A Dance Of Flames

[Zee]

The fae was gone, a fast gallop that made her look even more like a flame cascadeing across the icy land. His last push had sent her flying, and she had used it to her advantage. All she could feel was the wind echoeing in her auds, the rumble of the land beneath her hocks, and the lessening angry stallions neighs within her mind, fadeing as she sprinted away from the large stag.
She stretched her ivory socked legs far, her ebon coal banners sweeping back with each stride, her melded brown bodice light as a feather as she moved flawlessly, not a slip or a slide, she just wanted to get away, and in her mind, she was already free. She glanced back to see if the stag was following, and when she didn't see him she guessed he had decided not too, but she hadn't looked all around, she hadn't obserbed the full land, and so she kept galloping.

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[x..Vilifier..x]

He heard her now, knew that she was already running. He slowed to a trot as he got further away and could hear the humans retreating away from the icy land. He stopped and snorted as he walked on towards his home. He would go home, to his preferred landscape where there were no humans. He didn’t care where the mare had got to, she had caused the trouble and he was better off without her there. But then, playing with danger was fun, it was his game and since he had saved her it was only normal that he should assume that she belonged to him now. He reared up and neighed for her to come to him. He came down with a crash and set out at a gallop, not a fast one but an easy one.

[Zee]

It was still odd to hear that ringing, the assumption that she belonged to him, but she slowed her pillars, unwillingly to an easy canter. Her fiery bodice seemed sleek against the rough terrain, and she turned her maw to the stag. Damn him. Slowly she kept cantering, not to get away more to let him catch up, but why? The angry stag resummed his calling in her mind and she snorted to clear it. She had a faint idea.
Four ivory hocks seemed to blend with the land, as her fiery aura seemed to melt the landscape around her, ebon tassles thrown back in a Come and get me way. Something had made her slow, waiting for the stag, had it been because she owed him her life? Or maybe just because she was curious about what he wanted. Either way, she stayed.

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He caught up quickly and slowed himself to a canter, knowing that if he kept going at a gallop for too long he might let his left front pillar show its injury to the world. The gash that the whip had made on his haunches now bled freely as he cantered. He could feel the blood running down his side and he knew that he would leave a red trail in the white of the snow. He almost ignored the mare as he just kept going but his harks were turned in her direction so that he might know when she decided to do anything he didn’t want her to. She belonged to him now and he would make sure she knew that one way or the other if she didn’t just accept that fact and come with him.

[Zee]

Ah, so the stag seeks to claim does he? Not on his life.
She thought, chargeing forward with a burst of speed, looseing herself in the moment, ebon banners flying back, white hocks graceing the earth with each flawless stride. She was fast, oh so fast, but was she any match for this stag? Truly, she did not even know why it was she was running. Not of fear, or nervousness, was she testing him? Teasing him perhaps, maybe even seeing how far he was willing to go for this fae bred of fire. Her pace did not slow, she may belong to him, but he'd have to catch her first.

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[x..Vilifier..x]

The stallion chuckled as he heard her speed increase. He tested his leg by striking out at the ground with it, hard, nothing happened and no pain came from it. He took off at a fast gallop, his well muscled body moving easily as he covered the distance with huge strides. Even if he didn’t catch up fast she would not be able to outrun him and her endurance could not last as long as his. She was fast, he had to give her that much, but she wasn’t fast enough. He drew near her and slowed only a tiny big to stay behind her, he sent a nip in the direction of her haunches as he stayed by her but let her stay in the lead. It looked more like he was driving her now than it did like she was running away from him.

[Zee]

She chuckled as she felt his bite. Oh, a smart fella aye? She turned suddenly, her hocks skidding beneath her as she leapt onto a small icy clump and leapt down the other side, to continue her gallop. She'd put a distance between them, but not by much, and her endurance was already looseing. She extended her legs further, now heading back for the first place she'd been, where she'd first heard him say Wench where her dance had begun, and maybe where this dance of fire would end...

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He didn’t stop galloping as he followed her movements with his harks and made sure to catch up to her again. He stayed at her side, still letting her choose the path. Pain shot up his front pillar every time it touched the earth but he did not stop, he would not let this wench beat him at a game he loved. He would run her down, he had done it so many times to other mares and had made them run all he way to his home too. Even though they could barely walk. He snorted and sent a bite at her haunches again, harder than the first one this time. He aimed to make her go faster as he moved sideways so that he would bump into her, hard.

[Zee]

The speed she was moving at, mixed with him bumping into her sent her flying, her light form crashed to the earth and she stood, auds flattened.
Oh, fun.
She chuckled looking at the cracked ice she now stood on. In one graceful jump she'd landed beyond the reach of the ice, standing on the verge of it, dancing slightly looking into the icy water.
And to think, that could have been you.
She shook her dial, forgetting to run again, just stareing into the icy water as though lost in a dream.

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The stallion’s large form had come to a sliding stop as the mare went flying his. His pillar was now throbbing, sending sharp shoots of pain up his leg with each beat of his heart. The run had made the gash on his haunches bleed even more and the blood was creating a dark patch on his wet coat. His whole coat was made darker by sweat that covered him as he stood with his gaze turned towards the mare. He waited to see if she would start running again.
”Is the run over so soon”
He asked her in a mocking tone as he moved closer to her. He wondered whether she had given up or was just having a little rest before taking off again. He didn’t care either way for he hadn’t even used half the endurance that he had if he really wanted to use it.

[Zee]

The icy water swelle dup in a collision of ice and water, cold and blue, slick mist rose from the depths and hovered above the water like small clouds. She turned her flawless dial to him, ebon banners hanging down her nape, orbs fixed on his own still not knowing he was sightless.
Why are you following me stag?
She questioned in that demanding tone she has, frowning slightly and lifting a hock as a peice of ice shattered at her hooves. She turned away, waiting for an answer, but observing the land at the same time.

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”It seems that I have nothing better to do with my time.”
His answer was simply but cold and harsh. He moved so that he was next to her, standing in the water, and he extended his muzzle to touch her nape. Even though he was a dark horse he was not one of those that did not know how to show affection. And even though this wench would not capture his heart his mind was not at a loss, her company seemed to please him. The effect that the cold water had on his aching leg was good, it made the throbbing become less and the pain started to lessen so that it might soon go away. He waited to see what she might say next.

[Zee]

Obviously
She spoke with a roll of her ebony orbs. Ebon banners swept back as she gazed into the ice water at the blood dripping freely from her wounded side into the water, melding with it, creating an odd illusion. Something inside her stirred at his touch and she turned her ebon orbs to him. No stag, dark or light, other than her prized dead lover had touched her like that. Bites, and bruises were the only memory of affection she had, so she seemed stunned by his touch but did not recoil from it completley. She stared at him, ebon orbs dancing with fiery beauty as she whickered sweetly.
I guess I should thank you for saving my life, anyway.
She shrugged her blades, her tone assumingly nicer than before.

[x..Vilifier..x]

He did not listen to her words as he withdrew his muzzle to lower it to the water. The icy water slid down his throat as he took a drink, leaving a tingling sensation where it had passed. The water wasn’t deep. He stepped to the side a bit so that he was a bit further away from her and he lowered himself slowly into the shallow water before rolling onto his back. He rolled only once before getting up and shaking himself to let most of the icy water fly free of his now even wetter coat. The sweat had now been replaced by water and all the dust that had covered him earlier was now gone so that his coat was left gleaming in the light that was cast on it. He shook his head and his mane flew everywhere before settling on his powerful neck as he stopped and stood there with his head almost lowered as if he was going to take another drink. No longer did he look scraggly, magnificent would be the word to explain what he looked like now.

[Zee]

She watched him, her hooves moving slightly as he dropped down as if she was thinking of running, but she didn't. She stayed where she was, shaking her maw. She wanted to leave, to run off, and part of her was starting to wish the men had captured her. She sighed and turned her dial back to him as he stood, and she suddenly thought he must have swapped places with another stag, he looked so different. She danced suddenly, without realiseing it, forgetting the stag and looking around with her fiery orbs.

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He heard her move in the water, he wouldn’t have cared even if she had run off. The pain was now completely gone from his leg but he knew that any running would make it come back, and it would come back worse than before. He stepped out of the water and stood there with his head slightly lowered but he did not shut his eyes. He kept his weight off of his sore leg, not wanting to make it hurt again.
”Why didn’t you run wench. Afraid you might exert yourself.”
The icy breeze that had started blowing made his muscles tense slightly but it was enough to make every outline of them show perfectly under his shiny coat. He lifted his head after asking the question and held it in a proud manner but he did not quite arch his neck. He waited for an answer.

[Zee]

She flattened her auds. Maybe I just wanted to do this, colt. She turned in one flawless move and struck out with her hind pillars, before bursting into a gallop at top speed away from the stag. Ebon banners caught in the wind and tossed about her like a wild fire, her petite frame moved easily, she was well rested and didn't want him to catch up. Her hooves pounded on the hard earth, carrying her back to where she'd first started, to where she'd ignored the stag, her first mistake. And now she was back.

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He felt the impact of her hooves on his body but it did not have much of an affect. He cantered after her with a snort but then sped up into a gallop so that he could catch up with her. Even though he was not the fastest horse his huge strides made it easier for him to cover a distance quicker than a smaller horse and he did this now. Extending his legs out far in front of him with each stride he took so that he would be able to catch up quicker. He started catching up but he would stay a fair distance behind her, he could hear her hoof beats in front of him, not too far off. He kept his harks turned in her direction so that he would not lose her. He knew the land well here and it was no trouble for him to not run into something or trip over something, he still tested each footing before he stepped down completely though it still wasn’t noticeable. He went a little faster even though the pain in his leg was returning with harsh pain shooting up his leg and into his shoulder. He didn’t care, he ignored it and kept gaining on the mare.

[Zee]

Fiery fae kept running, one long stride after the next, each hock graceing the earth fast and strong, ebon banners tossing about her rythmatic dial. She flicked an aud to catch the sound of him running, Damn, persistant bugger ain't he. She charged on, stopping in the place where she'd begun. She reared up slightly, auds flicking to him, orbs fixed on him.
Stop following me colt!
She spoke in melodic tones like the whisper of fire, demanding and soft all at the same time. Her hocks hit the earth and she watched him, she was no prize to be claimed, and just because he'd saved her didn't mean he owned her, sheesh, you think a stag would learn.

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[x..Vilifier..x]

The big stallion came to a stop next to her easily. He had not even start to break out a sweat yet. He put his muzzle on her neck and with a smirk he replied.
”I won’t need to follow if you don’t run.”
He said this as if she was quite a foolish mare having to have it told to her instead of realising it all on her own.
”You won’t get away from me, wench. And you know it.”
He was pretty sure that she should at least know that for why else would he have been following her than to actually be with her. He snorted as he stepped forwards slightly, their sides touching.
”Besides, I’m not so sure you really want me to leave you alone.”
He knew that she would tire soon and that she would have to come with him for there was no food in this place of snow and ice. His home was cold and icy too but it had grass not too far underneath it all. All horses had to eat at some point if they wanted to keep running like this. He lifted his aching leg slightly to take all weight from it, it was throbbing again and worse than before.