d'art's curiosities, azarias looks about the plains and herds. his crystal gaze settles on the tiny white splashed figure of frigg and a sharp wind rustles his mane and ears. the gods have touched this foal. he doesn't know why or in what way they touched the filly, but they have. azarias watches the filly and the golden colt that moves to her side as a protector. their future will an interesting one for sure. his ear twists to listen as saorise speaks, but he gaze remains on the foals. her uncertain curiosity would have been amusing if it wasn't expected, all the horses in valhalla found him intriguing. azarias turns his gaze away from the foals to glance at the mare beside him as she voices her displeasure of joining a harem. a curious thing since it's a horse's natural instinct to join a herd. the seer remains silent on the matter though, turning his attention back to the herds as she speaks to d'art.

a dark figure captures his gaze and a barely audible snort comes from the stallion. lilura. the valkyrie was a devious female and he's quite sure she was up to no good. azarias flicks his ears around as he listens to the wind of the gods that whisper around his head. though he wouldn't mind interfering and banishing the mare, the gods have other ideas for her. they seem to be keen on testing the hnitbjorg king with the mare's temptations. it wasn't his place to question the gods' will so he simply accepts it and grows curious of what will come of it all. a more playful wind touches his ears and makes him hum in amusement, the whispers were clearly from the trickster loki, but a god's voice none the less. azarias glances over towards d'artagnan before motioning with his elegant head towards the water. "there is a lone maiden in the water, she could use a godly stallion such as yourself," his voice was smooth and calm as it always is, but was now also laced with a bit of hidden amusement. loki's whispers continue to touch his ears, but they're washed away by the other gods.

azarias looks to saorise and gives her a little nod as he takes a few steps forward. "pray to balder for wisdom on what to do, he will guide you." with one last nod to her and d'art, azarias moves off at a relaxed trot, heading out of the shadows and into the warm sunlight. his pale champagne coat shines like a beacon in the light, his cream colored mane and tail lifted in a calm breeze that seems to always surround him. the oracle moves with relaxed ease and strength as he makes his way past the water and towards the herds. the gods whisper their opinions and thoughts to him constantly, but he only listens to odin's voice as he calls for peace. if the gods want peace, that is what they will get. his mere presence is enough to calm those around him in passing, but with everyone so amped up and on edge, he'll need to remain near them for longer. azarias gazes about the herds before giving a loud yet calming neigh, signalling the end of the fighting. he stands in the center of the three herds with each off to their respected sides around him and drops his head to graze peacefully. being that he's made himself known and stationed himself near them all, azarias has opened himself to those who seek answers or simply want the god's blessing over something.

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{ ᴍᴇɴ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ғᴇᴀʀ ꜱᴡᴏʀᴅꜱ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ғᴇᴀʀ ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀꜱ }
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sam ● 10 ● band earl ● 1 mare ● 0 foals ● location; idavoll

tags; ylva, phantom/herd, azarias & others mentioned
the display did it's job and the bachelor fled, not wanting to subject himself to the injuries that would surely be inflicted should he try anything. with dia gone and the herd more secure, sammael relaxes back to his calm persona. the stallion snorts and shakes out his mane, but hears nigel and perks his ears at the young stud. though he might be a pushover with his mares, sam won't be the same with stallions. sammael pins his ears at nigel and gives one harsh snort in warning to the overgrown colt before lashing his tail and moving off, but only once nigel leaves first. the coal stallion huffs to himself before moving off to ylva, nickering to her a few times in his eagerness to return to his only mare. he doesn't realize forsetti's interest or the fact she was really there, his eyes were only for the golden paint mare that was his own. sam nudges and nuzzles ylva as he moves her away from phantom's herd, no longer needing it's protection. though he can smell her heat, he doesn't ask about it yet, they've got time to find their own patch of land and enjoy it alone. sam can almost imagine what kind of lovely and strong foals she would give him, he just hopes the gods smile upon them. the stallion looks over when a golden figure appears and was quite surprised to see azarias still alive, the oracle was around when he was born and his mother went to the seer for the god's blessing.

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{ ɴᴏᴛ ᴀʟʟ ᴡʜᴏ ᴡᴀɴᴅᴇʀ ᴀʀᴇ ʟᴏꜱᴛ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ꜱᴜʀᴇ ᴀᴍ }
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beka ● newborn ● jotunheim foal ● signe [adopted] ● location; idavoll

tags; signe/vidar, phantom/herd, others mentioned
the colt was relaxing once they got to the water and open area. he would have kicked up his heels a little if he wasn't still so unsure. beka watches his 'brother' wander of in favor of a grooming and was a little curious why the other colt doesn't want to be groomed. he was eager to enjoy signe's affections, his little tail wiggling in happiness. once she was finished with the bath, beka tries to groom her in return, licking her shoulder a bit, but isn't able to do much with his inexperience. he instead wanders off a few steps, but isn't sure who everyone was yet so he returns to his dam's side. terror suddenly shoots through him when an unknown stallion appears and his mother rages. beka squeals in fear and runs to vidar's side, his little body trembling. the dark stallion he had greeted earlier joined the fray, he wasn't as scared of this stallion since signe carries his scent, but he was still scared of all the ruckus. when a spotted mare appears, beka clacks his teeth in fear, but then hears her call and moves closer to her instead. he still trembles a little, but feels safer with the maiden. when things died down and signe returns, otabeka immediately runs to her side and glues himself there. his adoptive brother's defiance makes him weary, but at least signe was back. when vidar moves to nurse, beka does the same, keeping his little body pressed against the mare's side as his little tail wiggles in delight at nursing.