Your Name: SerenWish
Horse's Name: Daric (Irish in Origin; Means "Strong, Oak-hearted")
Height: 16.1hGender: Stallion
Personality: Daric has a hot temper, and while he is typically pretty laid back, when someone treads on his pride or one of his weak points, he tends to lash out and become moody. He is very funny, and has a good sense of humor, though it means he also enjoys teasing and playing around with others. He is resourceful and pretty clever when he pays attention- though he is also pretty easily distracted. He tends to cover up his softer side.
History: Born to a pair of loners, Daric was a handful for his dam and sire. His sire drifted in and out of his young life, and most of his time was spent with his dam and members of her old herd. He got to know his mother's half-siblings and their foals well, but he was sometimes ostracized for his bad behavior. As a colt, he would get too whipped up and would accidentally upset the other foals, sending them dashing back to their mother's side with a squeal. He would hide his hurt feelings when they would ignore him and refuse to play with him again, and trudge back to his own mother, going back into plotting his next silly game or joke. He loved to pick on fillies in particular- and go exploring. This naïve view of the world around him drove his mother to near-madness, and she would often have to scold him to get him to return to her side. But she always forgave her little Daric, and they were a very close pair.
One day, when Daric was about six months of age, there was a heavy scent on the wind, that made all the mares grow more and more worried as the sky went overcast, an unusual event in their homeland. They headed for higher ground, but Daric's dam soon realized that he had not followed her. Abandoning her safe place, she galloped through the dunes to search for him, whinnying to call him out. The colt, who had followed a kangaroo rat out of pure curiosity, was trying to taste some sagebrush, as he was now half-weaned, when he heard the faint calls of his mother. He galloped to her, and saw her dripping with sweat. The heavens opened up seconds later, and within moments, the sand beneath their hooves was no longer safe. A roaring current swept through the valley between the ridges, sweeping the pair off their hooves. The sand did not absorb water like it would in temperate climates: instead, the very thing that they searched for to live was now their enemy. Daric's dam desperately tried to reach him as he kicked and tried to stay above the surface, and used her body to push him towards the shore. She could not fight the current, however, and disappeared under the seething brown waters, being washed away. Daric struck a rock and was trapped there, gasping for air as his body ached from the pounding it had received. The storm cut off as quickly as it had come, and the colt was left lying in the muck, barely awake.
A few hours later, he would force himself up to search for his mother, but he would not see her again in his lifetime. She was gone.
Within the day, the band of his aunts found him, and, since he was beginning to be weaned, he remained with them for a few more months. He was despondent, and when the other half-growns tried to reach out to him for the first time since they were foals, he turned away from them. He was once again an outcast, now of his own choosing.
As he neared yearling status, something ran through the band. It started with one yearling growing weak, and began walking in circles, and soon her vision went bad. An older horse began shaking and having no sense of balance. They had been to a small watering hole infested with mosquitos, and, soon, the whole band, with the exception of Daric, was weakened and seemed out of sorts. The first filly and older mare began to have seizures, and dropped dead in the middle of the night. The other sick horses grew terrified, and within a few weeks, were all near death. The small band was wiped out by the disease, and Daric was left alone, unsure at to why, somehow, he had been spared.
The stallion was terrified, as he trekked away from the lost band, that soon he would begin seeing things, or walking in circles, or staggering. But he never did. He was confused as to why every horse around him disappeared or died. It didn't make sense, but it became clear that he was a loner. He would remain a loner for the next year, avoiding others. Only when he reached breeding age would he begin to lurk at the edges of mustang society again.
Traits in a Mate: In order to get along with Daric, his mate would have to be calmer and patient. They also must have a good sense of humor and be able to keep up with him. He would probably prefer a gentle mare to be his match.
Fears: Daric's greatest fears are disease and floods. He also grows very nervous at the presence of snakes, though he tries to shrug that fear off.
Likes: Daric loves the period between the rising and setting of the sun, when the air is cool and temperate, and the sky is painted in different shades of color. His favorite food is actually sagebrush, and he loves chasing tumbleweeds and racing in the morning and evening. He loves playing jokes and kidding around, even if it annoys other mustangs.
Dislikes:Because of his fears, he dislikes storms; he also hates the warmer hours of the day when snakes are most active. He also dislikes being crowded by many other equines, and while he enjoys playing tricks, he likes his personal space.
Art: Linked for SizeStory:What would I do with him: Honestly, I have one other DAM who recently got a mate, but mostly I've been pretty restricted to what I have time for. I'd really love to enter him in the RP... I know he's got quite the dramatic story. XD Oh yes, the horses were suffering from West Nile Virus.
I cannot do mouse art. XD