Running free *as free as the wind blows...*

[§Deltora§]

((Deltora's gonna find a loner foal--or two-- in the woods. ^^ And hey! They're not tired! Nova wasn't tired; she just decided to get a drink so she wouldn't be thirsty later. And she's a winged-UNICORN. >.< Neither of them are tired, actually, Nova is bursting with energy!!!))
Nova snorted. Roxy had passed her--again. The white mare gathered up her strentgh and confidence, then sped forward. Soon, she was at Roxy's side, keeping the same pace. Nova quickly looked over her shoulder at Deltora, who was coming back to the log again. She took in a deep breath, then jumped. She landed four yards ahead of her friend. When she landed, dust erupted from unde rher hooves. Nova ruffled her mane, then cantered off.

Deltora could easily take the log. About 3 yards in front of it, he pushed off. His magnificent jet black pelt glimmered in the sunshine. He whinnied as his forehooves touched grass, 3 yards past the log. He reared up, then continued. Suddenly, he thought he heard a small nicker. H epaused racing and looked around. There it was again. Deltora raised his muzzle, sniffing the air. Was that smell--a foal?

Nova galloped on, increasing her speed with each pounding step. Her legs pumped furiously, and her snow-white tail whipped behind her. Nova's black eyes stared ahead at her goal. Her pearl hooves began to reach a greater distance from the other hooves, cuasing he rot gain more distance. She smiled. The oak tree was near.

Deltora snorted and stamped the ground. Was he hallucinating? Then he heard it again. The black stallion lowere dhis head and stretche dout his neck, trotting into the woods. Without warning, a tongue licked the bridge of his nose. He snorted and reared up. Deltora came back down, confused. "What on earth..." His eyes widened as a beautiful filly came up, a colt following close behind. The filly whinnied happily, and the colt's black coat shimmered as he reared up, then fell down. Deltora stiffened. Their mother was nowhere in sight.

Nova panted with excitement. She wasn't losing breath, but losing patience. This race had to be won--by her. Soon, she was a few small yards away from the tree. She pulled back her neck and plummeted forward--passing the tree.

The white mare fell over and kicked the air, what she normally did whenever she won a race. The wind teased her forelock. Nova stood and neighed joyfully, eyes squinting towards the sun. She stood up, her slender legs punching the oxygen around her. "Finally..."She mumbled to herself.

[Serenity]

Roxy had sped up, and passed the tree, only a second or two behind Nova. Roxy whinnied, and pricked her ears. She looked back across the plains, wind blowing her beautiful blood-red mane around her graceful neck. As far as her jewel-like eyes coukd see, Deltora was nowhere in sight.

"I'm going back to make sure Deltora is alright." Roxy advised her friend, before leaping foreward and galloping onece more across the plains.

As Roxy entered the woods, she slowed to a steady walk, her swift ebony hooves barley making a sound. "Deltora? Are you here?" She called, her sparkling eyes searching the area for any sign of movement.

[§Deltora§]

Nova nickered and stamped a hoof as Roxy ran off. "Fine." she snorted.
Deltora stared at he two foals. The black colt's innocent eyes locked with his. He whinnied sweetly. The black lead stallion moved back and turned his head, but did not take his eyes off of the children. "I...I'm ver here. Roxy, you've gotta see this." He nodded towards the kids, and the filly took it as an invitation to introduce herself.
"I am Montana, and I'm eight months old. This is Indiana, or Indie, or Indiana Jones. He's only two months." The colt twitched his ears and blinked as she continued. "We came with mother to find a new place to live...she said she loved me very much, and him, too...then...lay down, and told us we'd best be on our own..." Her gleeful eyes turned worried.
Deltora stiffened. How would he help these porr young horses?

[Serenity]

Roxy pricked her ears, hearing Deltora's voice, and trotted over to where the sound was coming from. When she reached him, she found two young foals standing before him. The mare cocked her head in curiosity, and she asked Deltora, "Who are they?"

Her black horn glittered for a moment as she stepped through a beam of sunlight. Her blood red eyes gazed at the filly and the younger colt, and scenced the air to see if their mother was nearby.

[§Deltora§]

Deltora whispered, "I don't know. I just...found them here. Well, they found me. Indie did..." He paused at glanced at the kids. Suddenly, a sharp scent filled his nostrils. "Stay here," He ordered the horses around him. He broke through the foliage and stamped into a clearing.

In a shaft of sunlight lay a mare, her body stiff without breathing. Montana and Indiana's mom.

Deltora gasped. What had happened to her? He bent down next to her head and whispered, "Your children love you, Nevada." The name had been told to him through spirits unknown... "I wish they could've grown up to know you better, especially Indiana. Bless their souls--and yours, too." He nuzzled her cheek. "I'll take care of them."
The handsome black stallion stood and called Roxy over.

Nova angrily stomped a hoof. With a groan, she trotted over to her companions.

[Serenity]

Roxy, stopped looking at the two abandend foals, and walked cautiously over to where Deltora had called her. She gasped at what she saw before her. The dead body of what had to be their mother. "D-Deltora....is t-that..?" She stuttered.

[§Deltora§]

He closed his eyes and nodded slowly. "Unfortunately. She needs a proper burial. But--how will we tell them?" He replied melancholily (sp?), ending in a harsh whisper. His droopy eyes drifted onto the mare again. He couldn't believe that she was dead; it was so unfair for the children...

[Serenity]

Roxy glanced through the brush where Deltora, the dead mare and herself were standing, and looked sympathetically at the foals. "Poor things..." She turned back to the mother, and bowed her head respectively.

When she looked up again, she told Deltora, "Well have to tell them that she's gone to a better place I guess. And that she's still watching over them. We shouldn't just come right out and say 'She's dead.'"

[§Deltora§]

Deltora snorted. "I knew that; but they're so...so young..." His eyes locked with Roxy's. For a moment, the sadness was lost, but Deltora's head sank to his cannon bones. The stallion sighed and padded tot he foals, who were waiting anxiously. "Montana, Indiana, I...I just spoke with your mother."
The small Paint filly hopped up and down. "Really? What did she say?"
"She...she said that she has to leave you two." Deltora whispered, looking away at Indiana, whose head was tilted in puzzlement.
Montana slowly responded, "...leav us? Wh--...wh-why?"
The lead stallion turned to Roxy for help, black horn glittering/

[Serenity]

Roxy wasn't sure what to do, mut the mare tried her best as she stood beside Deltora. "Um...your m-mother said she t-though it was time for you and you're brotehr t-to go off on your own. S-she says she loves you very much, and wishes you luck." she tried, hoping the foals would understand.

[§Deltora§]

Deltora nodded. "She...she believes in you two. And she wants you to come with us, to DreamHerd."
Montana hung her head. Indiana looked at everyone, then squeaked, "DreamHerd?"
The black stallion pawed the ground with a forehoof. Smiling, he replied, "DreamHerd is a group of horses who travel together, eat together, and who-knows-what together. You'd enjoy it."
Indiana replied. "All righty!"
Deltora smiled and nudged the colt away, Montana close behind.

[§Deltora§]

((Hey, Seren, could you post a link to one of your horses n howrse here? I wanna see 'em. ^^))

[Serenity]

[kk, just after this...]

Roxy followed close behind, her eyes kind and filled with symphony for the foals. She suddenly remembered Nova, and almost started laughing. The ghostly white mare trotted up next to Deltora and said, "I' m gonna' go find Nova and tell her to advise everyone of the new foals. We can see if we can find a mare to nurse the younger one." With a slight nod, Roxy lept foreword and cantered off into the woods.

As she reached the plains, and began to gallop freely, pushing off the ground with her powerful hindquarters, and taking long, swift strides. When the unicorn reached the herd, she set off to find Nova.

[Linkie: www.howrse.com/elevage/chevaux/ ]

[§Deltora§]

((The link to one of YOUR horses. >.<))

[Serenity]

[I know, that ws the link to both of my horses. >.< Oh, and I saw you dragging the wagon in the parade eysterday.
...I'll go to Silverstar's profile, then you can get to Buddy from there I beleive: www.howrse.com/elevage/chevaux/cheval?id=33366 ]