{Impress;me}

[Vel]

Lassan walked quietly, lost in his own thoughts. The quiet that surrounded the pair of equine was nice, non-awkward one like theought it would be. The only sounds to be heard were the few cries of different birds and the breeze rustling the brush and trees. He was glad it was summer, otherwise it would be a bitter cold wind blowing across the land.

His crown turned as she asked him another question. "Well, my herd is my own, but on my father's land." he said. "His herd was killed." this time he spoke bitterly. "You see when I was a two year old, out on my own, a raven by the name of Giltrent had informed me that a dark herd had raided my father's land, killing alll of them, including both of my parents." he paused, recalling the memory. "I then rushed back, wanting to kill the stag who led the dark herd. I challenged him for the land. Oh I was so stupid." Lassan then trailed off.

[apples]

One hoof in front of the other, kicking up a small puff of dust in some places. Leaving no trace that she had been in the very space her body had once occupied except for a faint imprint upon the ground. It was a habit for Apples to travel leaving no sign that she had passed through that way. Her tiara lowered a little as Lassan began, as he told her about his father. Death was one thing she knew all too well and the devastation it can leave behind. The land was still beautiful but seemed to lose some of its vibrant color in Apples eyes. Her almost onyx orbs shone with understanding and sympathy. Unsure of what to say she didn't open her maw for a while as she contemplated what the stag had told her.

”I am sorry for your losses. Part of me wishes to ask why you would say you were stupid but I do not want to bring up memory's you would rather left forgotten. So you get to pick whatever it is we speak of if anything at all.”

Her tone was soft and understanding but not sickeningly so. Her chocolate tinted coat burned in the sunlight. Her creamy banner lifted a little from the wind as did her whipcord, their color morphed by the light seemed to be an almost glowing white. Her whole body wanted to run, from her mind to all four of her peds. But she kept her pace steady, her orbs fixated but allowed her thoughts to run wild, chasing each other in circles.

[Ooc: Sorry for the wait. I got in trouble over some stuff...=/..]

[Vel]

Lassan snuck a quick glance at Apples, who was walking very daintily, as they walked in silence. It wasn’t an uncomfortable silence, but it wasn’t a comfortable one either. Lassan shook his crown and flicked his obsidian banner at a few flies. His deep chocolate optics roamed up to the heavens when a crow made a cawing sound up above. Why were there crows? Did something, or someone die? Lassan let out a snort and shook his crown once more, not really wanting to think about it. There had been enough deaths already in his herd.

Lassan turned his crown as Apples started to speak again. “I’ll tell you another time Apples.” He said with a sigh. “Another story for another day. I’m sure you understand.” He said quietly. He looked to her again, this time taking in her brilliant coat and the way it reflected the sunlight. “You like runnin’?” he saked with a mischievious glint in his optics.

[apples]

As Lassan bothered the flys that were bothering him Apples allowed her dark orbs to watched. Her towers moved as a cawing that of a crow came from above. Her attention became diverted from the well built stag to the sky. Crows. The sign of death on wings....ominous. But such was what this mare had come to be accustom to. Many times around had these birds led way to a painful loss and shown where yet another deceased friend lad fallen and lied in the spot where their bones would bleach the earth for what was left of eternity. She watched her hooves and the ground before them once more.

The stallion made it clear that she aroused memories best to be left alone, but not in any rood way. He questioned whether she liked to run. A broad grin forced its way onto Apples maw, and her eyes sparkled. She nodded shyly but answered confidently.

“Running is one thing but to gallop is another. I prefer the latter. Wanna race?”

And it was innocence that shone through the vixens dark orbs.

[Vel]

Wanna race? Did she really just ask him that? Of course he wanted to race. Racing was his one constant love in life. Lassan turned his crown in her direction, as if he was going to respond to her. Instead he just shot her a smile and took off racing down the worn dirt path. As long as they kept on the path that they were on now, they would be headed in the right direction of Terra delle Loberta, Lassan's homeland and the rest of the herd.

The herd. Lassan hoped that they would accept Apples. Yes they were nice, and yes they cared about other equines, he just wasn't sure how much they liked him bringing in new members every week or so. But they neeeded them right? With the Zunden breed on the rise again, each 'normal' herd would need all the horse power they could get. Most of the 'normal' her leaders knew that one of these days the Zunden would strike and try to take over the isle once again.

[apples]

At first the tall dark bay vixen thought a reply was about to part the maw of her companion and in a way one did. Only part it did not, it shaped, shaped as a smile. And there was her answer. Yes, Lassan wanted to race. The dark stag shot off like an ebony bullet. He was a handsom horses standing still and moving slow but extraordinary when in speed. Apples just ginned. Lets see what hes got.

Knowing better then to gallop right off the bat she decided to canter. And canter fast. But not yet enough to show her stuff. She tossed her finely shapped crown and kicked up dirt as she followed her oppenent. Oh, sh eknew her routeen. Watch, wait, stay close, then when he thought he had her beat to launch full power. But her pistons told her otherwise. She bumped up her speed growing closer, not yet a gallop. She would wait until the dark stallion had strutted his stuff before she took her turn to upstage his speed. She was aiming for a neck and neck race. This was freedom, this was life, this was what if was all about. She clanced sideways at Lassan and shot him a smile, one that said 'take your best shot'.

[Vel]

Lassan slowed his pace a bit as he looked back. Was she coming? Hopefully she didn't decide that she'd be better off alone and take off now that he couldn't see her. Would she do that? She didn't strike him as the kind of vix who would do that, but as they say never jusdge a book by it's cover. That got Lassan thinking, who were 'they' and what in the world was a book? Hmm. It didn't really matter anyway.

Lassan threw another glance over his shoulder, this time to see the beautiful vixen cantering after him. Why wasn't she galloping yet? She was probably one of those horses that paced themselves until the last part of the race. Ha, that may work on any other horse, but Lassan had grown up running in this land. He could gallop for a long while before he tired, but of course, Apples could be the same exact way. The pure Arabian blood that flowed through him also helped with his galloping and racing abilities.

Lassan slowed to a fast canter so that Apples was several strides behind him. If they just kept following the worn path they were on now, it would lead them straight into Terra delle Liberta, Lassan's land. "S'at all you got?" he askde her with a smile on his face. "I was so sure that you would be miles ahead of me by now!"

[apples]

She was growing closer. She was proud of herself even though the stag had noticalby slowed his pace. She knew the game. She knew how to manipulate it. She knew how to use use her surroundings. But she also knew that this handsome stallion was fast and that these lands were where he was born. So he knew them too...and he probably had tricks up his sleeve. Sweat had not yet broken out across the vixens body, nor was she gasping for air. She was a little worn from her swim but adrenalin and joy seemed to make that evaporate. It could take forever for her to tire out.

His words made her laugh. “Oh, you have seen absolutely nothing yet.”

[/i] So he seemed sure of himself that he could beat her. Fuck it...all or nothing! she thought happily. Her strong, muscular legs propelled her forward. Shooting from where she had just been, not bothering to discussed her tracks she broke into a full gallop. Not yet unleashing all her power but showing quite an amount of it. ”Hey! Lassan....where are we going?”[/center]

[Vel]

Lassan looked back to the femme again. She was fast, no doubt about that. In fact, Apples was probably one of the fastest vixens he had ever raced, and he had met some very speedy ones in his life. But Apples, she was. by far, the fastest. Where had she learned to run like that? Maybe she didn't even learn the speed and build the endurence, maybe she was born with the skill.

Lassan's audits flicked when he heard her say something about him seeing nothing yet. This only made a smile creep onto his facade. Ah, so she had a few tricks up her sleeve then, eh? Well two could play at that game mind you. "Haven't I now?" he questioned with a raise of his brow, even though she couldn't see his facial features.

Lassan's goal was to get her to think she was beating him until the very end. I had worked with other equines before, why not once more? His tactic was to remain at a constant pace and taunt and prod his competition in a friendly manner until they wanted to out do him. Once who ever he was racing tore past him, in effort to show him that he was wrong about their skill, he would keep his pace with a smug grin. The other equine would tire soon and then that was when Lassan picked up the pace and tore after them, always ending up the winner. Well so far he ahdn't been beaten, but he was sure that he probably could be beaten my Apples.

Lassan saw Apples come up next to him. Ah, so it was working just a bit. His zeniths flicked when she asked him where they were headed off ot. "Well" Lassan began "We just have to keep on this worn trail that we are on now, and it will lead us straight into Terra delle Liberta." He snorted and looked around. "We still have several miles to go until we get there Apples. If you think you can handle it." He told her with a mischievious glint in his eye.