The Horses of Candala RolePlay (OPEN!!!)

[Canadian Sunfeather]

Virgil would listen to them before giving his input, "The grass is very dry I don't think it has rained for quite some time here maybe that could be why they left, my rider never said anything to me nor tried to touch me they just left with tears in there eyes, I did however hear the queen say something about a village not far from here needing aid" he said to them as he noticed that not one of the humans tried to pet them or give them much affection even if they did it was breif and hurried, he tried not to think of Camalia his rider and the tears in her eyes when she visited him probaly for the last time, even if it had been breif he wished she would have said something to him or even give him a quick hug to show that she really cared for him, but what if the queen forbid her from even touching me or even coming into my stall to say goodbye he thought, as he flicked one of his ears towards the west end of the pasture catching a sound, he thought he could hear a neigh from a horse but he wasn't so sure as fog was starting to roll in from the west and it was thick he could barely see the trees in the distance.

[Abbster]

Ruby blinked a little bit. That hadn’t been what she had heard, at least what she thought she heard. “I….I don’t think that’s it.” Ruby said as she glanced at Velvet. “I heard my owner mention something about….i think some disease, then again I couldn’t hear her very well last night as I was kinda drowsy, so maybe I’m totally wrong.” She said with shrug. “Velvet, what do you think?” Ruby asked as she stepped back a little bit from the stallion.

[tenebria]

Velvet tilted her head slightly at the stallions words, glancing about "Well it is dry in here, but if you think about it, the grass in our own pastures has not been dry, so I believe it is simply the change of area, not the lack of rain" she said with quiet wisdom. She flicked an ear curiously "A village in need? I heard nothing of any sort, but perhaps it could have something to do with it" she said, though slightly doubtfully. Her attention was well focused on the stallion, and she noticed the slight ear swivel and turned her head instinctively, ears alert. No sound could be heard, so she shook it off and turned to Ruby, who was now speaking. "A disease? That could make sense actually" she said, a dawning look coming to her gaze. "That could make much sense, the lessening of contact between us and them, and the hurried motions in our barn recently. I assumed it was a show, as they always get flustered and begin packing up things for a show, but now that I truly think about it, they were not packing bridles or saddles... they were packing their own belongings" She said with a surprised snort that she'd just now remembered this. "Ruby, I believe that could be it. But if it were a disease, why leave us? I know we are not sick, so why disappear when we know they love us?" She said, her ears pinning in slight discomfort at the confusion of this situation. In her days, nothing had been this confusing. Disease had not been worried about in such a way in any time that she could remember, to abandon your own horses, it had to be serious. As if brought on by her thoughts of abandoning, a sound split the air, coming from the far west end. And it chilled her bones. The yapping of a coyote, followed by another, and another, until an entire pack was singing their chaotic song. And it was close. "Coyotes" she whispered quietly, her entire attention focused to the west as a shadowing fog began to spread across the land, rolling towards them ominously. "Ruby, stay close" she murmured, shifting her weight to keep contact with the mare. If it was as thick as she remembered these highland fogs being, they wouldn't be able to see one hoof in front of them.

[Canadian Sunfeather]

Virgil pawed the ground with one of his massive hooves he could now hear the sounds of coyotes he knew if they got into this pasture it would end one of two ways with them fighting the coyotes and winning or them being attacked by coyotes as the thick fog rolled in towards them, he reared up as he saw a flash of yellow from behind a tree it was a coyote but where there was one coyote there were more waiting in the distance, he was ready to protect the mares if need be from the coyotes but he knew that Velvet would also protect Ruby if he couldn't for some reason, He galloped to the weak spot in the fence he had to hope it would hold up if the coyotes found it, He felt so stupid for caring more about the fence holding up then the two mares who might need his protection but if the one thing supposed to protect them failed all bets were off and they would need to face the coyotes together if they broke through the fence, he raised his head and made the choice to gallop back towards the mares and take a protective stance ready to fight the coyotes if they dared to enter the pasture and try and attack all three of them for simply no reason other then they might be a easy meal to feed the entire pack.

[Abbster]

Ruby’s heart began to pound as Velvet mentioned the coyotes. Ruby had always been in her stall if there was ever a threat. Instinctively, Ruby pressed against Velvet as she had moved away a bit as she was feeling more comfortable with the stallion. Her heads pinned as she could smell the coyotes now. Not only that, but she could hear them snarling in rage. The fog rolled closer and covered the entire land, making it impossible to see. Rubys heart could be heard pounding in her chest as her eyes grew wide. “Velvet.” Ruby muttered. “I’m scared.” She said

[tenebria]

Velvet moved even closer to Ruby as Virgil suddenly galloped off, his hoofbeats echoing heavily in the fog as he disappeared for a few moments. Her heart began beating hard, although her outward appearance was calm. She had dealt with coyotes before. But Ruby had not. And she herself was old. And she didn't know if she could protect them both. Just when she was thinking Virgil had abandoned them, his dark shape came speeding back through the fog, and he slid to a halt in front of them, his mane shifting as he took a strong stance before them, his large form a welcome presence as he watched the border of the fence. At Ruby's scared muttering, she turned, nuzzling her. "It's ok Ruby, coyotes don't attack horses unless they're starving, and they won't with Virgil here" she assured her, hoping she was right. Suddenly the yapping began again... this time a LOT closer. She could hear pawsteps now, swishing through the grass and from the scents, dampened as they were by the ominous blanket of fog, they were coming straight for them. She knew no fence could stop them, especially not an old wooden one as the one that surrounded them uselessly. And then suddenly, gleaming yellow eyes blinked right in front of her, the fog dissapating slightly to bring into view a well aged coyote, his fur a motley of gray and brown. Scars ran down his sides and face, telling of his place in the pack. Alpha. "Well well, what are we encountering here? A trio of impotent equines?" he queried in a strangely calm, yet very distinctly sneering tone, his gleaming eyes seeming to stare into her soul. Velvet couldn't move. What was this? Since when did coyotes speak to horses? Since when did they converse instead of attacking? Either this was very good, or very bad indeed. And even stranger, this one seemed to have quite good vocabulary, and it clean boggled her mind. The coyote seemed to glance over at Virgil, looking him up and down swiftly, taking in his poise. "You must be the thew of the trio" he said after a moment, his gleaming teeth suddenly flashing in an eerie smile. "Conciliate yourself now, no requirement for ferity. Simply owing to the fact I am a canine species, it does not require me to act feral" he said as he sat himself down, his rough patched tail curling over his paws. But something about the way his eyes shifted set Velvet off... a lot, especially as they moved back to her. "Ah, venerable mare, I mean not to unsettle any of you" he said, seeming to catch her uneasiness, also most likely as she had not spoken yet. Finally, she found her voice. "I mean no presumption in assuming you would attack us, you are after all a coyote, and as you say, canines are not usually our closest allies" she said cooly. He gave the slightest dip of his head in acknowledgement of this. "Truth, you do speak truth" he murmured, and she spoke again "Tell us then, if you are not here to make us your next repast, why are you here?" she queried, glancing to Virgil and giving him a slight ear flick, warning him to stay on guard, but also to not attack. This beast seemed wise, even if he did seem quite eerie, and perhaps they could get information out of him on their situation.

[Canadian Sunfeather]

Virgil would watch the coyotes with caution he did not trust them even if the alpha did not look like they would attack he was not going to trust a word coming from the mouth of a coyote, he still stood protectivly near the mares but did not act like he was going to attack any of the coyotes, he still kept his focus on the leader of the coyotes just in case he was giving diffrent signals to his packmates, he was not going to put his trust in a coyote even one that seemed to want to chat rather then attack them all without a second thought, he would look over at Ruby noticing her quivering in fear and whispered into her ear something that the coyotes could not hear, "Stay still and do not show any signs that you are afraid I know were all afraid but these coyotes read fear as weakness not strength you need to try your best to stay calm and stop quivering" Virgil whispered to Ruby trying his best to calm the terrified mare who was probaly even more scared of the coyotes then she was of him at the moment.

[Abbster]

Ruby looked at Virgil and nodded slowly as she tried to get her trembling body to stop. She closed her eyes and tried to think of things to relax her, although nothing seemed to work, and as the coyotes drew closer, she could hear them snarling in anger. Ruby shifted closer to Velvet again and she shut her eyes tightly as they had opened before. “Velvet.” Ruby whispered.

[tenebria]

Velvet glanced over to Virgil as she heard him shift, but relaxed as she saw him still alert, but apparently calming Ruby. A few moments later the younger mare pressed against her again, but she wasn't trembling as hard. The older mare turned her attention back to the coyote, who was waiting for her to apparently focus her self on him before replying. "You see, using you simply as meat for our flesh is the way of our ancestors, not of us today. Now I see you three are quite ignorant of the world today." he said bluntly, a slightly scornful glint in his eye. "So allow me to enlighten you" he said with a growl. Velvet tensed, but gave a small nod. They did need to know what was happening out there. "Months ago, this world you are used to of humans, well it began to empty. You see, finally they are beginning to realize that animals have the true power over this soil, not them. They are merely interlopers, trespassers on a world that belongs not to them. And slowly, they have begun to return it to us. Where they go we do not know, but they have been leaving the land slowly by each month. Our brothers from the south and the north have told us the same of their lands, and now finally, ours is free. The land is our own once more, ours to take and ours to hold." he said, a true maniacs insanity beginning to gleam in his eyes. "And so, we thought it only fair to tell you this, to inform you that you get to take back the world alongside us. But not here. Oh no. This is ours. This belongs to the coyotes. But we are not the barbarians that the humans pin us as. We are civilized, more than them. Killing for pleasure is a thing of the past, and hunger is not a worry, not with the bounties in their dens now belonging to us" he said, suddenly rising to his paws, his face twisted in a look of insane power. Velvet's eyes widened. Oh no. He thought... he thought he could rule this land now. The news of all the humans leaving left a dark hole in her heart,but she knew they couldn't worry about that now, especially not as the coyotes were beginning to spread out into a circle. Why... she could only guess, but none were coming close to reasonable guesses. If they weren't going to attack, if they weren't going to kill, then why were they trying to control them?

[Canadian Sunfeather]

Virgil would look at the circling coyotes he knew this was not good but something told him to hold off, there was a scary intelligence to the alpha coyote he was not to be taken lightly as he was the only thing keeping his packmates in line, he still stood in a protective manner near the mares but now he was more alert and paying close attention to not only the alpha but the other coyotes as they started to spread out into a large circle around them, he knew from there movements they were trying to get them tighter together but for what reason Virgil was unsure of as there was no logic or reason for the sudden herding movement, this alpha did not seem like the normal coyote to him there was something very strange about the way he knew that the humans had left or were leaving, why would a coyote care what happened to humans or the pets they left behind he thought, as he continued to watch the coyotes taking notes on every little movement that they made like the flick of a tail or a movement of the ear as they heard things that there ears could not pick up on in the distance.

[Abbster]

Ruby suddenly gulped...loudly and she could feel a coyote's gaze turn on her. She tensed and tried to relax herself as she listened to the coyote talking to Velvet. She knew what she had to do. She could hear Emily's voice inside her head. "Calm Ruby." She said. "It's ok my sweet mare. Shh" Emily said, rubbing her hand down Ruby's nose. "You're ok, you're safe" Emily said. Then the voice was gone and Ruby was calmer once again. Her body still tense as she gazed at the coyote again, who had turned away from her now. Ruby let out a small breath of quiet relief. It wasn't planning to do anything to her...yet...but what was it planning?

[tenebria]

Velvet could hear her two companions shifting, nervousness and tension coming from them both. She could almost feel how ready Virgil was, and she was glad he was there, very glad. But hopefully... maybe... violence could be avoided. Her thoughts were in a turmoil as she kept her eyes on the Alpha coyote, finding her voice again. "This is quite the news for us, we had no idea. We heard bits and pieces, but it did not make sense, not until now." she said with a dip of her head to him, trying to pacify his obvious need for leadership. "I assure you we stand no threat to your claim of this village, if you wish to use it for your own purposes you may, it is obviously not ours." she said hastily, then added almost in the same breath "I must ask, if you do not plan to devour us, why is your pack circling us in an ominous pattern?" She said bluntly. The coyote gave her a look, choosing to reply in order of her speech. "I thank you for your assurance, most welcome it is indeed" he said, then sneered slightly. "Well, we have assisted you, we have given information, so do you not owe us something in return?" he queried, his voice indicating he was telling them they did, not asking. "You see, we may be swift and agile of nature, but our stature is not as tall as yours, not by any means. The human dens, we have already explored them, and there is once such den filled with food to satisfy our bellies forever. And yet, it remains all above our reach. And so, you must repay us, repay us by helping us, by helping us fill our bellies" he said, his eyes gleaming. Velvet jerked her head up slightly and took a step back in alarm. "Oh foolish mare, not in the way you are thinking!" The coyote snapped with sudden irritation, his tail swishing, causing his packmates to move even closer, jaws snapping. "We require your stature, you must go into these dens and emerge with all the sustenance we ask of you, until we are satisfied. Then, and only then, will our accounts be settled" he said with a snarl. Velvet stiffened. Become pack horses for... for coyotes? Ludicrous!

[Canadian Sunfeather]

Virgil would stay still his ears were moving in any direction that the coyotes were, he could smell there foul breath as one walked right close to him but not too close as there yellow eyes locked on him there jaws were open and snapping at the air, "Do as the alpha commands and all shall be free to go" said one of the coyotes near him they were probaly a pretty high rank if the Alpha did not do anything to stop them, he did not look at the coyote who spoke but on the Alpha as he was growing irate and starting to loose control of himself and possibly the entire pack, he would be glad to step in if Velvet needed him too but for now he would just watch the Alpha and the other coyotes, his body growing more tense as the coyotes came closer to them with there snapping jaws full of sharp canine teeth that could do serious damage to any of them, he was ready if one dared to even take a step wrong and leap at them he would be ready to protect the two mares with his life if it came down to it, even though Virgil was normally gentle and easy going he did not like bullies and these coyotes were starting to fit that role for him as they continued to move closer with snapping jaws.