EverlastingStables

The late morning sun casted long shadows across the thawing meadow as Ruvio reluctantly emerged from his modest dwelling. The centaur village was stirring to life, the sounds of early spring mingling with the familiar routines of its inhabitants. He pulled his long, black hair forward, briefly obscuring his face, a habit he’d developed to ward off unwanted attention. He preferred the quiet solitude of his own company, a preference that often clashed with the close-knit nature of their community. Today, however, solitude was not an option. A village elder had decreed the need for a fresh supply of firewood, and Ruvio, along with Chessa, had been assigned the task of venturing into the boreal forest to gather sticks. The thought of spending the day with another taur, especially one as…spirited as Chessa, made his cloven hooves feel heavy, and his head ache with the thought of socializing. Chessa was already waiting near the edge of the forest, her warm grey coat dappled with various

As Moose questioned the newcomer, Xanthe studied him intently, trying to gauge his intentions. There was something about his demeanor, a certain coldness in his yellow eyes, that made her instincts scream danger. And yet, there was also a flicker of something else, a hint of sincerity perhaps, that gave her pause. Xanthe leaned in close to Moose and whispered, "Be careful, Moose. Something about him doesn't feel quite right." She kept her gaze locked on the black unicorn, her heart racing as she awaited Moose's judgment. "If he's lying, we need to leave. Now." Moose took time to monitor the black unicorn's intentions. Listening very carefully to his words, and to his body language. Looking for everything and anything that may express ill intent. Lies had a way to show up in unexpected ways, normally they were not shown through verbal ques. After reading over the unicorn's response and then some, Moose suddenly felt a bit of shock in what he was seeing. It appeared to him that this

Happy that Xanthe was willing to travel and see a new place, he took the lead and guided her towards the special site. What had felt like a week, only took them a day or two to get to the location. For the most part, it was fair travels and nothing too dangerous crossed their path. If something did appear, they resorted to hiding until it had passed then moved on. Upon reaching the location, it was getting dark and the duo would have to settle in for the night to witness the beautiful scene in the early morning. Moose moved to settle down to snooze, his front legs knelt down first before his black legs followed suit. He shook his head as a shiver rolled up his spine. Mane flailing with the shake before settling on one side of his thickly neck. However, as he was getting comfortable in his sleeping spot, a creepy chuckle was heard. His front hooves quickly hoisted his bulk back up onto all fours and his eyes frantically darted all about. Almost instantly, Moose felt concern about

"That's the spirit!" Moose said with a delightful smile. The excitement that flooded his massive body tingled every corner and made his hooves start to dance in place. He pranced like a love-struck stallion showing off to a pretty lady. It couldn't be helped, this was something new and thrilling for him. He never had a herd of his own before, and after all this wandering alone, Moose finally got his first mare. The stallion now had the start of a herd, and he hoped he would be found worthy of having one. "I'd like to show you someplace special. It's...not known to many, and it only happens during the summer season," the unicorn stallion commented. Wanting her to say yes to going. "It's a bit of a trek, and we will have to sleep overnight to see it in the morning," he added as there were requirements to seeing this special occurrence. Xanthe smiled as she watched Moose prance about, his delight and enthusiasm was rather infectious. She felt a warmth blossoming in her chest, a

The forest stood silent, a cathedral of snow-laden pines. Among them, the stallion Caesar lowered his head, his breath misting in the frigid air. His wooly winter coat offering some protection of the cold, but the gnawing emptiness in his belly was a constant reminder of the struggle this season brought. The mountains, jagged and white-capped, stood sentinel in the distance, indifferent to his hunger. He was alone. No mares, no foals, just the echoing crunch of his hooves in the deep snow. He longed for a herd, for the comforting presence of other horses, but building that took time, time he was currently spending just trying to survive. Though he was courageous and strong, he was also smart enough to understand the limitations this winter imposed. Foolhardy recklessness wouldn’t fill his belly. Caesar lifted a foreleg, pawing at the snow. It was a familiar, frustrating dance. He needed to find food, and finding it under inches of compacted snow was proving a herculean task. The

Xanthe's ears perked up at Moose's suggestion of visiting the Flame Expanse in the lesser seasons, but then a small frown suddenly appeared on her face where there was once excitement. "Perhaps it's foolish of me to even think of going to such places. Perhaps I should give up on such adventures. I would hate to risk an innocent stranger just to go exploring," she replied and felt her head turn to the side. Looking away from Moose and drifting off into the depths of her mind. It seemed she'd need more convincing. Moose seemed strong and brave, but was that enough? Words were cheap after all. Moose thought the conversation between them was going well. He certainly admired her eagerness for seeing new places. That is until pulled things back a bit. She was afraid of getting others hurt for her ambitions, her thrills for adventures and traveling. His brow furrowed lightly, what was this nonsense she spoke of? Though he appeared a little disgruntled, he was actually working hard to think

Xanthe had followed the large hoof prints of what she thought was a unicorn. Carefully she tracked them until the prints took her to the river border between to two land areas. The Flame Expanse and the Blooming Territories. Up ahead, beyond some thick tree trunks, she spotted the dark, red roan equine. The unicorn she had been following. After a bit of studying, Xanthe noticed that the unicorn she had been tracking was none other than a stallion. A lone stallion. The potential to perhaps accompany him on his travels was quite the thought in her mind. Then again, maybe he did not wish to have others around him. Maybe he was a loner? The mare shook her head, at the thought. No, she'd have to at least try. He looked strong, and powerful. An important trait for a fellow unicorn to survive in the harsh territories. While she continued to stand behind the tree trunks, her hoof snapped a twig and the sound of it echoed into the surrounding area. Uh oh. As Moose looked at himself in the