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Post by Lord Calcifer on Nov 12, 2016 20:52:31 GMT -6
Generally the horses of Ithaca tend to gather here when grazing, in the plentiful tree's shade during the heat of the day. This vast forest, also known as a part of the Anova forest to Lone Spirits, grows a large variety of plants that the herd may choose from. In their down time, however, sometimes it's wiser to rest near the edges of the Silent Forest and the Forgotten Fields due to the uncertainty of a predator attack. Foxes are more often seen than not, and although small the pesky little things will test their luck occasionally. As one gets closer to the border to the Anova Forest the land begins to grow steeper gradually, as it is closer to the distant mountains. The Castovar river runs like a vein through the forest, and a few small lakes and ponds here and there keep the greenery especially plentiful. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Dangers: Grizzly Bears, Foxes, Lynx, Snakes, Gray Wolves, Badgers, Coyotes* When it comes to meeting a predator, the player can chose the outcome. Please keep in mind that lone horses will be vulnerable to predators, while groups will have a better chance of escaping unharmed. When a predator targets a harem of horses, they will seek to separate the weak and young. If your horse is young, old, or injured, be aware they will be likely to be targeted unless defended. Please keep all interactions with predators realistic. No horse can escape every encounter unharmed.
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Post by Lord Calcifer on Dec 20, 2016 23:23:04 GMT -6
OOC: I'm only really posting now because it will be harder to post after I leave to Mississippi.
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Lord Calcifer
Site Owner
Calcifer had slowed to a trot long ago since first passing into the vast forest. His ears were now completely alert and perked, swerving toward any sudden noise. Likewise, his cranium was a bit lower than usual, and as the tall stallion walked his legs almost seemed stiff. He hadn't cared to look back just yet at his new members as he had been preoccupied for the first twenty or so minutes scouting for danger.
Finally, the stallion stopped, a rushing stream somewhere nearby from what he could hear. The Lord turned slowly, scanning the territory beyond their little group as he went. He then would talk only loud enough to be heard over the trickle of water, his words coming carefully with a tense aura. " This forest is plentiful of both greenery and predators at the moment. I want you all to have that imprinted in your head. Always be alert, or you will very likely injured or killed," the stallion cut off suddenly, his eyes darting away as he remembered his twin whom had died from a bear attack within the distance mountains. Not a few seconds later Calcifer was shaken back to reality as a heavy drop of water sprinkled upon contact of his snout. Although normally the forest glowed beautifully within in sun's rays, today it looked eerie and dark. "Here we will split into two groups. Phoenix, you can Aria and Zahra, while I will take Tzevi. I mainly would like to test your attack and reflex skills against a real predator. If you are too weak to handle it, well," Calcifer looked to his beta briefly. "Such matters will be discussed later. Phoenix, I would like you to meet me with your group back in the fields around noon. Find them something challenging, but not overly dangerous, and be mindful of the slopes depending on where you go." he would say. Although Calcifer was a bit leery about any sort of contact, the beta was his friend and he couldn't treat him like a soldier all the time. Before allowing Phoenix to depart, he would softly touch the stallion on his shoulder with his snout.
With rules out of the way, the brute would look to Tzevi with a hint of mischief, circling her. "You say that you are experienced, and unless you were lying," the stallion paused for a moment, as if granting the mare one short and final opportunity to take back what she said. ", I will test you to your capabilities and more so." He said, beginning a quick gallop away from his friend and further into the forest. Even with his weight, the older stallion effortlessly weaved through the trees, leaping over fallen things once or twice. By now it was pouring, and while his glossy mane usually flowed in the wind, it now clung to his neck and face like a sticky sap.
Eventually his rush of adrenaline came to a sudden halt, finally finding the one thing he was searching for; a lynx. The stallion hung his head low, stomping a single hoof into the muddied ground as the now aggravated cat hissed. "Chase it away," he ordered in a low but excited voice, glancing toward Tzevi whom he assumed would be next to him. If she were smart, which in all honestly he hoped she was, she wouldn't stand around like an idiot. The last thing he wanted was a dead or severely wounded mare in his territory that had bluntly lied to him at the borders. Lynx's were fast and quite dangerous with their sharp talons and teeth, and the one before them seemed pretty pissed. The mares best bet was to be incredibly aware and to scare it using her size. Calcifer had never needed to hurt the cats, nor any other small predator really, only simply scaring them off by nipping at them and performing false attacks. Even though the process seemed simple, they were big animals only normally capable of doing things related to their size, and on the contrary any predator to them performed more agile stunts.
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Tzevi
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Ithaca Herd
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Gender: Female
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Post by Tzevi on Jan 4, 2017 0:34:37 GMT -6
The perlino hadn't attempted to engage in any sort of conversation with either the Lord of his second in command. Though the copper Akhal-Teke had, in fact, taken up a position near her level, though closer to his superior, whom Tzevi had given a respectful berth, the mare hadn't bothered speaking with him. As a substitute, if he had looked towards her, she would have softened her gaze in the slightest before returning her face to its stony default and looking away. Throughout the entire walk, the proud mare had kept her pallid head high and her eyes calculating as she memorized the landscape. Making a map of the territory would prove useful in the future. She also made an effort to acquaint herself with the scents of her new home. They were odd, unfamiliar, but they certainly were not unwelcome. She enjoyed the strangeness of it. It was a hopeful sort of novelty. And it was such a vast territory as well. The mare saw it almost like clay, mouldable. Maybe she could leave her own mark on this territory someday. The thought thrilled her. Given her personal history, looking out for danger came as a second nature to her. However, she'd been so preoccupied in mapping out the land that she hadn't been paying as much attention to it as she should. She only realized it when she looked away from the terrain for a moment and to her leader, whose ears were perked up and his eyes fixed on what seemed to be everything at once. A little upset at being outdone, the mare mirrored him. If there was a predator nearby, she was determined to catch it before his eyes could. Only... her lack of familiarity towards the land was working against her. Every little shrub and every shift of the trees beneath the wind had her body twitching and her eyes shifting rather wildly. She was growing more and more frustrated with every little jump, every instinctual flex of her muscles. By the time her Lord had stopped walking Tzevi's eyes were alight with irritation, an odd sensation against their blue tint. When the white stallion before her came to a stop, Tzevi made sure to keep her gaze averted. As she didn't want to offend him by looking straight at him while looking so vexed and she didn't wish to disrespect him by keeping up the pretense of scouting the terrain, either, the mare simply opted to look down at the floor. She found her head bobbing along to his words, an approving gesture. Despite the fact that she liked to think that she didn't need such a reminder, she would have done the same should she have been in his position. Blinking twice, the Akhal-Teke cleared the residual anger that still flecked her irises. She could feel her heartbeat dropping the accelerated tempo that it had picked up during the walk here. Looking up, Tzevi once more fixed her eyes on the Lord, an action that was quickly morphing into a habit. She enjoyed making it known that her superiors possessed her undivided attention. But it wasn't like the Lord was difficult on the eyes, either. When the powerful stallion split the herd into groups, Tzevi had to force down a whinny of absolute excitement. And she wasn't hiding her pleasure, either. You could tell in the slight twitch of her muzzle and the sudden softness to her usually icy gaze. Oh, how wonderful! The perlino had begun to think that maybe she hadn't made such a good first impression. Apparently, insecurity had fooled her. It mattered very little to Tzevi that they were to go up against predators. In fact, she relished the thought. Chasing some harmful creatures from the Lord's territory was perfect physical exercise and just the thing to rid herself of this sudden buzz of energy. This onslaught of excitement also triggered a rush of arrogance, however, and the mare allowed her eyes to seek the Beta. She'd been friendly beforehand as a means of putting herself in his good graces, but her attempts were on hold in this moment. She allowed her formerly beautiful face to twist into an ugly show of pride. A challenge. ' I'm better than you," it boasted, " watch out." The exchange lasted only a second, however, and aptly she returned her features to their usual blank slate as she angled her head back towards the Lord. She was absolutely ecstatic that the leader had sought to be alone with her while the Beta was forced to babysit the two others. Ha! How absolutely funny. The Akhal-Teke watched the Lord interact with the rust-colored stallion without much surprise. Keeping inferiors happy was a part of his job as a leader, so a small, comforting touch of the snout was nothing. What came next was something that definitely interested her, though. The Lord turned his attention to her. To Tzevi. He began circling her like a vulture circles a carcass, and it made Tzevi more than happy. Her expression, however, had slackened with apparent boredom. Eyelids drooping down just enough to look disinterested, any hint of a smile evaporated from her snout. Her head, however, was held high, though she'd never be able to better the Lord in terms of height. When the leader paused his taunting, she simply stared at him with dull eyes. Something in the back of her head was appalled at the insinuation, but Tzevi was sharp enough to know that it was simply a test. She wouldn't let herself grow insecure. The perlino was fully aware of her capabilities, and she trusted herself wholly. By the time the stallion had finished speaking, he hadn't managed to provoke the slightest reaction from Tzevi. She had simply stared at him, confidently disinterested. When the Lord had begun galloping away, Tzevi was already right behind him. She shook her head against the downpour. Unlike the male ahead of her, she had no mane to protect her eyes from the droplets. As it did not stop her from performing to the best of her abilities, however, it was not an issue. Running was the mare's greatest strength, so this would not be a problem for her. Surprising considering his size, the Lord was rather quick. Once more her unfamiliarity with the territory did prove a bit challenging, but the equine would not let it get in her way. She moved to the side so that the stallion was no longer in front of her, instead creating her own path in the dark forest. She trusted her legs to carry her and not her brain, using the latter to help her detect any hint of danger. She trusted her Lord, of course, but he may very well have been luring her into a trap to test her. The Gypsy Vanner came to a stop far too quickly, and the mare's energy was still heavy in her veins. When she saw the furry figure in front of her, however, she understood why. The lynx, infuriated by the sudden invasion, released a hiss as the Lord struck a powerful hoof against the floor. "Chase it away," were his simple orders. Without hesitation did Tzevi dip her head, eager to comply. A small part of her was still trying to appear bored, but her body would not comply with this demand. She was alert now, ears perked forward and nostrils flared. Her muscles were tensed with anticipation. With no sign of hesitation whatsoever, the lightly-colored mare walked forward, making a point to stomp her hooves against the floor. Her intent was to scare the fanged beast with the illusion that she was heavier than she truly was. The cat, however, reacted to this with another lethal hiss. It was standing its ground, and Tzevi was well aware that it intended to make this encounter more difficult than it had to be. Terrific. The mare flicked her ears back as she approached the creature. She did not attempt to circle it, rather go in front of it. This way when it fled, it would not be sent directly towards the Lord. Without warning, the now-aggressive mare released an ear-piercing squeal, the sound rumbling deep in her throat and soaring into the air with a burning sort of ferocity. She lunged forward as she did this, jaw opening and snapping shut with an audible click once she was somewhere near the cat. The creature stumbled back but retaliated with an angry swipe of his arm. Though still a somewhat safe distance away, Tzevi's head lurched back to avoid it. Again Tzevi walked past it, this time from left to right rather than the opposite. She approached it slightly, snorting and snapping her teeth. This time, however, the cat released some sort of guttural sound and bared its teeth, fur puffing up. It took a deliberate yet cautious step forward. Tzevi stepped back in turn, though she berated herself for not being more synchronized with its movements. Another angry squeal tearing itself from her throat, the female ran forward a few good steps, teeth snapping only inches from the lynx's face. She had not been able to get a good angle on its side as it was moving specifically to avoid exposing it, and she had not wanted to waste any more time while the Lord scrutinized her skills. It was a risky move, and she was not rewarded for it. The cat's next attack came suddenly and swiftly. Its claws were only centimeters from her face this time, and she could feel the tip of one of them cut at the edge of her muzzle. Tzevi, though her body wheeled itself backward, was completely frozen with shock. How dare it? And in front of the Lord? Fury bubbled beneath her skin. She would not be humiliated further. Roaring with rage, the mare twisted her body to the cat's side, nipping it once (though not as deeply as she'd intended) and moved back before it could return the favor. The cat backed up a few good steps, but its body twitched sideways as it prepared to run. The perlino took this as her cue and charged forward, teeth snapping wildly and blue eyes burning with hostility. The cat turned and ran into the forest, with Tzevi a safe but imposing distance behind him. She stopped once he had run a good distance away, nostrils flared with satisfaction as she watched his form disappear. Grunting happily to herself, the mare turned and trotted back to the Lord. Her eyes were apprehensive as she moved to stand in front of him. She knew that she had not done well. Though it hadn't been the worst chasing-off she'd ever seen or done, it certainly hadn't been her best performance. She had been slow, unfocused. She knew that though her body had been in the game, her mind had been flittering elsewhere, and you needed both for a good show. She had let herself be less than perfect. How absolutely unacceptable. ooc ; I'm sorry about this novel of a post. I may have gotten slightly too carried away. tagged ; Beta Phoenix , Lord Calcifer
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Post by Lord Calcifer on Jan 4, 2017 18:27:42 GMT -6
OOC: Your post was great! Also I don't mean to leave everyone else behind. Please don't feel rushed :)
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Lord Calcifer
Site Owner
As soon as his single command withdrew from his lips, Tzevi took instant action, walking forward confidently. Although Calcifer had picked Tzevi to train for his own reasons, he was definitely not about to shower her with praises, even if she performed fantastically. To Calcifer, there was always room for improvement for even the best, so, he planned to get a bit cocky with the mare and nit pick all the improvements she needed.
To start out, the mare simply walked out toward the lynx instead of slowly approaching it, much less did she appear to watch the cat's body language too closely. Calcifer only backed up two steps as the female went into action, stopping her hooves as he had done. His eyes narrowed cautiously, no hint of emotion appearing on his face. If he could not chase off the cat with one single stomp of his own body weight and size apparent, her feeble attempt at copying wasn't going to do anything but aggravate the cat. Suddenly Tzevi let out a large screech, one of Calcifers ears folding back in displeasure. He approved of this tactic, however his approval quickly sizzled out. The mare reached forward and snapped her teeth in mid air, not very close to the lynx at all. If she wanted to intimidate it immediately or even scare it off in an instant, her screech would only bring more fear after lunging forward and nipping close to the cat. Her attempts were strong, an aspect in which Calcifer admired, but her actions were a bit slow and not so well thought out. She seemed to act out in anger, using her feelings more than her head to fuel herself.
Slowly but surely Tzevi would repeat, pacing the lynx and snapping at it. Eventually she ran up to it, right in the face which was a big mistake he already knew, snapping in rage at it. It was then that Calcifer lost his concentration, now focusing on her safety. The stallion shook his head angrily and took a rather big step forward, coming up to her side just as it was too late. The lynx swung a massive paw at her face, clawing her on the snout. Tzevi lunged backwards, and the Lord immediately copied almost in sync with her, keeping his fury filled eyes on the lynx. The scratch, however, did not seem to faze her, only power her more. Again she ran for the predator, this time smartly aiming at its side, and afterwards the cat was quick to run off, Tzevi chasing after it for short moment.
Obviously as she came back she looked disappointed in herself, but of course with the danger gone Calcifer was again purely worried about her cut. It was always about safety before anything. Before the mare reached him the Lord would trot up, jutting his snout forward and quite close to her own as he examined the tiny cut along her snout. It was small and clean, but still bleeding. With the confirmation that she wasn't badly hurt though, Calcifer would whip his head back in an instant, dark brown strands of hair falling over his glaring eyes at stared right at her. "Fighting these animals is not a game. Perhaps you don't think you were playing one, but your actions were quite slow and it only angered the cat more," Calcifer huffed quickly, his expression growing even more frustrated. " And you do not lunge for any predators face! Much less their behind. You should know that you aren't as fast as these small animals much less should you be able to dodge tooth or claw faced directly at your face. What do you think you were doing?" he voiced angrily, his ears pinned back against his skull as he again stopped a single hoof irritably into the mud.
Calcifer then turned his head toward the side, closing his eyes as he let out a deep sigh. "Tzevi," he began, opening his eyes once more to look at the mare. " I am your leader, but in battle I am your companion. You cannot let your pride steer your mind, nor should you only act based upon your anger. Next time, I would like to see you a bit more relaxed. Not on the outside, but on the inside." the stallion began to turn away, gesturing with his head that he wanted her at his side. There was a brief span of silence as he walked, the Lord taking his time to organized his scattered thoughts and regain his composure. "Tomorrow I will take you and any others out to give a adequate example as to how you should react toward a predator," he paused, glancing toward the mare with soft eyes, his wet hair clinging to his face. "I don't mean to insult you, only to make you stronger as an individual. My kingdom is not safe by any means, and if you cannot handle yourself out here I do not want to have to stress about your safety constantly."he would admit. "However, you are a surprisingly strong mare, and I see myself facing little to no trouble with you," he continued briefly, adding in one single comment with a small encouraging so that perhaps she wouldn't feel so bad about her performance.
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Post by Beta Phoenix on Jan 5, 2017 18:32:34 GMT -6
Phoenix trotted along the path, confident in this territory, where he knew his way around. Since joining Ithaca, he had learned to love the dark forest. The shadows and strange rustles now gave him a sort of thrill, as if he was entering a battle. The danger that lurked here and the predators around didn't scare the stallion anymore.
He turned his copper head just slightly, his wide peripheral vision scanning the mares behind him. Tzevi in particular seemed quite tense, and as Phoenix watched she flinched more than once. The stallion tossed his head, snorting with amusement. Even proud Tzevi could get scared. Who would've thought?
Not long after, Calcifer stopped. Phoenix went and stood beside the Gypsy stallion, offering support to the Lord and presenting a unified front to the new herd members. "This forest is plentiful of both greenery and predators at the moment. I want you all to have that imprinted in your head. Always be alert, or you will very likely injured or killed," Calcifer starting, breaking off suddenly. After a moment he jumped slightly and continued. "Here we will split into two groups. Phoenix, you can Aria and Zahra, while I will take Tzevi. I mainly would like to test your attack and reflex skills against a real predator. If you are too weak to handle it, well," the Lord glanced at Phoenix, and the copper horse offered a small smirk in return. If they couldn't handle it, then they had no place in this herd. Phoenix would have no regrets about disposing of a member who couldn't hold their own in battle.
The Beta scanned the mares, lost in thought, and realized that his gaze had stopped on Tzevi. The mare's face was contorted in an ugly way, clearly challenging him. Phoenix had no idea what her problem was, but that sort of behavior would not be tolerated. Immediately, the stallion's red eyes flashed fiercely, and his ears flattened right against his skull. He bared his teeth, his whole body threatening the perlino. If she ever dared to do something like that again, he would make her pay. In blood.
But now was not the time for a fight, and the hotheaded stallion knew that Calcifer would not appreciate it. He relaxed his tense muscles one at a time, his blood boiling under his thin red skin. His eyes stayed locked on Tzevi as Calcifer finished talking, his ears still laid back. After he was done, the Lord touched Phoenix's muzzle gently. The Beta lowered his head slightly, accepting the gesture of friendship.
He then turned to Aria and Zahra, watching them carefully. "Keep up," he said simply, and took off through the forest, heading in the opposite direction of Calcifer and the mare who he was beginning to hate. Hate was a strong word for Phoenix, not something he took lightly or could forgive. Hate meant no mercy, no lenience, no compassion. Hate could be lethal.
The Akhal-Teke galloped through the woods, heading west toward the Arcano Mountains. He didn't turn around or slow down--if the mares couldn't keep up then that was their problem, not his. Once he had covered quite a lot of ground, the stallion stopped, waiting for Aria and Zahra to catch up. Once they did, he locked eyes with both of them.
"In battle, working in pairs is always best. Your partner can protect you when you cannot, and is easily an asset. But in battle, you cannot ever let personal feelings influence the way you treat your partner. Aria, Zahra, even though neither of you know each other, you need to immediately learn to trust each other. Right now. Your first task is to find a predator without communicating in words. The two of you need to learn nonverbal communication, because in battle you will not have time or breath to speak."
Phoenix's red eyes flashed. "Once you find a predator, the two of you will fight it, again without words. I would advise you to spend this time learning to trust each other, so that in battle you will have that advantage. So, if neither of you have any questions, then I expect you to get on with it. I'll be around, watching you both."
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Aria
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Ithaca Herd
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Gender: Female
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Post by Aria on Jan 5, 2017 22:35:33 GMT -6
Hooves covered with black stockings placed themselves onto the ground in pairs as the curly mare trotted underneath the greenery of the silent forest. It was peaceful, but not relaxing. In her decade of life, Aria had encountered forests much like these that were crawling with threats. Her chocolate gaze swept over the lands as she moved gracefully, on the lookout for any movement from something that wasn't the pleasant breeze or the horses around her. The leaves above the small band would've let small dapples of sunlight through, which could've danced off the coats of all of the horses around her, except for the fact that it was overcast, and the weather was turning rainy. It would be a pleasant sight, the curly mare noted, and if she passed the test that the Lord was about to put them through, she might want to come here to graze or to just be in the area sometime when the sky didn't want to attack her with stray raindrops. Speaking of the Lord, the feathered male turned to face all of them after stopping at a distance from a nearby stream. "This forest is plentiful of both greenery and predators at the moment. I want you all to have that imprinted in your head. Always be alert, or you will very likely injured or killed," The Lord's voice cut off suddenly, and Aria took that moment of silence to fully absorb his warning. Dying was not on her list of things to do as she tried to get into this herd. "Here we will split into two groups. Phoenix, you can Aria and Zahra, while I will take Tzevi. I mainly would like to test your attack and reflex skills against a real predator. If you are too weak to handle it, well, such matters will be discussed later. Phoenix, I would like you to meet me with your group back in the fields around noon. Find them something challenging, but not overly dangerous, and be mindful of the slopes depending on where you go." The fact that the perlino mare was singled out didn't surprise Aria. She had been solely focused on Lord Calcifer for the entirety of time that Aria had been in her company. Not letting those pointless thoughts sit inside her head for long, the curly mare turned to face Beta Phoenix, whom was looking at Tzevi. The golden mare sent a small glance towards the shorter mare, and was shocked to see her face curled up into something that the graceful mare didn't think was possible for a horse do create. Phoenix's response was immediate, and Aria watched as he tensed, his ears flicking backwards and his teeth bared at the other mare. A flick of a somewhat short black tail was the only response that Aria gave to Tzevi. If she wanted to be challenging, she could do it while she was fighting something with Lord Calcifer. She gave her pelt a quick shake to rid herself of raindrops that lodged themselves within her curls while Beta Phoenix calmed down. The golden mare looked towards him expectantly, and an answer was soon given. "Keep up," was the only thing that the coppery Akhal-Teke stallion said to the remaining pair of mares before spinning away and galloping through the bush. With a snort, Aria broke into a gallop after the blood bay, slightly annoyed that he just left two mares alone in foreign waters, but then again, it was probably part of the test. Her focus alternated from the ground that whizzed beneath her hooves to her surroundings, which were where predators hid, and it was also part of the test. What if Phoenix suddenly decided to ask the pair of mares what they had seen on their way to their destination? She wanted to have that covered. The curly mare weaved through the trees that were lit in a manor that was slightly ominous because of the rain and clouds above. She made sure to be careful about stepping on waxy dead leaves, as they were slightly slippery, even without the added lubricant of the rain. When she saw that the blood bay silhouette of Beta Phoenix was fast approaching, she slowed her pace knowing that he had stopped, and therefore, she would have to as well. Once Zahra arrived, Aria gave her a small smile. "In battle, working in pairs is always best. Your partner can protect you when you cannot, and is easily an asset. But in battle, you cannot ever let personal feelings influence the way you treat your partner. Aria, Zahra, even though neither of you know each other, you need to immediately learn to trust each other. Right now. Your first task is to find a predator without communicating in words. The two of you need to learn nonverbal communication, because in battle you will not have time or breath to speak."
As the coppery Beta spoke, Aria's mind raced. This was already one heck of a challenge, and it appeared that Phoenix wasn't done speaking yet. "Once you find a predator, the two of you will fight it, again without words. I would advise you to spend this time learning to trust each other, so that in battle you will have that advantage. So, if neither of you have any questions, then I expect you to get on with it. I'll be around, watching you both." Aria released a deep breath, gave her pelt a quick shake, and locked eyes with the Beta, just as he had done before he spoke, and nodded curtly to him. Now it was up to the pair of mares, and Aria wasted no time stepping away from the group slightly, scanning the ground for any predator that the pair of them could complete their task with. However, before she left on her search completely, she looked towards Zahra, flicking her head slightly in the direction she was heading. Hopefully the other mare would understand that it was an invitation to follow her. It would be much easier to alert the other mare of a predator if they were close to each other. At the borders, she had made a promise to protect the herd with her life, and now, it was time to prove that she wasn't bluffing. The rustling of multiple plants drew the attention of the golden mare, and she flicked her ears back as she spotted what was behind the noise. A wolf scuttled in the shadows of the shrubbery, evidently trying to stalk something, but not with much to any success. His pelt was raggedy, missing fur in some parts, while other parts were laden with scars that parted his fur more. His pelt clung to his ribs and hung over his hips ,and his retched panting could he hear and smelt from where Aria was standing. He was an easier target than she had expected to find, but it was obvious that even though the wolf was thin and raggedy, he was young, and still covered in muscle. She needed to alert the bay mare that was somewhere around her, but Aria had a feeling that she couldn't nicker, even without words in it. *Keeping one eye on the wolf, Aria glanced around at what could alert Zahra to her find if she wasn't already near her. There was leaf litter under her hooves, so stamping the ground would be useless at long distances, as the sound wouldn't echo as much as it would if her hooves were stamping on stone. There were trees around her, which she could kick to attract attention with, but that sound would also be muffled by the amount of tree's around her. With a look of determination on her face, Aria struck out at one of the thinner tree trunks with her back hooves, delivering a hefty blow to the young wood that created a clacking sound that echoed through the trees, not too loudly, but it should do the trick. However, she had now given her position away to Stinky Breath, which was the downside. * If Zahra was in view range of Aria, she would cautiously move away from the wolf, towards Zahra, and nudge her side gently with her nose to get her attention. Once attention was achieved, Aria swung her muzzle in the direction of the wolf in the bushes. The two of them could easily take him on, but she didn't know what the bay mare was going to do, so this altercation could either go really well, and the two could work in miraculous harmony, or it could go very badly, and one or both of them could be injured by the snapping jaws of the wolf. With extra caution, Aria made her way over to where the wolf was stalking. It was obvious that the wolf would've caught on to at least her scent by now, but she didn't know how he would react...yet. Hopefully now two mares stood facing the wolf, or it was one mare with another pending, but either way, it was time to get this thing going. Aria pinned her curly ears to the back of her head and launched herself into a gallop, with a collision course with the wolf if he didn't move. Her attack wasn't without planning. Getting the wolf to move would give the pair of mares an advantage, and it could give Zahra an advantage in her attack. Apparently, 1000 pounds of horse is a pretty good motivator, and the patchy wolf scuttled out of the way, just before Aria spung around, lashing out with her powerful hind legs at the wolf. She didn't leave her back to the wolf for long however, as the creature was now enraged and focused on her. Hopefully Zahra would join in with the fight, adding a bite, kick, something in so that the wolf would get the message to bugger off. While she waited for Zahra's move in the match, she danced on her hooves, making small lunges forwards occasionally to keep the obviously hungry wolf at bay. If the beast got a hold on one of her limbs, it could mean severed tendons and/or ligament damage, which could prove to be fatal for a horse that uses all four hooves constantly. ooc: Hope this is okay! Beta Phoenix Zahra
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Tzevi
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Ithaca Herd
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Gender: Female
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Post by Tzevi on Jan 7, 2017 2:43:26 GMT -6
As the Lord's figure approached her own sullen one, Tzevi lowered her head in the slightest. Though she wasn't particularly excited to get berated, she both deserved and expected it. What she hadn't been expecting was the genuine concern that he showed beforehand. His head extended towards hers, eyes alert and scrutinizing, and for a moment Tzevi was temporarily baffled by the odd behavior. But after a moment she realized that his gaze was aimed towards her muzzle. She'd forgotten about her cut until now, but moved her head back to its normal height to facilitate things for the stallion. Once he'd checked and presumably figured that nothing was lethal, his attentive eyes hardened like stone, and Tzevi could clearly see the anger festering within them. She kept her eyes on him, but as she couldn't bring herself to forge the usual eye contact, she stared at his muzzle, tensing her muscles as she awaited rebuke. Tzevi figured that the emotion hanging from his tone was disbelief, and she could feel her her teeth beginning to grit. Just because she acknowledged the need for reprimanding didn't mean she enjoyed it. Especially when she already knew everything that he was telling her. Tzevi would much rather have done the reprimanding and she was exceptionally good at doing so. She was no longer in charge, however, and she knew that receiving criticism was simply a consequence of this. Or maybe it didn't have to be, if she hadn't done such a terrible job. A foal could have done better than her! The Lord made sure to tell her this, though not exactly in those words. His voice seemed to rise and heat up with anger the longer he spoke. If questioning her actions wasn't enough of a humiliation, the creamy stallion pinned his ears back. He was angry at her! Had he been personally offended by how she'd behaved? Was she not good enough for his stupid little herd that hid within forests? At least Tzevi's herd had been brave enough to face open fields! Her eyes grew nearly as hot as her temper. She was practically burning holes in her Lord's snout. She knew that it wasn't his fault and that this was simply his job. He needed good members within his heard, not ones that risked infection every time they faced off with a cat. So why was it so hard to keep her anger from boiling over? The last thing she wished to do was disrespect a superior. It would be casting away everything that she believed in and everything she'd traveled to achieve. Her teeth hurt by how much pressure she was exerting within her jaw, but she barely paid it any heed. The leader took a deep breath, which Tzevi grew extremely worried about. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to withstand more criticism without exploding. When he spoke, however, his tone was gentler. She listened to his words in silence, muscles relaxing slowly. The words still felt slightly condescending to her, but she was curious about his style of leadership. Tzevi's had been extremely serious, constantly formal and constantly, well, a leader. It seemed that this Lord favored a friendlier angle. Maybe the touch to his Beta's shoulder had meant more than the mare had previously thought. She hardly paid attention to his words, even if they were wise and Tzevi knew that they should have been respected. Tzevi simply couldn't help but find this discovery slightly more interesting. She couldn't deny that it had placated her in the slightest, so it was definitely effective. The mare blinked and nodded to the Lord as a symbol of gratitude. When he turned away, offering Tzevi a place at his side, she took it up without pause. Of course it was temporary, but being his equal for these few moments was somewhat freeing. It was like a breath of fresh air after being crowded for so long. She would have preferred being in front of him, of course, but this was enough for the moment. The silence he offered was also something that Tzevi was thankful for. She had a few moments to pick through her thoughts and rid herself of any anger that still clung to her. She had no reason to be angry with him, and in any case, he had finished scolding her. She didn't particularly like what she heard next. If he showed everyone, Tzevi included, how to properly react to a predator they would all know that she'd done badly during her first test. It would simply make the humiliation that much worse. And what of the copper Beta? She had challenged him, fully expecting that she would do well in any test she could ever be given. Spiting him wasn't exactly her priority at the moment, but it would still be embarrassing. Would the Lord tell him the results of today's activity? Most likely. The perlino was completely taken aback by the Lord's apology. A leader apologizing to a subordinate for something he had done perfectly right? What a stupid thing to do. Maybe he was the one who needed a bit of criticism. However, he rectified his mistake by admitting that he truly cared about her safety. Of course, as a leader Tzevi herself had cared for the safety of her herd-members, but she would never had told any of them. They needed a sense of self-importance and not rely on the compliments and encouragements of others. Take into account constructive criticism, yes, but they had all known that self-confidence could take them a long way. She was well aware that other hers did things differently, but it was odd actually experiencing it firsthand. It made her uncomfortable. After yet another compliment, the Lord lapsed back into silence. Tzevi digested his words for a moment before responding. " Thank you for the kind words," she said slowly, looking ahead, expression pensive. " I appreciate the reproval," she said stiffly and without much honesty. Quickly she added in, " I understand that my actions were rash and, quite frankly, juvenile. I apologize for that, there is no excuse..." Tzevi's ear flicked. " I'm sorry, I don't think I ever caught your name." ooc ; I don't think Calcifer ever said his name. Sorry if I just missed it. tagged ; Lord Calcifer
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Post by Lord Calcifer on Jan 15, 2017 13:36:06 GMT -6
OOC:
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Lord Calcifer
Site Owner
Throughout his speech Tzevi was obviously on the brink of boiling over, mad at herself, perhaps mad at him. But her behavior and emotions reflected off of his most obviously, and so as he calmed his temper she copied. As expected, the mare took his moment of silence as a time to speak and reflect. She kindly thanked him for the compliments and voiced that she appreciated his criticism. That was a lie. It was written all in her voice, but Calcifer couldn't blame her for trying. Tzevi then began reflecting on her actions, and as such Calcifer would politely listen. Her next words, though, struck a hard string in his brain. My name? The gypsy vanner suddenly stopped, ears narrowing back slightly as he looked to the directionless path ahead. Was I too caught up in my leadership to mention my name to any of the newcomers? Stupid. he would tell himself, closing his eyes gently while making sure his expression showed no hint of his thoughts. "My mistake. I am Calcifer." he said, glancing toward the mare with a kind glimmer in his eyes.
It was then that a not so distant whinny echoed into the sky and through the pattering rain, reaching his ears in an instant. Calcifers expression screwed up in annoyance purely. This horse was way over the borders. "Tzevi, you are about to get your first demonstration of what happens when you don't follow rules." he would mutter before beginning a brisk trot, following this a thundering sprint across the forest. Mare or stallion, the Lord already had plans in mind for this idiot. While his hoofs beat upon the muddied floor, Calcifer would himself release a low neigh in response, while also notifying his Beta that there was no need to pause training.
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Tzevi
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Ithaca Herd
Posts: 10
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Gender: Female
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Post by Tzevi on Jan 19, 2017 19:48:57 GMT -6
Seeming surprised with the question, the Lord halted suddenly. It took Tzevi a few more steps to realize that he'd disappeared from her side and she twisted a cream head around questioningly. His expression was difficult to read and the mare wasn't able to decipher what exactly he was feeling. Presuming that he was surprised at himself for forgetting to introduce himself, she didn't ask. The mare couldn't bring herself to blame him, she was sure that he'd had a lot more on his mind than mere introductions. With a warm gaze, he put a name to his face: Calcifer. The Akhal-Teke nodded once to show understanding. Her ears, initially perked forward in his direction (another gesture to show that she was listening) suddenly swiveled backward as a sharp call resonated throughout the land. As she turned around to face the source, she caught sight of Lord Calcifer's vexed expression. "Tzevi, you are about to get your first demonstration of what happens when you don't follow rules," he muttered. She turned her head back to him for a brief instant, expression still. Was it bad that she was a little excited? Her legs were suddenly buzzing with adrenaline just like they'd been when she was facing off with the lynx. Without a doubt would she enjoy the oncoming confrontation, even if she was just watching from the sidelines. What was a horse doing so far within the herd's borders? Had they no sense of personal space? Really, what were they expecting? At least he'd had the decency to call out rather than be stumbled upon. As her lord plunged into a sprint ahead of him, Tzevi released a snort of excitement. Barely hesitating, the mare bounded after him, limbs carrying her weight mechanically as her eyes scanned the terrain for any sign of the intruder. Her ears were pointed forward attentively, though the pressure of the wind angled them back in the slightest. From ahead of her, Lord Calcifer emitted a loud neigh for both the intruder and, presumably, his Beta who would no doubt have heard the initial call. It was hard for her not to take note of the copper stallion's absence from the lord's side and it took everything inside of her not to act on the twinge of smugness that coursed suddenly through her. She knew that she was acting irrationally, leadership was no longer her place. And yet her temptation for it was completely intact. [ EXIT to FORGOTTEN FIELDS ] tagged ; Lord Calcifer
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Post by Beta Phoenix on Feb 23, 2017 21:10:14 GMT -6
The young stallion followed Aria at a distance, his keen eyes following her every movement and instinctively translating her nonverbal signals into a clear line of communication. A scrawny wolf appeared after a little while, and Phoenix shifted his attention the danger. When Aria struck out at one of the thin trees, the shaking sound caused his ears to flicker back in disapproval. The message may have been nonverbal, but it wasn't silent.
Aria took on the wolf at a gallop, giving the predator a swift kick with her hind legs as she passed. He skittered away, however, and Aria had to swing back around to face him again. The curly mare was stalling, keeping the scrawny wolf at bay, but not making many offensive moves.
"Zahra's not coming," Phoenix called out to her, moving closer through the trees. "You'll have to do this alone. Either chase him off or kill him," the Beta finished bluntly. He was rather uninterested in the small battle, and wanted it to end. He hoped Aria had a few more tricks left, because her performance was just average as of right now. Granted, Zahra's absence was not her fault, so the Akhal-Teke was willing to give her one more chance to show off her skill against the wolf.
Keeping his emotions in check, the stallion stood behind the mare and watched the events through a carefully measured gaze. While he would prefer to be fighting himself, his duty to Calcifer was to provide an accurate description of Aria's ability, and that was what he intended to do. Phoenix narrowed his gaze slightly. "You've got this, Aria," he said under his breath. WORDS: 277 NOTES: OOC: Sorry it’s been so long, but we’ll have to continue without Zahra
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Aria
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Ithaca Herd
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Gender: Female
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Post by Aria on Feb 24, 2017 0:49:04 GMT -6
The scrawny lupine was definitely angry now; his yellowed teeth bared in a menacing snarl. Both her golden form and the wolf's grey form jumped slightly when Beta Phoenix's voice rang out through the trees, "Zahra's not coming. You'll have to do this alone. Either chase him off or kill him." That was a dilemma for the curly mare. She had never killed another mammal on purpose, but she had promised her life for the herd, and the wolf could easily take a life away from Ithaca. Making up her mind, the marigold mare steeled her eyes and snorted at the lupine. His eyes were also narrowed at Aria, his focus evidently back on track. It was an internal battle whether or not to end the mangy being's life, but reassuring herself that he would be much better put out of his misery, and Ithaca would be safer for it, she jumped into action. Springing off her powerful hindquarters, Aria extended her front hooves, striking the side of the wolf's head with most of her weight before snapping her neck out, grasping the wolf's ear in her mouth. She continued her battering of the wolf with her front hooves as she pulled back with her head, slowly tearing the velvety ear off. Of course she didn't go without a few scratches. While she was pulling the ear as quickly as she could, the wolf had rolled onto his stomach because he was overpowered, but this allowed him to lash out with his claws and inflict minor damage on her legs, but it was nothing compared to the damage that she had inflicted to the wolf. Blood spurted from multiple cuts that parted the wolf's fur on his head and chest, as well as from the wound that replaced his ear. Stomping her hooves down as a form of intimidation, she moved closer as the cocky wolf still thought that he could still use the golden equine as food, stomping on one of his hind legs, a clear crack radiating out from the woof, alongside a loud howl of pain. The fracture seemed to have instantaneously knocked the beast down a few notches, and he began to crawl away, the whites of his eyes showing obviously. Furrowing her eyebrows once more, she launched a standstill jump at the wolf, which drove him to stand up on his three remaining useful legs and hobble away as quickly as he could carry his emaciated and battered frame. Giving one final snort at the retreating form of the wolf, she turned her attention to where she believed the blood-bay Beta had stationed himself. Internally, she was grateful that the wolf had finally realized his eminent defeat and fled. She didn't know if she could actually bring herself to fatally strike the beast, so at least chasing him off was a viable option. She lowered her head and cast her gaze to her legs. The small cuts that the wolf had inflicted were shallow, and any blood that had spurted from them had dried quickly either over top of the injury, or just below it. Lifted her head only slightly, still to respect the Beta, she would wait for what he would say, whether it be feedback, or something else entirely. Beta Phoenix
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Post by Beta Phoenix on Feb 27, 2017 21:43:09 GMT -6
Phoenix watched through narrowed eyes as Aria, emboldened by the Beta's words, began a more offensive attack. He struck at the ground bitterly as she began to tear blood; the copper stallion wanted to fight. It took most of his willpower to stay still once blood began flowing from the wolf's ear. Hot adrenaline began flowing through Phoenix's thin skin, and he threw his head, flexing his muscles impatiently.
At the loud crack of bone, Phoenix broke from his blood-trance and flinched, his eyes quickly making sure that each of Aria's legs was still intact and in motion. For a large animal that spent its life almost entirely on its feet, a broken leg meant almost certain death.
Luckily, it was the wolf's leg that was broken. Defeated, the scruffy gray predator cowered against the ground and began to crawl away on three legs, its broken limb bent at an unnatural angle. The buckskin mare gave a final snort and turned to Phoenix, abandoning the fight, but the blood-bay ignored her completely, launching himself into a run and catching up to the wolf in a few short strides. Rearing above the battered beast, the Beta threw his entire weight into a downward motion, slamming both front hooves into the wolf's skull. He repeated the motion to make sure it was completely dead, and then turned back to Aria, his ears pinned slightly.
For a moment he considered starting his review on a positive note, but his blood was boiling too much for that. "When I said kill it or chase it off, I didn't mean fatally wound it and then leave it to die a slow death," the stallion started, the exasperation evident in his voice. "We don't condone torture in this herd. You could have chosen to give it a good kick and a few bites, and then chase it to the border, or you could have chosen to kill it like I did. Either way was fine. What was not fine was leaving it to suffer for a few days before dying a slow death. It's hard to kill sometimes, I understand that," Phoenix added, a touch of sympathy in his voice, "but mercy sometimes means delivering a swift death to avoid suffering. You need to remember that for next time."
Phoenix blew a deep breath out of his nostrils, taking a moment to calm himself. "However, your performance overall was quite nice. You did well stepping in for Zahra, and I believe you could have killed the wolf easily if you had wished to. But next time, either kill the beast or just chase it off. Don't do a job halfway."
Phoenix flicked his ears forward, inviting her to talk if she had something to say. If not, the blood bay would turn and begin trotting back towards the Forgotten Fields to meet up with Calcifer and the idiot Akhal-Teke mare, the incident and the blood on his hooves already long forgotten.
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Aria
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Ithaca Herd
Posts: 11
Likes: 0
Gender: Female
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Post by Aria on Mar 3, 2017 22:20:16 GMT -6
Following the Beta's movements with her head raised a little higher, she watched as the bold stallion charged after the wolf, smashing his front hooves onto it's skull; a move Aria could not mentally bring herself to do. Cringing at the brutality of the wolf's death, she flicked her gaze up the the Beta's, immediately lowering her head in shame as the rage sparked in his optics.
"When I said kill it or chase it off, I didn't mean fatally wound it and then leave it to die a slow death. We don't condone torture in this herd. You could have chosen to give it a good kick and a few bites, and then chase it to the border, or you could have chosen to kill it like I did. Either way was fine. What was not fine was leaving it to suffer for a few days before dying a slow death. It's hard to kill sometimes, I understand that, but mercy sometimes means delivering a swift death to avoid suffering. You need to remember that for next time," all of the words that the stallion spoke were true, and Aria's curly golden ears were flattened against her skull in shame. She nodded her head slightly, acknowledging Beta Phoenix's words.
"However, your performance overall was quite nice. You did well stepping in for Zahra, and I believe you could have killed the wolf easily if you had wished to. But next time, either kill the beast or just chase it off. Don't do a job halfway," the Beta concluded, his body language inviting her to talk. "Of course. I am sorry for my actions. Thank you," Aria spoke, her velvety tones apologetic and sincere. She didn't bother trying to explain her actions; they were already put into play, and there was no changing them now. Justifying them would be pointless.
As the stallion began to move, the black-socked mare followed behind, still unfamiliar with the territory layout. The only thing that she could really do as they walked was to observe the passing scenery and try to make a map from it. It was beautiful, the collage of greens and browns that littered the landscape; such a place one would not think that something had just died in. Casting her gaze downwards, the red stain on the Beta's hooves caught her attention, a grim reminder to take his advice seriously. It was obvious that she would need to toughen up if she was to ever actually impress the Lord or Beta. With that thought swimming around her mind, Aria followed the Beta as the greenery shifted into grasses.
-Exit to Forgotten Fields-
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Post by Beta Phoenix on Mar 20, 2017 16:33:01 GMT -6
The curly mare apologized simply, without wasting breath on excuses. Phoenix appreciated that, and gave her a small nod before turning and setting out to find Calcifer. He picked up a gallop again after a moment, returning to the thrill of running through the forest. Leaping over logs, rocks and shrubs, and dodging between trees and boulders, the copper stallion set each hoof down with a swift assurance. He was home, and he had completed the task, and now he could return to annoying Tzevi. He had a feeling that he was going to be having a lot of fun with her from now on.
--Exit to The Forgotten Fields--
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