Home At Last

[Kailolu]

It had taken more then two hours to get back home. The sun was close to the horizon, and the temperature had dropped drastically. The wind that had chilled Xavier to the bone hadn’t let up, but had grown worse over the time he had spent talking with Hestia. The black brute looked back through his lashing mane to see if the little sorrel mare was still behind him. He whickered at her reassuringly, cutting through the wind to she could hear him. His tone he sent was saying that they were close.

He turned back into the ice driven wind and lead her at a quicker pace as they entered the Rebel lands. There was a light sheet of snow that covered the ground, most of the grass still visible. Xavier stopped for a second, stepping back closer to Hestia. He was looking for a place for them to wait out this night, then he’d figure out what would happen, come morning. He spotted a small gather of trees, not to far off to his left. Neck craning back, he nosed Hestia, “We’ll only be a few more minutes.” He assured her. Finally they’d get a break from this cold they had been enduring.

Xavier pressed on, staying close to Hestia when a mighty wind gust sent a mix of stinging hail and blinding snow. Half of his pelt was white, and it was chilling. He didn’t even want to think about how cold Hestia might be. He opened into a fast walk, the trees getting larger and larger. It had only taken five minutes to reach the trees, and Xavier stepped inside the cluster warily. He wanted to make sure there wasn’t a wolf or lion hiding in here, waiting for the storm to end. To his luck, there was nothing.

Xavier led his mare into the trees, where the wind was less then a cold breeze. The great trees were dark, and thick. Surprisingly though, there was a nice canopy that kept too much snow from falling onto the two. The bunch of trees had created some sort of wall, but with plenty of cracks. It did the job though, big enough to fit at least four horses. Possibly more if you were willing to be up close and personal.

Xavier circled around and stood against the trees, watching Hestia closely. He shook his pelt, snorting loudly when snow had touched his nose. He watched out the opening of which they had entered. He’d watch the sun vanish, and the cold icy snow take hold of his home.

---

I think I can honestly say this is one of the worst posts I've ever made...*Facepalm* I have no idea where my muse ran off to. I apologize.

[fORTE]

Hestia had shivered almost the whole way to Xavier’s home. The hills that had lain between that valley and here were open, and no trees had dared rise up against the howling wind to shield the poor horses. Even worse, as the mare had predicted, it had started snowing soon after the two left the valley. The awful kind of snow: tiny bits of ice that, when driven by a wind, bit at an animal’s coat and made it necessary for said animal to squint, lest they be blinded. To keep her mind off her discomfort Hestia had talked. Had told Xavier practically her whole life story, but that hadn’t taken long enough to get them home, so then she had complained, but that didn’t help anything, so then she just stayed silent and kept her head down.

Now the horses were finally home. She followed the stallion into a small grove of trees, the trunks of which formed a good-enough barrier between them and the storm outside. It was still cold and drafty, but much more quiet, almost eerily so after the time she had spent buffeted by the wind. The mare looked up at the branches above—they swayed heavily and made a loud rustling sound that was muffled by the distance between them and the ground. The large trunks creaked regularly.

It was also very dark. Hestia could just barely make out the shadowy shape of her escort, and she stood still and watched him watch her for a minute. Then she spoke: "Thank you for bringing me here," and moved toward him so they could both be warmer. She was ready to sleep; for the first time in quite a while the mare was utterly spent.

[Kailolu]

Xavier’s auds flickered while he listened to the howling wind. He looked toward Hestia when she spoke, and he nodded at her response. “You’re welcome,” He answered as she stepped toward him. He blinked slowly, his eyes almost feeling cold. When she was close enough, he reached out and gave a small tug, pulling her closer. He had no clue how cold it would be tonight, and he wasn’t about to let this mare be taken by a chilling Mother Nature. He stood still, his side touching hers. Instead of standing tail to head, he stood with his head at hers. If she needed anything in the night, or if she was too cold, she’d have to tell him, and with this wind, he may not hear her if he faced the other way.

Throughout the night, Xavier remained still, sharing his warmth with Hestia. At times, he’d drape his neck over hers in an effort to keep her warm. Yes, horses could survive in this cold weather alone, but, Xavier was at least trying to be kind. This was his first winter with a mare, just the two of him, and he wasn’t sure how it would go. He dozed through the night, but stayed awake for the most of it. Who knew what creatures would creep in to take shelter from the storm?

*-Time Skip; Morning-*

Xavier’s eyes peeled open, and he blinked his cold, wet eyelids dry. He looked at the mare at his side and decided not to wake her. He looked out through the trees to see the ground had a blanket of powdery snow, stained pink and orange. Streaks of blue marked where a shadow lingered next to some sort of rock or plant. Xavier inhaled the crisp cold morning air, and listened to birds chirping, and Hestia’s breathing. The sun hadn’t fully lifted to the sky yet, so he’d stay here until his mare woke. Then, they’d get a move on out to where the grass wasn’t already dead, and eat their morning breakfast.

After their fill, they would venture further into the Rebel lands and find the large forest where all the chaos from the previous year happened. It was the safest place in the lands, if you could name a somewhat safe place here that is. There was a creek, plenty of food, and it was thickly wooded. The basic necessities to survive the Winter.

[fORTE]

Hestia was awakened by the cold. She blinked and shivered for a few minutes before turning her attention to the face that Xavier was no longer by her side. This realization threw the mare into a momentary panic--what if he had left during the night without telling her? Her complaints last night about the cold might have been a bit annoying, but at the time she had failed to predict that the stallion might steal away from her because of it and she had not made a note of their direction of travel. She could not find her way back to that protected, open valley that she already longed for. Hestia would be lost if her companion had gone.

It took only a few moments to remind herself that she was being paranoid, unreasonable. He had probably simply woken up before she had. The mare composted herself and then trotted slowly out from the ring of trees, into the bright sunlight.

She had been correct. Xavier was still near, grazing, and relief flooded through Hestia and made her lighter and happier than one should ever been so early in the morning.

Hestia trotted over to the great black brute and whickered a wordless greeting to him before falling to graze also, quietly. Now that she thought about it the temperature wasn't that cold; it was just the look of her surroundings that made the mare shiver. Probably this admittedly thin coat of snow on the ground would mostly melt by later in the day. The two horses had no trouble pawing it away from the wet, tasteless grass beneath.

After a while Hestia finished her breakfast and said to the stallion, "Is this where you live? It's quite nice." She had been too tired the night before to confirm that they had, in fact, reached their destination of Xavier's home rather than just a stopping point, and the dark and snow had concealed the otherwise serene feel of the place.

[Kailolu]

Xavier looked up to see Hestia trotting toward him. He flicked his auds and reached out to nose her neck in a greeting. He didn’t speak for some time, brushing away the powder with his muzzle to gnaw at the cold, bland grass. He watching their surroundings carefully as he chewed, watching for any signs of danger or another stallion. He swallowed and dropped his head again. It hadn’t taken long before his belly was nearly full, and he nibbled on his last few bites.

Hestia’s voice cut through their silence, and Xavier’s eyes looked up at her, acknowledging he was listening. He swallowed again and lifted his head, nodding. “Yes, In the spring it’s beautiful. My brother’s mares would just stand around and look at the flowers.” He said, looking away as he finished. Though he missed Zorro and Adarth, he was an adult, and he shouldn’t get so upset over their absence. But…it wasn’t bad to miss someone. Before the sun got any higher, they might as well get a move on before the snow melts, if it does. It would make the ground horribly muddy and squishy, which would be a pain to walk through.

Xavier circled around Hestia and brushed against her side, “We’re going further in. There’s a safer place to the north, and it better to spend the winter there then here.” He began to lead her away, his head leveled with his back. He was still a little tired, but he was well enough alert. He knew this land was a famous gathering area for cougars, wolves and coyotes. He sniffed the air and lifted his head, stepping over to walk closer to Hestia.

The scent of a predator was around, but it wasn’t incredibly strong. Still, the faint smell was enough to put Xavier on edge. He’s had his fair share of being targeted by predators, and he wasn’t intending on letting himself or Hestia to become breakfast. It may take them an hour to get there, but with the sights along the way, it shouldn’t be too bad of a walk. The only thing back would be the silence, and it made Xavier uneasy. He cleared his throat and spoke, “Did you get enough sleep?” He asked, vocalizing the first question that came to mind.

[fORTE]

Hestia too looked off as Xavier spoke, imagining the place as it would look in the spring. “It sounds lovely,” she said quietly, deciding not to ask about his brother. No doubt she would find out in time, if she needed to know.

Hestia had never had a sibling. She had wanted one, once, had seen the camaraderie between the young siblings in the herd of her birth and had envied it. She had asked her mother to have another foal once, but her mother had refused, saying firmly that it was too much effort to give birth to and raise one foal, and that was the end of that. Anyway, Hestia had soon grown out of her desire for an alliance of sorts with anyone else. She learned fast that one could either sink or swim, and her mother taught her that no one was going to move her legs for her.

“Yes, I slept fine,” she nodded. “Thank you.”

As the two horses traveled the mare became increasingly agitated by the predator scent that, although faint, still smelled sinister and ominous. It put her on edge, made her nerves taught. She constantly turned her head from side to side, searched all their surroundings for any slinking movements that would indicate stalking, and twitched her ears rapidly in all directions. Soon she was shivering slightly. The pace was too slow for her; her high energy made her want to run and her jumpiness added to that feeling.

“How much farther?” Hestia inquired after this all became too much for her.

[Kailolu]

Xavier could feel the tension grow in the air. Hestia was panicking, or at least, that’s the signal he got from her. He looked around carefully as he walked, glancing back at the mare to see how she was doing. She seemed anxious, and it made Xavier fit. He wanted to get there sooner so she’d calm down. He picked up his pace just slightly raising his head with the change. His auds twitched back to listen as Hestia as she spoke up. Xavier swallowed, not wanting to tell her they still had quite a ways to go.

“I’d guess we’re a little more then half an hour away.” His muscles were tight, and the more anxious he thought Hestia was, the more alert he became. He lifted his head and inhaled deeply. There was no recent scent of a predator, but it was starting to worry him. He gave a quick, short whinny at Hestia before opening into a fair paced trot. Xavier knew she’d calm down when they got to the plains they were aiming for. She’d be able to see everything, and hopefully it would ease her nerves. Their destination was in sight, but it was just a spec in the distance. Possibly in their picked up pace, the spec would sprout into a forest sooner.

---

Sorry, I had to hurry. We're going out to a movie in a few minutes, so this is kind of a fail post..

[fORTE]

Hestia groaned inwardly at the stallion's words, uncertain that she could put up with this level of stress for that much longer, but she sped up as he did and continued to follow just behind him, with her head near his flank. The jumpy mare kept as keen an eye out as she could for the predators she could smell, still glancing from left to right to behind as they went. On the occasion she looked ahead she could see some trees on the horizon growing steadily larger.

Soon she noticed that the snow was beginning to melt under the rising sun; the slush, though it slowed their travels somewhat, was admittedly fun to slosh through. Hestia tried and failed to refrain from sending sprays of wet snow in front of her, and eventually changed to a slow loping pace so as to play in the snow more satisfactorily, snorting with pleasure as she gradually forgot her worries about predators and her appearance toward Xavier. It was his job, after all, to protect her from harm, and though she was grateful for that service there was no way she was going to give up a ritual that had been part of her winter since she was a foal, that brought her joy and made her feel young.

Very shortly they came onto an open plain where the snow disappeared, presumably having melted or not having been able to stand up against the biting wind the night before and cling to the ground. Hestia returned to a prim trot and resumed her self-appointed lookout duties.

[Kailolu]

Xavier tossed his head a bit in excitement, wishing for them to reach their destination sooner. They could settle down and relax for a while, enjoy the day. They'd spend the winter together until the sun took its true place in the sky to banish this god forsaken snow that irritated Xavier to the breaking point. Truly, Xavier couldn't care less about the weather. He was more excited by the though of keeping Hestia long enough until she came into heat. He would treat her like royalty, just to ensure that she would stay. And if pampering her wouldn't work, it would end up badly. He's force her to stay, as his broodmare. Surely she wouldn't want that...

Xavier's ear twitched and he craned his head around when Hestia snorted. He didn't slow his pace, but perked his ears up, watching her play around in the slush. He hadn't played in the snow before. He thought about it before bringing his head around again. He wasn't allowed to play in the snow. His father had forbidden it like it was asking him if he could open the gates of hell. Was it fun? Xavier momentarily lost track of what he was doing as he thought. Was it fun to play in the snow like a foal? Hestia obviously enjoyed it. Maybe he could try...NO! Xavier shook his head hard and regained control of his mind. He wasn't a child anymore. He was an adult, a stallion, someone in charge of another’s safety. He didn't have time to play.

Even if he had wanted to, the snow was gone, and now it was just soggy grass. And the bloated foliage brought them the rest of the way to their resting place, but Xavier didn't stop. He came closer to the looming trees, and entered them, watching for any danger as he lead Hestia through the forest. He wanted to get through it, to the plains where he and his brothers stayed. It took no more then five minutes to find it, and Xavier stopped before leaving the protection of the trees.

His chocolate colored eyes gazed upon this place, his home. He hadn't seen it since...since they all left horse mountain. Xavier swallowed the memories from this place, and walked out. "We're here," He said, turning his head slightly to Hestia. There was no scent of predators around, and it put Xavier at ease. He dropped his head and sniffed at the ground, smelling the very faint scent of his brothers, and their mares. He longed for them to return. It was lonely for him, and since Xavier was usually with one of them. The feeling was overwhelming at times. He didn't have anyone to turn to, anyone to talk to, and anyone to take his anger out on. He felt alone, but he wasn't. And he had a job.

Xavier turned and watched Hestia. He looked around occasionally, soaking in the sun that broke through the clouds at points. Hopefully she could relax and enjoy herself a little. Until the snow started to fall again.

[fORTE]

The forest turned out to be very small and took almost no time to get through. Hestia, despite her confusion about why they were still traveling after they had reached what she had assumed to be their final destination, had kept quiet while traversing the woods, following Xavier closely, confident that her guide knew where he was going.

Those two words the stallion spoke finally lifted a heavy weight from the mare's heart and she expressed her relief by prancing along the edge of the trees. The vast plain before her stretched countless miles into the faded blue sky, ending in a ridge of very distant blue hills. The open space called to her and she halted her joyous romp suddenly and stood still to admire its emptiness. The sky was blue above and the temperature continued to rise as the day progressed. It seemed Hestia still had a chance to squeeze some enjoyment out of the remaining weeks of bearable weather.

Once the mare had had her fill of gazing into all that freedom that was now hers, she turned back toward the stallion who had brought her to it. "It's wonderful," she said enthusiastically, swishing her tail with delight.

[Kailolu]

Xavier couldn't help but feel a little pride when he saw Hestia frolic around. Obviously she liked it, and so obviously he did a good job. His ears perked forward and he took a step toward her when she stopped. His gaze followed hers and he turned his head to look at the view. Never really noticing how beautiful the sight was, he too stood there in silence. Lifting his well sculpted head, he breathed in the cool air, closing his eyes for a moment. He could stay like this. Nice and warm in the sun, balancing out with the cold air. It was a pleasant feeling and the air tickled his throat.

Hestia moved and Xavier turned his head to watch her. He tilted his head ever so slightly at her comment. This place was beautiful after all. Not the barren wasteland horses thought it'd be. That was probably one of the reasons his brothers stayed here. His deep, rich voice broke the silence that was between them for a few seconds, “Yes, it'll get better. Trust me." His ears twitched and he turned to look around. He scanned the area, looking for anything he couldn't smell. Watching for threats before he settled down, and neither spotting nor smelling none, he tossed his head and snorted.

Xavier walked with his head down, brushing the snow. He kicked out and curved his head, throwing his hooves into the snow, only to send it back up in his face. He stopped and shook his head, ridding himself of the cold stuff. It was annoying, and slightly embarrassing, having lost a fight to snow, but his inner spirit was bounding around. He glanced at Hestia before throwing his head with a squeal and kicking the air once more, trotting quickly toward her. He brushed her side as he passed, shaking his mane out of his eyes. All of his attention was on her, and he watched her every move with softened eyes. He wasn't sure if he was playing or just coming across as annoying.

---

Hah, Xavier is so awkward when he plays!

[fORTE]

Hestia's misery from the past day was all but forgotten by this time. Her heart flew as high as a bird and her legs did all they could to make her body follow suit. The mare pranced in place as she watched Xavier; Her playfulness had infected him, and that in turn further raised her spirits.

The mare, feeling like a yearling again, bounced away from the stallion as he brushed against her, her breath billowing wetly in the air around her face. She set off along the line of trees at a swift trot, changing her pace frequently, to a slow lop, to deer-like bounds, to full-out gallop, and enjoyed exploring along the way. There wasn't much of interest as far as she could see, but she was sure there was something around that might eventually help to satisfy the childlike love of exploration and adventure she had always harbored in her heart.

[Kailolu]

Xavier threw his body to the left, spinning and kicking up snow. He pranced in a small circle before craning his neck to see Hestia flying away from him, along the forest line. He followed her helplessly, kicking up his heels and opening into slow canter. He caught up to her in no time, tilting his head as he moved beside her. He couldn’t help but smile, and he slowed to follow her. The brute would let her decide what she wanted to do for the time being. He’d allow her to explore his home, and he’d just follow and explain the specifics of each special location.

With his head tucked in slightly, Xavier looked around, his muscles churning under his dark pelt. He was getting warm, his black pelt soaking in the warm drops of sun that seemed to pour at some points. In fact, it was starting to become uncomfortable for him, and he huffed quietly in protest. The snow beckoned him. It was a solution to his steadily growing warm pelt, and he almost stopped. But then, what kind of stallion would he be to let his only mare wander by herself?

[fORTE]

The chestnut mare's delight grew as her companion drew alongside her, and she smiled back at him with a toss of her head.

Soon her frequently-changing pace began to tire her out and she changed to a consistent, lengthened trot and continued north along the abrupt edge of the forest to her right. The trees were mostly broadleafs, and the undergrowth was thick -- huckleberries, young hemlocks and other small trees that would make travel through the forest difficult. Not terribly far to the north a steep ridge, running east-west, rose sharply out of the earth and it was this land form Hestia was heading for. In her experience high places offered more interesting landmarks than forests and grasslands.

It was a short time before the horses' surroundings changed. The trees gradually faded from mostly leafy to mostly evergreens, and the undergrowth disappeared too. The tall, ancient firs and cedars and hemlocks created such a solid canopy that not enough light reached the forest floor for plants of any size to grow. There was no snow and Hestia could see that only a thin sheet of hardy moss grew over the carpet of brown rotting needles. The ground was uneven but smooth; dipping slightly around the tree trunks. It was very dark beneath the branches and that and the sweet singing of birds made for a calming ambiance. Hestia loved this forest.

Suddenly she pulled up, breathing hard, and stepped into the wood. The ground was soft, almost squishy due to the thick covering of needles. It was much warmer too. The mare led the way deeper into the forest, admiring the brightly-colored birds that flitted above her head. She almost didn't notice the yellow-green brightness off to her left. But she did notice it and she approached it curiously, soon coming out into a clearing. It was small, maybe 30 feet in diameter, and almost perfectly circular. The meadow sloped gently downward to the middle where lay a large, smooth, gray boulder, on the very top of which was the only snow Hestia could see . A very small pool of water surrounded the boulder for a few feet out, and the long, thin grass that grew in the rest of the clearing also grew in the shallower parts of this pool.

"Wow," Hestia breathed. "What is this place? Have you been here before?" she did not look at Xavier as she spoke but drank in the sight of the tiny meadow.

[Kailolu]

Xavier ‘s auds twitched nervously as he followed his mare. His surroundings changed so suddenly he wasn’t sure what to think of it. He hadn’t been to this part of the Rebel Lands. He’d only been where his twin and younger sibling had been staying. He never got the chance to really explore the lands. His pace slowed as they entered an unknown forest. He watched warily while Hestia led the way. He tried to inhale the scent of a predator but found none, and it loosened his tense muscles. Xavier wasn’t watching where he was walking exactly, and his hoof caught on branches or he stepped onto a uneven part and he stumbled. He was sure glad to be walking behind Hestia at this point.

Xavier snorted gently as new scents flitted around, it seemed there was once and he barely caught whiff of it before a new smell entered his nostrils. This place was strange to him, and though he couldn’t find anything harmful, he tensed again. With a turn of his head, he stopped next to his companion. He looked at her then turned to see what she was looking at. Almost instantly his ears swiveled forward with interest. A hard hoof left the ground for only a second as Xavier took a step closer to the sight. “I’ve never been here.” His voice was somewhat hard, but only because he hadn’t been here. He wasn’t sure who was here before, or what dwelled here. It was pushing him further to the edge of collecting his mare and taking her back to more familiar territory.

“I’m not sure my brother even knew of this place.” His words were true enough. The Rebel Lands were a vast place, and he doubted that even someone as skilled as Adarth had explored every inch of this place. Xavier would have to be careful of that. But for now, they were fine. There were no threatening scents or sights, and all was calm and peaceful. He’d let Hestia explore for a little more before he’s slowly push her back.

But it was then he smelt it. The sweet, sharp aroma sent a chill down his spine and he turned his head, eyeing Hestia’s rump. She was in heat, or coming into it. He swallowed nervously and turned his head away. He’d refrain himself for now. It was the least he could do for her. But that smell. It was just so…delicious. Xavier had to step away from her, her luscious perfume making his head spin. It was intoxicating and the only thing he could do was breathe it in and out, in and out. Instinctively he felt his tool stir, but he had enough self control to not let himself hang in front of her. Perhaps he could hurry her. Just a little bit,

---

She is in heat…right?