Here We Come

[Spitz]

A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.


The mare walked through this desert landscape and she nuzzled the foal by her side. American Pie and Autumn Rain, mother and daughter, walked together but Rain limped mostly as her hoof was still damaged. Pie felt the flies land on her rump and just wanted to swat them but with her tail so short it was impossible. Her mane was worse, it had been cut off and only a short stubble was left of it. Rain had only the hoof as her problem but that still made it a struggle to walk and she was a prime target for predators. She walked silently but was getting tired but then looked and saw blue glisten in the distance and her mother had saw it too. "Do you see that Rain, its water!" Pie said and walked toward the water, not being able to gallop as her daughter was injured. She finally reached the water and Rain let out a shrill whinny as she suckled from her mum as Pie drunk the water.

The family were finally safe but their journey wasn't over as they were to find that this place was someones home. They would have to face a stallion known as Embezzlement who had never lost a battle. Pie smelt this stallion and she looked up and smelt the air again and it led her to the rocks where there was a ledge sticking out. Rain looked at it too and then cowered behind her mum as this was a new stallion and didn't know how to react.

And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they'd be happy for a while.

[Forte!]

Things had been quiet around Fosse de Sabel as of late. Another foolish attempt had been made to steal away the prisoner, Kamenwati, but yet again it had been stopped. Axel no longer lurked around every corner, no longer sent spies to try and rescue his daughter. Things were... calm. And the herd wasn't growing any. Embezzlement was still the only stallion on the land, and he still ruled with an iron hoof. None dared challenge him, none dared enter his lands unwary. He hardly knew himself how he had become so powerful in such a short time. But still he could not sleep easy. Clandestine was of some use, a bodyguard to be feared, but he had his doubts about her loyalty. After all - she was stolen, like most of his herd at this point. And stolen from Axel, no less, his arch-rival of old, now banished from these lands forever.

The pony stallion rose his head and blinked of his wary sleep. Even now every noise woke him, every smell brought him around. He was exhausted from being so aware of everything, some of his strength seeped away from being unable to rest. It took him a little while longer to snap into focus every time, and now he thought for a moment that the herd was under attack. But then things sorted themselves out, and he was able to detect only two scents, a mare and a foal, hardly a threatening combination. Raising his head a little bit and arching his neck, he strode out of the cave and stood above them on the pinnacle of rock, staring down for a long moment and studying them. The mare was even smaller than him, a damaged beast who looked almost silly with no mane or tail. The foal was limping, and from here Bezzle could see the round wound in the soft horn that still encased the youngling's hoof.

Useless. Neither of these beasts were of any use except breeding stock, unless they were clever or had any skill at surviving in the desert. Still, there was no reason to drive them out, except perhaps the fact that they would only make his burden greater. Auds flicked back for an instant, and he considered simply returning to rest, but he couldn't have the foal attracting the cougars or anything of the like. Perhaps Clandestine and himself could fight off two or three, but predators were a big threat without a baron or any military to fight them off. After another moment of consideration, the stallion finally raised his vocals. "Are you aware that you have entered herd lands?" he cried, his dark eyes flashing. Creatures this weak might have missed the faint scent barrier - there was only one stallion to lay it, after all.

[Spitz]

But february made me shiver
With every paper I'd deliver.

American Pie raised her head and then looked at the stallion who was a couple of hands bigger than her. "I am so sorry stallion, I did not know as I am new to this world" she said but her voice showed sarcasm and there was a twinkle in the mare's eye. Rain looked up at the stallion and took a step forward and found the sand made her hoof much easier to stand on as it was soft and she could sink into it which made it better than dirt. She looked up at the large stag and bowed her head before walking back to her mother. Pie stood and then bowed her head just a little "I am cursed American Pie, this is my daughter Autumn Rain" she said "what are you cursed, stag?". She nuzzled Rain and then stepped forward and closer to Embezzlement but she didn't dare touch him. He was powerful and she didn't want to risk getting hurt or banished for one little move.

She went to toss her mane but as she shook her neck Pie realised that no mane was there. Flies settled immediatly back on her neck and the mare hated it as the also settled on her rump but with such a short tail they were out of reach for her tail. The stallion had a long mane and tail, something easy to swat flies with. It was something the humans took from her as she was sick and always had a temperature so they cut off the hair to make her cooler. This just made it worse as the flies set on her skin, the made her worse and she was far to ill to do anything. Rain looked at her mum and then nuzzled her leg before looking back at the stallion, Embezzlement.

Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn't take one more step.

[Forte!]

Embezzlement made his way down the rocks face, fleet as any mountain goat. That was possibly the only advantage of his small size - his agility was practically unsurpassed. Raising his head again, showing his clear superiority and confidence in his reign upon the land, he made his slow, deliberate way towards the mare and foal. Auds pricked as he studied them up close, now being able to see the jagged stubble of mane and tail where the mare had lost them. No doubt the humans had done this - although why he did not know. He did not fear humans, but gave them a wide berth, as all wise horses did. Seeing what they had done did not disgust him, but awed him more than anything. He longed with his whole heart to be as cruel and powerful as those masters of fire.

When he heard her words, rage filled him. How dare she?! How dare she walk into these lands emaciated and barely able to take care of herself and then insult him?! Auds laid back, and dark eyes lit with a burning fire. Muscles tensed, and for a moment it seemed as if he might spring for her throat. And he could have killed her easily. Even in his tired state, this emaciated little thing was no match for him. And the foal? The injured little foal would be the first to go, before her mother's very eyes. "You would be wise to remember that you are under my charity for as long as you are here. And I care for naught but my own survival." After all, he was only talking to these weaklings because they might attract predators.

He chuckled at the name, his ears still laid back in warning. American Pie? What kind of name was that? He had been meeting so many mares with strange names as of late. He glared at the pair for a moment before turning his glance to the foal. A wolfish grin crossed his features, almost as if he were looking at a meal. But then he rose his head again with a snort. "I am cursed Embezzlement, ruler of these lands, the sand trap, the Fosse de Sabel." He hissed, his ears pricking again. But the dark eyes held a warning. It would be easier to kill them than to keep them, after all, and the only reason to keep them was for breeding stock.

[Spitz]

I can't remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride


Pie knew that this stallion would turn her out in a second with one wrong move so she listened and nodded. "I understand stag, but why turn out the future" she said and a smile appeared on the mares face. It was a sly smile but the mare had plans and would use them wisely. "Embezzlement, what a...extraordinary name" Pie said as Rain watched the stallion. "Please don't turn us out, surely such a big and strong stallion like yourself would be able to see the future and not just the present" Rain said stepping toward the rather large stallion. She let out a shrill neigh and then lifted her hoof which was slowly healing as the hoof was growing. She put it down again and looked at the stallion "I am young and can be changed, for the worse or better...it depends what side your on" Rain said and circled the large stallion. She would grow taller than her mum as her father was part thoroughbred.

Pie watched her daughter and chuckled as she was very bold about herself. "She is a bold one, won't let anything get in her way..even for a youngen" Pie said and smiled at this stallion. "Will you please take us in, Embezzlement as I assure you that it won't be a mistake" Rain whinnied to the large stallion and then looked up and stared at him in awe.

But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died