Pandora's Presence...

[Treece]

Pandora trotted onto the grass and inhaled the fresh mountain air that flowed down from them. She was a smidge larger than most Thoroughbred mares, but it wasn't like most noticed.

Her journey had been long, but her high spirits kept her going in search of her new herd. She went over to the waterfall that crashed into the nearby lake. Leaning over she lapped a few gulps of water and took another search of the land. "This is remarkable. Beautiful, and peaceful." Finally she realized how empty it was. She liked to be in the presence of other horses, but she also marveled at the possibility of ruling these lands. She stepped away from the waters and started to trek a few of the small hills. This was light work for a horse like her. She suddenly spotted an orchard and her stomach squeezed in anticipation. Pandora realized she hadn't eaten for much of her 3 day journey. She slowly jumped from the hill, landing with grace and ease as her silky black tail flicked lightly. She trotted to the mass of trees that held luscious red apples right in her reach. Her dark brown eyes scanned them all not sure where to start. She hadn't spotted one spoiled apple except for what had lay on the ground. Pandora imagined what they all would taste like. She arched her neck back and reached up, gently picking off a bright apple from the lowest branch. Taking a bite, the apple oozed its warm sweet juice and it trickled down her jaw to the ground. She finished off the apple and closed her eyes savoring the taste. She had eaten apples before, but these were almost as good as the sugar cubes she had found near farms and ranches.

She ate her fill of apples and went back out to the wide open space of land and laid down. Maybe she had eaten a little too much? She wanted to be polite and search for whoever may be here first if anyone, but her body was tired suddenly. So folded her legs and laid on her side. "Just a cat nap is all I need..."

[Spitz]

The scent of a mare hit the stallions nose, he looked up and saw a black mare. With a flick of his tail he trotted over to her and stopped quickly as he reached her "hello mare, what brings you to the land of Mountain Springs" he said. His chestnut coat glimmered in the morning sun, blossom petals floated onto the ground where he stood and everything in the world looked amazing. The stallion shook his mane, he was happy it was spring. Daylight hours were getting longer and everything was fresh, though he had missed breeding season yet again. He wanted a foal badly, it was the only way to keep his reign going. The only way to keep Mountain Springs. He had Kya, she was the mentor of the land, but she had no foals to teach.

The stallions name was Batty, he was once tame and had escaped at about six months old. He had never regretted it, except the urge to go back when he found out Kya was with Blink. That almost killed him, but now he was happy. He pawed the ground, and then looked back up at the mare. She was very pretty, and a thoroughbred like himself.

[Treece]

Pandora's eyes snapped opened at the sound of a male's voice. She rose to her hooves slowly and cautiously. "Hey, Stallion. I uh, am just in search of a heard and stumbled upon this one and your amazing apples. Have you eaten them?! They're just so great!" Her tail flicked slightly with her own excitement. "What's your name Stallion? I'm Pandora. I hope you don't mind me stumbling onto your humble abode. Is anyone else here or is it just you? This is just a beautiful place." Pandora was rambling once again as she always does. She loved to talked and keep conversation going. That was one thing people commended her for was being so outgoing and never leaving time for a dull moment.

She stepped back from the chestnut stallion. he was rather attractive and she hoped that he would allow her to join the herd if even just a herd member she would be happy. She flicked her mane a little harder, allowing him to see her silky tail. Her mother always told, if all else fails, show off.

[Spitz]

Batty laughed, she liked to talk, it was obvious that she would be a great mare "Yes, I have eaten them. Though it is only spring, the apples are not at their best yet" he said and then listened intently. He had always been a good listener, it was a good thing as she did talk a lot. Well, Pandora, I am Batty. I do have another herd member, Kya. She is the mentor of the land, and will do a amazing job of teaching foals when there are some here" he said and then his head dropped. No foals had set foot in this land, not even his own. Smoke, his first love had been due but left before the foal was even born. He looked up again, a smile on his face again. The past was something he could never change. What was done, was done and he left it that way. He looked into the mare's eyes. He watched them, studied them, as it was the best way to know someone. "Pandora, you like my land and I like you. I now say, if you want, you can be in my herd. What position is it you would like dear?" he said calmly.

Batty hoped she would accept his request to join the herd. He needed some horses, the herd was dying out. He needed a mare before he ran away, back to the tame life. Batty had often wondered, if the cave which led you to the picturesque land led horses away. Who would want to walk through a dark cave which might lead to a dead end. Luckily it didn't, it was a cave which was in the mountains. It ran through and into this paradise, he still remembered finding the land like it was yesterday. Now it was his, he loved that feeling of having a place which was his and he was strong. No horse would take it away from him as he would try his best to draw them away without a fight, but if it was a fight the horse would die.

[Treece]

Pandora licked her snout remembering the apples she had just eaten. "I think I would die if they get any better than that. I'm usually eating grass all day so maybe that's why they tasted so good." She looked at him as he spoke of another mare, she wondered why he hadn't taken her as his mare, but maybe he had already, she was tempted to ask but decided to save it for later. "Oh, I see. Always good for the little ones to learn what they need to. My mother taught me everything I know now. I wish I could see her again...but..." Her eyes seemed empty, and distant suddenly as she remembered the rotting carcass of her mother when she returned to see her one day. Pandora never knew what caused her death and would better think of it as an illness. She snorted and her eyes lit up again with their natural brightness. She smiled as Batty smiled as well.

"Well Stallion..." Pandora trotted around him as gracefully as she could. Flirting was not natural to her though her mother tried desperately to teach her. "...it looks as if you may need a queen around her to help you rule, and to help you build and grow your herd, am I correct?" She stopped when she was next to him and turned her head slightly so she could see him. Pressing her dark head up against his neck she continued, "And I personally think we would do a great job." She kicked off and trotted forward to stand in front of him again.

[Spitz]

Batty nuzzled her as she talked of her mother "I do not know of my mother either, last I saw of her was when I was only six months old" he said quietly. He watched carefully as she trotted around him, he then listened and turned swiftly. He galloped and then slowed to a canter as he jumped on a jagged bit of mountain rock. He could see the whole land from here, and he saw water dropping on the grass. The rain had started. He laughed and bellowed into the lands below "Mountain Springs, welcome young Pandora. Name her queen, let her rule with me". When he had finished speaking the wind blew the blossom petals around her. The petals circled the mare before settling, the rains stopped as it was one of those light spring showers. The sun appeared and it shined its rays down on her. Batty watched this and then he jumped down onto the fresh land. He walked back over to the mare, he stopped a few metres away from her and then reared. He let out a loud neigh while he was in the air before dropping to the ground and shaking his mane.

He looked into Pandora's eyes and a smile was on his face "the lands have accepted, I hereby name you Queen of these lands. Rule with me, let the lands be your home forever and may your life be happy here. Do not let any beast stand in your way as you are Queen Pandora" after he had finished his speech he walked to her side. Batty nuzzled his queen's neck, he then lowered his voice and whispered to her "never leave me Pandora, I have had enough of mares leaving me. Three horses have left me and this lands, I will probably die if any more left" he said and then looked into her eyes.

[Treece]

Pandora watched as nature seemed to reply to Batty's request. She marveled as the blossom twirled around her and leaned over to sniff one. She inhaled the flower and it stuck to her nose. She went crosseyed as she looked at the light pink flower sitting there almost as if it were its proper place. She exhaled to blow it off then rubbed her nose on her arm to remove it. Pandora smiled oddly and looked to Batty. She wondered how her life would be now. Her smile increased as the Stallion reared up. "What a magnificent beast." She thought as she watched on.

She bowed her head and knelt slightly. "I, accept, to rule beside you my king." She spoke quietly, happy to have been allowed into this herd at such a high rank. She rose and closed her eyes as he nuzzled her. "I will not leave you my king. I have now been born here, and here I will be until I die." Her eyes opened and she looked at him in a different light. Tilting her head she looked into his eyes. "I must ask now, what has happened with the other mares? And Kya? Why is she not your queen?"

[Spitz]

Batty sighed, he had to talk about them sooner or later "well, I have had 4 loves before you. My first was Smoke, a amazing mare. She was due with my foal, then she went away before the foal was born" he said and then he looked at the ground. He took a deep breath and looked up again "Aleena and Mona next, unfortuently they bothed loved me and I loved them at the same time. When they found out about each other things went haywire. The mares ended up leaving me, I almost died then. With three mares gone I didn't know what to do" his eyes then sparkled. He was thinking of his next two mares, her and Kya. They were the ones that had stayed in the land. "Kya has stayed as my mentor. I did love her though, until I was walking through the forests one day and saw her with another stallion. I was torn apart, but I worked it out and now we are friends. I have been pretty lonely for a while though, and then you came" he said and nuzzled her again.

Batty took a mouthful of grass, he then looked at Pandora "have you any children my queen?" he asked politely. He certainly didn't have any, it was unfortuent as he did like foals. He loved the way they raced as fast as possible to keep up with their parents. How they would fall in a heap and have that look on their face as they landed on the ground. Foals were amazing, and they would grow up to be amazing horses. He shook his chestnut mane and picked a apple of the tree. Crunching it happily.

[Treece]

Pandora listened intently as he spoke. He had a lot of lovers but she hoped that it wouldn't put a damper on their own relationship especially had any of the mares return. "Well I suppose we all have to go through a little heartbreak every now and again to know what true love is. Only Equine I ever loved was my mother." She tilted her head, refusing to be saddened now. "Nothing like the true love of a mother I tell ya, it's a shame yours left when you were so young. Such a vital time for a foal." Realizing was she probably saying too much she returned her attention to him again, smiling happily. She grazed on a few blades of a grass.

Pandora sniffed his mane, getting his proper scent. She inhaled it and remembered it. "I have no kin, no. But I think it would just be marvelous for me to have one. Or who knows, maybe 5." She grinned widely, exposing the grass lodged in her teeth. She looked away and sighed. "Sometimes I feel so old, and I get jealous during the foaling season when all the little foals are still wet from their mother, and then they take their first steps to drink their mother's milk. That, that I want to experience, but, I have been traveling so much I never got the opportunity to settle down and allow nature to take its course until now." She rest her head on his and closed her eyes and she inhaled the light summer air. It was warm and such a great day to be out here.

[Spitz]

Batty snorted when she said her mother had left him. He reared in anger "my mother didn't leave me, I left her. I was tame Pandora, I left my mother at six months because I wanted to be wild!" he snorted again and trotted to the lake. He didn't like talking about his mother. She looked just like him, chestnut with a white blaze and a single white sock. He then looked at Pandora and walked over to her "sorry, I just got mad" he said and nuzzled her. He inhaled her scent as she did his, he then smiled. "Well it is summer my queen, the time of breeding season" he shook his mane and then sighed "your a young filly honey! How can you feel old? he laughed and trotted around her. He then stopped at her side and nuzzled her neck. He breathed in that scent again, his queen Pandora. "I love you Pandora, if any of the mares came back or Kya came to me I would turn them all away. Your the amazing one" he said quietly to her. It was true, he loved Pandora now and then he smiled.

Batty raised his head and looked at her "Pandora, will you have the honour of having the first heir to this land? Will you have my kin?" he said to her. He wondered her reaction, Smoke had been happy to have his foals. He wondered if she would be the same, hopefully she would birth and not leave like Smoke though. He then started to graze as he waited for her reaction. He walked forward and picked a apple of a tree, they were getting nicer. He couldn't wait until Autumn as the apples would be at their best then. Yes, Autumn would be a good season as it might bring him a heir.

[Treece]

Pandora nearly tripped over her legs as she backed away from Batty who had gotten angry at her assumption. This happened to her many times. Pandora always made assumptions while she rambled on about things all day. He apologized and sniffed her which made Pandora jerk slightly. Finally she regained her composure. "I'm sorry as well, I didn't mean to bring about any old feelings, but why be wild? I've been wild my whole life and wish I didn't have to scavenge for my next meal. And carry those odd looking upright humans, and chewing on carrots and sugar cubes...don't you ever miss being tame?" Pandora sighed as she dreamed about being placed on a large pasture with other tame horses and petted, stroked... She snapped out of her daydream when Batty spoke again. "I am 5 years old! I have..." She tapped her hoof on top of the lush green grass as she counted. "...like...6.7.8yearsleft" Pandora mumbled and cleared her throat to cover up her skewed math.

"Regardless of you loving me, I have a natural obligation now to enlarge this herd and protect it. We'll get to the love later." She didn't answer his question outright but she answered it regardless. She flicked her dark mane and trotted over to the orchard, plucking an apple for herself, munching on it merrily. "What's love feel like anyway? It cannot be anything like a mother's love. A Mother's love is forever, and as you have pretty much told me today, this type of love can just end one day. Why would someone want that my king?"