08-23-2017, 05:03 PM
The afternoon sun glazed down on the forest below that stretched across Taiga's border line, casting a heavy covering of shadows beneath the trees. However, among the darkness of the forest, a single shape moved, the animal's coat color effectively matching that of the sun's rays. His dam even used to joke that he had a brighter coat than her, and would one day outshine the sun when he stood proud in his position of leadership. She had far too much faith in him, for a leadership was anything but what Aten wanted for his life.
After his time away from the Taiga, the place he'd come to love as his home, he was more than happy to return and greet the friends he had left behind that day. Even though Aten had no desire to become a warrior, or at least a horse that strived for battle every minute of the day, when he'd heard tale of the gladiator fight in Nerine's border, his interest had been piqued. It wasn't a show of who was the most superior warrior in order to gain some sort of prize. Rather, it was simply a test, a way for horses to determine their own skills and try to better themselves so they could defend anything and everything from their family to their homes to the kingdoms that so generously allowed them to live within their borders.
Aten had gone there with the goal to better his own fighting style, having learned a lot in his time away. He'd also gone there in search of potential kingdom members he could pry information out of, perhaps about the diplomatic states of other kingdoms to see if they might be open to an alliance. Everyone had gotten absorbed in the gladiator fight, however, so Aten had put that matter out of his mind for the time being and focused on the matter at hoof.
After many hours of hard fighting and supplying great skill, the gladiator fight had ended. Aten did not care if he had been deemed victorious or not, only that he was still alive in the first place, could return home to continue practicing, and perhaps also show that the Taiga was not as helpless as some, if any of the other fights there at all, might think. He made his way back home, slowing every so often to rest. He didn't have any serious injuries from the gladiator match, but it had taken a toll on the stallion. There was also the matter of the burn scars on his pasterns.
To this day, Aten hadn't told Jinju where they had come from, simply because he did not want the guilt to weigh down on her. She was already busy raising her colt and dealing with the father, along with any tension that might have built up between him and Ruan. Aten had seen the colt shortly after he'd been born, but had kept his space from the family. Even if he had a close friendship with Ruan, and was friends with Jinju, the business with the colt was not Aten's own. He was not their blood relative, so he felt he had no right to intrude on their family matters. Mainly the reason why he also hadn't properly met the colt yet.
A light at the edge of the trees told Aten that he was nearing the inner edges of the border, and, tilting his head in so his forelock shielded his brown eyes from the harsh sunlight, the stallion took in a breath of air, enjoying the fresh smells that he so enjoyed when here in the Taiga, his home.
His moment of peace did not last forever though, for another's presence soon joined the golden stallion's. Catching the other horse's scent, Aten turned his head, his long dark mane falling down the right side of his neck. For a moment, even though the other horse said his name, the golden stallion almost didn't recognize his friend. But, seeing those familiar dark markings and icy blue eyes among the new coat style, Aten knew who it was.
Aten laughed good-naturedly as well as the older stallion stepped in to hug him. Aten almost hesitated, since he hadn't had any horse hug him since he'd been separated from his sister. But, not wanting to offend of disappoint the leader, he returned the display, albeit not as enthusiastically.
When Ruan stepped back, Aten lowered his head a little in respect for his leader, "I've been good. The time in Nerine was pleasant enough, and I brought with me a respectable amount of knowledge of how to improve my own skills in battle," he explained, smiling proudly as he thought of his past accomplishments.
However, at the same time, an uneasy feeling settled in Aten's gut. He wasn't expecting any horse to come and enthusiastically greet him like a long lost relative, but the Taiga seemed more quiet than usual right now. His brown eyes scanned the terrain, the pit in his gut deepening. Should he alert Ruan of this? But the stallion has been here more frequently than he has, so surely he must know more.
Aten plastered his smile back on his face, wanting to see how this conversation would go before he jumped to any conclusions. "The winds of Beqanna have changed Ruan; it seems there are more members here, new ones. Has there been some recent recruiting from the Field, like how Loey returned with me one day?"
@[Ruan]
After his time away from the Taiga, the place he'd come to love as his home, he was more than happy to return and greet the friends he had left behind that day. Even though Aten had no desire to become a warrior, or at least a horse that strived for battle every minute of the day, when he'd heard tale of the gladiator fight in Nerine's border, his interest had been piqued. It wasn't a show of who was the most superior warrior in order to gain some sort of prize. Rather, it was simply a test, a way for horses to determine their own skills and try to better themselves so they could defend anything and everything from their family to their homes to the kingdoms that so generously allowed them to live within their borders.
Aten had gone there with the goal to better his own fighting style, having learned a lot in his time away. He'd also gone there in search of potential kingdom members he could pry information out of, perhaps about the diplomatic states of other kingdoms to see if they might be open to an alliance. Everyone had gotten absorbed in the gladiator fight, however, so Aten had put that matter out of his mind for the time being and focused on the matter at hoof.
After many hours of hard fighting and supplying great skill, the gladiator fight had ended. Aten did not care if he had been deemed victorious or not, only that he was still alive in the first place, could return home to continue practicing, and perhaps also show that the Taiga was not as helpless as some, if any of the other fights there at all, might think. He made his way back home, slowing every so often to rest. He didn't have any serious injuries from the gladiator match, but it had taken a toll on the stallion. There was also the matter of the burn scars on his pasterns.
To this day, Aten hadn't told Jinju where they had come from, simply because he did not want the guilt to weigh down on her. She was already busy raising her colt and dealing with the father, along with any tension that might have built up between him and Ruan. Aten had seen the colt shortly after he'd been born, but had kept his space from the family. Even if he had a close friendship with Ruan, and was friends with Jinju, the business with the colt was not Aten's own. He was not their blood relative, so he felt he had no right to intrude on their family matters. Mainly the reason why he also hadn't properly met the colt yet.
A light at the edge of the trees told Aten that he was nearing the inner edges of the border, and, tilting his head in so his forelock shielded his brown eyes from the harsh sunlight, the stallion took in a breath of air, enjoying the fresh smells that he so enjoyed when here in the Taiga, his home.
His moment of peace did not last forever though, for another's presence soon joined the golden stallion's. Catching the other horse's scent, Aten turned his head, his long dark mane falling down the right side of his neck. For a moment, even though the other horse said his name, the golden stallion almost didn't recognize his friend. But, seeing those familiar dark markings and icy blue eyes among the new coat style, Aten knew who it was.
Aten laughed good-naturedly as well as the older stallion stepped in to hug him. Aten almost hesitated, since he hadn't had any horse hug him since he'd been separated from his sister. But, not wanting to offend of disappoint the leader, he returned the display, albeit not as enthusiastically.
When Ruan stepped back, Aten lowered his head a little in respect for his leader, "I've been good. The time in Nerine was pleasant enough, and I brought with me a respectable amount of knowledge of how to improve my own skills in battle," he explained, smiling proudly as he thought of his past accomplishments.
However, at the same time, an uneasy feeling settled in Aten's gut. He wasn't expecting any horse to come and enthusiastically greet him like a long lost relative, but the Taiga seemed more quiet than usual right now. His brown eyes scanned the terrain, the pit in his gut deepening. Should he alert Ruan of this? But the stallion has been here more frequently than he has, so surely he must know more.
Aten plastered his smile back on his face, wanting to see how this conversation would go before he jumped to any conclusions. "The winds of Beqanna have changed Ruan; it seems there are more members here, new ones. Has there been some recent recruiting from the Field, like how Loey returned with me one day?"
@[Ruan]