When You’re Down and Out {Private RP}

Muiris :
The night was cold, the moon hidden by countless clouds rolling in a mid winter storm. The wind whipped around the large stallion and his equally large tent, the flaps flapping wildly as they tried to get away. He had settled in a crevasse of sorts, so the wind wasnt as bad as it could be. It howled between the two large walls of snow rocks, almost like an eerie scream. The roaned stallion didnt mind much. He actually enjoyed the cold. His body temperature was always up far higher than most- just the presence of the sun was enough to make him sweat at times.

His head laid still in the snow, his nose sometimes getting bumped by the flap every now and then. He didnt care. His heart felt like a rock in his chest, slowly beating as he begged the winter storm to just drop snow on top of him so he could die in peace. His amber eyes blinked slowly, screaming at him in pain and trying to get him to sleep. He couldnt sleep. He hadnt slept for the past two nights, and this would be his third. The angry voice of Bihndi’s father rang in his ears, causing him to shrink back into the tent just a little more. As if he could hide from it.

The stallion sniffled, tucking a fluffy hoof against his face to hide from the cold and to try to prevent the tears from forcing their way through. He was so sick of crying- it just made him feel worse about himself than he already did. Why couldnt he be like the other stallions? Why couldnt he be tough and brutal and heartless.. why was he so damn sensitive. He sniffled again, wrapping himself up a little tighter and staring out the opening of the tent, watching the snow lift off the ground and get carried away. Oh, how he wished the wind would grant him that pleasure too.// (331)

Ezmeralda:
It was a bitterly cold night in Onea, just like many others that had past. It was generally rather chilly this far north especially in the mountains where Ezmeralda found herself now. Roselia, her sister, had set up camp further down the mountain, keeping the flock safe while Ezmeralda had decided to scout ahead for the following day. It wouldn’t be long before it was time to take the sheep that they tended to get their wool cut for the warmer seasons, and she didn’t want to lose any precious sheep to dangers that they might face.

The large mare shivered slightly as the wind cut through her like a knife. The snow was getting kicked up by the wind, covering her vision occasionally. If she didn’t find a place to stop soon, it was possible that she could be blinded again from the snow and the darkness and accidently step a little too closely to the cliffs around her. ‘I need to make camp. I hope that Roselia will be alright without me for one night. I-I don’t know what I’d do if she got hurt…. or worse.’ She thought, creating a knot of worry in her stomach from imaginary scenarios that she played in her mind. ‘Curse this overactive imagination. It was all fun and games when I was little, but now… now I can’t fail. I have to take care of my sister.’ Ezmeralda took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down but only bringing back memories of her past: the avalanche, her mother crying out in pain before being silenced forever by the rubble and snow. A tear streaked halfway down her cheek before the cold wind froze it to her face, and she bit her tongue to keep any more from falling. “S-stop crying. You’ll get yourself in worse trouble. Roselia will be fine. You’ll find her again in the morning, but right now you need to make camp.” She told herself, resolving her thoughts into a plan and walking further down the rocky path.

Turning a sharp corner on the road, Ezmeralda found herself in a small crevasse where two large walls created by the mountain protected a little place from the winter storm. A ghost of a smile pulled at the corners of her lips, and she moved to take the lantern from around her neck when she noticed movement not too far away. The grullo mare froze in her tracks, thinking momentarily about covering her lantern with the blanket around her shoulders to keep the light from showing that she was there, but the fear of who might be in the tent that she saw sitting in the darkness was too strong to overcome. Her legs quaked underneath her weight as she waited on whoever was there to yell or do something about her presence, but as her ears strained over the howling of the wind around her, angry noises weren’t what she heard. Instead, Ezmeralda thought that she heard a quiet sniffle. Surely it was just her imagination playing tricks on her again, but she felt the lingering doubt and guilt that normally clouded her thoughts whenever she missed the opportunity to help someone creep up on her, pulling her slowly closer to the tent. The flapping of the tent’s fabric quieted her own hoofsteps as Ezmeralda carefully walked closer, unintentionally holding her breath in anticipation. She stopped a short distance away from the tent’s opening, falling silent as she fumbled for what to say or do for the horse inside whoever they were. ‘Oh gods, what am I doing? I don’t know what to do. I’m as useless as those mares always said I was.’ Ezmeralda thought and cringed slightly at the bitter memory. A resolute expression crossed her face momentarily as she took another small step forward before her normally shy and timid self broke through again. “H-h-hello? Are you okay in there?” Ezmeralda murmured in a tone barely loud enough to be heard over the storm’s raging wind as she silently prayed that whoever it was wouldn’t be angered by her curiosity or worry. {Word Count: 687}

Muiris :
The stallion’s rubbed his hoof across his muzzle as he tried to calm his shaking breath, his eyes calmly watching the snow before him. His breath suddenly caught in his throat at the sound of faint steps carried on the wind. His hoof fell from his face, exposing his two tiny horns upon his nose. He tried to look aggressive, just in case, but he more looked like a lost puppy than anything else. Oh well, he tried.

He fell completely frozen as the stranger came up beside his tent, her soft voice piercing the loud weather. He dropped his tough composition almost instantly, his own fear crossing his face. His eyes wide, nearly all white, he crawled forward ever so slightly to peek outside the tents aggressive flapping. For some reason, he was expecting someone much more intimidating. Someone that would kill him and take his stuff and leave. Not that he was surprised- he was only all the way out here in order to avoid the herd. He hadnt been doing his fair share of work, so surely they wouldnt see him as being useful at all. But what he saw instead was a smaller, chocolate mare with white markings dashing her coat. He noticed her soft horns and long tail- much like his own. He tried to answer, but was still frozen. He hadnt even heard what she said.

“I-i, hello.” He stammered, his eyes instantly darting to the ground and his ears laying back in embarrassment. She must have heard him trying not to cry. Was that what she had asked about? “Im fine, really, just.. cold.” He lied, a frown forming on his lips. He was never good at lying- she could probably see it on his face. He shot a quick glance up to her and noticed the wind whipping around her form, snow still gathering in his vision.
“Are you cold? I can move o-over.” He muttered, shuffling to the side a bit, his side pressing up against the wall of the tent. He didnt have the largest tent, but it was good enough for two if they didnt mind the personal space issue.//(380)

Ezmeralda:
As her green eyes settled on the horse within the tent, she felt her ears press instinctively closer to the pink horns on her head. In the darkness, she could see his bright roaned pelt and dark mane along with a long, fluffy tail much like her own. Ezmeralda could also see his eyes opened wide in fear, and for some reason, she found herself wanting to giggle a little. Who would be afraid of her? She wasn’t exactly small compared to other horses, but she was one of the smallest in her family, and surely, the larger War-Forged stallions didn’t find her very big and intimidating which was probably why whenever she ran into some of them they always had some snide remarks to say to her and her sister.

When his deep voice spoke up over the gusting wind, Ezmeralda’s ears lifted slightly though her timid and slightly scared expression stayed, leaving her eyes a little wider than usual. She dipped her head ever so slightly at his greeting and offered him a ghost of a smile that pulled up the corners of her lips. She was pretty sure from his tone and demeanor that he was lying about being okay. Her sister often pulled the same stunts whenever she didn’t want to talk about why she was feeling down, and this stallion was showing similar actions. “I-I’m glad that you’re okay. I was a little worried that you were hurt or something.” Ezmeralda muttered as a strong gust of wind blew through the rocky crevasse, causing the blanket on her back to whip around her and send a shiver through her body.

At the roan horse’s offer, Ezmeralda’s brows rose in surprise. In all of her travels, she had never had a stranger offer her any sort of kindness, especially not a stallion. Something about their need to be demeaning toward mares normally kept them from being anything but mean at times. “I’m k-kind of chilly. I wasn’t expecting the storm to move in until tomorrow, b-but I guess the mountains had other plans.” She admitted with a sheepish giggle, taking a hesitant step into the tent. The herder waited for a moment for him to scooch over a tad before placing herself beside him. She tried to keep a respectable distance between the two of them though she could feel herself brushing slightly against him while her other side pressed against the tent’s side. Ezmeralda wrapped her tail around herself in an attempt to make herself smaller before glancing over in the stallion’s direction. “T-thank you. I really appreciate it. My name is Ezmeralda by the way. I don’t think I mentioned that before.” She murmured, dipping her head graciously.

The grullo mare fell silent for a moment, adjusting the blanket on her back to cover more of her body. She already felt a lot warmer than she had in the snow storm, and she could feel waves of heat practically rolling off of the stallion beside her which proved her theory that he had been lying before. Ezmeralda sighed quietly, looking out at the snow building up outside. Anxiety twisted in her gut as she wondered whether or not to say anything else. She didn’t even know him, and she definitely didn’t want to make him angry or ever more upset. “Not to be rude o-or make you angry, but you don’t feel very cold to me though anything could be warmer than out there I suppose.” She said, her eyes darting from his face to the ground before continuing. “I’m a total stranger that you might not ever see again after today. Telling me something would be like telling the wind a secret, b-but I’m not trying to force you to tell me or anything like that… My mother always told me that it was good to talk about it if something is upsetting you though.” Ezmeralda spoke in a soft tone, feeling tears form in her eyes at the thought of her mother, but she quickly wiped her face on her knee in an attempt to keep him from seeing her weakness.// {Word Count: 702}

Muiris :
He leaned away a little more to give her room, tucking his muzzle against his knees a little bit in more of a subtle hiding. He was always contradicted by his shynes and large want to help everyone. He could feel his heart speeding up as she laid down- their closeness making him little nervous. His ear flicked toward her as she spoke, his head rising ever so slightly. His forelock had long since fallen back in place over his eyes, her form a bit harder to see as he tried to peer toward her.
“Im Muiris. P-pleased to meet you.” He replied with a small dip of his head. He was glad to be in the company of a mare. Most of his herd were so judgemental against them, and he didnt understand why. There were plenty of mares around that were tougher than most stallions.. or at least.. tougher than him. That was good enough in his eyes. He never understood what gender had to do with anyone’s status, but he would keep those opinions to himself and a few others in passing. Unfortunately he couldnt do anything about ignorance.

He realized how quiet they had been, mostly because of him being distracted in his thoughts, until she started speaking again. His ears flicked back again, his muzzle twitching into a small frown. He mulled his troubles over in his head, his breath catching in his throat. She was right. He hadnt tried talking it out. It was all just bottled up in his mind, about to explode any second. It hurt his heart to keep in it- somehow made his muscles ache and eyes burn. Maybe it would be worth it.

His gaze shifted to the ground and he took in a soft, staggered breath. “Well, its probably a s-stupid thing to get upset over but..” He sighed, shifting against the tent so he could look at her.. or at least face her, as he didnt have the confidence to bring his eyes up from the cold ground. “I had been betrothed to a lovely mare for around a year now, p-probably a power play from her family, b-but that didnt matter.” He started. He had never really shared anything about his life to anyone before, so this felt a little weird. “I guess she didnt like me all that much, a-as i tried to be as pleasant as i could but s-she kept pushing me away.” His frown grew as he ran his hoof along the ground, making small lines in the hard-packed snow. Anything to keep him distracted. He didnt want to break down in front of a total stranger. “I bought her gifts, i-i gave her space, i didnt get angry with her once even though i wanted to. I dont k-know what i did wrong.” He gritted his teeth together and pushed his sharp hoof harder into the show, creating a moon-shaped indent. He froze, falling silent for a moment as he tried to calm himself down. Now was not the time to get mad about the past.

“Well anyways..” He finally continued, working up the courage to pick up his head and look across the tent at his new companion. “Her father found me o-one day, enraged, told me the engagement was o-off and that i should get lost. I dont know why. H-he didnt tell me why, and she was nowhere to be found after so.. here i am.” He sighed, resting his chin on his knee. “She was so perfect. So beautiful and charming. I wasnt good enough for h-her anyways.” He added quietly, staring out into the stormy night. She probably thought he was pathetic now.//(629)(no worries! XD)

Ezmeralda:
Her ears swiveled toward the bay stallion as he spoke, tucking his head down while he moved a little further away from her. She didn’t really mind the closeness though it did make her a little nervous. The only horses that she had ever really been close to were family, and she certainly hadn’t spent alone time so close to a total stranger but knowing his name helped her though. “It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Muiris.” She said, giving him a friendly smile.

Ezmeralda felt her chest tighten and her stomach do flips and turns inside of her as her words left her lips. Oh gods, had she really just said that? What if he gets mad? What if he kicks her out of his tent and back into the cold? She probably wasn’t going to be able to make it back to her sister without falling off the side of the mountain in this storm. The mare closed her eyes for a moment as she heard Muiris let out a soft sigh. However, when he started speaking, it definitely wasn’t what she had been expecting. She had expected curses and to be put back into her place, but instead, he simply shifted over to look in her direction and began telling her his tale of sorrow.

Ezmeralda looked up from where she had laid her head on her knee, listening intently with an intrigued expression. She knew arranged marriages were pretty common throughout their herd’s territory especially between different clans, but she had never met anyone who had been in one. Listening to his story, she could practically feel her own heart breaking in sorrow and compassion for him. If her father had lived long enough to do so, she probably would have been in the same boat as Muiris had been, being betrothed to someone you hardly knew and might not even love. When he told her how his fiance’s father had told him that the engagement was over and that he should get lost, Ezmeralda flinched slightly, feeling as though the words had been said to herself rather than him. Her expression softened while Muiris gazed back toward the stormy night outside of the tent. If he were anything like her, his mind probably felt much like the snow outside, drifting endlessly into oblivion. “I-I’m so sorry, Muiris. I can’t imagine how horrible that must have been. You did all that you could though. I mean if she doesn’t like a stallion giving her gifts and everything she ever wanted it sounds like it was something wrong with her and not you.” She murmured, hopefully offering him a little bit of peace with a different point of view. “Arranged marriages are hard… from what I’ve heard anyways. I’m sure my father would have had one planned for me too before…” Ezmeralda stopped, biting her lip before continuing on, “I-if I were her, I would have considered myself lucky to have been betrothed to someone as nice as you seem. Not everyone would have let a complete stranger share their tent for the night after all.” She added before sheepishly looking out toward the mounds of snow building outside, praying silently that her sister was okay without her. “It might take time to for you to heal from her leaving, b-but trust me, it gets easier.” Ezmeralda said with a quiet sigh, glancing back in Muiris’s direction. She saw a lot of herself in him, mostly through his actions and his nervousness. It was a tough world that they lived in, and it was hard for her to relate to the strong, brutish horses that inhabited these parts sometimes. It was this familiarity that made her want to help him as much as she could, even if she didn’t succeed in doing so. At least, she could say that she had tried, right? // {Word Count: 647}

Muiris :
His muzzle twitched with a frown, trying to hide his growing emotion. He was surprised to not hear her laugh or scoff at him for being upset about a silly little thing. His ears pricked in her direction and a hesitant glance was shot her way as she trailed off at the mention of her father. He found himself blocking out whatever it was she had said next, his gaze unwavering on her. He thought of his own, how their last moment together had been anything but pleasant. How the old stallion seemed to dislike him so much, yet he somehow still looked up to him. His brow furrowed and he shook his head, his forelock flopping carelessly against his eyes.

Even though he hadnt entirely heard what the mare had said afterwards, he offered a small lopsided smile and a slight tip of his head. “Thank you, Ezmeralda, r-really means a lot. Y-you were right.. i do feel a bit better.” He said softly. He truthfully did feel a little better, especially since she didnt seem to think he was being silly, but his heart still hurt. It made him wonder if he would ever actually feel completely better. Probably not he thought with a small sigh.

“What happened to your father?” He suddenly asked, not knowing he had said that out loud until he heard himself say it. His ears flicked back and he froze, his breath catching in his throat. Oh shit.. “I mean, o-only if you want to tell me.” He added quickly, gritting his teeth together. He felt like he was connecting with this mare, as if he was making a friend? He suddenly wanted to know everything about her if he could- his curiosity was getting the best of him.//(290)

Ezmeralda:
She fell silent as Muiris didn’t speak. Her focus was drawn to the whipping of the wind outside, seeing the snowflakes drift into the wind as large piles of snow developed on the mountainside. It would probably be covered in snow when the sun came back up in the morning, but Ezmeralda didn’t really mind. Snow was probably one of her favorite things in the world, and she could always throw on her cloak or a scarf if things were really chilly. It was nice now though, sharing a tent with someone. It made her think of the times that she had her younger sister had shared a small tent together when they were younger. Of course, they still shared a tent sometimes, but now that Roselia was older, she was getting into the mindset that she was too old to share a tent with her big sister.

Her thoughts were brought back to the present as the stallion beside her broke the silence, and the unicorn mare smiled in return to his lopsided grin. “Any time, Muiris. I’m just glad that you feel a little bit better.” She said, a little proud of herself that she was able to help him. She normally wasn’t very good at those sorts of things, but perhaps it was because she knew from her own experiences about loss how to live with it.

Her green eyes widened slightly at his sudden question, but as she noticed the mild horror and embarrassment on his face and his stuttered statements, she realized that it must have been curiosity that had taken over him momentarily. Offering him a little smile to let him know that it was okay, Ezmeralda let out a quiet sigh, readying her voice to speak of the misfortunes that her family had had. “It’s alright. You told me something personal too, and it might help me a little to talk about it.” She murmured, turning her eyes toward the snow outside in case her tears returned. Now that would certainly be embarrassing to cry in front of a stranger. “My father and my mother were killed in an avalanche one rather warm spring when the snow was beginning to melt off of the snow caps on the mountains. My sister and I were young, and my father’s other wives left us soon after that. We’ve been tending to my mother’s flock of sheep ever since.” Ezmeralda explained and let out a gentle sigh before turning her head back to look at the roan stallion beside her, noticing for the first time the two dark, little horns protruding from his nose. How in the world had she missed that before? Perhaps she had been too distracted by her nervousness and concern. She also noticed then that the nervous, anxious feeling that she normally had around others had faded quite a bit since she had first approached him. Maybe it was the fact that they were both helping each other and sharing personal stories that made her feel more comfortable. Was she actually possibly making a friend? Ezmeralda smiled slightly at the thought. It had been quite some time since she had actually been close to someone who she wasn’t related to by blood. It was a little exciting to think about. // {Word Count: 548 }

Muiris :
He shuffled his hooves uncomfortably beneath him, as if he was trying to tuck them closer to his body than they already were. His ears flicked in her direction as she started speaking, his heart catching in his throat at the thought of losing not one, but both parents at such a young age. His mind wandered to his own father’s death- a scene that would never leave his mind. He could remember it so distinctively, to the point that he could still taste the offender’s metallic blood on his tongue if he thought about it enough. At least his mother was alright.. at least he hoped so, seeing as he hadnt seen a sign of her for several years.

He raised an eyebrow and glanced back at her when she stopped speaking. He noticed her soft smile and tipped his head to the side in a confused manner. What an odd time to be smiling. He thought, until he noticed he was too. Just a little bit, barely noticeable, but it was there. There was absolutely nothing about her story to be smiling about, but somehow the stallion found himself with the smallest bit of joy in his heart. He was actually connecting with someone. He felt they were already so similar, and they had only just met. He hoped he wasnt just getting his hopes up, and they werent going to part ways and never see eachother again once the storm passed.

“Im sorry..” He sighed, turning to glance back out at the swirling snow. “I-its nice you took over your mother’s flock, though. At least her memory lives on.” His ears pricked forward as a snowflake fell on the inside of the , landing softly before his cracked hoof. He then suddenly turned to look back at her, his ears shifting to the side. “You mentioned your sister? Where is she now? Is she safe from the storm?” He asked quickly, slight concern in his tone.//(329)

Ezmeralda:
Ezmeralda felt the cold wind from the winter storm push through the opening to the tent, and she wrapped herself with her long tail, hoping it would provide her with a little more protection from the chilly weather. Her green eyes flickered from the flying snowflakes back to the roan stallion’s face and spotted a hint of a smile pulling up the corners of his lips that matched her own. She realized that this wasn’t exactly a good time to be grinning at each other. She had just mentioned that both of her parents had died when she was younger, but for some reason, the grin just wouldn’t disappear. Maybe it was the small feeling of excitement and happiness that she was possibly making a friend that was intruding on her usual worrying, fearful thoughts. She could only hope that this wasn’t just some passing moment though she was aware that it might be hard to see each other again with how nomadic some of the residents of War-Forged were, but maybe they would.

She dipped her head slightly at his apology, returning her gaze back to the snowy world outside of the tent. “It’s alright. It happened many, many years ago, and I know that Kaia is taking good care of them wherever they are.” Ezmeralda let out a small, dreamy sigh at the mention of the goddess that her mother had loved so dearly that had ultimately taken her from this world. She always liked to think that Kaia had taken pity on her and had brought her and her lover to live with the stars instead of in this world that seemed to be so full of pain. Kaia had obviously seen something in their family that she liked; she had blessed her before birth after all.

At Muiris’s sudden movement, the grullo mare jumped slightly as her ears slid back against her neck fearfully, but as concern filled his voice, she relaxed again, sighing out a breath of relief. “My sister is watching the flock right now. I traveled further up the path to scout ahead to make sure the bridge wasn’t broken, but then the storm hit.” She explained, her brows narrowing in worry for her sister and their flock. Her ears grew warm in embarrassment at her jumpiness, and she hoped that he hadn’t noticed or at least didn’t think poorly of her because of it. “She knows what to do if a storm hits though… she’s done it before anyways.” Ezmeralda said, biting her lip nervously. // {Word Count: 423}

Muiris :
The stallion winced slightly at the mention of Kaia. It was curious to him how others could put so much faith in a being they didn't really have true proof of existing. He secretly wished he was able to put such faith in them.. any of them. But are they really around, and do they really care, seeing where his life had taken him? Probably not. He frowned and rolled his eyes. Oh well, he would keep that bit to himself.

He glanced over at the mare, missing her jump from his quick movement, and flicked his ears to the side as she spoke. He caught her slight worry in her tone, causing his own to grow just a tad. Silence fell between them as he bit his bottom lip, his eyes wandering out into the storm. It had grown quite a bit since the two had met- the snow now in a blurry craze. He could hardly see three feet in front of them. He could only imagine what it was like being out in the middle of all this- and with a flock on top of that. Jeeze..

“Are you worried about her?” He hesitantly asked, breaking the heavy silence. It really wasnt his place to question the ability of her sister- especially when he hardly knew her- but he figured he would at least ask. He was ready to plunge into the depths of the storm if it meant helping out his new friend. Or at least putting both of their concern at ease.//(257)

Ezmeralda:
Silence fell over the two of them, leaving Ezmeralda to her thoughts. Most of which were spent worrying about her sister. Roselia was 19 years old, but it still felt at times that she was still so little. Perhaps it was just the facts that she had practically raised her while her parents were busy with their jobs, and then after they passed away, Ezmeralda had really taken it upon herself to raise her little sister to be an upstanding citizen of Onea. She knew that she had told Roselia what to do if they got separated and something like this happened, but the worry that seemed to always eat her up inside kept her from being completely in the dark about her sister’s whereabouts. ‘She’ll be fine. We’ve been through worse storms with the flock and kept them and ourselves safe. She knows to seek shelter.’ Ezmeralda reassured herself, letting out a quiet sigh as her green eyes focused on the snowy blizzard outside of the warmth of the tent.

Her ears perked up when Muiris’s deep tone broke through the silence. She tore her gaze from the mesmerizing swirling of the snow outside back to the roan stallion. She liked the fact that he asked so many questions. It made her feel like he was putting an effort into being her friend and making sure that she was okay, and that made her feel pretty darn special. “Y-yeah, I’m a little worried about her. It doesn’t take much to make me worried though.” Ezmeralda admitted with a sheepish giggle, moving her fluffy tail to cover more of herself as if she were a filly trying to hide in a pile of pelts. “She’s not incredibly young or anything. We’ve been through worse storms with our flock, and she knows how to make a fire and find shelter. I-I guess I’m just a little overprotective of her sometimes.” She murmured and glanced away shyly, looking down at her feathered hooves. // {Word Count: 331}

Muiris :
The roaned stallion nodded slowly, his thick feathered hooves digging into the soft pelt that covered the ground of the tent. His eyes wandered back to the mare as her own gaze shot down, his ears flicking forward as he noticed her sudden interest in her own hooves. He couldnt blame her- he felt like he probably looked more awkward than he really thought. He glanced back out at the storm for what felt like the thousandth time that night, his vision blurring as he tried to keep track of only a single falling flake here and there. The task proved to be more difficult than he thought.
“Well..” He murmured quietly with a small shift of his weight against the side of the dark green tent. He could already feel himself getting more comfortable around the mare. His stutter was gone, and his words seemed to come more freely. “Just.. tell me if youd like to go after her. Im not sure what this storm has in store.” A small frown crossed his lips in annoyance at himself as he glared out into the storm. The one time he should have listened to the weather witch. Idiot, he thought to himself with a roll of his deep brown eyes.

He quickly wiped the irritation from his features, in hopes the painted mare beside him didnt notice. Silence fell quickly between them, the air feeling heavy in the stallion’s lungs. The night had grown significantly later since the two had started talking- it was a wonder how one could lose track of time so quickly when enjoying themselves. It had actually gotten to the point when the realization had hit the stallion, and hard. His eyes were growing heavy, his vision twitching here and there if he didnt focus enough. He shook his head softly, snorting against the cold air and watching the mist swirl around his muzzle. This was a good sign, though, it proved he really was getting comfortable in Ezmeralda’s presence. Just that thought caused the smallest of smiles to creep across his lips./(347)

Ezmeralda:
Her green eyes shifted from the fur that covered the hard, rocky ground underneath the tent toward the billowing flurries of snow outside. She hadn’t even guessed that there would be a storm of this scale in the area, though she supposed she should have checked what the Weather witch was predicting before traveling further into the mountains. It had completely slipped her mind to do so with all of the preparations and things she had had to make to get the flock ready to travel, and of course, right before it was time to go, her sister had decided that was a great time to go on one of her merry adventures without telling her about it. Worried sick, Ezmeralda had searched everywhere in the town for her sister until she found her at a coffee shop talking to some stallion. Goodness, Roselia always seemed to make her worry so much. But after all of that, the thought of checking to make sure there weren’t any storms coming through hadn’t even crossed her mind.

Ezmeralda’s attention was brought back to the present at the sound of Muiris’s soft murmur as he offered to help look for her sister if she wanted. A small smile crossed her face at his offer, and she noticed that the stutter that had been in his words had slowly disappeared. Maybe that meant that he was becoming more comfortable around her? She knew that she was getting more relaxed around him, but she could only hope that he was feeling the same way. “Thank you, Muiris. I really appreciate the offer. I’m sure she’ll be okay though... and I have a feeling she’d just get mad if I went after her right now. She doesn’t think that I trust her ability to do her job since I’m always helping her with everything. I think that it’s time to see what she’s capable of.” Ezmeralda said with a faint smile before sighing quietly, shifting her weight into a more comfortable position. “Maybe if the storm gets more serious than this, we can go look for her.” The grulla mare added sheepishly as she looked over Mui.

She could feel how late it was as her eyelids began to grow heavy with sleep. It was strange how quickly time had passed since she had stumbled upon the roan stallion’s tent, but she was certainly feeling the affects of it despite the chilly air that occasionally blew into the tent, sending shivers through her. Out of the corner of her eye, Ezmeralda looked to see if Mui had fallen asleep or looked as drowsy as she felt, but she couldn’t really tell anything from the look in his eyes that she realized were a rich brown color. The only thing she could clearly see was the faintest of smiles on his face, one that she couldn’t help but smile at herself. “So, Muiris, what do you do for a living? If you don’t mind me asking of course. I’m in your tent in the middle of the night, and I don’t know much about you.” She muttered with a quiet, nervous giggle at her attempt to joke around. Oh gods, she was so rusty at this whole socializing thing. Hopefully, she wasn’t doing as badly as she thought she was. // (553)

Muiris :
The stallion nodded at her response, his ears flicking to the side as he honestly agreed with her. Had she been worried enough to go after her sister, she would not be hanging out with him casually in the tent would she? At least he hoped not. Silence fell between them once more before her soft voice pricked his ears. He glanced over at her, his muzzle twitching as he mulled over his answer. He always hated speaking of his occupation. Most either just laughed at him as if it were a joke, which he didnt blame them for. He didnt exactly look Raider material. They would really have to watch him to believe him. Or they would take pitty on him, guessing he probably got the short end of the straw on most jobs, considering he was so soft. He hated it, but it was no use arguing about it. They could think what they wanted, and he would give up when it came to changing their minds.

He chuckled lightly at her little joke, shrugging his shoulders and tipping his head back and forth with a knowing smile. “Thats true.” He replied, flattening his front hooves against the fur coat beneath him. However short time they had known each other, he felt like they could have known each other for nearly forever. He gave a sheepish smile. “Im.. actually a Raider.” He replied, a little quieter than he intended. “I know i dont seem like much, but..” He trailed off, ending with yet another shrug. He had nothing against the mare, but he wasnt about to spill the reason he was so good at his said job- that would certainly scare her away. He snorted and gave her a lopsided smile. “.. I manage.”

His smile dropped, his brow quirking as one ear flicked in her direction. “I gather you’re a herder then, what type of flock do you have?” He asked after a brief moment of silence to regather his thoughts.//(333)

Ezmeralda:
For some reason or another, she felt comfortable kidding and joking around with Muiris even if her jokes were absolutely horrible and probably not very funny despite having only really just met him. It felt like they were old friends meeting again after being apart for a long time. This feeling was so foreign to her though. She had never really had many friends growing up with all the traveling her parents did and how awkward she naturally was in social situations, but being born blessed had its perks with that. Kaia had given her the blessing of Beast Summoning which meant that at any time, some little creature could come around and keep her company (though she had no control over when or what came for a visit). It had kept her sane, but it was nice to have someone to call a friend that could actually talk back.

Ezmeralda’s ears perked at his response, and a curious expression crossed her face. Quite a few of her father’s brothers were Raiders, so she had grown used to seeing and hearing them around growing up, and while she hadn’t picked Muiris as one of them, she could see where he probably did a pretty good job at it. “I’m sure you’re really good at your job. You’re tall and well built to be a Raider. I know that if I were some predator or something else dangerous, I wouldn’t want to mess with you.” She admitted with a chuckle. She glanced away with a faint blush heating her cheeks at the compliments she had given him and bit her lip nervously at the thought of what he might make of them.

Her green eyes flashed back to him at his question, and she nodded in response. “Yes, I’m a herder. I don’t herd anything too special like Apana. I just tend to a flock of bighorn sheep.” Ezmeralda explained, casting her gaze downwards for a moment before turning them back up toward the roan stallion beside her. Herders were often the butt of the joke and thought of as weak and feeble compared to the rest of the herd, and she could only guess that it would be even worse for her reputation if she only herded sheep. // (379)

Muiris :
His brow quirked at her reaction to him being a raider- it certainly wasnt what he was expecting. He nodded slowly when she mentioned he probably was good. Oh, you dont even know. He thought, a small chuckle leaving his lips. He was lucky she had offered one too, as he hadnt meant to laugh at her. It was more at himself than anything else. He tipped his head, a smirk playing across his features as he noticed the small blush creeping up her cheeks. His gaze was full of curiosity, as he tried to figure out if she really liked him for if she was just being nice.. he really hoped for the first option.

He nodded slowly at her mention of sheep, his eyes widening ever so slightly. “Oh please,” He chuckled. “Everyone is trying to get into Apanas.” He commented with a roll of his eyes. At least, that was what he had noticed. “If anything, bighorn sheep are quite the specialty.” He offered a small smile. He didnt understand why those in his herd felt the need to pick on herders. He held the utmost respect for them.

“You know.. I used to be herder.” He added tentatively, his nervousness rising once more at his confession. He shifted uncomfortably, his muzzle twisting as he instantly regretted his decision to share it. That was.. not the time in his life he was most proud of, but it was too late now. “Uh, not for long. Only a few weeks or so when i was younger.. Didnt last long..” He shot her a lopsided grin and narrowed eyes. “I dont understand why our herd seems to think you guys are weak. Its the hardest job out there if i can say so.” He snorted, many memories of those damned animals running in several different directions as a tired, young Muiris tried to get them all back together again. Absolutely terrible..//(322)

Ezmeralda:
Ezmeralda’s eyes widened ever so slightly at his response, and she couldn’t hold back the giggles that escaped her. “I know right? You’d think those Apanas were made out of gold. I know they’re supposed to have really nice fur, but other animals are important too.” She joked back, glad to have someone that agreed with her that Apanas weren’t all that. After all, furs from other things like sheep were still good for something, and they were a heck of a lot cheaper to purchase than Apanas and their fur. She gave him a small smile at his remark of bighorn sheep being a speciality. “Thank you for thinking so. Not many do nowadays… though they do like to watch the sheep butt heads in the fall.” She admitted, chuckling at all the surprised faces she got on the road whenever the few males she kept in her herd started to hit their large horns against each others.

Her ears perked up with curiosity, hearing the nervousness in his tone at his confession. She wouldn’t have guessed that he had been a herder, though she supposed it would be a hard thing to guess about anyone. “Really? What kind of animal did you tend to?” She asked, her gaze filling with curiosity for the stallion beside her, but there was something about his body movement and sudden tension that made her think that he wasn’t exactly happy or comfortable with saying that he was a herder once upon a time, and she began to wonder what would make him feel that way. She wasn’t one to push for answers though, especially when she had just started to get to know Muiris and didn’t want to chase him away by pushing him past his boundaries. A grin pulled up the corners of her lips as she nodded in agreement. “Yeah, herders don’t get a lot of respect, but I don’t really mind. I’m happy with my work even if no one else is, but I think it takes someone who’s been around herders or used to be one to really understand what it’s all about.” Ezmeralda added with a sheepish grin in Mui’s direction before her eyes shifted back toward the storm growing outside. And it probably helped her that her blessing for Beast Summoning often times kept the flock near her or at least brought them back if they got too far, but she still had a lot of work to do to hone those skills. // (417)